This is my sleeper hit of the set. 3/3 for 3 in mono red with two powerful abilities. What really caught my attention though is the type line: Minotaur Wizard. Zedruu the Greathearted just so happens to be a minotaur.
flavioal28
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Sweet Spitemare reprint! Only upgraded, i love it!
Totema
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
He's a WIZARD in R/W! And also a cool and useful minotaur! What's happening to the game?!
Kryptnyt
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Didgeridoo for flash. Activated first strike actually makes sense on a card! Wow!
hot4boys
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(6 votes)
the le reddit r/mtg army and its leejun loves this card! 5 stars if you agree!
oddmonk
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Spitemare immediately regretted not using a rubber...
Superb card. Gives reach by just running into blockers, 'tactical genius' is right.
Nucleon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Stuffy Doll is around as well, so I could totally see a blow-everything-to-bits Blasphemous Act deck.
FIAmagic
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This cow will be a nightmare for the standard to come. Unless you pack non-damage disruptions, you will have a hard time not getting 2-to-1 by this.
Add in the fact that it has a perfectly beefy P/T to boot, red has finally gotten their turn-3 drop.
Dream_Twist
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
As someone who has been on the receiving end of Mogg maniac and Spitemare I can definitely see this dude seeing play and he looks like a lot of fun. As a proponent of boros, it will be in my deck for sure!
LordOfTheFlies87
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Horrifying. I was scared of Spitemare, now I'm terrified.
RiftenBlack
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This card is amazing, especially in aggro vs aggro matchups. Many times, you will get a 2-for-1 with him.
The optional first strike really causes your opponent to make mistakes.
You can pair with a soul-bound life-link creature, haste creature, etc. for even more fun.
You can even cast Clan Defiance to do 2x the damage to the player and still kill one of their flyers because of the damage redirection ability.
In standard at the time of this writing, the only 3-drop in red worth using was a Pyreheart Wolf, but not anymore.
This will make its way into mono red, boros, and naya decks and will be in standard for a very long time.
It is rather curious that it was one of the only rares NOT spoiled or hyped by Wizards, yet it is probably one of the best cards in the set.
It is amazing - totally unreal - that this card is being sold for only $2.50 to $3.50 right now. I expect it to go to $15 or $20 by the end of the year.
Cyberium
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Not only is it cheaper and more powerful than Spitemare, its creature type of Wizard is also a popular type, lovely.
Purplerooster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The first ability sounds like something a Carma Fairy would have.
accsavious
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Suddenly, playing that thragtusk doesn't seem so game stabilizing...
rollinsclone
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
With this and Stuffy Doll in the format at the same time, it's really making me wish that Pyroclasm was in the format too....
Vividice
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This is what happens when you upgrade a Card (here Spitemare ) with money from uncommon to rare: CMC lowered by 1, addional activated ability which is combat relevant.
DarthParallax
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(4 votes)
I am a Wizard Minotaur. You're Argument has been Borosed.
RedJaron
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
An indestructible Boros Charm makes for a more palatable 2-for-1. Then you can 2-for-1 again the next turn!
Curlie-Joe
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
if only it could split the damage between multiple targets! ...I want.
Gcrudaplaneswalker
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
"Don't threaten me with your Bonfires. It makes me really REALLY ANGRY!!"
A minotaur wizard? Like Bull Daniels and Debbie Moogee? Ah, never mind...
ravenclaw567
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The fact that I was able to keep a simic deck with 3 9/9's from attacking just by having it on the field, along with an aggressive cost and a solid body, make this one of my favorite cards of the set.
Pantof
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Absolutely brilliant. And a hybrid on top of all.
Killercheesepuff
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This Guy should be way higher. He consistently 2 for 1's as most relevant cards in standard have 3 toughness, so he kills whats blocking him and another creature of your choice, The optional first strike also makes him a very poor block for simaler reasons (can kill thragtusk or something simaler whilst staying around). In conjunction with Pyreheart Wolf this guy is just nasty, and he fills the mostly vacant 3 slot in RDW and it's variants. Also 'dodges' most of the common removal, Ultimate price and burn. (He can be burnt, just it's bad for your opponent as well. This is seriously one of the best cards in the set, you'd be insane to rate it lower than a 4.
diabloelmo
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Blast, The_Grizz beat me to the punch. Still, for such a meme to transcend game types is quite impressive. It's almost as if it was done on purpose, by some kind of tactical genius....
CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!
icetiberon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
So good in limited. Won me prerelease. Awesome with pit fight.
The first strike option doesn't quite synergize with his triggered ability. But it's an advantage nonetheless - especially if you're facing other first strikers, or want him to survive a combat.
Overall a really efficient creature, and also one your opponent definitely doesn't want to try their burn spells on.
wholelottalove
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I agree that first strike doesn't work well with the static ability, but then the card is still fine.
One problem with this card is that with first strike, it may not get dealt damage. Of course, you can choose if it gets it.
Frenzy13
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
BEWARE MY TACTICAL-GENIUS LIGHTNING STORM MINOTAUR...
...OF PAIN!!!!!!
steev
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I see lots of complicated and weird combos but the easy one is: Valor Made Real, which turns him into a good old Boros Fury-Shield on steroids on a motorcycle attached to a throat punch. For .
This card confuses me. I get the whole Damage thing. But why the sometimes first strike? Wouldn't it make more sense for something like this to get +0/+1? The confusion.. This ability is so non-synergistic with itself.
Emcee117
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pssh, everyone has missed the REALLY good combo with this guy. 1) Boros Charm to make him indestructible... 2) Deal him 1 damage. He proceeds to deal 1 damage to himself, which allows him to deal 1 damage to himself, which allows him to deal 1 damage to himself, which (get on with it!) 3) Enchanted by Druid's Call
I underestimated this guy soooo much when he was first spoiled. Now I'm sure he's a better Boros creature than Frontline Medic, and certainly harder to hate. My only complaint (and it's a tiny, little one) is that he doesn't fit very well into Boros Human decks that run off of Cavern of Souls. But those decks have so many other tools, it's probably more fair that they miss out on one of the guild's best creatures ever.
He's the most expensive card in the set for a reason... Give him lifelink and indestructible and you've got infinite life next time he takes damage. He can deal the damage to himself which activates the ability again (and again and again and again). Heck, if you have a Vizkopa Guildmage in play, you win! Not that having infinite life wasn't enough to get everyone to rage quit anyway...
SRSFACE
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Yozuck: It's perfect with him, though. You have the ability to save him by utilizing first strike if you want, or you can just let him eat the damage to then redirect it somewhere else. I figured that was relatively straight-forward.
But, yeah, as has been said, Reckoner + Boros Charm + Gift of Orzhova + Vizkopa Guildmage is the unlimited combo in this current set. Not the most reliable unlimited combo because there are so many cards involved, but still doable and each of these cards even without the rest is good on it's own.
Smoke_Stack
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Want to pull off that infinite life combo but don't want to splash blue for Azorius Charm? Swift Justice
Enemy_Tricolor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Currently the fifth-best minotaur on Gatherer, with Lord of Shatterskull Pass holding the coveted top rank.
I posit that our friend the reckoner here is better, as he requires a lot less support to be good. The lord requires such an investment of mana that you really need to protect him if you want to rely on his effect, whereas Monsieur Reckoner immediately has an impact, and most of the time he really hurts your opponent by dying.
I can see why Tanhgarth still outranks him, though.
Rootkit9208
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Loved this little gem during the prerelease. I'll never forget using the +3/+0 ability of Martial Glory on their chump blocker while boosting him with the +0/+3
TzarChasm
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(4 votes)
C'mon, guys: this thing is good—really good, even—but it is not worth thirty dollars a copy. Nor is it even remotely rare enough to justify that price tag.
Continue
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(4 votes)
You know something's wrong when a rare is more expensive than all of the 15 mythic rares in the set.
Add a bunch of your favorite 2-drops in those colors, and a lot of 1 or 2 cmc instant speed protection.
. . . Still not as busted as Obliterator.
ThinkOriginal
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Witchbane Orb says, "Meh, you can fire that damage off somewhere else, thank you."
Seriously, Abrupt Decay is about the most reliable way to get rid of this thing. Reckoner is a tank that can stall the entire board if it resolves. And the hybrid casting and ability activation cost ensures it can be run in many different decks. One of the top three-drops available in Standard. Might even muscle its way into Modern?
Opponent808
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I dont understand how this card and Stuffy Doll can be dealt more damage than the toughness would logically allow
roguepariah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Necrobite to kill 2 creatures and save your favorite minotaur wizard for another go next turn. Throw in Vault of the Archangel since your in black already.
Loiden
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sorry Traft, The new 3 drop just got printed.
AncientTimer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Now this is how to fix the Thragtusk problem. Just print a more ridiculously busted creature card so the players forget previous agony when they get hampered by a worse one. Banhammer coming soon I hope?
LunarAvenger
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Imagine if he rode a spitemare into battle holding a stuffy doll. What a blasphemous act!!
Smithereen
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Swing with this, Bomber Corps, and Battlefield Medic after playing Angelic Skirmisher naming lifelink. Targeting this with Bomber's ability will give you infinite life.
mewtwo15026
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
5/5 for function, but 2/5 for design. Boros Charm and Swift Justice/Azorius Charm/anything else that gives lifelink makes an infinite life combo if Reckoner gets blocked or burned.
he's a great card, but there are some answers for him.
I personally have no problem dropping a searing spear into him if a player drops him on turn 3. They're unlikely to have the mana to kick off the infinite life combo, and he represents such a huge threat, that if you end up taking 3 to the face, it's probably worth it. With the deck I play, I've found it very profitable to just go ahead and trade a Loxodon Smiter for him. If they want to send 3 to my face, sure, their reckoner still dies, and I keep my 4/4. Or we can just trade straight up. Or he can take out my Thragtusk and I still get a 3/3.
Flyers can just ignore him. Sure, if I have stuff I care about on the board, I'm not going to block him and risk him taking something else out, but if I'm running flyers, I'm more than happy to take 3 each round and swing back with a bigger flyer.
Trample effects make his damage redirection not such a big deal, limiting him to 3 in most cases. With the popularity of Wolf Run, I'm perfectly ok with him blocking me, possibly killing a creature, and still letting a crap load of damage through.
He's still vulnerable to all non-damaging removal save Ultimate Price and it's ilk. Oblivion Ring, Detention Sphere, Fiend Hunter, Angel of Serenity, et al make him just as irrelevant as any other big body.
The infinite life combo, and his interactions with Blasphemous Act and maybe Bonfire are his only real dangers.
He's a great card, but there are plenty of answers for him, and given his popularity, everyone has to assume that they'll be facing him.
Kr-azi
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Why does everyone keep including the Boros Charm for indestructibility in the infinite life combo? He doesn't have to survive, does he? The rulings on the first page specifically say that he will still deal damage even if he receives lethal damage. Doesn't this mean that you can just get lifelink on him, Searing Spear him once, and win?
What am I missing? Why the indestructibility?
TheShadow344
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@Kr-azi
Because of the state-based action outlined in 704.5g: "If a creature has toughness greater than 0, and the total damage marked on it is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed."
Say Reckoner is dealt 1 point of damage by something... - Reckoner's 'dealt damage' trigger goes on the stack (choosing to deal damage to itself); it resolves, assuming no one does anything, dealing one damage to the Reckoner - a second instance of Reckoner's dealt damage trigger goes on the stack (choosing to deal damage to itself); it resolves, assuming no one does anything, dealing one damage to the Reckoner (Reckoner now has 2 damage marked on it) - a third instance of Reckoner's 'dealt damage' trigger goes on the stack (choosing to deal damage to itself); it resolves, assuming no one does anything, dealing one damage to the Reckoner (Reckoner now has 3 damage marked on it and will be destroyed because of the state-based action outlined above) - a fourth instance of Reckoner's 'dealt damage' trigger goes on the stack, but you can't target the Reckoner with it since it's been put into the graveyard; you must target something / someone else
In other words, state-based actions are checked after each instance of Reckoner being dealt damage. If Reckoner is dealt lethal damage, he will be destroyed but you still get to deal damage to something from the dealt-damage trigger (this is what the ruling you are referring to means and is outlined in the fourth step above).
That's why you can only pull off the infinite life combo if Reckoner is indestructible.
lanceofzolong
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Terribly overpowered for infinite life combo.
MICKEY.KNOX
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I played against a kid recently that would say 'take three' when I would Murder this thing. Four different times in the same match I had to explain why I didn't take damage just because it died. Then I realized he didn't need the explanation cuz he knew and just tried to pull it n see if it worked. Made me wonder how many times he's won with that trick... not that match anyway. Great card tho, I always liked Spitemare, I just don't play red/white so these made awesome trade fodder...
This is the casual deck of doom. Throw in a few fun cards like Blood Lust or Blood Frenzy (to play on your opponent's creatures, if they attack / block, or on yours if they aren't blocked - or even to screw up two opponents in multi-player), the always useful Brute Force, board sweepers like Earthquake (or Starstorm if you need help with fliers), the already mentioned Blasphemous Act as win-more...
And the killer combo that was born back when the Mogg was the only creature we had that did this: add a couple of Furnace of Rath and Reckless Abandon (or Fling). Reckless Abandon on one of your creatures with a Furnace on the table goes for 16 damage to the face (back then it was the Goblin Grenade for insta-kill, but it doesn't fit this deck).
You can use a Darksteel Plate to ensure even the Moggs last as long as the Doll.
You don't even need white, but if you do use it, you can play with Righteousness and Hold the Line, although they are more limited than the "Blood" pumps. High Ground and Pariah are also fun. Boros Charm would be a great addition as well.
If you skip white, splash some green and go for fighting cards. Ulvenwald Tracker ensures removal of bothersome creatures, and that even if your opponent decides not to attack, he's still gonna get damaged.
I am going to have a lot of fun with this card. :)
EDITED 2013/02/10: Okay, at $40 the play-set, I am, unfortunately, not going to have fun with this card.
Trygon_Predator
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Boros Reckoner is a noble and valiant soldier of the Boros. Surely he wouldn't commit a blasphemous act...
tcollins
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Other than the obvious {R} / {W} aggro potential... did anyone else first think of Shivan Meteor with this guy? You could also just run snow lands and use Skred...
GlintKawk42
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I LOVE this card. The fact that it's a plain better Spitemare for flexible mana, and can gain first strike makes it a top 5 card in the standard format. also, Blasphemous Act?
BeatYouOnce
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why is this rated lower than Spiremane?? Someone anyone?
Turn two: High Priest of Penance Turn Three: Boros Reckoner "Go ahead. Hit me. I'll punch my priest and blow you up." +Lifelink..."And I'll get high doing it."
I somehow find infinite squirrels much more appealing than infinite life.
Ike38
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I NOW SUPER HATE THIS COW. He killed me many times with Blasphemous Act in the standard tournament. The combo is just too easy to do. You should not do print a cheap combo like this again Wizards! Pleaseeeeeee.....
tlloyd
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Can't believe no one has mentioned this so far... You get serious style points if you win with this and Master Warcraft. Also, no one has yet mentioned Scourge of the Nobilis, which is just scary on this guy.
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Ike38: Maybe instead of complaining, think about making your deck better?
Belgarath123
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Has anyone considered using a lifelink card, such as lifelink or Scourge of the Nobilis, making this card or Spitemare indestructible with Boros Charm, then dealing it 1 damage and have it target itself over and over? This would produce infinite life! And if you only give it lifelink, then it still boosts your life by 3 plus however much damage it was dealt.
This and Spitemare are some of greatest boros combos!
damnearkilliner
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
My favorite card EVER. Mainly because whenever you play it you can say: "Boros Reckoner, damn near killin' er!!" That and because of blasphemous act.
Grixish
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Boros Wreckoner
SAUS3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Ike38 Try running more removal.
This card is really strong. I like that the triple hybrid mana cost makes this guy hard to cast outside of a mostly boros deck. It's a nice way to balance it. A colour-heavy card that works in a 2-colour guild.
The activated first strike is really cool because it allows you to choose if you want him to get hit in combat. This means you can't chump with a 2/2 and not get hit by a shock, but if you send in a 3/3, he can first strike you down.
The art is also quite amazing.
Arcesious
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Having been at the opposing end with my opponents often playing this, I eventually discovered after many irritating losses that Shielded Passage can counteract their infinite lifegain combo.
msperrazzo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Traius A 7/7 lifelink would heal 7. It did 7 damage to a creature with toughness 3, but it still did 7 damage. So the lifelink creature's controller would go up 7 life, and then down 7 life again (or the other way around - the order depends on who is active player, I think) if the Reckoner's controller targeted the creature, and the reckoner would be dead. If the Reckoner's controller targeted the 7/7 lifelink creature with the 7 damage from its ability, the lifelink would still go through even though the lifelink creature died.
If you had a 3/3 lifelink creature and the Reckoner's first strike ability had been activated, neither the 3/3's lifelink nor the Reckoner's damage abilities would be triggered, since the 3/3 lifelink creature never got a chance to do damage to the reckoner.
Traius
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card's ruling makes no sense. If a 7/7 lifelink can't heal 7 from him because it doesn't do 7 damage, why can he assign 7 damage? It's ridiculous. It also leaves it unclear to me where the rules stand when he blocks a trample. Anyway, with that nonsense ruling, it warrants a pretty high star rating....
EDIT: @msperrazzo Thanks for the info. My playgroup has been playing lifelink incorrectly. We thought it was like a Drain Life, being limited to the creatures toughness. This will change my friend's lifelink with 40 life alt-win deck very much.
OmgMTG
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This guy is beast, a very solid 3 drop. I play him mainly as bait for removal so my Firemane Avenger's and Aurelia, the Warleader have a better chance at staying out. And if he isn't dealt with, then he's a threat all on his own. 5/5
OlSpazzy
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Completely unplayable with that flavor text.
sweetgab
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Some people don't get why this is good; this is just a Spitemare that costs one less!
Spitemare was not (competitively) played but closer to playable than most other cards. Boros Reckoner is one of the best creatures in Standard. When I make a deck with either red or white, an important question I ask is: can I fit Reckoner in here? It's often worth it to stretch the mana base a bit to have access to R/W R/W R/W 80-90% of the time.
Goatllama
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This right here is a mighty fine card, I reckon.
Cloak_of_Mists
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I don't dare to use him. Not for him being OP, rather than Boros in general. My deck is already insane, with an infantry like
Reckoner gets extra coolness points for being a sweet minotaur instead of some derpy goblin.
DeXtrovert
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Everybody, Hate-rate this! I want the price to go down
Zebra_Lord
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The new Rageblood Shaman coming out in Theros makes essentially makes this guy a 4/4 unblockable. He gives all other Minotaurs +1/+1 and trample, so no matter what your opponent does to block him, 4 damage (or more!) is going through.
cmil93
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
ok boros reckoner 3/3 . i swing, opponent blocks with 7/7. in response i play boros charm and give indestructability and azorious charm and give lifelink. this should if redirect the 7 dmg to reckoner craete an infinite life gain mill to witch a number of life points has to be given. i choose 300,000. I also activated vizkopa guildmage second ability "when i gain life this turn target opponent looses that much life" Is this a legal and leathal combo or is there something i'm missing that makes this an illegal combo?
JimmyNoobPlayer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The one who truly killed Yawgmoth - the Boros Ret-conner.
Kontrah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The fact he is a wizard makes me desperately want to run him in wizard tribal with Sage of Fables, Patron Wizard, Voidmage Prodigy etc. Would really give that deck some physical backbone. Run along Aven Mimeomancer to make their creatures pingable - Pyrohemia?. Totally unreliable, but sounds fun and random to me!
BoringUsername
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Play Boros Reckoner Give him indestructible Give him lifelink
Infinite lifes
James_Kernaghan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pretty much the combat trick all-star. It's enormously flexible. The cause and effect of the triggered ability make it a combo engine.
Turn 3: Hallowed Fountain/Sacred Foundry, or whatever is needed to get you the ability to have 3 white sources or 3 red sources. Then play Boros Reckoner.
Turn 4: Land that gives you a blue source, untapped. Swing with Boros Reckoner or don't attack. If you swing and they block: Boros Charm then Azorius Charm. If you don't attack, block, then do the same as above.
Extremely versatile card. Simple and a quite direct infinite life combo floats around him beautifully, as well as many other combos that you don't even need to go out of your way for.
5/5 i'd even use the cow wizard over Tarmogoyf
MattLynn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
(this comment is in reference to usage in Commander) Didgeridoo makes any minotaur uncounterable and cost 3. Otherwise, minotaur tribal simply boosts stats a little (mostly power).
Of course, most of the wizard tribal stuff is blue (Patron Wizard, Azami, Lady of Scrolls) which is not very splashable due to heavy blue mana costs.
Does nobody feel they are almost equal? I mean 2 hybrid & 2 colorless mana is somewhat easy to come up with (Sol Ring) but 3 hybrid mana is slightly more difficult. That is why Coal Stoker is rated nearly 4/5.
Modern: American deck him and you can play him, boros charm him for indestructible, then into the maw of hell him, then izzet charm for the copied instant or sorcery.
Standard: He keeps and card like Staunch-hearted warrior, or really and large on-the-ground creature pinned. Also with the new Theros set, you can hammer of purphorous him and you have him with haste Activating a Battalion.
EDH: If someone elses commander attacks for alot of damage you can block with this guy and he deals that much damage to that commander if he wanted to.
PlatypusTheFifth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"We paid you a small fortune."
"And this gives the Orzhov power over me?"
"What is this?"
"Their money and infrastructure have been important... until now."
"...What are you?"
"I'm Ravnica's reckoning. Here to end the borrowed time your guild has been living on."
BaneReckoning
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
What I don't understand is how he can take more damage then toughness if this is the case wizards and you are saying that if I hit him with a 7/7, now let's give that 7/7 trample and lifelink, so now I am dealing 7 damage to boros reckoner and 4 more damage with trample. So with your logic with how you are saying his wording goes with your ruling in reality I am lifegaining for 11? You have MANY other cards SPECIFYING you can't deal more damage to a creature than its toughness would it not be reasonable to say then that this should be another one of those situations.
Arachnos
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Remember when minotaurs used to totally suck? =D
MGC
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Has anyone tried combining this with an additional Reckoner, Boros Charm, and the newly printed Dictate of the Twin Gods? I think it's OK to be able to do infinite damage to your opponent in Standard, so long as the combo is three cards or more.
Comments (124)
Activated first strike actually makes sense on a card! Wow!
Add in the fact that it has a perfectly beefy P/T to boot, red has finally gotten their turn-3 drop.
The optional first strike really causes your opponent to make mistakes.
You can pair with a soul-bound life-link creature, haste creature, etc. for even more fun.
You can even cast Clan Defiance to do 2x the damage to the player and still kill one of their flyers because of the damage redirection ability.
In standard at the time of this writing, the only 3-drop in red worth using was a Pyreheart Wolf, but not anymore.
This will make its way into mono red, boros, and naya decks and will be in standard for a very long time.
It is rather curious that it was one of the only rares NOT spoiled or hyped by Wizards, yet it is probably one of the best cards in the set.
It is amazing - totally unreal - that this card is being sold for only $2.50 to $3.50 right now. I expect it to go to $15 or $20 by the end of the year.
CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!
The first strike option doesn't quite synergize with his triggered ability.
But it's an advantage nonetheless - especially if you're facing other first strikers, or want him to survive a combat.
Overall a really efficient creature, and also one your opponent definitely doesn't want to try their burn spells on.
...OF PAIN!!!!!!
1) Boros Charm to make him indestructible...
2) Deal him 1 damage. He proceeds to deal 1 damage to himself, which allows him to deal 1 damage to himself, which allows him to deal 1 damage to himself, which (get on with it!)
3) Enchanted by Druid's Call
INFINITE SQUIRRELS.
2. Play Blasphemous Act
But, yeah, as has been said, Reckoner + Boros Charm + Gift of Orzhova + Vizkopa Guildmage is the unlimited combo in this current set. Not the most reliable unlimited combo because there are so many cards involved, but still doable and each of these cards even without the rest is good on it's own.
I posit that our friend the reckoner here is better, as he requires a lot less support to be good. The lord requires such an investment of mana that you really need to protect him if you want to rely on his effect, whereas Monsieur Reckoner immediately has an impact, and most of the time he really hurts your opponent by dying.
I can see why Tanhgarth still outranks him, though.
I'll never forget using the +3/+0 ability of Martial Glory on their chump blocker while boosting him with the +0/+3
4 Phyrexian Obliterator
4 Boros Reckoner
Add a bunch of your favorite 2-drops in those colors, and a lot of 1 or 2 cmc instant speed protection.
. . . Still not as busted as Obliterator.
Seriously, Abrupt Decay is about the most reliable way to get rid of this thing. Reckoner is a tank that can stall the entire board if it resolves. And the hybrid casting and ability activation cost ensures it can be run in many different decks. One of the top three-drops available in Standard. Might even muscle its way into Modern?
Throw in Vault of the Archangel since your in black already.
XD nice one
Step one: Play this guy.
Step two: Give him lifelink, possibly from Nearheath Pilgrim
Step three: Next time he takes damage, Boros Charm
Make him indestructible, have his effect target himself. Then when he takes that damage, he triggers his ability again, he targets... himself.
Combo.
I personally have no problem dropping a searing spear into him if a player drops him on turn 3. They're unlikely to have the mana to kick off the infinite life combo, and he represents such a huge threat, that if you end up taking 3 to the face, it's probably worth it. With the deck I play, I've found it very profitable to just go ahead and trade a Loxodon Smiter for him. If they want to send 3 to my face, sure, their reckoner still dies, and I keep my 4/4. Or we can just trade straight up. Or he can take out my Thragtusk and I still get a 3/3.
Flyers can just ignore him. Sure, if I have stuff I care about on the board, I'm not going to block him and risk him taking something else out, but if I'm running flyers, I'm more than happy to take 3 each round and swing back with a bigger flyer.
Trample effects make his damage redirection not such a big deal, limiting him to 3 in most cases. With the popularity of Wolf Run, I'm perfectly ok with him blocking me, possibly killing a creature, and still letting a crap load of damage through.
He's still vulnerable to all non-damaging removal save Ultimate Price and it's ilk. Oblivion Ring, Detention Sphere, Fiend Hunter, Angel of Serenity, et al make him just as irrelevant as any other big body.
The infinite life combo, and his interactions with Blasphemous Act and maybe Bonfire are his only real dangers.
He's a great card, but there are plenty of answers for him, and given his popularity, everyone has to assume that they'll be facing him.
What am I missing? Why the indestructibility?
Because of the state-based action outlined in 704.5g:
"If a creature has toughness greater than 0, and the total damage marked on it is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed."
Say Reckoner is dealt 1 point of damage by something...
- Reckoner's 'dealt damage' trigger goes on the stack (choosing to deal damage to itself); it resolves, assuming no one does anything, dealing one damage to the Reckoner
- a second instance of Reckoner's dealt damage trigger goes on the stack (choosing to deal damage to itself); it resolves, assuming no one does anything, dealing one damage to the Reckoner (Reckoner now has 2 damage marked on it)
- a third instance of Reckoner's 'dealt damage' trigger goes on the stack (choosing to deal damage to itself); it resolves, assuming no one does anything, dealing one damage to the Reckoner (Reckoner now has 3 damage marked on it and will be destroyed because of the state-based action outlined above)
- a fourth instance of Reckoner's 'dealt damage' trigger goes on the stack, but you can't target the Reckoner with it since it's been put into the graveyard; you must target something / someone else
In other words, state-based actions are checked after each instance of Reckoner being dealt damage. If Reckoner is dealt lethal damage, he will be destroyed but you still get to deal damage to something from the dealt-damage trigger (this is what the ruling you are referring to means and is outlined in the fourth step above).
That's why you can only pull off the infinite life combo if Reckoner is indestructible.
Some people see an almost strictly better Spitemare (the mare is more splashable)... I see a mana curve.
Turn 2, Mogg Maniac. Turn 3, this. Turn 4, Spitemare. Turn 5, Stuffy Doll.
This is the casual deck of doom. Throw in a few fun cards like Blood Lust or Blood Frenzy (to play on your opponent's creatures, if they attack / block, or on yours if they aren't blocked - or even to screw up two opponents in multi-player), the always useful Brute Force, board sweepers like Earthquake (or Starstorm if you need help with fliers), the already mentioned Blasphemous Act as win-more...
And the killer combo that was born back when the Mogg was the only creature we had that did this: add a couple of Furnace of Rath and Reckless Abandon (or Fling). Reckless Abandon on one of your creatures with a Furnace on the table goes for 16 damage to the face (back then it was the Goblin Grenade for insta-kill, but it doesn't fit this deck).
You can use a Darksteel Plate to ensure even the Moggs last as long as the Doll.
You don't even need white, but if you do use it, you can play with Righteousness and Hold the Line, although they are more limited than the "Blood" pumps. High Ground and Pariah are also fun. Boros Charm would be a great addition as well.
If you skip white, splash some green and go for fighting cards. Ulvenwald Tracker ensures removal of bothersome creatures, and that even if your opponent decides not to attack, he's still gonna get damaged.
I am going to have a lot of fun with this card. :)
EDITED 2013/02/10: Okay, at $40 the play-set, I am, unfortunately, not going to have fun with this card.
Turn Three: Boros Reckoner
"Go ahead. Hit me. I'll punch my priest and blow you up." +Lifelink..."And I'll get high doing it."
What about Furnace of Rath and Boros Charm? Infinite damage!
This and Spitemare are some of greatest boros combos!
Try running more removal.
This card is really strong. I like that the triple hybrid mana cost makes this guy hard to cast outside of a mostly boros deck. It's a nice way to balance it. A colour-heavy card that works in a 2-colour guild.
The activated first strike is really cool because it allows you to choose if you want him to get hit in combat. This means you can't chump with a 2/2 and not get hit by a shock, but if you send in a 3/3, he can first strike you down.
The art is also quite amazing.
A 7/7 lifelink would heal 7. It did 7 damage to a creature with toughness 3, but it still did 7 damage. So the lifelink creature's controller would go up 7 life, and then down 7 life again (or the other way around - the order depends on who is active player, I think) if the Reckoner's controller targeted the creature, and the reckoner would be dead. If the Reckoner's controller targeted the 7/7 lifelink creature with the 7 damage from its ability, the lifelink would still go through even though the lifelink creature died.
If you had a 3/3 lifelink creature and the Reckoner's first strike ability had been activated, neither the 3/3's lifelink nor the Reckoner's damage abilities would be triggered, since the 3/3 lifelink creature never got a chance to do damage to the reckoner.
It also leaves it unclear to me where the rules stand when he blocks a trample.
Anyway, with that nonsense ruling, it warrants a pretty high star rating....
EDIT: @msperrazzo Thanks for the info. My playgroup has been playing lifelink incorrectly. We thought it was like a Drain Life, being limited to the creatures toughness. This will change my friend's lifelink with 40 life alt-win deck very much.
One mana is the difference between Counterspell and Cancel, Lightning Bolt and Searing Spear, Rakdos Cackler and Grizzly Bears. It's the difference between overpowered and average, or between top-notch-but-fair and unplayable. If Supreme Verdict was five control decks would struggle greatly, whereas if it was three control would dominate.
Spitemare was not (competitively) played but closer to playable than most other cards. Boros Reckoner is one of the best creatures in Standard. When I make a deck with either red or white, an important question I ask is: can I fit Reckoner in here? It's often worth it to stretch the mana base a bit to have access to R/W R/W R/W 80-90% of the time.
I don't dare to use him. Not for him being OP, rather than Boros in general.
My deck is already insane, with an infantry like
4 x Daring Skyjek
4 x Bomber Corps
4 x Boros Elite
4 x Ash Zealot
and spell support in
4 x Ethereal Armor
4 x Swift Justice
the remaining command structure relies on
Aurelia, the Warleader
Angelic Skirmisher
Tajic, Blade of the Legion
Frontline Medic
(and some other sick flavored white cards)
I want the price to go down
Give him indestructible
Give him lifelink
Infinite lifes
Turn 2: Azorius Guildgate/Hallowed Fountain/Boros Guildgate/Sacred Foundry, then whatever you want.
Turn 3: Hallowed Fountain/Sacred Foundry, or whatever is needed to get you the ability to have 3 white sources or 3 red sources. Then play Boros Reckoner.
Turn 4: Land that gives you a blue source, untapped. Swing with Boros Reckoner or don't attack. If you swing and they block: Boros Charm then Azorius Charm. If you don't attack, block, then do the same as above.
Outcome? BREAK STANDARD!
Requirements:
1 Boros reckoner
1 Azorius Charm
1 Boros Charm
1 Damage dealing source
An opponent with no history of anger management issues
Side effects:
Master of Cruelties
... That's pretty much it...
-Enjoy
Extremely versatile card. Simple and a quite direct infinite life combo floats around him beautifully, as well as many other combos that you don't even need to go out of your way for.
5/5 i'd even use the cow wizard over Tarmogoyf
Didgeridoo makes any minotaur uncounterable and cost 3. Otherwise, minotaur tribal simply boosts stats a little (mostly power).
Of course, most of the wizard tribal stuff is blue (Patron Wizard, Azami, Lady of Scrolls) which is not very splashable due to heavy blue mana costs.
Spitemare, however, takes advantage of Smokebraider, Incandescent Soulstoke, Flamekin Harbinger, Brighthearth Banneret, Primal Beyond or even Horde of Notions. Not to mention championing with Nova Chaser.
Does nobody feel they are almost equal? I mean 2 hybrid & 2 colorless mana is somewhat easy to come up with (Sol Ring) but 3 hybrid mana is slightly more difficult. That is why Coal Stoker is rated nearly 4/5.
What are you thinking? Braid of Fire, Desperate Ritual, or Priest of Urabrask?
..isn't that neat?
Modern: American deck him and you can play him, boros charm him for indestructible, then into the maw of hell him, then izzet charm for the copied instant or sorcery.
Standard: He keeps and card like Staunch-hearted warrior, or really and large on-the-ground creature pinned. Also with the new Theros set, you can hammer of purphorous him and you have him with haste Activating a Battalion.
EDH: If someone elses commander attacks for alot of damage you can block with this guy and he deals that much damage to that commander if he wanted to.
"And this gives the Orzhov power over me?"
"What is this?"
"Their money and infrastructure have been important... until now."
"...What are you?"
"I'm Ravnica's reckoning. Here to end the borrowed time your guild has been living on."
I think it's OK to be able to do infinite damage to your opponent in Standard, so long as the combo is three cards or more.