Pointed Discussion

Build-your-own Rhino

It's just another common late pick to help you protect as a cipher target.

Not exactly something you want to protect, but not a bad target for a cipher or an enchantment.

That art is too good for this card.

I know what you're thinking: wow, an expensive card with an ability that kinda sucks and a power/toughness level that doesn't correspond very well to the mana cost. This would typically make this a bad card, if it weren't for the Dimir.
Think about this: you have a Dimir Guildgate or two, this guy enchanted with Way of the Thief, and a ton of cyphered cards encoded on it.
Suddenly just got a whole lot cooler, now didn't it?

Compares Favorably To Homarid Warrior.

But A Little Bit Harder To Cook.

Being 3/4 for already puts it at the curve (going by the theory that a one coloured mana card is at has 2 points divided into power and toughness, plus a minor ability, which can be substituted for with more power/ toughness, with every other having roughly equal effect, and a coloured mana having a better effect, which would mean this is above the curve).
The thing about this card is that it almost allows it to counter a card; it gets targeted, and then activates it's ability, rendering it an invalid target, countering the card. It can also be a good bluff; your opponent might not target it, when you in fact would need that mana, currently unspent, for something else, helping it pass on it's encrypted effects.

Uh huh...

I know Black doesn't get good creatures, but come on. This is just sad. Trying to justify this with Cipher is just terrible, folks, and you know it.

@MasterofEtheriurn: You're doing it wrong — if you're going to imitate him, don't provide actual insight.

i pulled a foil of this guy at prerelease...the foil on this is beautiful but the card doesn't live up to the art and that is my biggest upset. this should've been the next nemesis of reason based on its mana cost. but then again, gatecrash also came with consuming abberation and i freaking love that card.