This is actually pretty sweet. Try to make it unblockable.
ChozoGhost
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(13 votes)
Gandalf Sphinx is awesome.
Kirbster
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
From a distance, the section of his beard that is tied off at both ends looks like a set of giant teeth. It makes the picture look all Richard Corben-y.
am802g
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(11 votes)
Beard 5/5
Purplerooster
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
A sphinx that discards cards instead of draws them, what?!?
In actuality the discard will only be used in response to a removal spell, so it won't result in card disadvantage and the repeatable scry 3 will increase the value of your draws so much that it will virtually be card advantage.
Cyberium
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Epic hair, epic beard. Beautiful in the wind, I'll wager.
SpaceMagic
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
The twisted lovechild of Dumbledore and his unkillable phoenix.
Kaizeischi
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
Pairs so nicely in W/U with Heliod! Or, I guess anything that gives him vigilance.
Seriously, I love every single thing about this card. It's so flavorful and fun and strong and still not unbalanced or overpowered. Just this old, uppity sphinx who sits on his pedestal and says, "Yea, I'll share my knowledge with you. But you can't have it. Also, other sh*t is worth less than me, so go ahead and toss it in the graveyard to keep me alive. To show my appreciation, I'll... *yawn* Oh, goodness, what time is it?"
I don't even mind the downside of him tapping. The fact that they evened him out makes him even better in my eyes, like they cared so much that they didn't want to make him overpowered. His flaws make him perfect.
Blasphemale
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I really like this card. The Hexproof makes the investment worth it, the Scry makes the attack worth it, and even not attacking still has value in the sense of 5 toughness. Also, the fact that you need to discard something and that it taps might have some combo potential, which I'm currently looking for. Any ideas?
Domak
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
Consider discard for hexproof as "all your cards are now free counterspells as long as they protect this dude" and he's pretty awesome. Tapping out turn 5 for blue kind of sucks, since you typically need mana to protect whatever important dude you dropped, but now protecting him is FREE! Very different from Aetherling, but in some ways very similar.
lorendorky
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
AKA: Diabeetus Sphinx
Nucleon
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Am I the only one who thinks he's kind of adorable? That said, get an Umbral Mantle on him and you have something mildly interesting going.
Totema
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Play this card, and you'll win the game, because no one will dare attack the player that controls the MOST MAJESTIC SPHINX.
StyxTBeuford
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
On paper this looks worse than hexproof.
In practice however, your opponent has less of a choice as to what will be removed. If the Sphinx was hexproof, your opponent would simply wait for you to play a target. As it's written on the card, the Sphinx lets you choose more effectively what will die to your opponent's removal. Say they play Chain to the Rocks, and you're tapped out because you just played this guy on turn 5, you could discard a Dissolve or some other counterspell in response. It's still a 1-1, except your opponent's spell just got countered without you paying for it, kind of like a faux Force of Will.
Add in the scry 3 on a 3/5 body that dodges Anger of the Gods, Lightning Strike, Mizzium Mortars, and essentially any other relevant red removal, and you've got yourself a constructed playable card.
5/5
Continue
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Hexproof and tapping at the same time reminds me of Homarids, Deep Spawn and Homarid Warrior specifically.
pedrodyl
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
What a glorious beard. That's why it's so prognostic guyz. It's because of its beard.
Cloudchaser.Kestrel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ Kaizeischi - The tap clause is an effect not a cost. He can be tapped while being tapped, it just won't do anything.
That said. I like this guy's place in other sphinx decks - the excess card draw from the others' can be used to defend this guy.
Goatllama
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Epic beard man sphinx!
Sleepy_Jackdaw
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I pulled this at the prerelease, and it was stupendous in B/U control.
This is one of the very few few evasive (semi) Hexproof creatures in limited. It won a game almost single handedly against Spear of Heliod, and set up draws like a boss. A worthy rare - powerful but not bah-roken.
Hexproof for discarding a card is very nice. I'd rather lose a card I didn't spend mana for yet than losing a five-drop, especially a sturdy flyer that lets me scry 3 with each attack. And you can use it as discard outlet as well, since its not a triggered ability that only allows you to do that when the sphynx get targeted or something.
The ability he got from discarding didn't need to be Hexproof; it could just as easily simply have been Shroud, since they would both be temporary, anyways. And in that case, it could have been more in line withearliercreatures.
Daerien
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Tiggurix Shroud isn't really used anymore. They haven't printed a card with shroud since Mirrodin Besieged (Feb 2011). Hexproof has taken its place.
Now, before people start chewing me out for saying that, look at it. It's a balanced FoW on a body. You discard (not exile) a card (not a blue card) from your hand to make him hexproof (not counter target spell). But, when balance is considered, there's a reason this is printed in Theros and not FoW.
Think about this. Mono-black opponent plays Murder on this guy. You discard Lightning Bolt while holding up 1RU. I'm not sure they'll foresee you "snap"ping their X/3 in half.
@Tiggurix It may have been in line with older creatures, but it would have still been a big nerf - especially in a block meant for enchantments (and auras).
If you try to throw your rancor on this guy, there is basically nothing your opponent can do. He can cast spells at it to 'force' you to discard things, but it will still get the rancor and start punching your opponent.
If this creature got shroud instead, then your rancor would fizzle when you respond to your opponent's spell with the ability. Auras on him would go back to 2-for-1 against you.
SeriouslyFacetious
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Prognosis negative! That's not my verdict on the card... I just saw a Seinfeld reference to make.
yesnomu
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This guy isn't just good... *puts on sunglasses*
he prog-rocks.
YEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Kontrah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm sorry, but more than a beard I see a row of really, really long teeth. Still confuses me.
This card has tons of potential, the discard enabler is very good, of course for the hexproof, but also if the sphinx already attacked and the tap isn't of great consequence. Scry 3 is sexy as hell. It should be good in the current standard pool, and outside of it, maybe some kind of Madness/hellbent build.
TowerDefender
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sphinx of Madness ! Cheap / free spells and creatures.
Ferlord
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
"From my medical expertise, I can safely say you can not touch me."
Cabbieboy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Rumbleroaaaar!!!!!
Steaditup
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ Kaizeischi Vigilance doesn't interact that much with this card more than the obvious "you get him as a blocker, too". Tapping Proggy here isn't part of the cost. Tapping him to protect him before combat would still prevent you from attacking, and you can still protect him after combat.
Petertracy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Woww superb design, the more I think about this card the more I can't get over how well-made it is, 5/5
UncleJulio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
All hail the Wilford Brimley Sphinx!
Protecting us from Diabeetus everywhere!
SweetSupremacy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
He's definitely a role player somewhere. He doesn't have killing power but the hard-to-kill card selection while doing 3 damage a turn is pretty decent in the right deck. Some kind of midrange control strategy maybe.
Manite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A pity this wasn't the promo for Path of Wisdom. Shipbreaker Kraken's cool and all but none of the Promos represented Scry.
TPmanW
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Best buds with Intet, The Dreamer. Cast your choice of the top four cards of your library!
yesennes
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Should be included in any blue combo deck. 3/5 in the air to hold fort, or a scry 3 to shuffle through your deck.
EDIT: And, with JOU's protour being any indicator, indeed control decks were running this guy as their finisher.
Hawk_of_Battle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So people were asking if there's a deck that supports the use of Prophetic Flamespeaker. I think this guy may pair up nicely with him.
Attack with both, scry 3, so you know exactly which cards the flamespeaker is going to draw for you, play those cards. Hell, with Keranos, God of Storms on the field too, you can even set up your next free damage/extra card draw at the same time!
Comments (45)
I could have prognosticated that, yes.
This is actually pretty sweet. Try to make it unblockable.
5/5
In actuality the discard will only be used in response to a removal spell, so it won't result in card disadvantage and the repeatable scry 3 will increase the value of your draws so much that it will virtually be card advantage.
Seriously, I love every single thing about this card. It's so flavorful and fun and strong and still not unbalanced or overpowered. Just this old, uppity sphinx who sits on his pedestal and says, "Yea, I'll share my knowledge with you. But you can't have it. Also, other sh*t is worth less than me, so go ahead and toss it in the graveyard to keep me alive. To show my appreciation, I'll... *yawn* Oh, goodness, what time is it?"
I don't even mind the downside of him tapping. The fact that they evened him out makes him even better in my eyes, like they cared so much that they didn't want to make him overpowered. His flaws make him perfect.
In practice however, your opponent has less of a choice as to what will be removed. If the Sphinx was hexproof, your opponent would simply wait for you to play a target. As it's written on the card, the Sphinx lets you choose more effectively what will die to your opponent's removal. Say they play Chain to the Rocks, and you're tapped out because you just played this guy on turn 5, you could discard a Dissolve or some other counterspell in response. It's still a 1-1, except your opponent's spell just got countered without you paying for it, kind of like a faux Force of Will.
Add in the scry 3 on a 3/5 body that dodges Anger of the Gods, Lightning Strike, Mizzium Mortars, and essentially any other relevant red removal, and you've got yourself a constructed playable card.
5/5
That said. I like this guy's place in other sphinx decks - the excess card draw from the others' can be used to defend this guy.
This is one of the very few few evasive (semi) Hexproof creatures in limited. It won a game almost single handedly against Spear of Heliod, and set up draws like a boss. A worthy rare - powerful but not bah-roken.
Reminds me of another good sphinx: Serra Sphinx.
I'd rather lose a card I didn't spend mana for yet than losing a five-drop, especially a sturdy flyer that lets me scry 3 with each attack.
And you can use it as discard outlet as well, since its not a triggered ability that only allows you to do that when the sphynx get targeted or something.
4/5 Stars
Also, temporary hexproof is already common: Ranger's Guilde Horror of the Dim Ring of Evos Isle
Now, before people start chewing me out for saying that, look at it. It's a balanced FoW on a body. You discard (not exile) a card (not a blue card) from your hand to make him hexproof (not counter target spell). But, when balance is considered, there's a reason this is printed in Theros and not FoW.
Think about this. Mono-black opponent plays Murder on this guy. You discard Lightning Bolt while holding up 1RU. I'm not sure they'll foresee you "snap"ping their X/3 in half.
5/5
It may have been in line with older creatures, but it would have still been a big nerf - especially in a block meant for enchantments (and auras).
If you try to throw your rancor on this guy, there is basically nothing your opponent can do. He can cast spells at it to 'force' you to discard things, but it will still get the rancor and start punching your opponent.
If this creature got shroud instead, then your rancor would fizzle when you respond to your opponent's spell with the ability. Auras on him would go back to 2-for-1 against you.
he prog-rocks.
YEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
This card has tons of potential, the discard enabler is very good, of course for the hexproof, but also if the sphinx already attacked and the tap isn't of great consequence. Scry 3 is sexy as hell. It should be good in the current standard pool, and outside of it, maybe some kind of Madness/hellbent build.
Vigilance doesn't interact that much with this card more than the obvious "you get him as a blocker, too". Tapping Proggy here isn't part of the cost. Tapping him to protect him before combat would still prevent you from attacking, and you can still protect him after combat.
Protecting us from Diabeetus everywhere!
Free hexproof on anything, turn early and risk free inspired activations and deck stacking for Arbiter's effect for free cards.
All of the value you could ever want.
I don't want to count any chickens here, but this guy seems like he'd be control's go-to finisher without uncounterable board wipes and the unkillable menace that avoids them in standard.
EDIT: And, with JOU's protour being any indicator, indeed control decks were running this guy as their finisher.
Attack with both, scry 3, so you know exactly which cards the flamespeaker is going to draw for you, play those cards. Hell, with Keranos, God of Storms on the field too, you can even set up your next free damage/extra card draw at the same time!