The next best thing we'll have to Farseek this standard. She's not that bad either; as Auger of Bolas has showed having three toughness in standard right now prevents a lot of things from getting through.
So y'all keep trying to compare this to Utopia Tree and strongly don't realize something--despite them being very similar, they are drastically different. If you were looking for Utopia Tree, this isn't it. In fact, this is more analogous to a card like Vine Trellis. Both this and Vine Trellis tap for mana, and both this and Vine Trellis have defender. If you want to consider upgrading a card like Vine Trellis to some thing rare, consider the following: 1) Adding more colors to the mana ability it has 2) Removing one point of toughness to pull back on the increased advantage of having hexproof.
Utopia Tree is considerably different because, if it had defender it wouldn't be able to get pumping bonuses and then swing for damage. If Utopia Tree had hexproof, it would no longer fit as well in decks like Norin's Confusion.
Stop comparing it to Utopia Tree and start discussing the niches that this card now fulfills, especially in a metagame where color mixtures have been more emphasized than in the past.
What I would've loved to have seen out of this card is something more to the flavor text that perhaps turned creatures it blocks in to plants with or without defender, even if that meant increasing the mana cost by one or two colorless.
I realize the release of this set hasn't actually occurred and the ratings for the cards are typically inflated when they start on gatherer, but this is in no way +0.5 in ratings in comparison to Utopia Tree, or higher than Birds of Paradise (speed and a color that is weak in terms of flying creatures, especially ones that can attack).
Dankirk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Seems very good. Just remember to prefer instant and flash cards with it, so the blocking stays relevant.
MizziumSculptor444
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
"I'm getting that goddamn extra mana and you're going to watch."
theendgame
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Three people passed this at a draft. Hey, can't complain, new card for my green deck.
Deadling
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Vine Trellis, I always loved this card, and my buddies hated it. This card is even better. Hoping to pull a few more today, lol. If not, I may break down and buy the remaining I need for a set. I love to ramp mana, and M14, has a good amount of cards to help in a nice mono green standard. Need to look more into the devotional cards of this set now.
SpaceMagic
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I love needing to pay $7 for my farseeks.
EidolonDragon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
From this day forward, you will be known as the Mana Dork CHAMPION!
Bulhakas
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Utopia Tree, we never knew ye.
BongRipper420
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Finally! A mana dork more suitable for control decks. Nice! I love how much love Theros block has been giving to control decks. Keep up the good work R&D!
Tiggurix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Funnily enough, Utopia Tree is still better than this card on one point: It can still attack!
Nonetheless, this card makes it blindingly obvious that Utopia Tree should have cost just .
@raptorman333: So, basically, your argument is that "this card isn't anything like Utopa Tree because Utopia Tree can attack", which is basically the same thing I joked about. Face it, this card is almost a strict upgrade of Utopia Tree. While the fact that Utopia Tree may attack may come into play once in a while, the fact of the matter is that Utopia Tree is, at its heart, a mana dork, and mana dorks rarely, if ever, attack. And in the role of a mana dork, which is what Utopia Tree was designed to be, this is just about superior in every way, as it costs the same, while being MUCH more survivable. As I said, Utopia Tree should have cost , as it was always a lacking creature, especially compared to Birds of Paradise, which has always been its primary competition. If it had cost , then it actually could have competed with the Birds, and a case could made that this would have been equivalent or inferior to the Tree. As it stands, though, this does pretty much everything one would want Utopia Tree to do, while doing it with more security.
Oh, and more thing; this card is ALSO better than Utopia Tree in a Norin the Wary/Confusion in the Ranks deck, since this has hexproof, which makes it unable to be stolen by opponents while YOU can still give it away.
Drewskithelegend
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hexproof 2 drop mono color creature eh? It's just like Invisible Stalker only it isn't invisible and it isn't a human, and it isn't blue and it can't really move... Come to think of it, save for being hexproof and lack of clothing (haha nekked), they really don't have anything in common at all.
Edit: after obtaining a playset and playing it for quite some time, I can honestly say that this is a fitting successor to farseek. One of the best cards in Theros by far and undervalued for what it does. I mean, come on, it's in green. What else in theros is in green? Good ol' Prophet of Kruphix. In my standard simic deck I tend to go... T1:Breeding Pool, Elvish Mystic T2:Forest, Caryatid (leaving the U open for Swan Song T3:Land, Prophet.
And if the prophet lives, the game is usually over.
Silence9
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Opponent: "Bolt the Birds." Me: *Trollface*
@MizziumSculptor - Exactly lol...
4/5 hexproof is stellar on a ramper.
obesechicken13
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oops, gladecover scout is also hexproof for 1. I wasn't looking at the core set 2014.
ToAsTy42o
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
T1: a green land of some sort T2: land, sylvan caryatid T3: land, Axebane Guardian T4: if they weren't smart enough to kill your axebane guardian, and you drop your T4 land, you now have 7 mana of any color. you can drop your Aetherling and still have one blue mana open. Or Rakdos's Return for 5 and destroy their hand. Or drop a Sylvan Primordial. Or just hold on to counterspells and Sphinx's Rev at the end of their turn. or whatever. ^Those are all turn 4 moves. It takes a control shell are speeds it up by about 4 turns. Have fun!
This costs 1 more to cast, but has 2 more toughness This doesn't have flying, but has hexproof This has defender WHY? It can't combo with Might of Oaks and you get one less turn of use out of it 2/5
RetroGamer3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
NO Utopia Tree is not better then this guy. These are mana ramp cards so if your attacking with Utopia Tree then you don't know how to play.
Comments (29)
Yes, sorry, that was bad. I'm ashamed.
1) Adding more colors to the mana ability it has
2) Removing one point of toughness to pull back on the increased advantage of having hexproof.
Utopia Tree is considerably different because, if it had defender it wouldn't be able to get pumping bonuses and then swing for damage. If Utopia Tree had hexproof, it would no longer fit as well in decks like Norin's Confusion.
Stop comparing it to Utopia Tree and start discussing the niches that this card now fulfills, especially in a metagame where color mixtures have been more emphasized than in the past.
I.e. I love this card for my Standard legal defender deck--Axebane Guardian; Lobber Crew; Hover Barrier; Doorkeeper; Wall of Frost; Gatecreeper Vine; Dragon Egg
What I would've loved to have seen out of this card is something more to the flavor text that perhaps turned creatures it blocks in to plants with or without defender, even if that meant increasing the mana cost by one or two colorless.
I realize the release of this set hasn't actually occurred and the ratings for the cards are typically inflated when they start on gatherer, but this is in no way +0.5 in ratings in comparison to Utopia Tree, or higher than Birds of Paradise (speed and a color that is weak in terms of flying creatures, especially ones that can attack).
Nonetheless, this card makes it blindingly obvious that Utopia Tree should have cost just
@raptorman333: So, basically, your argument is that "this card isn't anything like Utopa Tree because Utopia Tree can attack", which is basically the same thing I joked about. Face it, this card is almost a strict upgrade of Utopia Tree. While the fact that Utopia Tree may attack may come into play once in a while, the fact of the matter is that Utopia Tree is, at its heart, a mana dork, and mana dorks rarely, if ever, attack. And in the role of a mana dork, which is what Utopia Tree was designed to be, this is just about superior in every way, as it costs the same, while being MUCH more survivable. As I said, Utopia Tree should have cost
Oh, and more thing; this card is ALSO better than Utopia Tree in a Norin the Wary/Confusion in the Ranks deck, since this has hexproof, which makes it unable to be stolen by opponents while YOU can still give it away.
Edit: after obtaining a playset and playing it for quite some time, I can honestly say that this is a fitting successor to farseek. One of the best cards in Theros by far and undervalued for what it does. I mean, come on, it's in green. What else in theros is in green? Good ol' Prophet of Kruphix. In my standard simic deck I tend to go...
T1:Breeding Pool, Elvish Mystic
T2:Forest, Caryatid (leaving the U open for Swan Song
T3:Land, Prophet.
And if the prophet lives, the game is usually over.
Me: *Trollface*
@MizziumSculptor - Exactly lol...
4/5 hexproof is stellar on a ramper.
T2: land, sylvan caryatid
T3: land, Axebane Guardian
T4: if they weren't smart enough to kill your axebane guardian, and you drop your T4 land, you now have 7 mana of any color. you can drop your Aetherling and still have one blue mana open. Or Rakdos's Return for 5 and destroy their hand. Or drop a Sylvan Primordial. Or just hold on to counterspells and Sphinx's Rev at the end of their turn. or whatever.
^Those are all turn 4 moves. It takes a control shell are speeds it up by about 4 turns. Have fun!
This costs 1 more to cast, but has 2 more toughness
This doesn't have flying, but has hexproof
This has defender
WHY?
It can't combo with Might of Oaks and you get one less turn of use out of it 2/5