Pointed Discussion

Just ignore that tribute part, if you will. A 4/4 for 5 that gains you 4 life is all but unplayable outside of Limited.

Fantastic limited gold. Not that close to Nessian Asp level (another -cost common snake), but getting there.

Unlike some of the other Tribute cards, this one is great when you're down. Your opponent either gives you life, or a bigger creature. Both can save you in the future.

Dare I make a comparison to a certain 5/3 for 5 in green? One that gains you 5 life on ETB?

@Continue I think you meant "definitely" unplayable outside of Limited.

Does anyone know if this is a biblical reference or there is also a greek mythology reference?

@cduke: This is Ladon, the guardian of the golden apples of the Hesperides. Hercules' eleventh labor was to steal the apples, and he did that by pranking Atlas into getting them for him.

I wonder if anyone will ever pay tribute on this.

This will be a 4/4 + 4 life when you need a big attacker/blocker and it will be a 7/7 when your opponent has creature removal. Usually with punisher cards you kind of want at least one choice to be real good--but this one just doesn't give you much to work with.

I'm pretty sure no-one is ever going to pay that tribute. What would you most want; letting your opponent get a 7/7 for , or letting them only get a 4/4 and a measly 4 life for the same amount? That's what I thought.

I love the art-flavor.
The snake is sneaking up on a elk that is looking at an apple, and the elk is preparing to eat it.
Suddenly, the snake says:
"Step away from that apple, which gives me 4 life and I will spare you, but eat the apple and I SHALL EAT YOU OMNOMNOMNOM AND GET STRONGER MWAHAHAHAHHAHAH"

I mean...I guess? That tribute is never getting paid unless opp has something to immediately deal with it, and then you wont get to use your shiny new 7/7. Basically should read 4/4, do nothing.

Some fruits are best left ungathered.
Is Wizards referencing the bible? I mean, Snake? Grove? Fruit that's best left alone?

That should read: would be fun to curve off of an Angelic Accord into this. Misplaced a bracket (>.<)

You could say this card is crap, but it still is going to be a 7/7 when you have a Sunbond on the board.

This card is much better in limited than how it looks here on Gatherer. I recently drafted a Bant deck (format was 2xTHS and 1xBNG) with this card in it and went undefeated through the entire thing. If you have a couple of instant tricks to protect your tribute creatures, it's gonna be really hard for your opponents to decide when to pay and when not to.

In constructed you'd much rather play something like a Vorapede, but in limited this thing can definitely pull its own weight.

When I see cards like this, I sometimes wonder if Wizards considers presidence. Obstinate Baloth does essentially the same thing except it doesn't give your opponent a choice, hoses discards, and costs less. The only reason an opponent would choose the 7/7 is if they have removal. Strictly worse than Obstinate Baloth. 5-drops are already somewhat akward, so if I play one (which I rarely do), it needs to have a much bigger impact than this one does. Green, with the exception of Courser of Kruphix and Polukranos, has been completely hosed for the last 3 sets, and this card is almost insultingly bad and absolutely unplayable in constructed, and when I have to pick the snake in limited, I groan audibly.