Islandhome. Afaik the only keyworded ability that got removed so far. For obvious reasons? I personally hope to never see such cards again, they're simply not playable.
The second ability is rather a bad joke considering the conditions which are required to be met for this creature in order to be even able to attack. On top of that it's double-blue.
PeterRabit
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(25 votes)
Steve Erwin was unable to block this
nammertime
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(6 votes)
Haha PeterRabit, that was so wrong, and yet so funny. I loled.
storm_crow4presidnt
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(6 votes)
Peterrabit just made me rofl
PhyrexianLobbiest
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(5 votes)
"I HAVE AN IDEA! Let's make a creature that can ONLY be blocked by blue creatures, AND can ONLY attack if the opponent has...wait for it...blue creatures!"
"So...essentially, a 3/3 with defender that looses defender if the opponent is running blue?"
"Yes, that."
EDIT: Actually, with Spreading Seas could this be- gasp -playable?
Eved
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Sideboard for when you're going against another blue deck?
Essentially a 3/3 for 3cmc then.
Oddly, I love this card.
metalevolence
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(6 votes)
feels like a bad joke.
A3Kitsune
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
The first blue intimidate creature. Ok, the ability isn't exactly intimidate, but close enough.
slann01
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(6 votes)
It deserves mythic status only for the islandhome ability.
Test-Subject_217601
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
...At least it's a good blocker...and it sorta combos with cards that turn lands into Islands, but outside of that it's pretty much s**t on a stick covered in Chimney Imps.
Arachibutyrophobia
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(7 votes)
islandhome fuckyea
ivanescalante
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(7 votes)
Do you want some fun? Play Mirrorweave in this card. If your opponent is not playing with islands... evil laught..
blindthrall
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(4 votes)
I am the only one that uses this to kill people? It works, I tells ya!
MasterOfEtherium
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(9 votes)
I Love Manta Rays But Come On So Ripped! And Steve Passed Away From A Sting Ray Nice Try Though B I T C H
Polychromatic
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
I adore the art on this card, actually. I'm not sure why.
I think Islandhome could be fixed by making it, "If you control no islands, sacrifice this creature. As long as an opponent controls an island, this creature is unblockable." It'd be a little weird on this card, but hey.
majinara
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(5 votes)
I think they should change island home simply to: "When there are no islands in play, sacrifice this". It's simply and buffs those old creatures a bit.
tavaritz
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(8 votes)
I don't understand why are you dissing islandhome. It's not like you gonna play this card in a deck that doesn't have islands or are you really?
JFM2796
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
Wizards never should have discontinued the Islandhome mechanic. There was so much design space, so much untapped potential and innovation. Like "Swamphome" or "Plainshome". But that would have been way to overpowered. I mean look at this guy. You actually get to attack if your opponent controls an Island. That is game breaking! I think I'm going make a deck with these and play in a Vintage tournament.
Kyrthain
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I hadn't realized that islandhome was an actual official keyword. I had always thought that it was something like ping or troll-shroud (before hexproof came along)
BorosGreengrocer
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This is a brilliant card. All you need is Phantasmal Terrain, which you use to turn one of your non-blue-playing opponents' lands into an island. Then while he or she rages that their Blinkmoth Nexus has become a nearly useless island, you sneak through for your 12 damage (because you have a playset of these bad boys).
If you come up against someone who is playing blue -unlikely but it could happen so I am considering this eventuality- the Manta Rays are still a solid 3/3 for 3 and you can use your Phantasmal Terrain to turn their lands into swamps or whatever they don't want (swamps are the funniest though).
EDIT: OMD I have just discovered Convincing Mirage! Now you can have EIGHT land-changing cards to back up your army of Manta Rays and islandwalkers.
TheWrathofShane
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Well islandhome is a flavorful drawback. Usally when something has a drawback, its supposed to have power to compensate. The islandhome creatures are usally would be nothing to special without the ability, but throw on the drawback and you got a bad card. So in a sense nothing wrong with islandhome, the problem is that there was never enough power in the rest of the cards to compensate for the drawback.
Anyways this card would be okay with x4 spreading seas. Essentially a 3/3 unblockable for 3 against nonblue. Nothing to special but playable and interesting.
Also like someone else said, Mirrorweave is a one sided board wipe if they do not control islands.
OlvynChuru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The "sacrifice this creature if you control no Islands" part of Islandhome always seemed to me like a waste of card space. I mean, if you are using this card, you do have Islands. At the end of the day, Islandhome is basically like defender except it can be built around more easily.
Comments (22)
Afaik the only keyworded ability that got removed so far. For obvious reasons?
I personally hope to never see such cards again, they're simply not playable.
The second ability is rather a bad joke considering the conditions which are required to be met for this creature in order to be even able to attack. On top of that it's double-blue.
"So...essentially, a 3/3 with defender that looses defender if the opponent is running blue?"
"Yes, that."
EDIT: Actually, with Spreading Seas could this be- gasp -playable?
Essentially a 3/3 for 3cmc then.
Oddly, I love this card.
I think Islandhome could be fixed by making it, "If you control no islands, sacrifice this creature. As long as an opponent controls an island, this creature is unblockable." It'd be a little weird on this card, but hey.
If you come up against someone who is playing blue -unlikely but it could happen so I am considering this eventuality- the Manta Rays are still a solid 3/3 for 3 and you can use your Phantasmal Terrain to turn their lands into swamps or whatever they don't want (swamps are the funniest though).
EDIT: OMD I have just discovered Convincing Mirage! Now you can have EIGHT land-changing cards to back up your army of Manta Rays and islandwalkers.
Anyways this card would be okay with x4 spreading seas. Essentially a 3/3 unblockable for 3 against nonblue. Nothing to special but playable and interesting.
Also like someone else said, Mirrorweave is a one sided board wipe if they do not control islands.
@Mode
Banding, phasing.