If you need to discard cards for some madness effect, it's ok. Else, I would't play it. 6 mana for a 4/4 is bad. 8 mana and a discarded card, for a 5/5 or a 4/4 with some keyword ability ain't great either. 10 mana and two discarded cards for a 4/4 with two keywords, 5/5 wit one or a vanilla 6/6 ain't better. 12 mana and three discarded cards, well you get my point...
kitsunewarlock
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Pretty good considering how bad most other artifact cards are in these sets (mirage-tempest-urzas). I still wouldn't use it without Madness or a card like Zodiac Dragon or Squee. But there is a LOT of good reanimation in this block if your doing a draft or block game, so black players might want to pick this guy pretty quickly. See you wouldn't ever play its ability (except maybe the +1/+1 for extra damage) unless its needed. This guys true strength is in the misplays it causes. He's an easy to miss creature--he even looks like a regular artifact. And remembering all the stuff he gets by discarding is hard to miss too. Because of this this card has a hidden exceptional offense and defense.
On defense it can suddenly jump up to block fliers. It can get first strike against things with only 4 toughness and not look at their attack. Plus, of course, it can buff itself to a 5 or 6 pretty easily.
On offense it can fly over your opponent's army or, if you don't mind if it gets blocked, get trample.
The fact it says "permanent" makes people assume that means you should try to buff him as fast as possible. But no. DO NOT USE HIS ABILITY UNTIL YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO! There is no reason to, for example, make him trample until he is blocked. Even if its the end of your opponent's turn and you have a Squee in your hand, give him the counter instead.
Leftconsin
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Build your own creature for incredibly steep costs!
LivingFoul
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
card has its moments.....versatility could win
Necrosage_Disel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Seeing a shapeshifter with a discard ability makes me wish there was a Spellshaper Shapeshifter. Oh, how it rolls of the tongue...
NARFNra
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If it could buy indestructibility, I would love it. Not the best choices though. 3/5
I think I might try one in an Experiment Kraj deck, just to see how Kraj likes permanent self augmentation :D.
Fanaticmogg
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Seems pretty good, especially for the time it was printed. Cast it for 6, then next turn you can pitch a land to give it flying and start pumping it. You can avoid giving it first strike or trample until you really need to. Too bad that it can't protect itself - if it could, it would go from being OK to totally awesome.
Paolino
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(3 votes)
and discard three cards for a 4/4 flying, trample, first strike creature? No, thanks :D However I can't dislike this card due to its flavorfulness...
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's definitely not bad for an old creature, particularly a colorless artifact. Reminds me of a proto-leveler.
Comments (9)
6 mana for a 4/4 is bad.
8 mana and a discarded card, for a 5/5 or a 4/4 with some keyword ability ain't great either.
10 mana and two discarded cards for a 4/4 with two keywords, 5/5 wit one or a vanilla 6/6 ain't better.
12 mana and three discarded cards, well you get my point...
On defense it can suddenly jump up to block fliers. It can get first strike against things with only 4 toughness and not look at their attack. Plus, of course, it can buff itself to a 5 or 6 pretty easily.
On offense it can fly over your opponent's army or, if you don't mind if it gets blocked, get trample.
The fact it says "permanent" makes people assume that means you should try to buff him as fast as possible. But no. DO NOT USE HIS ABILITY UNTIL YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO! There is no reason to, for example, make him trample until he is blocked. Even if its the end of your opponent's turn and you have a Squee in your hand, give him the counter instead.
3/5
I think I might try one in an Experiment Kraj deck, just to see how Kraj likes permanent self augmentation :D.
However I can't dislike this card due to its flavorfulness...