A rather stupid choice in Kamigawa block-constructed, but quite useful in other formats since you won't find too many legends which are played by your opponents.
Donovan_Fabian
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(4 votes)
Not really getting the putting legendary cards into play affect.. if it was a must ability, then maybe it would kill off legends with the legend rule, but otherwise why would you want your opponent to gain a powerful card in play? Otherwise the 5/5 with trample for 4 is decent.
Champion_Kitsune
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Hooray for turn three 5/5 tramplers! Now that Kamigawa's been out of standard for a few years, his drawback will bite you in the butt very, very rarely.
KarmasPayment
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
The only other format this might see play is EDH, and someone (usually me) in multiplayer has atleast one legendary card in hand. Only slightly better than hunted wumpus.
persecutor
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
boo!
channelblaze
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I cast iwamori of the open fist!
Ok, I put iwamori into play, they both die!
Well that was a waste of time (and 4 mana).
Cyberium
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Legendary creatures aren't all that popular these days, and planeswalkers aren't creatures. This is very much a 5/5 trampler for 4, it's a good deal.
If opponent uses legends, obviously there's always the option of sideboarding Iwamori out.
4/5
HairlessThoctar
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
BEEEEEFCAKE!
Test-Subject_217601
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(7 votes)
Super special awesome trivia time!
Open fist does not actually refer to an open hand, or palm. It refers to a special way of forming a fist that has a small space between your palm and your fingers. NOW YOU KNOW!
Tommy9898
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(5 votes)
Hehe, the jokes on you, I will put my Norin the Wary into play for free...
Kirbster
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
"Open fist." So, like... a hand?
Anyways, a nice play in most anything other than Kamigawa... or Legends, I suppose. Hurrying him out on turn three is somewhat hampered when your opponent gets to drop a free Kokusho. Before you know it, Iwamori is reduced to "Iwamori of the Open Fistula." Other than that, he'll typically be just a 5/5 trampler for four mana, but keep a Desert Twister handy just in case.
Even if the drawback were eliminated completely, this card wouldn't be that far above the curve in terms of green creatures today, anyway. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but you can find creatures that are nearly as good, if not better, that have no real drawbacks. 4/5
NeoKoda
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Lol, your opponent could get a free Emrakul. Of course, if he was playing with the Eldrazi titans, you'd probably sideboard this guy.
Drewsel
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Martial arts deck?
jon_hill987
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Playing EDH last night on MTGO my last remaining opponent cast this having clearly forgotten that on the previous turn I had tutored for, revealed and placed in my hand Kozilek, Butcher of Truth.
It didn't go well for him
NinjaShadow
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Am i the only hunter/stalker/lurker here? use this guy to flush out your prey, then kill it. they think they got a big mambojambo in play for free? Think again. If they don't have a legend, you get a 5/5 trampler, if they do, just kill it or return it to their hand, or whatever, its magic, there is always an answer.
PhyrexianFryCook
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(10 votes)
I think we're all forgetting that this is a man that can punch through 2 grizzly bears and keep going.
Ninjitsu
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
For everyone who's dissing his secondary effect, think of it like this. They always ask Bruce Wayne, whether its the criminals who bring out the Batman, or the Batman who attracts the criminals.
In the same sense, Iwamori is such a strong fighter, he attracts foes to himself! I think Wizards did a great job translating this flavor to card form.
For more on Iwamori's personal battle, check out http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Article.aspx?x=magic/bok/iwamori
JoshMagic
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
i feel like his downside isn't as bad as it seems. in today's Modern scene, you can easily take a peek at your opponent's hand with reveal/ Gitaxian Probe / discard stuff; then play him safely. assuming you play him early, this could be a real smack to the face for someone who isn't prepared.
Elegy
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Iwamori is one card that would've had fantastic flavor text. I'm sad that monks didn't get their own keyword. Samurais have Bushido, Ninjas have Ninjutsu, but Monks were a lonely class tribe. A cool one would be sort of like equipment with Living Weapon only instead of a 0/0 Germ you get a 3/3 Monk, already holding the weapon. Or Monks that can use weapons in different ways. This was kind of their only opportunity to capitalize on the effectiveness of martial arts. Great flavor on Iwamori, he is stronger than a Stampeding Rhino. Goes in Captain Sisay EDH to fill that role.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Run with Despise? Oh snap, I thought this was good before I noticed it said legendary creature. Situational drawback.
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hey, it's Lt. Armstrong from Full Metal Alchemist.
SuicidalTendancies
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
My buddy has a monk deck that uses a few of these as we play casual multiplayer and the drawback almost never pops up.
One game though he pulled some insane green mana BS and got this guy out turn two. There were 6 of us playing and 5 legends on the board turn two. Someone everyone had the one random legend in their deck all at once.
Slightly lopsided though. I got a Norin, my other buddy got Emrakul.
MattLynn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Karakas, but thats not legal in EDH & whatever else :(
IamjustnotCreative
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Hehehe I got to cast Jerrard of the Closed Fist for free when my opponent casted him. It took my opponent a while to get why I had a smile on my face.
Lordgold333
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I would think that his art would at least have him with his fists open.
Comments (27)
Ok, I put iwamori into play, they both die!
Well that was a waste of time (and 4 mana).
If opponent uses legends, obviously there's always the option of sideboarding Iwamori out.
4/5
Open fist does not actually refer to an open hand, or palm. It refers to a special way of forming a fist that has a small space between your palm and your fingers. NOW YOU KNOW!
Anyways, a nice play in most anything other than Kamigawa... or Legends, I suppose. Hurrying him out on turn three is somewhat hampered when your opponent gets to drop a free Kokusho. Before you know it, Iwamori is reduced to "Iwamori of the Open Fistula." Other than that, he'll typically be just a 5/5 trampler for four mana, but keep a Desert Twister handy just in case.
Also, trivia: He is the 'good' counterpart to the evil Jerrard of the Closed Fist.
It didn't go well for him
They always ask Bruce Wayne, whether its the criminals who bring out the Batman, or the Batman who attracts the criminals.
In the same sense, Iwamori is such a strong fighter, he attracts foes to himself! I think Wizards did a great job translating this flavor to card form.
For more on Iwamori's personal battle, check out http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Article.aspx?x=magic/bok/iwamori
I'm sad that monks didn't get their own keyword. Samurais have Bushido, Ninjas have Ninjutsu, but Monks were a lonely class tribe. A cool one would be sort of like equipment with Living Weapon only instead of a 0/0 Germ you get a 3/3 Monk, already holding the weapon. Or Monks that can use weapons in different ways. This was kind of their only opportunity to capitalize on the effectiveness of martial arts.
Great flavor on Iwamori, he is stronger than a Stampeding Rhino.
Goes in Captain Sisay EDH to fill that role.
Oh snap, I thought this was good before I noticed it said legendary creature. Situational drawback.
One game though he pulled some insane green mana BS and got this guy out turn two. There were 6 of us playing and 5 legends on the board turn two. Someone everyone had the one random legend in their deck all at once.
Slightly lopsided though. I got a Norin, my other buddy got Emrakul.