This is another interesting card. It costs four
mana for a 2/2 flier. That's less than exciting.
But it does come strapped with the ability to
completely remove all copies of a card from your
opponent's deck. It could be an interesting card
to play against control decks.
Shimian Specter
Hypnotic Specter meets Lobotomy. Any
opportunity to get a card out of your opponent's
hand AND make it impossible for them to draw it
again is an opportunity worth taking, especially
if it's tied to a 2/2 flier who's dealing damage
anyway.
Constructed- 3.5
Casual- 3.5
Limited- 3.6
David Fanany
Shimian Specter
Shimian Specter is basically Lobotomy on wings.
Lobotomy was a good card, but it also wasn't a
creature. Shimian Specter won't hit the opponent
until turn five (or four, with an accelerant of
some sort) at the earliest, meaning it has an
even larger window for the opponent to set up a
counter wall, burn it to death, or otherwise
make it irrelevant. If it does hit, though, it
can basically dismantle a control or combo deck.
I wouldn't write it off entirely. In limited
play, the Lobotomy effect will often not be
stellar unless your opponent managed to draft
multiple copies of some good card. It's still a
2/2 flyer, though, and that is often good
enough.
Constructed: 2/5
Casual: 2/5
Limited: 3/5
Arcane
Shimian Specter
Constructed: Lobotomy, Cranial Extration and
Extirpate all had a benefit to their ability
that they could rip apart an opponent’s deck
when you cast them, not a turn later, and not in
a fashion that could be blocked. Granted the
Specter is a nice idea, but for four mana and in
a small 2/2 body it is a vulnerable means of
attacking your opponent’s deck. It’s a nice idea
but it’s going to cost cards to protect it or to
ensure that it does infact hit your opponent,
and even then it won’t work against an opponent
that has no cards in hand (or at least no
relevant cards).
Casual/Multi: If your table is afflicted by a
lot of combo decks then this is a pretty good
solution. Reusable deck destruction can work to
your advantage in a multiplayer setting allowing
you to affect the player in the strongest
position. Casual games can dip into a few more
abstract cards that wouldn’t see play in
constructed formats to make sure their card is
protected and will get through, cards like Writ
of Passage or Whispersilk cloak. And being a
Specter gives it some bonus points for giving
another creature to a fun black tribe.
Limited: the best way to deal with an opponent’s
bomb is to get rid of it before it hits the
table. When Shimian Specter comes out it creates
a must deal with threat that if not blocked will
not only take out the best card in your
opponents hand at the time (and any extra copies
they have in their deck; hurting players that
try and draft lots of multiples of things like
Blight speaker) but can also give you great
insight into the other threats and cards in your
opponents deck, information that makes or breaks
sideboarding for games 2 and 3. Granted the
Specter doesn’t have a huge body, but in a color
with so much removal it shouldn’t be all that
hard to clear the road for him.
Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 4
The Missing
Linc
Shimian Spector
Find an answer quick. In a set that may really
bring combo to the fore of standard, this card
will see play. Even without a lot of combo, this
card will see play. While it won't be there as
soon as the hypie, it comes soon after and
unless you are ready, then it will hurt. This is
coming out in the new blue/black preconstructed
deck as well, so it will likely see play quickly
in the world of small town Friday night tournies.
I have to say this is in my top 5 list from this
set.
Constructed: 4
Casual: 5
Limited: 4
Necro
nomikron
Shimian
Specter:
Constructed: Run hypnotic over this. This costs
1 more, and as far as board position goes, does
the exact same thing.
Casual: Can't afford hippy? Well, this guy is
probably going to cost you less to pick up, but,
costs you more mana to play. Balance that as you
will.
Limited: Card advantage on a 2/2 flyer? Sure
thing. I'll take it here.
Constructed: 2/5
Casual: 2/5
Limited: 4/5
PsychoAnime
Review by PsychoAnime
If Shimian Specter hits, it can really end a
combo player's game. But seeing
as how this comes out on turn 4 and hits on turn
5, it's likely game already.
And it's going to be rare that this will
actually go through to deal damage.
In casual, it's ok as I see this being in the
junk rare section so it's
readibly obtainable but it certainly won't have
a big impact on the game, most
likely just drawing out some removal.
In limited, it flies and attacks your opponent's
hand!
