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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day


Image from Wizards.com

Oxidda Golem
 


Reviewed February 20, 2004

Constructed: 2.25
Casual: 2.03
Limited: 2.96

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

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Card of the Day Reviews 


Chris
Gerhardt

* game store owner in CA, ShuffleAndCut.com

A nice little inexpensive add if you are going for a red flavored budget affinity deck.  Casual would be the call for this guy, though most casual players would pass for something with more pizzazz, me thinks.

In limited, a decent add to a solid red build. A good mid-pick card 

Constructed: 2.2
Casual: 2
Limited: 3
Current Price: Oxidda Golem - $0.25
 


Judge Bill

*Level 2
MTG Judge

*game store employee

 Friday - Oxidda Golem

Part of a cycle of artifact creatures that extend the affinity mechanic to basic land types, we get the red flavored creature. All of the cycle are best when you have basic lands of the given type in your deck. But even without them, in a pinch, you can easily play these.

So in limited, these are never a bad pick. It gets better and better the more lands you have of that type out, but is playable as is.

In constructed (both tournament and casual), you have many better choices than this. These would have to wait for the relatively late game to shine, and then you can better spend the slot in a creature that gives you more bang for the buck.

Constructed: 1
Casual: 1.5
Limited: 3


DeQuan
Watson

* game store owner (The Game Closet - Waco,TX)

* pro tour player

 Friday - Oxidda Golem

I like most of the affinity golems for one reason for another. I like the fact that this one has haste. I'm not big on the fact that it has a two toughness though. The only problem I have with this card is trying to find a deck that it fits in.

Casual players don't seem to care about creatures like this if they don't have a higher power or toughness. In limited, I just play this golem if I am either hurting for creatures or if I have a ton of mountains. Don't fool yourself though. If you are having to cut a card to squeeze someone else in, this can be considered to be taken out.

Constructed: 2
Casual: 1
Limited: 2


Jeff Zand
i

5 Time Pro Tour
Veteran

Level 2 Judge

Oxidda Golem

According to pro tour players, Oxidda and its four brother Golems from Darksteel are must plays in limited decks that play the basic land types that each of the Golems have affinity for. In the case of Oxidda Golem, that would be Mountains, the most important basic land type in the current limited formats. Oxidda’s special ability, haste, is a very good thing in the current limited world. The Golem seems a little unlikely for constructed, but he COULD be a poor man’s Ball Lightning coming into play on turn three in mono red decks and NOT going away at end of turn the way Ball Lightning does. Adds another artifact that can be sacrificed to Shrapnel Blast in constructed mono red decks. Sounds good to me.
CONSTRUCTED: 3.5
CASUAL: 4.0
LIMITED: 4.0


Andy
 Van Zandt

 Oxidda Golem

Vulshok Berserker, who -can- be one turn faster, but can also be shattered.
Solidly playable in limited, and may see some play in a red-weenie rush deck. Maybe.
constructed 2.9
casual 3
limited 3

Ray "Monk"
Powers
* Level 3 DCI Judge
*DCI Tournament Organizer
*Game Store Owner (Gamer's Edge)

Oxidda Golem

 

Darksteel's addition to Affinity has brought up some very interesting cards. This card will not be of very much use in a constructed format, casual or serious. But in Limited the card is potentially useful on turn three with three mountains in play. Overall though, in a block with Vulshok Berserker, which is easier to play and does the exact same thing, while being less susceptible to the blocks removal orientation (artifacts), I think the guy is playable, but not a super high pick for the red player.

 

Casual:             1

Constructed:             1

Limited:             3

Jason
Matthews


* Level 1 DCI Judge

*game store employee

* gaming for over 15 years

 Friday-Oxidda Golem

Darksteel introduced the mechanic of Affinity for a land type and the magic players saw it and it was good. Sounds like a bible scripture. I have to say that I really like this mechanic and all of the Golems are fairly solid. In a deck that runs stuff like bone splitter or one of the two Sword from dark steel the Oxida golem can provide some good suprises. I tend to find that when I can cast spell for free or really cheap I am pretty happy so this card makes me happy. The only bad thing is that this guy wont really come out till turn three. In casual I would play Ball Lightning over this guy. In limited he isn’t what I would consider an early pick. In constructed hes just not quite as strong a creature for consideration.

Constructed 2
Casual 2.5
Limited 2.75

Jonathan
Pechon


2 Grand Prix Top 8's

Multiple Pro Tour appearances

Oxidda Golem

 

For the sake of simplicity, let me translate what this guy is:  a three-mana 3/2 with haste.  The fact that he can only exist in a single deck would almost be close to irrelevant, except for the fact that mono-red has moved away from mountain-heavy goblins towards Slith Firewalkers, LD, and Charbelchers and the like.  Regardless, this card will probably end up having at least a minor amount of relevance, if for no other reason than he is a colorless source of damage for a deck that, at times, is dearly in need of one.

 

This guy is pretty solid in draft.  As a matter of fact, all of the golems from Darksteel are absolutely playable, with Spire and Razor taking the top of the list.  This guy will probably be no worse than another Vulshok Berserker in your red draft decks; that makes him pretty decent.  Off-color, he’s pretty miserable, but that’s life.

 

Casual play, he works nicely into the Golem deck.  Not that there is a Golem deck that I’m aware of.  Nor would I know why you’d play a Golem deck.  Actually, he’s pretty horrible, just play something more fun.

 

Constructed:  2.75

Limited:  3.0

Casual:  1.5

 

 

 

 

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