There used to be a saying-- if it costs seven
mana, it better win you the game. The veracity
of that statement has changed over time, but I
feel it mostly holds true today, what with the
M11 Titans dominating the Standard scene. Jin
here costs ten mana. How many games last long
enough for you to get to ten mana? I'm not
talking about ten turns, mind you, I'm talking
about ten mana. You don't draw a land every
turn, so unless you're mana flooded, you won't
have ten lands on turn ten. If you are mana
flooded, however, Jin-Gitaxias will be a good
card to draw. Flash him in during an opponent's
turn, and suddenly your opponent has to pitch
his whole hand at the cleanup step... unless he
has an effect that says "you have no maximum
hand size". You can't subtract seven from a
number you don't have. But even if that's the
case, then you'll get to draw an extra seven
cards on each of your turns! And... have
to discard back down to seven immediately,
because the cleanup step is right after "the
beginning of the end step". Jin-Gitaxias is
entirely dependent on you having a Spellbook
effect and your opponent not having one. And it
doesn't come down until three mana after you've
lost the game. And once you cast it, it doesn't
actually win you the game, you need to use the
cards you drew off it to do that.
Let's get mythic-al, mythical! This week we're
looking at three of the craziest mythics in New
Phyrexia, and possibly three of the craziest
ever. I almost can't believe this card really
exists in the same game as Reanimate. Would you
pay ten life if it meant your opponent would
have no hand? Sounds like a bargain to
me. Then, in multiplayer, the card advantage
count goes to like +28 on the turn he lands, and
that's not even considering what happens in the
long run. Yeah, politics; yeah, it makes you a
target. It's kind of hard for people to cast
spells at you when they don't have any in their
hand . . .
Welcome back readers sorry for my extended
absence computer problems and college and all
that. Today’s card of the day is the ultimate
reanimation target. In standard with five mana
and a Sword of Feast and Famine you can bring
this guy out outside of that perhaps in a deck
that can ramp into lots of mana such as Grand
Architect or some similar deck. Outside of
these areas I am not sure it will see much play
in standard. In extended the same applies the
wider range of cards may make it more playable
but extended is not a heavily played format. In
legacy this card shines as a reanimator target
in reanimator decks forcing your opponent down
to zero cards possibly on turn one or two is
devastating this card will see a significant
amount of play as a reanimation target. In
limited it’s a bomb but expensive and requires a
commitment to blue. In casual and multiplayer
this card is an obvious power choice for EDH
although it may get you ganged up on. Overall a
card sure to make an impact in casual and
legacy.
Today's card of the day is Jin-Gitaxias, Core
Augor which is a ten mana
5/4 with Haste that allows you to draw seven
cards during your end step and reduces the
maximum hand size of each opponent by seven.
The effects are strong for controlling the game
if it survives, yet the cost is high enough that
you should never want to cast it directly.
Using standard tricks to bring it into play work
well enough, but other creatures can more
directly win the game while this has no real
protection or major offense. Not that this is a
bad card, just other cards can fill the role in
a more efficient manner. Used in a
reanimation theme this is a little stronger as
it can hit the field earlier where many of the
popular options for Polymorph or other cards
won't be in the graveyard. Overall a bit
of a gimmick that may see play in multiplayer
and Commander (Elder Dragon Highlander) and is
unlikely to make an impression in regular
Constructed formats.
For Limited this is a little too high in cost
even for the slower format and both effects have
problems attached to them. The restriction
to your opponent is less of an issue by the time
the Praetor enters play, even with any colorless
acceleration, and they may not lose any cards
from the effect. The bigger issue is how
many turns it will take to run out of cards when
drawing seven every turn in a forty card deck at
the late stage this would enter the field.
While that shouldn't be a huge concern it is a
factor and far more of an issue in Limited with
the smaller deck size. With the Praetor
only being a 5/4 it really doesn't hold up as
well given the cost and the best case scenario
is winning quickly with whatever you draw from
his end step effect. Playing or passing
him is a gamble, so it comes down to your style
of play and in Sealed what your pool is.
In Booster rare drafting is an option and if the
pack doesn't hold a strong uncommon it is worth
keeping and even trying to run this as the
effects can work.
