Why isn't this just a 5/5 creature instead of a
spell that makes a 5/5 token? Populate, of
course. No prizes for guessing that one. But
this isn't just notable for not being a
creature, it's notable for being an Instant.
This isn't just a 5/5 with trample, it's a 5/5
with trample... and flash. For a mere four mana,
that's an impressive mid-game beatdown artist.
Four mana is more than I like to leave open for
a combat trick, but this is a trick that never
fails. Giant Growth, Avenging Arrow, and Aerial
Maneuver all need to find a certain situation to
be good. What are you targeting with your Giant
Growth if you don't have any creatures out at
the moment?Even if the combat situation doesn't
call for a surprise 5/5 blocker outta nowhere,
you can flash it in on the end step. Surprise!
I'm swinging in for five more than you thought
you had to leave blockers for! How's the other
guy gonna play around that?
There's often not a lot to say about cards like
this. Everyone knows 5/5 is high for power and
toughness. Everyone knows that flash
(effectively) and trample are good keyword
abilities. This particular version is a little
more interesting because of the interaction with
populate. Cards like Druid's Deliverance and
Rootborn Defenses have been hovering around the
fringes of constructed tournament play since
their release, and this card might give them the
assistance necessary to become more mainstream.
In other settings, of course, it's a monster of
beatdown, but probably not one that's quite
warping enough to force specific answers (your
Grisly Spectacle works just fine on it; ditto
your Glen Elendra Archmage, counterintuitively).
Today's card of the day is Advent of the Wurm
which is a four mana Green and White instant
that puts a 5/5 Green token with Trample into
play. A four mana 5/5 with Trample and
effectively Flash is a great bargain and the
amount of token support available adds to the
overall value. The typical weaknesses of
bounce and incompatibility with many graveyard
effects don't hinder it too much and Selesnya,
Bant, and Naya decks can all benefit from this.
Overall it is a competitive level card as cast
on an opponent's turn, likely as a surprise
blocker, and will be popular for the foreseeable
future.
This is a fantastic Limited card that can block
and kill most attackers and is a serious
offensive threat with the large 5/5 Trample
body.
There's no real drawback, aside from the double
Green requiring the color as your primary, and
is an easy first pick in Booster and automatic
inclusion in Selesnya decks for Sealed.
