Being a cube manager means looking forward to something like two or three cards every set, so if Iconic Masters has a handful of good reprints I'll be a happy camper. Not every set can be Eternal Masters. Soooo excited. Print all the Hydras and Sphinxes you want as long as we get cool old school broken spells.
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Magic: the Gathering |OT11| Amonkhet - Have you ever had decks with a Pharaoh?
- Thread starter SigmasonicX
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Ultimate_Trainer
Member
He doesn't really convey my idea of "dragon mastermind that's actually the real commander in my Nicol Bolas themed commander deck".
But he's reading. That means he's smart.
Simply Sarah
Member
I wonder if Iconic will include cards that were iconic at some point but not so much now. Will we be seeing the likes of, and I'm dating myself here, Giant Growth, Ihsan's Shade, Fat Moti, etc?
I think if you were to do a Bolas themed commander deck, you should use another Grixis commander, but have all the cards do something Bolas would do. Then slam Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker and reveal he was the mastermind all along.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Lizard Beast
CeruleanSilver
Member
Dinosaurs for green's iconic? Now that's boring. I mean, what would T-Rex be as a magic card? Like a 5/5 vanilla?
I loved and still love dinosaurs so cool, considering they were real things that existed on this very planet. But for Magic? Dinosaurs are just big dumb beasts. Besides that, what mechanics would make a green dinosaur a dinosaur? I don't see anything distinctly "dino", nor interesting. Unless you want to diversify into all types of dinosaurs like pterodactyl, ichthyosaurus, raptors, etc, but then that's totally non-iconic, not necessarily green, and just another creature subtype.
I think hydra was a solid choice for green's iconic. It's basically a dragon without flying, which admittedly is less cool than a flying dragon, but it's still a dragon which has some appeal. I like that hydras capture green's affinity for big mana, growth, and fatties. The way a lot of hydras come in with a variable amount of +1/+1 counters and continue to grow afterwards is distinct and fun to play, at least for me.
Imperfected
Member
I'm pretty jazzed for Iconic Masters. I love dumb monster tribal EDH decks.
I mean, Angels/Demons/Dragons, anyway. Sphinxes and Hydras are pretty whatever. I do think Sphinx is the "iconic" blue monster, but being iconic in a color that tends to play minimal creatures is pretty meh.
I mean, Angels/Demons/Dragons, anyway. Sphinxes and Hydras are pretty whatever. I do think Sphinx is the "iconic" blue monster, but being iconic in a color that tends to play minimal creatures is pretty meh.
Leviathan
Simply Sarah
Member
As has been stated, the main issue with hydras as iconic creatures has been that they're all generally big beastly ground beaters that almost all follow the pattern of "Enters with and/or has a way to gain +1/+1 counters. The method of gaining +1/+1 counters may also do something else and something else counter related may happen." which, honestly, gets a bit dull and has them all start to merge together.
On the other hand, angels and demons and dragons do all sorts of varied and neat things that range from more practical to super flashy.
Add into this the fact that, other than Protean Hydra, I feel the hydra most dead on flavour-wise remains the original one, the mono-red Rock Hydra, and it's all a bit weird.
On the other hand, angels and demons and dragons do all sorts of varied and neat things that range from more practical to super flashy.
Add into this the fact that, other than Protean Hydra, I feel the hydra most dead on flavour-wise remains the original one, the mono-red Rock Hydra, and it's all a bit weird.
i have a super dinged up foil 7th edition thorn elemental sitting in a box somewhere without a sleeve on it
when i first started playing i was given it and thought it was the shit
Dude, I learned Magic for the first time with 7th edition. I had a big beginner's set that came with a CD for my computer and everything. Thorn Elemental was the shit! 7 power and it couldn't be blocked! Don't tell me that isn't cool.
Joe Molotov
Member
Avatar of Woe is a classic.
They won't abolish the reserved list. It's frankly not worth the effort or risk to do so. There's not that much gain, and potential huge amounts of aggro behind it.
The midnights are always electric. The vibe is like seeing a movie on opening night, everyone gets to enjoy seeing the cards in their hands and sharing what they opened.
...
I should get my Thorn Elemental signed at GP Richmond.
He's a cool dude, and sells lots of custom illustrated token cards. Definitely pick some of those up while there!
I think they would be ok as long as they don't reprint the power. Just imagine the instant sold outs and gigantic amounts of hype as soon as someone posts their dual land pull.
CeruleanSilver
Member
Sure +1/+1 counters is kind of the baseline thing that ties all the hydras together, and sometimes a hydra is just a big beater with +1/+1 counters, but they've attached other effects to hydras. You've got your fighty hydra, your tokeny hydra, your cascadey hydra...
Maybe people have a problem with hydras because they aren't all that excited by green's usual repertoire of effects? I feel like white, black, and blue do more interesting things within their space of the color pie.
divisionbyzorro
Member
Hydras are fine, but they're just walking Dragons.
The problem with hydras and sphinxes as iconic creatures is that there aren't many (or any) cultural touchstones that help us fall in love with the archetypes before we even discover MTG.
We love dragons in MTG because we love Smaug or Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion. We love Angels because we're familiar with them from Abrahamic religions. We love demons because they're a common enemy and manifestation of Hell in many religions and cultures. Can anyone name a hydra or sphinx from popular culture? I can't think of any off the top of my head.
We love dragons in MTG because we love Smaug or Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion. We love Angels because we're familiar with them from Abrahamic religions. We love demons because they're a common enemy and manifestation of Hell in many religions and cultures. Can anyone name a hydra or sphinx from popular culture? I can't think of any off the top of my head.
Imperfected
Member
I don't mind Hydras, but if you look at those monster tribes, Hydras have got to be the least represented and varied of them, while Green is the most monster-heavy color. If you've got the least monsters of that type representing the most monster-focused color, that doesn't really scream "iconic".
The iconic green critter is just the "Beast", though I guess the other iconic monsters are less general and more "epic".
The iconic green critter is just the "Beast", though I guess the other iconic monsters are less general and more "epic".
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
That's because they have an inherent design flaw, which is that Hydras work stupidly in Magic.
Polukranos was like the only cool Hydra they've done in forever.
Hydras would eventually be cool if they pushed them for a few years and made the cards desirable. There's so much room to do stuff with the +1/+1 counters and X casting cost -- Genesis Hydra is a good start for using X in a powerful way. I wish they would actually provide the tribe with some great cards if they're going to keep slamming it down our throats.
Sphinx's have it even worse. What's the last one that saw any actual play outside of sideboards? Consecrated? Sphinx's Revelation is an instant, doesn't count lol
Sphinx's have it even worse. What's the last one that saw any actual play outside of sideboards? Consecrated? Sphinx's Revelation is an instant, doesn't count lol
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
The one from the Triwizard Tournament, duh.
The actual iconic "green" creature should be elementals, but they're stuck in the air/water = blue thing.
Yeah, you have a point. Going to see Guardians of the Galaxy 2 next week opening night, and I'm pretty damn excited. Also, my current sleep schedule basically has me going to bed at like 5am anyway. I'll go to the midnight prerelease if I manage to beat Persona 5 before tomorrow.(That game is the shit btw, everyone go play it)
EDIT: Hydras suck.
There are a bunch of cool hydras out, but for the most part the best ones are the ones with X in their mana cost (or an activation cost, hi Polukranos) and they want to print hydras that are just big dumb beaters without any Xs involved. Take Honored Hydra in Amonkhet. It's 5G for a 6/6 trampler with embalm. OK, but why is it a Hydra? Why couldn't it be Honored Sand Wurm, or Honored Beast, or Honored Giant Beetle? It's just a Hydra because every set is obligated to have a Hydra in it. Nothing about the cards mechanics is related to it being a Hydra.
How is Progenitus a hydra mechanically though?
My problem with hydras is purely aesthetic. They don't look terribly cool, in my opinion. Sphinxes are kind of ugly too, but they're ugly in an interesting way. Mechanically being tied to +1/+! counters isn't a big deal in my opinion. Most dragons, with a few exceptions, either have firebreathing or direct damage effects. It doesn't stop them from being cool.
The other issue with Hydra, though, I think is that all of the other iconics have flying. Most hydras don't have any sort of evasion. More hydras need to have trample (or daunt, if it ends up becoming evergreen). It doesn't matter how big your stupid monster is if it just gets chumped by a 0/1 plant.
The other issue with Hydra, though, I think is that all of the other iconics have flying. Most hydras don't have any sort of evasion. More hydras need to have trample (or daunt, if it ends up becoming evergreen). It doesn't matter how big your stupid monster is if it just gets chumped by a 0/1 plant.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
There's no mechanical similarity between any of the "iconics" other than they generally are expensive flying fatties, but green doesn't get flying.
Elementals just make more sense because they fit in green, and have a lot of design space to do stuff. The Hydras that actually stick to "hydra design space" are generally bad.
Elementals just make more sense because they fit in green, and have a lot of design space to do stuff. The Hydras that actually stick to "hydra design space" are generally bad.
I still argue that it's because when they're good they're usually well-costed creature with desirable abilities.
Polukarnos is the only hydra I can think of that had that distinction.
Oh he's not, I just meant flavor wise any hydras they print just seem lame in comparison.
Mechanically, my favorite hydra was always Protean Hydra.
Joe Molotov
Member
Bring back Lhurgoyfs.
Mistcutter Hydra was a meta card, but still a good one. Genesis Hydra was also a really cool card.
Primordial Hydra and Kalonian Hydra are probably the most popular timmy ones with big splashy effects.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Honored Hydra is a 6/6 Trample for 4 that can't be countered (nobody ever casts it out of hand).
It probably will see some play in "empty handed" decks.
Those are all fine cards with cool abilities but I don't know that I'd call any of them "pushed" (though Kalonian surprised me with how little play it saw and sees).
This is a good start for playable pushed card, but again, doesn't really feel like a hydra. But if they did more cards of this power level with hydras, I'd be willing to bet the creature type would resonate.
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