Where Ancients Tread <== card name

[RoninX]

http://wizards.com/mtg/images/tcg/products/shardsofalara/6xzhax9icm_EN.jpg

Where Ancients Tread :4::r:

Enchantment (Rare)

Whenever a creature with power 5 or greater comes into play under your control, you may have Where Ancients Tread deal 5 damage to target creature or player.

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Hmm. Seems like a tribal giant card.

As such it seems appropriately terrible for constructed play (though it does make me want to evoke spite bellows).

This is actually a pretty powerful effect, but it requires resolving big creatures. If you are resolving big creatures you usually are winning, but the real killer is the cost. 5cc? If this was a three casting cost (two would be absurd with "Wally" around) then maybe it would see play - essentially becoming a much more limiting one sided pandemonium. At 5cc itself, and having no impact on the board, just cannot see it...

[Destroyer51]

second what robin said.

i saw this and just thought "great, another crap rare that the timmies are going to build with." :) gotta love them timmies!

[Rakavolver]

Looks like a Block Constructed card. In fact so do most of the SoA cards that we've seen so far.

Horribly named card. Sorry RoninX I had to adjust the title lest people were thinking it was the name of an article or something.

Can't say Wizards isn't getting poetic, though. Sounds ten times better than "Goatnapper"

[Rakavolver]

:) gotta love them timmies!

The Great Timmification of Magic that begun with Lorwyn is in full swing !!

POWER GAMERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE !!

[mtglordtom24]

This card is a terrible Lava Axe. I would've loved some alternative casting cost or a cheaper CMC, but we get a piece of crap instead.

[RoninX]

This card is a terrible Lava Axe. I would've loved some alternative casting cost or a cheaper CMC, but we get a piece of crap instead.

No, this card might be a good lava axe (it can kill Oona!) if you can resolve a 5 power creature after resolving this... and...


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OK, you're right. This card is just a terrible Lava Axe.

[Magick_Hunter]

Hmm. Seems like a tribal giant card.

That would be nice but since it's not, it doesn't limit you to one creature type.

As such it seems appropriately terrible for constructed play (though it does make me want to evoke spite bellows).

On all sorts of websites I see players comment of how stuff is good or bad for constructed and limited. How can you tell what cards are good or bad for either. If I may, it seems like some people say a card is good for limited because they don't expect to win as easily with a preconstructed deck. Even so, I don't see how Where Ancients Tread is that bad.

second what robin said.

i saw this and just thought "great, another crap rare that the timmies are going to build with." :) gotta love them timmies!

What are timmies?

Horribly named card. Sorry RoninX I had to adjust the title lest people were thinking it was the name of an article or something.

I think it sounds kinda cool. :D

This card is a terrible Lava Axe. I would've loved some alternative casting cost or a cheaper CMC, but we get a piece of crap instead.

In a way it's like using Lava Axe but you get a creature at the same time.

[RoninX]

That would be nice but since it's not, it doesn't limit you to one creature type.

Not all tribal cards limited the creature type affected, Favor the Mighty for instance.



On all sorts of websites I see players comment of how stuff is good or bad for constructed and limited. How can you tell what cards are good or bad for either. If I may, it seems like some people say a card is good for limited because they don't expect to win as easily with a preconstructed deck. Even so, I don't see how Where Ancients Tread is that bad.


For example, "Hill Giants" 3/3s for 4 (or even 5) tend to be reasonably good in limited, but are usually below the acceptable curve for competitive constructed decks. Creatures with high toughness are also better in limited because blocking tends to play a larger role. Lava Axe is also better in limited than constructed because its higher cost is less relevant and less removal means it can be harder to push damage through via creatures if the board stalls out.


What are timmies?


They are one of the general categories of magic player that Mark Rosewater has defined. Basically, they are more casual gamers.


In a way it's like using Lava Axe but you get a creature at the same time.


Its more like paying for a lava axe, but not getting any damage out of it until you cast and resolve at least one creature with power of 5 or greater. Though it does have the upside of potentially representing multiple lava axes, if your multiple 5 power creatures haven't already won you the game.

I apologize for my cynicism, but even I can't view this one as half full.

[Eviljello]

I think shards is pushing for a slowed down meta for control. Look at all these bombs jund/bant/esper so far are 5 mana.. Grixis has shown the spect for being 3 mana but other then that its mostly a 5 mana meta now instead of a 3-4 we are currently use to. I think the draw back is the 5 power creature. But look at all the 8 mana mythic rares, the meta is in for a change soon as lor/sha rolls out. ITS CHANGE!!! This card could be crazy if we see more wally's appearing..

[justactcasual]

Think of it this way - why not just run another high power creature?

[maxhanuman]

A 'Timmy' is a gamer who wants to go large. (Spike wants to win by any means, Johnny likes complex combos, Vorthos loves the story... and is there a fifth?) It's not synonymous with casual gamers, but many casual gamers are 'Timmies'. In part they are casual gamers because the kind of deck they like to play can't win in constructed, they're almost dead before their leviathans come online. A Timmy could just play Doran and win, but that wouldn't be FUN. Timmy doesn't just want to beat you, he wants to beat you with his Hellkite Overlord. Because his Hellkite Overlord is COOL!Since he can't (and losing 0-2 every round isn't fun for anyone) why try? Better to stay a casual gamer.

Which brings me to my actual point: In the article where they spoiled Where Ancients Tread they revealed that Naya's 'theme' is Timmy-style fat, things that are triggered by fat, things to get fat out faster, and things that give bonuses to fat. This makes everyone grumble, why? Sure individual cards like Favor of the Mighty never made a splash. But, if they have a critical mass of fat-dependent effects they may actually produce a constructed-viable Timmy deck. If they've failed in that, most of the shard may be non-playable in constructed, but if they've succeeded then a large number of casual gamers who currently avoid even FNM may be drawn in. Sounds like a worthwhile gamble to me, here's hoping Where Ancients Tread gets enough support to show up in PTQs.

[RoninX]

Sounds like a worthwhile gamble to me, here's hoping Where Ancients Tread gets enough support to show up in PTQs.

Thats fine and all, but why the heck did they price it at 5cc? That is where you want to start casting 5 power dudes (if not before). If this cost 3 (1RR? 1GG?) Then I could see it, but at five it is at an awkward place... we'll see.

[maxhanuman]

Really, would 3R have been a broken card, though? I can't imagine it. Still, this card could fit nicely in the only type of deck it was meant for, a deck with a minimum of 12 6+cc creatures (ie. a Timmy deck) since that deck is usually losing badly when it first lays down fat.

[mtglordtom24]

I can't believe that people are defending this card, it's such a "win more card," which is a term getting thrown around more and more these days. That means that a card wins you a game that you're already winning and won't help you to get back into a game that you are losing. If you are playing 5cc guys, should'nt you be winning the game anyways? This slot in your deck would most likely be better served as a burn spell or creature. To anyone who tests this card out in a deck, I'll ask you to test the deck using the card as a proxy for Lava Axe as well, and see what the difference in winning % is, unless you have a combo with this card, at which point, I could see this card being good. But anyways, if you like this card, see if Lava Axe fairs you better, if it does, I can make a believer out of anyone.

[SwampRat45]

i don't know guys. this card may still have a shot once all the other cards from SoA have been previewed. i think that if it is put into the right deck than it would be ver dangerous, the only thing is trying to figure out the right deck for it.

if nothing else, think of all the Dstorm decks that might want it to do some extra damage if needed. maybe not in the deck right away, but in the SB for those anoying life gaining decks..

[maxhanuman]

The last thing this card is (and, depending on what else is in the set, the first thing could be 'terrible') is a Win More card. It only has any use at all if you are holding a fistful of fat and if you are holding a fistful of fat you are almost certainly losing at that moment. If it is going to have any use, it is as a repeatable Beacon of Destruction to clear away your opponent's guaranteed board position advantage once you start laying down fatties, rarely to burn your opponents face.

[ScionofJustice]

Lets not forget that all "blink" affects will trigger the effect; also unearth will work too.