| |
Email them at tatsidis@hotmail.com
Apocalypse's cards criticism!
This week's guest is Spiritmonger.
Spiritmonger is an extra-powerful creature ( 6/6 at 5cc ), and it has 3 positive
abilities. It grows up whenever it deals damage to a creature, regenerates with
only one black mana, and changes color with one green mana. All these are packed
into ONE creature-card! So, it is by far the best creature-finisher.
Next, we will find out how "broken" it is, by
trying to kill it and by comparing it with Shivan Wurm ( the only playable fat
ground creature ).
1. Spiritmonger is hard to be killed!
A) Direct damage spells do nothing to it,
because it is fat ( has 6 toughness ) and also regenerates. The only way to kill
it with direct damage, is with Scorching Lava
( it must have been dealt 4 more damage the same turn! ).
B) Black targeting creature-removal spells cannot target it,
because it is black creature by default! So all Terror-like spells are ineffective.
Also all "destroy-target-creature" spells cannot hurt it because it
regenerates. You can try to bury it but then only Terminate,
Avatar of Woe and Afterlife
really work.
C) The only targeting creature-removal category spells that can get
rid of Spiritmonger are those who say : "remove target creature from the
game" ( e.g. : Excise, Parallax
Wave, Topple, Treva's
Charm, Order/Chaos, Avenger
en-Dal ). Notice that are all white!
D) Mass removal spells are the last frontier! But if those spells
kill Spiritmonger, they kill nearly all other creatures in play. For example who
survives from a Wrath of God, Rout, Mageta the Lion,
March of Souls, Forced March, Plague Wind, Tsabo's Decree, Void, Pernicious
Deed, Desolation Giant ?
2. Spiritmonger vs. Shivan Wurm
1) Casting Cost : Draw! A bit
advantage of Shivan Wurm ( friendly colors ) is lost due to the new pain lands.
2) Power/Toughness : 0-1! In this aspect Shivan
Wurm is clearly better with +1/+1 bonus.
3) Abilities : 3-2! With only one positive
ability ( but Trample ), Shivan Wurm makes the 0-2! ( The ability of Gating is
rather neutral, if not negative ). In the other hand, Spiritmonger has three
abilities that make the difference and the score 3-2! All of them are of the
same power and usefulness. Regenerate, helps it survive from most removals,
"Change color", helps it against CoP's, Teferi's Moat, and other
annoying & stalling situations, and "+1/+1 pump" makes it fatter
enough to pass through a Glacial Wall or even kill the Shivan Wurm!
|
