So Tom LaPille tweeted his preview card and suddenly that’s the talk of twitter and message boards. After a few weeks of intent of playing a card with different modes and how people play EDH (something I will get into on 99EDH), it’s this common card that has people talking.
Yes, it’s a card that all it does is ping something or someone. Why are people going up in arms..
Oh. It’s Green.
Commence the end of the internet.
Green getting non-creature based direct damage is nothing new:
- Bee Sting – 3G, Sorcery, deal 2 damage.
- Borrowing the East Wind – XGG, Sorcery, Deal X to each creature w/horsemanship and player.
- Canopy Surge – 1G (2 kick), Sorcery, Deal 1 to each flying creature and player; if kicked, 4 instead.
- Claws of Wirewood – 3G, Sorcery, Deals 3 to each flying creature and player (cycling 2)
- Crash Landing – 2G, Instant, target flying creature loses flying, then gets dealt damage equal to the number of forests you have.
- Firespout – 2[R/G], Sorcery, …If you payed G, deal 3 damage to each creature with flying.
- Gale Force – 4G, Sorcery, Deal 5 damage to each flying creature.
- Hail Storm – 1GG, Instant, Deals 2 damage to each attacking creature and 1 to you and your creatures.
- Howling Gale – 1G, Instant, Deal 1 damage to each flying creature and player. (Flashback 1G)
- Hurricane – XG, Sorcery, Deal X damage to each flying creature and each player.
- Leaf Arrow – G, Instant, Deal 3 damage to target flying creature.
- Needle Storm – 2G, Sorcery, Deal 4 damage to each flying creature.
- Sandstorm – G, Instant, Deal 1 damage to each attacking creature.
- Squall – 2G, Sorcery, Deal 2 damage to each flying creature.
- Squall Line – XGG, Instant, Deal x damage to each flying creature and player.
- Storm Seeker – 3G, Instant, Deal damage equal to the number of cards in their hand to that player.
- Superior Numbers – GG, Sorcery, Deal X damage to target creature where X is the number of creatures you control greater then the number target opponent controls.
- Tropical Storm – XG, Sorcery, Deal X damage to each flying creature and 1 damage to each Blue creature.
- Typhoon – 2G, Sorcery, Each opponent gets dealt damage for each Island they control.
- Unyaro Bee Sting – 3G, Sorcery, Deal 2 damage.
- Windstorm – XG, Sorcery, Deal X damage to each flying creature.
- Wing Storm – 2G, Sorcery, Deals twice the amount of flying creatures each player controls.
- Winter Blast – XG, Sorcery, Tap X creatures, deal 2 damage to each flying creature.
As you can see there is some evidence of Green just doing damage. However, most of those were sorceries, dealt damage to flying creatures and were non-targeted. This is the first time that dealing 1 damage in Green has ever been so cheap and so usable.
But it doesn’t change anything.
Look at the flavor of all of those cards. Almost all of them deal with nature in some related way. Either it’s the weather doing the damage or it’s small flying creatures like bees and hornets dealing out small doses. While I would’ve preferred a clause on the card that said: “as an additional cost, tap a creature you control” but it’s fine the way it is. This one common isn’t warping anything. Being in the Core Set now means it’s going to be tested for a year.
It’s hugely flavorful and makes sense as it’s done. After all, I know people allergic to Bees.
Verdict: It fits in Green’s color pie. As long as it’s not overdone, should be fine.
MTG Color Pie 