[MtG] [FRF] Sandsteppe Mastodon

[Rodrigo]

 

Sandsteppe Mastodon 5GG

Creature - Elephant (R)

Reach
When Sandsteppe Mastodon enters the battlefield, Bolster 5 (Choose a creature with the least toughness or tied with the least toughness among creatures you control. Put 5 +1/+1 counters on it.)
5/5

 

Can't wait to see the constructed playable Bolster card (if we get any).

[Dementuo]

ARE YOU TELLING ME

THAT I CAN PAY 3

TO GIVE ANIMAR +6/+6

AND GET A 5/5

[.Rai]

Wow, almost exact same idea I saw a while ago. Someone else made a custom wedge set that buffs the creature with the most power for Junk, but least toughness is much more fitting as I thought back then.

At the very least, it's a 10/10 reach creature.

[bury the year]

So this is interesting. Does that mean we're not gonna be seeing the five KTK mechanics in FRF, but instead five new clan mechanics? I'm sad. My dreams of a delve ramp spell have been crushed.

[.Rai]

So this is interesting. Does that mean we're not gonna be seeing the five KTK mechanics in FRF, but instead five new clan mechanics? I'm sad. My dreams of a delve ramp spell have been crushed.

Quite likely. It's fairly soon since the last 10-mechanic draft format being Dragon's Maze, so we shall see how they've improved on the logistics of that. The other possibility is that each clan gets their old mechanic and a new mechanic. As with Dragon's Maze, we technically know that we can fit 10 mechanics in a small set, although to what quality is to be seen.

[Cirrus]

Amazing. There's an actual MtG community here?

 

Re: this card, it's not actually amazingly exciting. Seems to do its job though; a very good Limited card that can also kind of stand in as a Role Player.

[bury the year]

Quite likely. It's fairly soon since the last 10-mechanic draft format being Dragon's Maze, so we shall see how they've improved on the logistics of that. The other possibility is that each clan gets their old mechanic and a new mechanic. As with Dragon's Maze, we technically know that we can fit 10 mechanics in a small set, although to what quality is to be seen.

 

The way I see it, there are two options (using Abzan as an example).

 

Option 1: Outlast -> Outlast/Bolster -> Bolster

Option 2: Outlast -> Bolster -> Outlast, implemented differently

[Cirrus]

I think the mechanics in the second set will have enough synergy with the mechanics in the first set for it not to matter too much. More spoilers would have to come out though. Cheaper Bolster effects seem good enough to get to Ferocious and trigger +1/+1 counter reqs, for example...

[Flame Dragon]

ARE YOU TELLING ME
THAT I CAN PAY 3
TO GIVE ANIMAR +6/+6
AND GET A 5/5

I didn't even think of using this with Animar. Thing I'm noticing with the deck is that Animar doesn't always live so being able to get him at -6 with a single card seems REALLY helpful for the deck.


I wonder what the other mechanics will be and if we'll be seeing anymore returning ones.

[.Rai]

The way I see it, there are two options (using Abzan as an example).
 
Option 1: Outlast -> Outlast/Bolster -> Bolster
Option 2: Outlast -> Bolster -> Outlast, implemented differently

First option seems likely for me. Option 3 would be Outlast -> Bolster -> Bolster, which also makes sense flavourfully. Since a shift from Bolster to Outlast would be caused by an extinction of the dragons. I've seen variations of this as well, either introducing all 5, or a gradual load-off with 2-3 in this set, and the rest in Dragons of Tarkir.

My favourite thing about the card though is that it's a Mastodon! Why is this relevant to the time travel set? Because Rotting Mastodon's flavour text says that mastodons are long exctinct on modern Tarkir. Nice way to show we're in the past.

[Flame Dragon]

First option seems likely for me. Option 3 would be Outlast -> Bolster -> Bolster, which also makes sense flavourfully. Since a shift from Bolster to Outlast would be caused by an extinction of the dragons. I've seen variations of this as well, either introducing all 5, or a gradual load-off with 2-3 in this set, and the rest in Dragons of Tarkir.

My favourite thing about the card though is that it's a Mastodon! Why is this relevant to the time travel set? Because Rotting Mastodon's flavour text says that mastodons are long exctinct on modern Tarkir. Nice way to show we're in the past.

I didn't eve catch that. Thats some impressive world building.

[bury the year]

First option seems likely for me. Option 3 would be Outlast -> Bolster -> Bolster, which also makes sense flavourfully. Since a shift from Bolster to Outlast would be caused by an extinction of the dragons. I've seen variations of this as well, either introducing all 5, or a gradual load-off with 2-3 in this set, and the rest in Dragons of Tarkir.

My favourite thing about the card though is that it's a Mastodon! Why is this relevant to the time travel set? Because Rotting Mastodon's flavour text says that mastodons are long exctinct on modern Tarkir. Nice way to show we're in the past.

 

My only problem with option 1 is that I don't think the design team wants to implement so many mechanics in a small set again. I'm 99% sure I read something somewhere where they thought Dragon's Maze to be a failure in that regard. The new drafting structure may change that, but right now it just seems like it could be messy.

[Flame Dragon]

I'm reasonably certain they won't put 10 (11 assuming morph) mechanics in a single set again. Dragon's Maze's 10 was a mistake and only having 2 sets vs. its 3 isn't going to make much of a difference.

[.Rai]

Option 3 is what I consder the default option. The 10 mechanic version is an odd one. I'm fairly sure Wizards are willing to attempt a 10-mechanic small set (I'd note that they're very happy with 10 mechanics in a large set), although it depends on time frame. Dragon's Maze might be too recent to reattempt.

[Poc]

I doubt they'll try 10 mechanics again. DGM was a disaster. Modal spells seems to be a pseudo mechanic they are really pushing for this set.

 

As for the card itself, its actually quite good. It might show up in Whip decks since its a huge amount of power to put on the board. That's really the only place I can see it being played in standard.

[.Rai]

The difference between Dragon's Maze and Fate Reforged is that one of them is a much more simple draft format. It wasn't actually the 10 mechanics that made DGM bad, it was the fact that you can't draft it in order with RTR and GTC without a pack being mediocre for you. If we have 10 mechanics in Fate Reforged, the format will be absolutely fine. You still have five or so draft archetypes as opposed to 10+ in DGM. Of course, still fairly unlikely compared to the third option, but it's not an impossibility for reasons you would think.