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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day
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Image from Wizards.com |
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Auriok
Steelshaper
Reviewed March 4, 2004
Constructed: 3
Casual: 3.1
Limited: 2.4
Ratings are
based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst. 3 ...
average.
5 is the highest rating
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Card of the Day Reviews
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Chris
Gerhardt
*
game store owner in CA,
ShuffleAndCut.com |
While Auriok
Steelshaper seemed innocuous when it was released
in Mirrodin, Darksteel has brought out the best in
it by releasing a card that has incredible synergy
with it,
Leonin Shikari. You only have to see the
two in play together once to understand the true
beauty of it. Shikari lets you move your
equipment at instant speed instead of sorcery.
Steelshaper makes it cost one less. Two
Steelshapers make it cost 2 less. Mmmm...
Lightning Greaves,
Bonesplitters,
Skullclamp and many other equipments suddenly
start flying across the board. Protecting
creatures, pumping some before damage, then moving
to pump and save another creature after damage.
It's quite poetic, actually, when you see it
working in a tuned White Weenie deck. The question here
is, is it competitive? Many people think so,
and I've seen it showing up in Top 8 in 50+ man
tourneys. I really hope it is. Anyone
that has read my reviews with regularity knows I
love WW. In
Casual, I know a lot of people think this thing
won't fly, but I disagree. I think that
there are some great White Weenie builds for
casual, and this card could truly be fun with the
Shikari combo.
In limited, there are
few decks that would make this card really worth
the space. You would have to pick up a GOOD
number of decent equipments to make it worthwhile,
and be going white to boot.
Constructed:
4
Casual: 4
Limited: 2
Current Price:
Auriok
Steelshaper $5.48
Lightning
Greaves $4.50
Bonesplitter $0.44
Skullclamp
$6.99
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Judge
Bill
*Level 2
MTG Judge
*game store employee
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Thursday - Auriok
Steelshaper
Now we step out of Darksteel and go back to
Mirrodin, to a card that has great synergy with
a card from Darksteel, Leonin Shikari. The bonus
to Soldiers and Knights is OK, but the real
bonus comes in the reducing of the equip cost.
Being able to move around Bonesplitters and
Skullclamps for free (and at instant speed, if
you have Shikari out) is very strong. It allows
you to spend your mana to play creatures instead
of having to worry about paying equip costs.
In limited, this
gets much weaker. You typically will only
play 3-4 equipment cards, and unless you
happen to get the tribal theme in Mirrodin
(which is possible playing white, but
unlikely), the bonus doesn't help much
either. This would probably be pool
dependent on whether I would play this or
not.
In casual, the
fun factor of the Steelshaper/Shikari deck
goes way up, and it is just as effective
there.
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 1.5
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DeQuan
Watson
* game store owner (The Game Closet - Waco,TX)
* pro tour player
* Scrye writer since 2002 |
Thursday - Auriok Steelshaper
Some days I like this guy. Other days, I
don't like this guy. Some people seem to
want to force this card into heir white
weenie decks and I'm not sure that is the
best place for this creature. I'll admit
that you can get some really neat tricks
with the help of Auriok Steelshaper and
Leonin Shikari, but it may not always be
worth it. I would like him a lot more if he
were even a 2/2 creature.
In casual games where you get all day to do
things, this guy can give your army a real
boost. In limited, I not too sure this guys
stock has any weight. It's rare that you
can get enough knights or soldiers to really
abuse it.
Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 3
Limited: 2
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Jeff Zandi
5 Time Pro Tour
Veteran
Level 2 Judge |
Auriok Steelshaper
In limited, this guy is very good in the mostly
white decks, particularly
the decks with lots of Cub Scouts and Den-Guards
and lots of equipment. I
don't play this guy if I have only a little white
or only a little equipment
in a deck. I like this guy in some white weenie
decks with equipment, but
his role in that deck is limted.
CONSTRUCTED: 2.5
CASUAL: 2.5
LIMITED: 3.5 |
Ray
"Monk"
Powers
* Level 3 DCI Judge
*DCI Tournament Organizer
*Game Store Owner (Gamer's Edge) |
Auriok Steelshaper
This is one of those cards that you think is
strong, seems good, but just is too situational.
First, its 1W for a 1/1. Second, it gives its
ability only to soldiers and knights, and
there's only so many good one's of those. Third,
it requires another card (equipment), which
means more cost, and if they kill the
Steelshaper in response to equipping, the tempo
loss is horrible.
For 1W you can run Crusade or for 1WW Glorious
Anthem which gives all your creatures +1/+1 with
no restrictions. I'd say run those instead.
Casual: 2
Constructed: 2
Limited: 2 |
Jason
Matthews
* Level 1 DCI
Judge
*game store employee
* gaming for over 15 years |
Thursday-Auriok
SteelshaperNot the most impressive of the
white creature to come out of Mirrodin block.
The cost reduction of the equip cost is nice but
most of the equipment that is worth playing has
to have a low cost so this ability just isn’t
that good to me. The second ability is by far
the better of the two since you can really build
around it. Most of the good creatures in white
are becoming soldier and Black Knight and Silver
Knight are great at two power so three power
makes them a force to be reckoned with. In
limited he is a decent pick and in casual play
he can be fun in a soldier deck. Best thing
about him is at least he isn’t a legend.
Constructed 2.5
Limited 2.5
Casual 3
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Jonathan
Pechon
2 Grand
Prix Top 8's
Multiple Pro Tour
appearances |
Auriok Steelshaper
Nobody seems to be able to decide whether they
really like the Steelshaper in the white weenie
deck. Personally, I think being able to ‘clamp
and ‘splitter for free is pretty nice, and his
bonus is pretty groovy. Combine him with the
Shikari and you’re all set for a good time on
the beach.
In limited, you really need about 5+ pieces of
equipment to really make this guy work out.
It’s better if those pieces of equipment are
stuff like Sword of Kaldra and other expensive
stuff. You need to be paying attention to what
kind of creatures you have in your deck before
you look to drafting this guy highly.
This guy was more created for serious
constructed decks; he doesn’t bring a lot of fun
to casual play. Again, it comes back to the
idea that most equipment doesn’t have a place in
casual games, unless you’re doing silly things
with Triskelion and Scythe of the Wretched.
Unusable in Mental Magic.
Constructed: 3.5
Limited: 2.5
Casual: 2.0
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Chase |
Auriok Steelshaper
Duh! WW and equipment. It s sickening in those
decks. Equip Bonesplitter to this for 0 mana,
and all of a sudden you have a 4/2 that gives
other bonuses to your army. Should go in most WW
decks. Gives these decks a lot of surprise too.
Bad on paper, but excellent in play testing.
In Casual, as I've said before, you can t take
that much advantage of equipment as there hasn't
been that much released. After Earth, we'll see
more equipment and it'll make this more
playable. For now, we'll be stuck with a deck
pretty close to the current Type 2 version.
In Limited, I d take it of I was already going
white, but it wouldn't make me switch to white
as he s going to be very vulnerable.
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 3
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