Ah, the many games I've played that ended when I
dropped one of these. Flying to get over
blockers, trample to get around them, and shroud
to protect against removal spells. Truly this is
a card worth ramping up to, and even today I
consider it the benchmark of what makes a big,
fat, finisher worth playing. The fact that it
was reprinted in the Commander theme decks
suggests that Wizards agree to some extent. It
must be big, it must be able to get past a
Drudge Skeleton, and it must have something that
protects against a timely Doom Blade. I suspect
I'll be using Triple S here as the benchmark for
quite some time, even if only for the nostalgia
of it.
One of the unfortunate, almost Orwellian,
effects of the era of Titans is that we have an
idea that creature that cost six or more were
never viable in competitive Magic until this
current era (sometimes expressed in those exact
words). This is a shortsighted view that ignores
the historical contributions of creatures like
Rith, Two-Headed Dragon, Silvos, Yosei, and
today's card Simic Sky Swallower. There was an
era when even tournament Magic shuddered in the
shadow of a seven-mana creature that let the
Urzatron and other decks play unusually
aggressively, knowing that most opponents
couldn't outfight it and many would never be
able to kill it. And to think it did it - I
should correctly say, it does it, as there's
even less reason to ditch this particular old
card than there is most of the time - without
having three triggered abilities.
Welcome back readers today we continue our
fatty week and this is actually a card I’m a big
fan of, in competitive environments it is
severely outclassed but in casual it is still a
6/6 flying trample shroud. In standard no play
can’t be played ect. In extended the same
applies. In modern and eternal formats this is
outclassed by newer cards that have been printed
in recent years but it is still a solid creature
that dodges removal and flies maybe a renamiator
deck but Iona and Jin Gitaxis take the cake
there. Let’s move on to casual and multiplayer
where this card really shines the fact it can
stand toe to toe with some dragons and angels
and dodges non board sweeping removal due to
shroud is pretty potent. There are bigger better
and fatter creatures I would run but this guy is
great to give my Mimeoplasm shroud and flying
trample and get in for commander damage that is
for sure. In limited it’s like an atom bomb big
evasive creature with shroud will most often
mean good game unless something drastic can be
pulled off by opponents. Overall this card is
outclassed but it still flies and dodges removal
is a personal favorite.
Today's card of the day is Simic Sky Swallower
which is a seven mana Blue/Green 6/6 with
Flying, Trample, and Shroud. This is an
effective and somewhat expensive threat that can
be difficult to deal with outside of a board
clearing effect. The cost and Shroud
working against targeted enhancements being used
hinder it though Trample and Flying make for
nearly guaranteed damage every turn.
Overall this leviathan is a strong choice for a
mana ramp or control deck using Blue and Green
that needs a finisher as it is quite reliable in
that role.
For Limited this is a huge bomb that will likely
win most games it is played in as both the size
and each effect on it are individually powerful
in the format, but combined equal more than the
sum of their parts. The single Blue and
Green mana in the casting cost is easy to manage
in a multicolor deck and there should be no
reason not to draft it first in Booster.
For Sealed even if only one of the colors is
strong in your pool it is worth splashing the
other to open up the inclusion of the Sky
Swallower.
Welcome to the card of
the day section here at Pojo.com. Today we are
looking at Simic Sky Swallower. Simic Sky
Swallower is a rare creature that costs five
generic, one blue, and one green mana. Simic Sky
Swallower is a 6/6 that has Flying, Trample, and
Shroud.
While Simic Sky Swallower is definitely a “fatty”
it may not be the best fatty that exists out
there anymore, but back when it released in
Dissension, it sure was a great option. While
seven mana is a bit hefty, look at all the
benefits. For starters, all true “fatties”
should have trample. You just aren’t considered
a fatty if some 0/1 token halts your advance.
The next key benefit, Shroud. Shroud makes it
really hard for the Simic Sky Swallower to be
removed. Global spells are the only way to get
it off the board, so long as it makes it to the
board. But the main advantage that the Simic Sky
Swallower has that many others do not, flying!
How hard is it to stop a trampling, untargetable
flier? Very. Since a lot of fliers are small,
i.e. birds, it can be very hard to get enough
things in the Simic Sky Swallower’s way to slow
it don, or stop it at all. Granted dragons pose
a very good way of stopping the Simic Sky
Swallower, but would the trade off be worth it
for your opponent.
Of course, the greatest thing about the Simic Sky
Swallower may well be it colors. The fact that
it is already blue and green means it is a very
good option for a Bant deck. Attacking with just
the Simic Sky Swallower would then make it much
bigger, still have trample and flying, but could
gain a host of other abilities as well. For
instance, if say Rafiq of the Many is on the
board, he is going to get +1/+1 and double
strike. And of course, green is very good at
mana acceleration, meaning that the Simic Sky
Swallower could drop long before turn seven. And
the blue aspect means the option of holding a
counter spell for that apocalyptic spell is
there.
I like what the cards potential is, and how
well it worked with other sets.
The card of the day is Simic Sky Swallower.
He is a 6/6 Flample, Shroud for 7. The
cost invested in this guy is well worth it.
He has evasion and piercing, not to mention he
can't be targeted. It really doesn't' get
much sweeter then this. Flying fatty that
gets around spot removal AND blocking him could
still deal damage. This guy is in green,
the color that gets the most lands out, so if he
is being played expect to see this guy turn 4 or
5, that is really going to suck.
