In Limited, it's a scary thing to have to face
down. I learned that the hard way last week. You
need at least two creatures to block it with,
and you don't get to choose who can block.
Meanwhile, your opponent gets to choose who on
your team CAN'T block AT ALL, so not only is the
2/2 Master getting through, but so is the 4/4
with no evasion. If the Master is wearing
something like Mark of the Vampire, it can end a
game surprisingly quickly.
In any other format? Not so much. In Standard
there are surprisingly few blockers left up in
an average game-- most players prefer to protect
themselves from enemy onslaughts by killing the
enemy first. And the Master's ability is riding
on a 2/2 for three, which doesn't exactly
inspire fear-- especially given what kind of
creature White could be casting instead for
three mana.
This is an interesting sort of card to look
at. Usually your typical Master Decoy/Avacynian
Priest style cards are holding back rather than
charging into battle themselves. Since Master of
Diversion only taps one creature whenever it
attacks, you may well be losing it anyway
against other creature decks, although you
should be setting it up so something more
threatening is getting through. There will be
other times when it can keep tapping the only
creature that can kill it, and forcing either
bad trades in combat or damage to your opponent.
And don't forget that white loves to play with
auras and equipment - this guy carrying a
Fireshrieker or accompanied by a Cavern Lampad
would be a scary sight.
Today's card of the day is Master of Diversion
which is a three mana White 2/2 that taps a
target creature defending player controls
whenever it attacks. This is a solid effect on a
fairly costed creature that really supports an
aggressive deck using White. Tapping down a
newly played creature or one left untapped for
blocking purposes allows a continued offensive
and maintains momentum. The opponent can plan
around this, but it is at least a noticeable
advantage in many typical scenarios. Overall
this is a control styled card that works best in
aggressive decks, which is a welcome tactical
addition and should see play in competitive
formats.
In Limited this is an excellent common that
can really impact a game, particularly in
multiples, and should always be included in
Sealed when playing White. It isn't quite worth
a first pick in Booster, unless the pack is
quite weak, but is well worth a second or third
pick and the value may be overlooked by other
players.
