It's not the tribute that makes this card all
but impossible to play against. It's the fact
that it always has trample, and the fact that
the two "versions" of the card are so similar
that it's often difficult to decide what to do
when your opponent casts it. You can't
effectively chump block either form. Pay
tribute, and you get an extra turn to figure out
how to deal with the most efficient Centaur
since Burning-Tree Shaman. (Remember that guy?
How much does he go for on the singles market
nowadays?) Don't, and you have one phase to
figure out how to deal with a creature that (for
this one turn, at least) is more efficient than
Boggart Ram-Gang, and I seriously thought I
would never type that sentence in my entire
life.
Oh, but it must be fine because Doom Blade
also exists. Or something.
Today's card of the day is Fanatic of Xenagos
which is a three mana Green and Red 3/3 with
Trample and Tribute 1 with the alternative of
+1/+1 and Haste until end of turn. Either choice
on tribute makes this
a 4/4 with Trample at a cost of three which is
efficient and a notable threat in most
situations. Aside from needing a Gruul, Jund, or
Bant design to run the casting cost there is no
other drawback to a 3/3 or
4/4 trampler for three and it will be a popular
choice across formats in those builds.
In Limited this forces a multicolor deck and
is excellent alongside either version of Xenagos,
otherwise drafting it early requires drafting
into both colors for Booster to reliably cast it
early. In Sealed if either pool is strong and
the other is splashable it is a strong card to
include as it is nicely above the curve. In
either it is a powerful card that shouldn't be
overlooked as it can threaten almost any board
position and is likely to do at least some
damage to field and life points.
Welcome back readers todays card of the day is
a powerful aggressive creature. For three mana
you can either get a 4/4 trampling haste
creature or one that is a 3/3 trample both bad
options for opponents and both good aggressive
options for aggressive decks. In standard most
green and red decks subscribe to the monster
plan, however this creature is powerful in an
early aggressive deck backed up with Burning
Tree Shaman and definitely has enough power I
feel to make the cut in standard. Outside of
standard competitive formats this creature is
not as powerful as other aggressive options
limiting its playability. In casual and
multiplayer it’s a solid aggressive card and I
like the idea of tribute when you’re playing
with more than one player. Warrior is also a
relevant creature type. In limited it’s a very
solid aggressive creature and a decent pick, I
don’t know however if I would let it lock me
into red and green. Overall a card with some
competitive applications and a relatively high
power level.
