Was anybody else a little disappointed that
this card wasn't a spellshaper after the style
of the similarly-named cards from Mercadian
Masques? Or am I just showing my age here? Like
Edgewalker from all the way back in Scourge,
this card is intended to be balanced by the fact
that its tribe is relatively less common and
somewhat niche. Still, I tend to think that any
effect that reduces costs is inherently
dangerous, and I very much doubt that this is
the last block where there will be Minotaurs.
Try it with Lorwyn's changelings, too.
Today's card of the day is Ragemonger which is
a three mana Black and Red 2/3 that reduces the
cost of minotaur spells you play by a Black and
Red mana. Aside from itself and Kragma
Warcaller this will reduce by a maximum of one
which is decent, but is not enough to really
propel a Black and Red minotaur tribal theme
into the top tiers of play. It is
acceleration and with some draw power can make a
very aggressive swarm build using the lower cost
minotaurs with drawbacks. Overall a card
that belongs in every Black and Red minotaur
deck at four copies, but that theme is unlikely
to make a major impact in any format.
In Limited this forces Black and Red, which is
viable, though if lacking other minotaurs for
the benefit this below the curve as a three mana
2/3 multicolor. Minotaurs are fairly
common in the block and in a Sealed pool with
them this is an easy card to include and a
worthwhile Booster draft choice to support or
start the theme. Even with that in design
the benefit of one, rarely two, mana less is
only beneficial early and with other uses for
the saved mana. The situational nature and
generally minimal gain leaves it as a choice
when nothing better presents itself.
