Hall of Shame Nominations: Weatherlight

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BigBlue

Guest
Which of these is worthy of the Hall of Shame?

Abduction
Abeyance
Abjure
Aboroth
Abyssal Gatekeeper
Æther Flash
Agonizing Memories
Alabaster Dragon
Alms
Ancestral Knowledge
Angelic Renewal
Apathy
Arctic Wolves
Ardent Militia
Argivian Find
Argivian Restoration
Aura of Silence
Avizoa
Barishi
Barrow Ghoul
Benalish Infantry
Benalish Knight
Benalish Missionary
Betrothed of Fire
Bloodrock Cyclops
Blossoming Wreath
Bogardan Firefiend
Boiling Blood
Bone Dancer
Bosium Strip
Briar Shield
Bubble Matrix
Buried Alive
Call of the Wild
Chimeric Sphere
Choking Vines
Cinder Giant
Cinder Wall
Circling Vultures
Cloud Djinn
Coils of the Medusa
Cone of Flame
Debt of Loyalty
Dense Foliage
Desperate Gambit
Dingus Staff
Disrupt
Doomsday
Downdraft
Duskrider Falcon
Dwarven Berserker
Dwarven Thaumaturgist
Empyrial Armor
Ertai's Familiar
Fallow Wurm
Familiar Ground
Fatal Blow
Fervor
Festering Evil
Fire Whip
Firestorm
Fit of Rage
Fledgling Djinn
Flux
Fog Elemental
Foriysian Brigade
Fungus Elemental
Gaea's Blessing
Gallowbraid
Gemstone Mine
Gerrard's Wisdom
Goblin Bomb
Goblin Grenadiers
Goblin Vandal
Guided Strike
Harvest Wurm
Haunting Misery
Heart of Bogardan
Heat Stroke
Heavy Ballista
Hidden Horror
Hurloon Shaman
Infernal Tribute
Inner Sanctum
Jabari's Banner
Jangling Automaton
Kithkin Armor
Lava Hounds
Lava Storm
Liege of the Hollows
Llanowar Behemoth
Llanowar Druid
Llanowar Sentinel
Lotus Vale
Mana Chains
Mana Web
Manta Ray
Maraxus of Keld
Master of Arms
Merfolk Traders
Mind Stone
Mischievous Poltergeist
Mistmoon Griffin
Morinfen
Mwonvuli Ooze
Nature's Kiss
Nature's Resurgence
Necratog
Noble Benefactor
Null Rod
Odylic Wraith
Ophidian
Orcish Settlers
Paradigm Shift
Peacekeeper
Pendrell Mists
Phantom Warrior
Phantom Wings
Phyrexian Furnace
Psychic Vortex
Razortooth Rats
Redwood Treefolk
Relearn
Revered Unicorn
Roc Hatchling
Rogue Elephant
Sage Owl
Sawtooth Ogre
Scorched Ruins
Serenity
Serra's Blessing
Serrated Biskelion
Shadow Rider
Shattered Crypt
Soul Shepherd
Southern Paladin
Spinning Darkness
Steel Golem
Strands of Night
Straw Golem
Striped Bears
Sylvan Hierophant
Tariff
Teferi's Veil
Tendrils of Despair
Thran Forge
Thran Tome
Thunderbolt
Thundermare
Timid Drake
Tolarian Drake
Tolarian Entrancer
Tolarian Serpent
Touchstone
Tranquil Grove
Uktabi Efreet
Urborg Justice
Urborg Stalker
Veteran Explorer
Vitalize
Vodalian Illusionist
Volunteer Reserves
Wave of Terror
Well of Knowledge
Winding Canyons
Xanthic Statue
Zombie Scavengers

Post your Nominations by 1/30
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
Maybe I'm missing something, but so far I can't find any REALLY bad cards in this set. It's mostly pretty good and definitely a step up in power level from the average of the two previous sets. There are some overcosted or generally mediocre effects, though.

I was tempted to nominate Ancestral Knowledge. Although I've always looked down on it, other people have tried to use its deep digging powers for some powerful but probably impractical tricks in casual decks. With the right cards, it can be used sort of like Browse. I still think it sucks, but maybe not enough for a hall of shame. I don't know...

Jangling Automaton strikes me as pretty terrible, but technically, it's perfectly viable against a creatureless deck. A 3/2 for 3 isn't amazing, but it's not terrible either.

So I guess I'll nominate Inner Sanctum. For 1 more mana and no colored requirements, you get, in this very same set, Bubble Matrix, which is a decent card. Inner Sanctum is one-sided in your favor, which sounds good but is pretty much irrelevant. I've never seen a player using Bubble Matrix go, "Oh no. If only my opponent's creatures weren't affected by this card." And then Inner Sanctum has a cumulative upkeep. If it were mana, it would already be a bad card, but life is arguably much worse. Sure, you're not tapping yourself out to keep your creatures alive, but you are killing yourself to do it. While it's possible to have life to spare and a creature you really need to protect from damage specifically in order to win, it's too unlikely for this to ever be included in your deck. Like all bad cards, this thing is way too situational.
 
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DarthFerret

Guest
I am almost in agreeance with Oversoul about this set not having much to be shame worthy. I think Jangling Automation is almost to that point, but not quite there.

So my nomination is for Ertai's Familiar. This little guy (2/2) with no abilities other than the dreaded phasing, cost 2 mana (not a good enough cost reduction to make him worth anything) and has an upkeep cost. (to prevent the phasing) In addition, the downside to not being able to pay the upkeep cost is definately worse than if you would actually lose the creature himself. I am sure someone could come up with a way to use this card, but I don't even see a strategy like that being a deck that would compete.
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
DarthFerret;277498 said:
In addition, the downside to not being able to pay the upkeep cost is definately worse than if you would actually lose the creature himself. I am sure someone could come up with a way to use this card, but I don't even see a strategy like that being a deck that would compete.
So you think that milling yourself is a bad thing? Lots of decks do it on purpose. Typically, it's either all in one shot with something like Hermit Druid or Cephalid Inkshrouder or it's in large clumps with something like dredge cards. The problem with Ertai's Familiar isn't that it mills you, it's that it doesn't mill you quickly enough to warrant inclusion in a deck that mills itself. But it's not really a drawback. It's just not enough of an advantage.

Also, this card has no upkeep costs. The milling thing happens whenever it phases out or leaves play, which is unlikely to be during your upkeep (and like I mentioned, it's not really a cost). The activated ability can be used at any time, not just during your upkeep. It's only a cost if you really need to keep Ertai's Familiar from phasing out, otherwise you could just ignore it and treat this like any other phasing creature. As a bit of a bonus, the ability blocks other phasing out effects too, like Reality Ripple, although that's not particularly important.
 

Mooseman

Isengar Tussle
I totally agree that there really aren't any truely bad cards in this set.
But Like the other nominations, I do it so we can have some debate and vote....

I just do not like cards that ask you to flip a coin, and this one is one of those.
Desperate Gambit
It really isn't that bad of a card, but then it's not that great.... There isn't anything until Urza's Rage w/kicker, that makes both outcomes of the flip good for you.
 
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BigBlue

Guest
I agree with what's already been said... this set is pretty decent top to bottom...

I'm going to go w/ Mwonovuli Ooze.

For G I get a 1/1 which isn't bad I suppose...

But then next turn I have to pay 2 upkeep and it's a 3/3...(Total 3 mana) subsequent turn I'm paying 4 for a 5/5 (at a total cost of 7 mana)...

For Green, there are simply much better fatties on the cheap... And it's preventing me from casting other things while I try and keep him around. And while lots of creatures pull removal, this guy is bad... the slightest bit of unexpected mana suppression by my opponent would make him even worse.
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
I used to use Mwonvuli Ooze a lot in a deck that had mana to spare and I am compelled to agree that it is kinda crappy.
 
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BigBlue

Guest
Inner Sanctum - Yep, it's crap... I can think of times I'd want this effect, but there are usually better ways to accomodate it.
Ertai's Familiar - Again, the card is utter crap, unless you want to mill yourself in which case it's golden.
Desperate Gambit - For a very low casting cost of "R", you can double up damage half of the time - what's very flexible about this is it's a "source" which can be a permanent in play or a spell on the stack... yes the downside negates your damage, but it is likely the most aptly named card in Magic, it is a Desperate Gambit.

At this point, I'm leaning toward my own nomination or the Sanctum... Sanctum is sort of the reverse of the Ooze... You don't want to pay the upkeep - but it's use for the first turn is pretty decent (if you're going to play Earthquake for example before swinging with a horde). The Ooze on the other hand doesn't do much until you've paid for it a turn or two. While Sanctum is a bit fragile as an enchantment - you'd have to consider it doing a decent job if it only pulled removal. Otherwise, it's like a Sorcery which sticks around a full turn without any extra life payment. Pair it with something like Repercussion to pare down it's drawback to yourself.
 

Ransac

CPA Trash Man
I'm gonna nominate Psychic Vortex..... because it's bad..... bad bad bad...... I think it's bad..... not a good card but, in fact, a BAD card.... don't you think it's bad?


Ransac, cpa trash man
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
Ransac;277980 said:
I'm gonna nominate Psychic Vortex..... because it's bad..... bad bad bad...... I think it's bad..... not a good card but, in fact, a BAD card.... don't you think it's bad?
No.
 
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Modus Pwnens

Guest
Blossoming Wreath, just because Lifegain is so irrelevant, and this card just is thereby terrible..
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
I've never used it, but it looks like it's way too potentially explosive. Reminds me of Songs of the Damned. Sure, it won't do much when you have three creatures in your graveyard. But what about when you have twenty? Blossoming Wreath is no Farmstead.
 
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BigBlue

Guest
Nomination Recap:

Blossoming Wreath - Modus Pwnens
Desperate Gambit - Mooseman
Ertai's Familiar - DarthFerret
Inner Sanctum - Oversoul
Mwonovuli Ooze - BigBlue
Psychic Vortex - Ransac

Psychic Vortex - How could I not have sought out a rare Blue Enchantment with weird effects... They always seem to just suck...

First Turn I play it, I sac a land and discard my hand at eot (after spending 2UU for this fine ability) 2nd turn I draw a card and sac a land + discard anything left over...

So, this wouldn't be a permission deck card drawing engine... but if I were playing the right control deck, I should be able to draw a land to replace the sac'd one "most" of the time after the first turn... I'm thinking some kind of aggro UG deck would like this enchantment...

I dunno... it sucks oink... But I'm still not sure it's the worst of the lot.

Blossoming Wreath - Sorry, it's a common... to me a common isn't HoS worthy. It isn't great, but it isn't horrific either and in a BG deck where you expend life and manipulate the GY, it could be pretty useful. Very useful w/ cards like Reanimate or Death to recover your life. Life which could be turned into card draws with Necro... for G.
 

Spiderman

Administrator
Staff member
I've actually looked through the card list this time and really can't find anything that hasn't been nominated already...
 
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