TL;DR Do you think Phyrexian Rebirth is Good or Bad? Playable in Standard or other format? How does it compare to Martial Coup and Austere Command? Didn't mean to type so much. Ha.
Kind of like Martial Coup, kind of like Austere Command, but I don't know what to think. Good or Bad? I really like wrath spells, because they're universally accepted as good, they change games, they are iconic in the game, and they can be cool when they're paired with other effects. So, for anyone who cares, thinks this has a place in standard, or any format for that matter, I want to hear some alternative perspectives and ideas.
Martial Coup costs 1 more, so to make the CMC/Price argument vs Phyrexian Rebirth is possible, but I feel like the reverse wording on the two cards turns the tides in favor of Coup as the better card; this is also the main reason I can't decide which I like most. These are my thoughts (these lists are probably very incomplete):
Pros of MC:
1. Gives you more creatures
a. Those creatures have a type that has synergy with cards more frequently.
b. Multiple chump blockers as opposed to a single beater/chump (if you're unlucky).
c. These creatures can't all be destroyed by a single instance of spot-removal
2. Can be used earlier than turn 7 (or when you have 7 up) to give you creatures, chump blockers, and bides you time. It's seemingly, and possibly, a token spell AND/OR a Wrath spell.
Cons:
1. Costs 7, or 1 more to wrath
2. 1/1's are inferior late game/No finisher
Pros of Phyrexian Rebirth:
1. Costs 6, or 1 less
2. HAS THE POSSIBILITY to give you a giant game-ending beater (or a puny single 1/1, if you must kill their titan).
Cons:
1. Doesn't read, "put an X/X colorless Horror artifact creature token onto the battlefield under your control, then you may choose to destroy all other creatures." Giving you the opportunity to use it even after you'd wrathed with an early one, if you decided that's something you wanted to do.
2. The Horror can be destroyed by MANY removal spells, (leaving you with a meager 6-Mana DoJ) because your spell was invested in a single, easy-to target creature, and it's an artifact, so artifact removal will do the trick as well.
a. Of course, PR is fitting in control, so you could protect the Horror, but casting this on turn 6, or earlier with chalice and mana producers alike, may not give you time to leave extra mana up.
I included Austere Command in the analysis because it has a comparable CMC as PR, does an additional things to wrathing, because it gives you options and you get your card's/mana's worth, because it DESTROYS ARTIFACTS, and because I want to see the "Command" cycle make a return. Magic 2012, maybe?
Basically, in regards to Austere Command, I'm just sad it didn't interact with artifacts in a destructive, traditionally white way (although it's arguably more flavorful the way that it is. But had they began design with this idea in mind, the flavor could have manifested differently concurrently with the name.)
And overall, I am disappointed that Planar Cleansing (deals with other nonland, noncreature permanents as well. And personally, imo, had a much more substantial spot in Magic 2011 than it did in Magic 2010), and/or Austere Command (not even as the card in its entirety, but the idea of having a "choose two" or "choose one" option is nice indeed) weren't thought of as better fits than Phyrexian Rebirth, although I want to give it a chance and see it do well in Constructed.
This ended up being way longer than expected.
Comments? Ideas? Input? Insight? Like or Dislike?
Home 
Calendar
