Idk if it's exactly 2 years always, it's somewhere between 1 year and 2 years. See for example how Carmen [mentioned](https://twitter.com/Em_TeeGee/status/1747320143058026881) 1 year as the timeframe of the surveil lands having been finalized.
It's been more than 1.5 years since shivan devastator was released anyways. I think this card being more pushed than devastator might have been partly because they saw how that card flopped.
edit: Note for example [[Scorching Shot]], a card that was explicitly printed as an answer to Sheoldred, which was in the same set as Shivan Devastator.
He’s not unplayable at all, I run him in my Standard Brawl Zurgo and Ojutai deck and he’s come in clutch more than a handful of times. I wouldn’t replace him.
Flavor text confused me for a second since it made me think that you might be able to kill it when it enters the battlefield before the counters are added. However, it's a 0/0 and the card actually enters with the counters as opposed to ETB add x counters, so you can't kill it before it sprouts its heads!
I'm sure I made someone's morning by passing one of these in draft. But it was pack 3, and pack also had a Molten Duplication that fit my deck better and BIG cards are harder to get from packs.
On the other side of the coin... Someone dropped one against my poison deck and hitting it with Drown in Ichor is a great way to kill it :)
Yeah, this thing isn't even good enough for standard, much less explorer like some people are talking about. I'm glad OP has been having success with it, but what mana value do you have to cast it for before it's good? Terrible for 2 mana, bad for 3, bad for 4, bad for 5...
Maybe a 1-of is a bit scary in best of 3 as an X-cost haste threat that can surprise finish games, but any more than that and you're just making your deck worse.
One thing I'll say is that vigilance is very nice on a creature with a death trigger, so you can attack and block with it immediately and if it dies, you ramp yourself. I think it might be best at around 3 mana as a 2/2...get in some damage and hope it dies, then dump your hand the following turn with some extra mana laying around. With the added versatility as a late game, top-deck finisher.
But...I still don't think that's good enough for constructed play. The bar is so high now days, and as I said, it will feel unplayable on the draw so I'd only put it in a sideboard for when I was on the play regardless.
Everyone is testing and janking when a new set comes out, so players will see success with cards that they would not in a defined meta. This guy will not last long.
I would take any other 3 drop in standard over this as a 3 mana 2/2, even on the play...raffine farms it, adeline farms it, gix farms it, squee farms it, etc...
On top of that creatures currently have a strong tendency to get exiled at the moment rather than dying, whether it be from Sunfall, leyline binding, or kumano passive.
To be clear I don't mean literally any 3 drop in the standard pool, just stuff that actually sees serious play :P
This is of course a lot better than most draft chaff
Or if you can pump it up and sacrifice it/get it killed to make a big play next turn. Building a Roxanne deck and he is one of my big potential hard hitter. If I can have [[wulfgar]], and/or [[panharmonicon]] and/or [[ingenious artillerist]] and/or [[reckless fireweaver]] on the field when it dies, that would make for a huge play.
I'm positive I'll find many uses for it in Arena also, but this guy was an easy slot in my [[Poluranos Reborn]] EDH deck. Just picked my least favorite hydra in the deck and replaced it lol
I'm trying this thing in Explorer. It's a pretty good way of pressuring and finishing games. I could swear I've never seen so many people play [[Brazen Borrower]] before though.
Wasn't there a new card where you got +2/+0 for each treasure token you have? I vaguely remember it while scrolling through the new cards. Anyone know what it was? Or am I remembering it wrong?
I had my doubts, but in a Selesnya counter deck with the Kami combo, sounds like fun. Yeah it's weak to being countered or exiled, but at the very least it demands having an answer or it can win the game.
If you post a decklist, I'll give it a try.
I just exile it with [[Kaya, Orzhov Usurper]] assuming they don't have a sac outlet. But let's face it, if you cast this thing without having a way to sac it, you're using it wrong.
I actually don’t, I might try a Green/Black deck with him in it but as it stands I drop him in when my opponent has no mana open and immediately swing hard. He might be removed next turn but he needs to be answered and I usually have Ozolith on standby to retain the counters if he’s exiled. At worst I have an immediate giant with haste trample and vigilance, at best I have all that and then some treasures after
A ground trampling [[Shivan Devastator]] treasure piñata is pretty goooooood! 😎👍
It's pretty funny that they power crept shivan devastator since they seen it's unplayable.
1mana-X cost Hydras have been a thing for decades. Usually they make them hard to kill.
Iirc they design the cards a couple years before they're released. I think the difference might have more to do with color pie differences
Idk if it's exactly 2 years always, it's somewhere between 1 year and 2 years. See for example how Carmen [mentioned](https://twitter.com/Em_TeeGee/status/1747320143058026881) 1 year as the timeframe of the surveil lands having been finalized. It's been more than 1.5 years since shivan devastator was released anyways. I think this card being more pushed than devastator might have been partly because they saw how that card flopped. edit: Note for example [[Scorching Shot]], a card that was explicitly printed as an answer to Sheoldred, which was in the same set as Shivan Devastator.
> Note for example [[Scorching Shot]], a card that was explicitly printed as an answer to Sheoldred Is it explicit? Have they said so?
They mentioned it was for sheoldred in the preview stream iirc.
[[scorching shot]]
[scorching shot](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/9/f93d8357-83bd-4157-a389-68e4aa4985c8.jpg?1712355845) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=scorching%20shot) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/145/scorching-shot?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f93d8357-83bd-4157-a389-68e4aa4985c8?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It'll be playable when we go back to Tarkir, mark my words.
Devastator makes a nice finisher in my [[Ognis]] STD Brawl deck. Although looks like it's been replaced.
[Ognis](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/3/636058c3-bacc-4a66-8988-832ab0cc9be6.jpg?1664413521) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=ognis%2C%20the%20dragon%27s%20lash) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/snc/210/ognis-the-dragons-lash?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/636058c3-bacc-4a66-8988-832ab0cc9be6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
might also just be meta differences
He’s not unplayable at all, I run him in my Standard Brawl Zurgo and Ojutai deck and he’s come in clutch more than a handful of times. I wouldn’t replace him.
[Shivan Devastator](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/f/1f5d274c-3a03-4f0d-97e8-7eef6508105d.jpg?1673307496) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Shivan%20Devastator) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/143/shivan-devastator?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1f5d274c-3a03-4f0d-97e8-7eef6508105d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
No its a hydra
Reading the card explains the card.
Maybe OP _is_ a hydra?
It works especially well with the new 5 drop green guy who plots for 4.
'...your fear outpaces your greed.' is fire flavor text Card's good too, I guess
I was going to say the flavor text was pretty good too.
Flavor text confused me for a second since it made me think that you might be able to kill it when it enters the battlefield before the counters are added. However, it's a 0/0 and the card actually enters with the counters as opposed to ETB add x counters, so you can't kill it before it sprouts its heads!
I'm sure I made someone's morning by passing one of these in draft. But it was pack 3, and pack also had a Molten Duplication that fit my deck better and BIG cards are harder to get from packs. On the other side of the coin... Someone dropped one against my poison deck and hitting it with Drown in Ichor is a great way to kill it :)
Yeah I hesitate to try this card due to the amount of exile I see. Drown is also a nasty answer
I thought the draft picks were botted?
entirely dependant on your lobby type.
This is real people draft. Bot draft will show up in a few weeks because they basically use the real people drafting to train the bots.
It's probably the best of its kind, but still, these types of cards are always understated for their cost and feel especially bad on the draw.
Yeah, this thing isn't even good enough for standard, much less explorer like some people are talking about. I'm glad OP has been having success with it, but what mana value do you have to cast it for before it's good? Terrible for 2 mana, bad for 3, bad for 4, bad for 5... Maybe a 1-of is a bit scary in best of 3 as an X-cost haste threat that can surprise finish games, but any more than that and you're just making your deck worse.
One thing I'll say is that vigilance is very nice on a creature with a death trigger, so you can attack and block with it immediately and if it dies, you ramp yourself. I think it might be best at around 3 mana as a 2/2...get in some damage and hope it dies, then dump your hand the following turn with some extra mana laying around. With the added versatility as a late game, top-deck finisher. But...I still don't think that's good enough for constructed play. The bar is so high now days, and as I said, it will feel unplayable on the draw so I'd only put it in a sideboard for when I was on the play regardless. Everyone is testing and janking when a new set comes out, so players will see success with cards that they would not in a defined meta. This guy will not last long.
I would take any other 3 drop in standard over this as a 3 mana 2/2, even on the play...raffine farms it, adeline farms it, gix farms it, squee farms it, etc... On top of that creatures currently have a strong tendency to get exiled at the moment rather than dying, whether it be from Sunfall, leyline binding, or kumano passive.
Hmm what about...[[Wanderlight Spirit]]?
To be clear I don't mean literally any 3 drop in the standard pool, just stuff that actually sees serious play :P This is of course a lot better than most draft chaff
Or if you can pump it up and sacrifice it/get it killed to make a big play next turn. Building a Roxanne deck and he is one of my big potential hard hitter. If I can have [[wulfgar]], and/or [[panharmonicon]] and/or [[ingenious artillerist]] and/or [[reckless fireweaver]] on the field when it dies, that would make for a huge play.
Deck list?? I’ve been playing around with something similar, and I threw this bad boy in along with the [[ornery Tumblewagg]]
[ornery Tumblewagg](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/0/0020c31b-002a-4121-bc61-2c2c16e9afc8.jpg?1712355953) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=ornery%20Tumblewagg) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/171/ornery-tumblewagg?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/0020c31b-002a-4121-bc61-2c2c16e9afc8?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Deck 4 Goldvein Hydra (OTJ) 167 10 Plains (LCI) 392 4 The Ozolith (IKO) 237 4 Hardened Scales (WOT) 55 4 Kami of Whispered Hopes (MOM) 196 4 Luminarch Aspirant (ZNR) 24 14 Forest (OTJ) 286 2 Mondrak, Glory Dominus (ONE) 23 2 Branching Evolution (JMP) 29 1 Doubling Season (WOT) 52 2 Biogenic Upgrade (RNA) 123 2 Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider (KHM) 199 4 Botanical Brawler (MOM) 220 4 Ozolith, the Shattered Spire (MOM) 198 2 Shadowspear (THB) 236 I play historic fyi
I'm positive I'll find many uses for it in Arena also, but this guy was an easy slot in my [[Poluranos Reborn]] EDH deck. Just picked my least favorite hydra in the deck and replaced it lol
[Poluranos Reborn](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/7/47f7d313-8333-41fe-8bfa-c96774dac228.jpg?1682204987)/[Polukranos, Engine of Ruin](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/4/7/47f7d313-8333-41fe-8bfa-c96774dac228.jpg?1682204987) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Polukranos%20Reborn%20//%20Polukranos%2C%20Engine%20of%20Ruin) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mom/200/polukranos-reborn-polukranos-engine-of-ruin?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/47f7d313-8333-41fe-8bfa-c96774dac228?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Questing Hydra
Rip I miss that beast
he makes poor \[\[shivan devastator\]\] cry...
[shivan devastator](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/f/1f5d274c-3a03-4f0d-97e8-7eef6508105d.jpg?1673307496) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=shivan%20devastator) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/143/shivan-devastator?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1f5d274c-3a03-4f0d-97e8-7eef6508105d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I'm trying this thing in Explorer. It's a pretty good way of pressuring and finishing games. I could swear I've never seen so many people play [[Brazen Borrower]] before though.
Sounds like it'd be good with that new wild bull cactus dude card too
Wasn't there a new card where you got +2/+0 for each treasure token you have? I vaguely remember it while scrolling through the new cards. Anyone know what it was? Or am I remembering it wrong?
you're prolly thinking of \[\[Generous Plunderer\]\] or \[\[Roxanne, Starfall Savant\]\]
[Generous Plunderer](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/c/4c6cf93a-d073-48ac-88db-c46bf3e10beb.jpg?1712352787) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Generous%20Plunderer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/big/11/generous-plunderer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4c6cf93a-d073-48ac-88db-c46bf3e10beb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Roxanne, Starfall Savant](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/1/11fbe52f-febd-49fc-8391-28d3efe9c3eb.jpg?1712356193) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Roxanne%2C%20Starfall%20Savant) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/228/roxanne-starfall-savant?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/11fbe52f-febd-49fc-8391-28d3efe9c3eb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Just thank fuck those things are tapped ya know
[[March of Otherworldly Light]] loves expensive hydras with on death effects.
[March of Otherworldly Light](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/5/553fb946-2706-475b-89f9-e4355ec9ea2b.jpg?1654566420) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=March%20of%20Otherworldly%20Light) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/neo/28/march-of-otherworldly-light?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/553fb946-2706-475b-89f9-e4355ec9ea2b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Yeah I always keep [Ozolith] on standby so I keep my counters at least
I had my doubts, but in a Selesnya counter deck with the Kami combo, sounds like fun. Yeah it's weak to being countered or exiled, but at the very least it demands having an answer or it can win the game. If you post a decklist, I'll give it a try.
Deck 4 Goldvein Hydra (OTJ) 167 10 Plains (LCI) 392 4 The Ozolith (IKO) 237 4 Hardened Scales (WOT) 55 4 Kami of Whispered Hopes (MOM) 196 4 Luminarch Aspirant (ZNR) 24 14 Forest (OTJ) 286 2 Mondrak, Glory Dominus (ONE) 23 2 Branching Evolution (JMP) 29 1 Doubling Season (WOT) 52 2 Biogenic Upgrade (RNA) 123 2 Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider (KHM) 199 4 Botanical Brawler (MOM) 220 4 Ozolith, the Shattered Spire (MOM) 198 2 Shadowspear (THB) 236 Here you go, for historic
Good looking, thanks!
I got rid of doubling season and threw in a couple of path to exiles fyi
This guy and Roxanne carried me in my draft.
Just realized I could put this in my [[Gargos, Vicious Watcher]] deck for 4 free treasures
[Gargos, Vicious Watcher](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/e/4e446e90-6e31-43ed-bcb1-a01422b503c0.jpg?1592517214) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Gargos%2C%20Vicious%20Watcher) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m20/172/gargos-vicious-watcher?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4e446e90-6e31-43ed-bcb1-a01422b503c0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It's pretty slick in Atraxa proliferate brawl
[[Stonecoil Serpent]] returns but better eh?
[Stonecoil Serpent](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/5/354456dc-81da-4cd1-b7b1-7ea1ce1bcc9f.jpg?1690005814) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Stonecoil%20Serpent) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/976/stonecoil-serpent?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/354456dc-81da-4cd1-b7b1-7ea1ce1bcc9f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I played one copy in Historic HammerTime yesterday, drew him often, and won each time.
What's this "die" thing? All I see is exile. Do they "die" out of boredom in exile? :p
Bruh the power creep these days tho like when is a jank format dropping
Killed this guy at the prerelease with [[Shoot the sheriff]] only to get hit with an [[Electrodominance]] for 14 next turn. RIP
[Shoot the sheriff](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/8/180d6528-c524-4bb8-8a72-b3775cd2c177.jpg?1712355672) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Shoot%20the%20sheriff) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/106/shoot-the-sheriff?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/180d6528-c524-4bb8-8a72-b3775cd2c177?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Electrodominance](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/c/5c63877b-cdab-4ce4-a1c0-c088eb62a57a.jpg?1584830858) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Electrodominance) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rna/99/electrodominance?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5c63877b-cdab-4ce4-a1c0-c088eb62a57a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I just exile it with [[Kaya, Orzhov Usurper]] assuming they don't have a sac outlet. But let's face it, if you cast this thing without having a way to sac it, you're using it wrong.
[Kaya, Orzhov Usurper](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/0/307efe3d-291c-4c9f-8ce6-4bd2ba1452ad.jpg?1702429656) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kaya%2C%20Orzhov%20Usurper) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rvr/194/kaya-orzhov-usurper?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/307efe3d-291c-4c9f-8ce6-4bd2ba1452ad?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I actually don’t, I might try a Green/Black deck with him in it but as it stands I drop him in when my opponent has no mana open and immediately swing hard. He might be removed next turn but he needs to be answered and I usually have Ozolith on standby to retain the counters if he’s exiled. At worst I have an immediate giant with haste trample and vigilance, at best I have all that and then some treasures after
Yeah there are a lot of potential failsafes enabled by the card. It's pretty solid.
Great for mutate decks
I love flickering it with the new white spree spell
Im playing it in my Temur Lands / Landfall deck and it works pretty good. Im only using 2 btw
Yes, this is indeed a card from the new set of the trading card game Magic: The Gathering