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8.15.2011

Grand Abolisher

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

Nothing new or exciting to share at the moment which is kinda good as we will be off-lined for a few days - we'll be heading down to Manhattan to hang with family for a while. Please expect us back in the control tower in time for Innistrad spoilers and previews.

In the mean time, we wanted to take another look at this new Cleric from the last Magic the Gathering core set, Magic 2012. First off - Eric Deschamps is an amazing artist. Secondly - the art does not really look the part of a cleric but the card effect certainly is. Let's see how this may (or may not) rock your game . . .

Grand Abolisher,

Creature - Human Cleric, Rare

During your turn, your opponents can't cast spells or activate abilities of artifacts, creatures, or enchantments.

Flavor Text: "Your superstitions and mumblings are useless chaff before my righteousness."

2 / 2

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There are two notes from the Magic 2012 Frequently Asked Questions documtent you should check out before sliding this
Abeyance on a bear into your build . . .
  • Grand Abolisher doesn't stop your opponents from activating abilities of artifact, creature, or enchantment cards in zones other than the battlefield (like cycling abilities, for example).
  • Grand Abolisher doesn't affect triggered abilities or static abilities.
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There was also a mention in a Cranial Insertion question on this particular card -

Q: Will Grand Abolisher shut down Reassembling Skeleton?

A: It won't, oddly enough! Remember, a "creature" only exists on the battlefield. In your graveyard, Reassembling Skeleton is a creature card, not a creature, and so the Grand Abolisher doesn't care about it one bit.

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If your meta game is seeing way too much Deceiver Exarch / Splinter Twin, we suggest that this may be a decent sideboard card as it will prevent them from flashing Exarch into play at your end step.

We're seriously thinking of giving this card a try out on an enchantment / aura deck or perhaps an equipment deck (with Puresteel Paladin) but have some serious concerns about the viability in standard constructed with this. Perhaps if we could only get out Swiftfoot Boots on this guy, we would be a bit happier.

Anywhoos - does anyone out there play or have seen play with this guy ? What are your opinions ? Drop a line in the comment thingy below.

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Finally -
You may want to think about pre-ordering the next set of awesome - Innistrad! Check out the very excellent deals to be had with assorted card lots over at MTG Mint Card.
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7 comments:

Hybrid said...

deceiver still gets flashed in. my friend plays him at our local fnm, he's not bad, the opponent usually stumbles over him for a turn.

CopySix said...

Hey there Hydrid - I could be wrong but I seriously think that an opponent would not be able to flash in Deceiver Exarch on your turn with your Grand Abolisher in play.

Anonymous said...

The thing is, he could be flashed in as the opponent is playing Grand Abolisher before he resolves, which may be what happens. Very nice though, if he isn't able to flash in he's a nice, easy target for removal.

Tezrael said...

they could flash it in, in response to you casting the abolisher. but if the abolisher is already in play, then the would not be able to cast the exarch during your turn.


so copysix is correct :)

Thoon said...

I haven't tried yet, but given how I play Magic, always white and concerned about building a proper infrastructure, I'd probably love this card.

outlaw said...

i put a cleric deck together it was cool but not yet ready for the meta i think the next set will care that he is a cleric cuz the spoiled cleric from new vault thing from innstagrad

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking about putting this into a deck to go against my friend's counterspell deck, just to mess with him.