Dimir Guildmage

Creature — Human Wizard

({UB} can be paid with either {U} or {B}.)

{3}{U}: Target player draws a card. Activate this ability only at any time you could cast a sorcery.

{3}{B}: Target player discards a card. Activate this ability only at any time you could cast a sorcery.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (34)

theGentlemanSeal on Devoted to two Gods

2 years ago

Great deck!

Helm of the Ghastlord would be a great addition to beef up all your blue/black creatures. Also, Oona's Gatewarden is an easy fit in here. Some more dimir fundamentals would be Baleful Strix, Cemetery Puca, Dimir Guildmage, or Dimir Guildmage.

In terms of finisher cards, you could add: Gyruda, Doom of Depths, Wrexial, the Risen Deep, Dragonlord Silumgar, Silumgar, the Drifting Death, Ghastlord of Fugue, Blizzard Specter, Dire Undercurrents,

A version of the deck will a mill wincon could also make use of Ashiok, Dream Render, Phenax, God of Deception, Lurking Informant, Nemesis of Reason, Psychic Drain, Mind Grind, Nightveil Specter, and the many more mill focused cards from across blue and black.

A deck that leans more into flash could use Slitherwisp.

Overall, I quite like and want to see it down the line!

SeditiousCanary on Phenax Mill

3 years ago

list text here Dimir Guildmage to combo with Mindcrank .

Bruvac the Grandiloquent to double milling effects.

Maddening Cacophony for the kicked cost to mill half a library.

TheRealSpecialK on ability usage and protection

3 years ago

Any ability on a creature that lists a requirement followed by a colon ( : ) is called an activated ability. Activated alibies on creatures can be activated any number of times at instant speed with some exceptions (Dimir Guildmage specifies that it can only be sorcery speed, Skinshifter specifies only once per turn, some activated abilites require you to tap the creature such as with Llanowar Elves so they can't keep actrivating the ability, etc.).

Jareth, Leonine Titan's ability can be activated any number of times. It can even be activated in response to effects. Let's look at this example: Say your board has a bunch of black creatures. Your opponent activates Jareth's ability during combat naming black so it can attack and bypass all your creatures. You cast Murder in response, targeting Jareth. Your opponent can then activate Jareth's ability a second time, again naming black, so that Murder fizzle. As long as your opponent has the mana, and your opponent has priority to use the ability, it can be activate any number of times - be it on your turn or on theirs. So yes, the scenario you described above is a totally appropriate way to use Jareth.

As for your second question - protection is not like indestructible. Here is how damage works for the two:

Protection: 702.16e Any damage that would be dealt by sources that have the stated quality to a permanent or player with protection is prevented.

Indestructible: 702.12b A permanent with indestructible can’t be destroyed. Such permanents aren’t destroyed by lethal damage, and they ignore the state-based action that checks for lethal damage (see rule 704.5g).

That is significant because while damage is totally prevented by a creature with protection, damage is still marked by a creature with indestructible. So let's say that a creature with Lifelink is blocked. If they were blocked by a creature that had protection from its color, damage would be prevented and zero life would be gained because all damage would be prevented. But if it were blocked by a creature with indestructible, life would be gained because damage is still marked. Another example - let's say you are attacking with Questing Beast. If it were blocked by a creature with indestructible, the creature that was blocking would not die even though the beast has Deathtouch. However, if a creature with protection from green were to block the beast, that creature would actually die because protection states damage would be prevented, but the beast says "Combat damage that would be dealt by creatures you control can't be prevented.". I hope that helps clarify how that works in combat.

Outside of combat, the two abilities also work differently. If a creature has indestructible, it can still be targeted by spells that say "destroy" or spells that deal damage. You can castMurder or Lightning Bolt targeting Darksteel Myr, but even though the spell resolves, it won't die. However, creatures with protection are illegal targets for spells and abilities. Both Murder and Lightning Bolt can not even be cast if they were trying to target Auriok Champion. Finally, if a creature gains protection from a color while it is being targeted by a spell or ability of that color, the spell fizzles and doesn't resolve - similar to a counterspell. For example, if you cast Murder targeting your opponent's Jareth, Leonine Titan, and they give it protection from black in response, the spell does not resolve and is put straight into the graveyard. If a creature gains indestructible at instant speed, the spell will still resolve, but if the creature would be destroyed by that ability, it would not.

Super in depth answer, but I hope this clears up any confusion with this situation, and any other situations in the future.

psionictemplar on Tron WAVE

3 years ago

A couple things I got to thinking about while looking at your deck.

1. Are the tron lands worth it? With only Dimir Guildmage to make consistent use of the mana, are you taking an unnecessary color screw risk? I know you previously had Expedition Map before it was banned, but it looks really difficult to assemble tron now. Well that and that the tron lands don't let you cast your cantrips without a star.

2. Have you considered Trinket Mage? It would allow you to run less artifact lands and open the possibility of tutoring up a copy of Vault of Whispers to cast Disciple of the Vault with. The random life point or 2 you might get off disicple doesn't seem worth the extra hate you might see losing mulitple artifact lands. I know you have 8 stars to mana fix with but it couldn't hurt. Plus Trinket Mage could tutor up your Nihil Spellbomb in the side. Side plus, it could act as a deck reset for your brainstorms.

3. You have Crypt Rats in the sb. With only being able to spend black mana on it's ability, are you really going to be able to accomplish much with it. Targeted removal seems like it would be better to handle problematic creatures you might see.

4. The transmute mechanic offers some pauper options such as Dizzy Spell and Shred Memory. Do you think these could help you find your combo pieces easier?

Again, just my thoughts...hope they help or give you things to consider.

rdean14 on Card creation challenge

3 years ago

Unclear if you meant a defector like Humble Defector or a defector from Selesnya.

The former:

Capricious Zealot

Creature - Centaur Warrior

Vigilance

At the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent may put a +1/+1 counter on another creature you control and have that creature gain trample until end of turn, if they do, they gain control of Capricious Zealot.

"Fighting with the generous is the only correct way. Growth for all!"

4/3

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The latter:

Selesnyan Apostate

Creature - Elf Scout

, : Target creature you control fights target creature you don't control.

, : Target creature you control gets +1/+1 and gains lifelink until end of turn.

"The conclave has abandoned natural growth for the regimented and the artificial, and so I must abandon it."

2/2

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I'd like to see a psuedo guildmage, like this one, but for an empowered/ruling Dimir

Dimir Guildmage, House Guildmage, and Duskmantle Guildmage for reference on covert Dimir.

nhadfield on Dimir Mill Budget

4 years ago

Might also consider Wight of Precinct Six , Bonehoard , The Haunt of Hightower , Nighthowler , Mortivore

Also if you like infinite loops, Mindcrank and Dimir Guildmage

hungry000 on Familiar Ground

4 years ago

Hi, I've worked on Training Grounds combo decks extensively myself, and your deck looks pretty good so far. One card that I've found to be a very useful combo tutor is Commune with the Gods since you can get both a cost-reducer and Izzet Guildmage with it. There's some risk of dumping Manamorphose or Umbral Mantle in the gy but the better consistency makes up for it imo. Also, consider including a one-of damage dealing card like Hornet Sting as a win condition in case creatures can't get through or Lab Man is in your graveyard or something. Dimir Guildmage is another option, you can use it to mill your opponent after the Izzet Guildmage/Manamorphose combo or just to help draw cards with Training Grounds out.

mal099 on Hemoglobin Aggro

5 years ago

Awesome deck, I really enjoy cheap black aggro!

Augmenting Automaton , Dimir Guildmage , Grimclaw Bats , Order of the Ebon Hand and Null Champion are all cheap creatures that can help you use your mana if it ever gets to the mid or even late game. Guildmage is the most expensive, but would be extremely useful if your opponent forces you into a long drawn out stalemate. Grimclaw Bats can fly over many blockers, but is weak for its cost, Automaton is cheap and has "tomato" in its name but needs 2 Mana and is weak and Order is stronger, but less cheap and also needs 2 Mana. Can get First Strike though. Null Champion is weak and expensive at first, but will be extremely useful once you find the Mana to level him up.

In your Maybe Board, you have Twisted Experiment . Sinister Strength is probably better (unless you want to use Experiment as a possible removal).