Is Westley the Biggest Flavor Fail Ever Printed?

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Posted on April 5, 2024, 9:25 p.m. by Niko9

Very late to the party here, but I just saw the Princess Bride version of Fynn, the Fangbearer pop up, and seriously, what is this business?

I get that the idea is the battle of wits part of the story, but Westley fought multiple people at multiple points and they all survived. Even his mortal enemy walked away in the end. So I ask...

Who is he deathtouching?

Why is he poisoning a planeswalker who is tapping mana in an extradimensional space?

Why is he green?

Just not a pirate?

Or a peasant?

Is he constantly convincing an opponent to drink poisoned wine over and over?

Couldn't they just have tried to make a new card here?

I think the art on this set of cards is amazing, and it's both one of my favorite movies and books, but the design of this is actually awful.

The only explanation I can think of is that whoever decided what card to use the effects of just youtubed "Westley Princess Bride" and saw a 2 min clip and was like, oh great! Poison is the main part of this character...Westley must use poison all the time...right?

legendofa says... #2

Not saying you're wrong at all here, but it was a Secret Lair, so no new cards, and I guess they wanted a newish card in there. for some small attempt at color balance.

Who would you have chosen to represent him? Main characteristics are that he's disguised (no spoilers), he's a capable swordsman, and he's living mostly off a combination of his reputation and doing things nobody expects him to do (which don't always work out). Captain Ripley Vance has a good feel, but is a pretty underwhelming card. The Legendary Human Rogue selection took off in the last couple years, and there wasn't a great option before that, in my opinion. Something with maybe a dash of .

April 6, 2024 12:01 a.m.

jethstriker says... #3

I still believe Whippoorwill is the biggest flavor fail. The bird is shown flying yet it doesn't have the ability or any ability to possibly gain the ability to fly.

April 6, 2024 4:39 a.m.

Niko9 says... #4

jethstriker Bwhaha, yep that's a good one

April 6, 2024 7:38 a.m.

Niko9 says... #5

legendofa That's true that maybe there is no good option, but they've printed new cards into SLs before and then reprinted a regular version, like Street Fighter, or maybe Lara Croft, which the ad on my page here just made me realize exists. Or even the Godzilla cards which were kind of a SL.

It just seems like what they "can't do" is so fickle. They can't make new cards in SLs, except when they do. They can't reprint fetchlands, except yep they actually can, anytime, but save it for SLs. They can't ban new and expensive cards like incarnations and the one ring, except they do exactly that once the packs stop selling.

The only thing that Wizards really, actually, truly can't do, is to give a crap about the game...apparently...

April 6, 2024 8:04 a.m.

Niko9 says... #6

Ha, sorry I might be a little over dramatic on this, it just really got me when I saw it.

April 6, 2024 12:19 p.m.

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