Baleful Strix

Artifact Creature — Bird

Flying, deathtouch

When Baleful Strix enters the battlefield, draw a card.

Discussion (51)

SideBae on Yuriko’s Ninja Tricks

1 day ago

So this deck is marked under 'help,' so I'll list my recommendations. Feel free to ignore any/all of them:

1. Some of your choices of countermagic seem questionable. Is there a reason you're running Withering Boon over something like Remove Soul or Essence Scatter? I guess the blue spells can be Pyroblast-ed, but I feel like not having to bolt yourself is worth it for the marginal added risk.

2. You may wish to consider running Preordain in addition to your Brainstorm and Ponder. Like in Legacy Delver decks, it isn't as good since you'd need to top both cards with the scry to guarantee a high CMC flip off Yuriko, but I feel like one-mana cantrips are likely good enough to run regardless.

3. There are some evasive creatures worth running in Yuriko because their ETB effects are good and ninjutsu bounces the creatures. I'm thinking of things like Baleful Strix, Snapcaster Mage (if you want to invest money), Trinket Mage (which can fetch Sensei's Divining Top, Sol Ring and any other 1-cmc artifacts you want to run), Spellseeker... If you want to go deep, Thalakos Seer works well with Ninjutsu, too...

4. You might also consider running Conspiracy or Arcane Adaptation. I like Arcane Adaptation a lot more (it costs less mana) but both are good, and if you need a third version Xenograft works. They'll make things like Gingerbrute trigger your Yuriko.

5. Some 4-cmc instant-speed card-draw seems alright; you leave up mana for a counter, and if you don't need it you get a draw. Consider things like Fact or Fiction, Chemister's Insight, Glimmer of Genius, Frantic Search, Gush, Thirst for Knowledge, Inspiration... They'll ding your opponents off a Yuriko flip and give you something to do with mana you don't need on their end steps.

6. Idk how competitive your meta is, but consider running Narset, Parter of Veils and/or Ashiok, Dream Render. These two hose card-draw and fetches/tutors, which are all very common as you go higher in deck power level. I especially like Narset, Parter of Veils with Windfall or Timetwister, but that'll depend on your particular moral compass.

7. Lastly, if you up the amount of artifact ramp in here you can lower the land count and make flipping a land off Yuriko less common. While it may be dangerous to go lower than 30 lands if you're not running things like Mana Crypt, Mox Diamond or Mox Opal (which you should run if your groups allows proxies), you may have luck running things like Talisman of Dominance, Arcane Signet or Fellwar Stone. If you don't land a turn-two general, these'll ramp you for the later game; and even if you do, flipping them off Yuriko's trigger is better than flipping a land.

Right. That's all I got -- let me know if you have any questions.

Last_Laugh on Grand Theft Magic

2 weeks ago

Sorry for the late reply my man... been kinda busy.

Overall things look good. You may want more card draw and I'd switch your Dimir Signet out for Talisman of Indulgence, Talisman of Dominance, and Talisman of Creativity... the life loss is a plus here. Midnight Reaper, Baleful Strix, and Greed are all good options here for some more draw power. Herald of Secret Streams does amazing things here.

Silverdrake on Ninjas

2 weeks ago

Looks fun! You might want to change the legality to legacy instead of pioneer though - just so people will be better equipped to help you. It'd be hard to play a Ninja deck in Pioneer, seeing how there isn't a single Ninja legal in the format hah.
Might be worth running Invisible Stalker or Changeling Outcast to get in guaranteed unblockable attacks. Baleful Strix would also be amazing here since the flying + deathtouch means you'll almost always get it in unblocked, and if you do and use Ninjutsu, then you're getting extra card advantage since you draw a card every time you recast it.

Last_Laugh on Marchesa's Undead Army enCOUNTER

2 weeks ago

I have some suggestions for you. I'll try to keep things budget(ish) friendly and I'll break it down by category. If you want help suggesting cuts, just ask.

ETB/Death Abuse: Sage of Fables and Metallic Mimic allow you to abuse these triggers on everyone's turn instead of once per round. Sage also immediately protects Marchesa and doubles as an infinite combo piece with Ashnod's Altar and Flayer of the Hatebound.

Draw: Midnight Reaper and Grim Haruspex are amazing here. Baleful Strix is another option worth considering.

Discard: Oona's Blackguard and Sadistic Hypnotist help seal up games tighter than a Dolphin's butthole.

Feel free to check out my list for ideas. Upvotes on any of my decks are appreciated. Every Masochist Needs a Marchesa To Love Them

scare on Atris

2 weeks ago

some artifacts

- Blade of Selves - Cauldron of Souls -Mimic Vat -Strionic Resonator -Whip of Erebos -Cloudstone Curio

ETB boys

-Demon of Dark Schemes -Entomber Exarch -Grave Titan -Gray Merchant of Asphodel -Myr Battlesphere -Phyrexian Delver -Sepulchral Primordial -Thief of Blood -Gonti, Lord of Luxury -Massacre Wurm -Overseer of the Damned -Priest of Gix -Hostage Taker -Sidisi, Undead Vizier -Shriekmaw -Nekrataal -Ravenous Chupacabra -Sower of Temptation -Venser, Shaper Savant -Rune-Scarred Demon -Agent of Treachery -Baleful Strix -Sire of Stagnation not etb just good -Sphinx of Uthuun -Archaeomancer -Palinchron -Disciple of Bolas -Fleshbag Marauder

recursion/other value ins/sorcs

-Victimize

king-saproling on Tassigur, The Golden Arifact

3 weeks ago

Hey saw your post on reddit. You might like these: Biomancer's Familiar, Illusionist's Bracers, Trading Post, Mindslaver, Splendid Reclamation, World Shaper, Scrap Trawler, Myr Retriever, Sphinx Summoner, Baleful Strix, Wayfarer's Bauble, Trinket Mage, Desecrated Tomb, Syr Konrad, the Grim, Silas Renn, Seeker Adept, Birthing Pod

ClassicCox on The value army of the God Pharaoh

4 weeks ago

fragarach97 yes, your comment was very helpful! As soon as i get a copy, i will add Baleful Strix and maybe Thada Adel, Acquisitor. I was also considering Thief of Sanity as an evasive early drop that mills and gets you cards to play when you may need them. Your list is very nice and some cards are really interesting, though many are momentairly out of my budget, upvoted.

fragarach97 on The value army of the God Pharaoh

1 month ago

Always love to see a Scab God list that isn't tribal zombies. My build isn't up here yet, so I can't link you to it, but if you're going for a reanimator strategy then two cards that are invaluable are Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur as a powerful win condition that can fuel further reanimation plays, and Champion of Wits is a phenomenal early body that digs you deeper, fuels reanimation, and has great reach if Scab God himself keeps getting answered with his own Eternalize. Other than that, I can reccomend Venser, Shaper Savant as a strong tempo play that, of course, is a damn fine target to reanimate to get that instant speed disruption twice. I'd also reccomend finding a way to slot in Baleful Strix , as I feel your curve is a bit top-heavy and the Strix is a solid value card (that you can get twice). A personal staple of mine in 90% of the blue decks I play and build is Thada Adel, Acquisitor as she has powerful utility at every point in the game to pur you ahead at virtually no cost in resources to yourself and can stop powerful artifact-based combos before they happen if you happen to find those troubling you over in your playgroup. At the very least, she's a repeatable ramp spell, though I do understand she makes people VERY salty so if you're worried about that feel free to disregard her. One last suggestion I have that isn't exactly budget friendly is Vendilion Clique for a combination reason between Venser and Strix. It's repeatable and powerful interruption in your deck and is lower to the ground, but I understand that they're a bit out of some people's price range. She also works great as a one-two punch with Venser himself to have your opponent "put that thing back where it came from or so help me".

Anyways, +1 from me for the Scab God representation! He's a hell of a fun deck.