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Thing in the Ice
is a fantastic, interesting, and rewarding card to play/flip. I really enjoy the mechanic behind it, and think this was a very well thought out design concept. For 2 mana we initially plop down a 0/4 defender, so we’re bolt proof and have a decent blocker. But once we get up to speed and start casting other spells, this transforms into
Awoken Horror—a Lovecraftian threat that will require attention. A 7/8 that bounces all other creature types? Expect to win the odd game or two from this secondary win-con now and again.
•Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind is quite the studious scholarly Dragon. I think he should have been drawn with little pince-nez perched atop the end of his snout. At 6 mana, 2 red 2 blue and 2 generic, we won’t get him into play very often. But when we do, does he ever pull his weight.
At 4/4 he’s a middle weight presence on the battlefield, made more potent by his static and activated abilities. Each card we draw will deal a point of damage to our opponent, and Sir Nivs-a-lot can be tapped to draw a card if we find our hand running low. But his utility is kicked into overdrive if we cast Curiosity and attach it to him. The reciprocity is a thing of beauty. If M.C. Escher’s Drawing Hands were turned into a magic card, this is what it would look like. We draw a card by tapping Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind. That deals a point of damage to the opponent. Which causes us to draw a card. Which deals a point of damage to the opponent. Which causes us to draw a card. Which deals a...
So with a full enough library or a low enough life total for our opponent, this will be a third win-con to fall back on.
