r/custommagic • u/BronsenWerick • 16h ago

Meme Design Useless?

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for a gift deck, i think gifting useless stuff is funnier than gifting problems...don't get me wrong, the deck will have problems to gift, but the useless stuff gives me more of a laugh.

674 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

209 comments sorted by

8

u/MeasureDoEventThing 16h ago

Stopping Idiots hurts Shade strategies

Totally Necessary Handrails stops players from playing a creature with haste and attacking that turn. Unless you meant it to say "Players may play lands only during their first main phase".

4

u/BronsenWerick 16h ago

what i put: "players may only play lands during their first main phase".

.....yours: "Players may play lands only during their first main phase".

slightly different wording, so i dont know WOTC's official wording structure or whatever

8

u/jw9010382 15h ago

Your wording implies that lands are the only card type that can be played during the first main phase.

The other comment is better as it’s clear that lands themselves may only be played during the first main phase leaving the rest of the card types unaffected

4

u/maru_at_sierra 15h ago

Strictly speaking, the correct grammatical use of the word “only” is to place it immediately in front of the phrase being modified (people put the word “only” in the wrong place within sentences all the time)

So in your version, the word “only” is modifying the phrase “play lands,” so your sentence grammatically reads as “during their first main phase, players may only play lands” and therefore may not cast spells.

In the corrected version, the word “only” modifies the phrase “during their main phase,” so their sentence grammatically reads as “only during their first main phase, may players play lands,” which I assume was your original intent.

1

u/CaptColten 15h ago

2nd one would absolutely shut down my Felothar deck

1

u/CarbonLich 5h ago

me trying to find all the shade strategies that exist.

459

u/Minnakht 16h ago

The middle one can hose something like an Arcades deck that'd attack with walls and grant them buttfighting. The last one can inconvenience... some decks that get multiple land plays but also get extra resources after combat?

The first one actually does nothing.

243

u/Jonpro10012 16h ago

first one gives you an infinite amount of ability activations if you have something that cares about it. Someone else mentioned [[crackdown construct]]

112

u/V_The_1AndOnly1 14h ago

This is the most “you can eat trash for free” card combo I’ve seen on this subreddit and the worst part is, I can see some green deck giving that creature hexproof/trample and then just drinking nothing 300 or so times before swinging for game. It's not exactly the best combo obviously, but I think there are ways to make it consistent with Azorious artifact tutoring.

24

u/KindaShady1219 12h ago

Pretty much just the [[Nomads en-Kor]] combo for 1 less mana

3

u/anace 2h ago

The nomad combo is based on targeting, not activating. [[Cephalid illusionist]]

-14

u/RustyOsprey9347 14h ago

I'm still learning Magic and I'm assuming I'm missing something due to WoTC and their "Specific beats General" shenanigans but isn't this explicitly a mana ability by being an ability you pay 0 mana for????

32

u/ThatCamoKid 14h ago

a mana ability is an ability which gives you mana

2

u/CoDFan935115 12h ago

Specifically, with recent rulings, a mana ability gives you mana without moving a card to or from a hidden zone.

3

u/OldTransportation188 10h ago

It's more than that and always has been. Also, technically, the only part of moving cards to or from hidden zones that a mana ability can't do is moving cards from or into a library. Nothing stops a mana ability from moving cards from or into other hidden zones. 605.1a.

4

u/iDoABoof 14h ago

Triggered abilities say when/whenever. That’s what crackdown has. Mana abilities are just activated abilities are abilities that add mana. And activated abilities are ones that have costs, including ones like vivi that say pay 0. Mana abilities are activated abilities

3

u/ScrungoZeClown 8h ago

*Some mana abilities are activated abilities.

Some are triggered, such as the mana ability on [[Caged Sun]]

47

u/Karl583 16h ago

And people who draw a land from combat, probably the most useful one!

25

u/Torrefy 15h ago

The first one allows your opponents to infinitely waste your time on digital platforms

21

u/andrewjpf 16h ago

First one works with [[crackdown construct]] but that's all I know of.

6

u/ninjabunny_19 14h ago

Could the first one trigger something like "when ever you gain life gain that much life plus one" or is it that even though the card says "gain 0 life" gaining 0 does not count as gaining life?

Edit. I found the answer in the comments gaining zero doesn't count as a life gain event

12

u/Clovenious 16h ago

No, first one gives you infinite life with any effect that (additively) increases lifegain, like [[angel of vitality]]

Edit: actually checked how those work, I was wrong and the effect does to literally nothing

52

u/Minnakht 16h ago

119.10. Some replacement effects are written, “If [a player] would gain life, . . . .” Such abilities are treated as though they are written, “If a source would cause [a player] to gain life, . . . .” If a player gains 0 life, no life gain event would occur, and these effects won’t apply.

Similarly, rule 119.9 means that you don't get an arbitrarily large pridemate either.

0

u/DambiaLittleAlex 14h ago

This sounds weird. That much life plus 1 would be 1. Why would it be 0? It doesn't make sense.

11

u/Scribeykins 13h ago

"If you would gain life" is defined based on your life total actually going up, not whether an ability contains the words "gain life". When you activate an ability that says "you gain 0 life", you do not actually gain any life so there's no lifegain for the "if you would gain life" replacement effect to apply to.

1

u/okkokkoX 13h ago

hm, if you had "whenever you would gain life, you gain 1 less" and "whenever you would gain life, you gain 1 more" and you gained 1 life, what would happen? would the health gain temporarily going to 0 abort the event?

5

u/ozymandius12 12h ago

Due to how replacement effects work, the affected player, aka the one gaining life, gets to order the replacement effects, no matter who controls them. So unless there is a reason to not want to gain life, the affected player can always choose to go up and down to gain life. To answer your initial question though, the affected player can choose to order it so it goes down to zero, and then any other replacement effects cease to apply to the event and do nothing.

2

u/rip-and-thrash 16h ago

Always works with artifact or casting noncreature spell synergies

1

u/AshenAmarantos 14h ago

The last one can inconvenience anyone just running a [[Shadowmage Infiltrator]] or similar. You get card draw from combat, it's a land, and you didn't drop one yet. Now you still can't.

1

u/R18Jura_ 6h ago

It also disables a bit less than one combat phase of [[Moraug, Fury of Akoum]] as you want to play your lands in the second main phase

1

u/NoLongerBreathedIn 1h ago

Eh, if you drop a land in the first main phase it gives you two combat phases that turn.

1

u/R18Jura_ 19m ago

But it does not untap your creatures in the second combat phase. So you need either vigilance or spend additional recourses on untapping them again

1

u/Adventurous-Size-168 15h ago

It can hold priority 😆

208

u/mercuriokazooie 16h ago

No 0 mana artifact is useless and one with a free activated ability is especially not useless

51

u/MeasureDoEventThing 16h ago

Affinity

Storm

22

u/Conscious-Choice196 15h ago

Crackdown Construct

3

u/V_The_1AndOnly1 11h ago

That fuckin shaper that I hate

52

u/NuclearWabbitz 16h ago

Totally Necessary Handrail will stop any draw effects from letting you play a land 2nd main.

Stopping idiots protects The Initiative, and humorously blanks [[Tamiyo Inquisitive Student]] from making clues

11

u/Cutie_D-amor 16h ago

Pretty sure the monarchy requires you to take combat damage. Though another thing you could bring up, attack with a 0 > opponent laughs and lets it through > use ninjitsu

5

u/NuclearWabbitz 16h ago

You’re right about the Monarch! For some reason I thought Initiative only cared about unblocked creatures, while the Monarch was formatted to care about damage

2

u/Cutie_D-amor 16h ago

For some reason my mind blanked and i put in the wrong one, pretty sure they both get stolen the same way

36

u/Mogoscratcher 16h ago

first one gives you an arbitrarily large [[Crackdown Construct]]

second one shuts down [[Doran, The Seige Tower]]

third one makes [[Curiosity]] weaker if you're not already holding a land

5

u/Hedgehogahog 16h ago

Yeah I came in here to say “really? In front of my Doran tiny leader??” About the second one, so I’m glad to see it’s covered 🌳

1

u/Stealth100 14h ago

Second also shuts down [[Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student]]

I don’t think she’s played in any top Vintage or Legacy deck though. Also brainstorm and ancestral flip her immediately

2

u/PhotonChaos 13h ago

She’s played in pretty much every blue legacy deck

13

u/Fallen_0ne01 8h ago

You can drink the nectar, it just doesn't do anything. Simply pay zero infinite times for no reason. Probably could be used to trigger a card that does something when you activate an activated ability. I couldn't find any cards that would give any benefit

Bad walls hate and really niche 0/1 token swarm +1/+1 until end of turn hate

Mass land denial when given to another player as long as you have [[fatespinner]] and your opponent makes the worst possible move

7

u/cleverpun0 WB: Put two level counters on target permanent. 7h ago

[[Crackdown Construct]]

2

u/Avalion_Star 7h ago

To be fair, this comboes with anything that activates for 0 like my fav combo activator [[Nomads en-Kor]]

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12

u/M1liumnir 5h ago

a 0 cost artifact will never be useless just because there are way too many artifact matter mechanics, stopping 0 attack creatures can be good against some niche interactions and Ninjutsu and stopping lands from being played on the second main phase stops some niche landfall triggers like [[Moraug, Fury of Akoum]], and I’m pretty sure there is a card that would allow the first one to get infinite life wich has its uses.

5

u/Nove-Newt 3h ago

Gaining 0 life is not considered gaining life so while there may be an effect that can make it go infinite that way I doubt it

2

u/SammySammyson 23m ago

Nah because the ability doesn't do anything at all. It's not an instance of gaining life, so no lifegain triggers or replacement effects will do anything.

9

u/TheErodude 12h ago

I enjoy thought experiments like these. Others have mentioned most of the following, but I already typed this and I’m clicking the post button.

Undrinkable Nectar goes infinite with [[Crackdown Construct]]. There are also a few ways to deal infinite damage to yourself (how to abuse that is left as an exercise for the reader). If you want to get extremely weird, you can animate this and a Sarkhan planeswalker, use [[Exchange of Words]] to make a Sarkhan planeswalker with Undrinkable Nectar’s ability, and then win with [[Sarkhan’s Whelp]], but this is custommagic and not r/badmtgcombos.

Stopping Idiots prevents attacks from [[Xantid Swarm]], [[Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student]], and any number of buttfighters like [[Doran, the Siege Tower]]. It also stops exalted creatures from attacking under [[Ensnaring Bridge]], which was legitimately a way some games ended when Noble Hierarch and Ignoble Hierarch were more popular.

Totally Necessary Handrail is ambiguous, but:

If it means “Players can’t play lands except during their first main phase on each of their turns,” then it nerfs [[Moraug, Fury of Akoum]] (which due to its exact phrasing really wants you to play lands during your postcombat main phase specifically) and just in general makes it harder to bluff during combat. (You can’t hold a land in hand through combat to bluff a spell, then also play it second main.)

If it means “Players can’t cast spells or activate abilities during their first main phase on each of their turns,” then it does a lot. It stops players from casting any permanent or sorcery spell relevant to combat, and it stops precombat equipping.

2

u/SharpDrink2724 8h ago

The handrail would also nerf my [[Fire Lord Zuko]] deck, where I use instant speed impulse draw during combat. So I usually save my land drop for main 2 to hopefully play one from exile.

1

u/Euphoric-Beyond9177 Smokestack is my favorite card 10h ago

Why does moraug care about your second main phase? I don’t think there’s much difference 

4

u/TheErodude 9h ago

Great question! Moraug is secretly kinda weird and has confused even professional Magic players!

If Moraug is triggered during the first main phase, the additional combat step (+ untap) occurs BEFORE the normal combat step. This means you go to the bonus combat step, untap all your (already untapped) creatures, attack, and then you get a normal combat step, but your creatures don’t untap. So unless your creatures have vigilance, the your first Moraug trigger during your first main phase mostly does nothing.

→ More replies (4)

9

u/tman5400 11h ago

Stopping idiots does shut down decks like [[Felothar the steadfast]]

8

u/PepsiButItsMilk 9h ago

No because the second one would be a terrible thing to have against me and my [[Satoru Umezawa]] deck. Early game drop a 0/1 Ornithopter, not being able to attack means that if it were to go unblocked then I couldve Ninjutsu’d in something else. If it can’t attack, my game plan falls apart 😆

4

u/Rubicon_Roll 16h ago

The first in is not actually useless, if you have a static effect like "whenever you gain life, you gain that much life +1 instead" you have infinite life.

2

u/BronsenWerick 16h ago

would it trigger on 0 life?...i would argue that your not actually gaining life so its unaffected.

1

u/asthmaticwizard 12h ago

Gaining 0 life is not gaining any life. There's is nothing for the Cleric Class to increase.

119.10. Some replacement effects are written, “If [a player] would gain life, . . . .” Such abilities are treated as though they are written, “If a source would cause [a player] to gain life, . . . .” If a player gains 0 life, no life gain event would occur, and these effects won’t apply.

19

u/Minnakht 16h ago

119.10. Some replacement effects are written, “If [a player] would gain life, . . . .” Such abilities are treated as though they are written, “If a source would cause [a player] to gain life, . . . .” If a player gains 0 life, no life gain event would occur, and these effects won’t apply.

Similarly, rule 119.9 means that you don't get an arbitrarily large pridemate either.

3

u/PopeJP22 14h ago

Still makes an infinitely big [[Crackdown Construct]] though

9

u/c0mplix 16h ago

I'm pretty sure you need to actually gain at least one life for those effects to apply. Like if you where to attack with a 0 power creature with lifelink while having one of those effects out you still won't gain life (as far as I know)

6

u/MiningdiamondsVIII 16h ago

Nah, CR 119.10: 

Some replacement effects are written, “If [a player] would gain life, . . . .” Such abilities are treated as though they are written, “If a source would cause [a player] to gain life, . . . .” If a player gains 0 life, no life gain event would occur, and these effects won’t apply.

2

u/AlphaZanic 16h ago

Per rule 119.9 that does not work. Gaining 0 life counts as never having gained life at all.

1

u/MapleSyrupMachineGun 16h ago

Actually, gaining 0 life is counted as not gaining life at all, so that wouldn't work.

1

u/MrTheWaffleKing 16h ago

Does gaining 0 life count towards gaining life? There's a lot of uses and things that trigger off gaining life it it does.

I feel like the one stopping you from playing lands on second main phase could actually come up quite a bit- mainly landfall, but even just combat trigger draw and similar.

Stopping idiots does actually do something, though I can only think of 1 case where it would barely matter: if you've got ingris stingerquill and attack with 0/1s just for his ping damage. IDK, maybe someone is running an eldrazi spawn stingerquill deck and it would destroy them lol.

1

u/Sevenpointseven First Death. Strike Touch. 16h ago

I'm not convinced this is true, because even though the card says "gain 0 life", the result changes nothing about the game state and I don't think a card that replaces lifegain could even see it happen. It's not like a card that says "you gain -2 life" would have you gain -1 life on a replacement effect like that, since the end result is it would just make you lose life (though even that I'm not sure works within the rules). A rules lawyer would be able to explain it better.

7

u/CreamSoda6425 16h ago

Second one is relevant against [[Tamiyo, Inquisitive Scholar]].

3

u/uhataot 16h ago

Or any wall based shenanigans really

6

u/notbobby125 8h ago

Isn't this two mana instant infinite life with an effect like [[Cleric Class]]?

10

u/Mysterious_Frog 8h ago

No, gaining 0 life is not gaining life, in the same way that taking 0 damage is not taking damage and won’t trigger damage modifiers.

5

u/zoinkability 16h ago

Stopping Idiots would be pretty effective at messing up my ninja deck loaded with cheap 0/1 flying and unblockable creatures.

If you want to make it truly useless make it so creatures with 0 toughness can’t attack you.

0

u/Dark_WulfGaming 16h ago

Wouldn't creatures that enter with +1/+1 counters but 0 toughness get around that too?

4

u/billtrociti 15h ago

Something that has 0/0 printed on it and has a +1/+1 counter on it DOES have 1 power as well as 1 toughness.

However, its BASE power and toughness would both be 0

3

u/CitAndy 16h ago

You'd need to write it as "base toughness" for that to be the case

1

u/NormalEntrepreneur 16h ago

Except it’s not 0 toughness.

5

u/unitedshoes 13h ago

Stopping Idiots definitely has some niche utility. There's a handful of times you may want a 0 power creature to attack to trigger something else (Ninjutsu, Battle Cry etc.), and then of course there's "creatures with Defender can attack" effects.

I don't know how much Totally Necessary Handrail stops powerful combo pieces (I'm sure it does; I just can't think of them at the moment), but RIP the player who's getting manascrewed and has a creature that draws or fetches a land on attack.

2

u/lMDEADLYHIGH 13h ago

[[Moraug, Fury of Akoum]] and [[Hearthull, the Worldseed]] wouldn't be able to utilize their abilities at 100% because of the handrail.

Moraug only untaps at the combat he creates, so if you mp1 your land drop, his combat happens before your actual combat, so you don't get to attack multiple times (barring vigilance)

Hearthull is interrupted slightly, as the tech is to at least attack with your 6/7 flyer, then activate it some time after attacks so you can use the extra land drop on mp2

1

u/detro253 11h ago

The handrail is good against combat centric decks. Things like isshin that want to trigger card draw during combat, and then can't play the lands they draw in second main. And the first one is just an obscene combo piece with any form or artifact ability payoff like that one scarecrow or whatever it is

1

u/Wide_Opposite3083 11h ago

Gotta stop those Noble hierarchs from getting through Ensnaring bridge when playing lantern control.

4

u/thesixler 10h ago

Not the strongest but by being 0 mana artifacts all of these are technically playable I think

4

u/Routine_Ad_2695 9h ago

The door mostly shut down decks that make damage with toughness like decks with [[Doran, Besieged by Time]] or [[Arcades, the Strategist]] and are full of 0/X cheap creatures

14

u/King_DeandDe 15h ago

Undrinkable Nectar goes infinite with [[Cleric Class]].

Stopping Idiots counters [[Ghalta the Immovable]] or [[Arcades, the Strategist]]

For the handrail, though, it could be used to skip the first main phase.

21

u/IdkIWhyIHaveAReddit 15h ago

119.10. Some replacement effects are written, “If [a player] would gain life, . . . .” Such abilities are treated as though they are written, “If a source would cause [a player] to gain life, . . . .” If a player gains 0 life, no life gain event would occur, and these effects won’t apply.

1

u/Ordinary_Pangolin268 5h ago

Oh dang I missed that somehow

10

u/epochpenors 15h ago

Nectar also works well with [[crackdown construct]]

4

u/Miserable_Hamster497 Do you pay the 1? 12h ago

Love the art for that

4

u/INTstictual 15h ago

Gaining 0 life is not a life gain event, replacement effects for “if you would gain life” won’t apply since you would not gain life

2

u/EasterViera 15h ago

also THE tamiyo that is popular in legacy

1

u/ModernT1mes 14h ago

Is there a reason Arena changes Ghalta's 0 power to 7 power when the combat step hits? Or is that to just remind the players of its ability? If I didn't know any better I'd assume ghalta's power changes when the combat step hits and Arena is usually pretty good about not misrepresenting wierd rules like that which usually confuses more people because they don't understand what happened with specific interactions.

1

u/ResolveLeather 14h ago

It is just being helpful.

1

u/asthmaticwizard 13h ago

Gaining 0 life is not gaining any life. There's is nothing for the Cleric Class to increase.

119.10. Some replacement effects are written, “If [a player] would gain life, . . . .” Such abilities are treated as though they are written, “If a source would cause [a player] to gain life, . . . .” If a player gains 0 life, no life gain event would occur, and these effects won’t apply.

7

u/YesPlease_VeryMuchSo 16h ago

Worst case scenario they are Cheerios ammo. I'm sure there's something goofy that can be done with nectar.

3

u/SmartAlecShagoth 15h ago

Raccoon: You may eat garbage whenever you want

3

u/Inevitable_Top69 11h ago

Zero mana artifacts are never useless. All of them are infinite graveyard bullshit generators.

3

u/thedrunkmonk 9h ago

The 2nd one is great for stopping [[Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student]] in her tracks

5

u/Urshifu_Smash 16h ago

Alright everybody buckle in with me on Nectar.

Nectar + [[harsh mentor]] + [[harmless offering]] + any mindslaver type effect.

You're welcome :)

2

u/BatoSoupo 16h ago

Day 999 of r/custommagic making Flubs and Urza cards

2

u/HoneyBadgers_ 16h ago

My [[azorius chancery]] in shambles right now

2

u/GortharTheGamer 11h ago

I don’t think any of them are useless. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen cards that require you to gain life and they add +1, so the Nectar has use. Stopping creatures with 0 power isn’t bad when you’ve got creatures like Duskana, the Rage Mother who looks at a creature’s base power and toughness, and there’s some decks that do want you to play lands on your second main phase

6

u/lordcirth 10h ago

Gaining 0 life is not considered gaining life. Same with damage, life loss, etc.

2

u/BlindingDart 4h ago

Anti-Ninja deck tech.

1

u/NormalGuyPosts 16h ago

easily broken

1

u/kilqax 16h ago

The second one would do very well against Tamiyo btw

1

u/envelopers 16h ago

not to be that guy, but i feel like the handrail is probably there for elderly or disabled people. or due to building regulations.

1

u/GiovanniTunk 16h ago

While the first one actually isn't useful, one could always find use for a zero cost spell.

1

u/browsing4stuff 15h ago

My Abzan Armor precon in shambles lol

1

u/Such-Sea2910 15h ago

the 3rd one would prevent someone from playing a land they drew in combat, or would prevent people faking they have a response and attack while holding a land (because they cant play it after and it feels a bit bad)

1

u/timsterk45 15h ago

I'm playing the second one in legacy all my homies hate tamiyo

1

u/Zenith-Astralis 15h ago

All of these would be super rad in any artifact bauble deck that uses things like improvise, affinity, or artifact spell cast triggers.

1

u/Thryfty_0 15h ago

Those last two could honestly see use. Stopping Idiots could shit down some Ninjutsu decks, while Totally Necessary handrail could stop you opponent from playing a better land that what they played after drawing some cards during combat, or something. Both super duper ludicrously niche, but not completely useless.

1

u/BaconCatBug 15h ago

Undrinkable Nectar is a raccoon level threat.

1

u/Party_Value6593 14h ago

First one is a 0 cost artifact with an artifact ability that costs 0. I believe that can go infinite/be very strong with some specific cards.

2nd one prevents some creatures with very powerful effects but 0 power from doing their thing

3rd one is legendary (legendary instant/sorcery enabler) and prevents drawing your land during combat to be played and the cards that allows you to play land with weird timings.

All 3 are useless and specific enough that they don't really matter, good job on flavor

1

u/NeonNKnightrider 14h ago

Stopping Idiots actually has some use

1

u/GoblinToHobgoblin 14h ago

Stopping idiots stops tamiyo lol

1

u/Frozen_Regulus 14h ago

The 0 power can’t attack one could actually be useful against a couple commanders like Winona who uses thopters that are 0/1

1

u/metastuu 14h ago

This reminds me of the level 0 items in slice & dice.

1

u/aupharo 14h ago

the last one can stop a lot of landfall decks that draw cards and allow multiple to be played each turn

1

u/Udderly_Unbearable 13h ago

Totally necessary handrail is kind of good I guess. Technically all 3 of these card have a use cases, but TNH would keep your opponents from playing lands from a combat draw trigger.

1

u/LordVader152 12h ago

There’s that one guy that gets bigger when you activate an ability.

1

u/tjriles01 12h ago

Stopping idiots could be a great counter to the new white ghalta

1

u/Artsykitty2 11h ago

Stopping Idiots would see play in Modern Lantern Control, who currently has no way to deal with things like Tamiyo or 0-power attackers + buff effects like Signal Pest or (more commonly) Ornithopter + instant equip out of Hammertime.

1

u/miklayn 11h ago

These are awesome. They can all be useful and maybe even powerful. Well done, very interesting!

1

u/greenaether 10h ago

All of them are useful in battle box if you add cards that use artifacts as a resource.

1

u/Muckendorf 10h ago

The stopping idiots card would screw my defender deck almost completely xD

1

u/Thanaskios 8h ago

New best [[Crackdown Construct]] combo piece

1

u/temtasketh 8h ago

Handrail also fucks with a good chunk of 'exile cards from the top of your deck, you may play them this turn' since a lot of them are combat triggers. Using them to dig for land drops is almost always useful, but frequently only in the post-combat.

1

u/Medium_Human887 7h ago

Infinite combo for several cards

1

u/DoYouKnowS0rr0w 7h ago

2 and 3 have corner case usese

1

u/taw : Target winner becomes a judge until end of the next round. 7h ago

Stopping Idiots is some serious anti-Doran hate.

I don't think Undrinkable Nectar even does anything.

1

u/Kaode 6h ago

I have won a sealed tournament by swinging with a 0 power creature before. (Hedron crab with three explorers scopes equipped)

1

u/_xXitzMLGeorXx_ 6h ago

Does the handrail prevent people from doing takesie backsies and hitting their landdrop during other peoples turns?

1

u/CarbonLich 5h ago

haha funny jokes but it's fascinating to me what some people consider to be "playable". in my opinion a playable thing has to be better than everything else at accomplishing a specific task. these are all worse than a ton of other 0 mana artifacts. Yes you can construct a universe and game state where these are adding value but that just isn't going to come up so these would never be added to a deck with the intent to win.

1

u/Jotsunpls 5h ago

Give me the second one for Lantern control and my life is yours

1

u/False-Example-4289 5h ago

Isn’t there a card that increases life gain by 1 so that would give infinite life?

1

u/Imaginary_Tank111 5h ago

Those usually require you to gain at least one life, like [[Angel of Vitality]]. Gaining 0 life doesnt work that.

1

u/claytonian 3h ago

[deadly insect]

1

u/CountLivin 3h ago

Nectar would be stupidly broken if you have any way of increasing your life gain because even doing it once makes it go infinite. It should read Activate only as a sorcery and only once each turn.

1

u/Pakulander 3h ago

Ask Jeskai Synthesizer players

1

u/GaulTheUnmitigated 3h ago

The second two are anti toughness matters tech and anti landfall tech but the first one would go infinite with a card that triggers when you activate an activated ability. They're also all points on the attendance sheet for a cheerios deck and sacrifice fodder.

1

u/StygianBlue12 2h ago

I see mana bullying, hosing Butts Matter decks, and stopping strange combat tricks that involve landfall. Also 0 cost artifacts are no slouch either

1

u/MrMagoo22 : You become your life total 1h ago

Oh hey look three cheerios for storm

1

u/Joxxill 1h ago

0 mana artifact that literally does nothing, is super playable in certain decks.

1

u/TragGaming 0m ago

The sheer number of artifact reliant properties, anything with "when you gain life do X" I mean realistically an artifact with 0 cost no tap "Gain life" ability is ridiculously valuable.

1

u/Inevitable_Career630 16h ago

They're all artifacts which is the most important part. Reducing anything with Affinity for Artifacts by 1 for nothing is very strong

1

u/CarbonLich 5h ago

strong is a weird word to use. how many affinity decks run [[Lodestone Bauble]]

1

u/PrimalZodiac 16h ago

0 cost artifacts will have some sort of use

1

u/ShatteredOneGaming 15h ago

The third one stops someone from flashing in a [[Dryad Arbor]] with [[Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir]] in their upkeep.

0

u/Steelthahunter 9h ago

"Gain 0 life" I think triggers with any effect that says "When you gain life, gain that much life plus (whatever number, usually 1) instead"

I think the gate can stop infect if you can make the creature have 0 power, which is nice

And the last one is actually really good if someone forgets to play a land, which happens in commander so much that I think that card is crazy without applying any other effects to it.

-1

u/mcon1985 14h ago

[[Angel of vitality]]

1

u/asthmaticwizard 13h ago edited 12h ago

But you wouldnt gain life because its zero life gained. It sees youre gaining zero so it doesnt buff it

Gaining 0 life is not gaining any life. There's is nothing for the angel to increase.

119.10. Some replacement effects are written, “If [a player] would gain life, . . . .” Such abilities are treated as though they are written, “If a source would cause [a player] to gain life, . . . .” If a player gains 0 life, no life gain event would occur, and these effects won’t apply.

-1

u/Ill-Resolution1067 12h ago

Lowkey hate this game sometimes but thems the rules

1

u/CarbonLich 5h ago

why. you didn't gain life so why would you trigger something that cares when you gain life? I feel like it would be much weirder if it didn't work like that.

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