MTG Top 10: Lifelink | Magic: the Gathering | Episode 347

[@NizzahonMagic]

A couple of FAQS (SPOILERS): Q: Why didn't you mention Neoform when talking about Griselbrand? A: Because right now that deck has 0 points. Q: How many points does Lurrus have? A: 17. You have to remember it was only utterly broken for a very short period of time.

[@williammoody4950]

Esikas chariot would like a word with you about vehicles being bad lol

[@NizzahonMagic]

@@williammoody4950 Who said they are bed?

[@williammoody4950]

@@NizzahonMagic I think you said something about vehicles rn are boring, but this video is nearly a year old and your opinion was definitely correct at the time Edit: when talking about aethersphere harvester you said the vehicles we get nowadays are mediocre which was a very correct statement at the time.

[@ninguemsabe3255]

Suggestion: Top 10 gravedigger effects / Top 10 cards with additional cost

[@xblazex650]

Don't even play MTG anymore and I still love these vidz

[@whyareyoutubehandlesathing]

Honestly same, wotc ruined the game, but it's still fun looking at it's history

[@kapitanbeuteltier5889]

@@whyareyoutubehandlesathing eh, Im still having a tremendous amount of fun playing kitchen table with my friends and our local WhatsApp group cannot wait to get started playing FNM and local tournaments again in the next few months once the Covid-numbers go down (hopefully).

[@toastghost9145]

It's a hobby I fall in and out of. Right now I'm in, hence why I'm here.

[@alaraplatt8104]

i love the idea of mtg. i hope one day it can become something developed by fans out of love and care for the game instead of a product pumped out for profit by a corporation

[@TheSquareOnes]

Newer games killed it for me, I've always hated the overly random and clunky mana system and now that there are billions of alternatives it's hard to justify still playing the original. That age obviously comes in MTG's favor for videos like these though, since there is so much history to talk about and catching some glimpses at the current state of the game is interesting as well. Any game can be made better or worse but you can't just manufacture decades of content overnight, y'know?

[@darthrevan4493]

I recently got into mtga and this channel is the sole reason

[@NizzahonMagic]

Awesome!

[@nickbalmes6640]

Dr. Nizzahon out of curiousity, how many points did Lurrus of the Dream-Den accrue especially before the Companion mechanic was altered? I was honestly expecting to see the nightmare kitty here but after seeing the numbers that the cards pn the list have, I'm not so sure anymore hehe 😅

[@NizzahonMagic]

17

[@strawhataddison]

Where's my favorite, Healers Hawk?

[@fidly4]

I was surprised by vault skirge since it's basically healer's hawk but you have to pay two life. But I guess being an artifact counts for a lot (and not costing colored mana counts for something)

[@nickbalmes6640]

@@fidly4 yep the fact that Vault Skirge is an artifact creature makes all the difference

[@ericwollam5532]

I was just coming here to say this :( I even play the bird in commander (Aurelia, the Warleader). It and ajani's pridemate always went hand in hand for me.

[@Vesdus]

In the dumpster, where it belongs.

[@ericwollam5532]

@@Vesdus What's the matter with the bird?

[@hobez64]

Fun Fact - Since Vault Skirge is a double flyer, the only things that can block it are creatures that can get Flying and Reach, like Crystalline Giant

[@sidneypowelstock6812]

Why is it a double flyer?

[@SomersBugtopia]

What? Edit: I hate you for getting me.

[@hyacinthdavidson5924]

@@sidneypowelstock6812 rewatch the vault skirge section of the video - nizzahon calls it a 'flyer with flying'

[@ericleiva]

Saying that a creature is a flyer with flying may be redundant BUT definitely is not the same as a creature having more than one instance of the flying keyword. Also a creature with flying and reach can't block a creature with flying and flying cause the second creature is way higher, duh, you'd need either a creature with reach and reach or a creature with flying and flying to do that.

[@FaustTheThird]

This is really interesting. revisiting the old top tens and seeing what has changed is cool

[@tatesmith4527]

Very surprised Lurrus didn't even say hello! :O

[@NizzahonMagic]

He has 17 points.

[@malign3158]

I know I’ve mentioned it before but I appreciate the addition of the Cardkingdom price at the bottom of the text block

[@Blacturne859]

Man i got whip of erebos in my theros prerelease pool and it was really good with my 5 grey merchants. I wasnt even good at magic then and i still went 3 and 1

[@Michael-ft5bm]

You ran 5 copies of a card? No wonder you did so well. Breaking card limit rules will certainly help your chances.

[@chrayez]

I’m guessing it was a limited event, which means you can play as many as you open

[@wurmcoilengine161]

@@Michael-ft5bm Yeah, card limit doesn't apply in limited events like prerelease(as in this case) or draft.

[@Blacturne859]

@@Michael-ft5bm as the other replies have stated, limited has no card limit. If i pulled 10 somehow i would have been allowed to run all 10.

[@mokujinjb2298]

Very interesting video and very well documented as always. For the viewers could you add an arrow of some sort to show the up or down ranking on the list? Could you color the format points where the cards had gain?

[@corey2232]

I used to hate playing Zendikar + Scars block in Standard... Caw Blade was just around way too long & bannings happened way too late. But seeing all these cards from that era frequent so many lists, I've become nostalgic for something I used to hate! We had Mox Opal, Fetch Lands, Goblin Guide, Lightning Bolt, Vengevine, Stoneforge Mystic, Batterskull, 3 x Swords, Gitaxian Probe, Primeval Titan, Valakut, Inkmoth Nexus, Elesh Norn, Karn Liberated, Dismember, Mana Leak, Steppe Lynx/Platted Geopede, Craterhoof Behemoth, Birds of Paradise, Lotus Cobra, Bloodghast, Fast Lands, Phyrexian Obliterator, Birthing Pod, Splinter Twin... And some asshole blue Planeswalker I can't remember...

[@jamesgratz4771]

Griselbrand lol. Such a good card. He’s literally doom inevitable.

[@stevenbland4035]

I just wish he wasn't banned in commander, as I would love to play him there.

[@jamesgratz4771]

@@stevenbland4035 people would just pay all their life. Draw their whole deck and win lol it’s like necropotence .

[@smashflame2136]

If you're making a Doom reference, then Griselbrand is the f-ing Marauder

[@jamesgratz4771]

@@smashflame2136 he really is. HIS ARM IS AN AXE bro.

[@smashflame2136]

@@jamesgratz4771 he definitely would fit in with all the other arch demons. Razaketh and all of the other Lilianna demons would too, tbh.

[@alexrosales26]

Speaking about batterskull gave me an idea. I don’t know if you have already done it or not but what about top 10 2-card combos? Such as batterskull and stone forge, or painter and grindstone?

[@greywolf7577]

It's a good idea, but might be too hard to pull off. You can't easily search Gatherer to get a list of cards, like you could with lifelink. You'd have to somehow look at every card and find out how often it paired up with each other card. That would be an insane amount of research considering there are something like 25,000 different named cards in Magic. But then you'd have to rule out the pairs that weren't combos (like a forest and any green card) since there are probably a lot of cards that happen to show up in the same decks, but don't really interact with each other all that much. So unfortunately, it's too subjective of a topic.

[@MortonGoldthwait]

Casting Jump on Vault Skirge is one of the best kept secrets in the Legacy meta.

[@chaosbuster1275]

Only one white card, you know, the life gain color, ever made it on this list. Way to balance the game Wizards.

[@thefungus4641]

Black is the life gain color...

[@queencobra7928]

I might be wrong but I believe the majority of lifelink cards are black. but whight has the stronger pure life cards. Just shows how bad life gain is

[@queencobra7928]

Well shit still doesn't change that the biggest reason to run lifelink in a non edh game is because it has other good effects

[@AllisterH]

While one could argue that black should be represented on this list, can anyone explain why WHITE has fewer cards than Artifacts? Looking at that list, I honestly think most of those cards would still garner the same amount of points if you replaced the keyword "lifegain" with any other keyword.

[@stevefink2824]

@@thefungus4641 The Alpha card "Spirit Link" is white

[@josephcurry7710]

woah, murderous rider made it on here and heliod didn't? that's super surprising

[@ericleiva]

Heliod was released during the pandemic, so how's that surprising?

[@josephcurry7710]

@@ericleiva 1. It was released before the pandemic. 2. there's been a substantial number of events that could let a card qualify for this list since the pandemic started. That's how it's surprising.

[@TheGloriousLobsterEmperor]

Well I completely forgot about checking for a video today, mostly since I was building a Lego set and partly because I was too busy fending off Lifelink creatures to try and race my opponent. I'd link my life (whatever that means) to get "Top 10 Vintage Cards (Minus Power 9)" though!

[@davidminor4213]

I was wondering where you were

[@TheGloriousLobsterEmperor]

@@davidminor4213 I try my best to get here early, but I am only crustacean, and fallible.

[@MRMEXICOCITY]

Im surprised lurrus didnt make the cut

[@Argetbrisingr101]

Same, Im curious how many points it has.

[@davidminor4213]

I third this. Where's Lurrus?

[@NizzahonMagic]

17 points.

[@Shawns_snapshots]

Banned too quickly

[@mcd9468]

7:45 double flying! Lol

[@dkznikolaj7013]

Im always wondering how cards that are nr 1 on the list like batterskull worked during its time in standard... Hey, i have an idea for a list: Top 10 cards that did bad in standard but was amazing in more powerful formats.

[@DaveyDAKFAE]

AKA top 9: dredge and storm cards, then Force of Will at #1

[@davidminor4213]

That price on Baneslayer Angel, my god have times changed. Not that I'm complaining of course

[@superbaas8822]

Having received a recent reprint and not really affecting standard helps a lot with the price.

[@sallomon2357]

The playability of Baneslayer Angel, a keyword bomb, in *Standard* , a format which generally should have the lowest power level because of a limited card pool, shows just how much Wizards upped the power level...

[@nickbalmes6640]

Walletslayer Angel no more

[@grandogrando6505]

You could use the new white anthem that boosts a tribe from kaldheim, and choose germ. That means when you bounce batterskull you keep the creature.

[@akravos]

I'm curious where murderous rider falls on an updated knights list.

[@DanteInformal]

Honestly shocked that Heliod Sun Crowned didn't make the list. I thought Heliod/Ballista way still a force to be reckoned with in Modern, even though it got banned out of Pioneer.

[@54321eclipse12345]

Aren't most of those new Grislebrand points from Neo-Brand? Where you used an Allosaurus Rider with Neoform?

[@NizzahonMagic]

It has 0 points in that deck.

[@irou95]

Lurrus should at least get a mention as it was the most played card in every format and most likely the best card of all time

[@cuttlefish6839]

Got 17 points apparently

[@atlys258]

Wow, it's pretty frickin wild that both 2nd & 3rd place from 2017 fell off the list entirely, and were out-scored by 2021's 10th place in only 1.5yrs... 🤯

[@davidemelia6296]

Wizards just have to keep on raising the bar on power-levels, or people won't buy every single set that comes out :D

[@davidemelia6296]

Wow, amazing, the reason this time wasn't entirely because of increasingly pushed cards. :D

[@crap1521]

I feel like a top 10 artifact and enchantment removal video would be interesting

[@weegeelinguini3704]

He already did that

[@crap1521]

@@weegeelinguini3704 Sick! I wasn't able to find it yesterday but I finally found it

[@DeeperWithDiego]

These are objectively good videos.

[@NizzahonMagic]

Glad you like them!

[@tommysagemar]

Love these updates!!

[@n.m5253]

So is murderous rider already the most played zombie ever? Checking your top ten zombies list from a few months ago it would have the most points but I don't know how much points gurmag angler has made since then.

[@davidminor4213]

I assure you that Gurmag is still #1. Although it does see considerable less play with most of us playing Jund and Rakdos over Grixis Shadow (Scourge and Lurrus, and Goyf in Jund). Rider was seeing some play in Jund before Scourge essentially took Traverse's slot. 4c, however, still runs Traverse, so it's always interested in a removal "creature spell". 4c is the least common rn after Mardu tho

[@latsblaster]

I don't get this talk about baneslayer and cawblade. Did the card really got points in 2011? Caw blade had Sun titan sometimes and sometimes the con-Overkill draw more cards than you-sphinx. Can't recall the angel there.

[@NizzahonMagic]

Yep, I must have just made it up. /s

[@Wrightkov]

Im surprised legions landing didnt make it

[@darkevan-qk3si]

When wurmcoil is PUT INTO GRAVEYARD

[@monarkswinter461]

Batterskull & Stoneforge Mystic.. Name a more iconic duo, I'll wait

[@carloserausquinhoyos3298]

channel fireball

[@DarkX64]

Strip Mine Crucible of Worlds

[@emilio9129]

Turn one Thoughtseize and Salt

[@thelunchlady8276]

Mork & Mindy.

[@techoutsider5631]

exquisite blood and sanguine bond

[@mojoemagic420]

If only Lightning Helix said "Lifelink"... i think it may have won beaten up BatterSkull. PS: I expect Lurrus to rise up next list. Dang Rogues/Cycling in standard.

[@MyCommentsRMaturelol]

What difference would that make?

[@mojoemagic420]

@@MyCommentsRMaturelol lightning helix has seen and sees a lot of top level play.

[@jfb-]

How many points does Lurrus have?

[@NizzahonMagic]

17

[@jonathantillian6528]

My money is on Healer's Hawk. Just cause.

[@potatopandatv]

Sacrificing a creature counts towards life link?

[@NizzahonMagic]

No?

[@matthewcormier7214]

Sup from Calgary Canada :D

[@mikechurchill1071]

Love it

[@davidminor4213]

Hello, Nizzahon, I also want to ask about Lurrus

[@NizzahonMagic]

17 points.

[@davidminor4213]

@@NizzahonMagic appreciate it

[@blitzkrogg2589]

I thought grisslebrand was banned in legacy?

[@NizzahonMagic]

Nope

[@GuitarraLegendaria]

Only 1 white card, but green is the most color pie eater

[@SethBeastable]

I enjoy these videos. But I'm not sure I can handle 4+ ads on one video.

[@davidminor4213]

I can. It means one of my favorite youtubers is getting paid.

[@marcoottina654]

interesting that just one of them is white and there's no Archangel of Thune

[@nonameimpotantlive9233]

greate vedio

[@shyumby]

no words about neoform when speaking about ways to cheat him into play :'( modern t1 win was cool cya ssg (simian spirit guide)

[@NizzahonMagic]

I posted a pinned comment about this. Neobrand decks have 0 points

[@shyumby]

@@NizzahonMagic i speak about mentioning it not that it whould make brand have more points :/

[@NizzahonMagic]

I don't normally mention a deck though unless the deck has actually top 8'd a major event. Otherwise I would spend lots of time talking about all kinds of decks

[@shyumby]

@@NizzahonMagic my pojnt is just mentioning neoform as a way to cheat out grislebrand not mention the deck just the way to cheat him out

[@Ahdbfbfbeh]

I hope magic phases out plabeswalkers

[@ericleiva]

You didn't mention Neoform when talking about Griselbrand...

[@fidly4]

Neobrand combo is iconic, but clearly not very impactful since Griselbrand only has 3 points in modern and given that he was also reanimated with Goryo's vengeance in modern, I don't know how many of those are even from Neobrand.

[@NizzahonMagic]

It has 0 points in that deck.

[@JaimeAGB-pt4xl]

Sad to see how White can't even win (barely in the list, no top3 is white) in list that is supposed to have its specialty

[@taylorolson6228]

comment for algorythm

[@giovanninicolis7722]

Can somebody tell me why "Serra Ascendant" isn't banned in commander? I mean, a turn 1 6/6 with flying and lifelink is too powerful

[@chaosbuster1275]

Because in a 4 player game, that means there are 3 chances of the Ascendant being removed each turn. Now in 1v1 commander, this card is banned.

[@ranchangu]

There are several more brutal turn 1s. Several. And the card is dead if you dip below 30 life before you draw into it. It has its risks if you decide to run it Its strong, very much so, but it's fair in 4-Way Free-for-all

[@irou95]

Commander has lot's of turn1 kills

[@ranchangu]

@@irou95 i wouldn't say a lot, but they exist. There's not a lot that's banned for being too strong in the first place anyways

[@adancein]

I'd also say because in Commander, the chance of having a specific card in your starting hand is pretty low. It's just not something you can consistently rely on. With 100-card singleton, it's a lot harder to begin the game with that specific turn one in comparison to other formats.

[@Ravenlations]

Funny to see that lifelink is not elegible to the lifelink top 10

[@PokeBattlerJaze]

Batterskull, like come on now. Edit: Yup

[@superbaas8822]

Caw Blade alone will keep Batterskull on this list for decades.

[@PokeBattlerJaze]

@@superbaas8822 Exactly.

[@leonardotokarski2604]

Mtg rats pleeeeease

[@vinnythewebsurfer]

It’s pretty depressing to see Baneslayer’s irrelevancy in standard which just shows how far things have come where it was considered ahead of its time and now it’s considered basically Garbage because it doesn’t have an ETB that wins the game.

[@NizzahonMagic]

As I pointed out, she sees play in Modern, so I think if the meta is right she could be at least kind of relevant

[@jdodson4421]

I wanted to see my boi Vito on the list. Lol

[@mdover2948]

so lifegain has become op because of Magic going digital. Which is fine. Just bring back mana burn then, cowards.

[@distranthegloriouslydeform9259]

Fucckkk that.

[@jamesgratz4771]

0/10 not enough sultai thassas Oracle. Git gud bro