Prowling Serpopard (1GG)
Creature - Cat Snake
Prowling Serpopard can't be countered.
Creature spells you control can't be countered.
4/3
Playable? Where would it go? Guaranteed to drop 4/3 for 3 that will guarantee all your other creatures drop...
Rhetorical question...why is this better than cavern of souls in relevant decks?
That said, a 4/3 body for 3 is nothing to sneeze at!
In love with the art/flavor, but not thinking this is a relevant ability. People tried really hard to make Vexing Shusher matter, but it never did (and Shusher stops you from countering ANYTHING). Since that time, the format has changed in ways that make that effect even worse. According to MtgGoldfish, the most played counterspells in vintage are:
Force of Will
Mental Misstep
Mindbreak Trap
Flusterstorm
Pyroblast
Only Force of Will and Mindbreak Trap can even target 2-3 drop creatures anyway, and Serpopod doesn't even stop Mindbreak Trap. Blue decks just don't use counterspells to deal with creatures - they use removal like Swords to Plowshares, blockers like Monastery Mentor/Snapcaster Mage, sweepers like Supreme Verdict/Toxic Deluge , and just going over the top and ignoring them.
1GG for a 4/3 isn't a terrible deal, but chances are you can do better in vintage. I suspect most of the time you're going to wish you had a Tarmogoyf in hand instead - if not something else entirely.
New printings always get my creative (terrible) juices flowing though, and green hasn't had a playable printing in quite some time. Doesn't mean this one makes the cut, however it does get me thinking... ETB tricks? Green creature-based combo?
Shusher existing and unplayed is a good point.
Sanctum Prelate does this same thing in a better color with a better creature type. Gaddock Teeg and Grand Abolisher do it better for less mana. The extra power matters, but not enough.
@Dumpsterac1d
I would classify Leovold as certainly a playable for decks that have Green in them.
The effect is certainly interesting, but on a 3-drop and in the current metagame of Vintage? Not so much. There are just far better things you can be doing with 3-mana. I would probably play TNN or Leovold over Anticountersnek if I was looking for a 3-drop creature that isn't named Monastery Mentor.
@wappla said in [AKH] Prowling Serpopard:
Sanctum Prelate does this same thing in a better color with a better creature type. Gaddock Teeg and Grand Abolisher do it better for less mana. The extra power matters, but not enough.
I agree. This is a really good card that just isn't good enough for the format. It is something we would have really loved back in the days of "Draw, Go" in Standard, but times have certainly changed.
Back when Green mages like Jamie Wakefield would play cards like Scragnoth people would have been absolutely blown away by the Serpopard SnakeCat.
Times have changed though. A 4/3 for 1GG isn't as amazing as it would have been back then. It's a great card though, and I hope it does well in other formats.
In the deck ran by brian kelly recently I could see this as a singleton for a gsz target. In that scenerio with diffetent creature types, it would play the role of a singleton cavern with quite a better role I would think.
We all agree this isn't good. If you green sun for 3 and plop down anything but Leovold, Hydra or maybe a Trygon Predator your opponent is likely breathing a sigh of relief. As a thought exercise about how bad not Thorn/Prison or Token making creatures are right now what would this guys stats have to be?
4/4 Trample? I bet that doesn't do it. 5/3 First Strike? Boltable but with bolt on the wane he at least gets better in his worst matchup (thorn).
@nedleeds If it had first strike maybe it could be good since it blocks everything in the format aside from Smasher or a really busted Mentor turn.
