[AER] Walking Ballista
-
Walking Ballista
XX
Artifact Creature - Construct
Walking Ballista enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.
4: Put a +1/+1 counter on Walking Ballista.
Remove a +1/+1 counter: Walking Ballista deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
0/0Potentially competes with Hangarback Walker and/or Triskelion in Ravager-based Workshops lists.
-
I think we finally have a winner. Other than at the 6cc slot, this is a pretty nice challenger (upgrade?) to Trike.
Better low end flexibility
Better end game flexibility
Great sink for unused mana in the midgame/Tangle Wire
Way better against Dack Fayden.Looking forward to running this guy.
Unless you're on Welder, I think this definitely nudged Trike out (aside from the new borders, obviously).
-
Wow, this is easily my favorite card in the set thus far! I would definitely give this a go in my shops deck.
-
This IS an upgrade to Trike, right? I know Trike survives after taking counters out, but is that better than being more flexible AND being able to add counters? Just wow.
-
@fsecco said in [AER] Walking Ballista:
This IS an upgrade to Trike, right? I know Trike survives after taking counters out, but is that better than being more flexible AND being able to add counters? Just wow.
Not a strict upgrade, but an upgrade in most cases. Not as useful with phyrexian metamorph and goblin welder, and baselevel worse if casting for 5-7 mana. But in most other way, better.
-
@joshuabrooks It also has a worse interaction with Eldrazi Displacer, which is ultimately really bad.
-
This guy is even better now. Surprising how little attention he has gotten.
-
Rechargable Trisk with flexibility - nice. Only issue that could be a prob at this time is negative interaction with displacer.
-
I'm still felling that being able to play him for 2 to kill Pyromancer or for 4 to "kill" Mentor is really really really good.
-
You also play it for 0 to kill Bridges, so that's cool too.
-
Really interested in this one. The potential for early interaction is a big plus for me. Plus the interaction with trawler looks promising. What can I get away with mana wise to squeeze in 4 welders into my deck?
Still like trike for that reason. -
This guy seems really strong. He's -1/-1 from Trike at six mana. But he's better at 4 mana and 8 mana. Being able to pump him is nice, too. If only he were available in Original Border Trashcan flavor.
-
I've seen people test Steel Overseer on MODO with Walker + Ravager + Triskelion, and now I wonder if that's really what you should be doing now that you have another creature that synergizes and can reliably come down the turn after you play Steel Overseer.
Taking inspiration from CLYDE THE GLIDE DREXLER's list linked here, you could try something like:
4 Arcbound Ravager
2 Hangarback Walker
1 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Steel Overseer
2 Triskelion
4 Walking Ballista17 standard shops lands, minus a Factory or something.
14 standard lock pieces
8 standard artifact mana -
Curious to see if you can fit Trawler in there for recursion as it connects with over a dozen of the creatures.
-
This post is deleted! -
outstanding card is outstanding. Very good at killing Delvers and Pyromancers.
Allows shops to play thought cards like moat and ensnaring bridge.
I've long said Steel Overseer should be played in Vintage. However, the problem is the more activated abilities on artifacts, the more the deck scoops to null rod.
-
Wow. Does this just flat-out displace Trike AND Hangerback Walker?
-
Hangarback walker wasn't being played because the deck needed an XX creature. Hangarback does lots of things well, especially in combination with smokestack and arcbound ravager.
Scrap Trawler also works amazingly with those cards, and I already have a plan for Legacy affinity. Walking Balista's printing solidifies the deck as an official new tier 1.5 archetype that will need to be developed. (As opposed to this rogue list I was running with the abyss before). This cards printing is bittersweet to me, as much as I needed it, now I won't be the only person on the deck..... a huge advantage in legacy when no net decks exist.
I could see null rod spiking through the roof if legacy affinity takes off. It already should be higher considering it's the lynchpin of budget vintage decks...but I digress.
Another card that is becoming more interesting, but still has a long long way to go is Metaic Mimic.
Also, keep in mind Foundry Inspector is a construct.
Cavern of Souls becomes an important card to focus attention on if a "constructs" list starts popping up in legacy/vintage.
(For the record, I created my legacy affinity list in response to the DCI restricting Lodestone Golem in vintage. #FreeGolem #Forever4Lodes)
-
Thank Garfield he's a Construct. I
Cavern of Souls. The construct tribe is pretty diesel, adding this dude and recently Inspector and Chief. -
Chief might be playable at this rate.
I'd still keeping my fingers crossed they give Shops a mythic before this set is over with.
