Crackling Triton
Scholar of Athreos
Coastline Chimera
Priest of Iroas
Returned Phalanx
deathbellow raider
agent of horizons
setessa griffin
loathsome catoblepas
satyr hedonist

How much difference does having off-color activation for their abilities make?

For the most part, these are all playable as 20th+ cards. I'd always run the raider, the griffin, and the agent.

On-color moves most of these up a couple of slots. Cato and the priest are not very good.

Well **** you too.

I actually played agianst a loathsome catoblepas yesterday. It actually 1 for 1'd me blocking.

I agree with rstnme... phalanx is actually pretty decent even without blue, just because the 2 drops in this set are so miserable.

Scholar of Atheros seems ALOT better in WB. Raider and Agent are the two that will lead me towards their activation colors of black or blue, respectively.
Agent of Horizon's is pretty meh without blue, since the only strength of green is 3/3s for 3.

I would say the hard part about this cycle is deciding whether or not to splash in a land or unicorn or something to activate them.

My issue with phalanx is that being able to attack as a defender doesn't feel blue. maybe red or white

Go back to Flavor and storylines, Vorthos

I drafted the Phalanx once playing UB and it did serious work. I didn't realize that 3/3 on turn 2 is a really powerful board state in this set.

I've seen the Scholar of Athreos close out games. I've rarely seen the others played at all and when they have the off-color ability has been irrelevant.

The only ones I've really liked are the Phalanx, the Raider, the Agent, and the Hedonist. And the only one I like for the ability is the Agent.

Phalanx and Agent are the only two I ever use, cuz I rarely draft outside of BUG.
But those two are pretty good.

I actually had a guy killed by loathsome catoblepas. However, the green activation was not used, I just blocked it.

I drafted a w/b deck this weekend with trip Scholar of Atheros... and trip Yoked Ox.. and double Natalie Portman... and an E-Honda.

The deck turtled hard.

Wait, I got the E. Honda reference, but which card is Natalie Portman?

Natalie Portman must be Ephara's Warden

E. Honda is Silent Artisan? I had to google it.

in b4 penis joke

No, Hundred-handed One!

OMG, it is!

You are correct: Natile Portman is Ephara's Warden and E. Honda is Hundred-Handed One.

Here are some other nicknames:

Akroan Horse is Trojan Man.
Arbor Colossus is Green Giant.
Bident of Thassa is The Fork of Destiny.
Burnished Hart is Explosive Elk.
Gray Merchant is Gary the Insurance Salesman.
Lightning Strike is Searing Spear.
Master of Waves is Horseman.
Polis Crusher is Blitzkrieg.
Polukranos is Polly-wanna-crackus
Prognostic Sphinx is Prostate Sphinx.
Sea God's Revenge doesn't have a nickname other than that sigh of defeat and frustration that we all know, followed by some form of expletive.
Shipbreaker Kracken does not have a nickname, but if you do not say either "I'm releasing the kracken" or "I'm breaking your ships" when you activate monstrosity, you are doing it wrong.

curse of the swine is baconize

In French, "Police" is pronounced the same way as "Polis", so we call him "**** the Police!"