There's a few things I like about this card. Before I start, note that I'm considering it from the vantage of functional possibility, which is usually my strategy in deck design (and if not, it was a failure in the game design). This card poses the potential of synergies, but whether or not it actually would work well (especially in Standard) will remain a mystery, because I haven't tested it yet (to test every possibility would be impossible, given time constraints, and natural fatigue). I like the idea of "party" bonuses, and will be interested to try some of these "party"-related cards myself. This one is an old ability, "Detain" from Return to Ravnica, I believe. The question is, WHY would you use it? Answer that with something outstanding, and you might have a great deck design in the works. It all depends on whether the deck you started designing really needed it, or how it would help you dominate play. First of all, it restricts you to CREATING said "party", which will be a feat in itself. You would want to ensure the creation of such as quickly as you can, so incorporating even amounts of each creature type is necessary. This dictates deck design in a very absolute way. Then, considering the limitations (especially in Standard), we will find that possibilities for your resulting decklist won't be very malleable - So, it would have been up to the game designers to ensure that everything worked out well. Unfortunately, I doubt that they did. You'd have a better chance at finding something that worked in Historic formats, but it still may be a lucky find. All that, of course, is in consideration of the "party"-bonus. Question being, why do you need to "detain" your opponents non-land permanents? It's always a nice boon, no doubt, but what would make your deck superior for having that ability? Other than that, the card is a nice creature for a low converted cost, and sacrificing it (if necessary) isn't at all unthinkable. Given the wild nature of play in the current game, having the option of protecting your creature force with either hexproof or indestructible is an essential tool. I always look for ways of using those abilities when relying on a force of creatures. Determining the new Linvala's usefulness will be a matter of your own trial and error. |
