What is Boros Reckoner so popular?
Standard forum
Posted on March 9, 2013, 10:57 a.m. by Hatterj
If I'm thinking about it right why is Boros Reckoner considered so useful? It can take one decent hit of damage, it sends it back, then dies. It doesn't prevent or redirect the damage, so its a creature eqivilant of a 3 cost burn spell to a player or just an Avenging Arrow am I wrong?
The fact it pings damage back severely restricts the way you can kill it effectively and economically. Red burn spells will come back at you. Combat damage will come back at you. Even using Pacifism on it doesn't do much because the opponent can still use it as a tool to ping damage onto you with the likes of Blasphemous Act and others.
March 9, 2013 11:11 a.m.
Phobophile says... #4
yes you're wrong.
Boros reckoner is a cool card, but the reason it is overpriced right now is because of the standard metagame.
he makes combat awkward for everyone, is great in aggro, and can be a win condition with Harvest Pyre.
March 9, 2013 11:15 a.m.
Bobgalarneau says... #5
Not to mention he infinite-life combo with Boros Charm and Simic Charm
March 9, 2013 11:21 a.m.
Bobgalarneau says... #7
With any undestructible and lifelink spells.... And there are some in current standard
March 9, 2013 11:24 a.m.
NobodyPicksBulbasaur says... #8
Yeah but nobody plays the infinite combo. At least not as a main win condition. Sometimes your Azorius Charm and Boros Charm just line up nicely.
One of the main reasons he is so strong right now is that he hoses the super aggro decks, and also stops Thragtusk dead in its tracks. Even now that less people use Thrag, that's a big deal.
March 9, 2013 11:48 a.m.
Schuesseled says... #9
It's a great creature in it's own right, with Nearheath Pilgrim and Boros Charm you have a viable, strong and consistent infinite loop combo, and even if you wcan't trigger the combo, Boros Charm is a great card in it's own right as is Nearheath Pilgrim.
All together it's an excellent grouping of cards, and that's why boros reckoner has become so popular, and incidentally so expensive.
March 9, 2013 1:59 p.m.
Other shenanigans with infinite life, Blasphemous Act aside. Boros Reckoner is good because it's all but a guaranteed 2 for 1. Your one card trades for two of theirs, and in Magic card advantage wins games more often than not.
March 9, 2013 2 p.m.
RedCloud2012 says... #11
I believe more people are either boarding more removal for him or counters, and or playing him themselves making him hard to win because of and driving down his price. One more cheap costed removal comes out in dragons maze and his popularity will wither further like messenger did after everyone and thier grandmother was running 3-4 pillars of flame. Currently he's on the decline because everyone is playing him making him less threatening like when every deck started running thragtusk in every deck. The end result was even good players were going to time and 5 turns getting draws and not winning and so fell thragtusk from almost 30 bucks. Give boros reckoner a month and he will level at about 12 bucks I predict. Reasons to run him now are as stated above...he is too good and that makes him command the meta and makes cards previously tossed in the trash like blasphlemous act good.
March 9, 2013 2:56 p.m.
While we are all talking about Boros Reckoner, let me ask this. Is it viable to play him in a u/w deck? I know he sees a lot fo play in American decks, but I am not using the burn and don't have the mana base, but I really do liek the card a lot. If it a bad idea to run him in a deck with no red even thoguh he can be played for triple white?
March 9, 2013 3:53 p.m.
capriom85 Depends on how much white is in the mana base. The card is good enough that you're not disappointed to see it a turn or two late, but if like only 1/2 of the mana base can produce white so you're looking at several turns late probably not.
March 9, 2013 3:56 p.m.
Schuesseled says... #14
Agreed, he's fine in a deck that is mostly white, i.e. one that splashes blue, but otherwise he's gonna be a pain to get out.
March 9, 2013 4:04 p.m.
i have been playtesting and I can have it out consistantly by turn 4-5, sometimes sooner if the dual lands are in my favor.
March 9, 2013 9:17 p.m.
Schuesseled says... #16
He's a turn 3 card, so that's not actually consistent, consistently slow perhaps. Run him if you like, but don't count on him when you need him.
March 10, 2013 6:50 a.m.
Boros Charm: make him indestructible, Nearheath pilgrim: give him lifelink. Then into the maw of hell upon him. Basically, he wont die, opponent loses 13 life, and you gain 13. A dirty combo. Thats just one example of something you can do with a reckoner. He is very popular because there is so much room for combos with him. At least thats why I like him. the possibilities are endless.
March 10, 2013 9:56 a.m.
You just need to see him fighting along side domri rade to see how devastating he can get.
ChiefBell says... #2
Usually the Q and A is for rules related questions. Regardless of that -
It's a 3 drop 3/3. If that was all it would be considered ok as it is but it has waaay more positive points.
A very easy to achieve casting cost (red OR white for either). Making it achievable in many decks.
The ability to have first strike. A first striking 3/3 is very powerful defensively and as a neat combat trick in offense.
It renders all the opponents 2/2 creatures obsolete. It's not just a case of it successfully blocking one but that if it does it allows you to kill another. This can severely thin out the board in your favour.
March 9, 2013 11:10 a.m.