Will Willbreaker Break Standard?
Standard forum
Posted on July 16, 2015, 1:09 a.m. by OP_Magikarp
So one card that really caught my eye since being spoiled is Willbreaker. We've seen many other cards that allow you to take control of an opponent's creatures but none quite as easily or on the magnitude that Willbreaker allows.
I know the card is very situational and is open to quite a bit of removal, but can this card see powerful play in standard with the right deck around it? With cards like Icy Blast and Arc Lightning, you can cheaply take over an entire board. Maybe in a control deck where instead of removing your opponent's creatures, you just use them against him/her?
I recently published a deck that tries to do this with Descent of the Dragons but I was just wondering if anyone else sees this as a card that can see play. It can definitely be strong in the right situation.
wakawakawaka says... #3
it is a really powerful card dont get me wrong, but it's a five drop and it dies to virtually every removal spell in standard with the exception of Wild Slash which is a bit troublesome.
also Willbreaker is only effective against decks saturated with creatures.
additionally even if you blow them out with Glimpse the Sun God-style effects, they can blow you out just as easily with instant speed removal if you don't have a sac outlet, Lightning Greaves-style effects, or a counterspell.
July 16, 2015 1:35 a.m.
Dalektable says... #4
Will a 2/3 that costs 5 mana that does nothing as it hits the board and dies to virtually all removal in the format break said format...no, certainly not. It's a fun card, and your deck is cute and I like it but this card will never see competitive play.
July 16, 2015 1:43 a.m.
OP_Magikarp says... #5
Now what if you Chord for it so it enters at instant speed and have other things on the battlefield such as Kiora's Follower and Whirler Rogue to instantly take creatures?
July 16, 2015 1:51 a.m.
The biggest thing against it, it has 3 toughness. So it dies to Lightning Strike, Bile Blight, Languish, Stoke the Flames, Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker, and so many other cards. It's way too fragile for what it does.
July 16, 2015 2:08 a.m.
Sounds like you're playing a ton of bad cards to work off a combo that doesn't win you the game necessarily and is easy to disrupt
July 16, 2015 2:36 a.m.
It's an absolutely broken card in limited, but completely unplayable in any constructed format.
July 16, 2015 3:53 a.m.
See, this is why I like Modern so much. I don't even have to think about whether a 5-drop 2/3 is playable (unless the ability states: you win the game this turn), because clearly it is not. However people have tried crazier things... Oh you Johnnies, never getting real :)
July 16, 2015 5:10 a.m.
notamardybum says... #10
That card has too much flavor for its own good...should be mythic to piss people off.
This card is terrible
July 16, 2015 1:16 p.m.
It is going to be a fun card for riku edh. But it will by no means break standard.
July 16, 2015 1:29 p.m.
UpperDeckerTaco says... #12
This card I would imagine to be a lot better in an Aura related EDH deck. It just isn't all that great in standard. It's too slow, too vulnerable and requires you to basically build a deck almost around him.
July 16, 2015 5:39 p.m.
TheFoilAjani says... #13
There is currently a deck that #1ed on tappedout using Willbreaker.
July 27, 2015 1:28 a.m.
compudragon says... #14
willbreaker to Chandra's fury would be fun if not viable for constructed
xlaleclx says... #2
Card is pretty much strictly unplayable in constructed.
July 16, 2015 1:24 a.m.