And so we come to the Saviors card preview. You may have noticed a pattern with my past cards: Konda, Lord of Eiganjo in Champions, Toshiro Umezawa in Betrayers. There are plenty of characters to choose from, and though I could discuss Mochi (I won’t, but I will say that he mimics the ability of a classic artifact), the storyline demands that Michiko get the honor this time around. It’s a neat progression, one that might not have come about had original plans to have all three top tier characters in Champions gone through (just as Kentaro, the Smiling Cat was originally Toshi, so Masako the Humorless – or at least her ability – was originally Michiko). I could go on and on about her character: her independence, determination, and skill. But I know you all want to see the actual card, so without further ado, here it is.
Now this is what Karmic Justice should’ve been! Michiko, as we’ve seen her in the novels, is a woman with a lot of strength, but one who never uses that strength in an aggressive fashion unless forced to. Her card is a perfect reflection of that aspect of her character. She just sits on the table as a 2/2 white creature, unless your foe makes a move against you. Then the gloves are off!
Obviously, Michiko puts a big hurt on a weenie strategy that needs few lands. Those decks will only get to hit with its small creatures once, then they go bye-bye, or else lose some of its precious lands. But observe that her ability triggers off of any damage, not just combat damage! That means “pingers” like Frostwielder become a less attractive option in a stalemate, and cards like Honden of Infinite Rage lose a good deal of their effectiveness. Those annoying damage-dealing permanents will probably be Michiko’s first victims! There are plenty of decks and strategies out there that depend on dealing small amounts of damage many times over. Michiko quietly puts a rather big kibosh on those plans.
Michiko may be a purely reactive card, but that doesn’t limit her general usefulness nearly as much as other, similar cards. Even if your opponents don’t play the decks she’s best against, her mere presence can make them think twice about counterattacks and direct damage. Making foes doubt their next move is always a good thing, and Daimyo Konda’s daughter does that in spades. Play her in your next game and watch your enemy start to think a little harder!
There are so many twists, turns, and surprises in the Saviors of Kamigawa story that it’s hard to go into too much detail without ruining something. But trust me: you’ll be amazed at what both novel and cardset have in store. The folks in R&D have made Kamigawa’s third act one to remember, so make sure you have a front row seat for it.
引用元
SAVING GRACE - TAKING A LAST LOOK AT KAMIGAWA? Posted in Feature on May 9, 2005
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/saving-grace-taking-last-look-kamigawa-2005-05-09
《真実を求める者、今田魅知子/Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker》のプレビューです。
ダメージを与えられるたびにパーマネントを生け贄に捧げさせる能力は、ストーリーでの彼女が、強大な力を持ちながらも、必要に迫られない限りはそれ攻撃的に使うことがない、という性格であることをよく表しているとのことです。
また、こうした受け身な破壊効果は白らしいでしょう。
プレビューにおいては、《霊体の正義/Karmic Justice》と比較されています。
能力的には「あなたがコントロールするクリーチャーでないパーマネントを破壊される」が「あなたにダメージが与えられる」に置き換わったようなものだと言えます。
比較するカードの名前は、なんとも皮肉ではありますが。
補足
記事として取り上げることはありませんが、神河のことが触れられているものについて、付記しておきます。
安価デッキ構築向けの、『神河物語』『神河謀叛』の優良コモンカード
INTERLUDE: KAMIGAWA’S COMMONS REVIEW Posted in Building on a Budget on May 9, 2005
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/building-budget/interlude-kamigawa%E2%80%99s-commons-review-2005-05-09
マローのブログより。神河に対するネガティブな評価の１つが、スピリットが奇抜で不気味に見える、ということでした。
https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/662894222685388800/was-a-negative-review-of-original-kamigawa-block
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