Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Twiddle: The Swiss Army Knife.


"Twiddle doesn't see play because you touch yourself at night"-Gary J Steffen Jr.


Cards with multiple forms I call modular cards (not to be confused with the Mirrodin Block mechanic). Before the charms existed, cards with a wide variety of use and versatility was actually kind of rare. No one Bolt's there Fungusaur to give it +1/+1, it's almost always used offensively. The same could be said for Swords, though I at least seen that used to keep someone alive before (against creature less burn).

Twiddle is one such card, it's a simple, deceptively complicated card, that has almost infinite applications, much like the Swiss Army Knife I compare it to.

In all it's simple elegant glory.


I will get lots of flack, when I dare say, Twiddle is the most underrated card in the entire format. It's name, which means to change something minor, or to fiddle with something pointlessly, does exactly that. This card does exactly that, which for the cheap price of a blue, taps or untaps and artifact creature or land.



Here is a list of the things Twiddle can be used, both offensively and defensively.

Offensively:

Tap down a would be attacker/blocker (especially Colossus of Sardia)
Tempo disadvantage from tapping a land during the upkeep
Tapping down a 'cost rock' like Vault or Monolith
 Untapping a value land, such as Tron/Workshop
An Extra Draw off of Library
Makes Factory a 4/4 defender for one turn
Untapping a Time Vault (the best use)
Getting a second creature off Rubinia/Sea Singer

Defensively:
Saving a creature from Royal Assassin
Turning Off/On an artifact like Howling Mine/Winter Orb
Untapping a creature as a combat trick (plus Leviathan)
Second Maze Effect
Tapping a Erg Raider


It also synergizes with the following cards really well:
Siren's Call/Nettling Imp
Paralyze
Sirens Call
Disc (allowing you to use it in a pinch)
Royal Assassin

Sure time hasn't been as good as it use to be, you can no longer fog a blocking creature with it, and it doesn't turn off every artifact anymore. However, I feel it's still absurd that it doesn't see any play.

Playability: 5/5.


Art:

The art of Alexander is always breath taken. This is no exception. It's pretty amazing, however the best part is the debate on what is going on. Is the Island tapped down, out of mana, or is it the jellyfish? Is the Jellyfish simply being untapped? It's the perfect art for such a metaphysical effect.

In reality, the art was commissioned as a land, but got put on this instead.  (https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/ask-wizards-november-2006-2006-11-01).

4/5

Flavor: The idea that it's a 'small change' works well with what it does. It does something extremely minor, changing the state of a permanent, but it's such an important and amazing effect. I'd dare say, this card views what magic was intended to be, a card of small effect with numerous application.

4/5


Conclusion: I hope you all try out this gem, whether it's in casual brews or tournament uses. I promise, you won't regret it.


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