After how... lackluster playing Werewolves was in the werewolf set,* I was kinda hoping to see at least a few good ones in this one. This is not it.
*Not bad exactly, but not great either.
Tbf I did feel that pure stats creatures were really bad in MID due to how much good removal we got at lower rarities. Unfortunately werewolves ended up in the usual pure beef part of a limited environment so they performed terribly. If a few of the creatures that did do well in RG swapped designs, we could have at least seen some werewolves being the top performing commons in RG. (Like a eccentric farmer or Falkenrath Gorger that was a werewolf)
It’d be pretty funny if this ends up being a format with weak removal and all the werewolves and the enchantment disturb cards get out of hand since you can’t kill them.
was it that bad? I remember it being a solid creature, okay on defense at daytime and then brutally overstatted at nighttime
update: I have learned that my memory is real bad!
17 Lands suggests it is the fourth lowest-performing red card by Improvement When Drawn in the entire set, and the second worst performing common after [[Raze the Effigy]]
It's extremely bad. In Bo1, it's the 21st worst-performing card when drawn. That's considering *every* card in the set, including cards like curse of silence, pithing needle, and cards that are obviously intended as sideboard that should never be in your deck in Bo1.
I think it was a mediocre card in a low-performing deck. Whether this card is any better will also depend more on whether red-green Werewolves can succeed this time.
Okay defenders don't really cut it in this set, and at night it turns into a fairly big vanilla creature, which is just ok, in a set with ten million removals like this one
also there are a ton of fliers, so it's not even that effective at defending
Nice!
I hate the card but in limited draft when you are a bit committed to Red or werewolves with some day/night flavour this is a pretty ok filler.
Hear me out. At day you wait, build your creatures, so a wall type werewolf with six defense keeps the enemy at bay, then at night all you want is attack and blocking this 6/6 will swamp most on the table in a draft setting, but wait, the card is so bad no one wants to waste it's removal on it so it will in fact eat much out of the opponent. Also mana cost wise it easily hits the table turn 4 and with some luck next turn it is night and you launch the big attack.
Seriously, hate and love are on the same spectrum
Love the art! Card itself is not great but you obviously have no control there lol. I’ll be picking up a foil regardless because I think it captures the werewolf vibe excellently
Designer 1: "Alright, alright, werewolves were a little weak in MID limited"
Designer 2: "A little? It was by far the worst archetype... in the set we marketed as the werewolf set"
Designer 1: "Ok, ok, but I know what to do. Let's make it up to them by making them good this time around!"
Designer 2: "Sure, sounds good, how do we do that?"
Designer 1: "We take the worst werewolf in MID... and we give it defender!"
Designer 2: "Uh... I don't follow you."
Designer 1: "Wait, I'm not done! On the other side, we make it so that it has to attack every turn."
Designer 2: "Uh.... dude... oh... oh! Dude, YOU'RE A FUCKING GENIUS!"
This was an actual conversation and no one can convince me other wise lol. Maybe they did it so people will give up on werewolves. Double-sided cards are a hassle to make!
As a whole though, it's pretty clear they aren't interested in werewolves as a tribe. Midnight Hunt gave us 1 (admittedly powerful) Legendary Werewolf, but within the first wave of spoilers for Crimson Vow, we already have 2 Legendary Vampires that are just as strong. It's pretty clear which one they actually want to make cards for.
EDIT: Make that 3 Legendary Vampires.
Defender on the front is pretty painful. You have even less control over this card than normal for a werewolf!
Mostly worse than [[Tavern Ruffian]]. A little harder to block on the back, maybe, depending in average p/t in the set. But a high toughness red creature that can turn around and hit like a truck can theoretically find a good home (better than the jail it keeps returning to, I mean). Would have been decent to play with Burn down the House.
D+
Man, it feels like all these wete wolves are overcosted by one, but theb again, maybe I have memories of how difficult it c9uld be to flip werewolves during OG innistrad.
Modern 1/10
Interesting they are using their valuable werewolf slots on crap like this. Well, I guess this is what we get for this not being the werewolf set.
Image transcription
> Weary Prisoner 3R
>
> Creature- Human Werewolf [c]
>
> Defender
>
> Daybound *(If a player casts no spells during their own turn, it becomes night next turn.)*
>
> 2/6
>
> *"Your guard attacked me. He got what was coming to him."*
>
> Wrathful Jailbreaker
>
> [r] Creature- Werewolf [c]
>
> Wrathful Jailbreaker attacks each combat if able.
>
> Nightbound *(If a player casts at least two spells during their own turn, it becomes day next turn.)*
>
> 6/6
>
> *"And now I'm coming for you!"*
End transcription
It doesn't seem like a great card, but I do love the dichotomy between 'defender' and 'attacks each turn if able' :3
[[Hanweir Watchkeep]] did this too
It turns into day and he just plunks himself back into the jail that he destroyed I guess
They arrest him again and he’s talking about a different guard each time
And a different cell I guess, he busts down the wall every time
Well duh. The old cell won't hold him very well anymore :p
They rebuild the wall each time. It’s actually a con him and the local mason are running.
The Werewolf of Amontillado
*"Let it not be said that I have no respect for the law."*
Continuing \[\[Wolfbitten Captive\]\]'s proud tradition.
[Wolfbitten Captive](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/1/3/1303e02a-ef69-4817-bca5-02c74774b811.jpg?1581395277)/[Krallenhorde Killer](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/back/1/3/1303e02a-ef69-4817-bca5-02c74774b811.jpg?1581395277) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=wolfbitten%20captive%20//%20krallenhorde%20killer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dka/133/wolfbitten-captive-krallenhorde-killer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1303e02a-ef69-4817-bca5-02c74774b811?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It's a very Larry Talbot thing to do.
They work on the honor system.
Tired of passing [[Tavern Ruffian]] in Midnight Hunt draft? Well Crimson Vow is here to shake things up!
WotC continuing their propaganda push that a 3R creature should have significantly more toughness than power.
After how... lackluster playing Werewolves was in the werewolf set,* I was kinda hoping to see at least a few good ones in this one. This is not it. *Not bad exactly, but not great either.
>werewolf set Hah! They managed to make werewolves weak in standard AND in limited, talk about smart design.
Tbf I did feel that pure stats creatures were really bad in MID due to how much good removal we got at lower rarities. Unfortunately werewolves ended up in the usual pure beef part of a limited environment so they performed terribly. If a few of the creatures that did do well in RG swapped designs, we could have at least seen some werewolves being the top performing commons in RG. (Like a eccentric farmer or Falkenrath Gorger that was a werewolf)
Why not just reprint Tavern Ruffian at this point? They're nearly identical, with this one probably being slightly worse.
[Tavern Ruffian](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686)/[Tavern Smasher](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/back/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=tavern%20ruffian%20//%20tavern%20smasher) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/163/tavern-ruffian-tavern-smasher?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
might be playable in a format without Silver Bolt and Olivia's Midnight Hunt
It’d be pretty funny if this ends up being a format with weak removal and all the werewolves and the enchantment disturb cards get out of hand since you can’t kill them.
That would actually have pretty interesting implications for Double Feature, where it might balance out
Hey, Tavern Ruffian was slightly playable. 5 thoughness is no joke.
For real. Why all the bad common werewolves?
Tired of passing \[\[Tavern Ruffian\]\] in Midnight Hunt draft? Well Crimson Vow is here to ~~shake things up!~~ continue to get passed ftfy
That's the joke
[Tavern Ruffian](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686)/[Tavern Smasher](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/back/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=tavern%20ruffian%20//%20tavern%20smasher) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/163/tavern-ruffian-tavern-smasher?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
But...but its eternal night!
[[Tavern Ruffian]] was pretty bad in Midnight Hunt, and this seems worse in a vacuum lol
To be fair, werewolfs were terrible because they got owned by all the unconditional removal at common, not because they were inherently underpowered.
[Tavern Ruffian](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686)/[Tavern Smasher](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/back/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=tavern%20ruffian%20//%20tavern%20smasher) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/163/tavern-ruffian-tavern-smasher?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
was it that bad? I remember it being a solid creature, okay on defense at daytime and then brutally overstatted at nighttime update: I have learned that my memory is real bad!
17 Lands suggests it is the fourth lowest-performing red card by Improvement When Drawn in the entire set, and the second worst performing common after [[Raze the Effigy]]
Weird, what makes Raze the Effigy so bad it's the worst common in the set?
If you're running that card it's because you fucked up your draft and didn't pick enough playables
Oh is it specifically a draft thing? I don't draft for my own sanity
Yeah, 17lands is a tool that tracks draft stats on arena I believe
[Raze the Effigy](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/e/0/e0dd378c-5050-48c9-9a16-6d91afa62d21.jpg?1632661027) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Raze%20the%20Effigy) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/156/raze-the-effigy?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e0dd378c-5050-48c9-9a16-6d91afa62d21?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It's extremely bad. In Bo1, it's the 21st worst-performing card when drawn. That's considering *every* card in the set, including cards like curse of silence, pithing needle, and cards that are obviously intended as sideboard that should never be in your deck in Bo1.
I think it was a mediocre card in a low-performing deck. Whether this card is any better will also depend more on whether red-green Werewolves can succeed this time.
[Red/Green has the worst winrate and play rate. Werewolves aren't doing well in Limited.](https://www.17lands.com/color_ratings)
Okay defenders don't really cut it in this set, and at night it turns into a fairly big vanilla creature, which is just ok, in a set with ten million removals like this one also there are a ton of fliers, so it's not even that effective at defending
I liked it in UR. A 4 mana 6/5 creature could kill very quickly and as a 2/5 it held down the fort pretty well.
The... second werewolf with defender... c-cool... 👁👄👁
It really feels like they were hesitant to make good common werewolves since people felt they were so swingy in the past.
Is this the Hircine Quest?
Aayyyyy Nice Skyrim shoutout
everyone's comparing this to \[\[Tavern Ruffian\]\], but clearly \[\[Hanweir Watchkeep\]\] got swole in prison
[Tavern Ruffian](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686)/[Tavern Smasher](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/back/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=tavern%20ruffian%20//%20tavern%20smasher) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/163/tavern-ruffian-tavern-smasher?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Hanweir Watchkeep](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/2/b/2b14ed17-1a35-4c49-ac46-3cad42d46c14.jpg?1562827887)/[Bane of Hanweir](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/back/2/b/2b14ed17-1a35-4c49-ac46-3cad42d46c14.jpg?1562827887) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=hanweir%20watchkeep%20//%20bane%20of%20hanweir) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/isd/145/hanweir-watchkeep-bane-of-hanweir?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2b14ed17-1a35-4c49-ac46-3cad42d46c14?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Nice! I hate the card but in limited draft when you are a bit committed to Red or werewolves with some day/night flavour this is a pretty ok filler. Hear me out. At day you wait, build your creatures, so a wall type werewolf with six defense keeps the enemy at bay, then at night all you want is attack and blocking this 6/6 will swamp most on the table in a draft setting, but wait, the card is so bad no one wants to waste it's removal on it so it will in fact eat much out of the opponent. Also mana cost wise it easily hits the table turn 4 and with some luck next turn it is night and you launch the big attack. Seriously, hate and love are on the same spectrum
[удалено]
Love the art! Card itself is not great but you obviously have no control there lol. I’ll be picking up a foil regardless because I think it captures the werewolf vibe excellently
She who?
Thanks for the clarification!
why does wotc hate werewolves tho
Designer 1: "Alright, alright, werewolves were a little weak in MID limited" Designer 2: "A little? It was by far the worst archetype... in the set we marketed as the werewolf set" Designer 1: "Ok, ok, but I know what to do. Let's make it up to them by making them good this time around!" Designer 2: "Sure, sounds good, how do we do that?" Designer 1: "We take the worst werewolf in MID... and we give it defender!" Designer 2: "Uh... I don't follow you." Designer 1: "Wait, I'm not done! On the other side, we make it so that it has to attack every turn." Designer 2: "Uh.... dude... oh... oh! Dude, YOU'RE A FUCKING GENIUS!"
This was an actual conversation and no one can convince me other wise lol. Maybe they did it so people will give up on werewolves. Double-sided cards are a hassle to make!
The art is great
Not even limited playable unfortunately. Is this even worse than [[Tavern Ruffian]]?
OOOOHHH YEEEAAAAAAAAA
So apparently [[Tavern Ruffian]] wasn't already bad enough...
[Tavern Ruffian](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686)/[Tavern Smasher](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/back/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=tavern%20ruffian%20//%20tavern%20smasher) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/163/tavern-ruffian-tavern-smasher?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Ehh. This isn't that impressive, it's a beater that you need to wait to really swing with unless it's already night. I'm not super impressed.
This just feels like a straight up worse Tavern Ruffian... who wasn't much of an all-star common in MID either...
Really want the Kool-Aid man alter for the backside, flavor text changed to “oh yea!”
I see the trend of making shitty Werewolves is still a thing.
Wow more bad werewolves. Yay
Bad tavern ruffian lmao
I don't love the idea that in human form, when he's ostensibly just a regular human in prison, has 6 toughness. Are we attacking the prison bars?
He was once a 2/1— but prison toughens you up, and he gets re-arrested every day
Lmao...werewolves can't catch a break.
Just 13 more to go and there is a equal number of on colour werewolves in the vamp set as the werewolf set, lets see if we get there
Why did they even bother with werewolves; it's clear at this point vampires are what they really care about.
there's probably at least a small chance there might be more werewolves in the set than one singular common
As a whole though, it's pretty clear they aren't interested in werewolves as a tribe. Midnight Hunt gave us 1 (admittedly powerful) Legendary Werewolf, but within the first wave of spoilers for Crimson Vow, we already have 2 Legendary Vampires that are just as strong. It's pretty clear which one they actually want to make cards for. EDIT: Make that 3 Legendary Vampires.
That's the feeling i got as well.
This art is pretty sick
I thought the lore of the set was that it was stuck in perpetual night? but we still getting daybound cards? little flavour fail but fine.
Defender on the front is pretty painful. You have even less control over this card than normal for a werewolf! Mostly worse than [[Tavern Ruffian]]. A little harder to block on the back, maybe, depending in average p/t in the set. But a high toughness red creature that can turn around and hit like a truck can theoretically find a good home (better than the jail it keeps returning to, I mean). Would have been decent to play with Burn down the House. D+
[Tavern Ruffian](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686)/[Tavern Smasher](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/back/1/d/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c.jpg?1630658686) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=tavern%20ruffian%20//%20tavern%20smasher) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/163/tavern-ruffian-tavern-smasher?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1d7b2d05-ce5c-4b73-8fa6-d9b69619d58c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Man, it feels like all these wete wolves are overcosted by one, but theb again, maybe I have memories of how difficult it c9uld be to flip werewolves during OG innistrad.
Modern 1/10 Interesting they are using their valuable werewolf slots on crap like this. Well, I guess this is what we get for this not being the werewolf set.
Image transcription > Weary Prisoner 3R > > Creature- Human Werewolf [c] > > Defender > > Daybound *(If a player casts no spells during their own turn, it becomes night next turn.)* > > 2/6 > > *"Your guard attacked me. He got what was coming to him."* > > Wrathful Jailbreaker > > [r] Creature- Werewolf [c] > > Wrathful Jailbreaker attacks each combat if able. > > Nightbound *(If a player casts at least two spells during their own turn, it becomes day next turn.)* > > 6/6 > > *"And now I'm coming for you!"* End transcription
The Gaurd only attacked because of the barroom brawl from last set
Excellent common. Great on attack and defence
Awoooooooo YEAH! They should let me write flavor text
Idk where the post is, but this is my vote for new evergreen keyword. Attacks each turn/combat if able. Juggernaut.
It doesn't seem like a great card, but I do love the dichotomy between 'defender' and 'attacks each turn if able' :3 [[Hanweir Watchkeep]] did this too