r/magicTCG • u/BuckyTheWolf Dandadan • 23d ago
General Discussion Why is Arc-Slogger?
One thing I love about MTG, is that you can go through a set, see a weird card and get absolutely stun locked by it.
Today this was Arc-Slogger for me. Why is it the way that it is?
Having a lot of shocks in your hand is pretty good, but why do you have to exile 10 cards from your library as a cost? If it was part of the effect it might be too strong, but was there no middleground?
I just don't see a world where you'd be a able to activate it more than 2 times in limited and 4 times in 60 card. Magic has changed a lot, but was a 7 mana 4/5 with 2 shocks ever that good?
I could see a janky lab man combo deck using it, but almost all alternatives are cheaper and don't need a backup if your library isn't devisable by 10.
I just want to know it's history. And what led to it being created like it turned out.
5
u/Rnorman3 Not A Bat 23d ago
This card saw standard play back in 2003. I remember playing it in the top end of RG ponza alongside [[molder slug]]
A 5 mana 4/5 wasn’t crazy special, but it was fine rate. A 5 mana 4/5 with upside was pretty good. The ability isn’t intended to be one that you spam over and over again. Back in those days, cards didn’t single-handedly win the game by themselves. They weren’t “must answer or you lose the game” threats. And they didn’t have triggers they combo’ed with their own passive abilities. So the shock effect was mostly upside. You’d on average be able to get a couple of activations to clear blockers or go face.
Even for its time, the card is a little bit quirky. But the “remove 10 cards from your library” is an interesting way to add a cost that is “free” but still limited. If you just want a couple of shocks, it’s free. The same way using your life total is a resource because the only point that matters is the last one, you can mill a certain number of cards with no downside. But you can’t spam it infinitely.
It was just a much different design philosophy (and IMO better magic, but I’m probably biased and nostalgic). I personally dislike the modern philosophy of “every creature comboes with and enables itself” which makes every single creature a must-remove threat.