Subject: The many uses of Thran Forge Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 13:42:06 EDT From: Bennett V Campbell Thran Forge got a little press when WL came out, but then got tossed to the side as people joyed over stuff like the Vodalian Illusionist. The Forge really has 101 uses (well, somewhere around there). With First strikers: giving an extra +1/+0 to a first striker, for 2 mana, can really make a difference. The fact that you can, say block with two tundra Wolves and use 4 mana to deal 4 points of FS damage is a great prospect. Ensure use of Artifact destruction: when Sligh first came out, some people liked the fact that you could create 'dead' cards by running no artifacts, with the majority of people using some artifact destrcution standard. If someone decides to do that to you now, you can start Disenchanting thier creatures. The Forge also makes Divine Offering amazingly Useful... almost like an StP, except you gain life :) Creature protection: namely against black and the omnipresent Nekrataal. Turning your creature into an artifact after decaration of it as the target will cause that part of the spell to fail. Works nicely against terrors too. Creature destruction for Green: I really think green can do alot with teh Forge. In addition to making those Elvish Archers bigger, youc an turn opponent's cretaures into artfiacts and kill them with a Crumble, Uktabi Efreet, Scavenger Folk, or what have you. Green desperately needs spot crteaure destruction, and here it is. Extra Damage: Simply, it can deal those extra points of damage you need. An attacker got through? for 2 mana, that extra point of damage might be useful. Might as well spend the 2 or 4 to kill that big attcker with a couple blcokers (works great with Banding). One of teh most obvious uses, but still a good one. Okay, so that's only 5 uses. Come up with the other 96 on your own. :) The forge reallyc an do alot, for a little mana and just one card. Bennett Campbell apparatus@juno.com ----- hcschc@cnsibm.albany.edu The mark of a civilized society is the difference between revering one's elders and eating them.