Just How Good are the Blasting Cannons?

Vance's Blasting Cannons: The Final Flip

Last week, when gushing over flip cards like Search for Azcanta, we hadn't yet had the opportunity to see the red member of the cycle.

Unlike a certain blue transformer for two, this card is a bit controversial. Where, if anywhere, would you want to play it? Would a red aggressive deck ever want to run it over either an indestructible god or a Rowdy Crew?

"Well," Mike points out, "at least the flip condition is a 'may'" ...

Outpost Siege v. Vance's Blasting Cannons

Is Outpost Siege where we set the bar?

The most obvious point of comparison for this new card is Outpost Siege.

For its part, Outpost Siege served every role from "main-deck four-of in R/W aggro" to "sideboard role player competing with its day's Chandra at the four". Regardless of how you want to slice it, Outpost Siege was a stronger card than Vance's Blasting Cannons (at least the front side).

To wit:

• Outpost Siege had two different modes: Not only was it a potential source of incremental card advantage over time, the "Dragons" setting was a way to win.
• Outpost Siege was not a Legendary permanent. You could have multiple copies in play! Mike probably still has nightmares about facing Sam Black with two Khans and a Dragons on camera
• Outpost Siege allowed you to play both spells and lands as extra resources. Vance's Blasting Cannons is kinda sorta only 60% of an Outpost Siege (again, with half the options). So 30-33% on its face? How annoying would it be to reveal a land (that you can't play) and then not draw a land (when you need one)? Gross, right?

But the bar isn't whether this is better or worse than Outpost Siege in the abstract; the front-side is pretty much worse. The question is if it is good enough to play anyway.

And we can't answer that question without addressing...

Vance's Blasting Cannons // Spitfire Bastion

Is the payoff on Spitfire Bastion worth the work?

"Would you play a card that read "RR4. Enchantment. 2R, Tap: Deal three damage to target creature or player?"
-Patrick

Probably not?

While Mike wouldn't play such a conjectural card (probably), it is useful to think of the final flip as potentially three different cards:

1. The aforementioned 30-33% of an Outpost Siege: This card is a source of incremental card advantage that pays off only after you've untapped successfully with it in play. More than that, it really only pays off after multiple turns.
2. The conjectural six mana enchantment. This version flips immediately, gives you a potential mana boost (you can still, say, cast a Shock or Magma Spray), but will only offer the full value at very high mana / late in the game
3. Spitfire Bastion

Spitfire Bastion is a source of inevitability, not unlike fellow land Ramanup Ruins. Decks like U/R Control, for example, can't allow this to flip, because no matter how well they close out on creatures, they will likely lose the game three life points at a time.

Mike -- ever fearful of Kor Firewalker -- points out that as a colorless source of damage, Spitfire Bastion can kill the hell out of Protection from Red creatures.

So what do you think about this last transformer? The Top Level Podcast boys revisit some of the others and a whole mess of Ixalan cards in this week's episode.

 

This week's episode of the Top Level Podcast is brought to you by Mack Weldon. For 20% off your order, visit http://www.mackweldon.com and use the promo code toplevel