"Briber's Purse: A Gem For Betrayal"

"Briber's Purse: A Gem For Betrayal"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Everyone has a price or so I have heard. There are many instances in history where one particular army is betrayed for gold or land. The massacre that ensues because of a supposed ally's inaction echoes through time. Thank Braveheart and all those Lords who were paid off so that they would not join the battle , think of Roose Bolton who were paid off by the Lannisters to send their regards. Yup , all it takes is the right price and betrayal will do the rest.

In the game of Magic there is a new X costing Artifact that gives creatures offers that they cannot refuse. This is the Briber's Purse , you decide the amount of mana that you want to pay for its X cost and that is the number of gem counters that it comes into play with.Another one of those things that would make Vorel and my Hydra Simic deck happy.

I liken the Briber's Purse to the  Scars of Mirrodin card Tumbling Magnet.Unlike the Tumbling Magnet though you could use it more than 3 times(if you have the mana) and it also has a one colorless mana activation cost. It also does not tap a creature but neutralizes the threat before it could do harm.No attackers. No blockers. Neutralized.

The Briber's Purse stops one creature at a time by giving it a gem and stopping it from attacking or blocking.It causes a target creature to turn a blind eye as you attack. It stops creatures from attacking hence you no longer need to worry about that particular creature.I like that you could bribe your opponents creatures while you go in for the kill. Imagine an 8/8 creature in your way and you bribe it with a gem so that it steps aside and lets your army pass through. Or when the same 8/8 creature stops in its tracks before it even attacks. And since this is a colorless artifact I could see a lot of uses for this new Tumbling Magnet. You could even cast it for zero and then have an Ensoul artifact attach to it so that it becomes a 5/5 creature Or Once all the Gem counters have been used up you could use it with a Shrapnel Blast.

Sometimes it is not enough that you have a great army at your disposal.It also helps if someone opens the Castle Gates and lets that army in. With the Bribers Purse , you have the gems to make that happen.