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Is this title a reference to an episode of the Judge John Hodgman podcast?

For what it's worth, I thought this was an excellent article.  I like how these articles help me re-evaluate pick-order.  I frequently evaluate cards based on how much I get that feeling of dread when I see it on the other side of the table.  When my opponents play Skinwing, I definitely get that feeling of "Oh boy, if I don't deal with this or draw an answer fast, there's no way I'm going to pull ahead."  The card advantage and ability to gind out attrition wins with that thing is nuts.  Thanks, Steve! 

Mar 8, 2011 -- 7:17AM, Newanda wrote:

How does Tel-Jilad help you against living weapons?  The Germs are Black, not ACs...

As Jak stated, Tel-Jilad's Defiance (TJD) gives the 0/0 creature prot. from artifacts, so the equipment falls off the germ and it dies as a state based effect. 

Which leads me to this: Am I the only person in Limited who main-decks TJD?  TJD is a fantastic tempo card that increases your combat power over decks that rely heavily on artifact creatures (Metalcraft) and decks that rely on Equipment (Infect).  It makes players who are trying to budget their mana spend their resources to, in effect, do nothing (Trigon of Corruption, Tumble Magnet); it wrecks combat when you are able to invalidate whole threats by either giving your creature TJD (turning a creature-for-creature combat trade into clear card advantage as their creature dies, yours lives AND you draw a card) or by giving your oppponet's creatures pro-artifacts: something they may not want if their creature is heavily equiped. 

The biggest bonus to TJD is that you can cast it on your opponent's creatures, and in a format where equipment can be a huge pain, having your opponent's Goblin Gaveleer go from a 7/6 Trampler (equipment with Accorder's Shield and Copper Carapace) into a Mons is worthwhile. 

Now, all this would be good enough to play TJD, but they add in the never-trivial "Draw a Card" at the very end.  Rummaging through your deck is always valuable, and here is can be the added bonus of killing your opponent's biggest threat or at least neutralizing it.  This says nothing of the almost gleeful pleasure you will take when your opponent equips his Necrogen Skudder with Grafted Exoskeleton and you had TJD waiting in the wings. 

I think TJD provides a great tempo boost as well.  Take a look at Lux Cannot.  Your opponent just spent three turns getting it revved up, then "ready-aim-fire"s it at your #1 threat.  Well, three turns becomes completely negated with TJD and YOU get a card as a bonus.  You can derail your opponent's best laid plans all for the low, low cost of 1G.

Now, obviously the card cannot do many things, and I would not first-pick this bad-boy, but in a format where you need every trick you can muster especially if your deck is bomb-light and given Green's lack of pure removal, TJD is a very potent combat trick.  If I draft one I usually main-deck it. 

Mar 8, 2011 -- 8:49AM, ROBRAM89 wrote:

Mar 8, 2011 -- 7:34AM, Jakusotsu wrote:

Mar 8, 2011 -- 7:17AM, Newanda wrote:

How does Tel-Jilad help you against living weapons?  The Germs are Black, not ACs...

A little 0/0 Germ won't live long when its equipment isn't allowed to help it survive anymore.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but to the best of my knowledge, protection doesn't apply retroactively like that.

Its not really "retroactive."  TJD gives the germ (an independent creature) Pro-Artifacts.  When TJD resolves, the germ realizes it has protection, so the Equipment falls off- much in the same way giving a creature Pro-Blue would make the "Control Magic" enchantment fall off.  The Germ then realizes its a 0/0 creature and the game delivers the 0/0 creature to the graveyard (and then immediately removes it from the game) as a state based effect.