**** Thrun, the Last Troll - Better Than Average, But There Is Nothing Earth Shaking About Thrun

4.0 out of 5 stars Better Than Average, But There Is Nothing Earth Shaking About Thrun, February 23, 2013 By Craig Nelson Hamilton "Craig Nelson Hamilton" (Sandwich, MA) - See all my reviews = Durability:2.0 out of 5 stars = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars This review is from: Magic: the Gathering - Thrun, the Last Troll - Mirrodin Besieged First, Thrun can't be countered. However, Thrun really isn't a good enough card that anyone should think to counter him anyway. At least in that way, I would say he is borderline good enough that someone would think about countering him, but obviously such thoughts are futile, as the cards says he can't be countered. The hexproof and the regenerate that he has is pretty cool. I do believe that Thrun makes for being a good Commander. He is one of the cards like Silvos, Rogue Elemental, as a Commander that is excellent for wailing damage on an opponent. I do believe Silvos is better, especially since he costs 1 less mana to regenerate and that he is larger, and that he comes action packed, as a large creature with trample. Despite that, Thrun is very good for going into stealth mode, and going in undercover when mounting an attack on an opponent. Also, Thrun is very similar to Cudgel Troll, and neither card is necessarily better than the other. Both are very good defensive cards, both having regenerate. That Cudgel costs only 1 to regenerate, while Thrun costs 2 is one way Cudgel is better, but that Thrun has hexproof and can't be countered is to his credit.

Review of Cudgel Troll *** Regeneration Is a Great Feature.

Cudgel is a 4/3, and it costs 4 to cast, so to me this means it had better have a really good ability, and it does. Cudgel Troll can be used as an attacker or blocker. A power of 4 is my minimum for considering a card an attacker. For blockers I often use tokens, and in that way, it may be best to consider Cudgel Troll as a token generator where you only have to pay G to regenerate it as a token. So, if you use its regeneration ability even once that is( 4*2+3*2)/2 = 7, using my vague formula where (power+toughness)/2>casting cost = a good card. Thus, in my way of thinking this card is worth nearly double what its casting cost is, where with this card 8 would be double. Think of it this way, every time you regenerate Cudgel Troll, it is as if you paid a single G to get a 4/3. That is exceptionally cost effective. Lastly, if there is any color that is going to have a spare mana for something like regeneration, it is a green deck. Thus, since Cudgel Troll is green, it goes well with deck that has primarily green mana. I would have rated this card higher if it had reach.