Rumor Gatherer (SNC)

Rumor Gatherer
Casting Cost: {1}{W}{W}
Card Type: Creature - Elf Wizard
Power/Toughness: 2/1
Card Text:
Alliance - Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, scry 1. If this is the second time this ability has resolved this turn, draw a card instead.
Flavour Text:
"It's delightful, the things their owners reveal when they think no one is listening."
Artist: Simon Dominic

Card Strengths and Weaknesses:

• Strengths:
  • Built-in card selection through scrying.
  • Potential card advantage if you can trigger its ability more than once in a turn.
  • Useful in creature-heavy decks.
• Weaknesses:
  • Low toughness makes it vulnerable to removal and combat.
  • Requires other creatures to be effective.

Deck Utility:

• Token Decks: Can trigger multiple times in a single turn easily, allowing you to dig through your deck quickly.

• Aggro Decks: Helps you keep the cards coming as you play out your creatures.

• Combo Decks: Can help you find combo pieces through scrying and drawing.

• Elf Tribal: Being an Elf, it fits well into Elf tribal strategies.

Interactions and Combos:

• Doubling Season/Anointed Procession: These cards can help you trigger Rumor Gatherer's ability multiple times in a single turn.

• Cheap Creatures/Token Generators: The more creatures you can get onto the battlefield, the more you can trigger its ability.

• Scry Synergies: Cards that benefit from scrying can work well with Rumor Gatherer.

Flavor and Lore:
The flavor text indicates that the Rumor Gatherer is a bit of an eavesdropper or spy, collecting information under the guise of casual conversation or observation. This adds a bit of intrigue and depth to the card's story and fits well with its ability to gather information (i.e., scrying and drawing cards).

Overall Impression:
Rumor Gatherer is a card that rewards you for doing what many decks want to do: play creatures. While it may not find a home in every deck, it's a great addition to creature-heavy or token-based strategies, where its Alliance ability can shine. Its low toughness is a drawback but can be mitigated in decks that can protect it or are fast enough to capitalize on its advantages.