Also I can imagine some people eating their words when they need just one more mana to turn on Nylea or Phyreka in a game of limited and topdeck the font instead of a "better" basic land.
Also I can imagine some people eating their words when they need just one more mana to turn on Nylea or Phyreka in a game of limited and topdeck the font instead of a "better" basic land.
Also I can imagine some people eating their words when they need just one more mana to turn on Nylea or Phyreka in a game of limited and topdeck the font instead of a "better" basic land.
Well the thing is, while wizards have certainly depowered standard, utility like ramp has been far less nerfed than finishers. And so when we have logic that "wayfarers was good colorless ramp/fixing, but ramp/fixing is in green's pie, so it should be more efficient", and thats perfectly applicable to a format with ravagers in it, we also can't completely dismiss the comparison to this standard either just because everything is weaker. I mean, being a strictly worse bauble in a vacuum, in G, its pretty stinky, and even the other options we have, be it the utopia tree 2.0 or whatever else thats definitely no priest of llanowar tier ramp, its still better than this jank.
So even with enchantment matters theme strewn throughout this block, I think unless wizards have the equivalent of proclamation of rebirth for enchantments, theres no reason to see this outside limited. Its bad, but its perfectly fine limited fodder. Its not constructed material unless there are serious cards to care bout it, but its not a wood elemental either
I agreee that the green font is not that awful. It would likely see standard play... if we didn't have Sylvan Caryatid in the same standard. Caryatid is a miles, leagues, light-years better play for turn 2 than popping the font. If you're not popping the font in turn 2, then Elvish Mystic is a much better turn 1 play. If your deck doesn't need that much acceleration anyway, then use turn 1 to play a temple. Even enchantment-centric decks wishing to trigger Eidolon of Blossoms as much as possible will find out that the fringe benefits of the font being an enchantment cannot possibly outdo the hexproof, block-capable goodness of the Caryatid.
This might seem like a strange concept but you can do both.
T1: Font
T2: Sylvan Caryatid
T3: You can drop anything for 2 and crack the font, or keep four mana up for instants, and if you don't need the instants, you can crack the Font open EOT on their turn.
So that you have some mana sources that aren't doomed by the current boardwipes that all are very big deals to Caryatid.
Fair enough, I omitted that the land is better against b-wipes. Then again, I also omitted that Caryatid produces 5 colours of mana, while font produces only one, or that the Caryatid is a late game card that causes you to hate yourself and the universe quite less than a font would.
As for your (and other people's) point of instants and leaving mana open... I'm sorry, but you'll have to come back to me when that is a deck. If you play a Mystic turn 1 it's because you want to play Courser or Domri turn 3. If you play a Caryatid, it's because you want to play Polukranos, Kiora or Desecration Demon, (or yes, even Eidolon of Blossoms) in turn 3. If you play both, you're looking to get Stormbreath Dragon, Prophet or Kuphrix or Ajani. In other words, one plays ramp to threaten, not to defend.
I'm calling it right now- worst rare in the set. Even good limited players will find better bombs at common and uncommon no sweat. Worst. Episode. Ever.
I really do predict this to be our worst rare in set award winner. I'd be happier opening a jar of eyeballs, so I think anything worse is highly unlikely. This card wont just have zero constructed potential, but not be significantly better than a mass of ghouls in a draft.
The enchantment cycle allows an enchantment deck to run card draw, ramp, burn ect without giving up cards that could have been enchantments. The enchantment cycle can be used to augment a card like ethereal armor, then "burned" at the appropriate time. These don't look like engines to me, more like pieces of the puzzle. Cool cards, this set is running away w the enchantment interaction belt.
They aren't very good, but they are cent in Limited. Don't be surprised when a cycle of commons spoiled in a Limited-focused article are constructed unplayable. The green font is far from great, but is one of few options for land ramp. As for the blue, Think Twice was played and Divination is played now, so a card that is basically a weak cross between the two with the extra benefit of devotion/constellation could prove to be playable (not great, but played for current lack of cheap draw)
Try pronouncing it. It's kind of like a Grecized version of his name.
Well we could probably some wotc did not put a terrible amount of thought into it
If that's how it's intended, it's actually incorrect. 'Kytheon' is not a good Hellenisation of 'Gideon'. Gideon is a Hebrew name and we know how the ancient Greeks would have Hellenised it, because they did, in the Septuagint. The Greek version of 'Gideon' is 'Γεδεὼν', or in Latin letters, 'Gedeon'.
I have no idea how you'd get 'Kytheon', considering that ancient Greek has perfectly good letters for G and D. They call them gamma and delta.
It's true that Greek doesn't have a J, and 'Iora' is a reasonable attempt at Hellenising 'Jura', but 'Kytheon' doesn't read properly. Of course, it's entirely possible that WotC meant to refer to Gideon and didn't bother thinking about it, or that they didn't want to just use 'Gideon' or 'Gedeon' because that would make it too obvious.
It also strikes me that WotC made no attempt to Hellenise 'Elspeth', even though it's a much more alien name to ancient Greek than 'Gideon'.
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“A man's at odds to know his mind cause his mind is aught he has to know it with. He can know his heart, but he dont want to. Rightly so. Best not to look in there. It aint the heart of a creature that is bound in the way that God has set for it. You can find meanness in the least of creatures, but when God made man the devil was at his elbow. A creature that can do anything. Make a machine. And a machine to make the machine. And evil that can run itself a thousand years, no need to tend it.”
― Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West
I agreee that the green font is not that awful. It would likely see standard play... if we didn't have Sylvan Caryatid in the same standard. Caryatid is a miles, leagues, light-years better play for turn 2 than popping the font. If you're not popping the font in turn 2, then Elvish Mystic is a much better turn 1 play. If your deck doesn't need that much acceleration anyway, then use turn 1 to play a temple. Even enchantment-centric decks wishing to trigger Eidolon of Blossoms as much as possible will find out that the fringe benefits of the font being an enchantment cannot possibly outdo the hexproof, block-capable goodness of the Caryatid.
This might seem like a strange concept but you can do both.
T1: Font
T2: Sylvan Caryatid
T3: You can drop anything for 2 and crack the font, or keep four mana up for instants, and if you don't need the instants, you can crack the Font open EOT on their turn.
So that you have some mana sources that aren't doomed by the current boardwipes that all are very big deals to Caryatid.
Fair enough, I omitted that the land is better against b-wipes. Then again, I also omitted that Caryatid produces 5 colours of mana, while font produces only one, or that the Caryatid is a late game card that causes you to hate yourself and the universe quite less than a font would.
As for your (and other people's) point of instants and leaving mana open... I'm sorry, but you'll have to come back to me when that is a deck. If you play a Mystic turn 1 it's because you want to play Courser or Domri turn 3. If you play a Caryatid, it's because you want to play Polukranos, Kiora or Desecration Demon, (or yes, even Eidolon of Blossoms) in turn 3. If you play both, you're looking to get Stormbreath Dragon, Prophet or Kuphrix or Ajani. In other words, one plays ramp to threaten, not to defend.
Mostly if I'm building a deck, I would rather use Caryatid and Font than Caryatid and Mystic. The only advantage Mystic has is hitting your T3 on T2, which is generally less important than hitting your T5 on T4. Also meaningless if he (and your CMC3) are both dead to a boardwipe on T4. Which is why I said nothing about dropping Caryatid from any build, as it is the superior card in most respects. just nothing you said about Font says that it's inferior to Elvish Mystic.
I agreee that the green font is not that awful. It would likely see standard play... if we didn't have Sylvan Caryatid in the same standard. Caryatid is a miles, leagues, light-years better play for turn 2 than popping the font. If you're not popping the font in turn 2, then Elvish Mystic is a much better turn 1 play. If your deck doesn't need that much acceleration anyway, then use turn 1 to play a temple. Even enchantment-centric decks wishing to trigger Eidolon of Blossoms as much as possible will find out that the fringe benefits of the font being an enchantment cannot possibly outdo the hexproof, block-capable goodness of the Caryatid.
This might seem like a strange concept but you can do both.
T1: Font
T2: Sylvan Caryatid
T3: You can drop anything for 2 and crack the font, or keep four mana up for instants, and if you don't need the instants, you can crack the Font open EOT on their turn.
So that you have some mana sources that aren't doomed by the current boardwipes that all are very big deals to Caryatid.
Fair enough, I omitted that the land is better against b-wipes. Then again, I also omitted that Caryatid produces 5 colours of mana, while font produces only one, or that the Caryatid is a late game card that causes you to hate yourself and the universe quite less than a font would.
As for your (and other people's) point of instants and leaving mana open... I'm sorry, but you'll have to come back to me when that is a deck. If you play a Mystic turn 1 it's because you want to play Courser or Domri turn 3. If you play a Caryatid, it's because you want to play Polukranos, Kiora or Desecration Demon, (or yes, even Eidolon of Blossoms) in turn 3. If you play both, you're looking to get Stormbreath Dragon, Prophet or Kuphrix or Ajani. In other words, one plays ramp to threaten, not to defend.
Mostly if I'm building a deck, I would rather use Caryatid and Font than Caryatid and Mystic. The only advantage Mystic has is hitting your T3 on T2, which is generally less important than hitting your T5 on T4. Also meaningless if he (and your CMC3) are both dead to a boardwipe on T4. Which is why I said nothing about dropping Caryatid from any build, as it is the superior card in most respects. just nothing you said about Font says that it's inferior to Elvish Mystic.
I insist, then. Are you really going to use your turn 3 (after turn 1 font, turn 2 Caryatid) popping the font and leaving mana open... for something that may or may not happen? Instead of playing, I dunno, Polukranos, Reaper of the Wilds, Kiora or Xenagos? In either case, you'd be looking at your 5-drop in turn 4, in which case... you only needed Caryatid, to begin with!
I'm calling it right now- worst rare in the set. Even good limited players will find better bombs at common and uncommon no sweat. Worst. Episode. Ever.
I really do predict this to be our worst rare in set award winner. I'd be happier opening a jar of eyeballs, so I think anything worse is highly unlikely. This card wont just have zero constructed potential, but not be significantly better than a mass of ghouls in a draft.
First, the Green one is fine. Really, it is. Other have pointed out how useful instant speed can be. Dropping it turn 1 is a perfectly fine play if you don't have a mana elf in hand, and on turn 2 you could with relative ease have the mana to play it and crack it, giving you almost no difference between it and Rampant Growth in the same scenario (Yes, you could play another elf in the same scenario with Rampant Growth, but if you have a hand of Font and 2 elves, you don't actually have that strong of a hand to begin with). It's marginally weaker than previous options, but not as significant as some say.
Second, the blue one is quite good. Control decks really don't *do* much on 2 mana anyway. You pass the turn, get your third source of mana and pass. If they have something worth Dissolving, good. Dissolve it. If not, crack it an EOT and draw two. It's actually really solid. Divination requiring the 3 mana up front cost means that you can't really comfortably play until much later in the game, or risk something nasty hitting the board. This plays well into your game plan, and hits the board at a time that you don't *do* anything. Later on, you can play it and wait, leaving Dissolve mana open before you crack it.
The red one is "fine", mostly because you can play it turn 2, and wait till it's opportune to crack. It is also an uncounterable effect. They won't get rid of it if you get it out turn 2 more than likely, meaning that you have a "free" 5 damage at instant speed to bank on. I don't think it'll see serious play, but it's far more interesting when you break it down than a 6 mana Volcanic Hammer.
The Black one is "meh". It's fine in limited, particularly if you load up on death touchers and get into a bunch of bad trades.
The white one is beyond terrible, however. It should have had a 2-mana activation cost to bring in line with what it should do. I still do not understand their philosophy on pure life gain. It's not at all good, and yet so many times they seem to tack on extra CMC to it. They push Lifelinkers plenty, but pure lifegain is bleh. Which is to be expected, because pure life gain is just bleh by nature.
If I were to guess, Green and Blue will likely see standard play, red might show up in fringe as a 1-2 of, the black will be a mediocre card for limited, and the white one just might as well not even exist.
I think I actually like the black Font the best. It requires a particular type of deck, but in that deck it could do a pretty good job of refilling your hand with exactly what you need. The blue Font is ok, it seems like it might partially avoid the clunkiness of running sorcery-speed draw like Divination. Green seems a bit too slow for what it does most of the time, but maybe there are decks that could use it.
I insist, then. Are you really going to use your turn 3 (after turn 1 font, turn 2 Caryatid) popping the font and leaving mana open... for something that may or may not happen? Instead of playing, I dunno, Polukranos, Reaper of the Wilds, Kiora or Xenagos? In either case, you'd be looking at your 5-drop in turn 4, in which case... you only needed Caryatid, to begin with!
What? It's unrealistic that your Mystic and Caryatid could both be killed by Anger of the Gods or Supreme Verdict? Which if you drop something big on T3 (and you were on the Draw) means they have very little reason not to drop something board wipe-y as soon as they can. And if you were on the play RDW could still make a positive trade by swinging in on you, so you block with Polukranos and then Anger does the last 3 damage.
All the advantages you claim that Caryatid has, Mystic doesn't share. It produces one color of mana, and it can't safely block anything. Font allows you to spend T3 doing disruption, and if you don't need the disruption, you can crack it. Then on T4 you have two extra mana so you can play something and possibly defend it. Like Gods Willing or Mortal's Resolve when they attempt to either target kill or boardwipe kill your new Polukranos.
I insist, then. Are you really going to use your turn 3 (after turn 1 font, turn 2 Caryatid) popping the font and leaving mana open... for something that may or may not happen? Instead of playing, I dunno, Polukranos, Reaper of the Wilds, Kiora or Xenagos? In either case, you'd be looking at your 5-drop in turn 4, in which case... you only needed Caryatid, to begin with!
What? It's unrealistic that your Mystic and Caryatid could both be killed by Anger of the Gods or Supreme Verdict? Which if you drop something big on T3 (and you were on the Draw) means they have very little reason not to drop something board wipe-y as soon as they can. And if you were on the play RDW could still make a positive trade by swinging in on you, so you block with Polukranos and then Anger does the last 3 damage.
All the advantages you claim that Caryatid has, Mystic doesn't share. It produces one color of mana, and it can't safely block anything. Font allows you to spend T3 doing disruption, and if you don't need the disruption, you can crack it. Then on T4 you have two extra mana so you can play something and possibly defend it. Like Gods Willing or Mortal's Resolve when they attempt to either target kill or boardwipe kill your new Polukranos.
And yet, "Monster" decks perform well with the constant threat of Supreme Verdict (though, in all honesty, Esper is their worst match up); they just have to gamble to drop their whole hand and destroy the opponent as soon as possible. The opponent will NOT always have Verdict in turn 4, so they just need to make sure to get in a s much damage as possible and then finish the opponent with hasty creatures, like Stormbreath Dragon. If you spend TWO turns to accelerate x1 with the font (as opposed to accelerate x2 if you play both Caryatid and Mystic OR accelerate +1 AND play another threat or don't be screwed by an ETBT land) then you're playing a slower game that you have no chance to grind against the slow but brutal tempo and card advantage of the control deck. Taking in account that the font would replace Mystic, you'd have no way of dropping Domri in turn 2 which is aggro/zoo best chance to beat control. Against the decks that pack Verdict, using your third turn "for disruption" and popping the font accomplishes nothing because they'll just pass the turn too doing nothing else than playing a land and smiling, then counter your turn three 4-drop and proceed to out-tempo you.
The only way I can see that font appearing in a successful standard constructed deck is in some kind of combo-control GU or BG deck with emphasis in enchantments. As I said before, such deck doesn't exist, and I personally don't see it happening. Who knows, I don't think Kuphrix is playable in standard either, but if he does, his deck may like the font.
I'm calling it right now- worst rare in the set. Even good limited players will find better bombs at common and uncommon no sweat. Worst. Episode. Ever.
I really do predict this to be our worst rare in set award winner. I'd be happier opening a jar of eyeballs, so I think anything worse is highly unlikely. This card wont just have zero constructed potential, but not be significantly better than a mass of ghouls in a draft.
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So even with enchantment matters theme strewn throughout this block, I think unless wizards have the equivalent of proclamation of rebirth for enchantments, theres no reason to see this outside limited. Its bad, but its perfectly fine limited fodder. Its not constructed material unless there are serious cards to care bout it, but its not a wood elemental either
Fair enough, I omitted that the land is better against b-wipes. Then again, I also omitted that Caryatid produces 5 colours of mana, while font produces only one, or that the Caryatid is a late game card that causes you to hate yourself and the universe quite less than a font would.
As for your (and other people's) point of instants and leaving mana open... I'm sorry, but you'll have to come back to me when that is a deck. If you play a Mystic turn 1 it's because you want to play Courser or Domri turn 3. If you play a Caryatid, it's because you want to play Polukranos, Kiora or Desecration Demon, (or yes, even Eidolon of Blossoms) in turn 3. If you play both, you're looking to get Stormbreath Dragon, Prophet or Kuphrix or Ajani. In other words, one plays ramp to threaten, not to defend.
― Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West
Mostly if I'm building a deck, I would rather use Caryatid and Font than Caryatid and Mystic. The only advantage Mystic has is hitting your T3 on T2, which is generally less important than hitting your T5 on T4. Also meaningless if he (and your CMC3) are both dead to a boardwipe on T4. Which is why I said nothing about dropping Caryatid from any build, as it is the superior card in most respects. just nothing you said about Font says that it's inferior to Elvish Mystic.
I insist, then. Are you really going to use your turn 3 (after turn 1 font, turn 2 Caryatid) popping the font and leaving mana open... for something that may or may not happen? Instead of playing, I dunno, Polukranos, Reaper of the Wilds, Kiora or Xenagos? In either case, you'd be looking at your 5-drop in turn 4, in which case... you only needed Caryatid, to begin with!
I think I actually like the black Font the best. It requires a particular type of deck, but in that deck it could do a pretty good job of refilling your hand with exactly what you need. The blue Font is ok, it seems like it might partially avoid the clunkiness of running sorcery-speed draw like Divination. Green seems a bit too slow for what it does most of the time, but maybe there are decks that could use it.
What? It's unrealistic that your Mystic and Caryatid could both be killed by Anger of the Gods or Supreme Verdict? Which if you drop something big on T3 (and you were on the Draw) means they have very little reason not to drop something board wipe-y as soon as they can. And if you were on the play RDW could still make a positive trade by swinging in on you, so you block with Polukranos and then Anger does the last 3 damage.
All the advantages you claim that Caryatid has, Mystic doesn't share. It produces one color of mana, and it can't safely block anything. Font allows you to spend T3 doing disruption, and if you don't need the disruption, you can crack it. Then on T4 you have two extra mana so you can play something and possibly defend it. Like Gods Willing or Mortal's Resolve when they attempt to either target kill or boardwipe kill your new Polukranos.
And yet, "Monster" decks perform well with the constant threat of Supreme Verdict (though, in all honesty, Esper is their worst match up); they just have to gamble to drop their whole hand and destroy the opponent as soon as possible. The opponent will NOT always have Verdict in turn 4, so they just need to make sure to get in a s much damage as possible and then finish the opponent with hasty creatures, like Stormbreath Dragon. If you spend TWO turns to accelerate x1 with the font (as opposed to accelerate x2 if you play both Caryatid and Mystic OR accelerate +1 AND play another threat or don't be screwed by an ETBT land) then you're playing a slower game that you have no chance to grind against the slow but brutal tempo and card advantage of the control deck. Taking in account that the font would replace Mystic, you'd have no way of dropping Domri in turn 2 which is aggro/zoo best chance to beat control. Against the decks that pack Verdict, using your third turn "for disruption" and popping the font accomplishes nothing because they'll just pass the turn too doing nothing else than playing a land and smiling, then counter your turn three 4-drop and proceed to out-tempo you.
The only way I can see that font appearing in a successful standard constructed deck is in some kind of combo-control GU or BG deck with emphasis in enchantments. As I said before, such deck doesn't exist, and I personally don't see it happening. Who knows, I don't think Kuphrix is playable in standard either, but if he does, his deck may like the font.