I wonder why the Wurm doesn't just say "Destroy target nonbasic land." Would it really have been that degenerate?
Probably to keep the Shocklands all untoouched. Nonbasic land destruction (for the game designers) is mostly meant to solve manlands and utility lands. The more narrow they make the ability the less they will push the cost past the level they want it add.
Six mana is quite reasonable for a mythic creature to destroy a shockland, I think.
They particularly nerf land destruction in multicolor-focused environments, they worry that one card that kills lands too efficiently (or broadly) could discourage players from splashing. One card nullifying a chunk of another player's deck is unfun, so they tend not to risk it. It's not surprising that the wurm has a very specific rider as that means it can't target most of the lands that fix your colors.
All three of these cards are solid. I like the Demon the most, but all three are great.
I'm interested by how pushed both the demon and the blue sphinx have been as 4/4 fliers that could conceivably see a lot of play. Having this demon come down on turn 3 is such a house for so little investment. It puts your opponent on a very fast clock if you're on the advantage with effectively 5 evasive power for 1BB when there are few hoops to jump through, and if the deck has ways to pay more life or trade hits, this might be a 6/7/8 damage output on turn 4/5/6. When we're talking about 6+ evasive power from a 3 drop, we're looking at something flying over geist of st traft territory.
I'm really excited by Spawn of Mayhem. I have always loved aggressively-costed, suicide-black-type creatures. Grinning Demon was my favorite creature in standard back in the day, and I'm excited we've finally been getting new low-cost, high-powered black creatures. Demon of Catastrophes is fun--will be even more fun with afterlife creatures. SoM--whom I will lovingly call SAM, is going to be a key ingredient to a decks in the next meta...maybe only mine, but he will be there.
I've been toying with a BW deck for a week or so in proxy form, and this will be the next iteration I try. Hoping to see how Afterlife helps Demon of Catastrophes.
You know, if you can reliably cast the demon for three in modern, it's actually a really good threat there. Maybe some black aggro deck can emerge.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If MTG is a part of your life, the formats are like relationships:
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
I wonder why the Wurm doesn't just say "Destroy target nonbasic land." Would it really have been that degenerate?
Probably to keep the Shocklands all untoouched. Nonbasic land destruction (for the game designers) is mostly meant to solve manlands and utility lands. The more narrow they make the ability the less they will push the cost past the level they want it add.
Six mana is quite reasonable for a mythic creature to destroy a shockland, I think.
6 mana for a 4/5 hastey destroying NBL? Or 5/6? Compare that to Deus of Calamity that had stricter requirements to destroy anything? I don’t mind the semi-nerf when it’s stapled to a big body with different modes.
They particularly nerf land destruction in multicolor-focused environments, they worry that one card that kills lands too efficiently (or broadly) could discourage players from splashing. One card nullifying a chunk of another player's deck is unfun, so they tend not to risk it. It's not surprising that the wurm has a very specific rider as that means it can't target most of the lands that fix your colors.
All three of these cards are solid. I like the Demon the most, but all three are great.
Archatmos
Excellion
Fracture: Israfiel (WBR), Wujal (URG), Valedon (GUB), Amduat (BGW), Paladris (RWU)
Collision (Set Two of the Fracture Block)
Quest for the Forsaken (Set Two of the Excellion Block)
Katingal: Plane of Chains
04 Hunted Witness
04 Tithe Taker
04 Doomed Dissenter
04 Spawn of Mayhem
03 Demon of Catastrophes
02 Midnight Reaper
02 Plaguecrafter
02 Dusk Legion Zealot
02 Imperious Oligarch
01 Teysa Karlov
01 Lyra Dawnbringer
03 Mortify
01 Find // Finality
01 Gruesome Menagerie
01 Cast Down
Enchantments
02 Dead Weight
Lands
08 Swamp
07 Plains
04 Godless Shrine
04 Isolated Chapel
I've been toying with a BW deck for a week or so in proxy form, and this will be the next iteration I try. Hoping to see how Afterlife helps Demon of Catastrophes.
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
6 mana for a 4/5 hastey destroying NBL? Or 5/6? Compare that to Deus of Calamity that had stricter requirements to destroy anything? I don’t mind the semi-nerf when it’s stapled to a big body with different modes.