Hey guys, remember UW Control from the last Ravnica standard? The one with Supreme Verdict and Sphinx's Rev? Let me let you in on a little secret about that deck: Azorius Charm was secretly a key component to its success. It's back. Another key component? Mana Leak. Also back.
Believe you me, this card will define Standard. I still have nightmares about trying to play aggro in that environment.
I haven't even read the back half yet.
Edit: Oh great, it has a wincon attached for no extra cost. Yeah, this card might look unassuming, but it's one of the best cards for Standard spoiled so far.
Solid all around, I really likes this cycle and can't wait to see the rest.
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“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I appreciate Azorius goes a more aggressive route this time around. WU color pie is more than just passive control.
Are you talking about other cards than this, like Dovin? Because this is a super controlling card. Removing an attacking or blocking creature is terrible in aggro. The back half is backup in case Teferi gets answered, and will often not be played until turn 9-10 with counter backup.
I remember the worst part being that you could get mana screwed by the lost draw step. If you need to draw a land, you can't attack into open mana. And two of these in a row feels like GG.
Between this and Tef, prepare to draw the same cards over and over again. That'll be fun. At least this time we have Gruul Spellbreaker to provide a glimmer of hope.
WOTC - Hey teferi is too strong, maybe we need to make Azorius a agroo guild, oh wait, lets make some control stuff in the guild while having half of it being agro, its not like people that plays teferi can play with those control cards.
good card, 4 in main deck for sure, in control matches it is not a dead removal, on agro matchs it is not a dead finisher. Great job, wizards!
People are overhyping this card and in the current standard it's not very good.
Really? In the current standard it's not good? How do you figure that? About the only decks I can think of this isn't good against are mono-one drop white weenie and RDW and even there it's at least passable. I'm honestly very interested to hear why you think this.
This kind of removal is situationally even more powerful than destroying a creature:
It forces the opponent's next draw, if your opponent struggles with topdecking or lack of lands.
It is hard removal and a 1 for 1, and as a 2 mana hard removal at instant, it is a time walk if the board is stable and you need more time to draw cards.
It deals with indestructible creatures.
...it's a 2 white mana spell that helps white weenies by ruining the opponent's topdeck, and by the gods -- WHY?
As an Esper affectionado, after a horrible start for Orzhov with a durdling mill-wincon planeswalker best sideboarded as a fetch wincon for when Teferi's ultimate has done 20 iterations, Kaya's GodDamn Wrath and this card pleases me.
Sphinx is fluff.
Needed to be 4 mana to prove Wizards LOVE blue and white more than the other color combinations combined.
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
Boring card, but all its modes are not overcosted and its flexible enough to justify inclusion, even as a 4x.
With the 2 mana option it will work with Teferi and that alone would be a reason to see it in standard.
Outside of standard, this is just not efficient enough.
Extremely strong. I would almost always take having a creature destroyed as opposed to drawing it again next turn. It might even get included in Mono-U tempo just for the first half, that's basically the very concept of tempo embodied.
WOTC - Hey teferi is too strong, maybe we need to make Azorius a agroo guild, oh wait, lets make some control stuff in the guild while having half of it being agro, its not like people that plays teferi can play with those control cards.
good card, 4 in main deck for sure, in control matches it is not a dead removal, on agro matchs it is not a dead finisher. Great job, wizards!
I mean its a worst oust. They main benefit is 2 CMC so it combos with Teferi and late game it speeds up the clock so that while your exiling your opponents whole board with your Teferi Emblem you can smash in for Damage.
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
Hey neat, this is one of the closest mono-blue has got to actual removal spells.
I agree, I'll give it a try in my Mono U Tempo deck, this can be really good vs those annoying Angels as example, way better than bouncing them. Control decks also found a new toy, the ability to turn an otherwise dead removal into a creature is huge.
This is quite possibly the best of the new split cards. Efficient removal that sets your opponent back in tempo when you need it, and an efficiently costed 4/4 body with evasion when you don't. Azorius seems to have gotten the best of the split cards in general this set, since Depose // Deploy is a very strong option for Limited and possibly in token-heavy Constructed decks.
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Believe you me, this card will define Standard. I still have nightmares about trying to play aggro in that environment.
I haven't even read the back half yet.
Edit: Oh great, it has a wincon attached for no extra cost. Yeah, this card might look unassuming, but it's one of the best cards for Standard spoiled so far.
Stay reasonable, be mindful of your expectations and don't feed the trolls.
Doomsdayin'
Solid all around, I really likes this cycle and can't wait to see the rest.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Stabilization + Win Condition is a hard combination to beat.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
I remember the worst part being that you could get mana screwed by the lost draw step. If you need to draw a land, you can't attack into open mana. And two of these in a row feels like GG.
Between this and Tef, prepare to draw the same cards over and over again. That'll be fun. At least this time we have Gruul Spellbreaker to provide a glimmer of hope.
Stay reasonable, be mindful of your expectations and don't feed the trolls.
Doomsdayin'
good card, 4 in main deck for sure, in control matches it is not a dead removal, on agro matchs it is not a dead finisher. Great job, wizards!
It forces the opponent's next draw, if your opponent struggles with topdecking or lack of lands.
It is hard removal and a 1 for 1, and as a 2 mana hard removal at instant, it is a time walk if the board is stable and you need more time to draw cards.
It deals with indestructible creatures.
...it's a 2 white mana spell that helps white weenies by ruining the opponent's topdeck, and by the gods -- WHY?
As an Esper affectionado, after a horrible start for Orzhov with a durdling mill-wincon planeswalker best sideboarded as a fetch wincon for when Teferi's ultimate has done 20 iterations, Kaya's GodDamn Wrath and this card pleases me.
Sphinx is fluff.
Needed to be 4 mana to prove Wizards LOVE blue and white more than the other color combinations combined.
Re: Warden’s art, am I missing something? Like is there supposed to be a sphinx somewhere?
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
Remember she is a renegade now
With the 2 mana option it will work with Teferi and that alone would be a reason to see it in standard.
Outside of standard, this is just not efficient enough.
WUBRG#BlackLotusMatterWUBRG
👮👮👮 #BlueLivesMatter 👮👮👮
and most certainly will see constructed play as well.
great stuff.
I mean its a worst oust. They main benefit is 2 CMC so it combos with Teferi and late game it speeds up the clock so that while your exiling your opponents whole board with your Teferi Emblem you can smash in for Damage.
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 agree, I'll give it a try in my Mono U Tempo deck, this can be really good vs those annoying Angels as example, way better than bouncing them. Control decks also found a new toy, the ability to turn an otherwise dead removal into a creature is huge.
New name: Boom // Boop