Savai Thunderlion RW
Creature- Elemental Cat
Whenever you cycle a card, you may pay 2. If you do, Savai Thunderlion deals 2 damage to target creature and you gain 2 life.
3/2
Cycling is really pushed which is nice, bit i still have doubts itll take off as an archetype
I suppose that depends. RW Slide decks were the Standard competitive decks for a hot minute the last time cycling had any support, and that was really just a couple cards. They are pushing a lot harder this time, so I could see the archetype getting some traction. It'll be a limited archetype for sure, and will likely become one in Commander. Will it be competitive in Standard like in 2002/2003? That's the question.
Oh nice, they made astral slide (in blue) and a new cycle-shock card(but now as a creature)(edit: Lightning Rift ). This card is probably solid in limited imo it is mutate folder and the lifegain and shock on stick is probably meaningfull strong in this set(and probably in any with cycle, good in cubes).
Cycling is really pushed which is nice, bit i still have doubts itll take off as an archetype
I suppose that depends. RW Slide decks were the Standard competitive decks for a hot minute the last time cycling had any support, and that was really just a couple cards. They are pushing a lot harder this time, so I could see the archetype getting some traction. It'll be a limited archetype for sure, and will likely become one in Commander. Will it be competitive in Standard like in 2002/2003? That's the question.
The last time? The last time Cycling was a thing was Amonkhet and there was a lot of Tier 2 stuff but I don't remember the cycling deck every really breaking through, I also remember it being closer to Gx or Sultai. The Astral Rift deck was a thing, but that was 2 cyclings ago.
Cycling is really pushed which is nice, bit i still have doubts itll take off as an archetype
I suppose that depends. RW Slide decks were the Standard competitive decks for a hot minute the last time cycling had any support, and that was really just a couple cards. They are pushing a lot harder this time, so I could see the archetype getting some traction. It'll be a limited archetype for sure, and will likely become one in Commander. Will it be competitive in Standard like in 2002/2003? That's the question.
The last time? The last time Cycling was a thing was Amonkhet and there was a lot of Tier 2 stuff but I don't remember the cycling deck every really breaking through, I also remember it being closer to Gx or Sultai. The Astral Rift deck was a thing, but that was 2 cyclings ago.
Actually, you could do quite well with New Perspectives, just not on Arena, because it timed out while you were going off. I ran the deck in Standard as 5 colors, and won a bunch of low tier tournaments/FNM's with it.
Cycling is really pushed which is nice, bit i still have doubts itll take off as an archetype
I suppose that depends. RW Slide decks were the Standard competitive decks for a hot minute the last time cycling had any support, and that was really just a couple cards. They are pushing a lot harder this time, so I could see the archetype getting some traction. It'll be a limited archetype for sure, and will likely become one in Commander. Will it be competitive in Standard like in 2002/2003? That's the question.
The last time?
Yeah, the last time that cycling had the support to make it competitive (which, at the time, was really only a handful of cards). I know cycling was in sets and blocks since Onslaught, Xcric was just commenting on whether cycling-focused decks would take off as an archetype (presumably in the competitive sense as that's Xcric's jam) and I bought up the RW cycling decks of yore just as an example of how little it took to make it competitive then so maybe the archetype will have what it needs now as well.
Savai Thunderlion is an interesting sidegrade to Lightning Rift in commander. More expensive activation and it can only hit creatures, but it can gain you life. Its fine if the meta is fairly creature heavy. If its more combo oriented however its likely to be a dead card compared to a Lightning Rift which can also hit planeswalkers or players. Like Rift or Haven, Savai will want Flux or Perspectives or Gavi to make the initial cycling cost cheaper.
Cycling is really pushed which is nice, bit i still have doubts itll take off as an archetype
I suppose that depends. RW Slide decks were the Standard competitive decks for a hot minute the last time cycling had any support, and that was really just a couple cards. They are pushing a lot harder this time, so I could see the archetype getting some traction. It'll be a limited archetype for sure, and will likely become one in Commander. Will it be competitive in Standard like in 2002/2003? That's the question.
The last time?
Yeah, the last time that cycling had the support to make it competitive (which, at the time, was really only a handful of cards). I know cycling was in sets and blocks since Onslaught, Xcric was just commenting on whether cycling-focused decks would take off as an archetype (presumably in the competitive sense as that's Xcric's jam) and I bought up the RW cycling decks of yore just as an example of how little it took to make it competitive then so maybe the archetype will have what it needs now as well.
My point stands - there have been competitive versions of cycling decks since then, in the respective standards. New Perspectives was probably not T1 but def T2/T1.5. There continues to be strong options towards a cycling deck in modern.
Depending on the cycle cost of the card you pitch, a slightly worse, but repeatable Lightning Helix isn't bad. Jeskai cycling might be a thing? If so, this is probably a decent control piece for that.
Would probably have preferred the power and toughness switched, since this makes a better control/midrange card than an aggro piece.
Cycling is really pushed which is nice, bit i still have doubts itll take off as an archetype
I suppose that depends. RW Slide decks were the Standard competitive decks for a hot minute the last time cycling had any support, and that was really just a couple cards. They are pushing a lot harder this time, so I could see the archetype getting some traction. It'll be a limited archetype for sure, and will likely become one in Commander. Will it be competitive in Standard like in 2002/2003? That's the question.
The last time?
Yeah, the last time that cycling had the support to make it competitive (which, at the time, was really only a handful of cards). I know cycling was in sets and blocks since Onslaught, Xcric was just commenting on whether cycling-focused decks would take off as an archetype (presumably in the competitive sense as that's Xcric's jam) and I bought up the RW cycling decks of yore just as an example of how little it took to make it competitive then so maybe the archetype will have what it needs now as well.
My point stands - there have been competitive versions of cycling decks since then, in the respective standards. New Perspectives was probably not T1 but def T2/T1.5. There continues to be strong options towards a cycling deck in modern.
Cool. Thank you for your pedantic contribution to the conversation, you are technically correct that my example of cycling being a competitive archetype is not the only such example. I haven't followed competitive MtG closely for a long time and reached for the example that stood out because of how format-defining it was for a time (thus creating a larger point that cycling didn't require a lot of support to be highly competitive, just a few key pieces). Thanks for the added context.
Savai Thunderlion RW
Creature- Elemental Cat
Whenever you cycle a card, you may pay 2. If you do, Savai Thunderlion deals 2 damage to target creature and you gain 2 life.
3/2
Source: Lierson Mattenhauer
Cycling is really pushed which is nice, bit i still have doubts itll take off as an archetype
Nice pinner though
I suppose that depends. RW Slide decks were the Standard competitive decks for a hot minute the last time cycling had any support, and that was really just a couple cards. They are pushing a lot harder this time, so I could see the archetype getting some traction. It'll be a limited archetype for sure, and will likely become one in Commander. Will it be competitive in Standard like in 2002/2003? That's the question.
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
The last time? The last time Cycling was a thing was Amonkhet and there was a lot of Tier 2 stuff but I don't remember the cycling deck every really breaking through, I also remember it being closer to Gx or Sultai. The Astral Rift deck was a thing, but that was 2 cyclings ago.
Still calling it Lion-O and singing the Thundercats theme song when I activate it at FNM. Just saying.
Actually, you could do quite well with New Perspectives, just not on Arena, because it timed out while you were going off. I ran the deck in Standard as 5 colors, and won a bunch of low tier tournaments/FNM's with it.
UR Murktide
Pauper
RW Monarch
UW Caw-Gate
UBR Affinity
Yeah, the last time that cycling had the support to make it competitive (which, at the time, was really only a handful of cards). I know cycling was in sets and blocks since Onslaught, Xcric was just commenting on whether cycling-focused decks would take off as an archetype (presumably in the competitive sense as that's Xcric's jam) and I bought up the RW cycling decks of yore just as an example of how little it took to make it competitive then so maybe the archetype will have what it needs now as well.
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
Many thanks to DNC at Heroes of the Plane Studios
My point stands - there have been competitive versions of cycling decks since then, in the respective standards. New Perspectives was probably not T1 but def T2/T1.5. There continues to be strong options towards a cycling deck in modern.
X D
This is some awesome artwork that's definitely deserving of an Elmental Cat, nice!
I wonder if the abilty would have been bonkers if it cost r/w instead of 2...
Would probably have preferred the power and toughness switched, since this makes a better control/midrange card than an aggro piece.
Cool. Thank you for your pedantic contribution to the conversation, you are technically correct that my example of cycling being a competitive archetype is not the only such example. I haven't followed competitive MtG closely for a long time and reached for the example that stood out because of how format-defining it was for a time (thus creating a larger point that cycling didn't require a lot of support to be highly competitive, just a few key pieces). Thanks for the added context.
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