There have been a few articles about important standard cards going into Theros, but what about those cards that haven't been proven yet? What cards will benefit most from the smaller card pool or certain strategies/cards rotating out? Inevitably some cards from M14 and RTR block are going to go up in value. Which ones?? Discuss. (And remember a "sleeper" we're calling something that has upside in terms of game play, and therefore monetary, value.)
In the same way you can tell someone is from the XVIII century because he is arroused by ankles, you can tell someone is from USA because he feels nipples disturbing.
There have been a few articles about important standard cards going into Theros, but what about those cards that haven't been proven yet? What cards will benefit most from the smaller card pool or certain strategies/cards rotating out? Inevitably some cards from M14 and RTR block are going to go up in value. Which ones?? Discuss. (And remember a "sleeper" we're calling something that has upside in terms of game play, and therefore monetary, value.)
hahahaha, When I looked at this I thought at first you meant the sleepers as in the enchantmetns that turn into creatures. But as far as things that go up in price or importance? I would guess anything that relied on enchants, as well as Ral due to the new possible uses for some of his abilities in standard....but that is a shot in the dark still really.
Haunted Plate Mail it works as a second finisher to Aetherling for control decks. It can swing and then be untapped by Ral Zarek, it can pump Aetherling into a two hit kill rather than three. Liliana of the Dark Realms and Rakdos's Return both of these have good synergy, Rakdos's Return is already known to be good, but I think it will get better and LotDR can feed it with lands and it could become the finisher of choice with her ultimate. If Wizards gives us a good 4CC black board wipe then MBC, R/B, and Grixis Control could be very nasty decks.
I'd look towards the block variant to see what is doing well and what isn't. Nightveil Specter is a sideboard card for Esper, which is doing the best out of the control decks. Liliana of the Dark Realms has proven to be a bomb in my decks, if only to pump my lone creature for fatal. Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch has unsettling synergy with Kalonian Hydra so I would not doubt that combo attempting to see play.
I don't know if they are "sleepers", but I could see the various Izzet pump spells (Dynacharge, Weapon Surge) seeing more play with the new Boros guy.
My guess: Blood Scrivener, Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch, Blind Obedience, Beck // Call, Ral Zarek and Advent of the Wurm have upside.
I don't see how anything we know about Theros would impact Ral Zarek or Advent of the Wurm. Ral has always been a pretty meh card, if anything Advent gets worse when Snapcaster rotates out. Without cheap creatures Back//Call doesn't get any better. Blood Scriviener has always been terrible, I don't see anything in Theros making it any better. Blind Obedience is already a solid card against aggro
Exava could jump if there are a lot of big dudes that really need haste to be over the top. If Theros has any decent red cards then I predict Jund being a top deck once again. I still have a hunch we'll see Lightning Bolt in Theros.
Golgari Charm since its a weenie killer, enchantment/god killer, or wrath protector.
Simlarly, if they start tacking the Enchantment type on creatures, Naturalize is going to be huge, prob the best 2 mana kill spell the game has ever seen, and in green, no less.
I don't know if they are "sleepers", but I could see the various Izzet pump spells (Dynacharge, Weapon Surge) seeing more play with the new Boros guy.
I still have a hunch we'll see Lightning Bolt in Theros.
Good call on the pump spells, I hadn't thought of those.
Also agreed on Lightning Bolt: I have a feeling that we're going to see a lot of high toughness monsters while the humans/heroes will have low toughness so that it might not be that big of a deal. It would be an uncommon though because it would be pretty crazy at common in limited (plus Doom Blade precedent).
^If anything, the biggest driving force behind the power level of any low cost spell being relatively higher in Theros and beyond would be the departure of the abomination that was Snapcaster Mage. With Chang out of the format I'd be really surprised if low cost non creature spells are not more powerful in this new, Snapcaster-less utopia.
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Desacration Demon is already seen fringe play in BG lists. The card is actually 'ok-good' but it is punished by aristocrats decks very harshly. I think the rotation of the aristocrats engine and the end of ISD/M13 bomb creatures will put this guy in the map.
Aetherling only tends to get stronger. I think wu/x controls will have a great time overall after rotation as the card pool will decrease but they still keep their critical mass of cards almost intact (a. charm, verdict, sphinx's revelation, aetherling).
There's always hope for the aforementioned Exava + Kalonian Hydra pair but i wouldn't bet then as 'sleepers' yet.
With enchantments running around, i can see Ratchet Bomb being a format defining card, but it will heavily depends on how Theros will shape up things.
I'd look towards the block variant to see what is doing well and what isn't. Nightveil Specter is a sideboard card for Esper, which is doing the best out of the control decks.
You should try actually playing the formats for context. Its almost entirely for the maze's end list as you can quickly remove their win con and get a few lands out of the deal. It isn't terrible in the mirror but there are much better things to be doing even if block if that was the only concern, much less an expanded card pool.
Blind Obedience
Voice of Resurgence (criminally underplayed right now!)
Aurelia, the Warleader
Prime Speaker Zegana
Jace, Architect of Thought
Detention Sphere
Blood Baron of Vizkopa
Enchantment block ✓
Already have a strong boros creature within first 6 cards, possibly more to come ✓
Currently like $4 ✓
Only 2 mana anthem available ✓
Great way to protect your guys from Supreme Verdict and Far/Away? ✓
Whats not to love with alot of the haste creatures leaving at rotation. In an aggro deck its a 4/4 with first strike and haste. I would imagine thats enough to get it through almost anything at that point in the game. I think its a great creature in the 4 spot. Also makes any Rakdos Cackler or Gore-House Chainwalker you topdeck or play after Exava have haste.
W Precinct Captain One of the best white cards IMO- Good for both control and Aggro Frontline Medic -Great against Rakdos Return and Rev as well as in the creature mirror
Blood baron of Viskopa, Archangel of Thune, Voice of Resurgence, Mutavault, Kalonian Hydra, and Boros Reckoner are the creatures I expect to see alot of immediately post-rotation.
Mizzium Mortars, Doom Blade, Supreme Verdict, Azorius Charm and Abrupt Decay are the removal cards I expect to see as 4-ofs. With cards like Putrefy, Aurelia's Fury, Detention Sphere, and Clan Defiance as 2-3 of's.
Some of these aren't really sleepers, but they are what I expect to make up the majority of the meta immediately following rotation.
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
Personally, I'm curious to see if Lotleth Troll will get another chance to shine. So much hype for that card before it was released (and it WOULD have been fantastic in the pre-Scars rotation environment), but then it just disappeared when everyone jumped ship from zombies to RWU Control right before that one tournament.
Jace, AoT
Jace, AoT
Jace, AoT
Best card of the RtR block, by a lot, it will be 3-4 of in every single blue deck come October and you will hate yourself if you like the color and haven't got your Jaces by then.
Got my Jaces for $10 each.. Expect them to be at least $20-$25 in a bit
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How will you be paying sir?
Cash? Credit? Gold? or Jace?
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My guess: Blood Scrivener, Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch, Blind Obedience, Beck // Call, Ral Zarek and Advent of the Wurm have upside.
hahahaha, When I looked at this I thought at first you meant the sleepers as in the enchantmetns that turn into creatures. But as far as things that go up in price or importance? I would guess anything that relied on enchants, as well as Ral due to the new possible uses for some of his abilities in standard....but that is a shot in the dark still really.
[Clan Flamingo]
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Standard Deck:
BUPirates
Modern Deck:
B8-Rack
The hate card cycle in M14 definitely will play an important role, as well as Ethereal Armor, Haunted Plate Mail, Sin Collector, and Obzedat's Aid as Junk tries to scramble to maintain its existence.
I don't see how anything we know about Theros would impact Ral Zarek or Advent of the Wurm. Ral has always been a pretty meh card, if anything Advent gets worse when Snapcaster rotates out. Without cheap creatures Back//Call doesn't get any better. Blood Scriviener has always been terrible, I don't see anything in Theros making it any better. Blind Obedience is already a solid card against aggro
Exava could jump if there are a lot of big dudes that really need haste to be over the top. If Theros has any decent red cards then I predict Jund being a top deck once again. I still have a hunch we'll see Lightning Bolt in Theros.
Simlarly, if they start tacking the Enchantment type on creatures, Naturalize is going to be huge, prob the best 2 mana kill spell the game has ever seen, and in green, no less.
Good call on the pump spells, I hadn't thought of those.
Also agreed on Lightning Bolt: I have a feeling that we're going to see a lot of high toughness monsters while the humans/heroes will have low toughness so that it might not be that big of a deal. It would be an uncommon though because it would be pretty crazy at common in limited (plus Doom Blade precedent).
Aetherling only tends to get stronger. I think wu/x controls will have a great time overall after rotation as the card pool will decrease but they still keep their critical mass of cards almost intact (a. charm, verdict, sphinx's revelation, aetherling).
There's always hope for the aforementioned Exava + Kalonian Hydra pair but i wouldn't bet then as 'sleepers' yet.
With enchantments running around, i can see Ratchet Bomb being a format defining card, but it will heavily depends on how Theros will shape up things.
BGU Control
R Aggro
Standard - For Fun
BG Auras
You should try actually playing the formats for context. Its almost entirely for the maze's end list as you can quickly remove their win con and get a few lands out of the deal. It isn't terrible in the mirror but there are much better things to be doing even if block if that was the only concern, much less an expanded card pool.
...It's definitely not Thoughtseize.
Voice of Resurgence (criminally underplayed right now!)
Aurelia, the Warleader
Prime Speaker Zegana
Jace, Architect of Thought
Detention Sphere
Blood Baron of Vizkopa
Brb going to buy Path of Bravery.
Not giving +1 power to white creature is a pretty big drawback though.
BGU Control
R Aggro
Standard - For Fun
BG Auras
Whats not to love with alot of the haste creatures leaving at rotation. In an aggro deck its a 4/4 with first strike and haste. I would imagine thats enough to get it through almost anything at that point in the game. I think its a great creature in the 4 spot. Also makes any Rakdos Cackler or Gore-House Chainwalker you topdeck or play after Exava have haste.
Addtional Tip: Also a human if you were playing with xathrid necromancer
On the other cards I think will see more play from RTR block(not a complete list):
MC
Ral zarek
Advent of the Wurm
Blood Baron of Vizkopa
Obzedat, Ghost Council
Sire of Insanity
Merciless Eviction As a 1 or 2 of in decks
Counterflux Great in control mirror if you are playing UWR or Grixis
R
Legion Loyalist
Ash Zealot
Mizzium Mortars- Will be a 4 in decks I think
B
Jace, Architect of Thought - Will be played alot more
W
Precinct Captain One of the best white cards IMO- Good for both control and Aggro
Frontline Medic -Great against Rakdos Return and Rev as well as in the creature mirror
Cash? Credit? Gold? or Jace?
Mizzium Mortars, Doom Blade, Supreme Verdict, Azorius Charm and Abrupt Decay are the removal cards I expect to see as 4-ofs. With cards like Putrefy, Aurelia's Fury, Detention Sphere, and Clan Defiance as 2-3 of's.
Some of these aren't really sleepers, but they are what I expect to make up the majority of the meta immediately following rotation.
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
Modern
WBR Mardu Midrange
UR Storm
Commander
WBR Queen Marchesa Stax
WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic Pillowfort
RRR Krenko, Mob Boss Chaos
I would say Witchstalker and Gladecover Scout. Theros is going to be enchantment heavy. These two guys might be the start fo a new Hexproof deck.
Also, if the format slows down, we might see Glimpse the Future see more play.
GGG [Primer] Omnath, Big Green Beatstick Machine GGG
Got my Jaces for $10 each.. Expect them to be at least $20-$25 in a bit
Cash? Credit? Gold? or Jace?