Here is my fast interpretation of the set and how it will play in sealed and draft due to mechanics.
Extort BW
Pro: Constant life gain and opponent damage, Great in 2-headed, every mana spent equals 2 point swing in one on one.
Cons: Mana being limited, this is kind of a trade-off mechanic. You will find yourself often choosing between a few points of extort damage or using your mana on another thing, like a bigger spell or holding an instant in case of emergency.
Realisitically: Play lots of lands if you want to play this mechanic. Hold off on extort costs if you have an instant that can trigger it on another's turn. This mechanic will slightly sway the game, but over a course of a game, it might only swing you up to seven life, and at an eventual attritioning cost of up to seven mana. Probably can't build a deck around this mechanic for a win. It can splash for good steady life gain.
Battalion RW
Pro: Nutso attacking ability. Uber aggressive and fast kill. Bomber Corps common picks off targets. Legion Loyalist common gives all your guys first strike and trample. Token gen mechanic for boros makes recovering for another battalion easier.
Cons: Only good on offense, paper tiger defense. Threshold mechanics can be easily disrupted for a couple turns by mass effects or limiting effects. Expect your best battalioners to get picked off each assault, leading to dwindling effect later turns.
Bloodrush GR
Pro: Surprise! Surprise boosts that will make small creatures kill big creatures. Fear, making people block cautiously to protect their bigger creatures and thereby letting damage through. Surprise trample, which can easily kill when put on the right large creature, forcing players to consider not just chump blocking.
Cons: Defense only. Tradeoff mechanic will sap your late game to boost early game.
Probably the best mechanic. It will surprise kill. The creatures it's on are good mid to late game, assuring some late game strength, and also good enough defense. It eats your hand is the downside. This mechanic will be very dependent on card draw.
Cipher UB
Pro: Reusable. Last Thoughts is about the only reusable card draw in the set. You may be able to encode to the Dimir Keyrune, making for a tricky to kill unblockable creature.
Cons: Conditional effect that requires evasion. They cost on the high side, so you have to invest a little too much into a only potential multiple outcome. The effects more or less are only kind of meh, too. Not to mention if the creature is killed, the cipher spell is gone for good.
Interesting mechanic, but bad cards. You only would play this if you happened to get a batch of unblockables. Deathcult Rogue is common, but if that's enough, who knows. The strength of Dimir is in it's mill, not mechanic. Is it enough, we'll see. On the plus side, Consuming Aberration could kill in draft after after thirteen spells, and would trigger off the cipher..
Evolve UG
Pros: Early game cheap and late game large. Common Evolve cards are good. Cloudfin is cheeeeap. Adaptive Snapjaw's small toughness almost guarantees 8/4 size. Shambleshark's flash may lead to surprise size increases.
Cons: None really. It lacks a real surprise factor, but it's surprisingly solid. Watch out for return to hand or blink effects, but otherwise, drop early and grow constantly.
Simic look to be the best rounded. They have blue control going and green size. I suspect simic are going to be one of the tougher color combos. If you get Giant Adephage or Ooze Flux, you pretty much have to play evolve.
My Ranking
1.Simic
2/3.Gruul
2/3.Boros
4.Orzhov
5.Dimir
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Extort BW
Pro: Constant life gain and opponent damage, Great in 2-headed, every mana spent equals 2 point swing in one on one.
Cons: Mana being limited, this is kind of a trade-off mechanic. You will find yourself often choosing between a few points of extort damage or using your mana on another thing, like a bigger spell or holding an instant in case of emergency.
Realisitically: Play lots of lands if you want to play this mechanic. Hold off on extort costs if you have an instant that can trigger it on another's turn. This mechanic will slightly sway the game, but over a course of a game, it might only swing you up to seven life, and at an eventual attritioning cost of up to seven mana. Probably can't build a deck around this mechanic for a win. It can splash for good steady life gain.
Battalion RW
Pro: Nutso attacking ability. Uber aggressive and fast kill. Bomber Corps common picks off targets. Legion Loyalist common gives all your guys first strike and trample. Token gen mechanic for boros makes recovering for another battalion easier.
Cons: Only good on offense, paper tiger defense. Threshold mechanics can be easily disrupted for a couple turns by mass effects or limiting effects. Expect your best battalioners to get picked off each assault, leading to dwindling effect later turns.
Bloodrush GR
Pro: Surprise! Surprise boosts that will make small creatures kill big creatures. Fear, making people block cautiously to protect their bigger creatures and thereby letting damage through. Surprise trample, which can easily kill when put on the right large creature, forcing players to consider not just chump blocking.
Cons: Defense only. Tradeoff mechanic will sap your late game to boost early game.
Probably the best mechanic. It will surprise kill. The creatures it's on are good mid to late game, assuring some late game strength, and also good enough defense. It eats your hand is the downside. This mechanic will be very dependent on card draw.
Cipher UB
Pro: Reusable. Last Thoughts is about the only reusable card draw in the set. You may be able to encode to the Dimir Keyrune, making for a tricky to kill unblockable creature.
Cons: Conditional effect that requires evasion. They cost on the high side, so you have to invest a little too much into a only potential multiple outcome. The effects more or less are only kind of meh, too. Not to mention if the creature is killed, the cipher spell is gone for good.
Interesting mechanic, but bad cards. You only would play this if you happened to get a batch of unblockables. Deathcult Rogue is common, but if that's enough, who knows. The strength of Dimir is in it's mill, not mechanic. Is it enough, we'll see. On the plus side, Consuming Aberration could kill in draft after after thirteen spells, and would trigger off the cipher..
Evolve UG
Pros: Early game cheap and late game large. Common Evolve cards are good. Cloudfin is cheeeeap. Adaptive Snapjaw's small toughness almost guarantees 8/4 size. Shambleshark's flash may lead to surprise size increases.
Cons: None really. It lacks a real surprise factor, but it's surprisingly solid. Watch out for return to hand or blink effects, but otherwise, drop early and grow constantly.
Simic look to be the best rounded. They have blue control going and green size. I suspect simic are going to be one of the tougher color combos. If you get Giant Adephage or Ooze Flux, you pretty much have to play evolve.
My Ranking
1.Simic
2/3.Gruul
2/3.Boros
4.Orzhov
5.Dimir