Thalia, Heretic Cathar: I thought that she would be a 1-2 in Stax but if people are on Fetch + Shock/Dual manabases then she's an easy 3-4 of. I figured that 3 CMC would be too slow (she's not Blood Moon) but as it turns out she's still utterly absurd and oppressive to play against. Card is awesome.
Lunar Force: I've played a whack of 4x Sun Titan 4x Lunar Force decks to force the combo to come together but it hasn't impressed me. Lunar Force is worthless as a standalone threat and the synergy is decent but it's not Serenity levels of good or anything.
Mind's Dilation: This is my new win condition for Whelming Wave + Archaeomancer style decks. It's obnoxious to play against against when you're forcing players to re-cast all of their creatures every turn.
Liliana, the Last Hope: Card overperforms in Death Cloud decks. The main thing is that you can chain it with a Wrath to keep her alive and ensure a clean Death Cloud the following turn. Card is still awful as a generic threat but the Emblem + cheap cost make it ideal for Death Cloud. I was worried that she would be too slow or too vulnerable to interaction but Black doesn't have a ton of great ways to win post-Death Cloud and she's one of the better ones. What I wouldn't give for a Black Assemble the Legion :<.
Splendid Reclamation: This card is powerful but it's a bad card to go all-in on. Playing 4 rarely worked out well for me since it's typically horrendous both early and in multiples. I like playing 1-2 as value spells in my GY-based decks but this isn't a "blindly jam 4 and never look back" card. It's worth noting that this card would be twice as god if it were a creature.
Grim Flayer: A little removal goes a long way when you have Grim Flayer in your deck. There's usually one open target but not always and it helps to have a "Doom Blade" kicking around to clear the path as needed. If you can get 2-3 hits in then you're golden and once you hit 4+ the card becomes busted.
Mind's Dilation has consistently failed to meet my already low expectations. Most of the time it flips either lands or things that you don't need. I still haven't given up on it, but you really need to get something like six triggers off it to justify the 7 mana.
Artifact-based ramp, value threats, bomby finishers, combo pieces (not especially relevant for you but immensely disruptive for your opposition), versatile spot removal, permission, mass removal, draw spells, aren't these the kinds of cards that comprise the backbone of the decks that you're building and playing against? I don't understand what you're whiffing on.
FWIW all of the Emerge cards have exceeded my expectations. Even It of the Horrid Swarm is a reasonable playable. The cards themselves are "meh" but triggering things like Sanctum of Ugin and Kozilek's Return is bonkers.
I'm loving this card in casual black. It's not an amazing card, but It's a genuinely fun card to play with.
Thalia, Heretic Cathar is a house in competitive MTG. For MP stuff, not so much, but it is still very good.
Mind's Dilatation hasn't done much for me either yet. I'm gonna try a few different builds, cos I'm sure there's power there.
Splendid Reclamation isn't good enough for mine. Not good enough to jam in a deck without having to build around it, and when I try to build around it, I just simply prefer the effect of Scapeshift. Yet to build a deck I'm happy with.
Decimator of the Provinces: Been playing this as a 1-of in my Prossh, Skyraider of Kher + Avenger of Zendikar "token deck" with Zulaport Cutthroat, Purphoros, God of the Forge, Shamanic Revelation, etc. As expected it's been a fantastic finisher that routinely seals the deal. Card is great.
Emrakul, the Promised End: One of the stronger 7-8 drops in the game but not every deck wants 7-8 drops. I like her best in decks with cards like Tortured Existence, Oversold Cemetery and Buried Alive since it makes it extremely easy to cast and recur her. Card is fine.
Thalia, Heretic Cathar: I thought that she would be a 1-2 in Stax but if people are on Fetch + Shock/Dual manabases then she's an easy 3-4 of. I figured that 3 CMC would be too slow (she's not Blood Moon) but as it turns out she's still utterly absurd and oppressive to play against. Card is awesome.
Lunar Force: I've played a whack of 4x Sun Titan 4x Lunar Force decks to force the combo to come together but it hasn't impressed me. Lunar Force is worthless as a standalone threat and the synergy is decent but it's not Serenity levels of good or anything.
Mind's Dilation: This is my new win condition for Whelming Wave + Archaeomancer style decks. It's obnoxious to play against against when you're forcing players to re-cast all of their creatures every turn.
Liliana, the Last Hope: Card overperforms in Death Cloud decks. The main thing is that you can chain it with a Wrath to keep her alive and ensure a clean Death Cloud the following turn. Card is still awful as a generic threat but the Emblem + cheap cost make it ideal for Death Cloud. I was worried that she would be too slow or too vulnerable to interaction but Black doesn't have a ton of great ways to win post-Death Cloud and she's one of the better ones. What I wouldn't give for a Black Assemble the Legion :<.
Thermo-Alchemist: Having access to a second Guttersnipe (and/or Scab-Clan Berserker) makes the deck significantly more viable. You typically only need ~2 Price of Progresses/Flame Rifts to start killing players off.
Eldritch Evolution: Card is awesome. Converts Mulldrifter into Palinchron/Deadeye Navigator, Geralf's Messenger into Gray Merchant of Asphodel, jams either Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker or Zealous Conscripts as needed, turns Viridian Emissary into Siege Rhino, changes Wood Elves into Prophet of Kruphix on and on and on. 3 mana for a "library to play" tutor is oppressive and supports any number of fair or unfair strategies.
Splendid Reclamation: This card is powerful but it's a bad card to go all-in on. Playing 4 rarely worked out well for me since it's typically horrendous both early and in multiples. I like playing 1-2 as value spells in my GY-based decks but this isn't a "blindly jam 4 and never look back" card. It's worth noting that this card would be twice as god if it were a creature.
Grim Flayer: A little removal goes a long way when you have Grim Flayer in your deck. There's usually one open target but not always and it helps to have a "Doom Blade" kicking around to clear the path as needed. If you can get 2-3 hits in then you're golden and once you hit 4+ the card becomes busted.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
Artifact-based ramp, value threats, bomby finishers, combo pieces (not especially relevant for you but immensely disruptive for your opposition), versatile spot removal, permission, mass removal, draw spells, aren't these the kinds of cards that comprise the backbone of the decks that you're building and playing against? I don't understand what you're whiffing on.
FWIW all of the Emerge cards have exceeded my expectations. Even It of the Horrid Swarm is a reasonable playable. The cards themselves are "meh" but triggering things like Sanctum of Ugin and Kozilek's Return is bonkers.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
My meta: 3 or 4 player free for all, anything goes but boring games or broken decks cause a vote to end that game.
I'm loving this card in casual black. It's not an amazing card, but It's a genuinely fun card to play with.
Thalia, Heretic Cathar is a house in competitive MTG. For MP stuff, not so much, but it is still very good.
Mind's Dilatation hasn't done much for me either yet. I'm gonna try a few different builds, cos I'm sure there's power there.
Splendid Reclamation isn't good enough for mine. Not good enough to jam in a deck without having to build around it, and when I try to build around it, I just simply prefer the effect of Scapeshift. Yet to build a deck I'm happy with.
The new ***SPOILER*** Recruiter of the Guard added to that makes a pretty fearsome deck I think. Can someone say toolbox white?