Oath of the Gatewatch has only been with us for a bit and here we are with commons from a new set already!
Hound of the Farbogs just isn't good enough. 4B for a 5/3 with conditional Menace thanks to Delirium (requiring you have 4 different card types in your grave to have active) is just too slow.
Structural Distortion may be slow, but yay for slightly pushed land destruction. Sure it's 3R but it can exile the land (or artifact) and deal 2 damage to the permanent's controller. is better than most recent common LD spells
Watcher in the Web is cool, but simply being a 2/5 for 4G is, again, too slow. The blocking 8 creatures though is cool.
Fiery Temper is one I'm super excited about! And more madness cards will be awesome! Sure it takes a little effort to make it a Lightning Bolt, but it's still a solid burn spell!
Furtive Homunculus is...interesting. If only because it introduces the second new keyword in Skulk. It's an interesting keyword, but how good it'll be depends on the kind of cards we get it on. A 2/1 for 1U isn't the best first showing though.
Lamplighter of Selhoff is, like the Hound and the Watcher, too expensive. 5 mana needs a huge payoff and a 3/5 zombie with a conditional loot isn't good.
Expose Evil is lackluster with only tapping two creatures, but it shows off the 3rd new mechanic in....Investigate! It's like a strange form of cycling, you get a Clue artifact that you pay 2 to cash in for a card, but it's kinda cool. Again, all depends on what cards we get with it.
And that's it for now! We still have a long time to go before spoilers come in proper, but here's our first look! We have potential in our 3 new mechanics and I'm interested in seeing how it turns out.
Investigate is actually a really cool mechanic. Depending on what we get it attached to, it could be useful in several decks. I really hope they use it like scry two, adding 1 mana to a normal card and the artifact. 2 mana ponder with a draw attached would be neat, for instance.
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Investigate seems super awesome, but like you said, it all depends on what cards get it. Same with Skulk. If we only get it on average cards or underwhelming cards then it'll be a wasted opportunity. I imagine some metalcraft/affinity decks would like Investigate if it appears on useful cards.
I think Skulk is one of the best evasion keywords they've ever made. It's so balanced.
As for the spoilers so far, they all suck. Fiery Temper has been a common since Torment, and this will be it's third printing. If it hasn't seen much use in Pauper so far, it's because it's likely not good enough. I love the card, but unless they print some more good discard outlets at common (and in the right colours), this won't see more play than it already is.
TVTyrant, do you mean a 2 mana ponder that creates a Clue? That certainly would be interesting!
I think Skulk is one of the best evasion keywords they've ever made. It's so balanced.
As for the spoilers so far, they all suck. Fiery Temper has been a common since Torment, and this will be it's third printing. If it hasn't seen much use in Pauper so far, it's because it's likely not good enough. I love the card, but unless they print some more good discard outlets at common (and in the right colours), this won't see more play than it already is.
TVTyrant, do you mean a 2 mana ponder that creates a Clue? That certainly would be interesting!
Yes I do I bet we get a bunch of garbage instead, but my hope is for some high value commons slowed down a step for clues. The reason I think they could go that way is WotCs fear of mucking with Modern, but cantrips at 1 more mana aren't good for storm so they could be acceptable.
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Skulk seems quite fine and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a new version of Invisible Stalker with skulk at common just because it's so balanced.
I think it's less that Fiery Temper is bad and more that there's no payoff to using red in a madness deck. The only madness card with red is Fiery Temper. If they print more burn spells or creatures in red with madness then it might see some more play. Heck, madness in general might see more play if SOI prints good madness cards and good discard outlets.
You made me curious so I looked it up. Only one red common has Unearth and it's Vithian Stinger. And almost all of red's best discard outlets are tied to draw spells like Tormenting Voice and Faithless Looting. Any creatures with discard abilities you either have to tap it to use it once a turn (Firefright Mage), one time etb abilities (Viashino Racketeer), or it's discard at random (Barbarian Bully). Red needs a little help from SOI to be a better Madness color. Of course, Madness in general needs SOI to help it. We need some more madness creatures and spells and some good discard outlets to get everything really going.
Faithless Looting was more what I was thinking about. That card makes a discard strategy viable almost on its own. Tormenting Voice is not bad either, but not nearly as good. I didn't realize there were so few Unearth cards, either.
While maybe not Reckless Wurm itself I could totally see a new version of it being printed that fits Innistrad red's flavor better. Like Devious Devil, Enraged Geist, or Rampaging Wolf.
While maybe not Reckless Wurm itself I could totally see a new version of it being printed that fits Innistrad red's flavor better. Like Devious Devil, Enraged Geist, or Rampaging Wolf.
I sincerely, seriously hope that UR Madness is a thing, but it probably will be BR. An U variation of Arrogant Wurm would be killer and likely to push UG Madness to Tier 1. Something like a 3/3, 3/4 or 4/4 (although that's pushing it a lot) with Flying for 2U Madness. They have experimented with this kind of size and cost before in Jwar Isle Avenger the very set before, so it's not too farfetched.
That said, Sanguinary Mage can make for a good player: one Prowess activation puts it out of Bolt range. I know Jeskai Student exists, but this is Red, which makes it possible for it to be either in RW Heroic or in a straight up UR tempo that is not as all-in as the Kiln Fiend deck. A few more good prowess drops like this and it could be a deck. Hoping for a Prowess 1-drop, although I think it won't happen in a long time because of Monastery Swiftspear's impact in basically all constructed formats.
Nibilis of Dusk is a straight-up reprint of Jeskai Windscout and that has seen no play. As a 1/2 Flying Prowess for 1U it would probably have been strong enough to see competitive play.
Shamble Back is conditonal on the card exiled being a creature but it's certainly efficient: a 2/2, 2 life and a bit of graveyard hate all rolled in a nice 1-CMC package.
I don't think Madness will be just in RB. I mean, Pore Over the Pages works amazingly well with madness. My guess would be Red and Black get the largest amount of Madness-related cards with blue and green getting some and white getting little to none.
Sanguinary Mage looks like the prowess guy that would make it into burn decks. We have Mage-Ring Bully but it's got the downsides of having to attack and only 2 toughness. If there was a prowess 1 drop at common it would either lack haste or be a 1/1. I could see a blue prowess one drop being a 0/3 or even a 0/2 flyer.
That red wolf could be something good depending on its mana cost. I know hoping it's only R is asking for too much but I can hope!
Shamble Back is a card I love. So much for only one mana. Best part is you don't even need your opponent to have creatures. They kill or counter one of your guys? Fine. I'll just play this 2/2 for B and gain 2 life.
I don't think Madness will be just in RB. I mean, Pore Over the Pages works amazingly well with madness. My guess would be Red and Black get the largest amount of Madness-related cards with blue and green getting some and white getting little to none.
Sanguinary Mage looks like the prowess guy that would make it into burn decks. We have Mage-Ring Bully but it's got the downsides of having to attack and only 2 toughness. If there was a prowess 1 drop at common it would either lack haste or be a 1/1. I could see a blue prowess one drop being a 0/3 or even a 0/2 flyer.
That red wolf could be something good depending on its mana cost. I know hoping it's only R is asking for too much but I can hope!
Shamble Back is a card I love. So much for only one mana. Best part is you don't even need your opponent to have creatures. They kill or counter one of your guys? Fine. I'll just play this 2/2 for B and gain 2 life.
A 1/1 Haste for R or 0/2 Flying for U would totally push the archetype. That said, I would prefer the R one to stay as a hasteless 1/2, since a 1/1 Prowess Haste on turn 1 would do nothing unless you cast free spells.
The Wolf will probably be 1R, but R would push it to the edge of playability. Having 4 damage already dealt in turn 2 is something few dudes can do in Pauper.
Voldaren Duelist is probably one mana too expensive, but Haste + no block effect can end games out of nowhere. It also has two relevant creature types.
On a minor note, the Delirium mechanic at common might mean that the expected Fetchlands at common (sacrifice and search your library for a BASIC swamp or island, put it into play untapped) will finally appear and enable 2-color aggro decks, but I'm not too optimistic on this because they will probably go with theusualsuspects.
It would be cool to see a fetchland at common. But yeah, like you said, they'd go a little safer than that. Maybe we could get more useful colorless sac lands. Like a land that you can pay 1 or 2 and sac it to make each player discard a card. A delirium and madness enabler.
Shamble Back is a pretty big jump in power level, in my opinion. It having to exile a creature in a graveyard is basically a way to prevent players from casting this on turn 1. However, this is still a really good card throughout the game, in part because of the lifegain. I think it's great design!
Also: Pieces of the Puzzle. HOLY CRAP. While this is still just two cards for 3 mana, it digs incredibly deep and finds the right types of cards. I'm expecting some play out of this card. Definitely trying it out in my Turbo Fog deck!
On the discard enablers discussion, they also reprinted Lightning Axe, but as an uncommon this time. It's going to be an excellent piece of removal, it's in Red, and it enables Madness.
Pieces of the Puzzle looks close to perfect for UB Delver (delve delver lol). Throw three cards into your graveyard, pick up two answer cards. The grave cards actually pay off the cost of the card, so it is practically two free cards.
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And it's been awhile but we have a new common! Shard of Broken Glass Honestly, I'm not sure how to feel about it honestly. Not as cheap as Bone Saw but it's good for self mill and that self mill is even optional! That's crazy cool! What do you all think?
I like it, I just don't know who wants it. It could go in Cawblade to make treasure cruise go off smoother, or maybe replace tome scour in Angler Delver.
It reminds me of explorers scope, which has a unique and often useful effect but is just too narrow to see play.
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An aggressive GB self-mill wants it? Maybe? Hmm....you're right. It's hard to tell who wants this card. IT's unique and strong but what deck could efficiently use it? Or really want it?
Hinterland Logger for 1G you get a 2/1 human that flips (under the normal werewolf conditions) into a 4/2 Werewolf with trample. Okay. Not bad. doubt it'll see much play without some ways to flip it past the trigger but hey! If you're lucky you could get a 4/2 on turn 3. This is probably only gonna be great in limited. Moving on we have...
Warped Landscape! A brand new version of Evolving Wilds. What makes it new? You have to pay 2 to get the search effect but in the meantime it'll tap for colorless mana. So it's like the common land cycle from Alara except it can find any land.
Thraben Inspector is a simple 1/2 for W that investigates when it comes into play. I could see it being used in white affinity decks. Gives you an artifact early and, once not needed, a cantrip.
Now here's a simple, but fun one. Just the Wind. It's an Unsummon for 1U but....it has madness for U! UG madness has a fun new tool to use! Yay!
And our last common on the day shows off the skulk mechanic for the first time officially: Farbog Revenant. 2B for a 1/3 spirit with Skulk and Lifelink. Hmm...i mean, it's a spirit for those Thief of Hope decks, so it's got that going for it. And skulk continues to be an interesting and balanced form of evasion. Is getting in damage more important than gaining life? Seriously, I'm really starting to come around to Skulk. and we've only seen it on two cards!
So next week spoilers officially begin and hopefully we continue to see cool cards.
If the Clues could be sacrificed in order to draw the card, you would see cards that make them a lot more. As it sits, spending two mana to draw one card is just a bit steep and will turn most people away.
I kind of like Farbog Revenant. I'm always looking out for cards that could be used in a Pestilence build, and he sort-of fits the bill. He has the magic 3 toughness, gains you life and blocks well. Not to mention he attacks well, too.
People so rarely use the Alara cycle of lands because we're very spoiled now with Guildgates, Life lands, Wilds and Expanses. I doubt Warped Landscape will change any of that.
Thraben Inspector is a simple 1/2 for W that investigates when it comes into play. I could see it being used in white affinity decks. Gives you an artifact early and, once not needed, a cantrip.
where I see this being played is in boros kitty, it gives an artifact that is never dead, since it can be returned to get an early creature in play, sacrificed to get 3 goblins or gives the deck a way to draw cards at instant speed when you are holding mana up for removal. I definitely think this card will see play. Maybe not in pure affinity but definitely the boros varieties.
Hound of the Farbogs just isn't good enough. 4B for a 5/3 with conditional Menace thanks to Delirium (requiring you have 4 different card types in your grave to have active) is just too slow.
Structural Distortion may be slow, but yay for slightly pushed land destruction. Sure it's 3R but it can exile the land (or artifact) and deal 2 damage to the permanent's controller. is better than most recent common LD spells
Watcher in the Web is cool, but simply being a 2/5 for 4G is, again, too slow. The blocking 8 creatures though is cool.
Fiery Temper is one I'm super excited about! And more madness cards will be awesome! Sure it takes a little effort to make it a Lightning Bolt, but it's still a solid burn spell!
Stoic Builder is basically Tilling Treefolk that gets one less land in return for having 1 more point of power.
Furtive Homunculus is...interesting. If only because it introduces the second new keyword in Skulk. It's an interesting keyword, but how good it'll be depends on the kind of cards we get it on. A 2/1 for 1U isn't the best first showing though.
Lamplighter of Selhoff is, like the Hound and the Watcher, too expensive. 5 mana needs a huge payoff and a 3/5 zombie with a conditional loot isn't good.
Expose Evil is lackluster with only tapping two creatures, but it shows off the 3rd new mechanic in....Investigate! It's like a strange form of cycling, you get a Clue artifact that you pay 2 to cash in for a card, but it's kinda cool. Again, all depends on what cards we get with it.
And that's it for now! We still have a long time to go before spoilers come in proper, but here's our first look! We have potential in our 3 new mechanics and I'm interested in seeing how it turns out.
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
As for the spoilers so far, they all suck. Fiery Temper has been a common since Torment, and this will be it's third printing. If it hasn't seen much use in Pauper so far, it's because it's likely not good enough. I love the card, but unless they print some more good discard outlets at common (and in the right colours), this won't see more play than it already is.
TVTyrant, do you mean a 2 mana ponder that creates a Clue? That certainly would be interesting!
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
Yes I do I bet we get a bunch of garbage instead, but my hope is for some high value commons slowed down a step for clues. The reason I think they could go that way is WotCs fear of mucking with Modern, but cantrips at 1 more mana aren't good for storm so they could be acceptable.
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
I think it's less that Fiery Temper is bad and more that there's no payoff to using red in a madness deck. The only madness card with red is Fiery Temper. If they print more burn spells or creatures in red with madness then it might see some more play. Heck, madness in general might see more play if SOI prints good madness cards and good discard outlets.
Good points all around; more Red Madness cards would be really good.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
Perhaps they'll reprint Reckless Wurm as a common?
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
I sincerely, seriously hope that UR Madness is a thing, but it probably will be BR. An U variation of Arrogant Wurm would be killer and likely to push UG Madness to Tier 1. Something like a 3/3, 3/4 or 4/4 (although that's pushing it a lot) with Flying for 2U Madness. They have experimented with this kind of size and cost before in Jwar Isle Avenger the very set before, so it's not too farfetched.
That said, Sanguinary Mage can make for a good player: one Prowess activation puts it out of Bolt range. I know Jeskai Student exists, but this is Red, which makes it possible for it to be either in RW Heroic or in a straight up UR tempo that is not as all-in as the Kiln Fiend deck. A few more good prowess drops like this and it could be a deck. Hoping for a Prowess 1-drop, although I think it won't happen in a long time because of Monastery Swiftspear's impact in basically all constructed formats.
Nibilis of Dusk is a straight-up reprint of Jeskai Windscout and that has seen no play. As a 1/2 Flying Prowess for 1U it would probably have been strong enough to see competitive play.
Shamble Back is conditonal on the card exiled being a creature but it's certainly efficient: a 2/2, 2 life and a bit of graveyard hate all rolled in a nice 1-CMC package.
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
Sanguinary Mage looks like the prowess guy that would make it into burn decks. We have Mage-Ring Bully but it's got the downsides of having to attack and only 2 toughness. If there was a prowess 1 drop at common it would either lack haste or be a 1/1. I could see a blue prowess one drop being a 0/3 or even a 0/2 flyer.
That red wolf could be something good depending on its mana cost. I know hoping it's only R is asking for too much but I can hope!
Shamble Back is a card I love. So much for only one mana. Best part is you don't even need your opponent to have creatures. They kill or counter one of your guys? Fine. I'll just play this 2/2 for B and gain 2 life.
A 1/1 Haste for R or 0/2 Flying for U would totally push the archetype. That said, I would prefer the R one to stay as a hasteless 1/2, since a 1/1 Prowess Haste on turn 1 would do nothing unless you cast free spells.
The Wolf will probably be 1R, but R would push it to the edge of playability. Having 4 damage already dealt in turn 2 is something few dudes can do in Pauper.
Voldaren Duelist is probably one mana too expensive, but Haste + no block effect can end games out of nowhere. It also has two relevant creature types.
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
I could see the Duelist being a 1-2 of in a casual vampire deck. It's got a lot going for it that the mana cost isn't too big a deal breaker.
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
Also: Pieces of the Puzzle. HOLY CRAP. While this is still just two cards for 3 mana, it digs incredibly deep and finds the right types of cards. I'm expecting some play out of this card. Definitely trying it out in my Turbo Fog deck!
On the discard enablers discussion, they also reprinted Lightning Axe, but as an uncommon this time. It's going to be an excellent piece of removal, it's in Red, and it enables Madness.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
It reminds me of explorers scope, which has a unique and often useful effect but is just too narrow to see play.
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
Hinterland Logger for 1G you get a 2/1 human that flips (under the normal werewolf conditions) into a 4/2 Werewolf with trample. Okay. Not bad. doubt it'll see much play without some ways to flip it past the trigger but hey! If you're lucky you could get a 4/2 on turn 3. This is probably only gonna be great in limited. Moving on we have...
Warped Landscape! A brand new version of Evolving Wilds. What makes it new? You have to pay 2 to get the search effect but in the meantime it'll tap for colorless mana. So it's like the common land cycle from Alara except it can find any land.
Thraben Inspector is a simple 1/2 for W that investigates when it comes into play. I could see it being used in white affinity decks. Gives you an artifact early and, once not needed, a cantrip.
Now here's a simple, but fun one. Just the Wind. It's an Unsummon for 1U but....it has madness for U! UG madness has a fun new tool to use! Yay!
And our last common on the day shows off the skulk mechanic for the first time officially: Farbog Revenant. 2B for a 1/3 spirit with Skulk and Lifelink. Hmm...i mean, it's a spirit for those Thief of Hope decks, so it's got that going for it. And skulk continues to be an interesting and balanced form of evasion. Is getting in damage more important than gaining life? Seriously, I'm really starting to come around to Skulk. and we've only seen it on two cards!
So next week spoilers officially begin and hopefully we continue to see cool cards.
I kind of like Farbog Revenant. I'm always looking out for cards that could be used in a Pestilence build, and he sort-of fits the bill. He has the magic 3 toughness, gains you life and blocks well. Not to mention he attacks well, too.
People so rarely use the Alara cycle of lands because we're very spoiled now with Guildgates, Life lands, Wilds and Expanses. I doubt Warped Landscape will change any of that.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
where I see this being played is in boros kitty, it gives an artifact that is never dead, since it can be returned to get an early creature in play, sacrificed to get 3 goblins or gives the deck a way to draw cards at instant speed when you are holding mana up for removal. I definitely think this card will see play. Maybe not in pure affinity but definitely the boros varieties.
cheers
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