Well, since this seems to have half-fired off in a few threads here, I thought it would be a good idea to make a more official thread where we can discuss the different commons we found interesting in the Spoilers.
I'm personally liking Twin Bolt, and I think it might see a bit of constructed play. But does it compete with something like Electrikcery, therefore isn't as good? Or does it have a function of its own? Sure, it's more versatile in that it can distribute the damage among one or two creatures and even aim part or all of it at the opponent, but is the mana cost too high to be playable?
Contradict: The most general counterspell with a cantrip ever printed. It doesn't get simpler than this. But at 5 mana, is it out of reach, even for control decks?
Ojutai's Breath: This is basically a removal spell in my eyes. keeping a creature out of the game for two turns or even two creatures for a turn can prove to be extremely powerful. I like it!
Vulturous Aven: People are calling it the Black Mulldrifter. I wouldn't be so kind. Having to sacrifice a creature to reap the card advantage has many issues. First, it requires you to have a creature in play. I suppose you could have it exploit itself, but then you just have a really expensive Sign in Blood. If you sacrifice a creature, you are almost necessarily losing a card to draw two cards, which means you net 1 card advantage in the end. Decks that typically use Mulldrifter don't really run a reliable amount of creatures for it to be replaced (the body and mana cost are obviously better). I don't think someone would want to use both in the same deck. I have a Sacrifice-themed deck that I've had great success with, but the curve tops at 3. Is this worth changing my deck for? I'm not sold on the idea. So where can this card go? What strategy would use it?
What other cards do you find good or worth mentioning in Dragons of Tarkir?
Vulturous Aven looks pretty good as a curve topper for a deck I brewed a long time ago based on Carrion Feeder and creatures that die with value like Black Cat and Festering Goblin. It may just replace Sign in Blood for that list since I'm getting more creatures in the deck for fodder. I will definitely test it though.
Normally I thought Zephyr Sprite would add too many of the same effects for a Knack combo deck, but it can definitely add some extra dig for the deck while not taking up extra spell space. I say it's a definite boss for the deck.
I'm not sure how Spellfist will work out. Yes it has more toughness than Delver and can be completely unblockable, but Delver can help curve the deck out a bit better since it's a great first turn play. Time and testing will decide on that one.
The thing I'm most excited about is Shambling Goblin another Festering Goblin without the drawback of being forced to target one of your creatures. It seems silly, but it made me happy.
Foul-Tongue Shriek also seems very strong in the right deck. It could be awesome in Suicide Aggro as a way to negate the suicide while speeding up the clock for the archetype.
I'm liking Twin Bolt a lot in my Caw Blade deck. It's not comparable to Electrickery, since it's more of a mainboard card against X/1 that is never dead because you can also kill a single X/2 with an expensive Shock, or you could use it to burn face. On the other hand, Electrickery is more used as a SB card to take out swarms and weenies of X/1's, like Goblins, Elves, Faeries, White Weenie etc. So you could say that in G2 and G3 you could swap one for another since they serve more or less the same purpose but Electrickery is more specialized in taking weenies out and you wouldn't want it MB because it will be dead in certain MU's.
Vulturous Aven is by a fair margin the best card in the set. People have been longing for a good sac outlet in Pauper and here it is. It won't work quite good in a normal deck, but in an Aristocrats type of deck, the advantage it could offer is pretty brutal. It comes a turn before Drifter and can eat it in combat and survive. Some relevant cards it could eat:
Wow, Zephyr Scribe actually does a lot for that combo, being a Looter and a combo piece all at once! Well spotted!
Impact Tremors definitely feels more like an uncommon/rare than a common to me, so I'm quite surprised that such a potentially powerful effect can be printed at such a low cost! I wouldn't be surprised if something good came of it.
Elusive Spellfist seems like a toned down Kiln Fiend, that becomes unblockable instead of getting a massive attack boost. Obviously, this can't be abused as easily. I think Delver will trump it simply beacause people will more often want to save their spells to pump up Cyclops and Fiend, and use Delver to bash efficiently in the meantime or as a plan B.
Foul-Tongue Shriek: Suicide Black will definitely want this! Seems like a good way to sneak in a deadly attack on an unsuspecting opponent.
I'm also a big fan of Shambling Goblin, but also for its artwork. I love those big yellow eyes.
Pauper has had good sac outlets for a while. It's a bit hard to beat Carrion Feeder. I think Vulturous Aven will be harder to make work than people think. Too much hype, in my opinion! Would love to be proved wrong, though!
Are we looking at a Boros Token build? Maybe taking the shell of the Mono-White Token and adding Tremors and War Marshal? Remember, Battle Screech's Flashback must be paid with White creatures only.
Goblin Bushwhacker is probably the card name I've misspelled the most as well! I always forget that "h"!
It was most likely made to accompany all those Dash guys. Maybe some of them could be playable?
Yeah, I guessed so, taking the WW shell and splashing in Impact Tremors, Mogg War Marshal, Beetleback Chief and Goblin Bushwhacker will be the way to brew a successful Boros tokens build. Unfortunately, except for Heelcutter none of the Dash guys seem too playable to me... Maybe we could toss somelifegainthere? Although the deck is pretty stacked as is, so it will be difficult, but it sure promises a lot.
I was just thinking about my Izzet deck I brewed and realized that Contradict might be worth it as a 2-of there. The deck really grinds out games for the win and uses Goblin Electromancer to add extra value to cards like Jilt and Exclude. Being able to cast Contradict for 4 or even 3 or less if I have multiple Electromancers in play is definitely awesome!
Another card that peaked my interest was Sprinting Warbrute. A 5/4 for 4 with Haste is pretty nasty, especially since it can work around Flame Slash. Sure it's more Midrange than some red decks want to be, but it might be worth testing.
I'll pass on the 5/4. 4 mana every turn is just a lot to pay. And even when you play him, he's forced to attack (which means he can't block). Too much mana for too little, imo.
I'm personally liking Twin Bolt, and I think it might see a bit of constructed play. But does it compete with something like Electrikcery, therefore isn't as good? Or does it have a function of its own? Sure, it's more versatile in that it can distribute the damage among one or two creatures and even aim part or all of it at the opponent, but is the mana cost too high to be playable?
Contradict: The most general counterspell with a cantrip ever printed. It doesn't get simpler than this. But at 5 mana, is it out of reach, even for control decks?
Ojutai's Breath: This is basically a removal spell in my eyes. keeping a creature out of the game for two turns or even two creatures for a turn can prove to be extremely powerful. I like it!
Vulturous Aven: People are calling it the Black Mulldrifter. I wouldn't be so kind. Having to sacrifice a creature to reap the card advantage has many issues. First, it requires you to have a creature in play. I suppose you could have it exploit itself, but then you just have a really expensive Sign in Blood. If you sacrifice a creature, you are almost necessarily losing a card to draw two cards, which means you net 1 card advantage in the end. Decks that typically use Mulldrifter don't really run a reliable amount of creatures for it to be replaced (the body and mana cost are obviously better). I don't think someone would want to use both in the same deck. I have a Sacrifice-themed deck that I've had great success with, but the curve tops at 3. Is this worth changing my deck for? I'm not sold on the idea. So where can this card go? What strategy would use it?
What other cards do you find good or worth mentioning in Dragons of Tarkir?
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
Normally I thought Zephyr Sprite would add too many of the same effects for a Knack combo deck, but it can definitely add some extra dig for the deck while not taking up extra spell space. I say it's a definite boss for the deck.
I'm not sure how Spellfist will work out. Yes it has more toughness than Delver and can be completely unblockable, but Delver can help curve the deck out a bit better since it's a great first turn play. Time and testing will decide on that one.
The thing I'm most excited about is Shambling Goblin another Festering Goblin without the drawback of being forced to target one of your creatures. It seems silly, but it made me happy.
Foul-Tongue Shriek also seems very strong in the right deck. It could be awesome in Suicide Aggro as a way to negate the suicide while speeding up the clock for the archetype.
Vulturous Aven is by a fair margin the best card in the set. People have been longing for a good sac outlet in Pauper and here it is. It won't work quite good in a normal deck, but in an Aristocrats type of deck, the advantage it could offer is pretty brutal. It comes a turn before Drifter and can eat it in combat and survive. Some relevant cards it could eat:
- Highland Game
- Brindle Shoat
- Viridian Emissary
- Penumbra Bobcat
- Penumbra Spider
- Doomed Traveler
- Mistmoon Griffin
- Blind Hunter
- Driver of the Dead
And a large etc.
About Contradict, I agree it's super expensive, but you can't really compare it to Exclude because Exclude can be dead in certain matchups.
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
Impact Tremors definitely feels more like an uncommon/rare than a common to me, so I'm quite surprised that such a potentially powerful effect can be printed at such a low cost! I wouldn't be surprised if something good came of it.
Elusive Spellfist seems like a toned down Kiln Fiend, that becomes unblockable instead of getting a massive attack boost. Obviously, this can't be abused as easily. I think Delver will trump it simply beacause people will more often want to save their spells to pump up Cyclops and Fiend, and use Delver to bash efficiently in the meantime or as a plan B.
Foul-Tongue Shriek: Suicide Black will definitely want this! Seems like a good way to sneak in a deadly attack on an unsuspecting opponent.
I'm also a big fan of Shambling Goblin, but also for its artwork. I love those big yellow eyes.
Pauper has had good sac outlets for a while. It's a bit hard to beat Carrion Feeder. I think Vulturous Aven will be harder to make work than people think. Too much hype, in my opinion! Would love to be proved wrong, though!
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
- Mogg War Marshal
- Beetleback Chief
- Battle Screech
- Triplicate Spirits
- Sandsteppe Outcast
- Goblin Bushwacker
- Marshaling Cry
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
Goblin Bushwhacker is probably the card name I've misspelled the most as well! I always forget that "h"!
It was most likely made to accompany all those Dash guys. Maybe some of them could be playable?
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
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
I was just thinking about my Izzet deck I brewed and realized that Contradict might be worth it as a 2-of there. The deck really grinds out games for the win and uses Goblin Electromancer to add extra value to cards like Jilt and Exclude. Being able to cast Contradict for 4 or even 3 or less if I have multiple Electromancers in play is definitely awesome!
Another card that peaked my interest was Sprinting Warbrute. A 5/4 for 4 with Haste is pretty nasty, especially since it can work around Flame Slash. Sure it's more Midrange than some red decks want to be, but it might be worth testing.
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