I was just currious how people would rate the cards in the set. I was going through it and while I still found a few cards I thought were good I felt that a lot of the tribal stuff while interesting didnt seem like it measured up for being tribal.
Teferi's Protection so far I think this might be the strongest card of the set. Fogs are kind of weak by default but its a fog vs combat or a lot of combos ORRR its protection from some sort of sweeper. It can protect vs MLD or even just an Oblivion Stone effect. Its mana cost was kept low enough that you dont really need to be a draw / go deck to play it and when used as a fog, it protects against the next people down the line until your turn too. I have played with some anti haymaker cards such as Comeuppance, Aetherspouts and a few others and this seems far more universal in what it can do.
Traverse the Outlands - this card gives you such a huge resource lead. It will fit into decks that use strong draw like Greater Good very well and it will even let a commander centric deck replay its commander well into the game. MLD is such a taboo for most average commander groups that it really doesn't seem to have much of a downside. For metas that play more of a control oriented slugfest, this card is going to be brutal because the amount of resource it provides is really challenging to overcome. It will be weaker vs faster metas especially combo centric metas which is probably the only reason I did not put this card in first place. The value of this card will vary based on what your meta looks like from being a great card to possibly unplayable.
Vindictive Lich - Its effect is incredibly powerful. I might have rated it higher if it had been an ETB instead of a death trigger as it limits what kind of deck it goes into a little more but in general when using edicts, its usually one player that is causing you to want an edict so the option of passing hand hate around with it seems strong. Consider the possibility of looping this with Corpse Dance or Wake the Dead.
Kess, Dissident Mage honestly, this is the strongest legend of this set. Its so powerful at what it does. Consider just chaining Time Warp, Temporal Manipulation, Capture of Jingzhou turn after turn. Flashback a Savage Beating??? This legend has incredible stats + flying for its mana and on top of it, it has an amazingly powerful ability. My only concern for this legend would be if you can keep it in play but with a starting cost of 4 it seems strong. I would probably have rated it higher but when you look at it as a singleton instead of a commander it seems kind of narrow if you can get it into a deck or not but its probably still strong even as a singleton its just limited being 3 colors.
Bloodsworn Steward Its a good stat efficient creature for red with evasion and it gives haste to your commander as well as a buff. Overall, it seems like a strong creature for a red deck that is combat / attack oriented especially for commanders in the 5+ mana range in red. My only real qualm with it is that its red lol.
Hammer of Nazahn this seems like an interesting tool for equipment based decks as well as commander centric decks. Its nice that you could drop it in and it auto equips the first time and I do like the buffs it gives. My only real qualm is comparing it against Darksteel Plate who is itself also indestructible. I think its fairly solid and can play a decent role in a number of decks but I dont think its so good that its some sort of auto include. Strong colorless equipment though is always something I am in the market for though.
Beyond that my list falls off kind of quickly. Some of the tribal stuff is ok but it seems very narrow as to where its applicable so none of it really made the list. Fortunate Few might be my next favorite card but like I said, it starts falling off rather quickly from there.
It's either a mark of good design that the list of cards I'm looking forward to most has zero overlap with ISB's, or arguably an indication that I like bad cards. I'm planning on building Mairsil, the Pretender and Licia, Sanguine Tribune more or less immediately after release. Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist is going to be a regular feature as 1/99, as will Kindred Discovery. I'm expecting to run a lot of the new cards from this set at some point (way more than I would have guessed when I learned the theme was tribal), so my list doesn't drop off all that abruptly.
I think Inalla, Archmage Ritualist and Kess are probably the strongest legends in the set, I just don't find them as appealing as several others. Inalla can play a decent value game and there's some combo potential (as with many abilities that don't require mana). Some of the best things you can do with Kess you could already do with Dralnu, Lich Lord, so she doesn't seem as new to me. Better if you have a more proactive gameplan, but still a lot of overlap in gameplan.
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[Pr]Jaya | Estrid | A rotating cast of decks built out of my box.
1. Teferi's Protection - I don't know how anyone could not mention this as the most powerful in the set.
2. Path of Ancestry - That's a free scry on every time I cast my commander. Sometimes more than just my commander. Well worth the one turn it's offline and should be frequent targets of Wasteland, especially in conjunction with commanders that get better the more you cast them (like Marath, and Mimeoplasm).
3. Ramos, Dragon Engine - this is a colourless, artifact that gives access to all five colours and can provide a huge 10 point ritual 1/turn. Not just your turn either. Like hello...who thought this was a good idea lol?
4. Fractured Identity - Nonland exile is potent. And it's even more potent when it flips the resource to everyone else...this is going to be a staple of xWU decks for years to come...
5. Magus of the Mind - C'mon now, we all know Mind's Desire is never going to be okay to print......................................
1. Teferi's Protection for sure. As far as real power level on a single card goes, this takes the cake from the set. Cheap "super fog" and could find a spot in a wide array of decks for a wide array of situations. For my own decks, this can replace Rootborn Defenses, Make a Stand, etc. as it's happened on occasion that a sweeper comes up, I cast board-wide protection that lasts until end of turn just to have the next player on his turn cast a wipe too to really even the keel. Not anymore.
2. Kess, Dissident Mage / Mairsil, the Pretender. Both seem like they can be pretty abusive with their respective abilities and a lot of fun shenanigans at the same time. They just seem super powerful to me and both in the right colors for what they're wanting to do.
3. Vindictive Lich. This card has so much synergy with other cards and commanders, that, in a multiplayer game, can really put in some work. Reanimator strategies in particular will find (repeated) use and Meren of Clan Nel Toth would love a sac outlet for him each turn. Within Skullclamp range.
4. Traverse the Outlands. Mono-G, GR, or any other GX deck that cares about the biggest of big beaters - eat your hearts out. 5 mana to thrown down the majority, if not all, of your lands in the right deck, thinning you out to draw more big dudes - oh, and look, you suddenly have a lot more mana to cast more of them each turn.
5. Disrupt Decorum. This seems like a great card for those stall-y board states we run into every now and then. Where everyone is in a precarious position of having good power on the board, but don't want to take the chance to use that power less they might have to lose some pieces and then be the ones to fall behind everyone else. Leaves the caster unscathed (for creatures that were in play when it was cast anyway), but best part, I think, is that it doesn't target, so those pesky hexproof guys (like voltron commanders) may be forced to attack into less than ideal circumstances and then everyone's defenses are left down for you to possibly pick someone off if the timing was right. Super fun in multiplayer.
6. I think Balan, Wandering Knight has some real potential in the voltron-equipment space. Good starting stats for that role, plus removal doesn't hurt as much then you can reattach all that equipment for 2 mana, at instant-speed.
1. Sol Ring (jk... sort of) Ok onto the new stuff.
1. Teferi's Protection - Sure I'll get on the bandwagon with this. There will be situations where this is just wasting away in your hand or you have to burn it to stop something relatively minor, but it can also be a total blowout. The art is spectacular too.
2. Kess, Dissident Mage - Giving your spells flashback is generally exactly what Grixis wants to be doing. In the right deck your options increase big time.
3. Taigam, Ojutai Master - Did everyone just forget about this guy? Free spells are always going to be good.
4. Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist - Extremely well costed for what she does. Basically makes you win every combat as long as she's alive and makes token decks irrelevant.
5. Ramos, Dragon Engine - Being 5 colors is restrictive obviously, but being able to generate 10 mana for 5 and then use that 10 to give him more counters is pretty ridiculous. He truly is an engine unto himself.
Edit, adding 6. Path of Ancestry - Just a strict upgrade to the tri-lands. Not sexy but will go in any 3 or more color deck.
1. Path of Ancestry - Solid addition to any 3+ colour deck, swapping in to replace any tapland. Even with just playing your Commander, one scry is better than no scry.
2. Kindred Discovery - The value... even in a partial tribal deck. It's the "or attacks" part that puts this card over the edge. And it doesn't specify non-token. "VALUE OVERWHELMING!"
3. Alms Collector - White, draw, and control? Can be flashed in to disrupt shenanigans? Sign me up.
4. Kess, Dissident Mage - Easily my favourite new legendary in this set, such a powerful ability on a value body.
5. Ramos, Dragon Engine - I just love this card. It's powerful, without its abilities immediately screaming "I am powerful!" (Kess screams this at the top of her lungs). Flavour, design, power, so good.
Teferi's Protection is also really REALLY good, but it doesn't have me as hyped as these. Mathas, Fiend Seeker is my least favourite legendary in this set, feel like there were other famous vampires that deserved cards, and that his ability is too narrow.
Gonna do a top seven (for 2017), in no particular order. Ranking cards solely how they'd perform in the 99, not necessarily as commander.
Kindred Boon - Much like an improved Darksteel Plate: even if you only name your commander's type, this thing will cost the same as Plate to cast and activate, and it can potentially affect multiple creatures at once.
Teferi's Protection - Anything I'd say about this card has already been said.
Traverse the Outlands - At first I was comparing this pretty directly to Harvest Season, a card I'm not fond of. However, consideration led me to realize this is probably a lot better. It's easier to have one 3 power creature than it is to have three 1 power creatures, and the ceiling on this card can get absurdly high with not a ton of effort.
Kess, Dissident Mage - Kess honestly appeals to me less as a commander than as a major roleplayer for spellslinger builds. She's a Snapcaster Mage that sticks around and can really grind out value over time. Hopefully she ends up sub-$10 or even sub-$5, because I want a copy of her for my toolbox. And I don't even have a Grixis deck yet.
Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist - Great for any GWx deck that wants to go wide, but the real reason I like Mirri is that she helps you avoid the crackback that normally comes with swinging out in such a deck. She's going to find a home in my legendary tribal Naya deck for sure.
Herald's Horn - This card seems to fly under people's radars so far, and I think they're heavily underestimating it. If your tribal deck has a low curve, it saves you mana each turn; and can easily put you up in card advantage.
Path of Ancestry - Strictly better than Khans/Alara trilands for EDH purposes. What's not to like?
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EDH/Commander
(W/U)(W/U)Raff Capashen, Ship's Mage: The New da Vinci (historic control)
(W/B)(W/B)Teysa Karlov: Death Be Not Kind (aristocrats)
(R/G)(R/G)Hallar, the Firefletcher: Yavimaya Burning (kicker and counters)
(B/G)(G/U)Sidisi, Brood Tyrant: Queen of the Damned (dredge)
Maybe Build
(W/U)(U/B)Aminatou, the Fateshifter: And a Child Shall Lead Them (superfriends)
This set is hard to really judge as to what is objectively the "best" cards in the set because everything seems like it is tailor-made to be good in a certain deck archetype or to be highly synergistic with a certain commander or class of cards. I would have a hard time ranking the best cards into a formal Top 8, but here are my general thoughts on all the cards.
Best Teferi's Protection - Useful with things like Ad Nauseam, as a Fog effect, as sweeper protection, to counter a targeted spell like Mind Twist, or to save you from a lethal Exsanguinate, there are no shortage of useful situations where this does not do something potentially game-saving. Kindred Discovery - One of the ways that tribal decks lose is that they need a critical mass of creatures on the battlefield to take advantage of the various synergies built within the tribe, but that leaves you wide open to sweepers. This will help keep the cards flowing and make sure that you can continue to play out threats without worrying too much about a Wrath. My only complaint is that the big blue tribes like Merfolk, Faeries, and some Zombie decks don't usually have troubles with card draw, but I will definitely be trying this out in my Zombie deck. Vindictive Lich - Decks always have ways of sacrificing creatures for profit. Black decks also have many ways of recurring those creatures to reap those benefits over and over. Vindictive Lich gives you tons of additional value as it dies and will likely be a staple in "sac-recur" decks. Kindred Summons - Awesome way of generating card advantage for green tribal Elf decks and I love that it happens at instant speed. Kess, Dissident Mage - I think that this is the best potential new commander to come out of the new set. It's inexpensive to cast and it generates tons of virtual card advantage. Herald's Horn - Mana savings and card advantage are both awesome for tribal decks. Ramos, Dragon Engine - A 5-color general without needing to be all 5-colors is an awesome start, but that mana ability is just awesome. Path of Ancestry - One of the best CIPT lands we have now for pure mana generation plus upside.
Really Good Alms Collector - So the obvious interaction here is with "Wheel Effects", but just being able to reign-in card draw from an opponent (or at least stay at card parity) is a big boon for a color that traditionally has a hard time keeping up. Kindred Boon - I like all the Kindred cards, but this one seems great for enchantment voltron decks like Uril, the Miststalker or Sigarda, Host of Herons. Galecaster Colossus - This card is rather bonkers with only its 7-mana casting cost keeping it out of the "best" category (and in all honesty, if it cost less than 7 is would be busted at most casual tables). Kindred Dominance - 7-mana is a lot, but having a selective Wrath is going to be great for some decks. Traverse the Outlands - 5 mana is a lot for a ramp spell, but there is a lot of potential upside from ramping from 5 mana to 8+ mana. Mairsil, the Pretender - I'm sure that there are going to be some silly combinations of cards with this, but the "only once each turn" clause prevents this from going infinite. Still, I forsee that there are going to be some huge value plays with this in the command zone. Taigam, Ojutai Master - Rebound can be really silly on some spells, but it is limited in how it plays out (you only get the spell during your upkeep and the opponent knows it is coming) and having to expose Taigam to the red zone may potentially derail his effectiveness. Taigam, Sidisi's Hand - I really like the built-in card-digging and the built-in removal, but the fact that this fueld graveyard shenanigans is what really makes me interested. Heirloom Blade - I really like this as a way for tribal decks to recoup cards after a sweeper.
Playable Balan, Wandering Knight - The "equipment matters" theme gets an interesting card whose main attraction is the obvious synergy with the various Swords of X and Y but also the total disregard of equip costs. Stalking Leonin - It exiles the opposing creature and you don't have to sacrifice your 3/3 Cat Archer to use it, but it only works on attacking creatures so it's usefulness is limited. Magus of the Mind - So I am not a big fan of a lot of the 'Magus of the X' creatures that seek to emulate a powerful card from Magic's past, but a few of them at least pique my interest. In this case, emulating Mind's Desire seems kinda busted with the low cost of only needing the turn you want to use it (assuming it lives through a turn cycle). The biggest strike against it is that it occupies a really weird space; I think hard-core combo players will shy away from it because it isn't good enough where more casual players will shy away from it because their decks aren't really set up to generate huge storm counts. Bloodline Necromancer - So Wizard decks have a way to recur any Instant/Sorcery they want with Archaeomancer+Riptide Laboratory, but this now gives Wizard decks a way to recur its Wizards as well (which is important for cards like Voidmage Prodigy). There are also some high-cost Vampires that you might want to cheat into play, although 5 mana is a lot for a reanimation spell. Kheru Mind-Eater - You may want to tote a few 5-color mana sources to really reap the benefits of this, but just hitting an opponent for a card a turn (and exiling it) can really ad up. Patron of the Vein - I like that this has plenty of value outside of a Vampire deck while still being really good if you are dedicated to Vampire Tribal. Bloodsworn Steward - Decent enough stats, but you really have to want your commander to have Haste in order for this to be worth it. Kindred Charge - Goblin hordes just potentially got a lot bigger. Shifting Shadow - An interesting take on a red Polymorph effect, I can definitely see people playing this with Eldazi and token makers. Since it destroys the creature it is attached to, playing this with Indestructibles is another way of breaking the effect. Hungry Lynx - Dripping with flavor (and cracking the top 5 all-time best rules text on a card), I think that Cat tribal has a good thing going with this. Qasali Slingers - It's basically a Cat tribal version of many different cards with a similar effect. Arahbo, Roar of the World - If going Cat Tribal tickles your fancy, then this will be the default commander of the deck. Cats just don't seem very powerful or exciting to want to build a deck around. Edgar Markov - So this is probably going to be my new Mardu general as none of the other ones I've tried have been very good. I actually like Vampires as a tribe and there are enough Vampire synergies to make this worthwhile. Inalla, Archmage Ritualist - So getting temporary token wizards seems pretty good as you can send them into the reed zone while keeping your permanent wizards out of the red zone, but where this is potentially really good is with mass untap effects and the life loss ability. Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist - If I wanted a Dueling Grounds, I would play it. Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith - If you wanted to expand the equipment maters deck into Selesnya, then this is a good way to go. O-Kagachi, Vengeful Kami - I just don't see its ability triggering all that often. If the opponent knows they can win the race, they'll attack you and dare you to attack back. If they can't, they won't attack you and you won't get the trigger. The Ur-Dragon - It's expensive at 9 mana, but you definitely get your money's worth. I like that all the time while you are building up resources to cast it, it is also saving you mana on your other Dragons. I think it has a very niche space to occupy (Commander of a 5-color Dragon deck), but it does that one job very well. Bloodforged Battle-Axe - Bonesplitter is unplayable, but getting multiple free Bonsplitters seems like it could be alright. Hammer of Nazahn - The stats are unimpressive, but you get so much potential mana savings on equip costs that this might be worth it.
Meh Scalelord Reckoner - Its a great ability and it might see play in 5-color Dragons, but since it really isn't in traditional Dragon colors (which I've found to be Jund or Grixis) this seems out of place. White does get you cards like Eternal Dragon, Yosei, the Morning Star, and a few good gold options, so maybe that isn't such a bad thing; it's just that the likelihood of me ever playing it is really low. Portal Mage - A fairly unique ability, but not really an interesting ability. Boneyard Scourge - I like the stats and the ability, but only triggering on a Dragon dying and needing to hold up 1B makes this kinda meh. New Blood - I like the effect, but I'm not a fan of how limited this. Crimson Honor Guard - If you play against people who don't ever play their commander then I can see this being an interesting meta call, but I don't like that the effect is symmetrical. Curse of Opulence - I like the idea of this, especially in an aggressive deck that can get lots of attacks in early then use the mana to accelerate out its game plan. Of all the curses, this may be the only one I even try. Disrupt Decorum - Its a good way to break up a creature stalemate, but there are better ways of doing that and I just don't see it being too useful that often. Izzet Chemister - So if you have Paradox Engine or Thousand-Year Elixir going to speed up the process, a critical mass of instants/sorceries you want to recur, and you can get this to live long enough then it could be very powerful. It just needs a lot of things to go right in order to make that happen. Territorial Hellkite - Random attacking and the possibility of not being able to attack at all once you get down to one player makes this almost unplayable. Curse of Bounty - The effect is so powerful that it would be worth it to play it, abuse it, then sacrifice it before your opponents can get any usage of it. That's a lot of hoops to jump through to make this good, but giving your opponents free mass-untaps like that just seems like a losing proposition otherwise. Licia, Sanguine Tribune - I like that an 8-mana commander has a built-in cost reduction, but a lifegain general like this should be either Esper or Abzan. Mathas, Fiend Seeker - The mechanic is pretty cool, but there are just so little ways to make it worthwhile. Mirror of the Forebears - So I'm already souring on Mirage Mirror and this just seems much, much worse.
Unplayable Curse of Vitality - I have a lifegain matters deck and this wouldn't go anywhere near it. Fortunate Few - I guess if you like politics and being at the mercy of your enemies, then sure this is fine... Curse of Verbosity - Maybe if you are going down the group-hug road... Curse of Disturbance - Nobody was clamoring for another Curse of Shallow Graves... Fractured Identity - In 1v1, this could be potentially good (although I doubt a 5 mana Sorcery is going to make the cut in cEDH 1v1). In multiplayer, I don't get the concept of exiling a permanent just to give it to my other opponents even if I get a copy (I would rather just outright steal it at that point). I can see using this on a permanent with a drawback to give a copy to all my opponents, but you don't get a Zedruu bonus and you can't use it effectively with Illusions of Grandeur or Demonic Pact. In the end, I just don't see a home for this.
Nobody even mentioned that Teferi's Protection can be Sunforger'd? Damn.
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
1. O-Kagachi - My favorite. Kamigawa book characters FTW!
2. The Ur-Dragon - Timmy Vorthos rejoice!
3. Ramos - See Ur-Dragon. Also, combos!
4. Edgar Markov - That art and a long overdue character card.
5. Taigam - The #1 requested legend finally gets a card. I don't care for him but the majority do so congrats.
Best commander: Inalla, Archmage Ritualist - from a combo perspective. Riku without having to play riku, and the only reason I ever see to cast her is to combo out. I wont play her, but she stands out as the strongest to me. Kess, Dissident Mage is strong. I've heard her compared to Dralnu, Lich Lord and it does make me consider whether she'd be stronger. She lacks instant speed though, which gives Dralnu an edge to me. Active ability trumps passive ability, though the downside remains.
Commander I'll play: The Ur-Dragon - I have a vorthos deck to build around this. Malazan Book of the Fallen themed. Ramos, Dragon Engine will be in there too.
Coolest card: Teferi's Protection - it's what everyone is talking about. And it deserves the hype.
Best commander: Inalla, Archmage Ritualist - from a combo perspective. Riku without having to play riku, and the only reason I ever see to cast her is to combo out. I wont play her, but she stands out as the strongest to me. Kess, Dissident Mage is strong. I've heard her compared to Dralnu, Lich Lord and it does make me consider whether she'd be stronger. She lacks instant speed though, which gives Dralnu an edge to me. Active ability trumps passive ability, though the downside remains.
Commander I'll play: The Ur-Dragon - I have a vorthos deck to build around this. Malazan Book of the Fallen themed. Ramos, Dragon Engine will be in there too.
Coolest card: Teferi's Protection - it's what everyone is talking about. And it deserves the hype.
Unlike Dralnu though, Kess becomes live the turn she comes down, even without Haste. I lean more toward her, especially considering she doesn't have a drawback.
Unlike Dralnu though, Kess becomes live the turn she comes down, even without Haste. I lean more toward her, especially considering she doesn't have a drawback.
You're not wrong, I just don't think it's as powerful as it could be in the same way that Dralnu is. Looping time spells, sure, but Dralnu being able to be used during an opponent's turn allows a significant control component that Kess doesn't. The Dralnu drawback, yes, but it's negligible in everything but corner cases. To my mind, they're similar, but different decks. Kess wants to play bomb spells each of your turns, Dralnu wants to control and reanimate.
Unlike Dralnu though, Kess becomes live the turn she comes down, even without Haste. I lean more toward her, especially considering she doesn't have a drawback.
You're not wrong, I just don't think it's as powerful as it could be in the same way that Dralnu is. Looping time spells, sure, but Dralnu being able to be used during an opponent's turn allows a significant control component that Kess doesn't. The Dralnu drawback, yes, but it's negligible in everything but corner cases. To my mind, they're similar, but different decks. Kess wants to play bomb spells each of your turns, Dralnu wants to control and reanimate.
I agree. One advantage Kess also has (not that it impacts their comparison) is her deck can also play Dralnu in the 99. Between the two of them… her build could potentially do everything his could, although not as consistently.
I agree. One advantage Kess also has (not that it impacts their comparison) is her deck can also play Dralnu in the 99. Between the two of them… her build could do everything his could, although not as consistently.
Fair point, though having said that I don't think I'd run Dralnu in Kess' 99. I'm not taking apart my Dralnu deck just yet, put it that way.
Mairsil, the Pretender reminds me a bit of mishra, artificer prodigy in that hes niche but has a lot of potential to be abused keep in mind u can activate his ability on each of everyone turns and i'm not sure how he interacts when new instances are created of him (if his 1 time per turn is reset or not) feldon of the third path for instance has some interesting interactions
Izzet Chemister has alot of potential to cut storm costs if played with the correct cards.
and there is the overtly good ones mentioned b4 by pretty much everyone
Kindred Discovery. That's the only card which gets my attention, totally bonkers with tribal creature ETBs and attacks. A 100% in card for all tribal decks that can run blue.
Teferi's Protection, Automatic staple in every White deck. It is just SO GOOD
Ramos, Dragon Engine of all the commander printed I find Ramos to be by far the best. Can run ANY combination of colors. Does not require color fixing to cast, an when you do cast him, you can start casting spells to pump, and once you have enough counters, you may also be able to spend them to cast even more things, pump him more and swing.
Inalla, Archmage Ritualist I did not want to list another commander but her potential is nothing to scoff at. Tolarian community college sowed me that it can be a nightmare.
Kindred Discovery This i did not want to say as it is a Tribal Matters card, but seriously, any blue tribal deck wants this card. Merfolk, Dragons, Wizards, Drakes, If you tribe runs blue, this card is getting used.
Path of Ancestry Scrry, but when you cast your general you scry. Same reason Cavern of Souls ever got played in non tribal, To prevent your general from getting countered. Its downfall is a little annoying if it is just for your general, but in a tribal deck, it is VERY good.
Kindred Discovery. That's the only card which gets my attention, totally bonkers with tribal creature ETBs and attacks. A 100% in card for all tribal decks that can run blue.
Kindred Discovery. That's the only card which gets my attention, totally bonkers with tribal creature ETBs and attacks. A 100% in card for all tribal decks that can run blue.
Currently nope until I build back my Aurelia deck, still in midst of planning it though. Currently none of my white decks have much reason to run it. I do agree that it is a very strong card.
Kindred Discovery. That's the only card which gets my attention, totally bonkers with tribal creature ETBs and attacks. A 100% in card for all tribal decks that can run blue.
Currently nope until I build back my Aurelia deck, still in midst of planning it though. Currently none of my white decks have much reason to run it. I do agree that it is a very strong card.
Even if you are not running it, it should grab your attention. I mean ther are many cards I cannot run that still grab my attention.
Beyond that my list falls off kind of quickly. Some of the tribal stuff is ok but it seems very narrow as to where its applicable so none of it really made the list. Fortunate Few might be my next favorite card but like I said, it starts falling off rather quickly from there.
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[Modern] Allies
I think Inalla, Archmage Ritualist and Kess are probably the strongest legends in the set, I just don't find them as appealing as several others. Inalla can play a decent value game and there's some combo potential (as with many abilities that don't require mana). Some of the best things you can do with Kess you could already do with Dralnu, Lich Lord, so she doesn't seem as new to me. Better if you have a more proactive gameplan, but still a lot of overlap in gameplan.
2. Path of Ancestry - That's a free scry on every time I cast my commander. Sometimes more than just my commander. Well worth the one turn it's offline and should be frequent targets of Wasteland, especially in conjunction with commanders that get better the more you cast them (like Marath, and Mimeoplasm).
3. Ramos, Dragon Engine - this is a colourless, artifact that gives access to all five colours and can provide a huge 10 point ritual 1/turn. Not just your turn either. Like hello...who thought this was a good idea lol?
4. Fractured Identity - Nonland exile is potent. And it's even more potent when it flips the resource to everyone else...this is going to be a staple of xWU decks for years to come...
5. Magus of the Mind - C'mon now, we all know Mind's Desire is never going to be okay to print......................................
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
2. Kess, Dissident Mage / Mairsil, the Pretender. Both seem like they can be pretty abusive with their respective abilities and a lot of fun shenanigans at the same time. They just seem super powerful to me and both in the right colors for what they're wanting to do.
3. Vindictive Lich. This card has so much synergy with other cards and commanders, that, in a multiplayer game, can really put in some work. Reanimator strategies in particular will find (repeated) use and Meren of Clan Nel Toth would love a sac outlet for him each turn. Within Skullclamp range.
4. Traverse the Outlands. Mono-G, GR, or any other GX deck that cares about the biggest of big beaters - eat your hearts out. 5 mana to thrown down the majority, if not all, of your lands in the right deck, thinning you out to draw more big dudes - oh, and look, you suddenly have a lot more mana to cast more of them each turn.
5. Disrupt Decorum. This seems like a great card for those stall-y board states we run into every now and then. Where everyone is in a precarious position of having good power on the board, but don't want to take the chance to use that power less they might have to lose some pieces and then be the ones to fall behind everyone else. Leaves the caster unscathed (for creatures that were in play when it was cast anyway), but best part, I think, is that it doesn't target, so those pesky hexproof guys (like voltron commanders) may be forced to attack into less than ideal circumstances and then everyone's defenses are left down for you to possibly pick someone off if the timing was right. Super fun in multiplayer.
6. I think Balan, Wandering Knight has some real potential in the voltron-equipment space. Good starting stats for that role, plus removal doesn't hurt as much then you can reattach all that equipment for 2 mana, at instant-speed.
Current EDH
UThassa, God of the Sea devotion control
WRGTana, the Bloodsower & Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa partners weenie tokens
UUnesh, Criosphinx Sovereign Sphinx tribal
WUTaigam, Ojutai Master tokens on the rebound spellslinger
GRhonas the Indomitable green creature beats
UGRashmi, Eternities Crafter ETB tribal
Retired EDH
WURGKynaios and Tiro of Meletis group hug
URThe Locust God draw swarm
UTalrand, Sky Summoner funsies blue spells
WBObzedat, Ghost Council life gain/drain
1. Teferi's Protection - Sure I'll get on the bandwagon with this. There will be situations where this is just wasting away in your hand or you have to burn it to stop something relatively minor, but it can also be a total blowout. The art is spectacular too.
2. Kess, Dissident Mage - Giving your spells flashback is generally exactly what Grixis wants to be doing. In the right deck your options increase big time.
3. Taigam, Ojutai Master - Did everyone just forget about this guy? Free spells are always going to be good.
4. Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist - Extremely well costed for what she does. Basically makes you win every combat as long as she's alive and makes token decks irrelevant.
5. Ramos, Dragon Engine - Being 5 colors is restrictive obviously, but being able to generate 10 mana for 5 and then use that 10 to give him more counters is pretty ridiculous. He truly is an engine unto himself.
Edit, adding 6. Path of Ancestry - Just a strict upgrade to the tri-lands. Not sexy but will go in any 3 or more color deck.
2. Kindred Discovery - The value... even in a partial tribal deck. It's the "or attacks" part that puts this card over the edge. And it doesn't specify non-token. "VALUE OVERWHELMING!"
3. Alms Collector - White, draw, and control? Can be flashed in to disrupt shenanigans? Sign me up.
4. Kess, Dissident Mage - Easily my favourite new legendary in this set, such a powerful ability on a value body.
5. Ramos, Dragon Engine - I just love this card. It's powerful, without its abilities immediately screaming "I am powerful!" (Kess screams this at the top of her lungs). Flavour, design, power, so good.
Teferi's Protection is also really REALLY good, but it doesn't have me as hyped as these. Mathas, Fiend Seeker is my least favourite legendary in this set, feel like there were other famous vampires that deserved cards, and that his ability is too narrow.
Kindred Boon - Much like an improved Darksteel Plate: even if you only name your commander's type, this thing will cost the same as Plate to cast and activate, and it can potentially affect multiple creatures at once.
Teferi's Protection - Anything I'd say about this card has already been said.
Traverse the Outlands - At first I was comparing this pretty directly to Harvest Season, a card I'm not fond of. However, consideration led me to realize this is probably a lot better. It's easier to have one 3 power creature than it is to have three 1 power creatures, and the ceiling on this card can get absurdly high with not a ton of effort.
Kess, Dissident Mage - Kess honestly appeals to me less as a commander than as a major roleplayer for spellslinger builds. She's a Snapcaster Mage that sticks around and can really grind out value over time. Hopefully she ends up sub-$10 or even sub-$5, because I want a copy of her for my toolbox. And I don't even have a Grixis deck yet.
Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist - Great for any GWx deck that wants to go wide, but the real reason I like Mirri is that she helps you avoid the crackback that normally comes with swinging out in such a deck. She's going to find a home in my legendary tribal Naya deck for sure.
Herald's Horn - This card seems to fly under people's radars so far, and I think they're heavily underestimating it. If your tribal deck has a low curve, it saves you mana each turn; and can easily put you up in card advantage.
Path of Ancestry - Strictly better than Khans/Alara trilands for EDH purposes. What's not to like?
Best
Teferi's Protection - Useful with things like Ad Nauseam, as a Fog effect, as sweeper protection, to counter a targeted spell like Mind Twist, or to save you from a lethal Exsanguinate, there are no shortage of useful situations where this does not do something potentially game-saving.
Kindred Discovery - One of the ways that tribal decks lose is that they need a critical mass of creatures on the battlefield to take advantage of the various synergies built within the tribe, but that leaves you wide open to sweepers. This will help keep the cards flowing and make sure that you can continue to play out threats without worrying too much about a Wrath. My only complaint is that the big blue tribes like Merfolk, Faeries, and some Zombie decks don't usually have troubles with card draw, but I will definitely be trying this out in my Zombie deck.
Vindictive Lich - Decks always have ways of sacrificing creatures for profit. Black decks also have many ways of recurring those creatures to reap those benefits over and over. Vindictive Lich gives you tons of additional value as it dies and will likely be a staple in "sac-recur" decks.
Kindred Summons - Awesome way of generating card advantage for
green tribalElf decks and I love that it happens at instant speed.Kess, Dissident Mage - I think that this is the best potential new commander to come out of the new set. It's inexpensive to cast and it generates tons of virtual card advantage.
Herald's Horn - Mana savings and card advantage are both awesome for tribal decks.
Ramos, Dragon Engine - A 5-color general without needing to be all 5-colors is an awesome start, but that mana ability is just awesome.
Path of Ancestry - One of the best CIPT lands we have now for pure mana generation plus upside.
Really Good
Alms Collector - So the obvious interaction here is with "Wheel Effects", but just being able to reign-in card draw from an opponent (or at least stay at card parity) is a big boon for a color that traditionally has a hard time keeping up.
Kindred Boon - I like all the Kindred cards, but this one seems great for enchantment voltron decks like Uril, the Miststalker or Sigarda, Host of Herons.
Galecaster Colossus - This card is rather bonkers with only its 7-mana casting cost keeping it out of the "best" category (and in all honesty, if it cost less than 7 is would be busted at most casual tables).
Kindred Dominance - 7-mana is a lot, but having a selective Wrath is going to be great for some decks.
Traverse the Outlands - 5 mana is a lot for a ramp spell, but there is a lot of potential upside from ramping from 5 mana to 8+ mana.
Mairsil, the Pretender - I'm sure that there are going to be some silly combinations of cards with this, but the "only once each turn" clause prevents this from going infinite. Still, I forsee that there are going to be some huge value plays with this in the command zone.
Taigam, Ojutai Master - Rebound can be really silly on some spells, but it is limited in how it plays out (you only get the spell during your upkeep and the opponent knows it is coming) and having to expose Taigam to the red zone may potentially derail his effectiveness.
Taigam, Sidisi's Hand - I really like the built-in card-digging and the built-in removal, but the fact that this fueld graveyard shenanigans is what really makes me interested.
Heirloom Blade - I really like this as a way for tribal decks to recoup cards after a sweeper.
Playable
Balan, Wandering Knight - The "equipment matters" theme gets an interesting card whose main attraction is the obvious synergy with the various Swords of X and Y but also the total disregard of equip costs.
Stalking Leonin - It exiles the opposing creature and you don't have to sacrifice your 3/3 Cat Archer to use it, but it only works on attacking creatures so it's usefulness is limited.
Magus of the Mind - So I am not a big fan of a lot of the 'Magus of the X' creatures that seek to emulate a powerful card from Magic's past, but a few of them at least pique my interest. In this case, emulating Mind's Desire seems kinda busted with the low cost of only needing the turn you want to use it (assuming it lives through a turn cycle). The biggest strike against it is that it occupies a really weird space; I think hard-core combo players will shy away from it because it isn't good enough where more casual players will shy away from it because their decks aren't really set up to generate huge storm counts.
Bloodline Necromancer - So Wizard decks have a way to recur any Instant/Sorcery they want with Archaeomancer+Riptide Laboratory, but this now gives Wizard decks a way to recur its Wizards as well (which is important for cards like Voidmage Prodigy). There are also some high-cost Vampires that you might want to cheat into play, although 5 mana is a lot for a reanimation spell.
Kheru Mind-Eater - You may want to tote a few 5-color mana sources to really reap the benefits of this, but just hitting an opponent for a card a turn (and exiling it) can really ad up.
Patron of the Vein - I like that this has plenty of value outside of a Vampire deck while still being really good if you are dedicated to Vampire Tribal.
Bloodsworn Steward - Decent enough stats, but you really have to want your commander to have Haste in order for this to be worth it.
Kindred Charge - Goblin hordes just potentially got a lot bigger.
Shifting Shadow - An interesting take on a red Polymorph effect, I can definitely see people playing this with Eldazi and token makers. Since it destroys the creature it is attached to, playing this with Indestructibles is another way of breaking the effect.
Hungry Lynx - Dripping with flavor (and cracking the top 5 all-time best rules text on a card), I think that Cat tribal has a good thing going with this.
Qasali Slingers - It's basically a Cat tribal version of many different cards with a similar effect.
Arahbo, Roar of the World - If going Cat Tribal tickles your fancy, then this will be the default commander of the deck. Cats just don't seem very powerful or exciting to want to build a deck around.
Edgar Markov - So this is probably going to be my new Mardu general as none of the other ones I've tried have been very good. I actually like Vampires as a tribe and there are enough Vampire synergies to make this worthwhile.
Inalla, Archmage Ritualist - So getting temporary token wizards seems pretty good as you can send them into the reed zone while keeping your permanent wizards out of the red zone, but where this is potentially really good is with mass untap effects and the life loss ability.
Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist - If I wanted a Dueling Grounds, I would play it.
Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith - If you wanted to expand the equipment maters deck into Selesnya, then this is a good way to go.
O-Kagachi, Vengeful Kami - I just don't see its ability triggering all that often. If the opponent knows they can win the race, they'll attack you and dare you to attack back. If they can't, they won't attack you and you won't get the trigger.
The Ur-Dragon - It's expensive at 9 mana, but you definitely get your money's worth. I like that all the time while you are building up resources to cast it, it is also saving you mana on your other Dragons. I think it has a very niche space to occupy (Commander of a 5-color Dragon deck), but it does that one job very well.
Bloodforged Battle-Axe - Bonesplitter is unplayable, but getting multiple free Bonsplitters seems like it could be alright.
Hammer of Nazahn - The stats are unimpressive, but you get so much potential mana savings on equip costs that this might be worth it.
Meh
Scalelord Reckoner - Its a great ability and it might see play in 5-color Dragons, but since it really isn't in traditional Dragon colors (which I've found to be Jund or Grixis) this seems out of place. White does get you cards like Eternal Dragon, Yosei, the Morning Star, and a few good gold options, so maybe that isn't such a bad thing; it's just that the likelihood of me ever playing it is really low.
Portal Mage - A fairly unique ability, but not really an interesting ability.
Boneyard Scourge - I like the stats and the ability, but only triggering on a Dragon dying and needing to hold up 1B makes this kinda meh.
New Blood - I like the effect, but I'm not a fan of how limited this.
Crimson Honor Guard - If you play against people who don't ever play their commander then I can see this being an interesting meta call, but I don't like that the effect is symmetrical.
Curse of Opulence - I like the idea of this, especially in an aggressive deck that can get lots of attacks in early then use the mana to accelerate out its game plan. Of all the curses, this may be the only one I even try.
Disrupt Decorum - Its a good way to break up a creature stalemate, but there are better ways of doing that and I just don't see it being too useful that often.
Izzet Chemister - So if you have Paradox Engine or Thousand-Year Elixir going to speed up the process, a critical mass of instants/sorceries you want to recur, and you can get this to live long enough then it could be very powerful. It just needs a lot of things to go right in order to make that happen.
Territorial Hellkite - Random attacking and the possibility of not being able to attack at all once you get down to one player makes this almost unplayable.
Curse of Bounty - The effect is so powerful that it would be worth it to play it, abuse it, then sacrifice it before your opponents can get any usage of it. That's a lot of hoops to jump through to make this good, but giving your opponents free mass-untaps like that just seems like a losing proposition otherwise.
Licia, Sanguine Tribune - I like that an 8-mana commander has a built-in cost reduction, but a lifegain general like this should be either Esper or Abzan.
Mathas, Fiend Seeker - The mechanic is pretty cool, but there are just so little ways to make it worthwhile.
Mirror of the Forebears - So I'm already souring on Mirage Mirror and this just seems much, much worse.
Unplayable
Curse of Vitality - I have a lifegain matters deck and this wouldn't go anywhere near it.
Fortunate Few - I guess if you like politics and being at the mercy of your enemies, then sure this is fine...
Curse of Verbosity - Maybe if you are going down the group-hug road...
Curse of Disturbance - Nobody was clamoring for another Curse of Shallow Graves...
Fractured Identity - In 1v1, this could be potentially good (although I doubt a 5 mana Sorcery is going to make the cut in cEDH 1v1). In multiplayer, I don't get the concept of exiling a permanent just to give it to my other opponents even if I get a copy (I would rather just outright steal it at that point). I can see using this on a permanent with a drawback to give a copy to all my opponents, but you don't get a Zedruu bonus and you can't use it effectively with Illusions of Grandeur or Demonic Pact. In the end, I just don't see a home for this.
Jalira, Master Polymorphist | Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder | Bosh, Iron Golem | Ezuri, Renegade Leader
Brago, King Eternal | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Wort, Boggart Auntie | Wort, the Raidmother
Captain Sisay | Rhys, the Redeemed | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight | Obzedat, Ghost Council | Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind | Vorel of the Hull Clade
Uril, the Miststalker | Prossh, Skyraider of Kher | Nicol Bolas | Progenitus
Ghave, Guru of Spores | Zedruu the Greathearted | Damia, Sage of Stone | Riku of Two Reflections
I prefer Ramos, Dragon Engine with Progenitus
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/dawn-of-the-suns/
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
2. The Ur-Dragon - Timmy Vorthos rejoice!
3. Ramos - See Ur-Dragon. Also, combos!
4. Edgar Markov - That art and a long overdue character card.
5. Taigam - The #1 requested legend finally gets a card. I don't care for him but the majority do so congrats.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
Best commander:
Inalla, Archmage Ritualist - from a combo perspective. Riku without having to play riku, and the only reason I ever see to cast her is to combo out. I wont play her, but she stands out as the strongest to me.
Kess, Dissident Mage is strong. I've heard her compared to Dralnu, Lich Lord and it does make me consider whether she'd be stronger. She lacks instant speed though, which gives Dralnu an edge to me. Active ability trumps passive ability, though the downside remains.
Commander I'll play:
The Ur-Dragon - I have a vorthos deck to build around this. Malazan Book of the Fallen themed. Ramos, Dragon Engine will be in there too.
Coolest card:
Teferi's Protection - it's what everyone is talking about. And it deserves the hype.
Card I'm most looking forward to:
Kindred Discovery - Gisa and Geralf will abuse the crap out of this. Vindictive Lich too.
Traverse the Outlands - I'll be building Kresh soon and this will be fun and flavourful.
Favourite reprint:
Marchesa, the Black Rose - Thraximundar will love a 2IC.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
You're not wrong, I just don't think it's as powerful as it could be in the same way that Dralnu is. Looping time spells, sure, but Dralnu being able to be used during an opponent's turn allows a significant control component that Kess doesn't. The Dralnu drawback, yes, but it's negligible in everything but corner cases. To my mind, they're similar, but different decks. Kess wants to play bomb spells each of your turns, Dralnu wants to control and reanimate.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
Fair point, though having said that I don't think I'd run Dralnu in Kess' 99. I'm not taking apart my Dralnu deck just yet, put it that way.
feldon of the third path for instance has some interesting interactions
Izzet Chemister has alot of potential to cut storm costs if played with the correct cards.
and there is the overtly good ones mentioned b4 by pretty much everyone
WUBRG Reaper King - Elf Tribal WUBRG | Tribal Fun
WRG Gishath, Sun's Avatar - Dinosaur Tribal WRG | Rawr!!!
WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - Enchantress Tactics WUG | Enchantments Focused
GBG The Gitrog Monster - Land Shenanigans GBG | Lands/Mill Focused
WBW Kambal, Consul of Life Allocation Matters WBW | Life Gain/Loss focused
UBR Kess, Dissident Mage of the Lotus UBR | Spellslinger
BGB Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons - Counters & Tokens BGB | -1/-1 counters focused
Ramos, Dragon Engine of all the commander printed I find Ramos to be by far the best. Can run ANY combination of colors. Does not require color fixing to cast, an when you do cast him, you can start casting spells to pump, and once you have enough counters, you may also be able to spend them to cast even more things, pump him more and swing.
Inalla, Archmage Ritualist I did not want to list another commander but her potential is nothing to scoff at. Tolarian community college sowed me that it can be a nightmare.
Kindred Discovery This i did not want to say as it is a Tribal Matters card, but seriously, any blue tribal deck wants this card. Merfolk, Dragons, Wizards, Drakes, If you tribe runs blue, this card is getting used.
Path of Ancestry Scrry, but when you cast your general you scry. Same reason Cavern of Souls ever got played in non tribal, To prevent your general from getting countered. Its downfall is a little annoying if it is just for your general, but in a tribal deck, it is VERY good.
UB Vela the Night-Clad BUDecklist
WBG Ghave, Guru of Spores GBW
WUBRGThe Ur-DragonWUBRGDecklist
Teferi's Protection does not get your Attention?
Well, it will when it is used against you.
UB Vela the Night-Clad BUDecklist
WBG Ghave, Guru of Spores GBW
WUBRGThe Ur-DragonWUBRGDecklist
Currently nope until I build back my Aurelia deck, still in midst of planning it though. Currently none of my white decks have much reason to run it. I do agree that it is a very strong card.
WUBRG Reaper King - Elf Tribal WUBRG | Tribal Fun
WRG Gishath, Sun's Avatar - Dinosaur Tribal WRG | Rawr!!!
WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - Enchantress Tactics WUG | Enchantments Focused
GBG The Gitrog Monster - Land Shenanigans GBG | Lands/Mill Focused
WBW Kambal, Consul of Life Allocation Matters WBW | Life Gain/Loss focused
UBR Kess, Dissident Mage of the Lotus UBR | Spellslinger
BGB Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons - Counters & Tokens BGB | -1/-1 counters focused
Even if you are not running it, it should grab your attention. I mean ther are many cards I cannot run that still grab my attention.
UB Vela the Night-Clad BUDecklist
WBG Ghave, Guru of Spores GBW
WUBRGThe Ur-DragonWUBRGDecklist