If Magus of the Balance had an activation cost of less than 3 mana, you might have a point. But at 5 mana it's almost fair.
Magus of the Balance seems to be an artifact card more than a white one, because you can do the usual shenanigans with it without losing all your mana rocks. In a Jeskai or such artifact deck, I think the potential is still there.
I also think Heavenly Blademaster is a great card in equipment heavy decks since it has evasion, doublestrike, auto equips whatever you want when it enters, and can *easily* have haste due to Lightning Greaves or similar. Two swords of X and Y and a pair of boots and she's hitting really, really hard.
Private Mod Note
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Oath of the Gatewatch; the set that caused the competitive community to freak out over Basic Lands.
Riku of Two Reflections - Copy, then copy again | Shattergang Brothers - Token Sac&Recur | Gahiji, Honored One - Multiple attack steps | Karametra, God of Harvests - Landfall, Creaturefall, Shroud | Ruhan of the Fomori - Stop hitting yourself | Zurgo Helmsmasher - Equipment&Wraths | Crosis, the Purger - Dragon Tribal Reanimator | Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - No stax, just tap and untap fun | Anafenza, the Foremost - Enduring Ideal Enchantress | Sharuum, the Hegemon - Sphinx Tribal Control | Noyan Dar - Spellslinger | The Mimeoplasm - Counterpalooza
Lists can be found here.
Still convinced the guy on Beseech the Queen is wearing a Mitra-type hat. Wake up sheeple!
I'll wait till the whole set is released before I make my mind up about the set, but of what we have seen so far it seems like we got a lot of powerful cards but they are balanced by really high casting/activation costs to match. So high-powered, but fair is what I see so far.
The new stuff is largely very good and quite interesting, though somewhat less so in regard to the Jund deck. Lots of neat build-around legendaries that will no doubt be spawning a lot of different decks in the upcoming weeks.
Reprint-wise, I am so far not very impressed, especially outside of green, which did get several pricey and high-impact reprints (Bear Umbra, Enchantress's Presence, Avenger of Zendikar). Most of the rest of the reprints announced so far are solid, obvious but readily-available staples and theme-appropriate junk rares. And then there's crap like Spawning Grounds.
Commander products always have pretty ridiculous power levels compared to normal sets, because wotc doesn't care about balance for casual formats.
Don't see this year's as being higher than previous ones, though.
Some of the cards were played in legacy, but they are in the minority, most cards are viable in EDH only.
I'm personally most thrilled by Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow and Primordial Mist. I love cards that grant types or have multiple types, manifest is also one of my favorite mechanics. If I have to pick one deck it would be the Esper one.
Lots of card draw everywhere and other sweet effects.
Anyone else thing this set power level seems higher than usual?
If Magus of the Balance had an activation cost of less than 3 mana, you might have a point. But at 5 mana it's almost fair.
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Don't see this year's as being higher than previous ones, though.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Magus of the Balance seems to be an artifact card more than a white one, because you can do the usual shenanigans with it without losing all your mana rocks. In a Jeskai or such artifact deck, I think the potential is still there.
I would also say that Whiptongue Hydra is pretty good in the metas that it fits in, Treasure Nabber seems great, and Estrid's Invocation seems like it's just waiting to be abused.
I also think Heavenly Blademaster is a great card in equipment heavy decks since it has evasion, doublestrike, auto equips whatever you want when it enters, and can *easily* have haste due to Lightning Greaves or similar. Two swords of X and Y and a pair of boots and she's hitting really, really hard.
Tamanoa - Welcome to the Jungle
Lists can be found here.
Reprint-wise, I am so far not very impressed, especially outside of green, which did get several pricey and high-impact reprints (Bear Umbra, Enchantress's Presence, Avenger of Zendikar). Most of the rest of the reprints announced so far are solid, obvious but readily-available staples and theme-appropriate junk rares. And then there's crap like Spawning Grounds.
Some of the cards were played in legacy, but they are in the minority, most cards are viable in EDH only.
I'm personally most thrilled by Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow and Primordial Mist. I love cards that grant types or have multiple types, manifest is also one of my favorite mechanics. If I have to pick one deck it would be the Esper one.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)