They stepped up their dimir game. I approve of these cards wholeheartedly, but yeah Surveil cantrip at 2 mana was an obvious safety decision, which is likely why its on a split card with another overcosted recoil (Id comfortably pay 4 mana for that effect, not 5) Im not disappointed though. Also Thief of Sanity has me many levels of excited. Its Gonti but every time you do damage with it, and it flies...for 1 mana less.
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Decks I have in my bag of tricks- Needless to say, someone who wants to play will probably have a deck UB/x Faeries UR Storm XURWB Affinity G Elves UW control
I do like the "for up to four cards with that name" restriction otherwise some mono-colour players would be reeeally sad when all their lands got exiled.
Discovery//Dispersal is perhaps not the surveil cantrip many were hoping for, but it has a use in cascade combo decks. Thieves' Fortune was once a consideration for Restore Balance, that's how atrocious the choices were. In Living End it fills the hole in the 2CMC slot while filling up your graveyard.
Unmoored Ego seems like a strong card at first glance. The question is 1) what deck wants it, and 2) is KCI and Tron keeping that deck down so much that an upgraded Lost Legacy will reverse their fortunes? Grixis DS already has a good combo matchup, so does the unplayed UB Faeries, and Mill can just do their thing and have their pick with Surgical Extraction. Maybe some ThopterSword deck which excels at grinding fair decks out, but finds slowly generating 1/1s a losing proposition against combo or Tron? Also worth pointing out that Damping Sphere hates on mostly the same things as Unmoored Ego. Ego can't be removed and could be boarded in against Titanshift, that's about it.
Most definitely. If you are at 5 mana it'll be turn 5 at the earliest. You play this, and can't do anything until turn 6. Turn 6 you make some tokens, and then Turn 7 you can attack with them. By then you're going to be dead if the game has got that far and you are taking that much time to set up a bunch of angels.
I don't see it for Deafening...there is no deck that wants that. The decks that use boardwipes tend to have no creatures and better wipe options. The aggro decks that could exploit arenn't really in White. I mean maybe in Burn but that seems a real stretch but that is a real stretch. I don't anything about RW Prison so maybe they can use but in terms of major decks I don't see it.
In RW prisons it's just Anger of the Gods without the exile. If Clarion has any use at all it'll be in a Boros Reckoner archetype that wants to immolate. Not necessarily the infinite life part - just turning Pyroclasm effects into direct damage.
That pretty much seals the deal on my dream of a Surveil cantrip. RIP the dream.
After they reprinted Opt and refuse to unban Preordain, I just assume we're never going to get a 1cmc cantrip better than Serum Visions (which is a pretty mopey and mediocre cantrip, all things considered).
Risk Factor (http://mythicspoiler.com/grn/cards/riskfactor.html) is a straight up better Browbeat, might see some play in Burn only due to the reason it is an Instant and has Jump Start and thus can convert additional lands in actual cards.
Edit says: Etrata is quite decent, dunno if she will see play cause the colour combination just sucks balls for this kind of effect.
Greetings,
Kathal
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What I play or have:
Modern/Legacy
either funpolice (Delver, Deathcloud, UW Control) or the fun decks (especially those ft. Griselbrand)
In a world where UWR is trying out things like Hieroglyphic Illumination I can see this getting a shot as a 1/2 of. 3 cards, or 20% of your Life, at End of Turn? I dont know, feels pretty bad to make that choice as a UW player.
I think I found another deck for Discovery // Dispersal: Mardu Midrange. They already play 4 cheap "cantrips", and I find that Bedlam Reveler sometimes rots in hand for too long. Time to up the cantrip count further with a cantrip that filters!
In the meantime, Citywide Bust is kinda like what Slaughter the Strong wishes it could be, except it can't do a thing to Abzan Company and can't eliminate any of an Empty the Warrens. Oh well, at least you get to keep all your men and BR Hollow One can't keep any Hollow Ones!
Sadly, the final clause on Etrata makes it pretty clear she's intended for Commander.
Notta; as an avid Commander player (Commander and modern are the best formats)I can tell you that she's pretty bad in Commander. You either shuffle her into your library and have to waste resources digging her back out (might as well try to win the game if you did that), or you send her back to the command zone and have to cast her three times for 18 mana (4 + 6 + 8) in order to kill one player. You can do a lot more for 18 mana.
eh, i dunno. i admit the card has some potential, but considering no player is going to give a burn player 3 cards unless they are about to win themselves; it functionally amounts to a 3 mana boros charm. in that context you are better served playing more mana efficient options that you could have deployed earlier, that or a card like exquisite firecraft.
the scenario i see playing out is a burn player casting it EOT, the opponent takes 4 on the chin, the burn player untaps and then has the option to go for a kill with what they drew/have in hand or jump-start. if they could kill with what they drew or had in hand, im not seeing many cases where they wouldnt have won if risk factor had been any other card to begin with. if they jump-start, they either wait a full turn cycle, or tap out on their turn. if the burn player has 4 mana, giving them cards saves the opponent 1 life at least, and potentially gives them another turn to win the game or resolve a lifegain effect.
its possible, and i think some burn players are going to try it out. punisher effects have been notoriously bad, but i think jump start and instant speed is enough for people to sleeve up a few copies to test.
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Modern: UWGSnow-Bant Control BURGrixis Death's Shadow GWBCoCo Elves WCDeath and Taxes (sold)
Ah, Risk Factor. It's that time of spoiler season again, when everyone has to be reminded that Browbeat and Sword-Point Diplomacy are not Modern-(or even Standard-)playable cards. Risk Factor does even less damage than Browbeat, meaning you could have just burnt them with Exquisite Firecraft, Flames of the Blood Hand or Flame Javelin instead. Burn is a deck that often needs to topdeck to win; if you draw Exquisite Firecraft when your opponent is at 4, you win, but if you draw Risk Factor while your opponent is at 4, maybe you don't. No point throwing away percentage points on unreliable cards like this.
It has jump-start, but a bad card that you get to cast twice is still a bad card.
Tested Discovery // Dispersal as a 4-of in Abzan Traverse, Mardu Midrange, and GriselShoal Goryo's Vengeance, and it was great in all 3 decks. Mardu definitely feels more consistent now, and it was decent at helping fix Abzan Traverse's mana and hitting Delirium.
In the meantime, I predict Discovery // Dispersal will not see play in blue decks. Resembling Strategic Planning that much does hurt.
Tested Discovery // Dispersal as a 4-of in Abzan Traverse, Mardu Midrange, and GriselShoal Goryo's Vengeance, and it was great in all 3 decks. Mardu definitely feels more consistent now, and it was decent at helping fix Abzan Traverse's mana and hitting Delirium.
In the meantime, I predict Discovery // Dispersal will not see play in blue decks. Resembling Strategic Planning that much does hurt.
What were your cuts in each of the decks?
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Well, I can saw a woman in two, but you won't wanna look in the box when I'm through.
It will probably be pretty hard to make room for new cards in any GBx deck when we allready have Assassin's Trophy to fit in. Especially off color ones.
Though i must say this one might fit in Sultai Delirium. The Serum Visions like effect coupled with cards like LtlH and Eternal Witness could provide some nice value while putting two types in the yard. It also makes the split-side actually playable which is a nice late game bonus.
On the other hand, I have played with Thought Scour and in the end, that didn't make the cut.
Tested Discovery // Dispersal as a 4-of in Abzan Traverse, Mardu Midrange, and GriselShoal Goryo's Vengeance, and it was great in all 3 decks. Mardu definitely feels more consistent now, and it was decent at helping fix Abzan Traverse's mana and hitting Delirium.
In the meantime, I predict Discovery // Dispersal will not see play in blue decks. Resembling Strategic Planning that much does hurt.
I cut flex slots (1-of Karn, Scion of Urza and Incendiary Flow), then went down to 2 Kolaghan's Command and 6 targeted discard spells in Mardu Midrange. Then I figured that I may as well try Blood Moon despite my bad experiences with it in 3-colour decks (I probably felt brave enough because of the 4 additional dig spells), so I tweaked the mana base and cut a Fatal Push for a Blood Moon. (Because Discovery costs 2 mana, I didn't feel confident about cutting any lands or Faithless Lootings.)
Ah, Risk Factor. It's that time of spoiler season again, when everyone has to be reminded that Browbeat and Sword-Point Diplomacy are not Modern-(or even Standard-)playable cards. Risk Factor does even less damage than Browbeat, meaning you could have just burnt them with Exquisite Firecraft, Flames of the Blood Hand or Flame Javelin instead. Burn is a deck that often needs to topdeck to win; if you draw Exquisite Firecraft when your opponent is at 4, you win, but if you draw Risk Factor while your opponent is at 4, maybe you don't. No point throwing away percentage points on unreliable cards like this.
It has jump-start, but a bad card that you get to cast twice is still a bad card.
I think if Risk Factor goes in anything, it'll go into a Counterburn deck. If such a deck ever exists and can work is another story.
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Oath of the Gatewatch; the set that caused the competitive community to freak out over Basic Lands.
UB/x Faeries
UR Storm
XURWB Affinity
G Elves
UW control
Nexus MTG News // Nexus - Magic Art Gallery // MTG Dual Land Color Ratios Analyzer // MTG Card Drawing Odds Calculator
Want to play a UW control deck in modern, but don't have jace or snaps?
Please come visit us at the Emeria Titan control thread
I do like the "for up to four cards with that name" restriction otherwise some mono-colour players would be reeeally sad when all their lands got exiled.
MTGO/MTGA: Tyclone
My Primers ~ GWx Vizier Company ~ Knightfall ~ RG Eldrazi ~ Green's Sun's Zenith
More Brews ~ Modern Four Horsemen ~ Gitrog Dredge
i dont think a 2 mana preordain is playable though. if it was instant speed maybe, but imagine tapping out on turn 2 for this, or ever really
it might be plausible storm plays some copies since they can actually leverage the cost reduction from baral/electromancer.
UWGSnow-Bant Control
BURGrixis Death's Shadow
GWBCoCo Elves
WCDeath and Taxes(sold)Spirits
Unmoored Ego seems like a strong card at first glance. The question is 1) what deck wants it, and 2) is KCI and Tron keeping that deck down so much that an upgraded Lost Legacy will reverse their fortunes? Grixis DS already has a good combo matchup, so does the unplayed UB Faeries, and Mill can just do their thing and have their pick with Surgical Extraction. Maybe some Thopter Sword deck which excels at grinding fair decks out, but finds slowly generating 1/1s a losing proposition against combo or Tron? Also worth pointing out that Damping Sphere hates on mostly the same things as Unmoored Ego. Ego can't be removed and could be boarded in against Titanshift, that's about it.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB
Spirits
MTGO/MTGA: Tyclone
My Primers ~ GWx Vizier Company ~ Knightfall ~ RG Eldrazi ~ Green's Sun's Zenith
More Brews ~ Modern Four Horsemen ~ Gitrog Dredge
In RW prisons it's just Anger of the Gods without the exile. If Clarion has any use at all it'll be in a Boros Reckoner archetype that wants to immolate. Not necessarily the infinite life part - just turning Pyroclasm effects into direct damage.
After they reprinted Opt and refuse to unban Preordain, I just assume we're never going to get a 1cmc cantrip better than Serum Visions (which is a pretty mopey and mediocre cantrip, all things considered).
Meanwhile, graveyard decks get to abuse Faithless Looting and colorless decks get to abuse Ancient Stirrings. Totally fair, right?
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
Risk Factor (http://mythicspoiler.com/grn/cards/riskfactor.html) is a straight up better Browbeat, might see some play in Burn only due to the reason it is an Instant and has Jump Start and thus can convert additional lands in actual cards.
Edit says: Etrata is quite decent, dunno if she will see play cause the colour combination just sucks balls for this kind of effect.
Greetings,
Kathal
Modern/Legacy
either funpolice (Delver, Deathcloud, UW Control) or the fun decks (especially those ft. Griselbrand)
Spirits
CG
In the meantime, Citywide Bust is kinda like what Slaughter the Strong wishes it could be, except it can't do a thing to Abzan Company and can't eliminate any of an Empty the Warrens. Oh well, at least you get to keep all your men and BR Hollow One can't keep any Hollow Ones!
Notta; as an avid Commander player (Commander and modern are the best formats)I can tell you that she's pretty bad in Commander. You either shuffle her into your library and have to waste resources digging her back out (might as well try to win the game if you did that), or you send her back to the command zone and have to cast her three times for 18 mana (4 + 6 + 8) in order to kill one player. You can do a lot more for 18 mana.
If she was able to be Collected Company-ed, though, she'd make Bad Company (BGx, U in this case.) a deck that could actually work. It's already decent with Varolz, The Scar-Striped, Death's Shadow, and Grim Flayer, and Etrata could've been a reason to go U over R (Vexing Devil, Fling, Ghor-Clan Rampager) other than Skaab Ruinator.
the scenario i see playing out is a burn player casting it EOT, the opponent takes 4 on the chin, the burn player untaps and then has the option to go for a kill with what they drew/have in hand or jump-start. if they could kill with what they drew or had in hand, im not seeing many cases where they wouldnt have won if risk factor had been any other card to begin with. if they jump-start, they either wait a full turn cycle, or tap out on their turn. if the burn player has 4 mana, giving them cards saves the opponent 1 life at least, and potentially gives them another turn to win the game or resolve a lifegain effect.
its possible, and i think some burn players are going to try it out. punisher effects have been notoriously bad, but i think jump start and instant speed is enough for people to sleeve up a few copies to test.
UWGSnow-Bant Control
BURGrixis Death's Shadow
GWBCoCo Elves
WCDeath and Taxes(sold)It has jump-start, but a bad card that you get to cast twice is still a bad card.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
In the meantime, I predict Discovery // Dispersal will not see play in blue decks. Resembling Strategic Planning that much does hurt.
What were your cuts in each of the decks?
Though i must say this one might fit in Sultai Delirium. The Serum Visions like effect coupled with cards like LtlH and Eternal Witness could provide some nice value while putting two types in the yard. It also makes the split-side actually playable which is a nice late game bonus.
On the other hand, I have played with Thought Scour and in the end, that didn't make the cut.
Modern: WUBRG Humans - GBW Traverse - GWU Knightfall - GRW Bushwhacker Zoo -
I cut 3 Night's Whisper and a Manamorphose in Grishoalbrand.
I cut flex slots (1-of Karn, Scion of Urza and Incendiary Flow), then went down to 2 Kolaghan's Command and 6 targeted discard spells in Mardu Midrange. Then I figured that I may as well try Blood Moon despite my bad experiences with it in 3-colour decks (I probably felt brave enough because of the 4 additional dig spells), so I tweaked the mana base and cut a Fatal Push for a Blood Moon. (Because Discovery costs 2 mana, I didn't feel confident about cutting any lands or Faithless Lootings.)
I think I went down to 2 Lingering Souls, 3 Traverse the Ulvenwald, and 7 spot removal instants, then shaved a Liliana of the Veil in Abzan Traverse. I also replaced as many spot removal spells as I could with Assassin's Trophy, then kept only PtE and Push.
I think if Risk Factor goes in anything, it'll go into a Counterburn deck. If such a deck ever exists and can work is another story.