A cheaper Divination doesn't seem like it's that powerful at first glance, however the 1 mana difference is gigantic and makes a huge diference. Think Counterspell vs Cancel. That extra mana is the difference between a good counterspell that's playable in legacy and a bad one that barely makes the sideboard in limited. Well it's pretty much the same thing here.
Divination has always been standard playable but the main problem with it is that you have to spend your whole t3 playing it. While with Chart a Course, you can draw 2 cards on t3 and still have 1 mana up for Fatal Push / Spell Pierce / Opt / Lightning Bolt / Spell Snare. That's huge. And of course you can do it t2 if you really need to hit your land drops and curve out (It honestly feels wrong to draw 2 cards for 2 mana with no drawbacks). Then there's the added flexibility of the 2nd mode: you can discard something if you want to and if you care about graveyard / discard shenanigans. This mode is essentially a stronger Tormenting Voice as you get to choose what to discard after you draw 2.
Power level wise, Chart A Course is not that far off from Treasure Cruise when you think about it. At least the warm feeling you get when you cast it is very similar.
Do you agree / disagree that it's the best uncommon in the set? What is your pick for best uncommon in the set and why?
Define best. Is it play across formats? I think Unclaimed Territory will see play in tribal decks in Standard and Modern. Most play? Depends on what the dominant archetypes across all the metas between now and Rotation in two years.
For a deck that can't trigger Raid, Strategic Planning seems better than Chart a Course. Chart a Course needs a tempo deck that runs cards like Siren Stormtamer would need to be good for Chart a Course to be good. But that deck might well be running Lightning Strike also.
Well, by "best uncommon" I was thinking what would be the Censor or Abrade of the set. In other words, the card that will see most standard play in multiple different decks and possibly cross format (and therefore be the most expensive uncommon).
I agree about Walk the Plank and Unclaimed Territory being contenders. Walk the Plank will be everywhere unless Merfolk is tier 1 or if control isn't good enough or if Spell Pierce / Carnage Tyrant runs rampant. As for Unclaimed Territory, I like the card but I think vampires and merfolk will need more support to be viable and therefore only a couple of standard decks will run 4x Unclaimed Territory. Foils will be expensive though due to modern and EDH demand.
I honestly think Chart a Course has a chance of being played in modern Delver, sultai tempo and modern Merfolk. On top of seeing play in standard pirates, standard merfolk and other blue decks like Temur / Grixis / Sultai / Jeskai. And of course all of the cubes.
A small note about Strategic Planning: This card does not "draw" and does not "discard", it only looks at the top 3, you keep one and put the rest in the graveyard. Many cards in Magic trigger when you either draw or discard and you don't get those benefits with Strategic Planning. Current examples is standard include Hollow One which cares about how many cards you discard in a turn, and The Locust God which cares about how many cards you draw. You also can't dredge or madness off of a Strategic Planning. This might seem like a small detail but it's still relevant.
Also sometimes you have a bad hand but see 3 cards you need with Strategic Planning but you can only keep one of those cards. Chart A Course allows you to keep the 2 cards you draw and discard the worst card in your hand. This also matters.
If pirates are tier 1 though, then it's likely that Siren Stormtamer and/or Lookout's Dispersal end up being more expensive as everyone runs to netdeck the best deck.
I also like Merfolk Branchwalker and Seekers' Squire. These could see lots of standard play in multiple different decks since explore is so good on turn 2.
edit: Wow so many great uncommons in this set! It's kind of crazy how the uncommons are more playable than 75% of the mythics.
I think Chart a Course is a whole lot more flexible than Strategic Planning. As mentioned in the OP, it allows you to discard if your deck requires such an ability. Strategic Planning doesn't offer that same flexibility, as you're limited to "milling" only the cards you've looked at. What if you wanted to discard an extra land card or a third copy of a planeswalker in hand? I feel it's very good card selection for two mana, and needing to play a pirate to make it "good" is unnecessary.
My only actual concern with the card is that standard already has a lot of great blue card draw/filtering/cyclers. With Opt, Censor, Supreme Will, Glimmer of Genius, and Hieroglyphic Illusions already available, which ones will end up getting used and which ones get the shaft?
I think they'll all be used but in different decks. As pointed out by hoser2, Chart A Course is only really great if you have low to the ground creatures with evasion to trigger raid. So it's going to shine in tempo decks. But control will still want to play the other card draw spells.
I'm actually a much bigger fan of Opt than I am of Chart a Course. That sorcery speed is a real pain in the neck when you have mana floating and need something to do at the end step of an opponents turn, especially if one is playing blue with counter magic. I think a lot of people are severely under-estimating merfolk in the set because they look like they lack needed support to fly on their own. River Sneak + Deeproot Waters are really good together.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I like Ruthless Knave. 2 toughness does makes him easily kill able. The sac a creature and get two Lotus Petal is useful and has interactions with some Kaladesh cards. Token creatures can be used as fodder.
A cheaper Divination doesn't seem like it's that powerful at first glance, however the 1 mana difference is gigantic and makes a huge diference. Think Counterspell vs Cancel. That extra mana is the difference between a good counterspell that's playable in legacy and a bad one that barely makes the sideboard in limited. Well it's pretty much the same thing here.
Divination has always been standard playable but the main problem with it is that you have to spend your whole t3 playing it. While with Chart a Course, you can draw 2 cards on t3 and still have 1 mana up for Fatal Push / Spell Pierce / Opt / Lightning Bolt / Spell Snare. That's huge. And of course you can do it t2 if you really need to hit your land drops and curve out (It honestly feels wrong to draw 2 cards for 2 mana with no drawbacks). Then there's the added flexibility of the 2nd mode: you can discard something if you want to and if you care about graveyard / discard shenanigans. This mode is essentially a stronger Tormenting Voice as you get to choose what to discard after you draw 2.
Power level wise, Chart A Course is not that far off from Treasure Cruise when you think about it. At least the warm feeling you get when you cast it is very similar.
Do you agree / disagree that it's the best uncommon in the set? What is your pick for best uncommon in the set and why?
I think Walk the Plank will be a contender, but Lightning Strike will have much more impact (in multiple senses).
For a deck that can't trigger Raid, Strategic Planning seems better than Chart a Course. Chart a Course needs a tempo deck that runs cards like Siren Stormtamer would need to be good for Chart a Course to be good. But that deck might well be running Lightning Strike also.
RNA Standard: Grixis Midrange, Jund Deathwhirler, Sultai Vannifar
GRN Standard: Red Midrange, Mono-Blue Tempo, Wr Aggro, Gruul Experimental Dinosaurs, Sultai Midrange, Jeskai Midrange
Modern: Bant Spirits
Forcing a single archetype in all formats: too many colors, bad mana.
I agree about Walk the Plank and Unclaimed Territory being contenders. Walk the Plank will be everywhere unless Merfolk is tier 1 or if control isn't good enough or if Spell Pierce / Carnage Tyrant runs rampant. As for Unclaimed Territory, I like the card but I think vampires and merfolk will need more support to be viable and therefore only a couple of standard decks will run 4x Unclaimed Territory. Foils will be expensive though due to modern and EDH demand.
I honestly think Chart a Course has a chance of being played in modern Delver, sultai tempo and modern Merfolk. On top of seeing play in standard pirates, standard merfolk and other blue decks like Temur / Grixis / Sultai / Jeskai. And of course all of the cubes.
A small note about Strategic Planning: This card does not "draw" and does not "discard", it only looks at the top 3, you keep one and put the rest in the graveyard. Many cards in Magic trigger when you either draw or discard and you don't get those benefits with Strategic Planning. Current examples is standard include Hollow One which cares about how many cards you discard in a turn, and The Locust God which cares about how many cards you draw. You also can't dredge or madness off of a Strategic Planning. This might seem like a small detail but it's still relevant.
Also sometimes you have a bad hand but see 3 cards you need with Strategic Planning but you can only keep one of those cards. Chart A Course allows you to keep the 2 cards you draw and discard the worst card in your hand. This also matters.
If pirates are tier 1 though, then it's likely that Siren Stormtamer and/or Lookout's Dispersal end up being more expensive as everyone runs to netdeck the best deck.
I also like Merfolk Branchwalker and Seekers' Squire. These could see lots of standard play in multiple different decks since explore is so good on turn 2.
edit: Wow so many great uncommons in this set! It's kind of crazy how the uncommons are more playable than 75% of the mythics.
My only actual concern with the card is that standard already has a lot of great blue card draw/filtering/cyclers. With Opt, Censor, Supreme Will, Glimmer of Genius, and Hieroglyphic Illusions already available, which ones will end up getting used and which ones get the shaft?
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!