I don't get what people see in Endless One. Sure it is flexible, but in no mode is it ever near cubable. The closest you come is 3/3 for 3 and 4/4 for 4. It is always sub par, but never bad. At least Chimeric Mass has a form of evasion.
I agree with your assessment that there arent any slam dunk 360 includes, but there is still a lot for 450+ cubes.
Personally I plan to include all man lands and thinking about Drana.
I have a question though:
For blue mana fixers: after shocks, fetches and man lands. What would be the better option if there are no duals? Mirage fetches or the BFZ duals?
If you only have 1 set of duals, the new lands will have more value than the Mirage fetches because there will be too few targets for the fetch lands.
I don't get what people see in Endless One. Sure it is flexible, but in no mode is it ever near cubable. The closest you come is 3/3 for 3 and 4/4 for 4. It is always sub par, but never bad. At least Chimeric Mass has a form of evasion.
I have to agree. It just doesn't excite me, and I can't see ever wanting this for a deck unless I was desperate for some kind of nonland playable.
Another solid set review. I don't think you missed anything.
I am not sure if I find the new Kiora so solidly above the last. A faster ultimate, with a +1 that will more often protect her (IMHO) is really important. Kiora 1.0 is is about that ultimate where I think 2.0 is a ramp and reanimator engine. I think it will come down to cube design. Gideon is a house, any pouting by me is that we got another cube-tastic white walker and a throw away black walker.
As for the new duals I think they are potentially a little worse than scry lands without a high density of fetches. I like the term baselands, but I don't think that name is going to stick, but I would take slowlands(not quite accurate) or battlelands.
Woodland Wanderer has some initial positive results and I am pumped. It plays offense and defense and scary both ways. People who still support fires.dec should like it and it also makes a nice tipper in the Naya zoo build.
The original Kiora's loyalty is such a huge liability. And its - ability is significantly worse than the new ones is, IMHO. And talk about an ultimate! The new Kiora's ultimate is even more broken than the last. It resolves cheaper thanks to the + interaction (and ramps more), generates more card advantage, and it can protect itself too by untapping blockers for her.
Wanderer is a big monster with an easy cost. I like it so far in testing; the (albeit little) exposure it's had has been good.
I've been enjoying the term "O Duals" ...since I always find myself wanting the real thing instead.
I've been enjoying the term "O Duals" ...since I always find myself wanting the real thing instead.
It took me a second, but I see what you did there.
Thanks for posting this review once again and it was a good read, as always. It sort of helped me get over my coldness towards this set. Still, with a 450 cube there's not too much I'm adding: manlands, Ulamog, Gideon, Greenwarden, Drana, Scythe Leopard and Ruinous Path. I think that's going to be it. I like Hedron Archive but I think I like my other rocks more. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I expected more from Zendikar.
Hedron Archive has been playing awesome so far; just an incredible control tool. I suggest giving it a trial run, especially since it's only like a buck.
Thanks for commenting!
As an aside, I've been playtesting Quarantine Field based on LucidVision's suggestion, and it's been okay so far. Don't know if it's ultimately going to make the cut, but it may at least earn a temporary slot if it plays out in our next drafts like it did in the first couple.
hi wtwlf, thanks as usual for the great article! Where do you think you would rank the new Gideon for white's 4CC options? He has a lot of competition...
He definitely does. It doesn't push out the main 6 4cc staples (Geddon/Ravages/Elspeth/Wrath/DoJ/Moat) but it competes strongly with Ajani Goldmane for the #7 slot. But it would be hard not to run all 7-8 of those cards, even in the smallest of cubes, despite the curve inequities.
I think people be sleeping on quarantine field tho, surprised it didn't make your top 20. Not that I think it's a stellar card.. But think in big mana decks it's going to blow games wide open enough to justify it's weak base power level as well as a possible slot in mid+ powered cubes... Def could be wrong, will find out in testing
When you're right, you're right bud. I definitely undervalued this card. I'm not sure if this card will make the cut if my cube was any smaller, but it's been testing pretty well in my 540 right now. It probably should've landed in the #11-13 range in my top 20, and it's a card where I was so afraid of the floor being below average that I overlooked the ACS of double-Banishing Light being a very powerful effect. Thanks for pointing this out!
I feel compelled to repeat everything I hear
If you only have 1 set of duals, the new lands will have more value than the Mirage fetches because there will be too few targets for the fetch lands.
I have to agree. It just doesn't excite me, and I can't see ever wanting this for a deck unless I was desperate for some kind of nonland playable.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
I am not sure if I find the new Kiora so solidly above the last. A faster ultimate, with a +1 that will more often protect her (IMHO) is really important. Kiora 1.0 is is about that ultimate where I think 2.0 is a ramp and reanimator engine. I think it will come down to cube design. Gideon is a house, any pouting by me is that we got another cube-tastic white walker and a throw away black walker.
As for the new duals I think they are potentially a little worse than scry lands without a high density of fetches. I like the term baselands, but I don't think that name is going to stick, but I would take slowlands(not quite accurate) or battlelands.
Woodland Wanderer has some initial positive results and I am pumped. It plays offense and defense and scary both ways. People who still support fires.dec should like it and it also makes a nice tipper in the Naya zoo build.
Wanderer is a big monster with an easy cost. I like it so far in testing; the (albeit little) exposure it's had has been good.
I've been enjoying the term "O Duals" ...since I always find myself wanting the real thing instead.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
It took me a second, but I see what you did there.
Thanks for posting this review once again and it was a good read, as always. It sort of helped me get over my coldness towards this set. Still, with a 450 cube there's not too much I'm adding: manlands, Ulamog, Gideon, Greenwarden, Drana, Scythe Leopard and Ruinous Path. I think that's going to be it. I like Hedron Archive but I think I like my other rocks more. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I expected more from Zendikar.
Cheers,
rant
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Thanks for commenting!
As an aside, I've been playtesting Quarantine Field based on LucidVision's suggestion, and it's been okay so far. Don't know if it's ultimately going to make the cut, but it may at least earn a temporary slot if it plays out in our next drafts like it did in the first couple.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
When you're right, you're right bud. I definitely undervalued this card. I'm not sure if this card will make the cut if my cube was any smaller, but it's been testing pretty well in my 540 right now. It probably should've landed in the #11-13 range in my top 20, and it's a card where I was so afraid of the floor being below average that I overlooked the ACS of double-Banishing Light being a very powerful effect. Thanks for pointing this out!
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!