It probably wasn't reprinted because fear is something they are avoiding.
So it was fear that kept them from reprinting it....
I'm not running Shadowmage Infiltrator right now, but I don't think it's necessarily underpowered. When I ran it, it usually got in for a few points of damage and drew a few cards if it didn't eat a removal spell. It's hard to ask for much more from a 3-drop, but it doesn't really support any particular archetype. I'm running Psychatog and Tasigur, the Golden Fang over it which are great wincons and fuel graveyard strategies. Baleful Strix is guaranteed value as well as Tinker fodder. I'm running Dragonlord Silumgar for now, but I'll be cutting it for Ashiok as soon as I get a copy, but if that doesn't work out I'll run Finkel again.
I'm not satisfied with any of the 3 versions of this card. The two old frame versions both have problems in their wording, the original doesn't mention "Human" in the type line, the Timeshifted version has no reminder text for Fear, and the MM2 version doesn't even have Finkel in the art! The wording would force me to run the MM2 version, but I wouldn't be happy about it.
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Not as exciting these days but still a solid card. We're still running it for now.
I actually really like that they're reprinting all the invitational cards with generic art. Having a real person's face in card art never looks right to me. It's pretty creepy and off putting, like when people photoshop themselves into old family photos over an ex's face or something. I never really had to play with much of the original arts so I didn't get attached to them like others have I guess.
Now if only their recent attempt at Snapcaster Mage wasn't so godawful...
Because there are plenty of these lands that do exactly the same thing, let's discuss the entire cycle of these just like we did with the fetch lands and check lands:
I ran the 5 enemy Temples to fill out the "cycle" of etbt duals that the 5 allied manduals from Worldwake started. They were obviously weaker than the manduals, but they worked fine. Now that we also have the 5 enemy manduals from the BFZ block, I see no reason to run them anymore. Two cycles of etbt duals just seems too much. Maybe at 720+ cards? I wouldn't consider it before that size.
I like these in the absolutely largest cubes and think they are good there. For as bad as it is to draw a scry land when you need an untapped land, that scry can be really useful and if you have nothing to do with the mana anyways it's like a free spell.
I run the full cycle of these, and they get their work in. Probably the 2nd strongest lands that always come into play tapped, behind the manland cycle.
They're decent budget options for cubes that don't have access to the full range of dual/shock/fetch + manlands. And if C matters, they'll rank behind Pains and Filters too. They're pretty far down on my list of lands, but you could do worse.
I run Temple of Mystery and Temple of Epiphany for lack of better options (in my opinion) for my 5th land slot. They're the best colors for scry lands, sans UW and UB where I run the BFZ duals instead.
Great option for budget / cubes that aren't Max Power (TM). They get the job done and are far from embarrassing. Cubes at a large size will probably run these no questions asked and I'm always happy to see them when drafting somebody else's cube.
This is how I'd rank the cycles if you're supporting colorless (note: I have Horizon Canopy in my misc section because I often run it in off-colored mono decks).
1.) ABU duals
2.) ONS / ZEN fetchlands
3.) RAV shocklands
4.) ZEN / BFZ manlands
5.) IA / APC painlands
6.) SHM / EVE filterlands
After that, this is where I'll probably start mixing things up based on guild, BFZ duals and Scry lands would most likely fill the blue slots where fastlands would fill the more aggressive colors.
I ran the Temples for quite a while because I was building my cube and drafting Theros block at the same time. Any card selection is very welcome in a singleton format, so the Scry 1 eases the sting of these ETBT duals quite a bit. However, as ETBT fixing lands go I think I actually like the Shards/KTK trilands better than the Temples. Each land fixing 3 color pairs is a lot of versatility in a single cycle of lands, so they tend to be drafted and played much more frequently than any ETBT dual that only fixes a single color pair aside from the manland duals.
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I only run the tri-lands in my Peasant cube, where all the duals ETBT, but they're better than any duals available in that environment because of their versatility.
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A really strong effect, but I do like Dungeon Geists just as much. Sower has a much better BCS, but is also a lot riskier. Any instant speed removal will wreck you. And since it only has 2 toughness, it really is any instant speed removal.
That said, it is certainly a must-have for any traditional cube.
Yes, it is certainly a lot easier to interact with this than with Treachery or Control Magic. After those two, Sower is the third best creature steal. At least if we only consider those effects that steal a creature that is already on the battlefield.
A really strong effect, but I do like Dungeon Geists just as much. Sower has a much better BCS, but is also a lot riskier. Any instant speed removal will wreck you. And since it only has 2 toughness, it really is any instant speed removal.
I like Sower better, but Dungeon Geists are closer than I think a lot of people give it credit for. When they untap and kill your guy, a situation that's really common with both of them, your opponent still has to do without his creature for another turn when you tapped it down with Geists, whereas he'll have it as a blocker if you stole it with Sower. If I had to choose one it would be Sower, but I run both and I'm glad I do.
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I think Sower is miles better than Dungeon Geists, fwiw. I don't think they're even close.
Sower is one of the better Control Magic effects in this format. It's affordable, has some abusiveness because it's strapped to a body, and gives you an additional 2/2 flier to join your stolen threat on the battlefield. An A+ creature, and a staple, IMO.
I like Sower better, but Dungeon Geists are closer than I think a lot of people give it credit for. When they untap and kill your guy, a situation that's really common with both of them, your opponent still has to do without his creature for another turn when you tapped it down with Geists, whereas he'll have it as a blocker if you stole it with Sower.
My feeling exactly on this. Dungeon Geists is a good card that's underrated I feel. Sower is better but also swingier.
I would say Dungeon Geists is no where close to Sower. Control Magic effects>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>'freeze' effects. Sure, they deal with their creature not attacking them and that's a bonus, but the MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH bigger bonus of you taking their creature far outweighs it. Essentially, Sower has a *slightly* lower floor but with a ceiling you can't see from Geist's roof cause it's so high. I've never considered them comparable. Sower is a staple and Dungeon Geists is a card I'll happily cut.
Last time we voted for top 20 blue cards, Sower would've been my 21st card. It's so great. Any card that makes the top ~30 in the most competitive color should be run in every cube, IMO. I like the Geists, but stealing is way better than freezing. As a side benefit, Sower combos with 'lark and Geists does not.
Yeah, Sower is a staple 4-drop creature, but I think it pales in comparison to other steal effects such as Control Magic and Treachery. 2-toughness makes it vulnerable to every creature removal spell under the sun where Control Magic and Treachery are enchantments, which is the hardest permanent type to deal with sans (non-?) basic lands.
I often find myself first picking other blue spells over Sower.
Yeah, Sower is a staple 4-drop creature, but I think it pales in comparison to other steal effects such as Control Magic and Treachery. 2-toughness makes it vulnerable to every creature removal spell under the sun where Control Magic and Treachery are enchantments, which is the hardest permanent type to deal with sans (non-?) basic lands.
I often find myself first picking other blue spells over Sower.
Yeah, probably middle of the pack as far as blue cards in a powered cube go...... Soo, that means it's awesome, powerful and a staple
So it was fear that kept them from reprinting it....
I'm not running Shadowmage Infiltrator right now, but I don't think it's necessarily underpowered. When I ran it, it usually got in for a few points of damage and drew a few cards if it didn't eat a removal spell. It's hard to ask for much more from a 3-drop, but it doesn't really support any particular archetype. I'm running Psychatog and Tasigur, the Golden Fang over it which are great wincons and fuel graveyard strategies. Baleful Strix is guaranteed value as well as Tinker fodder. I'm running Dragonlord Silumgar for now, but I'll be cutting it for Ashiok as soon as I get a copy, but if that doesn't work out I'll run Finkel again.
I'm not satisfied with any of the 3 versions of this card. The two old frame versions both have problems in their wording, the original doesn't mention "Human" in the type line, the Timeshifted version has no reminder text for Fear, and the MM2 version doesn't even have Finkel in the art! The wording would force me to run the MM2 version, but I wouldn't be happy about it.
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The new art isn't bad... it's just not Finkel.
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
I actually really like that they're reprinting all the invitational cards with generic art. Having a real person's face in card art never looks right to me. It's pretty creepy and off putting, like when people photoshop themselves into old family photos over an ex's face or something. I never really had to play with much of the original arts so I didn't get attached to them like others have I guess.
Now if only their recent attempt at Snapcaster Mage wasn't so godawful...
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Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
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This is how I'd rank the cycles if you're supporting colorless (note: I have Horizon Canopy in my misc section because I often run it in off-colored mono decks).
1.) ABU duals
2.) ONS / ZEN fetchlands
3.) RAV shocklands
4.) ZEN / BFZ manlands
5.) IA / APC painlands
6.) SHM / EVE filterlands
After that, this is where I'll probably start mixing things up based on guild, BFZ duals and Scry lands would most likely fill the blue slots where fastlands would fill the more aggressive colors.
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Sower of Temptation
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That said, it is certainly a must-have for any traditional cube.
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
I like Sower better, but Dungeon Geists are closer than I think a lot of people give it credit for. When they untap and kill your guy, a situation that's really common with both of them, your opponent still has to do without his creature for another turn when you tapped it down with Geists, whereas he'll have it as a blocker if you stole it with Sower. If I had to choose one it would be Sower, but I run both and I'm glad I do.
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Sower is one of the better Control Magic effects in this format. It's affordable, has some abusiveness because it's strapped to a body, and gives you an additional 2/2 flier to join your stolen threat on the battlefield. An A+ creature, and a staple, IMO.
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My feeling exactly on this. Dungeon Geists is a good card that's underrated I feel. Sower is better but also swingier.
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Yeah, Sower is a staple 4-drop creature, but I think it pales in comparison to other steal effects such as Control Magic and Treachery. 2-toughness makes it vulnerable to every creature removal spell under the sun where Control Magic and Treachery are enchantments, which is the hardest permanent type to deal with sans (non-?) basic lands.
I often find myself first picking other blue spells over Sower.
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Well, ya. Blue has a lot of good spells. I don't think that detracts from Sower's value though.
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Yeah, probably middle of the pack as far as blue cards in a powered cube go...... Soo, that means it's awesome, powerful and a staple
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Tidehollow Sculler
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