I would Have Been Surprised if they didn't put the swords into this. Maro has been hinting at it for about 3 years now that he was waiting for a set that is modern legal but not in standard. I think he said his other option was to do the swords but water them down into unplayable nonsense and put them in a standard set.
Will be interesting to see what the abilities are assuming they finish the cycle. As for the Artwork on this, I really like it. As far as the ability, I think EDH will love it, Cube's I think will probably pass on it. Lower powered cubes with Counters themes will like the ability, but the protection makes it to strong, and powered cubes like the protection, but proliferate and a +1/+1 counters seems a little lack luster for needed to have a creature in play, and spend 5 mana.
First, they'd use all remaining Mythic slots, leaving us without any black mythic card, by the way.
Also, and there's space for only one Sword between #227 Scrapyard Recombiner and #229 Sword of Truth and Justice. That means three of them would have to be named Sword of (something that begins with the letter T, U, V, W, X, Y or Z). Good luck finding something that works.
So I don't think they'll finish the cycle for now. I can see another one, and that's it.
I run all of the Swords in my 540 Cube. They are one of those cards that are Iconic and I love it when people get to experience some Iconic parts of MTG history.
That being said, I think finding room for all 10 in 540 is a real stretch. I might have to actually pick 5 of my favorites and roll with them once it is all said and done. Fortunately I think we have some time.
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Nice! Happy to see more of these and my guess is they print two or three in this set and save the rest for an undetermined future date. I don’t know if this one makes it in or not but it is a pretty strong effect.
This one doesn’t seem great, maybe on par with WAP? Regardless, it’s awesome that this signals more in the future. Hopefully we’ll get at least one more in this set, and hopefully it’s sick.
I think this Sword looks really good, and I'm gonna play it. Repeatable +1/+1 counter distribution that then stacks with its own proliferate trigger ...on top of proliferating any 'walker counters and stuff? Ya, it's gonna be good in cube. I have room for another Sword, but probably not 5 more without some pruning down. But this will likely be one of them, since I like it more than some of the existing Swords as it stands now.
Finally! Swords are so pretty (and fun!). Probably only 2-3 in this set and then the other 3 in Modern Horizons 2 / Commander / something? Are we going back to Phyrexia soon and they'll put the swords there? Hhhmmmmm...
Putting this on that new G snake seems cool too. I could probably fit one or two more swords in, but the full ten seems like too many at 540. My only concern is balance (with the protection, running three swords that hose blue for instance). I guess we will see how the rest look. I’m SO looking forward to the RAKDOS sword.
If we only get two swords in this sweet chances are they’ll pick one that doesn’t have any protection overlap so we’ll probably either see Rakdos or Gruul. Hope it’s Rakdos too
My guess for Rakdos would be rummage for the red effect and drain 2 for the black effect.
I'm at 5 Swords at 400ish. I can fit a 6th, I'm sure, but beyond that, things get dicey. But this looks pretty good. Better than War and Peace, for sure. All the others have unique effects I like.
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I can't say I'm pleased to see you and must warn you I may have to do something about it.
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My guess for Rakdos would be rummage for the red effect and drain 2 for the black effect.
Or.. OR... Rummage and Wither something, making for some synergy between that and this one.
As it is, Walkers are the only regularly played cards in my cube that can benefit from the proliferate on this sword, which is why I don't yet have a single proliferate spell in my cube loaded with PWs. Also, decks that run walkers aren't typically the decks jamming the Swords cycle in them. It's a good thing this effect sort of feels like one contained effect, because slapping proliferate on a sword with some other effect likely wouldn't make the cut in my cube. I'm still not sure if this one will.
Well, I've been looking to cut two cards in my artifact section and this will likely be one of them. If willdice is correct about the number crunch I already have a cut in mind for the next sword to if they add it to the set.
This raises questions about what will we do when sword 7-10 come out but that is a problem for futre-pringlesman. I have considered at various times running a huge less focused 720 list instead of my more traditional 450 card list and having 10 swords might be something that pushes me towards doing that.
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I don’t think you should try to play 10 swords at anything smaller than 720. I’d recommend picking 5 that are 2 of each color depending on your personal preference. Guessing that for me that will be Fire Ice, Feast Famine, Truth Justice, and then either WB+GR or WG+BR. Might be a long time until all are available though. Fast mode completion would be 2+3, medium 2+2+1, and slow 1+1+1+1+1 (finish in like 2024).
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I primarily play limited, so most of my spoiler season comments view cards through that lens.
Why do people think this is so good? It has the lowest impact of any sword when it hits. Sure you can draw up some Magical Christmasland proliferate situations, but the average scenario for this sword seems pretty low impact. Also blue protection isn't great. I'm not sure this is even better than Heirloom Blade...
Why do people think this is so good? It has the lowest impact of any sword when it hits. Sure you can draw up some Magical Christmasland proliferate situations, but the average scenario for this sword seems pretty low impact. Also blue protection isn't great. I'm not sure this is even better than Heirloom Blade...
Why do people think this is so good? It has the lowest impact of any sword when it hits. Sure you can draw up some Magical Christmasland proliferate situations, but the average scenario for this sword seems pretty low impact. Also blue protection isn't great. I'm not sure this is even better than Heirloom Blade...
There’s a lot of hyperbole here. There are times where war and peace’s trigger is straight up useless...
It is a self contained engine... White is probably the most important protection, and the mechanics mean even if you hit another color of removal, you have already stacked your next wielder. In a constructed environment, sure, it is a lot weaker. But in a limited format where answers are not usually stacked, you can have games where you get away with 1 or 2 triggers and they are just dead, regardless of if they kill the wielder.
It isn't the best sword, not even remotely. But it isn't the worst sword either.
But as I said earlier, the reason I run Swords at all, really, is that I like to have nostalgic play in my Cube. Swords are part of that, even if they are not the greatest. I don't consider Tarmogoyf to be the greatest in Cube, but I still run it for the same reason. My players like that stuff.
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Really not sure about this. Clearly good and certainly better that SoWaP. But, I really don't want to have an unequal distribution of color protection on these artifacts. At 450, there is no way I'd run all ten. I don't see any huge reason to run the allied Swords, assuming all get printed. As much as I'd like another good equipment or two, the lack of balance bothers me too much.
What I love about this Sword is that it feels more like a build-around effect. Something that can have a great shell specifically for this card. Finding interactions with +1/+1 counter creatures, planeswalkers, level-up creatures and so on during the drafting and deckbuilding process is what makes this an interesting and exciting inclusion for me. It seems like the best way so far to get a proliferate kind of effect into the cube without having to run a suboptimal base to get it in. This is less of a "good in every creature deck" kind of Sword like Fire and Ice is and more of a "good in decks that can maximize its interactions" kind of sword like Light and Shadow is. I'm looking forward to finding shells and specific builds that can exploit it!
A lot of people are looking at proliferate only for the planeswalkers, and yeah, thats certainly a powerful draw. People cubing with Nissa, Voice of Zendikar or Nissa, Who Shakes the World are gonna love this sword. I know WAR limited is not the same as cube, but Nissa WStW is a GD House on her own there, and backbreaking with any proliferate effect.
But many people here are saying they are the only things that can benefit from it, which I disagree with. There are tons of incidental counters on aggressive cubeable green creatures (Pelt Collector, Experiment One, Tireless Tracker, Verdurous Gearhulk, the new Hexdrinker), as well as the obvious two: Walking Ballista and Hangarback Walker, and more outside that (Drana, Flesh Carver, Krenko, Rakdos Cackler, any of the Boros Mentors.) Not that you need these cards for the sword to work, it stacks with itself, but it makes other common cube cards you're probably already running better by just being around. It also makes your growing threat immune to Mind Control effects, which is nothing to scoff at.
Point is, while the baseline impact might be lower than other swords, this sword creates new lines of drafting incentive through your cube instead of just "Are you aggro? Pick a sword, any sword."
But hey, I will also admit I'm biased against swords in the first place.
New sword, who dis?
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Will be interesting to see what the abilities are assuming they finish the cycle. As for the Artwork on this, I really like it. As far as the ability, I think EDH will love it, Cube's I think will probably pass on it. Lower powered cubes with Counters themes will like the ability, but the protection makes it to strong, and powered cubes like the protection, but proliferate and a +1/+1 counters seems a little lack luster for needed to have a creature in play, and spend 5 mana.
http://www.cubetutor.com/cubeblog/63569
First, they'd use all remaining Mythic slots, leaving us without any black mythic card, by the way.
Also, and there's space for only one Sword between #227 Scrapyard Recombiner and #229 Sword of Truth and Justice. That means three of them would have to be named Sword of (something that begins with the letter T, U, V, W, X, Y or Z). Good luck finding something that works.
So I don't think they'll finish the cycle for now. I can see another one, and that's it.
That being said, I think finding room for all 10 in 540 is a real stretch. I might have to actually pick 5 of my favorites and roll with them once it is all said and done. Fortunately I think we have some time.
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My guess for Rakdos would be rummage for the red effect and drain 2 for the black effect.
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Pauper: UR Delver
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Or.. OR... Rummage and Wither something, making for some synergy between that and this one.
As it is, Walkers are the only regularly played cards in my cube that can benefit from the proliferate on this sword, which is why I don't yet have a single proliferate spell in my cube loaded with PWs. Also, decks that run walkers aren't typically the decks jamming the Swords cycle in them. It's a good thing this effect sort of feels like one contained effect, because slapping proliferate on a sword with some other effect likely wouldn't make the cut in my cube. I'm still not sure if this one will.
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This raises questions about what will we do when sword 7-10 come out but that is a problem for futre-pringlesman. I have considered at various times running a huge less focused 720 list instead of my more traditional 450 card list and having 10 swords might be something that pushes me towards doing that.
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There’s a lot of hyperbole here. There are times where war and peace’s trigger is straight up useless...
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=484979
In my artifact cube, there is +1/+1 synergy and proliferate (Arcbound guys!) so I may try this for more synergy.
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It isn't the best sword, not even remotely. But it isn't the worst sword either.
But as I said earlier, the reason I run Swords at all, really, is that I like to have nostalgic play in my Cube. Swords are part of that, even if they are not the greatest. I don't consider Tarmogoyf to be the greatest in Cube, but I still run it for the same reason. My players like that stuff.
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A lot of people are looking at proliferate only for the planeswalkers, and yeah, thats certainly a powerful draw. People cubing with Nissa, Voice of Zendikar or Nissa, Who Shakes the World are gonna love this sword. I know WAR limited is not the same as cube, but Nissa WStW is a GD House on her own there, and backbreaking with any proliferate effect.
But many people here are saying they are the only things that can benefit from it, which I disagree with. There are tons of incidental counters on aggressive cubeable green creatures (Pelt Collector, Experiment One, Tireless Tracker, Verdurous Gearhulk, the new Hexdrinker), as well as the obvious two: Walking Ballista and Hangarback Walker, and more outside that (Drana, Flesh Carver, Krenko, Rakdos Cackler, any of the Boros Mentors.) Not that you need these cards for the sword to work, it stacks with itself, but it makes other common cube cards you're probably already running better by just being around. It also makes your growing threat immune to Mind Control effects, which is nothing to scoff at.
Point is, while the baseline impact might be lower than other swords, this sword creates new lines of drafting incentive through your cube instead of just "Are you aggro? Pick a sword, any sword."
But hey, I will also admit I'm biased against swords in the first place.