This card in't very flashy, but has very solid modes and functions like a Mulldrifter with flash (but with weaker synergy with blink):
The 3-mana mode is a 1/2 that draws a card compared to Mulldrifter's Divination mode. Without flash, I'd say Mulldrifter's mode is stronger, but even a 1/2 can ambush an X/1 for a clean 2-for-1, and enabling play at instant speed is very nice.
The 5-mana mode gives two 1/2's instead of the 2/2 flying body of Mulldrifter has. Two 1/2's at instant speed gives you a good chance to double-block an attacking creature, and once again just being able to play this at end of turn is a big improvement.
Past that, you get lots of cards and many bodies to block with to ensure you have time to make use of them. Very nice for a tertiary mode of the card.
I think this is a sweet card that has a lot of good interactions in cube. Artifacts, multiple permanents, blink synergy.
That being said, I think it's a little too durdly for a powered cube in the tightest color. The only deck I'd want it in is exactly a deck with tolarian academy or maybe gaea's cradle. Maybe some weird blink/opposition deck. Even then I would never be excited about it.
It doesn't do anything impressive until you cast it for 5+ mana, and at that point I'd rather have a win condition, not something that draw me cards and has a moderate effect on the battlefield.
That line of reasoning discounts it's flexibility, but I don't think the flexibility makes up for it.
It's something I'd be very interested in a lower powered cube that still has artifact synergies as their archetype support.
small % chance I'm underestimating it, but it's a near miss for me.
This has works as a pseudo Mulldrifter x Shark Typhoon type card in terms of it being scaleable and drawing a card (or cards) at 3 or 5 mana. Flash and being an artifact is nice, but the awful stats and lack of flying or huge bummers. I probably wouldn't mind this if I didn't support Kiki-Twin, but there's a lot of competition with generic blue value / flash "creatures" in Mulldrifter / Vendilion Clique / Brazen Borrower / Aether Chaser / Shark Typhoon / Occult Epiphany / etc.
I would happily play this card in the artifact deck, where it can play the role of army in a can AND refilling your hand. But when I consider it in any other deck, it just doesn't do enough. The 3-mana mode is abysmal, so you really have to be able to make it to at least 5-mana. And it's not until 7-mana before the card really starts pulling its own weight. It's close, but at the end of the day I don't see a cut that I could justify making for the infiltrator.
This card in't very flashy, but has very solid modes and functions like a Mulldrifter with flash (but with weaker synergy with blink):
That being said, I think it's a little too durdly for a powered cube in the tightest color. The only deck I'd want it in is exactly a deck with tolarian academy or maybe gaea's cradle. Maybe some weird blink/opposition deck. Even then I would never be excited about it.
It doesn't do anything impressive until you cast it for 5+ mana, and at that point I'd rather have a win condition, not something that draw me cards and has a moderate effect on the battlefield.
That line of reasoning discounts it's flexibility, but I don't think the flexibility makes up for it.
It's something I'd be very interested in a lower powered cube that still has artifact synergies as their archetype support.
small % chance I'm underestimating it, but it's a near miss for me.
Last Updated 02/07/24
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Can get real big real fast with the right deck and large enough artifact support. This looks like a rad inclusion
I will try it over Trinket Mage or Spellseeker.
540 Version: https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/zza