MTG Salvation

I don't think this is a staple cube creature or anything, but I guess I'm surprised that there's no discussion on it at all yet.

A 4-mana 4/4 flying creature is a solid enough baseline, and 1-mana cycling is fantastic. Additionally, I don't think the scry trigger is just flavor text, considering the amount of self-discard in the cube, and all the looting in blue. Adding scry 1 to every Enclave Cryptologist, Waterfront Bouncer or Looter il-Kor activation is no joke, and being able to ditch this card for something else when/if you're digging for resources in the early game seems solid enough. Plus, blue's 4cc creature suite isn't particularly deep past the commonly-included top 4 creatures, so there's room in larger lists to experiment.

Thoughts?

I think the biggest issue is the cost and color. I agree it's a fine card, but I'm personally not running a large list and would struggle to find a cut that actually felt like an improvement.

This seems a *lot* better than the blue god, but I think the blue god sucks so take that with a grain of salt.

Just about to create a thread for it

I like this guy a fair bit.
I'm testing, banking on how low Cost U: cycling is.

Nice that it gives reanimator decks something to do early when it doesn't draw the proper combo peices. Similar to eternal dragon but more efficient!

The base stats are solid for the cost, so the cycling U just makes the card that much more playable.

It's filler though. What deck really wants this? Even if it self bins cantrip style for a reanimation spell, are you really wanting to use your reanimate on this?

As harsh as I'm being, I am ordering a copy and it might do good work in my combo list simply because it will have above average stats there.

Having not played when cycling was first around I think I underestimate these so I will definitely give a few a try and this is one of the top. A 4/4 flyer for four is quite good, can block most of the aggro junk and live. The ability is not flavor text in most blue decks and 1 mana is really easy to come up with for cycling.

For a while I have been considering how many filter cards I want. I have come to realize that cards I don't think are good enough for space reasons like Serum Visions, Sleight of Hand, and Impulse, would still be played in many blue decks. Filter cards are the grease that makes van make decks great, without being the high profile item that wins the game. Cycling cards might be a nice way to get more of that grease in the cube.

I like the card. Not sure if I like it enough, but I like it.

Quote from lactamaeon »

I like the card. Not sure if I like it enough, but I like it.

I feel you. My thoughts exactly.

Quote from steve_man »

Cycling cards can be hard to evaluate. It's definitely a fine card, but it's pretty vanilla for an blue card. Whirler Rogue supports multiple archetypes, this just gives you options. Maybe I'll just test this instead of the blue god.

I'd just test neither. The blue god seems like a trap and complete garbage. This seems a lot more defendable as a cube card, especially if you have lots of wheel or discard effects, as it lets you see a ton of the top of your deck if you're digging for a specific card (I assume if you discard 4 cards, you get 4 scry 1's with the wording on this card, right?)

Quote from asmallcat »

Quote from steve_man »

Cycling cards can be hard to evaluate. It's definitely a fine card, but it's pretty vanilla for an blue card. Whirler Rogue supports multiple archetypes, this just gives you options. Maybe I'll just test this instead of the blue god.

I'd just test neither. The blue god seems like a trap and complete garbage. This seems a lot more defendable as a cube card, especially if you have lots of wheel or discard effects, as it lets you see a ton of the top of your deck if you're digging for a specific card (I assume if you discard 4 cards, you get 4 scry 1's with the wording on this card, right?)

Yes, you'll get 4 scry 1s if you discard 4 cards to a wheel, with the caveat that you'll scry after the wheel effect resolves and you've drawn all the cards off of it, of course.

I might test this over Jace, Architect of Thought or Parallax Tide.

Quote from Cythare »

Yes, you'll get 4 scry 1s if you discard 4 cards to a wheel, with the caveat that you'll scry after the wheel effect resolves and you've drawn all the cards off of it, of course.

Right, so you would get to see the wheel effect cards, then if you're looking for a specific thing you basically get to see 4 more cards. I think the biggest upside to this card is how low the cost of running it is - there will be games, even in a combo deck and especially in control or other more normal decks, where a 4/4 flyer can just win you the game, and in games where that's not the case, you get to just pay U at instant speed to dig another card deeper. It's even a self-contained discard outlet for reanimator, even if the card itself isn't great, but it's nice that it gives you the option. I think I've convinced myself this would be testable in like 500+ cubes. If I open one maybe I'll try it in mine too.

Comparable with Thunderbreak Regent, the main difference being that red as a color is much more agressive, and probably wants an evasive 4 mana beater more. I could see this card fitting into tempo shells, and cycling is always nice, but I don't think it quite gets there in smaller cubes.

I like it but I might struggle to find room for it. Blue 4-drop creatures I currently run are Dungeon Geists, Glen Elendra Archmage, Sower of Temptation, Venser, Shaper Savant, and Whirler Rogue. Geists and Rogue are probably the weakest on there but they both do yeoman's work. The potential of this card might give one of them the boot, though.

I planned to play this over Dungeon Geists, but never thought smaller cubes would be interested. I believe it will be cycled more than 50% of the time, but that's still very fine. Low opportunity cost of running for a handy blocker or planeswalker killer or just something to win with once you've established control.

Blue 4s are very good at 450: Archmage, Sower, Venser, Whirler Rogue. This would be in the next tier down for me along with Master of Waves, Dungeon Geists, Talrand, and Clever Impersonator. I think this or Master of Waves would be my addition if I went up in size and needed another, depending on whether I'd want to push devotion with Thassa or not.

I like this a bit more than Master of waves, but I'd want to run Geists or Tarland first.

I like this. Optionality is extremely powerful, and usually underrated. The combination of cycling 1 and a reasonable body means the only time you aren't happy to see this thing is if you're missing blue mana.

I like this card, but my blue 4-drop slot is stacked. This actually may have had a higher chance of inclusion if it were a 5/5 for 5.