I think it would be crazy to replace treasure cruise. But that is because it draws 3 cards for one or two mana in a specific spells archetype not for it's average case.
I haven't really liked ancestral visions in cube and I like the new cycling force spike better than this but it is fairly close. I think this card will play very well and I plan on using it a lot in standard.
I was thinking of replacing Serum Visions with Pull from Tomorrow, but this seems like an option for the same slot. It's both a cantrip for U and splashable card advantage.
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I like the flexibility, but each mode may be too fair for this format, which is full of top-tier draw spells.
Totally agree that this is super fair. The thing holding me back is me spells decks are mostly looking for cast trigger (Pyromancer/Thing in the Ice/ Kiln Fiend) and this is much worse there. If you are not supporting the spells deck as much I do like it better than the lower tier one mana filtering cards.
I wasn't trying to imply that this card is bad. On the contrary, I think this card is great. It's only that the cube's threshold for 4cc draw spells are 4-for-1's and Fact or Fictions... Tough to find room for this, even if it is very good.
I'm not the biggest fan of Ancestral Visions in a traditionally singleton format with very few Cascade / GDD / Expertise enablers. I like this as filler for my combo decks and something control decks can cycle and cash in later with Snapcaster / Jace VP / Torrential Gearhulk. My only dilemma right now is that this competes with Curator of Mysteries / new Draw X spell.
The cycling cost is great. But paying 4 for 2 cards? Eh... I'm really loathe to do that. Instant helps, but I don't think enough. I absolutely hate paying the regular price on Deep Analysis, and this card has no upside on discard. So it probably just gets cycled 95% of the time. I think the 4/4 flyer is the better generic blue filler cycle card (or even the 2 mana force spike - that might be the best of the three).
Agreed with ahadabans. Card is pretty good but that doesn't really cut it when we have an abundance of good draw available. I would test out Pull From Tomorrow ahead of this unless pushing a big cycling theme (which could admittedly be very fun).
I'd rather have Glimmer of Genius. Sure, that one doesn't help when you are stuck on two or three lands, but scry 2 makes the main effect so much better.
There's a lot of great card draw out there. The cycling is great, but this still lands in the middle of the pack for 3-4 cmc card draw, and pretty low in the 1 cmc category.
This is how I'm prioritizing the new blue cards right now based on hierarchy of needs: Hieroglyphs = Censor > Pull From Time > Curator of Mysteries
I like Censor / Hieroglyphs the most right now because they're the best filler for combo decks, which sometime fall short of what they're trying to
do. Also, I feel like I'm one blue instant away from being comfortable with Torrential Gearhulk.
I think all those cards are better than Hieroglyphs, at least for their cube playability.
To me it's not so much about being better, but what is going to make certain lists. Generic decks that want to play Curator / Pull from Time have no shortage of playable options. Combo decks however, are very specific about what they want to play. I'd much rather have the effects of Hieroglyphs /
Censor as filler in my combo decks than Curator / Pull from Time.
I like this card. It is unwise to compare this to four mana draw spells - that is just one half of this "split card". The problem with expensive draw is that for many matchups you just do not have the time to cast it, another major drawback is that you cannot use it to get to your fourth land. HI is a card you can jam with all your mass removals and planeswalkers and not worry about your curve being too heavy. It seems hard to cut it from decklists. It also has synergy even when cycled early with Snapcaster Mage, Torrential Gearhulk and Jace, Vryn's Prodigy.
I like it more than Curator because both halves are on theme effects for control decks, the majority of blue decks here.
I think the main mode needs to be really close to being good enough on its own in order to include a card because it can cycle. And Inspiration just isn't there (for powered cube). Miscalculation without cycling is really close to Mana Leak, which is a staple spell. This thing without cycling doesn't resemble a cubeable draw spell at all.
Instant speed and one mana cycling, would it be crazy of me to replace Treasure Cruise or Ancestral Visions with this?
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I haven't really liked ancestral visions in cube and I like the new cycling force spike better than this but it is fairly close. I think this card will play very well and I plan on using it a lot in standard.
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Totally agree that this is super fair. The thing holding me back is me spells decks are mostly looking for cast trigger (Pyromancer/Thing in the Ice/ Kiln Fiend) and this is much worse there. If you are not supporting the spells deck as much I do like it better than the lower tier one mana filtering cards.
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I'd even take Divination with cycling 2.
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I like Censor / Hieroglyphs the most right now because they're the best filler for combo decks, which sometime fall short of what they're trying to
do. Also, I feel like I'm one blue instant away from being comfortable with Torrential Gearhulk.
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To me it's not so much about being better, but what is going to make certain lists. Generic decks that want to play Curator / Pull from Time have no shortage of playable options. Combo decks however, are very specific about what they want to play. I'd much rather have the effects of Hieroglyphs /
Censor as filler in my combo decks than Curator / Pull from Time.
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I like it more than Curator because both halves are on theme effects for control decks, the majority of blue decks here.
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