I definitely think that Greater Tanuki is interesting even if I am a bit unsure on how it compares to Beanstalk Giant. The giant is a bit more expensive and does not have trample but you can still cast it after getting the early game value. Whereas the Tanuki would of course need to be reanimated if you wanted value after discarding it.
Michiko's Reign of Truth is a bit underwhelming as a saga but the transformed side is not terrible value in the right deck for two mana and a bit of a suspend. Probably not for my cube, though.
I actually really like The Modern Age, though. Card filtering is nice and a 2/3 flier is never a bad thing.
Similarly, I like Life of Toshiro Umezawa. Killing just one thing already makes it great and the pump is not bad. You still get life without targets, too, and the transformed body is decent enough.
Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose is fun as a concept. Honestly, the effect is also pretty good if you decide to support a Shrine archetype. If this ends up being another cycle, you could probably just pick the best ones to include instead of committing 15+ slots.
Behold the Unspeakable? I could see this being very playable - even without the super-charging for refilling your hand - even if the initial effect is underwhelming. Though, even that effect can buy you at least one more turn's worth more time, even while you lack other board presence. Once you refill the next turn, it becomes much easier to try and turn things around.
I was pretty skeptical about a cyberpunk Kamigawa (my first set), but I'm pretty sold on it now. Tradition vs progress is a cool way to have the new while still showing the influence of the old. I like the mechanical representation in the artifacts vs enchantments theme. It seems like WotC is really operating in a different space in the last year or two in terms of how much they're willing to push the envelope in Standard sets. "Legendary Artifact Creature - Jellyfish Equipment" is not something they would have done 5 years ago, if for no other reason than "it won't fit on the type line!". Not sure if that's just a consequence of needing to continue pushing the envelope 29 years into the game, or a new appreciation for the average player's tolerance to complexity thanks to Commander becoming the Big Format.
I think this set has (+ any future returns) could go a long way towards filling out that mythical artifact deck, plus helping enchantress if that's your jam.
Life of Toshiro Umezawa - potential to generate a lot of value. There's 83 creatures in my cube with 1 toughness (not counting tokens), + this can be used after combat on the first turn to trade up a creature.
Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose - Who knows what will get spoiled but this is a potentially strong ability if a Shrine deck ever became a thing.
The Modern Age is interesting for sure if you're a Renaminator aficionado.
I run the Shrines archetype in my cube, and I was excited with more of these enchantments in this set, but seeing Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose, my hype is a bit down now as it's a creature, too.
Four mana do-nothing who dies to Lightning Bolt or any other creature removal is not what I want to play... This is a five mana card, and I'm not sure if I want it in my cube, even when I apreciate the tokens effect in white.
I hope the other Shrines have better stats, at least, and maybe a blue one with Scry X, or another one putting X +1/+1 counters on a creature...
And alas, at least Bronzeplate Boar's Reconfigure cost seems to hint at them playing rather conservative with these. I might maybe consider it over Dwarven Hammer but the use scenarios are rather different, and I would feel bad about the base creature.
Nimble Hoverbike is also at least a little interesting, even if its stats do not set the world on fire.
Hotshot Mechanic is a new Savannah Lion variant. Not as good as the top tier ones like Usher of the Fallen and Dauntless Bodyguard, but could be interesting for those who have multiple vehicles or artifact synergies.
The value of all these Sagas is real interesting, since they all basically represent Suspend 3 for the creature, because with one exception (The Shattered States Era / Nameless Conqueror), none of these can attack the turn they become creatures. The other big problem I have is that these are mostly awful topdecks. Sure, 7 mana for Errant Ephemeron wasn't GOOD, but at least it impacted the board right away. That said, I am most interested in the ones with evasion, since those creatures are most likely to have an impact even if they hit the board later than one would hope. The Modern Age / Vector Glider adding a couple of loots onto a 2/3 flier might be good for 1U. Behold the Unspeakable / Vision of the Unspeakable looks like a heck of a potential finisher, since it could buy time and generate card advantage before making a huge flier that you can protect with your card advantage.
For me, the comparison point on Greater Tanuki is Krosan Tusker, as I feel Beanstalk Giant is quite a bit better. The two have similarly powered discard abilities, and similar bodies. Tanuki being cheaper and having trample is nice, although Tanuki also gets hit by some incidental enchantment removal. I lean Tanuki, which probably means I will add it.
For me, Hotshot Mechanic is strictly downside since all of my vehicles are already crew 2 or less, and being an artifact makes it vulnerable to some splash artifact hate.
Similar thoughts on Nezumi Prowler, although that card has some other upsides. The ninjutsu feels pretty awkward to me, but there are surely some board states where casting Prowler pre-combat opens up a nice attack or helps gain a few life.
Kappa Tech-Wrecker has a nice defensive body for 1G. It does eat up about 25% of my other two-drops straight up, and then trades with a LOT of other creatures in combat. Plus, having deathtouch makes it a pain to block and ninjutsu might destroy an artifact/enchantment immediately.
Of the sagas, only the The Modern Age caught my eye. Seems like it could fit within both reanimator and filers. Awful topdeck as others had mentioned.
Twinshot Sniper seems pretty good (decent body, reach, hits any target, Goblin synergies, shock damage is uncounterable). May cost 1 mana too much though and can get hit by artifact removal.
I'm fairly excited about what the set means for enchantments in particular. One of the two archetypes supported in Selesnya in my cube is Enchantress, so Jukai Naturalist would naturally be great. It reduces the cost of all enchantment - not just auras - and it's an enchantment creature itself.
Enthusiastic Mechanaut is interesting for similar reasons (reduces the costs of artifacts on a good 2/2 flying body for 2cmc that is itself an artifact creature). The difference is no established archetype exists atm (in my cube at least), which is strange because blue and red are definitely the colors that care most about artifacts, but Izzet is just so all-in on Spells. I think I'd like a secondary option to exist for blue-red drafters though, and this might be a major signpost if such an archetype is to be a thing.
Twinshot Sniper seems pretty good (decent body, reach, hits any target, Goblin synergies, shock damage is uncounterable). May cost 1 mana too much though and can get hit by artifact removal.
Yes, great card. Some kind of mix between Flametongue Kavu and Ghitu Slinger, maybe. But much better than the Slinger, of course.
Krosan Tusker not only gets a land, it draws an additional card. Tanuki costing a mana less is not enough for me to consider it.
I dislike The Modern Age as a name and concept, it feels so inelegant, and by association makes Era of Enlightenment feel heavy handed as well.
So far the set feels very interesting. In addition to peasant I also have a mostly peasant artifact cube and an unpowered vintage cube, so a lot of cards to pick up, even if many won't end up in any lists in the short term.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I wish all archetypes could be equally hated. Or loved, but the former better reflects the mindset of the vocal portion of the player base. My 540ish Peasant Cube on Cubetutor
Greater Tanuki puts the land on the battlefield instead of hand, so I am willing to treat them as similarly costed abilities that are situationally as good as each other. Getting a one-mana discount on a better body is nice, although Tanuki is 2% more vulnerable to removal. I think they are pretty close to each other, but trample leans it slightly towards Tanuki in my opinion.
True, I missed that part. With that I think it compares mainly to Beanstalk Giant, which I see as superior, with Tusker staying in a very different role, as a green Divination with a 2ndary creature mode and reanimator payoff.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I wish all archetypes could be equally hated. Or loved, but the former better reflects the mindset of the vocal portion of the player base. My 540ish Peasant Cube on Cubetutor
Krosan Tusker is much better. If you are already at 6 mana you shouldnt be worried about putting a land driectly into play. Id rather have the extra card in my hand for any possible synergies with other cards.
Id think its safe to say, and card that costs more than 4 mana and puts lands directly into play isnt that big of a deal.
Circuit Mender is a better Filigree Familiar. Familiar usually ended up as card #24 when it was in my cube and so I cut it, but Circuit Mender has a better body and can be abused with blink/bounce effects. Pretty sure I'll add it.
Twinshot Sniper is pretty good, but it's not like red needed more cards like that. Will most likely find room for it anyway.
Krosan Tusker is much better. If you are already at 6 mana you shouldnt be worried about putting a land driectly into play. Id rather have the extra card in my hand for any possible synergies with other cards.
Id think its safe to say, and card that costs more than 4 mana and puts lands directly into play isnt that big of a deal.
I think you misunderstand how these cards work. You either use the 3 mana discard/cycling mode (which is what you do with Krosan Tusker 90% of the time I'd say) or you cast the creature. Greater Tanuki is an uncounterable 3 mana Rampant Growth that can be a big creature if you have a enough mana already. Krosan Tusker doesn't ramp, but it gives card advantage. As a creature it's worse than Tanuki though, even if it doesn't die to enchantment removal. Overall I think I like Krosan Tusker a wee bit more since the 3 mana mode is the main mode and I think card advantage is worth more than ramp.
Circuit Mender is a better Filigree Familiar. Familiar usually ended up as card #24 when it was in my cube and so I cut it, but Circuit Mender has a better body and can be abused with blink/bounce effects. Pretty sure I'll add it.
Agree. Filigree Familiar has always been a filler card and Circuit Mender is a strict upgrade and fits nicely into bounce decks. Easy swap for me.
Just started looking through spoilers. Been a rough couple sets (relatively) for me as I'm not a fan of flip cards.
White: Banishing Slash might be interesting for some, but I don't think I run enough artifacts/enchantments to make it worth it. Hotshot Mechanic is another Savannah Lions with distracting text, so not for me. Spirited Companion might be the most likely so far, but not exactly exciting.
Blue: Awakened Awareness is a bit interesting as a meh removal spell that can sometimes pump a little creature for yourself.
Black: I kinda like Leech Gauntlet, especially if you're running lifegain in general. Overall I really like the Reconfigure mechanic, think that could be a promising one for sure. The 2 cmc ninja seems solid as well.
Red: Man, I wish that rare reconfigure one had been uncommon :(, Bronzeplate Boar seems a bit short to me. Twinshot Sniper is rock solid.
Green: Greater Tanuki - I like it, I've always like those style of cards. I like the little ninja turtle as well.
Multicolor: Some good ones here, but I don't think any of them are a fit for me.
Colorless: Either of those upgrades for Filigree Familiar would've been solid, together Circuit Mender looks absolutely great to me.
Circuit Mender is in. Peerless Samurai seems good in specifically Red mid-range which is a hard deck to get to work, even if it clashes with reds overall ethos.
Akki Ember-Keeper is really good in the GR +1/+1 counter deck, it is also importantly a warrior.
What do we think of You Are Already Dead? this effect is usually pretty mediocre, but this is the first time it appears on a cantripping instant with cmc 1. I think it's an interesting card for black aggressive decks, but what is your guys' take on it?
The conditionality of it only being able to kill a creature that's already been dealt damage basically puts it in the combat trick category rather than allowing me to consider it as removal. It's more like "Instant: Give your creature Deathtouch, draw a card," something along those lines. Of course, stuff like Goblin Bombardment could be used to exploit this, but that seems somewhat unlikely. Idk... you'll have to look into how many ways your cube has to ping a creature and turn this on outside of combat.
Here is what I've seen decent right now:
Greater Tanuki
Michiko's Reign of Truth
Portrait of Michiko
Jukai Naturalist
Enthusiastic Mechanaut
My Omniscience Draft Cube[/b]
My Commander Cube
My Pai Gow Cube
My Two-Headed Giant Cube
I definitely think that Greater Tanuki is interesting even if I am a bit unsure on how it compares to Beanstalk Giant. The giant is a bit more expensive and does not have trample but you can still cast it after getting the early game value. Whereas the Tanuki would of course need to be reanimated if you wanted value after discarding it.
Michiko's Reign of Truth is a bit underwhelming as a saga but the transformed side is not terrible value in the right deck for two mana and a bit of a suspend. Probably not for my cube, though.
I actually really like The Modern Age, though. Card filtering is nice and a 2/3 flier is never a bad thing.
Similarly, I like Life of Toshiro Umezawa. Killing just one thing already makes it great and the pump is not bad. You still get life without targets, too, and the transformed body is decent enough.
Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose is fun as a concept. Honestly, the effect is also pretty good if you decide to support a Shrine archetype. If this ends up being another cycle, you could probably just pick the best ones to include instead of committing 15+ slots.
Behold the Unspeakable? I could see this being very playable - even without the super-charging for refilling your hand - even if the initial effect is underwhelming. Though, even that effect can buy you at least one more turn's worth more time, even while you lack other board presence. Once you refill the next turn, it becomes much easier to try and turn things around.
Spirited Companion is not for me but the cycle of Elvish Visionary variants continues.
Covert Technician is eh, though it could be interesting once you couple it with a power boost. Plus, the body itself is actually rather decent.
Akki Ember-Keeper is not terrible, especially if you have Boros Equipment and similar archetypes active. But it is unlikely to make the cut.
Simian Sling is fun and I might actually run it just as archetype glue. I hope that there are other decent un/commons with Reconfigure.
Oh, and assuming that this leak, too, is legit since a lot have been: I like Nezumi Prowler.
I think this set has (+ any future returns) could go a long way towards filling out that mythical artifact deck, plus helping enchantress if that's your jam.
Life of Toshiro Umezawa - potential to generate a lot of value. There's 83 creatures in my cube with 1 toughness (not counting tokens), + this can be used after combat on the first turn to trade up a creature.
Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose - Who knows what will get spoiled but this is a potentially strong ability if a Shrine deck ever became a thing.
The Modern Age is interesting for sure if you're a Renaminator aficionado.
Draft it on Cubetutor here, and CubeCobra here.
Treasure Cruise did nothing wrong.
Four mana do-nothing who dies to Lightning Bolt or any other creature removal is not what I want to play... This is a five mana card, and I'm not sure if I want it in my cube, even when I apreciate the tokens effect in white.
I hope the other Shrines have better stats, at least, and maybe a blue one with Scry X, or another one putting X +1/+1 counters on a creature...
My Omniscience Draft Cube[/b]
My Commander Cube
My Pai Gow Cube
My Two-Headed Giant Cube
And alas, at least Bronzeplate Boar's Reconfigure cost seems to hint at them playing rather conservative with these. I might maybe consider it over Dwarven Hammer but the use scenarios are rather different, and I would feel bad about the base creature.
Nimble Hoverbike is also at least a little interesting, even if its stats do not set the world on fire.
The Modern Age / Vector Glider adding a couple of loots onto a 2/3 flier might be good for 1U.
Behold the Unspeakable / Vision of the Unspeakable looks like a heck of a potential finisher, since it could buy time and generate card advantage before making a huge flier that you can protect with your card advantage.
For me, the comparison point on Greater Tanuki is Krosan Tusker, as I feel Beanstalk Giant is quite a bit better. The two have similarly powered discard abilities, and similar bodies. Tanuki being cheaper and having trample is nice, although Tanuki also gets hit by some incidental enchantment removal. I lean Tanuki, which probably means I will add it.
For me, Hotshot Mechanic is strictly downside since all of my vehicles are already crew 2 or less, and being an artifact makes it vulnerable to some splash artifact hate.
Similar thoughts on Nezumi Prowler, although that card has some other upsides. The ninjutsu feels pretty awkward to me, but there are surely some board states where casting Prowler pre-combat opens up a nice attack or helps gain a few life.
Kappa Tech-Wrecker has a nice defensive body for 1G. It does eat up about 25% of my other two-drops straight up, and then trades with a LOT of other creatures in combat. Plus, having deathtouch makes it a pain to block and ninjutsu might destroy an artifact/enchantment immediately.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/peasantsnowcube
-- Updated with Outlaws of Thunder Junction
The PioneWer Peasant CUbe
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/pionewer
-- Updated with Murders at Karlov Manor
WiJ
Peasant 540 Cube
Twinshot Sniper seems pretty good (decent body, reach, hits any target, Goblin synergies, shock damage is uncounterable). May cost 1 mana too much though and can get hit by artifact removal.
My 2-Player Signed Legacy Cube
My Lord of the Rings Cube
Enthusiastic Mechanaut is interesting for similar reasons (reduces the costs of artifacts on a good 2/2 flying body for 2cmc that is itself an artifact creature). The difference is no established archetype exists atm (in my cube at least), which is strange because blue and red are definitely the colors that care most about artifacts, but Izzet is just so all-in on Spells. I think I'd like a secondary option to exist for blue-red drafters though, and this might be a major signpost if such an archetype is to be a thing.
Yes, great card. Some kind of mix between Flametongue Kavu and Ghitu Slinger, maybe. But much better than the Slinger, of course.
My Omniscience Draft Cube[/b]
My Commander Cube
My Pai Gow Cube
My Two-Headed Giant Cube
I also kind of like some of the equipment creatures, including Leech gauntlet.
Twinshot Sniper is reasonably good I will consider it.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
I dislike The Modern Age as a name and concept, it feels so inelegant, and by association makes Era of Enlightenment feel heavy handed as well.
So far the set feels very interesting. In addition to peasant I also have a mostly peasant artifact cube and an unpowered vintage cube, so a lot of cards to pick up, even if many won't end up in any lists in the short term.
My 540ish Peasant Cube on Cubetutor
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/peasantsnowcube
-- Updated with Outlaws of Thunder Junction
The PioneWer Peasant CUbe
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/pionewer
-- Updated with Murders at Karlov Manor
My 540ish Peasant Cube on Cubetutor
Id think its safe to say, and card that costs more than 4 mana and puts lands directly into play isnt that big of a deal.
Twinshot Sniper is pretty good, but it's not like red needed more cards like that. Will most likely find room for it anyway.
I think you misunderstand how these cards work. You either use the 3 mana discard/cycling mode (which is what you do with Krosan Tusker 90% of the time I'd say) or you cast the creature. Greater Tanuki is an uncounterable 3 mana Rampant Growth that can be a big creature if you have a enough mana already. Krosan Tusker doesn't ramp, but it gives card advantage. As a creature it's worse than Tanuki though, even if it doesn't die to enchantment removal. Overall I think I like Krosan Tusker a wee bit more since the 3 mana mode is the main mode and I think card advantage is worth more than ramp.
My Old School Battlebox
My Premodern Battlebox
Agree. Filigree Familiar has always been a filler card and Circuit Mender is a strict upgrade and fits nicely into bounce decks. Easy swap for me.
My 2-Player Signed Legacy Cube
My Lord of the Rings Cube
White: Banishing Slash might be interesting for some, but I don't think I run enough artifacts/enchantments to make it worth it. Hotshot Mechanic is another Savannah Lions with distracting text, so not for me. Spirited Companion might be the most likely so far, but not exactly exciting.
Blue: Awakened Awareness is a bit interesting as a meh removal spell that can sometimes pump a little creature for yourself.
Black: I kinda like Leech Gauntlet, especially if you're running lifegain in general. Overall I really like the Reconfigure mechanic, think that could be a promising one for sure. The 2 cmc ninja seems solid as well.
Red: Man, I wish that rare reconfigure one had been uncommon :(, Bronzeplate Boar seems a bit short to me. Twinshot Sniper is rock solid.
Green: Greater Tanuki - I like it, I've always like those style of cards. I like the little ninja turtle as well.
Multicolor: Some good ones here, but I don't think any of them are a fit for me.
Colorless: Either of those upgrades for Filigree Familiar would've been solid, together Circuit Mender looks absolutely great to me.
Peerless Samurai seems good in specifically Red mid-range which is a hard deck to get to work, even if it clashes with reds overall ethos.
Akki Ember-Keeper is really good in the GR +1/+1 counter deck, it is also importantly a warrior.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
WiJ
Peasant 540 Cube
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/peasantsnowcube
-- Updated with Outlaws of Thunder Junction
The PioneWer Peasant CUbe
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/pionewer
-- Updated with Murders at Karlov Manor
WiJ
Peasant 540 Cube