If you want to play with children, I would probably start with running simple creatures with mostly basic evergreen abilities, like flying, first strike, deathtouch, haste, lifelink, menace, reach, trample, and vigilance. I think most of these can be quite intuitive after a quick explanation.
In addition maybe have a strong color identity, like Blue has Card draw and a few simple counterspells, Green has ramp, big creatures and combat tricks like Giant Growth, Red has some burn and low curve aggressive creatures, White with weenies and simple removal like Pacifism and Black maybe with a bit of a life loss / life gain theme and simple removal like Murder. Depending on the power level you are aiming for, if you want to run Wind Drake/Divination/Shock or rather Mistral Charger/Lightning Bolt.
So after playing 2 prereleases (and winning booth ^^) there wasn't really that much surprise, the land cyclers were really good as expected. It's like these flip lands from Zendikar Rising, a tapped land on the front and a the creature on the back. Sadly they don't work that well with the Ravnica Bounce Lands.
1 card, that I definitely missed though was Bewitching Leechcraft as basically a 2 mana Claustrophobia. At least in my cube there are only 3 cards, which are able to just put a +1/+1 counter on any creature.
I think with my token theme I'm also willing to give Mirkwood Bats a try, as it is potentially really powerful, triggering both when entering and sacrificing the tokens.
So I looked through the full spoiler once again and for me other cards, that are in consideration for me are:
-Rally at the Hornburg: The best red Token generator at cmc 2 so far. This card is certainly best friends with Burning-Tree Emissary.
The whole Cycling 1 cycle:
-Eagles of the North: The body isn't that great, but the etb is actually quite decent.
-Generous Ent: Solid stats.
-Lórien Revealed: Tapping 5 mana at sorcery speed is a lot, but I guess in the early game you will cycle it anyway and as a top deck it could be nice.
-Oliphaunt: Red and big creatures isn't really somthing that goes together well, but this is certainly quite decent.
-Troll of Khazad-dûm: I guess super Menace is a thing now. Not bad though, triple block or take 6.
I guess I will wait till the set is out and test these in draft, before I decide wether to add them to the cube. Having so many landcyclers almost makes me consider adding the dual lands from DOM or KLD, which would be tutorable, but I don't rly have slots for any more fixing.
After playing MoM limited for a while a card, which I overlooked during spoiler season, really catched my attention. Meeting of Minds feels really strong. It often allows you to simply curve out just normally and then in the endstep of your opponent simply draw 2 cards for 0-2 mana.
I don't like the transform cards, the potential for a huge tempo loss is too big, IMO.
Here is what catched my eye:
Alabaster Host Intercessor: This is really strong. I think I will wait to see how it performs in MOM Draft, before I decide on this. Too bad it doesn't work with flicker effects. The Fiend Slayer wording would have been great for this, but WOTC currently seems to be in a process of dumbing their cards down and prevent any alternative and creative lines of play.
Phyrexian Pegasus: At some point it get's hard to find a spot for these.
Zephyr Winder: Good thing this one isn't white, at some point I can't add anymore 2/1 fliers.
Personal Note: Corrupted Conviction: A functional reprint of Village Rites. I currently still support sacrifice in Black and this effect is really decent.
Here is a link to all the downshifts. These are the ones, that catched my eye:
-Deranged Whelp: The predecessor to Goblin Trailblazer, which I really like. Definitely cubeable.
-Morkrut Necropod: 6 mana is obviously alot and the downside seems kinda bad, but from experience I can tell, that this card is way better than it looks. If you are willing to pay 6 mana a 7/7 Menace is certainly massive. The Menace usually counter balances the sacrifice effect as your opponent can't really take a lot of hits from this and is forced to double or even triple block this quite often, which is of course devastating, because even if you manage to assemble 7 power of blockers any removal (which I heard black has quite a few) will be an absolute blowout. If you are looking for a 6 drop in black, this one I can definitely recommend and cubeable.
Honorable mentions:
-Gisa's Bidding: A decent madness card.
-Ravenous Bloodseeker: A very nice free discard outlet in red. Very good for enabling Madness.
-Imprisoned in the Moon: Downshifted from rare. The type of removal is quite decent, but experience has shown that 3 mana is a lot and also you don't want to ramp the opponent, otherwise Minimus Containment and Utopia Vow, would be more widely played.
The strictly better Pacifism/Arest is an obvious include.
I also really like the pig. Civic Wayfinder was always a decent card, but attached to a 3/3 body it's obviously much better. I also like that it mills 4, like Satyr Wayfinder, which makes it really unlikely to fizzle, unlike Blanchwood Prowler.
I'm not entirely convinced by the red 1 drop or the Angel. The fact, that the tokens can't block is a big dealbreaker.
Symbiotic Beast now at common.
What do you all think? For one mor mana than silverback shaman, you get 4 1/1s instead of a card.
Well it's 1 more mana, 1 less power and also no more trample. The death trigger is certainly powerful, but right now I don't think it's good enough, but I might be underrating it.
In addition maybe have a strong color identity, like Blue has Card draw and a few simple counterspells, Green has ramp, big creatures and combat tricks like Giant Growth, Red has some burn and low curve aggressive creatures, White with weenies and simple removal like Pacifism and Black maybe with a bit of a life loss / life gain theme and simple removal like Murder. Depending on the power level you are aiming for, if you want to run Wind Drake/Divination/Shock or rather Mistral Charger/Lightning Bolt.
Tragic Slip > Mordor Muster
Evincar's Justice > Troll of Khazad-dûm
Sanitarium Skeleton > Mirkwood Bats
Firebrand Archer > Oliphaunt
Hissing Iguanar > Rally at the Hornburg
Kor Chant > Eagles of the North
Hieroglyphic Illumination > Bewitching Leechcraft
Terrain Elemental > Generous Ent
1 card, that I definitely missed though was Bewitching Leechcraft as basically a 2 mana Claustrophobia. At least in my cube there are only 3 cards, which are able to just put a +1/+1 counter on any creature.
I think with my token theme I'm also willing to give Mirkwood Bats a try, as it is potentially really powerful, triggering both when entering and sacrificing the tokens.
-Rally at the Hornburg: The best red Token generator at cmc 2 so far. This card is certainly best friends with Burning-Tree Emissary.
The whole Cycling 1 cycle:
-Eagles of the North: The body isn't that great, but the etb is actually quite decent.
-Generous Ent: Solid stats.
-Lórien Revealed: Tapping 5 mana at sorcery speed is a lot, but I guess in the early game you will cycle it anyway and as a top deck it could be nice.
-Oliphaunt: Red and big creatures isn't really somthing that goes together well, but this is certainly quite decent.
-Troll of Khazad-dûm: I guess super Menace is a thing now. Not bad though, triple block or take 6.
I guess I will wait till the set is out and test these in draft, before I decide wether to add them to the cube. Having so many landcyclers almost makes me consider adding the dual lands from DOM or KLD, which would be tutorable, but I don't rly have slots for any more fixing.
I'm mostly interested in Mordor Muster
It's a sorcery version of Dusk Legion Zealot.
The Rider seems kinda week, especially when Cathar Commando exists.
The Ent seems like a fine card.
Pacifism > Realmbreaker's Grasp
Icatian Crier > Phyrexian Pegasus
Deftblade Elite > Alabaster Host Intercessor
Aether Adept > Preening Champion
Repeal > Zephyr Winder
Okiba Reckoner Raid > Corrupted Conviction
Here is what catched my eye:
Alabaster Host Intercessor: This is really strong. I think I will wait to see how it performs in MOM Draft, before I decide on this. Too bad it doesn't work with flicker effects. The Fiend Slayer wording would have been great for this, but WOTC currently seems to be in a process of dumbing their cards down and prevent any alternative and creative lines of play.
Phyrexian Pegasus: At some point it get's hard to find a spot for these.
Preening Champion: So far I always really liked the 2/2 fliers with a "free" Token, like Aven Eternal or Eldrazi Skyspawner. I think I might also find a spot for this one.
Realmbreaker's Grasp: Bye Bye Pacifism.
Timberland Ancient: This is also quite decent.
Zephyr Winder: Good thing this one isn't white, at some point I can't add anymore 2/1 fliers.
Personal Note:
Corrupted Conviction: A functional reprint of Village Rites. I currently still support sacrifice in Black and this effect is really decent.
-Deranged Whelp: The predecessor to Goblin Trailblazer, which I really like. Definitely cubeable.
-Morkrut Necropod: 6 mana is obviously alot and the downside seems kinda bad, but from experience I can tell, that this card is way better than it looks. If you are willing to pay 6 mana a 7/7 Menace is certainly massive. The Menace usually counter balances the sacrifice effect as your opponent can't really take a lot of hits from this and is forced to double or even triple block this quite often, which is of course devastating, because even if you manage to assemble 7 power of blockers any removal (which I heard black has quite a few) will be an absolute blowout. If you are looking for a 6 drop in black, this one I can definitely recommend and cubeable.
Honorable mentions:
-Gisa's Bidding: A decent madness card.
-Ravenous Bloodseeker: A very nice free discard outlet in red. Very good for enabling Madness.
-Imprisoned in the Moon: Downshifted from rare. The type of removal is quite decent, but experience has shown that 3 mana is a lot and also you don't want to ramp the opponent, otherwise Minimus Containment and Utopia Vow, would be more widely played.
I also support go wide, still not sure if the Angel makes it. Most swarm decks tend to be not that interested in 5 drops, IMHO.
I also really like the pig. Civic Wayfinder was always a decent card, but attached to a 3/3 body it's obviously much better. I also like that it mills 4, like Satyr Wayfinder, which makes it really unlikely to fizzle, unlike Blanchwood Prowler.
I'm not entirely convinced by the red 1 drop or the Angel. The fact, that the tokens can't block is a big dealbreaker.
Anoint with Affliction is a better common Smother as it exiles. Actually a very decent effect, IMHO.
3U
Instant
Choose one from the following:
- Target one spell. Counter it unless its controller pays 4.
- Draw 2 cards.
Apart from we mostly got some new art for older cards like Thermo-Alchemist or Chittering Rats.