I've been playing with a similar list as the spoilers roll out, and I've found it beneficial to lean towards one god or the other. Trying to roll with both Ash Zealot and Precinct Captain in the 2-drop slot is ill-advised, especially with the checklands rotating.
I'm not saying to make the deck mono-colored, but the mana and devotion consistency is going to be low if you stretch yourself between two gods. Looks nice so far otherwise.
One more card suggestion if you move in more on white, Brave the Elements makes a mighty good addition against removal and clogged boards.
Depends what you open, My strategy is to just separate all of your colors and then evaluate each color in its own vacuum. Pick the 2 colors that are the best then work out your curve.
In a Draft I would say its, Slivers and White/Black fliers.
Yeah I acknowledged that it's entirely up to chance what you end up with, I was inquiring as to what people thought would be the most powerful archtype with the right pulls. Also, what makes you say white/black fliers over one with blue? Blue has sweet flying support this set.
someone's going to open the sliver nuts(lots of slivers AND rare slivers) and just crush everyone. That's the nuts deck for this prerelease. toss in a door of destinies just for lolz as well.
I've been doing the draft simulator and from the times I've managed to force slivers I have to agree. They're just so innately synergistic that a pool with a critical mass of them would basically build itself. Turn one Striking, turn two Manaweft, turn 3 Blur, tap them for up to 3 mana of any color? Maybe next turn Megantic Sliver? Sounds magical to me.
An experienced sealed deck builder obviously works with what his pool provides, going with the grain of the cards he opens. It's hard to go into a prerelease (barring the RTR block ones) with a firm idea of what color/strategy you're going to play; we are for the most part at the mercy of the chaotic tides of cardboard and ink.
With all of that aside, however, what archtype do you think will be dominant at this weekend's M14 prerelease? Do you think the perfect Sliver pool will out-synergy all? Or will the ideal blue-based flying deck win out with evasion and tempo? Basically, if you were to open a glorious series packs for a certain archtype, what kind of deck would you want available to you? I personally see some fun shenanigans waiting around the corner with G/U - big creatures and Zephyr Charge and Plummet seems like the lulz. But if I were to open perfectly I'd want to open some dank mono-white lifegain creatures, topped off with an Archangel of Thune or four.
What deck do you think is going to walk away with the big prize tomorrow?
The printing of Artificer's Hex lends more speculative evidence towards the printing of powerful equipment in the near future. While it could just be a filler/a card for eternal formats, it's reasonable to believe that there might be some pushed equipment in standard while M14 is in rotation.
If I were playing at FNM and I opened a foil Mutavault I would slam it harder than just about anything on this planet (Katy Perry excluded). The purpose of these threads, however, is to pretty much pretend you're at the Grand Prix. You're choosing a card based on its ability to win you games of Magic, not on how much your collection needs it or what price it fetches on the cardboard market.
"A land that's also a blocker" is a pretty poor reason to first pick a card. So your land can indefinitely stave off a one-powered creature, or trade with a creature with 2 toughness, or chump a fatty. Mutavault is certainly killer in Constructed formats, when the pool of cards you have is restricted only by what's legal in the format; in a draft, it becomes fairly subpar. Early on it's a colorless land drop that can probably trade with your opponent's early creatures, but how often are you going to want to trade your turn's land drop for an opposing bear? Unless Crucible of Worlds makes it into M14 (and your deck), probably never. Later on, it's a colorless land that can become a 2/2 with no inherent evasion or upside. I'll concede it's awesome with Slivers, but trying to force Slivers off a P1P1 'Vault seems ill-advised.
There's the argument that it leaves you open to any color in pack two, but this isn't RTR block draft - try manning up and choosing a color. Maybe Banisher Priest isn't the only first pick, but if you're trying to win games of limited Mutavault certainly isn't the pick. The majority of voters are speaking either through their billfolds or their inexperience.
Soo Banisher Priest? A decent body that serves as removal, albeit temporary removal. Strong white commitment required but it seems miles better than the other stuff in the pack in limited.
I do love my white weenies, so this card piqued my interest immediately. I'm tentative about 2/2s for 3, especially when aggression is key, but the abilities on this card are pretty strong. First Strike seems kind of lame when your 2 powered guy is coming down turn 3 (ideally), but combined with lifelink and protection from most removal this card is definitely powerful. I don't think it can oust Boros Reckoner or Frontline Medic from my current standard list's 3-drop slot, however. A shame, I would have enjoyed this card as a 3/1 more.
Edit:
I just realized this card is pretty sweet with the new Mythic angel. First strike and Lifelink gives all your creatures a +1/+1 counter before the regular damage step. Thought it was worthy of noting.
With Darksteel Forge tentatively revealed for M14, the prospect of important upcoming artifacts seems logical. Sure, Wizards could just be putting the card in there because it has a reasonably high price and they're trying to add more value to m14 packs, but I like to believe that they have a little more tact than that. As I'm sure anyone who is browsing this part of the internet knows, the next block is the much anticipated Theros block, a set of cards that we actually know very little about. With the Darksteel Forge reprint, though, it's hinted that artifacts may play a role in this mythologically inspired plane.
Its already been speculated that the change in the legend rule may herald Theros as a legendary heavy block, and this coupled with a possible artifact subtheme got me to wondering what could be waiting for us in October. My ponderings brought me to the conclusion elucidated in the title - legendary artifacts may be making a return.
Think about the context of Greek and Roman mythology. There's a plethora of items and weapons that were pivotal to the stories: Medusa's head, Hermes' winged boots, the aegis of Zeus, Hades' Helm of Darkness. All of these were powerful in of their own right, and played roles in how the myths unfolded. I don't think there will be things plucked directly from the stories and placed onto cards, but I think it's reasonable to speculate that there will be cards inspired by these items of power. A gorgon's head, a power-imbued greatsword, an all-protecting shield - all of these are things that could easily transfer to some cutting edge cardboard. Given that a lot of these items would be unique, imbuing them with the legendary supertype would be a way to make the cards flavorful and leave some room for more power. It know it has only been a year since the Scars swords rotated, but a few pieces of powerful equipment could definitely be on the horizon. I'm hopeful, especially because Civic Saber was pretty much the best equipment printed in the RTR block.
Why would you rather have one high impact 6 mana creature as opposed to 2-3 high impact creatures that cost less than 6, and still have a board presence that can draw you another 2-3 high impact creatures next turn and likely gain you some life in the process? That argument just doesn't make sense.
If I'm paying 6 mana for a card in a fast format I want it to immediately impact the board or near ensure my victory - a la Aurelia the Warleader or Aetherling. This new Garruk does neither. Sure, if you're locked in a grindy matchup and drop this badboy, that card advantage will pull some major weight. In a world ruled by power 2-drops (Burning-Tree Emissary and Voice of Resurgence chief among them), however, I don't see this card doing enough to see consistent play. He kind of reminds me of Prime Speaker Zegana, albeit a repeatable one. I admit the connection between the two is tenuous, but it seems like depending on the situation both can either be the worst or best card in your deck.
If you're deck is full of Huntmaster's, Thragtusks, Boros Reckoners, other assorted great creatures that cost less than 6 mana why are you probably dead because you got to 6 mana? Are you assuming that you are just playing this card on turn 6 having played no other spells the entire game? And why is drawing a Wrath or counterspell better than drawing 2-3 creatures (again assuming the deck being played is running high impact creatures).
If I was playing such a deck and desired to play something in the 6-slot, I'd rather just have another high-impact creature. I don't see him worth playing solely as a card-advantage engine, nor is his ability to circumvent tapping mana to play a creature that impressive. You're entitled to your opinion and I mine, and in my eyes this card is trash, at least competitively speaking. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised or offended if time proves me wrong, though. That's not to say he's not fun - I just can't envision him having a place in a tournament winning deck anytime soon.
Isn't a 6 mana Revelation "only" card advantage? You say conditional, but you'd have to be pretty unlucky to hit less than 2 creatures in the decks he sees play in. And now you have a PW still on the table to gain you 5 life (i.e. more life than your Rev. for 6 got you), or provide additional advantage next turn. And this is all assuming you had an empty board when you played him (i.e. the worst possible situation).
Sphinx's Revelation fits in a control shell and draws you answers while gaining you life. You can draw wraths, counterspells, win conditions, etc. Sphinx's Revelation is a good card, and it's not even seeing much play in Standard right now - the format is much too fast. If you're trying to cast a 6-mana green walker who can only draw you creatures, you're probably dead. I don't claim this to be the absolute truth, and this card's worth will be heavily determined by the upcoming metagame. That's just how it seems to me.
A 6-mana 'walker that can't protect himself without dropping to 1 loyalty - and that's assuming you have a worthwhile green creature in your hand. I'd have much rather just seen a Primal Hunter reprint, but maybe that's just me. I don't think he will make a relevant splash in any format besides kitchen tables. Conditional card advantage, even when repeatable, is not worth 6 mana when there's much better things to be played at and before that margin. A disappointing planeswalker for the 20th anniversary.
Consider this: we know all five of the Lorwyn planeswalkers are returning in this summer's Core Set. We know at least Chandra is going to be a completely new card. A piece of art adorning an M14 booster pack (found here: http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/daily/arcana/arc1247_booster3.jpg) hints that Garruk may be getting a fresh iteration of his own.
Ajani, Jace, and Liliana all have three mana versions: Ajani, CAller of the Pride, Jace Beleren, and Liliana of the Veil respectively. The only two Lorwyn planeswalkers without their own 3-mana cards are Chandra and Garruk - the same two that are likely to receive new cards in M14.
So, what if all the Lorwyn 3-mana walkers are reprinted and Garruk and Chandra have their own 3-mana iterations introduced? The new ones would follow the cycle of 1+GG/RR. I've considered that a slew of 3-mana planeswalkers might negatively impact standard, but the fact that two are already in Standard coupled with semi-restrictive mana costs might be enough to erase that worry. Any thoughts on this?
If you wanted to lean towards R and Purphuros, you could cut Elspeth, Heliod, Precinct Captain, etc. for cards like Young Pyromancer and Chandra, Pyromaster. For W you could forgo a lot of the red and move in on things like Fiendslayer Paladin, Gideon, Champion of Justice, Banisher Priest, and other strong permanents.
I'm not saying to make the deck mono-colored, but the mana and devotion consistency is going to be low if you stretch yourself between two gods. Looks nice so far otherwise.
One more card suggestion if you move in more on white, Brave the Elements makes a mighty good addition against removal and clogged boards.
Yeah I acknowledged that it's entirely up to chance what you end up with, I was inquiring as to what people thought would be the most powerful archtype with the right pulls. Also, what makes you say white/black fliers over one with blue? Blue has sweet flying support this set.
I've been doing the draft simulator and from the times I've managed to force slivers I have to agree. They're just so innately synergistic that a pool with a critical mass of them would basically build itself. Turn one Striking, turn two Manaweft, turn 3 Blur, tap them for up to 3 mana of any color? Maybe next turn Megantic Sliver? Sounds magical to me.
With all of that aside, however, what archtype do you think will be dominant at this weekend's M14 prerelease? Do you think the perfect Sliver pool will out-synergy all? Or will the ideal blue-based flying deck win out with evasion and tempo? Basically, if you were to open a glorious series packs for a certain archtype, what kind of deck would you want available to you? I personally see some fun shenanigans waiting around the corner with G/U - big creatures and Zephyr Charge and Plummet seems like the lulz. But if I were to open perfectly I'd want to open some dank mono-white lifegain creatures, topped off with an Archangel of Thune or four.
What deck do you think is going to walk away with the big prize tomorrow?
"A land that's also a blocker" is a pretty poor reason to first pick a card. So your land can indefinitely stave off a one-powered creature, or trade with a creature with 2 toughness, or chump a fatty. Mutavault is certainly killer in Constructed formats, when the pool of cards you have is restricted only by what's legal in the format; in a draft, it becomes fairly subpar. Early on it's a colorless land drop that can probably trade with your opponent's early creatures, but how often are you going to want to trade your turn's land drop for an opposing bear? Unless Crucible of Worlds makes it into M14 (and your deck), probably never. Later on, it's a colorless land that can become a 2/2 with no inherent evasion or upside. I'll concede it's awesome with Slivers, but trying to force Slivers off a P1P1 'Vault seems ill-advised.
There's the argument that it leaves you open to any color in pack two, but this isn't RTR block draft - try manning up and choosing a color. Maybe Banisher Priest isn't the only first pick, but if you're trying to win games of limited Mutavault certainly isn't the pick. The majority of voters are speaking either through their billfolds or their inexperience.
Edit:
I just realized this card is pretty sweet with the new Mythic angel. First strike and Lifelink gives all your creatures a +1/+1 counter before the regular damage step. Thought it was worthy of noting.
Its already been speculated that the change in the legend rule may herald Theros as a legendary heavy block, and this coupled with a possible artifact subtheme got me to wondering what could be waiting for us in October. My ponderings brought me to the conclusion elucidated in the title - legendary artifacts may be making a return.
Think about the context of Greek and Roman mythology. There's a plethora of items and weapons that were pivotal to the stories: Medusa's head, Hermes' winged boots, the aegis of Zeus, Hades' Helm of Darkness. All of these were powerful in of their own right, and played roles in how the myths unfolded. I don't think there will be things plucked directly from the stories and placed onto cards, but I think it's reasonable to speculate that there will be cards inspired by these items of power. A gorgon's head, a power-imbued greatsword, an all-protecting shield - all of these are things that could easily transfer to some cutting edge cardboard. Given that a lot of these items would be unique, imbuing them with the legendary supertype would be a way to make the cards flavorful and leave some room for more power. It know it has only been a year since the Scars swords rotated, but a few pieces of powerful equipment could definitely be on the horizon. I'm hopeful, especially because Civic Saber was pretty much the best equipment printed in the RTR block.
If I'm paying 6 mana for a card in a fast format I want it to immediately impact the board or near ensure my victory - a la Aurelia the Warleader or Aetherling. This new Garruk does neither. Sure, if you're locked in a grindy matchup and drop this badboy, that card advantage will pull some major weight. In a world ruled by power 2-drops (Burning-Tree Emissary and Voice of Resurgence chief among them), however, I don't see this card doing enough to see consistent play. He kind of reminds me of Prime Speaker Zegana, albeit a repeatable one. I admit the connection between the two is tenuous, but it seems like depending on the situation both can either be the worst or best card in your deck.
If I was playing such a deck and desired to play something in the 6-slot, I'd rather just have another high-impact creature. I don't see him worth playing solely as a card-advantage engine, nor is his ability to circumvent tapping mana to play a creature that impressive. You're entitled to your opinion and I mine, and in my eyes this card is trash, at least competitively speaking. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised or offended if time proves me wrong, though. That's not to say he's not fun - I just can't envision him having a place in a tournament winning deck anytime soon.
Sphinx's Revelation fits in a control shell and draws you answers while gaining you life. You can draw wraths, counterspells, win conditions, etc. Sphinx's Revelation is a good card, and it's not even seeing much play in Standard right now - the format is much too fast. If you're trying to cast a 6-mana green walker who can only draw you creatures, you're probably dead. I don't claim this to be the absolute truth, and this card's worth will be heavily determined by the upcoming metagame. That's just how it seems to me.
Ajani, Jace, and Liliana all have three mana versions: Ajani, CAller of the Pride, Jace Beleren, and Liliana of the Veil respectively. The only two Lorwyn planeswalkers without their own 3-mana cards are Chandra and Garruk - the same two that are likely to receive new cards in M14.
So, what if all the Lorwyn 3-mana walkers are reprinted and Garruk and Chandra have their own 3-mana iterations introduced? The new ones would follow the cycle of 1+GG/RR. I've considered that a slew of 3-mana planeswalkers might negatively impact standard, but the fact that two are already in Standard coupled with semi-restrictive mana costs might be enough to erase that worry. Any thoughts on this?