I'm middle on this card... it's an graveyard hate bear with more stuff is always good. Though on curve, don't you want spend you mana playing bigger and stronger spells/creatures? Does this fare well against opposing decks casting bigger spells when you have to pump mana into it? in the late game, does this takeover the board? I don't believe that's true in my cube at least - maybe my bias on immediate value...
Love that it's noncreature and also makes artifact tokens! being a soldier is great too, tho I believe soldier support tends to be a white thing, which makes the UB cost awkward. Def an include for me somewhere.
To be fair, this card came out 14 years ago, almost half of MTG's lifespan
If your cube can abuse the ETB from Graveyard, this gets a lot more interesting of an inclusion because it's an artifact/2power. We do have an example of Ox of Agonas which has the same draw functionality, but I don't think anyone actually cubes. Not an auto-include - really depends on how your cube is setup.
Seems like a natural upgrade to any meh creature removal like Journey to Nowhere or the like. It's arguably better than Winds of Abandon and the like, your cube or preferences to the downsides.
I like the set's ethos and lore. Glad the changes are small. Easier on the wallet.
Lion Sash -> I think I have a glut of 1 drops, so possible drop one of them or Selfless Spirit
Blade of the Oni -> Probably drop Relentless Dead
The Wandering Emperor - > prob an o-ring variant, prob cast out over the 3cmc ones.
For an Aggro deck, the play pattern is like this
Turn 1: 2/1
Turn 2: Blade of the Oni 3/1
Turn 3: Dark Ritual Equip 2/1, swing for 5 and utility spell - play a 3 drop or w creatures and a utility spells
Turn 4: Equip 2/1 and have a 5/5 menace and 2/x or 3/x swinging.
2BB is pretty expensive for an equip, but it provides the option to upgrade useless creatures and tokens later in the game, so aggro and reach in one card.
Worth trying out, depending on the make-up of your cube I think.
The potential for fun combos and blinking value seems worth trying out. 2B and instant speed means this card should be playable and live frequently. I agree, this will almost never be played on an opponents creatures.
I had to read the last line of rules text a couple times. This card doesn't cleanly recur from the graveyard as it does require another creature to have died that turn. For this to work in control, it will require additional mana to kill something, have a chump blocker?, or a sac thing going on. 5/2 flying is a big beater, but it does require some work to use.
I love manlands, but I struggle with this one in particular due to the 3R activation cost. That effectively mean this is a turn 5 or later usage. Does this provide enough reach for using that much mana? I'm leaning towards no... In comparison, Mutavault / Mishra's factory cost 1, which is so much less than 5.
A decent sized update for my powered cube. It's funny, since the pandemic, I haven't actually played my cube in over a year. All these changes are theoretical in my head swaps. My goal is to reduce seeing the same cards perpetually never making the maindeck.
Definitely can replace Sheoldred for this card guy. While Sheoldred can sometimes be hardcast, the effects here are immediate, which makes it so much better.
Interesting, I assumed this was a spot removal spell first and a wrath as a bonus. Mentally, I was going to finally replace one of the spot removal spells like doom blade. The card doesn't take an Orzhov slot since, to me, it's too generic.
To be fair, this card came out 14 years ago, almost half of MTG's lifespan
If your cube can abuse the ETB from Graveyard, this gets a lot more interesting of an inclusion because it's an artifact/2power. We do have an example of Ox of Agonas which has the same draw functionality, but I don't think anyone actually cubes. Not an auto-include - really depends on how your cube is setup.
Edit:
Adding in White Plume Adventurer. After reading what initiative is, it def seems worthwhile.
Lion Sash -> I think I have a glut of 1 drops, so possible drop one of them or Selfless Spirit
Blade of the Oni -> Probably drop Relentless Dead
The Wandering Emperor - > prob an o-ring variant, prob cast out over the 3cmc ones.
Turn 1: 2/1
Turn 2: Blade of the Oni 3/1
Turn 3: Dark Ritual Equip 2/1, swing for 5 and utility spell
Turn 4: Equip 2/1 and have a 5/5 menace and 2/x or 3/x swinging.
2BB is pretty expensive for an equip, but it provides the option to upgrade useless creatures and tokens later in the game, so aggro and reach in one card.
Worth trying out, depending on the make-up of your cube I think.
Urza's Saga - Gemstone Mine
Ignoble Hierarch - Arbor Elf
Grief - Abyssal Persecutor
Flametongue Yearling - Torch Fiend
Grist, the Hunger Tide - Loleth Troll
Ragavan - Falkenrath Gorger
Damn - Snuff Out
Dauthi Voidwalker - Flesh Carver
Archon of Cruelty - Sheoldred
Fury - Sin Prodder?
Portal Hole? - Faith's Fetters