I look at every single one of the new dragons and keep thinking to myself "If only"
If only Ojutai had 5 toughness and could block the most ubiquitous card in Standard right now.
If only Atarka cost one less and was a little smaller.
If only Silumgar had kept hexproof, or didn't say 'till he dies'. I mean he is a Mythic now, but he cost the same as before and they made his body worse for Christ's sake. Bonus points though if you can feign helpless and manage to steal an ult-ready planeswalker.
If only Khologan actually protected himself from duplicated removal spells, or if he also looked at cards in exile...hello delve block. I think he is worse than Butcher of the Horde, and that is barely good enough to see a little bit of standard play.
If only Dromoka had another ability instead of lifelink that actually interacted with control decks. Bad Sigarda is a good assessment imo
Look at the top 8 lists. You can literally win with a $20 deck full of red 1 drops, or a deck that curvea into 2 e and 4 drops....all the way up to win conditions that cost 8 mana. Thats pretty amazing.
Theres multiple aggro decks, multiple combo options, multi control options, reanimator, multiple mid range decks, even manifest has top 8ed now. you could even play Phenax and stand a chance of winning. Thats cra cra!
If he was a 3/6 or a 4/5 for 5 I think he might actually be good. 3/7 for 6 is too slow. If he was not legendary I also think he would be decent, because cloning him would be really good. I feel like he was probably better in development and someone got scared and nerfed him....probably because he is part blue.
But this guy seems very very good. It's like a Hellrider 'rode' a Blood Artist and this was their baby.
My personal rankings of the single colored mythic creatures are about like this, from best to worst. White(the bonkers 2 drop), Red and Black roughly tied, White(3 drop)and Green elemental, Blue(actually both the blue mythics are bad).
By best, I mean what I think will see the most frequent use in Standard. I think the elemental will be overhyped unless a reliable combo emerges, in which case it will be a sleeper mythic. I feel like after Dig and Treasure Cruise they decided to HATE on blue for a set.
I really love the design on this card. Also it is a phoenix which is my favorite card type in Magic.
I find it very significant that the trigger happens at the beginning of combat. Because that means u can cast a dude with 4 power and even if it can't attack you can still go to combat and pay 1 R per phoenix and swing with them.
Unless they print a lot of cheap aggressive dragons for kologhan, or something that combo's with the elemental I don't think either of these cards will be great in standard. For the same reason Kalonian hydra was an amazing card that was utterly crappy in standard....IE it does not have haste and it dies to all the most common removal spells in the format. Hydra died to mizzium mortars, dreadbore, and selesnya charm. This guy dies to downfall, any of the white exile enchantments, and Stoke.
Same reason I am sad about the stats on the blue mythic creature being printed in the same block as Dumbledore. It is just worse than Dumbledore....ESPECIALLY in a block where manifest is a thing.
Now if they reprint Forbidden Alchemy in this block then we can talk! But we know that won't happen.
I'm not even sure this or the blue elemental they just spoiled deserve to be mythics...Their abilities are unique to be sure, however they are not really very strong.
Boiled down, the green guy is basically a more vulnerable Garruk, and the Blue elemental is basically a Bad version of Dumbledore with mistmoon griffon's(read a bad card's) ability tagged on. I think hexproof +Scry 3 is better than 'your creatures are unblockable'. Especially in a set where manifest shenanigans are a thing and knowing what is on top can be VERY valuable.
If some really good enablers get spoiled these cards could both be decent, but as of right now I don't see it. Both of the white mythics and the new Hero of Oxid Ridge just seem so much stronger. But I guess comparatively, the OTHER blue mythic makes the elementals look great, lol. They were clearly really scared to make a playable Time Warp effect...Dig through time is already a cheaper more splashable version of this at INSTANT speed that gives you TWO cards.
So it's probably bad against control. It's not resilient against Verdict.
a Blue/green ramp deck could possibly quickly turn a couple mana dorks +/- a thaumaturge into a 2 or 3 turn clock by turn 3-4. But that probably gets blown up by all the main players right now. Black discard, verdict, elspeth, burn on ur weenies in response etc.
Could be really strong in EDH with doubling season effects.
The Card that combos with thaumaturge is Curse of the swine against aggressive decks. If you are playing heroic your game plan is mid-rangey anyways. You aren't out racing monsters or desecration demons.
Turn and flames of the firebrand can be pretty darned efficient at 3 mana also. neither of which is really played right now though.
If only Ojutai had 5 toughness and could block the most ubiquitous card in Standard right now.
If only Atarka cost one less and was a little smaller.
If only Silumgar had kept hexproof, or didn't say 'till he dies'. I mean he is a Mythic now, but he cost the same as before and they made his body worse for Christ's sake. Bonus points though if you can feign helpless and manage to steal an ult-ready planeswalker.
If only Khologan actually protected himself from duplicated removal spells, or if he also looked at cards in exile...hello delve block. I think he is worse than Butcher of the Horde, and that is barely good enough to see a little bit of standard play.
If only Dromoka had another ability instead of lifelink that actually interacted with control decks. Bad Sigarda is a good assessment imo
Format is awesome if you can run anything from all 1 drops up to 8 drops and you have a chance.
Seriously chromanticore is seeing actual play. I saw that coming as soon as i saw soulflayer spoiled, but its actually been in a top 8 now. Cra cra!
Look at the top 8 lists. You can literally win with a $20 deck full of red 1 drops, or a deck that curvea into 2 e and 4 drops....all the way up to win conditions that cost 8 mana. Thats pretty amazing.
Theres multiple aggro decks, multiple combo options, multi control options, reanimator, multiple mid range decks, even manifest has top 8ed now. you could even play Phenax and stand a chance of winning. Thats cra cra!
But this guy seems very very good. It's like a Hellrider 'rode' a Blood Artist and this was their baby.
My personal rankings of the single colored mythic creatures are about like this, from best to worst. White(the bonkers 2 drop), Red and Black roughly tied, White(3 drop)and Green elemental, Blue(actually both the blue mythics are bad).
By best, I mean what I think will see the most frequent use in Standard. I think the elemental will be overhyped unless a reliable combo emerges, in which case it will be a sleeper mythic. I feel like after Dig and Treasure Cruise they decided to HATE on blue for a set.
I find it very significant that the trigger happens at the beginning of combat. Because that means u can cast a dude with 4 power and even if it can't attack you can still go to combat and pay 1 R per phoenix and swing with them.
At the very least, I think it and rabblemaster curve quite nicely into Shaman of the Great Hunt Which looks to me like an upgraded Hero of Oxid Ridgeto me.
Same reason I am sad about the stats on the blue mythic creature being printed in the same block as Dumbledore. It is just worse than Dumbledore....ESPECIALLY in a block where manifest is a thing.
Now if they reprint Forbidden Alchemy in this block then we can talk! But we know that won't happen.
Boiled down, the green guy is basically a more vulnerable Garruk, and the Blue elemental is basically a Bad version of Dumbledore with mistmoon griffon's(read a bad card's) ability tagged on. I think hexproof +Scry 3 is better than 'your creatures are unblockable'. Especially in a set where manifest shenanigans are a thing and knowing what is on top can be VERY valuable.
If some really good enablers get spoiled these cards could both be decent, but as of right now I don't see it. Both of the white mythics and the new Hero of Oxid Ridge just seem so much stronger. But I guess comparatively, the OTHER blue mythic makes the elementals look great, lol. They were clearly really scared to make a playable Time Warp effect...Dig through time is already a cheaper more splashable version of this at INSTANT speed that gives you TWO cards.
I guess it might be ok in a mimeoplasm deck where u can mill urself and still pay UUU.
Treasure cruise and Dig are splashable and legacy playable....this is not even EDH playable.
Yes please.
Finally a reason for me to play standard again!
Temur morph is almost there as it is.
a Blue/green ramp deck could possibly quickly turn a couple mana dorks +/- a thaumaturge into a 2 or 3 turn clock by turn 3-4. But that probably gets blown up by all the main players right now. Black discard, verdict, elspeth, burn on ur weenies in response etc.
Could be really strong in EDH with doubling season effects.
The Card that combos with thaumaturge is Curse of the swine against aggressive decks. If you are playing heroic your game plan is mid-rangey anyways. You aren't out racing monsters or desecration demons.
Turn and flames of the firebrand can be pretty darned efficient at 3 mana also. neither of which is really played right now though.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=I4MWvHToUi0S-M&tbnid=Gcg4aUWHeM4d6M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://everquest.allakhazam.com/Im/image/16687&ei=08ZoU6YXzfagBKLSgYAG&bvm=bv.66111022,d.cGU&psig=AFQjCNENqL-Xo-TdNpzvBdSXOebJn544Qg&ust=1399461963254687