Kaya, Orzhov Usurper
Kaya, Orzhov Usurper
+1: Exile up to two target cards from a single graveyard. You gain 2 life if at least one creature was exiled this way.
-1: Exile target nonland permanent with converted mana cost 1 or less.
-5: Kaya, Orzhov Usurper deals damage to target player equal to the number of cards that player owns in exile and you gain that much life.
illus. Yongjae Choi # 186/259

Oracle Text
+1: Exile up to two target cards from a single graveyard. You gain 2 life if at least one creature was exiled this way.
-1: Exile target nonland permanent with converted mana cost 1 or less.
-5: Kaya, Orzhov Usurper deals damage to target player equal to the number of cards that player owns in exile and you gain that much life.
I'm a little puzzled why they made the second ability so restrictive. Are there good 1 drops that I'm missing?
Before reading the card:
Please be decent, please be decent or good...
I was so disappointed with Deathpact Angel, I barely played Orzhov in Ravnica...
...
Eh.
Wow.
I.
...a planeswalker that I'd drop in favor of Orzhov Locket in draft?!
But why..?
After thinking for another 5 minutes;
If we judge the card as a combo-piece, and as a 10 cost card -- where 7 of the mana is for counterspells and spells to keep her alive, in a deck completely riddled with exile-spells, it could be a win condition.
But you need to exile a lot of cards to with with her -5.
...
Bleh.
Disappointment.
Did they forget that Teferi also is 3 mana and draws a card with his plus 1, and then generates 2 mana and draws 1 each turn -- with an ultimate that pretty literally wins the game if you've stabilized?
...her +1 should always generate 2 life, and cost the opponent 2 life if you exile a creature.
*Sigh*
Outside of Standard, being able to exile Mox Opal, Champion of the Parish, Aether Vial, Flameblade Adept, Pithing Needle, Grafdigger's Cage, and Death's Shadow (amongst tokens and many other sneaky 1-drops) seems really pretty great.
I think this card looks bad on paper but might see some favor down the line. She's not Dack Fayden good, but she's like... better than Ajani Goldmane good, perhaps.