ME4 is probably the best ME set they've made (ME1 was a huge mess, ME2 wasn't much better. 3 was decent.) But the mothership made some weird decisions (like never reprinting either the painlands or the depletion lands, even as uncommons to help with fixing - it's not like they are worth anything anymore anyway). So I'm seeing if I can make some improvements for NetDrafting or whatever.
Biggest problems I see:
(1) Too many walls. You need to be basically playing green to be able to punch through half the time.
(2) Too much artifact removal at common
(3) Players can draft perfectly playable decks without a single artifact, making a lot of removal completely dead.
(4) Too many absolutely useless cards that should've been released as online promos instead. I'm looking at you, leeches.
(5) Too many relative-quality artifacts not seeing print.
I don't have a massive amount of time on my hands at the moment, but:
This has been reprinted in Dissention and never sees play. If it really has to be online, make it a promo. Replace with Vengeance" target="blank">Vengeance (P2) <C>
I don’t like this card, but I guess wiz wanted this cycle of beta hosers to go in. And in an “Artifact” set it should have less of an impact… right? Maybe replace with Lifeblood. Which at least doesn’t demolish the red player completely. <R>
This and Harsh Justice are very coe. I’m not 100% sure why both of them are in the set together. This would be better in a set with more direct damage. Full cut. <X>
[card]Harsh Justice
[/card] It’s okay, I suppose. <R>
I added Vengeance (which, incidentally, kills anything Bestiary does, including Tims), so this card gets the boot. It's also horrible, and would fit better in ME3 where there's all sorts of enchantments and (at least there should be) stuff that cares about enchantments.
Why is this in the same set as Martyrs? Replace with Alabaster Dragon, because it makes no sense that if they are going to reprint bad dragons from portal they at least follow through with all of them.
Biggest problems I see:
(1) Too many walls. You need to be basically playing green to be able to punch through half the time.
(2) Too much artifact removal at common
(3) Players can draft perfectly playable decks without a single artifact, making a lot of removal completely dead.
(4) Too many absolutely useless cards that should've been released as online promos instead. I'm looking at you, leeches.
(5) Too many relative-quality artifacts not seeing print.
I don't have a massive amount of time on my hands at the moment, but:
Artifacts that should have been in ME4:
- Clockwork Beast
- Jade Statute
- Serrated Arrows
- Su-Chi
- Dancing Scimitar
- Aladdin's Ring
- Serpent Generator
- Marble Priest
- Phyrexian Devourer
- Phyrexian War Beast
- Soldevi Steam Beast
- Urza's Engine
- Mishra's War Machine
- Snow Fortress
- Walking Wall
- Pit Trap
- Clockwork Steed
- Zelyon Sword
- Spirit Sheild
- War Barge
- The Hive
That being said, this is what I'd do with white.Alaborn Musketeer
Decent spider. And there’s a lot of fliers in the set. <C>
Alaborn Trooper
Filler and boring. Replace with War Elephant (AN), which has synergy with Mammoth Graveyard and has banding. <C>
Argivian Blacksmith
Decent-ish in this set. <C>
Armageddon
Bomb <R>
Balance
Bomb <R>
Blaze of Glory
This has been reprinted in Dissention and never sees play. If it really has to be online, make it a promo. Replace with Vengeance" target="blank">Vengeance (P2) <C>
Champion Lancer
The lancer sucks. Full cut. <X>
Conversion
I don’t like this card, but I guess wiz wanted this cycle of beta hosers to go in. And in an “Artifact” set it should have less of an impact… right? Maybe replace with Lifeblood. Which at least doesn’t demolish the red player completely. <R>
Divine Offering
Bump to uncommon (switch with Vengeance). There’s too much easy artifact kill in this set.
[card]Dust to Dust
[/card] It’s a bomb if you’ve got two targets.
Eye for an Eye
This and Harsh Justice are very coe. I’m not 100% sure why both of them are in the set together. This would be better in a set with more direct damage. Full cut. <X>
[card]Harsh Justice
[/card] It’s okay, I suppose. <R>
Healing Salve
Sure. It's actually good in a set with no tricks. <C>
[card]Island Sanctuary
[/card] Bomb if you're some kind of skies. <R>
Just Fate
Sure. <C>
Kismet
Why is this rare? It was uncommon in every set, including Planar Chaos. Shift to uncommon.
Leeches
This is stupid. Make this a promo. Full cut. Replace with Archangel (P2) <R>
Martyr's Cry
Can you ever imagine somebody playing this, even in casual? Again, this sort of junk should be a promo. Full cut. <X>
Martyrs of Korlis
Very solid in this format.
Osai Vultures
Might as well put all birds in the same format as Soraya. As in, not this one. Replace with Alaborn Veteran
Personal Incarnation
Rediculous drawback with stuff like terror around, but it’s big. <R>
[card]Righteous Charge
[/card] Very good.
Savannah Lions
It's useless in this set. Too many defensive cards. Replace with Veteran Cavalier <C>
Serra Angel
A bomb, as always. But I'd move it to another ME because this is an "Artifact". Replace with Angel of Light.
Serra Aviary
Decent if you get a skies deck and the other player doesn’t.
Serra Bestiary
I added Vengeance (which, incidentally, kills anything Bestiary does, including Tims), so this card gets the boot. It's also horrible, and would fit better in ME3 where there's all sorts of enchantments and (at least there should be) stuff that cares about enchantments.
Spotted Griffin
Decent.
Steam Catapult
Decent
Swords to Plowshares
I’d bump to uncommon. It's just as busted in limited as constructed.
Temple Acolyte
Decent, but boring.
Veteran Bodyguard
Why is this in the same set as Martyrs? Replace with Alabaster Dragon, because it makes no sense that if they are going to reprint bad dragons from portal they at least follow through with all of them.
White Knight
Decent, even if black isn’t that good in this format
Wild Aesthir
Birds into different set. Replace with [card]Sustainer of the Realm.
[/card]
Wild Griffin
Decent