Skinrender was played and the strangler isn't too far off of that card and costs B less. I can imagine it seeing play in several formats.
I don't really remember Skinrender seeing much play but I thought that was weird considering it's a decent body and remove for 4 mana. That being said I think Wasteland Strangler is a step up and should see play if you can consistently exile a card by turn 3.
These new retreats make me sad when compared to like white. Like how does white give all your creatures +1/+1 but red only give 1 +2/0? And blue... while repeated scry is nice it feels somwhat anti-synergistic with itself since by the time you get it going you most likely will be scrying most lands to the bottom
I'd hold back calling the Red one worse than White in a normal sense. White is very strong in its deck, but the Red one is just as strong in a R(/G)DW shell. Dropping this on turn 4 then dropping a land provides a lot of opportunities. EX: Monastery Swift Spear/Abbot of the Keral Keep activate Prowess, then you can make the opponent not block with their biggest creature forcing trades or even worse just getting damage through. If it is a control deck, that is even worse cause then you get extra damage. Another use that +2/+0 can provide is making a creature big enough that Flamewake Phoenix can come back from the grave for 1 Red. Hell that is even possible on the turn 4 I mentioned.
Sure it has it's uses and sure in specific situations it might do better but I meant in terms of overall power level. Generally speaking in previous cards something like +1/+1 for all creatures and +2/+0 for all creatures cost about the same at 3 (occasionally the white will cost 2). +2/+0 for 1 creature is generally a 1 mana ability that usually has an upside like first strike or trample or haste or another +1/+0. tl;dr I think it would have been perfectly fine for the +2/0 to be for all creatures or have something a extra added on if only for 1 creature. No ability too crazy but maybe like haste
Honestly I really like these retreats. They'll make limited really fun and interesting + I'm actually rather intrigued by the idea of comboing Knight of the Reliquary with the Retreat to Coralhelm. If not then at least someone (ie. me) will get to play with a fun janky deck built around it. Looks fun and is about what I'd expect from an uncommon cycle.
People are honestly underestimating this Wasteland Strangler. It's a body + efficient removal. It's good.
I really want Ugin's insight. I don't have a deck for it but I want it anyway. Maybe it'll see play in standard too (not in control decks though, more like Temur or U/G ramp if that's a thing)
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Casual Decks WRBoros Aggro (Glorious knights of badassery) RBRakdos Bloodthirst (Undercosted waves of fat s***) URIzzet Talrand/Pyromancer (b/c I hate you) GRGruul Ramp and Stomp (SO FAT. SO FAST. RAWRRR) GBGolgari Birthing Pod (b/c you wanted a challenge. I did warn you this BS is banned though) BWOrzhov Lifegain Aggro (Removal for dayzzz) WGSelesnya Tribal Golem-splicers/token (meh. Needs more upgrades. Perhaps switching to bant?) WUAzorius Flicker (b/c I wanna annoy the f*** outta you) GUSimic Evolve Aggro (Aggro takes a journey to the weird side of the color pie) BUDimir Control (b/c I wanna peel your skin off and flay you within an inch of life before I kill you) URWJeskai Ascendency Tokens (MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA) RWBMardu Warriors (Butcher is da bomb) GU Simic Morph (slow as s*** but oh so fun) WBGAbzan Dredge-animator (PURE EVIL) GWHexproof Aggro (Deal with it. Lemme guess, you cant?)
EDH Decks UBRNekusar (Multiplayer MONSTA. 1v1 Klutz) GRB Prossh (Set up engines. WRECK FACE) GEzuri (Hey so I heard you liked Elves...) UTalrand (Counter. Cantrip. Counter. Cantrip. Repeat till opponents die-- possibly of boredom)
Tiny leaders WUDaxos (basic 3/1 fliers do basic s***. Also Daxos) RWAnax and Cymede (Heroic weenie beats)
Standard RRMONO RED AGGRO (RAWWWRRRR!!!!) WUHeroic Aggro (Easy mode beatstick)
These new retreats make me sad when compared to like white. Like how does white give all your creatures +1/+1 but red only give 1 +2/0? And blue... while repeated scry is nice it feels somwhat anti-synergistic with itself since by the time you get it going you most likely will be scrying most lands to the bottom
I'd hold back calling the Red one worse than White in a normal sense. White is very strong in its deck, but the Red one is just as strong in a R(/G)DW shell. Dropping this on turn 4 then dropping a land provides a lot of opportunities. EX: Monastery Swift Spear/Abbot of the Keral Keep activate Prowess, then you can make the opponent not block with their biggest creature forcing trades or even worse just getting damage through. If it is a control deck, that is even worse cause then you get extra damage. Another use that +2/+0 can provide is making a creature big enough that Flamewake Phoenix can come back from the grave for 1 Red. Hell that is even possible on the turn 4 I mentioned.
Sure it has it's uses and sure in specific situations it might do better but I meant in terms of overall power level. Generally speaking in previous cards something like +1/+1 for all creatures and +2/+0 for all creatures cost about the same at 3 (occasionally the white will cost 2). +2/+0 for 1 creature is generally a 1 mana ability that usually has an upside like first strike or trample or haste or another +1/+0. tl;dr I think it would have been perfectly fine for the +2/0 to be for all creatures or have something a extra added on if only for 1 creature. No ability too crazy but maybe like haste
+2/+0 is worth more than +1/+1. A 4 drop that gives +1/+1 to all is more efficient than a 3 drop gives +2/+0 to one, but Red is fickle color when developing. You see, Red has always had less efficient creatures than other colors cause Red is literally the embodiment of aggro. If Red had just as efficient creatures as other colors, mono red would dominate, that +2/+0 or one creature can't block gives a very large change for RDW. As on turn 4/5, RDW is about done killing the opponent, and that +2/+0 or Siege Rhino that is unable to block might just have been the tipping point. It's just how Red is designed and works.
Those things stop Twin as well. It alone is likely not going to make a great deck, but built into an already decent deck, why not? Knight of the Reliquary is a strong card in itself. Retreat to Coralhelm isn't exactly amazing, I'll admit that, but it can provide some value.
Edit: Twin has of course the advantage of the Deceiver Exarch having Flash
and Knight of the reliquary can tutor Sejiri Steppe...
you can play other stuff to protect him...
you also can make a deck that doesn't completely rely on that combo as both Retreat to Coralhelm and Knight of the Reliquary are quite powerful cards on their own.
every combo is disruptable.
white has plenty of ways to protect creatures
Let them design the set, reflect on the cards once and let them be. If they deemed Archangel's Light printable then nothing surprises me these days. Who cares though? We are all stil gonna play limited and Game Day for this set.
More like, let the set be crap because it's going to sell tons anyway because 'extremely rare pretty lands.' Makes sense to me that the people buying the packs are the ones criticizing the bad cards.
what do you mean by "let the set be crap"? you say that as if its difficult for them to design a more powerful card. makes no sense.
"Well we wanted to make this creature a 6/6 instead of a 4/4 but the 6's were just too heavy to lift. we just couldnt do it. so we went with the lighter, easier to carry 4's" --Wizards Design Team from your perspective." You see how little sense that makes? lol. just please stop.
There's really nothing wrong with weakening the metagame for standard. It's not Homelands bad, it's just Kamigawa bad. They ensure the pack sales with their trump cards, foil full-art edh/modern/legacy staple lands, without saturating the market with them. They get to generate excitement for an unexciting set. How can you not marvel at its brilliance?
Is there a land in Modern that gives trample or evasion? If so, that Knight Retreat combo could be actually good.
I'm really surprised at the answers you have gotten on this. A bunch of jank and no mention of Kessig Wolf Run. Even without the enchantment tutoring up wolf run can end games. Run it along side Inkmoth Nexus and you have a pretty strong alternate win condition. I think that the combo is definitely modern playable. It probably won't replace twin because none of the pieces have flash but knight of the reliquary is much better than deceiver exarch. I like Sakura-Tribe Scout as the "man-dork" because it combos with the retreat as well and also provides protection to your combo by dropping Sejiri Steppe from hand or just providing and untap trigger for knight to tutor for Sejiri Steppe/ return to combo-ing depending on which piece they try to disrupt.
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Good looking cycle. The draw spell also looks reasonably playable too. The Angel is a Limited card, and probably a casual favorite.
I don't really remember Skinrender seeing much play but I thought that was weird considering it's a decent body and remove for 4 mana. That being said I think Wasteland Strangler is a step up and should see play if you can consistently exile a card by turn 3.
People are honestly underestimating this Wasteland Strangler. It's a body + efficient removal. It's good.
I really want Ugin's insight. I don't have a deck for it but I want it anyway. Maybe it'll see play in standard too (not in control decks though, more like Temur or U/G ramp if that's a thing)
WRBoros Aggro (Glorious knights of badassery)
RBRakdos Bloodthirst (Undercosted waves of fat s***)
URIzzet Talrand/Pyromancer (b/c I hate you)
GRGruul Ramp and Stomp (SO FAT. SO FAST. RAWRRR)
GBGolgari Birthing Pod (b/c you wanted a challenge. I did warn you this BS is banned though)
BWOrzhov Lifegain Aggro (Removal for dayzzz)
WGSelesnya Tribal Golem-splicers/token (meh. Needs more upgrades. Perhaps switching to bant?)
WUAzorius Flicker (b/c I wanna annoy the f*** outta you)
GUSimic Evolve Aggro (Aggro takes a journey to the weird side of the color pie)
BUDimir Control (b/c I wanna peel your skin off and flay you within an inch of life before I kill you)
URWJeskai Ascendency Tokens (MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
RWBMardu Warriors (Butcher is da bomb)
GU Simic Morph (slow as s*** but oh so fun)
WBGAbzan Dredge-animator (PURE EVIL)
GWHexproof Aggro (Deal with it. Lemme guess, you cant?)
EDH Decks
UBRNekusar (Multiplayer MONSTA. 1v1 Klutz)
GRB Prossh (Set up engines. WRECK FACE)
GEzuri (Hey so I heard you liked Elves...)
UTalrand (Counter. Cantrip. Counter. Cantrip. Repeat till opponents die-- possibly of boredom)
Tiny leaders
WUDaxos (basic 3/1 fliers do basic s***. Also Daxos)
RWAnax and Cymede (Heroic weenie beats)
Standard
RRMONO RED AGGRO (RAWWWRRRR!!!!)
WUHeroic Aggro (Easy mode beatstick)
+2/+0 is worth more than +1/+1. A 4 drop that gives +1/+1 to all is more efficient than a 3 drop gives +2/+0 to one, but Red is fickle color when developing. You see, Red has always had less efficient creatures than other colors cause Red is literally the embodiment of aggro. If Red had just as efficient creatures as other colors, mono red would dominate, that +2/+0 or one creature can't block gives a very large change for RDW. As on turn 4/5, RDW is about done killing the opponent, and that +2/+0 or Siege Rhino that is unable to block might just have been the tipping point. It's just how Red is designed and works.
and Knight of the reliquary can tutor Sejiri Steppe...
you can play other stuff to protect him...
you also can make a deck that doesn't completely rely on that combo as both Retreat to Coralhelm and Knight of the Reliquary are quite powerful cards on their own.
every combo is disruptable.
white has plenty of ways to protect creatures
There's really nothing wrong with weakening the metagame for standard. It's not Homelands bad, it's just Kamigawa bad. They ensure the pack sales with their trump cards, foil full-art edh/modern/legacy staple lands, without saturating the market with them. They get to generate excitement for an unexciting set. How can you not marvel at its brilliance?
I can wait for the second set, as far as Emrakul goes. I don't think they can top the first one, but they're free to try in my book.
I'm really surprised at the answers you have gotten on this. A bunch of jank and no mention of Kessig Wolf Run. Even without the enchantment tutoring up wolf run can end games. Run it along side Inkmoth Nexus and you have a pretty strong alternate win condition. I think that the combo is definitely modern playable. It probably won't replace twin because none of the pieces have flash but knight of the reliquary is much better than deceiver exarch. I like Sakura-Tribe Scout as the "man-dork" because it combos with the retreat as well and also provides protection to your combo by dropping Sejiri Steppe from hand or just providing and untap trigger for knight to tutor for Sejiri Steppe/ return to combo-ing depending on which piece they try to disrupt.
(If you drop a fetch, of course)