MTG Salvation

https://mobile.twitter.com/mtgjp/status/1212176615628824576?s=20

1W
Enchantment - Saga
I. Search your library for a basic land, put it in your hand. Shuffle your library.

II. Create a 0/4 Defender artifact creature token.

III. Gain 2 life.

If the translation of 3 is correct that is one of the worst III sagas I have ever seen

Interesting. I don't mind it, oddly enough. a Lay of the Land for 1W isn't terrible given that white is commonly complained about because of its lack of ramp. This isn't ramp, but it does secure land drops and helps with color fixing. That is nothing to sneeze at, particularly in white-dominated Boros builds. The artifact wall is negligible but alright and chapter three of this saga is just embarrassing as translated. But the card is less trash than it appears at first. I run a couple white decks that could take advantage of chapter one and even some that would care about chapter two.

So... it’s a mono-white land search that doesn’t require you to be behind in land.


that’s unique in and of itself.


On the whole, it kind of reminds me of Wall of Omens.

Quote from Rosy Dumplings »

So... it’s a mono-white land search that doesn’t require you to be behind in land.


that’s unique in and of itself.


On the whole, it kind of reminds me of Wall of Omens.

Not a terrible comparison, actually. Two mana for a 0/4 wall and a card in hand. Plus a bit of life as a bonus. Eventually.

its 1 and 2 are great, its 3 IS ABSOLUTELY ******* AWFUL AND I'M SO SICK OF THIS ***** ON WHITE CARDS

I adore this card! Beautiful art and amazing flavor as well. I was waiting for white sagas to go into my Ephara edh and not only does this depict her and my favorite polis, but synergizes perfectly with her (and the Heliod I’ll play from this set) as well. So happy with it!!!

Not bad. Straight land filtering in white is interesting. I wonder if this is an area WotC is exploring doing more of in white or just a bit of a bend?
Could see this making the cut in a constellation deck in standard maybe.

Quote from Xcric »

its 1 and 2 are great, its 3 IS ABSOLUTELY ******* AWFUL AND I'M SO SICK OF THIS ***** ON WHITE CARDS

I actually don't think this is bad. For 2 mana you get a slow wall of omens that gets you a land... a rare effect in white.

Also I don't mind white having land searching. It feels like something someone on a grassland should be able to do

Quote from DJK3654 »

Not bad. Straight land filtering in white is interesting. I wonder if this is an area WotC is exploring doing more of in white or just a bit of a bend?
Could see this making the cut in a constellation deck in standard maybe.

Again could be a bend but we did see Flower last set. Letting white soft ramp so it doesn't miss land drops, somewhat fair and "by the rule" feels very white.

Who knew that the founding of Theros’ main metropolis
was such a bland, forgettable occasion.

It’s also an awesome story.
Find the land, fortify it, reap civilization’s reward


hence tutor land, add defense, gain life

Quote from 5colors »

Quote from DJK3654 »

Not bad. Straight land filtering in white is interesting. I wonder if this is an area WotC is exploring doing more of in white or just a bit of a bend?
Could see this making the cut in a constellation deck in standard maybe.

Again could be a bend but we did see Flower last set. Letting white soft ramp so it doesn't miss land drops, somewhat fair and "by the rule" feels very white.

I agree. I like the idea of white getting occasional cantrip land filtering effects. Even *if* they are only for plains, I would like to see a little bit more of it. Basic land filtering is quite good for the game so spreading it around a little more should be just fine. It would help make white more interesting and flexible and more relevant in commander especially which is something WotC is looking to do.

A nice value package.

At 2 mana to fix your mana its a little big much, would be an absolutely blast at just W , at 1W its probably not going to be too amazing for constructed anywhere (but you play this if you cant find anything better and need the fixing).

I feel the card would be WAY better if it produced a wall on 1 and fixing on 2 (as you can play the land you tutor then and get the protection right away).

The 2 life is just extra.

I feel people who think its just a slow-mo wall of omens or that the land searching isn't as impactful need a wake-up call.

1) Its 2 mana. That isn't an expensive mana cost. Only reason you think this way is you want to either cheat it out or that every spell should cost a single mana.
2) Its an enchantment. Guess what white likes? Enchantments entering/leaving. It also loves recurring enchantments from the yard which a saga guarantees on its own without further assistance.
3) Tutoring up a land is a lot more impactful than just drawing a card. Getting a land leads to consistent turns. Drawing a card is actually a gamble and the only way you can minimize that is with scry.
4) The tutor is not conditional. That is a HUGE factor with White normally. Some clause or restriction. But not here.

Turn 1: Land, (maybe another card? Not required though.)
Turn 2: Land, Birth of Meletis, tutor a plains.
Turn 3: 0/4 token, plains (from last turn), Heliod, Sun-Crowned.
Turn 4: +2 life, put a +1/+1 counter on 0/4 token, Birth of Meletis ends. Hold up 2 mana to rattlesnake with Heliod on possibly giving 1/5 Wall lifelink, which if opponent attacks into it, means you gain 1 life, and put another +1/+1 counter on wall to make it a 2/6.

The only magical christmas land thing about the scenario is
1) Two lands by turn 2, which assumes the pilot kept a 1-lander if they do miss a land drop.
2) Having Heliod and Birth in hand from a combination of opening hand, mulligans, and subsequent draws.

Why is green so good? Consistency with its land drops. If white got more cards like Birth of Meletis for more consistency, that means white actually can keep pace. People be blinded by being spoiled for choice by other colors when they see White do this.

Fact: White has always had this capability with cards like Tithe and Gift of Estates. In the first five years of magic it got cards that let it do this kind of stuff.

But they didn't really explore upon it as years keep going aside from plainscycling with Eternal Dragon and Noble Templar which are both from the same set, Scourge.

Nearly Five whole years passing with little fanfare for this kind of thing, which is 15 MTG sets or 5 blocks if people need a referesher. But then from 2008-2009 from a few cards here and there of Kor Cartographer (ZEN), Knight of the White Orchid (Shards) or Endless Horizons (Eventide).

2015 Oreskos Explorer
2018 Boreas Charger
2020 Birth of Meletis

Arg. I mean it is just an uncommon. The land draw is surprising. Mark just said in his blog that white shouldn't draw lands instead they should come directly to the battlefield because they could be used for other things when just drawed. https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/189959188233/in-your-answer-about-tithe-it-would-be-more#notes

The first effect is good the second effect is mediocre and the third is bad by it self.

Edit: To be fair white doesn't have that much effects that could return this card from the graveyard. I could see sun titan and maybe auramancer in edh maybe some other cards in an enchantment heavy deck. In standard just cavalier of dawn at the moment?

I read on another site that it was basic Plains, not basic land.

Searches for basic plains.

Well i will pick this in draft all day good value

Legend I counter you can only search for basic plains.
Legend II counter you create colorless artifact 0/4 creature type “Wall” with defender.
Legend III counter you gain 2 life.

Some parts of the card seemed unclear but this is full translation.

Worth playing for Rampant Growth effect alone in white. All else is icing on the cake.

Quote from Boyachi »

Worth playing for Rampant Growth effect alone in white. All else is icing on the cake.

It's like playing a Wall of Omens where you draw the land it would have gotten you before you get to block with the Wall itself. I'd play this card too. (No sarcasm, seriously.)

I’m playing this in commander. Constellation trigger, no condition on getting a land, provides devotion and some life gain and is a card type white searches for easily. I love that it’s a guaranteed land no matter what. With cards like Starfield mystic, it DOES cost just W. In commander that’s always going to be the case considering how many discount effects there will be for it too

Wow gain 2 life, they went all out on that chapter.

And flavorwise it should have been human citizen tokens not life. Just dumb to drop the ball like that.

You secure some land, you build a wall around it, you POPULATE it with people, duh. Should have been put 2 0/1 white human citizen tokens on the battlefield.

I will be playing this in control to deal with the inevitable aggro menace that pops up after rotation. It also seems fine against control since it helps you hit land drops. Pretty meh vs midrange but control is supposed to beat midrange anyway.