I'm just admiring the beauty of a instant/sorcery cycle where the blue card is the worst one and the green card is actually the best one (so far at least).
I dunno, it's something to consider in a slower format like casual Commander. Bouncing two threats, drawing two cards (with some degree of selection), and getting a creature that'll range from 4/4 to 8/8 is arguably worth eight mana. Is Roiling Waters that popular? Is it worth it to tack on U for increased flexibility, scrying, and the token? No to both, probably, outside budget circles.
I'm surprised the blue one just isn't hands down the best of the cycle.
Still, I think people are being a little hard on this. Sorcery speed definitely hurts, but this is really versatile. The scry-2-draw-2 mode is fine, and when you have the option to plop a 4/4 or larger into play for 4 mana instead, that's always nice. The 8 mana kicked version is certainly no Sublime Epiphany, but still a pretty good play if you've got the mana.
Blue's been double-dipping on the modal spells with Sublime Epiphany and Archmage's Charm. Let the other colors have their turn.
okay but like that has nothing to do with viability. this thing is mediocre. color shouldn't dictate that. there are also plenty of modal spells in other colors and that shouldn't dictate design either.
this entire cycle has felt over costed. just a bunch of mediocre normally cheap effects stapled onto one card at an unreasonable cost. do you really want to pay 8 mana to get all modes on this? do the other modes really warrant 4 mana? at sorcery speed? and we can extend that to the other ones we've seen in this cycle too. they're just kinda crap trying to pass itself off as great because OMG MODAL SPELLS!
Blue's been double-dipping on the modal spells with Sublime Epiphany and Archmage's Charm. Let the other colors have their turn.
okay but like that has nothing to do with viability. this thing is mediocre. color shouldn't dictate that. there are also plenty of modal spells in other colors and that shouldn't dictate design either.
this entire cycle has felt over costed. just a bunch of mediocre normally cheap effects stapled onto one card at an unreasonable cost. do you really want to pay 8 mana to get all modes on this? do the other modes really warrant 4 mana? at sorcery speed? and we can extend that to the other ones we've seen in this cycle too. they're just kinda crap trying to pass itself off as great because OMG MODAL SPELLS!
I mean, a modal version of a spell always needs to be slightly worse than the normal version, because having other options in and of itself comes with a cost. Something like Boros Charm is 'worse' as a double strike spell than Double Cleave or Temur Battle Rage, but that's because it has two other modes. So with that in mind, it's not much worse than something like Foresee or Glimmer of Genius, trading off 2 additional scry or instant speed for other modes. And the "return two creatures" mode is exactly in line with Into the Void, and arguably a far sight better than the versions of the card we've seen recently. The token mode is probably the hardest to find a comparison for, but it will often be at least a 4/4 for 4, if not better, which is a reasonable rate. Maro is definitely not a competitive card these days, but locking it in at the point of creation, rather than requiring you to continue to hold cards in hand, is a pretty huge upside, especially with the other two modes getting much better as you empty out your hand. So to me, it seems like a solid base rate even before you take the kicker into account. And throwing 4 more mana at this late game to get a sorcery speed Commence the Endgame that also scry's and bounces two dudes seems like a solid deal.
I'm just admiring the beauty of a instant/sorcery cycle where the blue card is the worst one and the green card is actually the best one (so far at least).
Nah, the black one is the best one, at least in Modern and up. I tested Inscription of Ruin in Modern Jund, and it impressed me so much that I put it into Modern RB Prowess (which primarily tests other Zendikar Rising cards). The black Inscription is like if Liliana of the Veil, Liliana of the Last Hope, and Unearth had a sorcery baby.
The problem with defining this format by what is "fun" is that everyone seems to define fun as what they don't lose to. If you keep losing to easily answered cards, that means you should improve your deck. If you don't want to improve your deck, then you should come to peace with the idea that you are going to lose because you chose to not interact with better strategies.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
You read the abilities and they seem decent. Then you see the kicker cost and wonder if it's worth it. And then it hits you that it's a sorcery.
Source: GameSpot
not impressed by this one, or this cycle.
Archatmos
Excellion
Fracture: Israfiel (WBR), Wujal (URG), Valedon (GUB), Amduat (BGW), Paladris (RWU)
Collision (Set Two of the Fracture Block)
Quest for the Forsaken (Set Two of the Excellion Block)
Katingal: Plane of Chains
Still, I think people are being a little hard on this. Sorcery speed definitely hurts, but this is really versatile. The scry-2-draw-2 mode is fine, and when you have the option to plop a 4/4 or larger into play for 4 mana instead, that's always nice. The 8 mana kicked version is certainly no Sublime Epiphany, but still a pretty good play if you've got the mana.
okay but like that has nothing to do with viability. this thing is mediocre. color shouldn't dictate that. there are also plenty of modal spells in other colors and that shouldn't dictate design either.
this entire cycle has felt over costed. just a bunch of mediocre normally cheap effects stapled onto one card at an unreasonable cost. do you really want to pay 8 mana to get all modes on this? do the other modes really warrant 4 mana? at sorcery speed? and we can extend that to the other ones we've seen in this cycle too. they're just kinda crap trying to pass itself off as great because OMG MODAL SPELLS!
Nah, the black one is the best one, at least in Modern and up. I tested Inscription of Ruin in Modern Jund, and it impressed me so much that I put it into Modern RB Prowess (which primarily tests other Zendikar Rising cards). The black Inscription is like if Liliana of the Veil, Liliana of the Last Hope, and Unearth had a sorcery baby.
As a sorcery, well ... a lot less useful.
But for 5UUU you still get a bunch of value, if this turns into a 8/8 creature , bounces 2 fatties and gets you more cards, thats still decent.
WUBRG#BlackLotusMatterWUBRG
👮👮👮 #BlueLivesMatter 👮👮👮
My thought process was the exact opposite, actually
“Oh, it’s a sorcery”
“I wonder if that kicker cost is worth it”
“Huh, those abilities seem decent”