Based on the current standard environment and all we know about how they chose the mechanics for GRN, I think Proliferate is likely to be used as Simic's mechanic.
They aren't opposed to using returning mechanics, and returning mechanics don't need to have been guild mechanics in the past.
It plays well with Simic's previous mechanics which use +1/+1 counters.
It plays well with Explore, Sagas, and Kicker, mainly in green.
Gruul has used +1/+1 counters in the past, making it somewhat likely that it would use +1/+1 counters again. This would synergize nicely with Proliferate, which was one of the things they are aiming for in guild mechanics.
Assuming it goes on a lot of blue spells, it potentially works well with Azorius, depending on what its mechanic ends up being.
There are a number of potential plants that make for fun build-around cards with Proliferate, like Djinn of Wishes.
Similar to how the tribal commander decks got a bunch of support from the standard sets of the same year, this year's planeswalker decks like Proliferate.
They've said they looked at using Proliferate for Simic before.
Alternatively, I could see a Proliferate variant that moves counters instead of just increasing them, for more tricky interactions.
I love proliferate and it does indeed make sense for Simic. It would also be a heretofore unseen use of proliferate's design space, as before proliferate was never in a set/block environment in which you would proliferate +1/+1 counters onto your own creatures.
The two problems with using it as a guild mechanic are this:
1) It's the B mechanic of an A/B pair. You have to put counters on permanents and players yourself before proliferate does anything. In Scars block there was infect as the mechanic to put -1/-1 and poison counters. To use it as a Simic mechanic you'd have to have a bunch of cards that, nonkeyworded, put +1/+1 counters in various ways. While that's obviously not insurmountable and something you'd want to do anyway, I think R&D usually wants Simic's mechanic to be able to accumulate +1/+1 counters on its own.
2) No counters on players in Standard. While, again, you could just omit that part from the reminder text (Battlebond's partners omit the Commander-specific function from the reminder text), it's still confusing to have a mechanic that "secretly" does more than the cards say it does.
Well proliferate works with pretty much anything in almost any set.
Would be cool to get it, but its not particularly "simic" in its effect as a mechanic to put on commons and all that (having an effect that does proliferate at rare is still not unlikely, some kind of Doubling Season would already do the trick).
Maybe its a twisted proliferate that can REMOVE counters as well as adding counters , just like surveil is a better scry, that would further work even broader with all the +1/+1 counters around.
That it will do something with counters is pretty much guaranteed thats for sure, simply because the format screams for it.
2) No counters on players in Standard. While, again, you could just omit that part from the reminder text (Battlebond's partners omit the Commander-specific function from the reminder text), it's still confusing to have a mechanic that "secretly" does more than the cards say it does.
Yet. For all we know, one of RNA's other guilds will get a mechanic that does in fact put counters on players. Maybe debt counters from Orzhov, or counters that you personally want to accumulate in Azorius or Gruul. Maybe the Gruul give you rage counters, and become stronger with each rage counter you get.
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Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
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I would like to see the simic mechanic be akin to Reef Worm, we had two sets of +1/+1 counters on them, time for something different.
Creating tokens on death? That would absolutely be a Golgari thing, not a Simic one.
Depends really. You could call it mutate (or whatever) and it would seem Simic. Sort of like.
If X would die instead exile it and create (whatever power/ability).
It's probably more golgari than simic still, but simic's wheelhouse of +1 counters is boring anyway.
Edit: Or maybe even a trigger on death where you pay mana and it comes back bigger or such. Or some kind of Skaab Ruinator where you exile two creatures to create a token. Like each one has mutate and you exile them from the GY to gain both abilities.
Yoooo, good call on Proliferate. If graft is the resonating theme, or other +1 counter synergy then proliferate would be fitting, or at the very least, Hardened Scales-eske effects.
I would like to see the simic mechanic be akin to Reef Worm, we had two sets of +1/+1 counters on them, time for something different.
Creating tokens on death? That would absolutely be a Golgari thing, not a Simic one.
Or Orzhov. I mean, dying and creating a Spirit token? Sounds pretty Orzhov to me. Only problem is we just got Hunted Witness, who has a similar ability.
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MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
Holy *****, what if set three just has Tezzeret unleashing New Phyrexian onto ravnica just to **** Bolas over.
I agree that Proliferate would be great with Simic, but with Momir Vig gone I don't see their next set having the guild be into crazy mutations and stuff.
Holy *****, what if set three just has Tezzeret unleashing New Phyrexian onto ravnica just to **** Bolas over.
Ooh, double-cross storylines. Problem is, guilds/guild remnants AND Eternals AND Phyrexians might be too many flavor-mechanical hooks/gimmicks for just one set.
Maro has said they tried to bring back proliferate back but is a little hard to balance at points since it can effect anything/anyone with every type of counter. I could see Simic getting a nerfed version that one effect one thing, just your side and/or just +1/+1 counters.
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I could see Simic getting a nerfed version that one effect one thing, just your side and/or just +1/+1 counters.
Or a variant that only affects creatures, given that the biggest (evergreen) balancing problem with proliferate is using it to increase loyalty. Maybe a version where you choose to either add a counter to every creature with a counter on it OR double the counters on only one creature?
These are all kind of playable in a UG merfolk shell as is. Proliferate backed with counterspells/hexproof may be a hard nudge into T1 status as the deck curves out turns 1-3 and then protects the queen and grows at the same time - which can be incredibly hard to handle.
It really depends on what they want the guild to achieve. I don't typically like counter style decks as you often end up in a position where you play subpar overly costed cards for weak effects if your opponent can cleanly answer your side of the table and keep it under control.
Hopefully, as much as I want merfolk in standard to be broken af, they don't make the same mistake that they made with longtusk cub having a enabler and pay off in one cheaply costed and well priced creature.
What would they be helping to proliferate in-set? Proliferate only works if it has another form of counter to work with; Scars block largely had infect to work with, among other things, so it was quite effective in that sense as a support mechanic. Sure there are planeswalkers but not enough to warrant a mechanic to this degree to be used mainstream for a particular guild.
That is, assuming Rakdos and other guilds don't use counters of some sort.
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What would they be helping to proliferate in-set? Proliferate only works if it has another form of counter to work with; Scars block largely had infect to work with, among other things, so it was quite effective in that sense as a support mechanic. Sure there are planeswalkers but not enough to warrant a mechanic to this degree to be used mainstream for a particular guild.
That is, assuming Rakdos and other guilds don't use counters of some sort.
'buster
It would work well if Gruul got bloodthirst as a returning mechanic, and Simic could also just get other counter-based cards. What Rakdos and Orzhov do here doesn't matter as much because their colors don't overlap with Simic anyways. Azorius most likely will not have much to do with +1/+1 counters, but they got othertypes of counters in the past.
While I can see a mechanical variant of proliferate being an option, I, too, doubt that the real McCoy will show up. The flavor is designed to depict Phyrexia and Compleation as a disease of sorts, which doesn't quite align with the Simic style of bioengineering.
Proliferate works fine for the Simic, considering the word has a definition associated specifically with biology. You can have Simic creatures ETB with +1/+1 counters already on them, or put +1/+1 counters on creatures upon ETB, then give them one-shot or repeatable proliferate effects. Simic spells likewise can put +1/+1 counters on creatures and/or proliferate. Simic enchantments can even use other types of counters in tandem with proliferation. Imagine something like Firemind's Research, but as a Simic enchantment with Proliferate. You could have a blue enchantment that accumulates data counters which you can cash in for card draw, or a green enchantment that accumulates seed counters which you can cash in for Plant or Saproling tokens, or convert into +1/+1 counters for creatures. Shoot, you could even get a land or two that uses counters, like a Vault that converts storage counters into Gold tokens.
And let's not forget the possibility of an Azorius or Gruul mechanic that gives you or your opponents counters. After all, proliferate works best in sets that use player counters.
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
Wouldn’t it just be better to return it when we see the phyrexians again
Besides speculation is saying we might be dealing with them after bolas
I actually would like to see proliferate in a +1/+1 counter set, but one benefit of such is that we could have white proliferate cards, since it's basically just a white Meadowboon that also gives all your planeswalkers a loyalty counter (something else white can do) in that kind of set.
But of course, that excludes doing it in Ravnica: While Simic fits, Selesnya and Azorius aren't known for using +1/+1 counters. The current Boros mechanic does, but it shares neither color with Simic.
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I could see Simic getting a nerfed version that one effect one thing, just your side and/or just +1/+1 counters.
Or a variant that only affects creatures, given that the biggest (evergreen) balancing problem with proliferate is using it to increase loyalty. Maybe a version where you choose to either add a counter to every creature with a counter on it OR double the counters on only one creature?
Proliferate is so broad I could see a number of mechanics built out of it but might be easier for design to balance. Double seems the kinda of thing Maro would be on board with as all.
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Proliferate works fine for the Simic, considering the word has a definition associated specifically with biology. You can have Simic creatures ETB with +1/+1 counters already on them, or put +1/+1 counters on creatures upon ETB, then give them one-shot or repeatable proliferate effects. Simic spells likewise can put +1/+1 counters on creatures and/or proliferate. Simic enchantments can even use other types of counters in tandem with proliferation. Imagine something like Firemind's Research, but as a Simic enchantment with Proliferate. You could have a blue enchantment that accumulates data counters which you can cash in for card draw, or a green enchantment that accumulates seed counters which you can cash in for Plant or Saproling tokens, or convert into +1/+1 counters for creatures. Shoot, you could even get a land or two that uses counters, like a Vault that converts storage counters into Gold tokens.
And let's not forget the possibility of an Azorius or Gruul mechanic that gives you or your opponents counters. After all, proliferate works best in sets that use player counters.
I would laugh if Gruul got Poisonous (not infect per se) or poison counters to some degree. Then again that's more of a BG combination so I doubt it would happen.
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They aren't opposed to using returning mechanics, and returning mechanics don't need to have been guild mechanics in the past.
It plays well with Simic's previous mechanics which use +1/+1 counters.
It plays well with Explore, Sagas, and Kicker, mainly in green.
Gruul has used +1/+1 counters in the past, making it somewhat likely that it would use +1/+1 counters again. This would synergize nicely with Proliferate, which was one of the things they are aiming for in guild mechanics.
Assuming it goes on a lot of blue spells, it potentially works well with Azorius, depending on what its mechanic ends up being.
There are a number of potential plants that make for fun build-around cards with Proliferate, like Djinn of Wishes.
Similar to how the tribal commander decks got a bunch of support from the standard sets of the same year, this year's planeswalker decks like Proliferate.
They've said they looked at using Proliferate for Simic before.
Alternatively, I could see a Proliferate variant that moves counters instead of just increasing them, for more tricky interactions.
The two problems with using it as a guild mechanic are this:
1) It's the B mechanic of an A/B pair. You have to put counters on permanents and players yourself before proliferate does anything. In Scars block there was infect as the mechanic to put -1/-1 and poison counters. To use it as a Simic mechanic you'd have to have a bunch of cards that, nonkeyworded, put +1/+1 counters in various ways. While that's obviously not insurmountable and something you'd want to do anyway, I think R&D usually wants Simic's mechanic to be able to accumulate +1/+1 counters on its own.
2) No counters on players in Standard. While, again, you could just omit that part from the reminder text (Battlebond's partners omit the Commander-specific function from the reminder text), it's still confusing to have a mechanic that "secretly" does more than the cards say it does.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Would be cool to get it, but its not particularly "simic" in its effect as a mechanic to put on commons and all that (having an effect that does proliferate at rare is still not unlikely, some kind of Doubling Season would already do the trick).
Maybe its a twisted proliferate that can REMOVE counters as well as adding counters , just like surveil is a better scry, that would further work even broader with all the +1/+1 counters around.
That it will do something with counters is pretty much guaranteed thats for sure, simply because the format screams for it.
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Besides speculation is saying we might be dealing with them after bolas
Yet. For all we know, one of RNA's other guilds will get a mechanic that does in fact put counters on players. Maybe debt counters from Orzhov, or counters that you personally want to accumulate in Azorius or Gruul. Maybe the Gruul give you rage counters, and become stronger with each rage counter you get.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
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I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Depends really. You could call it mutate (or whatever) and it would seem Simic. Sort of like.
If X would die instead exile it and create (whatever power/ability).
It's probably more golgari than simic still, but simic's wheelhouse of +1 counters is boring anyway.
Edit: Or maybe even a trigger on death where you pay mana and it comes back bigger or such. Or some kind of Skaab Ruinator where you exile two creatures to create a token. Like each one has mutate and you exile them from the GY to gain both abilities.
(W/U)(B/R)GForm of Progenitus, Shape of a Scrubland
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Or Orzhov. I mean, dying and creating a Spirit token? Sounds pretty Orzhov to me. Only problem is we just got Hunted Witness, who has a similar ability.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
I agree that Proliferate would be great with Simic, but with Momir Vig gone I don't see their next set having the guild be into crazy mutations and stuff.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Merfolk would work incredibly well with counters. Off the top of my head you have:
kumena, tyrant of orazca
merfolk branchwalker
jadelight ranger
jade guardian
hadana's climb // winged temple of orazca
jade forerunner
deeproot elite
These are all kind of playable in a UG merfolk shell as is. Proliferate backed with counterspells/hexproof may be a hard nudge into T1 status as the deck curves out turns 1-3 and then protects the queen and grows at the same time - which can be incredibly hard to handle.
It really depends on what they want the guild to achieve. I don't typically like counter style decks as you often end up in a position where you play subpar overly costed cards for weak effects if your opponent can cleanly answer your side of the table and keep it under control.
Hopefully, as much as I want merfolk in standard to be broken af, they don't make the same mistake that they made with longtusk cub having a enabler and pay off in one cheaply costed and well priced creature.
That is, assuming Rakdos and other guilds don't use counters of some sort.
'buster
HR Analyst. Gamer. Activist | Fearless, and forthright | Aggro-control is a mindset.
Elspeth and Jhoira rock my world.
It would work well if Gruul got bloodthirst as a returning mechanic, and Simic could also just get other counter-based cards. What Rakdos and Orzhov do here doesn't matter as much because their colors don't overlap with Simic anyways. Azorius most likely will not have much to do with +1/+1 counters, but they got other types of counters in the past.
While I can see a mechanical variant of proliferate being an option, I, too, doubt that the real McCoy will show up. The flavor is designed to depict Phyrexia and Compleation as a disease of sorts, which doesn't quite align with the Simic style of bioengineering.
And let's not forget the possibility of an Azorius or Gruul mechanic that gives you or your opponents counters. After all, proliferate works best in sets that use player counters.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
I actually would like to see proliferate in a +1/+1 counter set, but one benefit of such is that we could have white proliferate cards, since it's basically just a white Meadowboon that also gives all your planeswalkers a loyalty counter (something else white can do) in that kind of set.
But of course, that excludes doing it in Ravnica: While Simic fits, Selesnya and Azorius aren't known for using +1/+1 counters. The current Boros mechanic does, but it shares neither color with Simic.
On phasing:
Proliferate is so broad I could see a number of mechanics built out of it but might be easier for design to balance. Double seems the kinda of thing Maro would be on board with as all.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I would laugh if Gruul got Poisonous (not infect per se) or poison counters to some degree. Then again that's more of a BG combination so I doubt it would happen.
'buster
HR Analyst. Gamer. Activist | Fearless, and forthright | Aggro-control is a mindset.
Elspeth and Jhoira rock my world.