Because I enjoy this sort of thing, I decided to do a little bit of research.
The listed differences are going to be in order of "New Delve Card compared to Old Card du Jour."
Dig Through Time - the closest comparison is Ancestral Memories. The primary differences between the two are +3-U in the Mana Cost, Instant versus Sorcery, and Bottom of the Deck vs. Graveyard
Set Adrift - closest comparisons are Totally Lost, Vanishment, or Deny Reality. The primary differences are +1, -B in the case of Deny Reality, and Sorcery Speed in all but one case.
Dead Drop - Closest comparisons are Barter in Blood and weirdly enough Prowling Pangolin. We'll just stick to the former. Primary differences are +6 -B to the mana cost, and the ability to choose who sacrifices as opposed to everyone sacrificing.
Murderous Cut - Closest comparison is probably Murder. The primary differences are +2 but -B to the CMC.
Necropolis Fiend - Interestingly enough, the closest comparison is Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. +4 to the CMC, +1 to the toughness. The ability doesn't require black, and it also subtracts power, but it does require tapping and exiling, so it's not repeatable, and obviously, the ability doesn't pump the Fiend.
Shambling Attendants - Closest comparison is Greater Basilisk. +3 to the total CMC, -One colored (and obviously, switching from green to black). Plus relevant subtype?
Sultai Scavenger - Closest comparisons are Infernal Kirin, and Zanikev Locust. Costs +2 more than the Kirin, but less one B. Only difference between Locust is a lack of Scavenge.
Become Immense - Closest comparisons are Revenge of the Hunted and Resounding Roar. Same total CMC as Revenge, less one G and an instant, but does not miracle, and does not add trample and must be blocked. Roar only does the same provided you pay RW with the cost, but has a cheaper form available.
Empty the Pits - Closest comparison is probably Army of the Damned. Primary difference is +B and XX to the mana cost, but the benefit of additional tokens. I put this one last because I wanted to spend some time on it, and do a bit of math. Army of the Damned costs 8 mana the first time, and 10 the second. For 12BBBBBB you can make 26 2/2 Zombie tokens in one turn. For the equivalent, without Delve, on Empty the Pits, you would need to pay 52BBBB. If you used delve once per zombie token, you'd have to exile 26 cards, and pay 26BBBB, exactly twice what you'd need to pay for Army of the Damned, but minus 1B.
Now, if we assumed you only planned on casting Army of the Damned once, we have a different bit of math. That's 13 tokens for 5BBB. The equivalent, again without Delve, is 26BBBB. Delving once per zombie changes the cost to 13BBBB plus thirteen cards from the graveyard. To make the mana cost roughly the same, you'd need to exile 22 cards from your graveyard, making the cost 4BBBB.
Edit: One important fact that I forgot is that Army of the Damned is a Sorcery, and Empty the Pits is an instant. There's some definite benefit on that side.
None of this changes how much I still want to Empty the Pits, but I figured this might help some people put things into perspective. Generally speaking, Delve adds about 3 to the CMC of cards we already have.
So what do you all think about this?
I'm glad you spent some time on Empty the Pits. That card just makes me mad. Dead Drop is also a little ridiculous. Otherwise, I'd say your analysis demonstrates that these delve cards are at the right level.
I was just aiming to do some basic math with the card, not plan a full deck or evaluate the game-state wherein this card would be better. I appreciate what you've said though!
@Duke Daemon, you're right in that Infernal Kirin was not the best choice. I'll admit to not thinking about the Limited/Standard format at the time, and was more looking at Black Flyers with similar P/T. On that end, I don't really feel like Hyalopterous Lemure is an excellent comparison, especially with the previously mentioned Zanikev Locust available.
Don't forget it's entirely possible to get 10+ cards into your graveyard before you can get 10+ mana within same number of turns. While other spells require hard mana, Delve spells can be paid with BOTH mana and cards in grave.
Should an opponent casts a board wipe, one would recover quicker with Treasure Cruise than with other drawing spells you mentioned ([c[Ancestral Recall[/c] excluded, of course. Ancestral Vision requires timing). If an opponent casts Cataclysm, Set Adrift can foil his/her plan easier than other return-to-library spells you mentioned (unless you get lucky with Vanishment, of course).
As a very new player I don't know that much about magic, but Delve seems overcosted.
Cause we only have 60 cards anyways and it takes a while to get a bunch of cards in your graveyard. I just feels like if you wanna make a delve oriented deck, you're gonna end up using it maybe 3-4 times per game max before you start hitting a wall of lack of cards to exile.
It is indeed not meant to be a "slam all delve cards into a deck and call it a day". You have to pick out the few ones you think will have the largest impact and then get something to enable them.
As a very new player I don't know that much about magic, but Delve seems overcosted.
Cause we only have 60 cards anyways and it takes a while to get a bunch of cards in your graveyard. I just feels like if you wanna make a delve oriented deck, you're gonna end up using it maybe 3-4 times per game max before you start hitting a wall of lack of cards to exile.
The trick is to only have a few Delve cards in your deck, you don't want too many of them because they actively counteract each other. It is a very powerful mechanic, though, because you can choose when you want to discount or not, you can pay normal mana for them as well. So you can cast Murderous Cut for four mana and delve one, if that's what you need. If you want to cast two cards in one turn, you can delve for lots and do so. The options make them good (although a couple of them are just bad, like Shambling Attendants).
I'm sad we didn't get Tombstalker, although I suspect that card might just be too good for standard.
As a very new player I don't know that much about magic, but Delve seems overcosted.
Cause we only have 60 cards anyways and it takes a while to get a bunch of cards in your graveyard. I just feels like if you wanna make a delve oriented deck, you're gonna end up using it maybe 3-4 times per game max before you start hitting a wall of lack of cards to exile.
The thing is, after resolving 3-4 Delve cards, you should be well on your way to victory. Blue and black decks will try their hardest to ensure you never resolve even ONE Delve card.
I've personally found Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time to be devastatingly versatile in Modern, fitting in aggro, midrange, control, and combo alike. Dig Through Time often isn't cast with full Delve, but Treasure Cruise nearly always is. (I generally play solid enough decks that other cards tend to get Remanded instead. Getting a Delve card Remanded still hurts, though.)
I tend to cast a blue Delve twin 1-3 times per game.
The listed differences are going to be in order of "New Delve Card compared to Old Card du Jour."
Dig Through Time - the closest comparison is Ancestral Memories. The primary differences between the two are +3-U in the Mana Cost, Instant versus Sorcery, and Bottom of the Deck vs. Graveyard
Set Adrift - closest comparisons are Totally Lost, Vanishment, or Deny Reality. The primary differences are +1, -B in the case of Deny Reality, and Sorcery Speed in all but one case.
Treasure Cruise - barring the ridiculous comparisons like Ancestral Recall, & Ancestral Vision, the closest are Brilliant Plan, Concentrate, Jace's Ingenuity, Thassa's Bounty, and Urban Evolution. There are other Draw Three cards, but I went for those that had no "downside" or extraneous cost. The primary differences are anywhere from +2 to +4, a general -U, and Sorcery Speed to what is about half Instants.
Dead Drop - Closest comparisons are Barter in Blood and weirdly enough Prowling Pangolin. We'll just stick to the former. Primary differences are +6 -B to the mana cost, and the ability to choose who sacrifices as opposed to everyone sacrificing.
Murderous Cut - Closest comparison is probably Murder. The primary differences are +2 but -B to the CMC.
Necropolis Fiend - Interestingly enough, the closest comparison is Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. +4 to the CMC, +1 to the toughness. The ability doesn't require black, and it also subtracts power, but it does require tapping and exiling, so it's not repeatable, and obviously, the ability doesn't pump the Fiend.
Shambling Attendants - Closest comparison is Greater Basilisk. +3 to the total CMC, -One colored (and obviously, switching from green to black). Plus relevant subtype?
Sultai Scavenger - Closest comparisons are Infernal Kirin, and Zanikev Locust. Costs +2 more than the Kirin, but less one B. Only difference between Locust is a lack of Scavenge.
Become Immense - Closest comparisons are Revenge of the Hunted and Resounding Roar. Same total CMC as Revenge, less one G and an instant, but does not miracle, and does not add trample and must be blocked. Roar only does the same provided you pay RW with the cost, but has a cheaper form available.
Hooting Mandrills - Closest comparisons are Arrogant Wurm, Fangren Hunter, Game-Trail Changeling, and Stampeding Rhino. Generally speaking +1 to the total CMC but -G. The others have some pros, but otherwise, pretty good comparison.
Empty the Pits - Closest comparison is probably Army of the Damned. Primary difference is +B and XX to the mana cost, but the benefit of additional tokens. I put this one last because I wanted to spend some time on it, and do a bit of math. Army of the Damned costs 8 mana the first time, and 10 the second. For 12BBBBBB you can make 26 2/2 Zombie tokens in one turn. For the equivalent, without Delve, on Empty the Pits, you would need to pay 52BBBB. If you used delve once per zombie token, you'd have to exile 26 cards, and pay 26BBBB, exactly twice what you'd need to pay for Army of the Damned, but minus 1B.
Now, if we assumed you only planned on casting Army of the Damned once, we have a different bit of math. That's 13 tokens for 5BBB. The equivalent, again without Delve, is 26BBBB. Delving once per zombie changes the cost to 13BBBB plus thirteen cards from the graveyard. To make the mana cost roughly the same, you'd need to exile 22 cards from your graveyard, making the cost 4BBBB.
Edit: One important fact that I forgot is that Army of the Damned is a Sorcery, and Empty the Pits is an instant. There's some definite benefit on that side.
Second Edit: For comparison, I looked at the other spells that made X 2/2 tokens. I found White Sun's Zenith. Then I looked up all the spells that make X amount of tokens right off the bat. Here they are for fun: Decree of Justice, Alliance of Arms, Martial Coup, Storm Herd, Goblin Offensive, Tempt with Vengeance, Gelatinous Genesis, Rise of the Hobgoblins, Verdeloth the Ancient, and Supply.
None of this changes how much I still want to Empty the Pits, but I figured this might help some people put things into perspective. Generally speaking, Delve adds about 3 to the CMC of cards we already have.
So what do you all think about this?
@Duke Daemon, you're right in that Infernal Kirin was not the best choice. I'll admit to not thinking about the Limited/Standard format at the time, and was more looking at Black Flyers with similar P/T. On that end, I don't really feel like Hyalopterous Lemure is an excellent comparison, especially with the previously mentioned Zanikev Locust available.
Should an opponent casts a board wipe, one would recover quicker with Treasure Cruise than with other drawing spells you mentioned ([c[Ancestral Recall[/c] excluded, of course. Ancestral Vision requires timing). If an opponent casts Cataclysm, Set Adrift can foil his/her plan easier than other return-to-library spells you mentioned (unless you get lucky with Vanishment, of course).
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Cause we only have 60 cards anyways and it takes a while to get a bunch of cards in your graveyard. I just feels like if you wanna make a delve oriented deck, you're gonna end up using it maybe 3-4 times per game max before you start hitting a wall of lack of cards to exile.
Nyx Weaver, Commune with the Gods, Satyr Wayfinder at least considerable to start your journey.
The trick is to only have a few Delve cards in your deck, you don't want too many of them because they actively counteract each other. It is a very powerful mechanic, though, because you can choose when you want to discount or not, you can pay normal mana for them as well. So you can cast Murderous Cut for four mana and delve one, if that's what you need. If you want to cast two cards in one turn, you can delve for lots and do so. The options make them good (although a couple of them are just bad, like Shambling Attendants).
I'm sad we didn't get Tombstalker, although I suspect that card might just be too good for standard.
That actually makes a lot of sense if you use cards like Nyx Weaver.
So it seems Delve can be made reliable.
The thing is, after resolving 3-4 Delve cards, you should be well on your way to victory. Blue and black decks will try their hardest to ensure you never resolve even ONE Delve card.
I've personally found Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time to be devastatingly versatile in Modern, fitting in aggro, midrange, control, and combo alike. Dig Through Time often isn't cast with full Delve, but Treasure Cruise nearly always is. (I generally play solid enough decks that other cards tend to get Remanded instead. Getting a Delve card Remanded still hurts, though.)
I tend to cast a blue Delve twin 1-3 times per game.