1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I really like Archangel Avacyn. I mean, the original was no slouch, but this one looks like someone could actually play outside of an EDH deck or mono-white devotion. If she should transform the turn she hits the floor it would be a one sided 5 cmc board wipe with a body. Also I was certain there was another flip walker coming for Green and Red, but can't remember the details.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I really like Archangel Avacyn. I mean, the original was no slouch, but this one looks like someone could actually play outside of an EDH deck or mono-white devotion. If she should transform the turn she hits the floor it would be a one sided 5 cmc board wipe with a body. Also I was certain there was another flip walker coming for Green and Red, but can't remember the details.
Agreed
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My Current Decks:
Modern Affinity
Soul Sisters
Izzet Delver of Secrets
Mono Green Stompy
Modern Red Burn
Gruul Dragons
Mono Black Aggro
EDH Decks:
Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
Omnath, Locus of Mana
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher
There's obviously a lot of good cards being brought up here, but the card I feel that is being the most underrated in the wake of all of these new mythics and rares is Duskwatch Recruiter//Krallenhorde Howler.
I'm probably wrong on assessing it's power level since I took a break from Standard for a year, but as a player intending to go into Werewolves once SoI comes out, that card just sings to me. It just hits so many bases. It's a bear with card draw that curves perfectly into giving you something to do without playing a spell, allowing it to flip into Werewolf side that offers that bit of "ramp" for your pack. I realize it's not perfect, but seriously. It does die to removal, but so do a lot of powerful creatures. And I realize that the reduced cost on your creatures means it's likely to flip back to Human side afterwards, but I'm absolutely OK with -1/-1 to gain a massive board boost on turn 4 and getting to dig for creatures again.
Honestly, I will not be surprised if this is one of the top Werewolves in the set at all.
I really like Archangel Avacyn. I mean, the original was no slouch, but this one looks like someone could actually play outside of an EDH deck or mono-white devotion. If she should transform the turn she hits the floor it would be a one sided 5 cmc board wipe with a body. Also I was certain there was another flip walker coming for Green and Red, but can't remember the details.
Agreed
Not agreed, she doesn't transform until your next uppkep even if you manage to trigger her transform condition. Still very good thou.
but if you blink her, then your creatures are protected.
it would be even more fun if you give her deathtouch and lifelink before transformation.
(because the damage will be still with deathtouch and lifelink even if you blink her because of LastKnownInfomation)
That's not what was stated and thus what I responded to, triggering her transform the turn she comes into play is relatively easy (In the right deck), but that plus blinking her in response to her trigger, let alone giving her deathtouch in addition, is quite the Magical Christmas scenario, I'd rather just Play her + Wrath effect on the same turn, it's slower as it requires more mana, but requires one less cards to achieve the same result, and it's a lot safer.
Speaking of thing in the ice, it's like that one card came and the rest are all sort of so so of the recently spoiled. Wonder if they blew all their steam on the first reveals and now we are going to get all the okay and draft stuff spoiled.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Speaking of thing in the ice, it's like that one card came and the rest are all sort of so so of the recently spoiled. Wonder if they blew all their steam on the first reveals and now we are going to get all the okay and draft stuff spoiled.
It's a bit early to go doom and gloom for the set without even seeing any of the planeswalkers, the 8 other mythics, or the plethora of rares to come.
Besides, I would argue that Elusive Tormentor is relatively strong for just how difficult it is to kill and how easy it is to enable madness with it, and the rest of today's spoilers beyond Soul Swallower were all commons or uncommons, which don't typically have a high percentage of Standard playables anyways.
Speaking of thing in the ice, it's like that one card came and the rest are all sort of so so of the recently spoiled. Wonder if they blew all their steam on the first reveals and now we are going to get all the okay and draft stuff spoiled.
It's a bit early to go doom and gloom for the set without even seeing any of the planeswalkers, the 8 other mythics, or the plethora of rares to come.
Besides, I would argue that Elusive Tormentor is relatively strong for just how difficult it is to kill and how easy it is to enable madness with it, and the rest of today's spoilers beyond Soul Swallower were all commons or uncommons, which don't typically have a high percentage of Standard playables anyways.
Oh, I'm not doomsaying, just saying I like my hype nice and steady instead of molehills vs mountains. I actually love the flavor on the Timber Logger / shredder. Instead of shredding people she just goes werewolf to do the daily work.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Pick the Brain and Invasive Surgery, both of which will let you exile all copies of the target card or spell in question as long as delirium applies.
Soul Swallower--cast it on turn 3 via Beastcaller Savant so that on turn 4 it becomes a 6/6 with trample, which is bigger than Reality Smasher. No, it doesn't have haste and, no, it doesn't have any built-in quasi-spell protection, but it is still a 6/6 with trample...then a 9/9 with trample...and so on and so forth. Again, delirium must apply but it isn't that hard to dump a bunch of cards into the graveyard
Thing in the Ice/Awoken Horror should be amazing even if we ignore the fact that it starts at 0/4 then becomes 7/8. Currently, in Standard there are only two "horror" creatures, Abomination of Gudul (no, you didn't play that card in any of your decks, either) and Despoiler of Souls. Of the spoiled cards thus far, there are 36 creatures (I didn't count the transformed versions, of course) and only 6 of those have the subtype "horror". I don't know how much Thing in the Ice will see in play but it should represent a pretty good clear-the-battlefield effect much like Whelming Wave did (chances are you probably didn't play that card, either).
While Heir of Falkenrath is my favorite card so far, I am far more enamored by the amount of extremely playable commons and super powerful uncommons. The set appears extremely powerful and playable. Lower casting costs and real options. Even the precon deck rares can be played in Sealed. I haven't seen any 7 CMC cards yet either. Lots of nasty two drops as well.
Also, I've gotta say, Topplegeist is a high quality one drop. Early game, sure, it's cute. Tap down their first creature, make them lose some tempo, get rid of a blocker or attacker for a turn, okay. Mid to late game though, as long as you have Delirium, you're locking down their best creature forever unless they remove the geist. What do you want? Both. You want both. If they never remove it, well congratulations, you just took their best dude out of the game for one mana. If they do remove it, you just forced them to waste tempo and a card, removal no less, on your one mana 1/1.
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"Pop in, find a dragon, roast a dragon."
-Chandra Nalaar
My personal picks so far (With two duel deck reprints)
1 Relentless Dead
1 bygone bishop
1 gravecrawler
1 Geist of Saint Traft
1 compelling deterrence
1 Stoic Builder
1 Fiery Temper
1 Lightning Axe
1 Archangel Avacyn
1 Avacyn, the Purifier
1 Arlinn Kord
1 Arlinn, embraced by the moon
Edit: Updated with Arlin!
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Also shouldn't this be in New Card Discussion not General? :/
no order
Geralfs Masterpiece
heir to falkenrath
relentless dead
declaration in stone
Archangel Avacyn
& you bet there are yet plenty to join !
Fiery Temper
Incorrigible Youths
Lightning Axe
I think you can figure out what I'm building post rotation.
Those are exactly my choices.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Agreed
Modern Affinity
Soul Sisters
Izzet Delver of Secrets
Mono Green Stompy
Modern Red Burn
Gruul Dragons
Mono Black Aggro
EDH Decks:
Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
Omnath, Locus of Mana
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher
Tiny Leaders:
Vorel of the Hull Clade
I'm probably wrong on assessing it's power level since I took a break from Standard for a year, but as a player intending to go into Werewolves once SoI comes out, that card just sings to me. It just hits so many bases. It's a bear with card draw that curves perfectly into giving you something to do without playing a spell, allowing it to flip into Werewolf side that offers that bit of "ramp" for your pack. I realize it's not perfect, but seriously. It does die to removal, but so do a lot of powerful creatures. And I realize that the reduced cost on your creatures means it's likely to flip back to Human side afterwards, but I'm absolutely OK with -1/-1 to gain a massive board boost on turn 4 and getting to dig for creatures again.
Honestly, I will not be surprised if this is one of the top Werewolves in the set at all.
Spirits
it would be even more fun if you give her deathtouch and lifelink before transformation.
(because the damage will be still with deathtouch and lifelink even if you blink her because of LastKnownInfomation)
multicolored confirmed, and we get some rare/mystic Artifact too.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Fiery Temper
Lightning Axe
Incorrigible Youths
Ravenous Bloodseeker
Oh yeah. It's about to get crazy.
Honorable mention:
Just the Wind
-Chandra Nalaar
It's a bit early to go doom and gloom for the set without even seeing any of the planeswalkers, the 8 other mythics, or the plethora of rares to come.
Besides, I would argue that Elusive Tormentor is relatively strong for just how difficult it is to kill and how easy it is to enable madness with it, and the rest of today's spoilers beyond Soul Swallower were all commons or uncommons, which don't typically have a high percentage of Standard playables anyways.
Oh, I'm not doomsaying, just saying I like my hype nice and steady instead of molehills vs mountains. I actually love the flavor on the Timber Logger / shredder. Instead of shredding people she just goes werewolf to do the daily work.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Soul Swallower--cast it on turn 3 via Beastcaller Savant so that on turn 4 it becomes a 6/6 with trample, which is bigger than Reality Smasher. No, it doesn't have haste and, no, it doesn't have any built-in quasi-spell protection, but it is still a 6/6 with trample...then a 9/9 with trample...and so on and so forth. Again, delirium must apply but it isn't that hard to dump a bunch of cards into the graveyard
Watcher in the Web but only with Unnatural Endurance.
Tamiyo's Journal but only with Paradox Haze and either Doubling Season or, ideally, Parallel Lives which would be apropos. Tutor every turn, either before the draw step or just after it? Sign me up.
Thing in the Ice/Awoken Horror should be amazing even if we ignore the fact that it starts at 0/4 then becomes 7/8. Currently, in Standard there are only two "horror" creatures, Abomination of Gudul (no, you didn't play that card in any of your decks, either) and Despoiler of Souls. Of the spoiled cards thus far, there are 36 creatures (I didn't count the transformed versions, of course) and only 6 of those have the subtype "horror". I don't know how much Thing in the Ice will see in play but it should represent a pretty good clear-the-battlefield effect much like Whelming Wave did (chances are you probably didn't play that card, either).
Insidious Mist? Meh. Bonds of Mortality. Done.
Elusive Tormentor: The flavor on this is delicious! Mmmm...
Relentless Dead: Probably one of my favorite Zombies ever.
Duskwatch Recruiter: I love how both sides synergize with each other.
Brain in a Jar: Mad Scientist tropes FTW!
Tamiyo's Journal: I'm a fan of the Investigate mechanic, free clue tokens...I'm sold!
-Chandra Nalaar