MTG Salvation

Given that the full spoiler releases tomorrow, I'm kinda surprised this thread hasn't been created yet. I'm curious to see overall what people are considering. My thoughts have cooled on a number of things I was initially looking at, but here's where I've ended up:

White
Student of Warfare -> Usher of the Fallen
Leonin Warleader -> Halvar, God of Battle // Sword of the Realms
Archangel Avacyn // Avacyn, the Purifier -> Starnheim Unleashed
Shatter the Sky -> Doomskar

Blue
Spellskite -> Cosima, God of the Voyage // The Omenkeel (test)

Black
Heir of Falkenrath // Heir to the Night -> Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor
Flesh Carver -> Eradicator Valkyrie (unconfident test - I like all my existing 4s more than Valkyrie)

Multicolor
Seachrome Coast -> Hengegate Pathway // Mistgate Pathway
Smoldering Marsh -> Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
Corpse Knight -> Firja's Punishment (test)
Blooming Marsh -> Darkbore Pathway // Slitherbore Pathway
Botanical Sanctum -> Barkchannel Pathway // Tidechannel Pathway

Colorless:
Spire of Industry -> Shimmerdrift Valley

So far, at 360 powered, my only slam-dunk inclusion from this set is:

• Usher of the Fallen

I am keeping my eye on a Snow Package (along with On Thin Ice and Icehide Golem from other sets), and a few other cards, including, but not limited to:

• Starnheim Unleashed
• Doomskar

Kaldheim Update

Usher of the Fallen replaces Crested Sunmare
Eradicator Valkyrie replaces Ob Nixilis Reignited
Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider replaces Court of Bounty
Niko Aris replaces Sphinx's Revelation
Immersturm Predator replaces Angrath, the Flame-Chained

Edit: Righteous Valkyrie replaces Emiel the Blessed

White was the big winner this set for me.

Adding:
Usher of the Fallen
Starnheim Unleashed

Watching:
Doomskar

It's nice to go back to a Standard set that doesn't have 20 additions. Especially since I got next to no testing with sets from 2020.

450 unpowered:
Usher of the Fallen
Likely: Doomskar
Maybe: Starheim Unleashed

Artifact Cube:
Ravenous Intruder -> Magda, Brazen Outlaw
Opportunistic Dragon ->Goldspan Dragon
Pirate’s Pillage -> Sieze the Spoils
Svella, Ice shaper
Esika’s Chariot
Maybe: Smashing Success

Yeah, white is the biggest color to get anything from this set. I also run all snow basics for Icehide Golem & On Thin Ice so my includes are a bit different.

416 Unpowered Includes:
Usher of the Fallen
Reidane, God of the Worthy (this card is nuts with all snow basics)

Maybe/Testing:
Bloodsky Berserker
Magda, Brazen Outlaw
Doomskar
In Search of Greatness (Looks really cool, but probably not worth it)

No one made the thread earlier because no one is really excited about the set. Usher of the fallen is the only really solid card. Most of the other cards are playable and i wouldn't blame them for running, but I wouldn't ever draft a cube and really miss anything from this set.

I-m with steve-man
- Usher of the Fallen

- Halvar, God of Battle

- Starnheim Unleashed

- Doomskar

> adding Usher and the rest i'll keep an eye on

I will test those cards in my 720 cube:

Mardu Woe-Reaper --> Usher of the Fallen
Elspeth, Sun's Nemesis --> Starnheim Unleashed
Settle the Wreckage --> Doomskar
Thirst for Knowledge --> Behold the Multiverse
Nightmare Shepherd --> Eradicator Valkyrie
Aether Chaser --> Dragonkin Berserker
Garruk, Unleashed --> Esika's Chariot
Elder Gargaroth --> Battle Mammoth
Earthshaker Giant --> Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
Kaya the Inexorable --> Firja's Retribution
Sword of War and Peace --> Shimmerdrift Valley

Also I'm test Vicki, God of Lies // Tibalt and Cosmic Imposter, Cosima, God of the Voyage/The Omenkeel

Very interesting set. Not much I am personally interested in, but that is fairly common these days. Will likely try out Usher of the Fallen and Immersturm Predator

Will definitely play Usher of the Fallen, seems quite a bit better than the other Lions after Kython. Will test Starnheim Unleashed, though I am unsure of what to cut for it, as it is so flexible and goes into any part of the curve. Perhaps it's time to cut Secure the Wastes, though I am a fan of that card.

100% adding the four Pathways and Usher of the Fallen. Keeping an eye on Starnheim Unleashed, Clarion Spirit, Halvar, God of Battle and Esika's Chariot.

Usher and the Pathways are the only cards I'm excited about for my powered cube. White got a couple interesting testables and there's a couple cards that might make it into my low power list, but nothing on par with recent sets. Honestly it's a bit of a relief to not have a list of 20 cards to swap for the new set.

Definitely looking forward to the hot takes articles and wtwlf's top 20!

At 465 Powered my only definite add is Usher of the Fallen. Starnheim Unleashed and Doomskar are strong possibilities. I wanted Immersturm Predator to get there but it doesn't quite make it. I'm not really seeing a case for even testing anything else.

Cheers,
rant

485 unpowered

Adding Usher of the Fallen for sure, either replacing Student of Warfare or Soldier of the Pantheon, not sure yet.

Doomskar + Starnheim Unleashed are in too as a pair. Since they could go in the same deck, the tension between having either card foretold is interesting. Otherwise, alone they wouldn't be a consideration for me. Too bad there's no reminder text on the extended art versions though

More or less listed in order of how excited I am for them.

Expensive cards I'd like to try (but most I'll never own a copy of):
Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Imposter
Orvar, the All Form
Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid's Lantern
Realmwalker
The World Tree
Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge
Halvar, God of Battle// Sword of the Realms

Rares I'm interested in:
Toski, Bearer of Secrets
Egon, God of Death // Throne of Death
Reidane, God of the Worthy // Valkmira, Protector's Shield
Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty
Maskwood Nexus (it'll probably get a bit costly)
Esika's Chariot
Canopy Tactician
Crippling Fear
Cyclone Summoner
Dragonkin Berseker
Doomskar
Cosima, God of the Voyage // The Omenkeel
Arni Brokenbrow

Commons and uncommons that will probably make the cut:
Bind the Monster
Ravenform
Starnheim Courser
Masked Vandal
Usher of the Fallen
Sarulf's Packmate
Poison the Cup

Crazy maybes:
Bloodline Pretender
Rise of the Dread Marn
Mistwalker
Sarulf, Realm Eater
Moritte of the Frost
Calamity Bearer
Port of Karfell
Litthara Mirrorlake

Definitely not:
Starnheim Unleashed
Eradicator Valkyrie
Battle Mammoth
Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
Burning-Rune Demon

Usher of the Fallen and maybe Cosima, God of the Voyage.

There are other cards that I think are good, like Starnheim Unleashed and Doomskar, but I just ... meh. Also just as a side remark I found this set to be broadly disappointing.

Posted my Kaldheim Tests on the Visserdrix Cube Blog!

https://andrewvisser.wixsite.com/cube/post/kaldheim-the-usurper

Underwhelming set for sure. The only clear include is Usher of the Fallen.

Maybes for me:

Eradicator Valkyrie
Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
Starnheim Unleashed
Firja's Retribution

Then there are a few more cards I kinda like but don't really see room for (like Valki, Toralf and Halvar).

I will run Usher of the Fallen, Valki, Halvar. Then maybe Firja's Retribution, Doomskar and Starnheim Unleashed.

My top 20 article is up for this set:

https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/the-cube-forum/articles-podcasts-and-guides/820300-set-p-review-my-top-20-kaldheim-khm-cards-for-the

Lyra Dawnbringer > Starnheim Unleashed
Mardu Woe-Reaper > Usher of the Fallen
Master of the Wild Hunt > Toski, Bearer of Secrets
Lavaclaw Reaches > Blightstep Pathway

Starnheim Unleashed: Foretelling this card early, then casting it where X >= 2 will give the player a massive advantage. Worst case, getting a Serra Angel for 4-mana is also fine, but obviously not the best thing you can be doing with the card.

Usher of the Fallen: A decent 2/1 for 1, I don't think it'll get to Boast that often, but should prove more relevant than Mardu Woe-Reaper's ability.

Blightstep Pathway: Rakdos really wants lands that don't come into play tapped, and while this Pathway is fine, I'm expecting to see a B/R Horizon land in Modern Horizons 2, so Blightstep Pathway might not stay in the list for very long.

Toski, Bearer of Secrets: I think this is the sleeper of the set. Coastal Piracy and Bident of Thassa are both fine cards, but both cards are in Blue, and the colour is not known for their creature strategies. If you think about it, Toski is an uncounterable, indestructible Bident of Thassa, that also happens to be a body, and in a colour that heavily supports creature-based strategies. The 1/1 body is not impressive, no, but the opponent almost certainly has to devote a creature to block Toski, or else you get to draw a card. Toski has to attack each turn, yes, but the turn it enters the battlefield you essentially have a blocker that will almost certainly survive the next turn, and with Toski's on-hit effect you'd want to be attacking more often than not. I think all these factors combined makes Toski a decent inclusion, and is better than the sum of its many, many parts.

In
Usher of the Fallen -> Skymarcher Aspirant

Testing
Doomskar -> Parallax Wave
Starnheim Unleashed -> History of Benalia
Pathway Lands

Watching
Cosima, God of the Voyage
Valki, God of Lies
Eradicator Valkyrie
Behold the Multiverse

Usher of the fallen
old-growth troll
Starnheim Unleashed
Cosima, God of the Voyage // The Omenkeel
Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor

I am confident Usher will stay. The rest are just for testing.

COVID killed our playgroup for now at least.. so not replying in the style I usually do. This set is bad for cube tho so not missing much.

Include:
Usher of the fallen - Marginal upgrade on the mid-tier 1 drops for W, auto include, but also not very powerful.
Valki, God of lies - Powerful good stuff threat in an archetype driven color. My call for card people underrating the most.

Would test but unlikely include:
Cosima, God of the Voyage - Card should play out similarly to a tireless tracker with some differences. Highest sleeper chance for me.
Esikra's Chariot - 3 permanents in 1 card that can also snowball if unchecked is no joke. But raw stats leave a bit to be desired.
Doomskar - Tiny sleeper chance, but in general think itll be > 5 mana wraths but < 4 mana wraths. That doesnt make cut for me.
Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider - super cool and close to good enough, but ultimately will be too expensive for its function imo.
Starnheim Unleashed - Decent card, but think it's an overrated card by the forum and definitely not worth inclusion at 540-. Preparing to eat my words. =D
Foretell "package" - New restoration angel is pretty solid, as is the counter spell and the draw spell. Would prob test all together for curiosity.


Snow house rule - basic lands = snow basics:
Reidane god of the worthy - best snow card by a lot from the new set. Think the double tax front side would be brutal on any non-interactive deck and the backside has a lot of powerful situational uses.
Ascendant spirit - Slightly worse than figure of destiny, but an interesting card nonetheless. Think it'll prove a bit too ineffecient, but worth testing.