MTG Salvation

Seems like a decent colorless ramp target. Unfortunately doesn't flicker or reanimate well but the unearth adds a little bit of synergy. I don't run Eldrazi so I'm prob going to test.

If you cheat it in, it has no protection and doesn't do anything until it gets to attack. The only color that could reliably cast this or pay its unearth cost is green, but this creature is not green, which means it cannot even be searched for with GSZ or Natural Order, two very common green cards in ramp decks, and it still retains its weakness to removal, especially against control decks that don't necessarily have any nonland permanents in play.

I don't think this is powerful enough for how narrow it is.

This card has really overperformed for me in the MTGO vintage cube. It's also being experimented with in modern in Mono G tron over Ugin.

Not being synergistic with cheaty spells made me not interested at first glance, but it's so good as a standalone ramp target, I'm re-evaluating.

I played it in a deck with green ramp and survival of the fittest.
Being able to pitch it for graveyard value was relevant multiple games, as was the ability being a "cast trigger" getting around counter magic.
The destroy on attack from the unearth mode in conjunction with hasty 8/8 trampler can close out games on the spot if you have any other pressure on the board. Swings races.

Even if tinkered/reanimated into, it has to be dealt with on the spot or it can easily take over the game, so it's still playable in ramp+cheat strategies.

Having a ramp target that gets a lot of value through countermagic is a very big deal in my cube.

I'm confident... if you are skeptical of this card and haven't seen it in action, you are underestimating it.

Quote from LucidVision »

This card has really overperformed for me in the MTGO vintage cube. It's also being experimented with in modern in Mono G tron over Ugin.

Not being synergistic with cheaty spells made me not interested at first glance, but it's so good as a standalone ramp target, I'm re-evaluating.

I played it in a deck with green ramp and survival of the fittest.
Being able to pitch it for graveyard value was relevant multiple games, as was the ability being a "cast trigger" getting around counter magic.
The destroy on attack from the unearth mode in conjunction with hasty 8/8 trampler can close out games on the spot if you have any other pressure on the board. Swings races.

Even if tinkered/reanimated into, it has to be dealt with on the spot or it can easily take over the game, so it's still playable in ramp+cheat strategies.

Having a ramp target that gets a lot of value through countermagic is a very big deal in my cube.

I'm confident... if you are skeptical of this card and haven't seen it in action, you are underestimating it.

I'm a huge fan of Maelstrom Wanderer for this particular reason. But i see your point, i found Survival 60% has been an enabler for reanimator decks and 40% an enabler for Living Death/ Incarnation Technique/ Recurring Nightmare etc.

Interesting your comments @Breathe1234, I'm thinking to try Portal to Phyrexia over Thunderhawk Gunship. However, Cityscape Leveler is sounding a better option for this slot.


720 unpowered cube: https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/cjf

I don't really have that much experience playing Portal in unpowered, but Portal is at its best with Show and Tell/ Eureka/ Channel/ Welder/ Daretti/ Workshop/ Tolarian/ Mana Vault / Tinker etc. The problem with Show and Tell/ Eureka is that the opponent could put something scary onto the field and it easily backfire; Portal provide a mitigation to this.

I'm not sure if an unpowered cube has enough ramp for Portal, but my gut says no.

The second concern with portal also needs a card like Academy Ruins to be already in your cube to help provide inevitability, similar to Eye of Ugin / Sanctum of Ugin. It look innocuous, but the importance of Academy Ruins in these these type of decks cannot be understated.

Quote from Breathe1234 »

Quote from LucidVision »

I'm a huge fan of Maelstrom Wanderer for this particular reason. But i see your point, i found Survival 60% has been an enabler for reanimator decks and 40% an enabler for Living Death/ Incarnation Technique/ Recurring Nightmare etc.

I really enjoyed maelstrom wanderer for similar reasons.. I cut it for being too narrow, but it was fun and powerful.
Sometimes you haste out two titan's. Other times you hit an elf and a mox diamond haha.

The deck I played cityscape leveler in was using survival of the fittest as a fair toolbox card, but it also got value from the graveyard.
Uro and Cityscape leveler offset the card disadvantage of survival. Graveyard value is key to making survival playable in "fair" decks. I'd like to support more graveyard value for cards like survival and self mill effects. The unearth mode on cityscape leveler qualified as that. When I first evaluated the card, I thought unearth was a notch above flavor text, but I was wrong. It's a significant part of the card's strength.

Quote from LucidVision »

Quote from Breathe1234 »

Quote from LucidVision »

I'm a huge fan of Maelstrom Wanderer for this particular reason. But i see your point, i found Survival 60% has been an enabler for reanimator decks and 40% an enabler for Living Death/ Incarnation Technique/ Recurring Nightmare etc.

I really enjoyed maelstrom wanderer for similar reasons.. I cut it for being too narrow, but it was fun and powerful.
Sometimes you haste out two titan's. Other times you hit an elf and a mox diamond haha.

The deck I played cityscape leveler in was using survival of the fittest as a fair toolbox card, but it also got value from the graveyard.
Uro and Cityscape leveler offset the card disadvantage of survival. Graveyard value is key to making survival playable in "fair" decks. I'd like to support more graveyard value for cards like survival and self mill effects. The unearth mode on cityscape leveler qualified as that. When I first evaluated the card, I thought unearth was a notch above flavor text, but I was wrong. It's a significant part of the card's strength.

Thats my experience with Survival as well, its really been a while since I've played Survival in a non-reanimator/ creature combo deck. But yes I'm looking forward to this to trying to play survival in a more fair environment.