Not sure how many cube managers will adopt this card, but my initial take is that it looks somewhat interesting. I, personally, have greatly enjoyed playing Explore in a cube environment, but understand that I'm likely the minority. That said, adding instant speed to this effect can greatly enhance how valuable it is due to playing right into what blue-based decks want to do. At two mana you can have counter mana open, choose not to counter anything, and cast this followed by turn three four-drop. Something like Harrow has a similar play pattern without also allowing you to have four mana on turn three. Making this a gold card is certainly something to consider in regards to how many less decks can include this over Explore, but admittedly Simic is likely the weakest guild in almost every cube, so slots are not super competitive (at least at the beginning of this preview season). Thoughts?
I think being an instant makes it quite a bit more powerful than Explore. With other reactive cards, it doesn't always take up your whole turn, and being able to get "surprise" ramp might change the way an opponent would've played their turn out. You can have your 4-drop on T3 without having the opponent knowing you'll have access to extra resources early.
That being said, this is going to be far better in a blue deck splashing green than the other way around, since it loses a lot of its value if it's one of the few instants in your deck. Most of my decks are GG/u rather than UU/g, so I think the decks where it can really shine will be very few in number. I'd be happy to be surprised though, since Simic can always use the additional help in cube.
I want this to be good, because I really like the artwork, but isn't this basically Coiling Oracle, except you're trading a 1/1 body for the ability to run at instant speed? I'm not sure that's a trade most Simic decks really want to make. And Coiling Oracle is sort of fringe-y already for the guild.
Card is certainly fine and would find an occasional home, but it’s not great.
When the instant speed isn’t relevant, it’s mostly a harder to cast explore (explore isn’t played until very large sizes)... explore is a card that is much better in the early game...so a restrictive mana cost matters.
However, there are the occasional GU decks that have a few instant speed interactions and in those decks the card is pretty solid.
I don’t mind narrow cards, but if they are narrow, Id like them to have higher upside than this.
This is a fine card, but not one that is extremely exciting. I like Coiling Oracle much better, and I don't know if that card is commonly played. I have one or two Simic slots that are particularly weak, but I'd hope for something a bit more enticing.
If you're playing a lot of counterspells, this is better than Explore. Otherwise, it's generally worse.
That being said, this is going to be far better in a blue deck splashing green than the other way around, since it loses a lot of its value if it's one of the few instants in your deck. Most of my decks are GG/u rather than UU/g
This. Green is the color that enables splashes / is the color you splash for the least (and if you do it's almost always for Sylvan Library). This card is fine, but Simic in general takes very little advantage of it being instant speed since green is usually very dominant when it comes to playing Simic. I'd only be interested in this if you want all the Explore effects, but Coiling Oracle being a creature gives it so many more synergies on top of being Skullclamp / Natural Order fodder, holding Jitte in a pinch / etc.
I LOVE this card, as I love low-cost value cards and small advantages, and simic is pretty weak overall, but I don't think even I can justify putting this in my list. Especially since I have to imagine there's a decent chance we get a different, better simic card, since we got 3 out of 5 great guild cards in the last set (trophy, knight, and tajic/aurelia depending on cube).
I will definitely make my friend who took over my multicolor cube put it in though lol.
I may play it just for the art. Seb McKinnon is absolutely crushing lately.
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I may play it just for the art. Seb McKinnon is absolutely crushing lately.
So much this. I think this is my favorite piece of new art in MTG for quite some time. The card is really good too, but not close to cracking the top 3 unfortunately.
EDIT: Seb posted the full art on twitter, look at the pretty:
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That being said, this is going to be far better in a blue deck splashing green than the other way around, since it loses a lot of its value if it's one of the few instants in your deck. Most of my decks are GG/u rather than UU/g, so I think the decks where it can really shine will be very few in number. I'd be happy to be surprised though, since Simic can always use the additional help in cube.
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Card is certainly fine and would find an occasional home, but it’s not great.
When the instant speed isn’t relevant, it’s mostly a harder to cast explore (explore isn’t played until very large sizes)... explore is a card that is much better in the early game...so a restrictive mana cost matters.
However, there are the occasional GU decks that have a few instant speed interactions and in those decks the card is pretty solid.
I don’t mind narrow cards, but if they are narrow, Id like them to have higher upside than this.
*fingers crossed for a good simic card*
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If you're playing a lot of counterspells, this is better than Explore. Otherwise, it's generally worse.
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This. Green is the color that enables splashes / is the color you splash for the least (and if you do it's almost always for Sylvan Library). This card is fine, but Simic in general takes very little advantage of it being instant speed since green is usually very dominant when it comes to playing Simic. I'd only be interested in this if you want all the Explore effects, but Coiling Oracle being a creature gives it so many more synergies on top of being Skullclamp / Natural Order fodder, holding Jitte in a pinch / etc.
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I will definitely make my friend who took over my multicolor cube put it in though lol.
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EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: UR Delver
Modern: UGR Delver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
So much this. I think this is my favorite piece of new art in MTG for quite some time. The card is really good too, but not close to cracking the top 3 unfortunately.
EDIT: Seb posted the full art on twitter, look at the pretty: