Can you maybe elaborate on Order of Midnight? It never seemed overly appealing to me, but I have seen you speak up for it on several occasions and am intrigued.
Whoops, I missed this from a couple months back! I liked having it as a two-drop 2/2 with flying for aggro that was also attached to a raise dead effect. It was fine to just cast on-curve but also had an acceptable topdeck mode if you weren't on the back foot when you drew it. It has since been cut, though, to test Necrogen Spellbomb alongside Urza's Saga.
I feel the painlands are generally better than the checklands, since they'll always enter untapped, and can tap for colorless once your other mana sources can provide fixing later on to save on life loss. I do agree that the horizon lands are better overall, especially for aggro decks, so I'd rate them as Horizon > Pain > Check, and agree that the first two may swap for slower guilds.
I love almost all the new additions. The one that I’ll keep my eye on and personally have never tried is Hero of Precinct One.
I'll definitely miss the Ferocidon and the Vanguard as well. I hadn't considered Hero of Precinct One, but I really wanted to try out General Ferrous Rokiric, and someone in a cube Discord suggested I also try adding Hero alongside it. I'm interested to see how it plays, although the roof on it is definitely lower than on the General.
Here are my STX, C21 and MH2 changes, plus some additional changes I've made in the process! I thought I'd posted my STX changes, but apparently only edited them into my opening post:
I'm skeptical of this one, but happy others are excited. Finding room for expensive equipment is tough, and this doesn't stabilizes against aggro and doesn't have a reasonable expectation of a casting mode.
It's definitely a cool card, but I think it'll end up missing for me.
DamnBB
Sorcery (R)
Destroy target creature. A creature destroyed this way can't be regenerated.
Overload 2WW
Orzhov removal that's also a wrath? The double-pips in two different colors is a little awkward, but this is pretty much a strictly better Wrath of God, as it has a 2-mana mode.
This seems solid. I don't really see it dying to a token as a bad thing? My Dimir decks are probably more likely to want to have this die and recur it for another trigger.
Solitude3WW
Creature — Elemental Incarnation (M)
Flash
Lifelink
When Solitude enters the battlefield, exile up to one other target creature. That creature's controller gains life equal to its power.
Evoke—Exile a white card from your hand.
3/2
Seems great! Free emergency swords, or a 3/2 for 5 that Swords and has lifelink. Pretty easy include for me. Not quite at Grief levels, but above Subtlety for sure.
White:
Elite Spellbinder -> Nadaar, Selfless Paladin
Serra the Benevolent -> Portable Hole
Kjeldoran Outpost -> Cave of the Frost Dragon
Blue:
Hypnotic Sprite -> Aether Spellbomb
Faerie Conclave -> Hall of Storm Giants
Black:
Heartless Act -> Hero's Downfall
Order of Midnight -> Necrogen Spellbomb
Agadeem's Awakening -> Hive of the Eye Tyrant
Red:
Roil Eruption -> Pyrite Spellbomb
Spikefield Hazard -> Den of the Bugbear
Green:
The Great Henge -> Oath of Nissa
Noose Constrictor -> Lair of the Hydra
Multicolor:
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad -> Kaya, Ghost Assassin
Realm Razer -> Minsc, Beloved Ranger
Colorless:
Thaumatic Compass -> Metallic Mimic
Treasure Map -> Inventors' Fair
Spire of Industry -> Urza's Saga
I'm also still strongly considering Hand of Vecna, but don't have a cut in mind.
Adding:
Yuan-Ti Malison (over Sea Gate Stormcaller)
Wight (still figuring out cut, but maybe Doom Whisperer or Custodi Lich)
Den of the Bugbear (over Spikefield Hazard)
Hand of Vecna (probably over Blast Zone? not sure here)
I'm also considering cutting Agadeem's Awakening to add in Hive of the Eye Tyrant.
Thanks!
White:
Adanto Vanguard -> Hero of Precinct One
Mirror Entity -> Skyclave Apparition
Spectral Procession -> Elite Spellbinder
Halvar, God of Battle -> Timeless Dragon
Harmonious Archon -> Solitude
Elspeth Conquers Death -> Ephemerate
Blue:
Forbid -> Lose Focus
Black:
Scrapheap Scrounger -> Dauthi Voidwalker
Nullpriest of Oblivion -> Tourach, Dread Cantor
Nighthawk Scavenger -> Sedgemoor Witch
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet -> Grief
Flesh Carver -> Archon of Cruelty
Go for the Throat -> Baleful Mastery
Hero's Downfall -> Persist
Oona's Prowler -> Unmarked Grave
Red:
Jackal Pup -> Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Embereth Shieldbreaker -> Flametongue Yearling
Rampaging Ferocidon -> Laelia, the Blade Reforged
Siege-Gang Commander -> Fury
Green:
Experiment One -> Avacyn's Pilgrim
Mayor of Avabruck -> Boreal Druid
Pelt Collector -> Elves of Deep Shadow
Great Oak Guardian -> Ignoble Hierarch
Oracle of Mul Daya -> Abundant Harvest
Acidic Slime -> Pest Infestation
Multicolor:
Hostage Taker -> Master of Death
Falkenrath Aristocrat -> Fire Covenant
Corpse Knight -> Damn
Tidehollow Sculler -> Vanishing Verse
Fire//Ice -> Prismari Command
Lotleth Troll -> Grist, the Hunger Tide
Boros Charm -> Rip Apart
Nahiri, the Harbinger -> Flamescroll Celebrant -> General Ferrous Rokiric
Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign -> Dakkon, Shadow Slayer
Inventors' Fair -> Niv-Mizzet, Reborn
Colorless:
EDIT: Added a few extra changes!
In:
Solitude
Lose Focus
Grief
Tenacity
Unmarked Grave
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Flametongue Yearling
Damn
Grist, the Hunger Tide
Testing:
Timeless Dragon
Archon of Cruelty
Ignoble Hierarch
Master of Death
General Ferrous Rokiric
Dakkon, Shadowslayer
Watching:
Prismatic Ending
Subtlety
Svyelun of Sea and Sky
Tourach, Dread Cantor
It's definitely a cool card, but I think it'll end up missing for me.
Damn BB
Sorcery (R)
Destroy target creature. A creature destroyed this way can't be regenerated.
Overload 2WW
Orzhov removal that's also a wrath? The double-pips in two different colors is a little awkward, but this is pretty much a strictly better Wrath of God, as it has a 2-mana mode.
Solitude 3WW
Creature — Elemental Incarnation (M)
Flash
Lifelink
When Solitude enters the battlefield, exile up to one other target creature. That creature's controller gains life equal to its power.
Evoke—Exile a white card from your hand.
3/2
Seems great! Free emergency swords, or a 3/2 for 5 that Swords and has lifelink. Pretty easy include for me. Not quite at Grief levels, but above Subtlety for sure.