I don't like these. There's a TON of filler, and the FtKs, Eternal Witnesses, Solemn Simulacrums, FoFs that provided a lot of generic utility and value just aren't there. Most of the reprinted rares aren't even cards you'd want to include in an on-theme deck that you'd spent any time and money on.
There's still potential value in the P3K reprints and the smattering of legacy playable new cards but I'd rather not have 90% of the value of my fancy new deck be in 2/99 cards.
Outside a deck that can actually abuse his +1, he is mostly worse than Garruk Relentless. Elfball is the only deck that can very easily go off with the +1, which makes him a very good card for that deck in Modern and perhaps Legacy, but a much more niche addition to standard.
In standard as it is now he is worse than Jace, AoT or Domri.
Personally, I'd love to see a reprint of Opt, updated as "Scry 1, then draw a card" but the reality is that it isn't going to happen. Opt is arguably better than Preordain.
But hey, if I'm wrong, everybody can throw tomatoes at me.
No, that isn't arguable. Opt saw a small amount of standard play when legal, Preordain has been played in every format it is legal in and dominated standard/modern. Opt isn't even as good as Visions.
The one I opened today included a gatecrash, RTR, and M13 pack, but no M14 pack or replacement pack - so only 3 total. The store owner was good enough to fix it for me but if you are going to open one of these yourself I would strongly advice opening it at the store in sight of the owner so you can get it fixed if there's a misshap - one mistake implies others.
Hyperbolic reactions are hyperbolic. This isn't even a very good card. Look at it this way:
If they board this in and don't draw it, you still Geist them.
If they board it in and draw it, but you don't draw Geist, they have drawn and spent mana on a more or less completely dead card. Geist decks don't target opposing creatures that often, and the ones they do are either very early (pillar) or very late (angel of serenity). The Glaring deck is unlikely to have 3 up.
If they board it in and draw it, and you draw Geist, and then they use targeted removal on your Geist.... they've 2 for 1ed themselves. It works, but it is hardly an impressive or exciting play. Play another Geist and kill them with that.
The only thing this effectively handles is a hypothetical all hexproof deck, and that deck was an abomination to begin with.
I am beyond tired of 7 mana fatties with marginal EDH-orientated effects. It seems like we have more of them cluttering the rare slot every set, and given EDH's ability to use each forever, it would be much better served by only a few each year.
New Gideon isn't bad, he just doesn't provide what people expect. He's good for aggro decks versus control, and he's good for aggro decks against each other. He's even good for control decks against each other. But he's bad for control decks against aggro, so that will hold him down a bit, because white aggro can't usually run too many 4 drops and control can't main deck too many cards that are dead against weenies.
I'd be very surprised if there aren't 2-3 between the main board and sideboard of most white decks in standard in 3 months, though.
This is the mindset I was talking about;
You shouldn't assume the Vraska player is just going to durdle about on the turns before she hits the table-
if they have half a brain, they'll be casting Trolls, Gravecrawlers, and other nasties that will happily attack you the turn Vraska comes down.
Champion of Lambholt cast on the turn the tokens attack pretty much *is* GG,
unless they have more 1/1's than you have removal+tokens.
What separates an excellent card from a good one is that it is either a) absurdly cheap (delver) or b) good in a wide range of scenarios, without much support.
I wish you luck with putting champ and vraska in the same deck.
There's still potential value in the P3K reprints and the smattering of legacy playable new cards but I'd rather not have 90% of the value of my fancy new deck be in 2/99 cards.
In standard as it is now he is worse than Jace, AoT or Domri.
No, that isn't arguable. Opt saw a small amount of standard play when legal, Preordain has been played in every format it is legal in and dominated standard/modern. Opt isn't even as good as Visions.
No tomatoes though :).
If they board this in and don't draw it, you still Geist them.
If they board it in and draw it, but you don't draw Geist, they have drawn and spent mana on a more or less completely dead card. Geist decks don't target opposing creatures that often, and the ones they do are either very early (pillar) or very late (angel of serenity). The Glaring deck is unlikely to have 3 up.
If they board it in and draw it, and you draw Geist, and then they use targeted removal on your Geist.... they've 2 for 1ed themselves. It works, but it is hardly an impressive or exciting play. Play another Geist and kill them with that.
The only thing this effectively handles is a hypothetical all hexproof deck, and that deck was an abomination to begin with.
No. Take two 5 card hands. Cast explore and divination from one, and this card from the other. Count how many cards you are up after.
This is NOT explore + divination.
I'd be very surprised if there aren't 2-3 between the main board and sideboard of most white decks in standard in 3 months, though.
If Tunnel Ignus were a 2/2 first strike haste instead of a 2/1 with no abilities, this would be a meaningful comparison.
Did they? Is this really the kind of card we want to see in the format?
What separates an excellent card from a good one is that it is either a) absurdly cheap (delver) or b) good in a wide range of scenarios, without much support.
I wish you luck with putting champ and vraska in the same deck.