I think many of the cards like waker of waves are a great design, but overall the set will be low imapct. I agree on your top two and will be adding them to my cube.
I've played empty the warrens(in a non storm setting) and hordling outburst in red at various times and this similar. But as others said this is worse than other options, particularly secure the wastes and battle screech
Actually I doubt they can make a better 3 drop Phoenix than PoA, and with all the rabblemasters I am not interested in mediocre 3s. But an evasive durable 2 drop in red? That is what I am looking for.
Chandra's Phoenixwas cool for cube 5 years ago but now... Flamewake phoenix never quite got there but was cheap to buy back Phoenix of Ash shows that you know a 3 drop can/should do more than 2 damage Lightning Phoenix is almost perfect but you forgot that my adding downsides to a card you could exchange them with upsides
So next, pretty please can we get a 2 mana Phoenix?
I think if you really like sacrifice in red (which isn't a stretch as it is token and graveyard heavy in recent years ) I think this is worth a look. Saccing the monkey from Kari Zev or a rabblemaster token that isn't going anywhere isn't bad.
That said I think I like Greater Gargadon and Goblin bombardment more for red sac outlets. This comes in at number 3 ahead of the bombardment ripoffs that require activation. So if you are deep on sac and looking for a spicy new 2 drop give it a spin.
And yes, this as a common, in a core set, means wizards has given up on it being an entry level product.
Great card is great, but blue 3 creatures are stacked. Especially considering noncreatures take up far more of blue than any other color.
My current ranking:
1. True-Name nemesis
2. Vendillion Clique
3. Brazen Borrower
4. Nadir Kraken
5. Barrin
6. Man-o_war
7. Sea Gate Oracle
But in my 360, I don't have much blink, and I am already running rift/borrower/cryptic/ confluence
I still think Chasm Skulker would push Nadir Kraken off the list by being mostly better, Spellseeker is pretty good too.
I really liked the idea of skulker and played it for a while but it was too slow, and felt bad against exile and bounce. Originally I passed on the Kraken but decided to bring it back, so far I have been impressed, Becoming a 3/4 after only one draw is really important as it can be useful in combat in the early game . Krakin lacks the combo aspect of skulker but that was really the only time that felt good.
This is normally a card I like. lots of options, spell that can make threats.
But the thing is I want nothing to do with 6 mana cards that can be done for much cheaper. As much as I think mystic confluence is a bomb, 6 is so much mana for something not named upheaval. It would be unbelievably more awesome as a modular card that only cost 6 if you could choose 2 for 4.
It is a very cool card but not for me. I have moved a lot of my graveyard support to red, because I found blue too crowed to use slots for 'supporting' the black deck, and it has spiced up red.
It's fine. I like the other two 4 mana Garruks better, let alone other planeswalkers and 4 mana cards. In the world were Elspeth Knight Errant defined the model for PWs I think this is fine, but it is not really where I want to be anymore. I think I like the 4 mana vivien better but it has a nasty triple green.
That said for those who are big into call of the Herd and other cards that give you multiple decent bodies out of one card you can do worse than -2,-2 on this bad boy. Late game being able to drop this as a pump spell is not bad either.
I agree card seems fine, but it isn't crazy. If the sac effect was 0 mana or if it had first strike. Probably fine like the dissmissive guy or the other prowess 2 drops. I might try it because after Young Pyromancer and Keri Zev I think all the rest are replaceable.
Cool card. For me wit ha small cube not running persist I think this is a little worse than Broodmothra and I haven't found room for that. But I am all for making white more interesting.
The reason green doesn't run a baneslayer angel is because it doesn't need a baneslayer. For many colors getting to 5 mana is really the top end. Green can go much higher. For most colors an undercosted fatty with loads of keywords is unusual, so you don't get much more spice. Green on the other hand is loaded with fatties, so much so you can often find a very similar cards tweaked in certain ways.
So if you are playing a a green deck what do you want out of your 5 drop.
Against aggro you want to block, and maybe gain life. Seems good here, if it makes it a turn.
Against midrange you want to get more than a card value. Seems good, if it makes it a turn.
Against control, you want disruption and durability and a must answer threat. Rough, but it is must answer, if it lasts.
Against combo, you want want explosiveness and disruption. No points, but ending the game soonish isn't bad.
The thing about Titan is I get ramp when I reanimate or natural order it. Prime time is often my warm up. Carnage tyrant is at least immute to point removal. Gearhulk has pseudohaste. Ozze gets all kinds of value. Vorapede at least has durability. I have come down on the squirrel guys, but I am not sure I want this.
I like this card. It's similar to Adanto Vanguard in that you have a 3-power 2-drop that can aggressively get into combat, and protect itself from Wraths. This creature is also 3-power on defense too! White has been dipping its toes into reanimator and other graveyard-based decks more and more as of late, and I think this creature will be able to find a home both in white aggro and in graveyard decks that feature white as a tertiary color. I'll very likely test this out.
As the legendary count keeps going up and up in cube I have been playing with Loyal Retainers, getting some decent positve results so far. (Maybe not enough for everyone but I think it will get there someday). This card sets it up very nicely. New Theros has reminded me that the graveyard is another axis to power up decks and it is good to have a way to tap that resource. All other colors have 360 firm playables for discard, about time to get white in on it.
Currently I am running Elspeth, Sun's Nemisis, Sun Titan, Hallowed Spiritkeeper, and Bruna to potentially take advantage of the discard. What else are people running in white that can make use of this?
Chandra's Phoenixwas cool for cube 5 years ago but now...
Flamewake phoenix never quite got there but was cheap to buy back
Phoenix of Ash shows that you know a 3 drop can/should do more than 2 damage
Lightning Phoenix is almost perfect but you forgot that my adding downsides to a card you could exchange them with upsides
So next, pretty please can we get a 2 mana Phoenix?
That said I think I like Greater Gargadon and Goblin bombardment more for red sac outlets. This comes in at number 3 ahead of the bombardment ripoffs that require activation. So if you are deep on sac and looking for a spicy new 2 drop give it a spin.
And yes, this as a common, in a core set, means wizards has given up on it being an entry level product.
I really liked the idea of skulker and played it for a while but it was too slow, and felt bad against exile and bounce. Originally I passed on the Kraken but decided to bring it back, so far I have been impressed, Becoming a 3/4 after only one draw is really important as it can be useful in combat in the early game . Krakin lacks the combo aspect of skulker but that was really the only time that felt good.
My current ranking:
1. True-Name nemesis
2. Vendillion Clique
3. Brazen Borrower
4. Nadir Kraken
5. Barrin
6. Man-o_war
7. Sea Gate Oracle
But in my 360, I don't have much blink, and I am already running rift/borrower/cryptic/ confluence
But the thing is I want nothing to do with 6 mana cards that can be done for much cheaper. As much as I think mystic confluence is a bomb, 6 is so much mana for something not named upheaval. It would be unbelievably more awesome as a modular card that only cost 6 if you could choose 2 for 4.
That said for those who are big into call of the Herd and other cards that give you multiple decent bodies out of one card you can do worse than -2,-2 on this bad boy. Late game being able to drop this as a pump spell is not bad either.
Except they get to plus one the turn they cast it.....
So if you are playing a a green deck what do you want out of your 5 drop.
Against aggro you want to block, and maybe gain life. Seems good here, if it makes it a turn.
Against midrange you want to get more than a card value. Seems good, if it makes it a turn.
Against control, you want disruption and durability and a must answer threat. Rough, but it is must answer, if it lasts.
Against combo, you want want explosiveness and disruption. No points, but ending the game soonish isn't bad.
The thing about Titan is I get ramp when I reanimate or natural order it. Prime time is often my warm up. Carnage tyrant is at least immute to point removal. Gearhulk has pseudohaste. Ozze gets all kinds of value. Vorapede at least has durability. I have come down on the squirrel guys, but I am not sure I want this.
As the legendary count keeps going up and up in cube I have been playing with Loyal Retainers, getting some decent positve results so far. (Maybe not enough for everyone but I think it will get there someday). This card sets it up very nicely. New Theros has reminded me that the graveyard is another axis to power up decks and it is good to have a way to tap that resource. All other colors have 360 firm playables for discard, about time to get white in on it.
Currently I am running Elspeth, Sun's Nemisis, Sun Titan, Hallowed Spiritkeeper, and Bruna to potentially take advantage of the discard. What else are people running in white that can make use of this?