I edited OP just for you, bud. Sorry, English isn't my first language.
I also think Titan's Strength looks almost better then Giant Growth, a long beloved card. Aqueous Form is also really solid.
I have no problem with common and uncommon card being a bit pushed though. What makes my love of Magic waver is when I look at a Mythic like Voice of Resurgence and can only manage to think "wow, now I can't play Selesnya without buying 4 30$ cards". That's just Wizards breaking the laws of card design to sell boosters for a rare.
I'm glad that this time they managed to have no cards like this and rather focus on having lots of possible playables that focus on synergy.
It seems that Theros is very light in terms of broken good cards that are way too much ahead of the curve such as Thragtusk, Voice of Resurgence, Thundermaw Hellkite, Geist of Saint Traft, Kolonian Hydra or Snapcaster Mage. Lots of playable and exciting cards, but no cards truly strike me as really pushed. I'm thankful at Wizards for that. Sucks to see MtG competition just be a bunch of obviously good cards worth 10$+ a pop.
Some cards might be really good but these don't look like the kind you play 4-of in a deck, or at least aren't 4 chase mythics:
Thassa
Purphoros
Curse of the Swine
Thoughtseize (but reprints don't really count)
Xenagos, the Reveler
Do you think they got the power level right this time around?
This is pretty nuts! Decks that play a lot of creatures with first strike/double strike/evasion should enjoy this very much. The soulbound firebreath guy rotates out and this is much better in my opinion, especially in limited.
Centaur Battlemaster 3GG
Creature - Centaur Warrior
HEROIC - Whenever you cast a spell that targets Centaur Battlemaster, put three +1/+1 counters on Centaur Battlemaster.
3/3
A very limited-only card. In constructed you pretty much need at least 6 mana (for 1 mana instant) to make sure it doesn't get countered by a Slagstorm or Searing Spear (their Theros equivalent).
Might a somewhat solid card in limited though. A conditional 6/6 is something most people like to draw if you have a few cards to activate it.
Would be much better as a 2/4 considering all the 3 damage red removal. This is a card you want to stick around for a little while.
He as very good double edged abilities, giving you great choices. Too bad he's probably too slow to be played. This is the kind of card that can make very cool matches.
Double strike
Heroic - Whenever you cast a spell that targets Fabled Hero, put a +1/+1 counter on Fabled Hero.
"You. Poet. Be sure to write this down."
2/2
2/2 Double strike cards with that cost have an history to be played in constructed. I suspect this will be no different. With all these good heroics I hope we will get more targeting spells.
All standard decks playing this in standard will have Rescue from the Underworld in multiples. Which means you can reanimate it then sacrifice it at instant speed for 2 more triggers. Madness! That is, if the deck is viable.
Any deck that benifits from an anthem can also play this as 1-2 of. Being a legendary artifact is a pretty good tradeoff for the second ability that is a great mana sink and a good way to ensure your opponent's bombs only hit you once. Also good at devotion. If white weenie exists in post-rotation standard, this will be included in 90% of the lists, at least as a sideboard card. Might even see play in soul sisters modern as a fifth and maybe sixth honor of the pure.
The basic rule of M2.0 is: Any time you are allowed to play a land (or put it into play from any zone), you may choose a card in your hand (or in that zone), reveal it, and choose one of its colors. Then, you exile that card (or put it into the command zone, just to be safe) and replace it with a basic land producing mana of the chosen color.
iv) Explore, Azusa, etc. work. If you are allowed to play more than one land in a turn, you are also allowed to apply the M2.0 rule that many times.
The wording here made me think that you can channel for lands as long as you don't play a land card (since you are then allowed to play one). The iv) point seems to indicate the opposite, but that's not what the rules say. Just make that clarification directly in the rule. You can only channel as many times as you can play lands each turn.
Also note that I assumed that only lands that could get into play are able to be channeled. Landmill thus remains unaffected. Ruling that landmill cards consider every card or other card a land is the way to go though, other then banning them (though that's probably simpler, no one will play these anyway).
About effects that allow you to play lands from the top of the library such as Explorer's Scope, most of these saw play at least in standard, and are thus already good when they work 40% of the time. Making them work at more then double efficiency is is too good. I say we can't channel when checking the top card, better unplayable then broken.
Selective removal for land search can take a long time yes. Magic 2.0 takes longer to play since you have more decisions, so you might consider that part of the goal. If you prefer it shorter I would advise 2 options:
-Simply give a time limit of 30 seconds or so.
-Limit the choices to the bottom 5 cards or so. There is a shuffle afterwards usually.
None of these really nerf land searching.
What if instead, the players had two decks, a "main" deck containing no mana and a "mana" deck containing nothing but. At the start of a player's turn, they choose which deck they want to draw from based on whether they need mana or not.
This has been proposed many times, and the more I think about it, the more I realize that this variant with a few tweaks for top/bottom library effects breaks almost nothing, while giving the same mana fixing results as 2.0. The key is to have the same odds for combo decks though. Drawing from a main deck of 40 cards makes combo much better. Reducing playsets to 3 cards makes it right. Main deck should have between 40 and 50 cards, with the reminder of 60 in the land deck, composed entirely of lands. You don't want less then 40 cards otherwise odds get too big (3/40 is already better then 4/60, it also has less variance). You want at least 10 cards in the land deck because some lands are really great (many decks would play 1 shockland+3 checkland). Also some lands like dark depths combo. Maybe forcing 40/20 with playsets of 3 might be obligatory, some mix of lands become overly good otherwise.
Thing about 1.5 (2 decks) is that it doesn't offer the nice Kaijijudo choices of sacrificing some cards. 2.0 (channeling) is harder to rule effectively and breaks a few cards but becomes a more involved game with more choices.
In mono-green this deck lacks removal AND is quite vulnerable to removal. A bunch of cards here help a lot. Having Golgari Charm and Ranger's Guile as a 1 or 2-of can make you opponent think twice about removal when you have mana ready. Wasteland Viper is also the kind of thing I run in single for mind games.
I would advise against playing mono color. Having 4 shock lands and 2-4 scrygates + Bird of paradise plant has a low opportinity cost and playing blue or black opens a lot of options such as Ultimate Price and Doom Blade. It doesn't hurt the devotion either. Finding deck space might be hard though.
How so? Trample and reach are actually antagonistic, and reach has no special synergy with shade.
Trample is the only thing missing on the giant. Maybe it doesn't fit with reach, but it fits with the 6/6(or 9/9). Also 3 devotion is a big selling point.
I understand that you think this is a trash rare that will ruin your boosters, but you can keep the discussion respectful. I was merely comparing both cards, even in the most obvious facets.
So disregarding haste strategies, let's compare Kalonian to this guy.
-Kalonian comes down as a 4/4 trample, swings next turn for 8/8 and trample.
-Colossus comes down as a 6/6 reach, swings next turn as a 9/9 and kills a flyer.
Now on the second attack, Kalonian definitely overtakes the Colossus, but on respective turns they drop, the Colossus is actually a little less vulnerable (it doesn't get hit by mortars), and killing a flyer when he becomes Monstrous is always helpful. Hell he can stop the new dragon the turn he comes down. I feel like his costs are more indicative of running him in monogreen more often than the hydra who is very splashable, considering and that it just fine.
Kalonian takes far less investment and is obviously a better card, but this guy is quite solid and will probably see play.
Pro:
+More devotion to Nylea (they have amazing synergy). Also great for the Coffers Shrine that will be auto-include in mono green.
+Better blocker (6/6 on the first turn, you don't need to attack and be vulnerable for it to get big)
+Can block fliers
+Can kill a flyer next turn
+Bigger then hydra even after it attacked
Con:
-More mana investment to make it big, removal makes you waste 11 mana
-Doesn't get out of hand after 2 turns (9/9 is still big enough in most cases)
-No trample alone
-Harder to cast in multicolor
Overall, Hydra snowballs harder and is more of a "seal the deal" type of card. It will also be played in more decks. Colossus on the other hand is better at getting you out of losing situations and is better in decks that devote to green.
I edited OP just for you, bud. Sorry, English isn't my first language.
I also think Titan's Strength looks almost better then Giant Growth, a long beloved card. Aqueous Form is also really solid.
I have no problem with common and uncommon card being a bit pushed though. What makes my love of Magic waver is when I look at a Mythic like Voice of Resurgence and can only manage to think "wow, now I can't play Selesnya without buying 4 30$ cards". That's just Wizards breaking the laws of card design to sell boosters for a rare.
I'm glad that this time they managed to have no cards like this and rather focus on having lots of possible playables that focus on synergy.
Some cards might be really good but these don't look like the kind you play 4-of in a deck, or at least aren't 4 chase mythics:
Thassa
Purphoros
Curse of the Swine
Thoughtseize (but reprints don't really count)
Xenagos, the Reveler
Do you think they got the power level right this time around?
This is pretty nuts! Decks that play a lot of creatures with first strike/double strike/evasion should enjoy this very much. The soulbound firebreath guy rotates out and this is much better in my opinion, especially in limited.
3GG
Creature - Centaur Warrior
HEROIC - Whenever you cast a spell that targets Centaur Battlemaster, put three +1/+1 counters on Centaur Battlemaster.
3/3
A very limited-only card. In constructed you pretty much need at least 6 mana (for 1 mana instant) to make sure it doesn't get countered by a Slagstorm or Searing Spear (their Theros equivalent).
Might a somewhat solid card in limited though. A conditional 6/6 is something most people like to draw if you have a few cards to activate it.
Also this section is about rule variants, casual decks go here: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/forumdisplay.php?f=25
He as very good double edged abilities, giving you great choices. Too bad he's probably too slow to be played. This is the kind of card that can make very cool matches.
1WW
Creature - Human Soldier
Double strike
Heroic - Whenever you cast a spell that targets Fabled Hero, put a +1/+1 counter on Fabled Hero.
"You. Poet. Be sure to write this down."
2/2
2/2 Double strike cards with that cost have an history to be played in constructed. I suspect this will be no different. With all these good heroics I hope we will get more targeting spells.
4/2 flash isn't bad, dual green mana cost is good for the devotion, one of the only card that can increase devotion at instant speed mind you.
A reasonably costed bestow at instant speed is very nice for green, where, besides giant growth, combat tricks are uncommon. A 2 for 1 very often.
Also leaves you with a 4/2 after board swipes.
Even if it dies to Searing Spear (oh sorry, Lightning Strike), there aren't that many 3 drops that can survive it anyway.
The wording here made me think that you can channel for lands as long as you don't play a land card (since you are then allowed to play one). The iv) point seems to indicate the opposite, but that's not what the rules say. Just make that clarification directly in the rule. You can only channel as many times as you can play lands each turn.
Also note that I assumed that only lands that could get into play are able to be channeled. Landmill thus remains unaffected. Ruling that landmill cards consider every card or other card a land is the way to go though, other then banning them (though that's probably simpler, no one will play these anyway).
About effects that allow you to play lands from the top of the library such as Explorer's Scope, most of these saw play at least in standard, and are thus already good when they work 40% of the time. Making them work at more then double efficiency is is too good. I say we can't channel when checking the top card, better unplayable then broken.
Selective removal for land search can take a long time yes. Magic 2.0 takes longer to play since you have more decisions, so you might consider that part of the goal. If you prefer it shorter I would advise 2 options:
-Simply give a time limit of 30 seconds or so.
-Limit the choices to the bottom 5 cards or so. There is a shuffle afterwards usually.
None of these really nerf land searching.
This has been proposed many times, and the more I think about it, the more I realize that this variant with a few tweaks for top/bottom library effects breaks almost nothing, while giving the same mana fixing results as 2.0. The key is to have the same odds for combo decks though. Drawing from a main deck of 40 cards makes combo much better. Reducing playsets to 3 cards makes it right. Main deck should have between 40 and 50 cards, with the reminder of 60 in the land deck, composed entirely of lands. You don't want less then 40 cards otherwise odds get too big (3/40 is already better then 4/60, it also has less variance). You want at least 10 cards in the land deck because some lands are really great (many decks would play 1 shockland+3 checkland). Also some lands like dark depths combo. Maybe forcing 40/20 with playsets of 3 might be obligatory, some mix of lands become overly good otherwise.
Thing about 1.5 (2 decks) is that it doesn't offer the nice Kaijijudo choices of sacrificing some cards. 2.0 (channeling) is harder to rule effectively and breaks a few cards but becomes a more involved game with more choices.
In mono-green this deck lacks removal AND is quite vulnerable to removal. A bunch of cards here help a lot. Having Golgari Charm and Ranger's Guile as a 1 or 2-of can make you opponent think twice about removal when you have mana ready. Wasteland Viper is also the kind of thing I run in single for mind games.
I would advise against playing mono color. Having 4 shock lands and 2-4 scrygates + Bird of paradise plant has a low opportinity cost and playing blue or black opens a lot of options such as Ultimate Price and Doom Blade. It doesn't hurt the devotion either. Finding deck space might be hard though.
Trample is the only thing missing on the giant. Maybe it doesn't fit with reach, but it fits with the 6/6(or 9/9). Also 3 devotion is a big selling point.
I understand that you think this is a trash rare that will ruin your boosters, but you can keep the discussion respectful. I was merely comparing both cards, even in the most obvious facets.
And only after attacking with Kolonian Hydra 2 times:
Pro:
+More devotion to Nylea (they have amazing synergy). Also great for the Coffers Shrine that will be auto-include in mono green.
+Better blocker (6/6 on the first turn, you don't need to attack and be vulnerable for it to get big)
+Can block fliers
+Can kill a flyer next turn
+Bigger then hydra even after it attacked
Con:
-More mana investment to make it big, removal makes you waste 11 mana
-Doesn't get out of hand after 2 turns (9/9 is still big enough in most cases)
-No trample alone
-Harder to cast in multicolor
Overall, Hydra snowballs harder and is more of a "seal the deal" type of card. It will also be played in more decks. Colossus on the other hand is better at getting you out of losing situations and is better in decks that devote to green.