Because it's the one they have the most control over.
Limited has the momentum of a tricycle.
Standard has the momentum of a car.
Modern has the momentum of a semi.
Vintage/Legacy has the momentum of a train.
The tiniest of changes to "Eternal" Formats, can have huge lasting impressions, and pretty much the only way to stop them is to go "BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN, WHY WERE YOU SO STUPID PAST SELF" and no one enjoys that.
So they try to make things for those formats. But they have to be small, and sporadic, because, while awful, a car crash won't cause nearly the problems of a semi or train wreck.
EDIT: An in relation to the topic of the thread itself - Because you wanna be using your mana early to Outlast and make some big dude before you grind everyone else into dirt.
I was just aiming to do some basic math with the card, not plan a full deck or evaluate the game-state wherein this card would be better. I appreciate what you've said though!
@Duke Daemon, you're right in that Infernal Kirin was not the best choice. I'll admit to not thinking about the Limited/Standard format at the time, and was more looking at Black Flyers with similar P/T. On that end, I don't really feel like Hyalopterous Lemure is an excellent comparison, especially with the previously mentioned Zanikev Locust available.
People seem to keep forgetting that there IS alt art for some cards, just not for the promos.
In a weird way, they've managed to make three different potential versions of the same card. You can get three different foil versions of the Intro Pack cycle.
As for the change, it's a work in progress. They only started doing this sort of thing recently, and they changed it. If the complaints continue, they'll change it again. I personally don't care one way or another about the promo (my wallet weeps though). I just want to play some Magic.
Cancel is in the set because there's always a no-questions-asked counterspell. It "needs" to be in just about every set so that when Standard rotates, there's never NOT a counterspell.
Naturalize is there for the same above reasons. Why all three? Because that way, Jeskai and Mardu decks don't get screwed over should they encounter any of the above things. They too have answers.
As for the black staple reprint? It's more a functional reprint than a straight up reprint. Say hello to Dutiful Return. We've seen this exact card before, but there's been variations on it for a long time.
Because I enjoy this sort of thing, I decided to do a little bit of research.
The listed differences are going to be in order of "New Delve Card compared to Old Card du Jour."
Dig Through Time - the closest comparison is Ancestral Memories. The primary differences between the two are +3-U in the Mana Cost, Instant versus Sorcery, and Bottom of the Deck vs. Graveyard
Set Adrift - closest comparisons are Totally Lost, Vanishment, or Deny Reality. The primary differences are +1, -B in the case of Deny Reality, and Sorcery Speed in all but one case.
Dead Drop - Closest comparisons are Barter in Blood and weirdly enough Prowling Pangolin. We'll just stick to the former. Primary differences are +6 -B to the mana cost, and the ability to choose who sacrifices as opposed to everyone sacrificing.
Murderous Cut - Closest comparison is probably Murder. The primary differences are +2 but -B to the CMC.
Necropolis Fiend - Interestingly enough, the closest comparison is Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. +4 to the CMC, +1 to the toughness. The ability doesn't require black, and it also subtracts power, but it does require tapping and exiling, so it's not repeatable, and obviously, the ability doesn't pump the Fiend.
Shambling Attendants - Closest comparison is Greater Basilisk. +3 to the total CMC, -One colored (and obviously, switching from green to black). Plus relevant subtype?
Sultai Scavenger - Closest comparisons are Infernal Kirin, and Zanikev Locust. Costs +2 more than the Kirin, but less one B. Only difference between Locust is a lack of Scavenge.
Become Immense - Closest comparisons are Revenge of the Hunted and Resounding Roar. Same total CMC as Revenge, less one G and an instant, but does not miracle, and does not add trample and must be blocked. Roar only does the same provided you pay RW with the cost, but has a cheaper form available.
Empty the Pits - Closest comparison is probably Army of the Damned. Primary difference is +B and XX to the mana cost, but the benefit of additional tokens. I put this one last because I wanted to spend some time on it, and do a bit of math. Army of the Damned costs 8 mana the first time, and 10 the second. For 12BBBBBB you can make 26 2/2 Zombie tokens in one turn. For the equivalent, without Delve, on Empty the Pits, you would need to pay 52BBBB. If you used delve once per zombie token, you'd have to exile 26 cards, and pay 26BBBB, exactly twice what you'd need to pay for Army of the Damned, but minus 1B.
Now, if we assumed you only planned on casting Army of the Damned once, we have a different bit of math. That's 13 tokens for 5BBB. The equivalent, again without Delve, is 26BBBB. Delving once per zombie changes the cost to 13BBBB plus thirteen cards from the graveyard. To make the mana cost roughly the same, you'd need to exile 22 cards from your graveyard, making the cost 4BBBB.
Edit: One important fact that I forgot is that Army of the Damned is a Sorcery, and Empty the Pits is an instant. There's some definite benefit on that side.
None of this changes how much I still want to Empty the Pits, but I figured this might help some people put things into perspective. Generally speaking, Delve adds about 3 to the CMC of cards we already have.
So what do you all think about this?
My first thought to this comment was two men sitting at a table, and one opening a box of cards, with the attached note: "Enjoy my collection. I had fun playing with these old cards."
They open the box to reveal nothing but Homelands cards.
"Who sold this to you?"
"...Nobody..."
"You mean these are yours?"
"NO! NOBODY SOLD ME THESE CARDS!"
Kin-tree Invocation BG
Sorcery
Put an X/X black and green Spirit Warrior creature token onto the battlefield, where X is the greatest toughness among creatures you control.
Seems like this is a token for no reason. Could have easily been a 0/0 creature for the same cost and come in to play with +1/+1 counters instead to go along with the outlast cards a little better. Maybe its supposed to go with prowess cards?!? another card that I like but just seems like a weird choice.
They probably did do that at first, then in Playtesting found out it was too powerful.
I would definitely consider Withengar's changes, though I feel the Boros one might be fine as is. Otherwise:
Selesnya could maybe be "If a creature didn't enter the battlefield under your control this turn..." (Works with Populate and Convoke, supports the GW Tokens strategy)
Golgari could be "If a creature did not enter your graveyard from anywhere this turn..." (Supports Dredge, and Scavenge, plus general Golgari Shenanigans)
Gruul could be "If an opponent was not dealt damage this turn..." (Supports Bloodthirst, and Gruul's general ease at getting things through because they're big or have trample)
Dimir could be "If you didn't draw two or more cards this turn..." (Supports UB in general, and it could probably be worded to support Transmute and the general card advantage of Cipher)
Orzhov could be "If you didn't cast a spell this turn..." (Encourages Orzhov slowness due to not wanting to run out of spells to cast, allows for Extort, opens up a chance for some Haunt things. Considered "If an opponent played no spells" but it doesn't work with the end step deal, and leaves no chance to work things for yourself, despite the nice "taxing" flavor. Gain life could also work, but it feels more difficult than the others.)
Simic could be "If a creature did not have a +1/+1 counter placed on it..." (Works with both mechanics)
And like I said, Withengar had some good ideas as well.
These definitely aren't the only option, and probably not even the best option, but it seems easier to guarantee a non-threshold and encourage that playstyle than a threshold for each.
I will say that Fortify still wouldn't work for Abzan, due to the fact that it's Equipment, and therefore Artifacts, and subsequently, is supposed to be for All Decks, not GWB decks only.
I would like to see more asymmetry and fewer cycles. Perhaps with the absence of the core set we will see a bit more design space within each block?
The problem is that humans are pattern makers. We see the boxes, and we want them filled.
People kept making comments about Planeswalkers of certain two color combos not being present. People kept talking about wedges. People complained when there wasn't a legendary Werewolf in Innistrad block, despite legends for every other tribe. If this, the Wedge set, quite possibly the only Wedge set we'll get for some time, didn't have a mechanic that worked in the WBG deck only, people would be furious. Hell, people were mad when they looked at Naya and didn't see the "mechanic" at all.
Fortifications are Artifacts. By their very nature, they must be playable in all decks, regardless of color choice or mana-base, in almost every scenario. It wouldn't feel right to give a mechanic that worked for every deck and put it into a certain wedge, and say "There Wedge, that's your mechanic, enjoy it." It would be like if Esper got all those Artifact Matters cards, but the artifacts were all colors, as opposed to fitting within the Shard. And I'm noting Esper because it serves as another point. If the WGB wedge became Fortifications, and they had to make it unique and therefore made colored artifacts, it might start treading on Esper's toes in the eyes of the public.
The format is about punching people with creatures.
I'm only quoting this because I feel that it's...not inaccurate, but not...correct? I can't find the exact word.
Every format is about punching people with something. Why does it being creatures make a difference?
And I'll fully admit to being in the dark about this because I don't play constructed formats very often, but from what I gather, the main path to victory is still "Reduce Opponent's Life Total to 0 through Spellcasting."
So, what makes punching people with creatures worse than punching people with a fireball?
This is going to sound weird, but every strategy is a form of control, and every strategy is a form of aggression. Combo wants to assemble its pieces quickly, and without interference, to end the game in a hurry. Control wants to manipulate every state of the game, and finish it off with something big, be it a creature or a spell. Aggro wants to control the board (and usually their mana curve) and smash through. And Midrange wants to control time, making bigger plays earlier, and disrupting the opponent's ability to respond.
Again, I'll admit to my words not adding up to much, but it seems a bit ridiculous to get upset about this stuff.
It seems to me that the largest issue is that some of these are Threshold conditions and the others are Situational.
The Golgari one strikes me the most. Once you hit seven things in the graveyard, which would potentially be done turn two, it just works for you. Meanwhile, if you play the Boros land turn 2, it's likely going to go away at the end of the turn. Same with the Orzhov land. With Golgari, no matter when you draw the land, you have the chance of playing it. With the Orzhov land, you have to have a constant stream of spells or abilities that let you gain life, otherwise, you get a disadvantage.
You'll want to be able to use these lands consistently, otherwise it turns parts of the game un-fun. They're strong lands, and they encourage the play style of the guild, but they aren't equal. I do like that you can play basically none of these turn 1, leading to shenanigans, though.
Limited has the momentum of a tricycle.
Standard has the momentum of a car.
Modern has the momentum of a semi.
Vintage/Legacy has the momentum of a train.
The tiniest of changes to "Eternal" Formats, can have huge lasting impressions, and pretty much the only way to stop them is to go "BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN, WHY WERE YOU SO STUPID PAST SELF" and no one enjoys that.
So they try to make things for those formats. But they have to be small, and sporadic, because, while awful, a car crash won't cause nearly the problems of a semi or train wreck.
EDIT: An in relation to the topic of the thread itself - Because you wanna be using your mana early to Outlast and make some big dude before you grind everyone else into dirt.
@Duke Daemon, you're right in that Infernal Kirin was not the best choice. I'll admit to not thinking about the Limited/Standard format at the time, and was more looking at Black Flyers with similar P/T. On that end, I don't really feel like Hyalopterous Lemure is an excellent comparison, especially with the previously mentioned Zanikev Locust available.
So that's a cool thing.
In a weird way, they've managed to make three different potential versions of the same card. You can get three different foil versions of the Intro Pack cycle.
As for the change, it's a work in progress. They only started doing this sort of thing recently, and they changed it. If the complaints continue, they'll change it again. I personally don't care one way or another about the promo (my wallet weeps though). I just want to play some Magic.
Cancel is in the set because there's always a no-questions-asked counterspell. It "needs" to be in just about every set so that when Standard rotates, there's never NOT a counterspell.
Erase is in the set as a cheap(er) alternative to Deicide for Standard newbies; a "better" version of Revoke Existence for the meta; yet another safety-valve in case things get broken in Theros-Khans Standard; and as an answer in Limited for the not entirely unreasonable amount of potentially problematic, annoying, removal with answers, or otherwise available enchantments in the set.
Shatter is there instead of Smelt, and period, because as stated in this very thread, breaking any of the additional mana fixing and ramp would be frustrating in Limited, but at the same time, you need to have answers to those kind of potential problems. And Smelt was likely too good.
Naturalize is there for the same above reasons. Why all three? Because that way, Jeskai and Mardu decks don't get screwed over should they encounter any of the above things. They too have answers.
As for the black staple reprint? It's more a functional reprint than a straight up reprint. Say hello to Dutiful Return. We've seen this exact card before, but there's been variations on it for a long time.
Weird stuff can happen.
The listed differences are going to be in order of "New Delve Card compared to Old Card du Jour."
Dig Through Time - the closest comparison is Ancestral Memories. The primary differences between the two are +3-U in the Mana Cost, Instant versus Sorcery, and Bottom of the Deck vs. Graveyard
Set Adrift - closest comparisons are Totally Lost, Vanishment, or Deny Reality. The primary differences are +1, -B in the case of Deny Reality, and Sorcery Speed in all but one case.
Treasure Cruise - barring the ridiculous comparisons like Ancestral Recall, & Ancestral Vision, the closest are Brilliant Plan, Concentrate, Jace's Ingenuity, Thassa's Bounty, and Urban Evolution. There are other Draw Three cards, but I went for those that had no "downside" or extraneous cost. The primary differences are anywhere from +2 to +4, a general -U, and Sorcery Speed to what is about half Instants.
Dead Drop - Closest comparisons are Barter in Blood and weirdly enough Prowling Pangolin. We'll just stick to the former. Primary differences are +6 -B to the mana cost, and the ability to choose who sacrifices as opposed to everyone sacrificing.
Murderous Cut - Closest comparison is probably Murder. The primary differences are +2 but -B to the CMC.
Necropolis Fiend - Interestingly enough, the closest comparison is Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. +4 to the CMC, +1 to the toughness. The ability doesn't require black, and it also subtracts power, but it does require tapping and exiling, so it's not repeatable, and obviously, the ability doesn't pump the Fiend.
Shambling Attendants - Closest comparison is Greater Basilisk. +3 to the total CMC, -One colored (and obviously, switching from green to black). Plus relevant subtype?
Sultai Scavenger - Closest comparisons are Infernal Kirin, and Zanikev Locust. Costs +2 more than the Kirin, but less one B. Only difference between Locust is a lack of Scavenge.
Become Immense - Closest comparisons are Revenge of the Hunted and Resounding Roar. Same total CMC as Revenge, less one G and an instant, but does not miracle, and does not add trample and must be blocked. Roar only does the same provided you pay RW with the cost, but has a cheaper form available.
Hooting Mandrills - Closest comparisons are Arrogant Wurm, Fangren Hunter, Game-Trail Changeling, and Stampeding Rhino. Generally speaking +1 to the total CMC but -G. The others have some pros, but otherwise, pretty good comparison.
Empty the Pits - Closest comparison is probably Army of the Damned. Primary difference is +B and XX to the mana cost, but the benefit of additional tokens. I put this one last because I wanted to spend some time on it, and do a bit of math. Army of the Damned costs 8 mana the first time, and 10 the second. For 12BBBBBB you can make 26 2/2 Zombie tokens in one turn. For the equivalent, without Delve, on Empty the Pits, you would need to pay 52BBBB. If you used delve once per zombie token, you'd have to exile 26 cards, and pay 26BBBB, exactly twice what you'd need to pay for Army of the Damned, but minus 1B.
Now, if we assumed you only planned on casting Army of the Damned once, we have a different bit of math. That's 13 tokens for 5BBB. The equivalent, again without Delve, is 26BBBB. Delving once per zombie changes the cost to 13BBBB plus thirteen cards from the graveyard. To make the mana cost roughly the same, you'd need to exile 22 cards from your graveyard, making the cost 4BBBB.
Edit: One important fact that I forgot is that Army of the Damned is a Sorcery, and Empty the Pits is an instant. There's some definite benefit on that side.
Second Edit: For comparison, I looked at the other spells that made X 2/2 tokens. I found White Sun's Zenith. Then I looked up all the spells that make X amount of tokens right off the bat. Here they are for fun: Decree of Justice, Alliance of Arms, Martial Coup, Storm Herd, Goblin Offensive, Tempt with Vengeance, Gelatinous Genesis, Rise of the Hobgoblins, Verdeloth the Ancient, and Supply.
None of this changes how much I still want to Empty the Pits, but I figured this might help some people put things into perspective. Generally speaking, Delve adds about 3 to the CMC of cards we already have.
So what do you all think about this?
They open the box to reveal nothing but Homelands cards.
"Who sold this to you?"
"...Nobody..."
"You mean these are yours?"
"NO! NOBODY SOLD ME THESE CARDS!"
They probably did do that at first, then in Playtesting found out it was too powerful.
I would definitely consider Withengar's changes, though I feel the Boros one might be fine as is. Otherwise:
Selesnya could maybe be "If a creature didn't enter the battlefield under your control this turn..." (Works with Populate and Convoke, supports the GW Tokens strategy)
Golgari could be "If a creature did not enter your graveyard from anywhere this turn..." (Supports Dredge, and Scavenge, plus general Golgari Shenanigans)
Gruul could be "If an opponent was not dealt damage this turn..." (Supports Bloodthirst, and Gruul's general ease at getting things through because they're big or have trample)
Dimir could be "If you didn't draw two or more cards this turn..." (Supports UB in general, and it could probably be worded to support Transmute and the general card advantage of Cipher)
Orzhov could be "If you didn't cast a spell this turn..." (Encourages Orzhov slowness due to not wanting to run out of spells to cast, allows for Extort, opens up a chance for some Haunt things. Considered "If an opponent played no spells" but it doesn't work with the end step deal, and leaves no chance to work things for yourself, despite the nice "taxing" flavor. Gain life could also work, but it feels more difficult than the others.)
Simic could be "If a creature did not have a +1/+1 counter placed on it..." (Works with both mechanics)
And like I said, Withengar had some good ideas as well.
These definitely aren't the only option, and probably not even the best option, but it seems easier to guarantee a non-threshold and encourage that playstyle than a threshold for each.
The problem is that humans are pattern makers. We see the boxes, and we want them filled.
People kept making comments about Planeswalkers of certain two color combos not being present. People kept talking about wedges. People complained when there wasn't a legendary Werewolf in Innistrad block, despite legends for every other tribe. If this, the Wedge set, quite possibly the only Wedge set we'll get for some time, didn't have a mechanic that worked in the WBG deck only, people would be furious. Hell, people were mad when they looked at Naya and didn't see the "mechanic" at all.
Fortifications are Artifacts. By their very nature, they must be playable in all decks, regardless of color choice or mana-base, in almost every scenario. It wouldn't feel right to give a mechanic that worked for every deck and put it into a certain wedge, and say "There Wedge, that's your mechanic, enjoy it." It would be like if Esper got all those Artifact Matters cards, but the artifacts were all colors, as opposed to fitting within the Shard. And I'm noting Esper because it serves as another point. If the WGB wedge became Fortifications, and they had to make it unique and therefore made colored artifacts, it might start treading on Esper's toes in the eyes of the public.
I'm only quoting this because I feel that it's...not inaccurate, but not...correct? I can't find the exact word.
Every format is about punching people with something. Why does it being creatures make a difference?
And I'll fully admit to being in the dark about this because I don't play constructed formats very often, but from what I gather, the main path to victory is still "Reduce Opponent's Life Total to 0 through Spellcasting."
So, what makes punching people with creatures worse than punching people with a fireball?
This is going to sound weird, but every strategy is a form of control, and every strategy is a form of aggression. Combo wants to assemble its pieces quickly, and without interference, to end the game in a hurry. Control wants to manipulate every state of the game, and finish it off with something big, be it a creature or a spell. Aggro wants to control the board (and usually their mana curve) and smash through. And Midrange wants to control time, making bigger plays earlier, and disrupting the opponent's ability to respond.
Again, I'll admit to my words not adding up to much, but it seems a bit ridiculous to get upset about this stuff.
The Golgari one strikes me the most. Once you hit seven things in the graveyard, which would potentially be done turn two, it just works for you. Meanwhile, if you play the Boros land turn 2, it's likely going to go away at the end of the turn. Same with the Orzhov land. With Golgari, no matter when you draw the land, you have the chance of playing it. With the Orzhov land, you have to have a constant stream of spells or abilities that let you gain life, otherwise, you get a disadvantage.
You'll want to be able to use these lands consistently, otherwise it turns parts of the game un-fun. They're strong lands, and they encourage the play style of the guild, but they aren't equal. I do like that you can play basically none of these turn 1, leading to shenanigans, though.