It is true that glacial ray spliced onto lava spike will replicate for R not 1RR. So that means, 1RRRRR to deal 20 dmg to the head. This card will see play in casual for sure, but I agree that it's a rather poor prerelease card.
The current wording of Ink-Treader Nephilim in the spoiler is definitely incorrect:
Ink-Treader Nephilim :symu::symr::?mana::?mana:
Creature - Nephilim
If Ink-Treader Nephilim is the target of an instant or sorcery spell, that spell also targets each other legal target in play.
2/2
The way it is worded there just makes it target other things if the original spell could target other things. So Lightning Helix on the Ink-Treader would get spread to nothing since it can only target one creature to begin with. I think the wording would have to be more like Radiate to be correct.
First, in limited this guy is not nearly as powerful as Selesnya Guildmage. Selesnya Guildmage is a one man army, this just can't pull that off.
As far as constructed, I think this guy will see a lot more play, and I think his applications (as with all the good hybrid cards) will be in a lot more than just r/g decks. Imagine if you will, an r/u aggro deck with these, ninjas, izzet guildmages, electrolyze, cheap burn (shock + izzet guildmage will take down meloku for 1UR) and mana leaks/remands. That sounds pretty deadly to me already. And in the same way that boros relies on burn to finish the game quite often, this guildmage will finish the game on his own. Very powerful stuff.
I think there is a somewhat obvious reason that the Orzhov guildmage is one of the weaker ones. This is that White, and in a way black as well, are known for having blazingly fast weenie decks in the past (take a look at CHK block with WW and Black Hand). We know these colors will usually get some good 2 drops in each set (dark confidant anyone?) so the idea of having a great guildmage as well sort of makes things even worse.
1:52 am here and in the middle of watching Syriana when I get that hunch theres an update, and yep 1:51 is the timestamp for the post...
Exhumer Thrull sounds like a good limited card. Gravedigger was decent and a possible double raise dead out of one creature sounds better.
Agent of Masks sounds decent, but it all depends on the mana cost and p/t, but also a decent casual multiplayer card.
Wild Cantor is disappointing. Sure Green is the mana generating creatures color, and lately red has gotten the Seething Song piece of the pie, but never the any color factor. The hybrid cards have definitely been stretching the color pie (see Giant Solifuge) but the effect seems rather boring by itself. I guess all the common hybrid cards have been rather dull now that I think about it. Lurking Informant is the least dull of the bunch, and it's still pretty damn dull.
Here's a way to get him out on turn 2 in standard:
Turn 1: Land, Terrarion
Turn 2: Land, Desperate Ritual -> Seething Song -> Sac Terrarion for UU -> Sky Swallower
You can do it turn 3 without the Ritual.
You can do it turn 2 without the Ritual in an Elvish Champion Vanguard deck.
You can also play it in a Loxodon Hierarch Vanguard deck, which actually doesnt seem that bad. For those who don't know, that avatar gives you +12 life (helpful to stop the early beats) and has "Sacrifice a permanent: Regenerate target creature you control." So obviously you play him, then sac everything else in response to triggered ability to give him 5 or so regeneration shields. Then all you have to do is drop a land each turn and he is nigh unkillable. Except of course for pesky things like putrefy that don't let you regenerate.
So yeah, for general constructed play, this guy is bad.
Sure its a bit narrow--not every deck discards stuff--but I think this guy could see some real play in extended. This guy can go toe to toe with Mongrel, and often Psychatog, and combined with staples like Duress and Cabal Therapy could lead to some really brutal starts:
Turn 1 birds
Turn 2 nocturnus
Turn 3 cabal therapy, flashback with birds, duress, attack for 6-10?
Sure thats a god draw but the possibilities are there. Any other thoughts?
Something else I noticed about the Orzhov artifact: in the second ability there is a 3 colorless mana symbol. You can see it at the very end of the 4th line of the second ability (in the high contrast image posted somewhere else in this thread)
I was randomly looking at some card lists and I think we may have another mega-mega-cycle on our hands, the next installment of which is likely to show up in Dissension. For a reference to a previous mega-mega-cycle, check out this Magic Arcana. In that cycle of lands, we have the first one in the first set of a block, the second in the second set, and the third in the third set, with the fourth going back up to second and the fifth in the first. Now, check out the following cards:
Once again we have the first card in the first set of a block, and the second in the second set of the next block. This leads me to believe that another -spinner card will show up in Dissension.
As for further speculation on the card itself, my guess is that it will be Red and Common. The reasoning for rarity is that Fatespinner was rare, and Lifespinner was uncommon, which would set up the next one as being common. The reasoning behind the color being Red is less concrete, and is simply taken from the example mega-mega-cycle color affiliations, and skipping one instance. (The first was blue, the third was green, the fifth was red, therefore this one will be red)
What the card actually would do is beyond me as neither of the other two cards are related at all in how they function.
I could be totally off on this one, but the similarities here really seem to suggest that this is what's going on.
I actually made a standard legal deck focused on Grozoth and it has a standing record of 7-2. (Thats 7 wins. Yes I'm serious.) I would have played it more, but then I randomly dreamed up Fungus Fire and went 16 some games without losing with that deck. (Yes I'm serious, I did design Fungus Fire, and it was a lot better when I was the only one playing it because no one was ready for the H2R kills)
Anyway the plan is simple, and if not disrupted, almost unstoppable. A decklist:
The idea is obviuos enough, you hardcast Grozoth and grab Myojin, Kuro, Archon, Nullstone, Plague Wind, and another Grozoth (or two if you have room in your hand). Next turn you cast Myojin, ad at the end of your turn you remove the counter to drop your entire hand, as well as use grozoth #2 to search for your second copies of Myojin and Kuro as well as your other Grozoths. Nullstone is important here because if they have a wrath of god then they need to waste another spell to get past the nullstone, and then next turn you can still drop another army which they will need another wrath of god for. Kuro himself is also amazing as he often gets to wipe out their blockers. I have won games by simply hardcasting Kuro and beating face with him. Plague Wind also serves as a way to kill any blockers they may have, but be mindful of your own nullstone. Once you get rolling with this sequence of plays its hard to stop you.
The problem is of course that hardcasting grozoth requires 9 mana and any good deck should have you dead by turn 9 if you dont do anything. Birds Farseek and most importantly heartbeat help make this possible very early. Next up are the defensive measures you have: drift, which as a 0/5 flying wall happily blocks specters and other such nonsense, but also has the benefit of transmuting for heartbeat (and potentially dosan out of the sideboard vs counterspell decks). Wrath of God you generally cast to stop early assaults, and time stop helps save you from bad things like wildfire, but can also serve as a simple time walk vs aggro decks.
The sideboard could use updating, but the general idea was for dosan to help vs counterspells, naturalize and needle to help vs jittes and possibly other potential offenders, and shadow of doubt to help stop cranial extraction. (I have had grozoth extracted and still won, Kuro is such a beast. (Yes someone really extracted Grozoth. Grozoth wins.))
This deck is competitive, but probably in the realm of Tier 3. Try it out a bit before bashing, because it really does work.
As for the changes to Reweave, the reason it does this is that if a spell is spliced on to it and the target of the reweave part becomes illegal, the spell no longer searches for the next card of that type, where previously this could be done.
I'm surprised you guys havent seen the other not so obvious use for remand: countering your own spells. Say they magically make the targets of one of your spells invalid, luckily you've got remand and you can do it again later (say using a critter kill on a creature that gets sacrificed in response, now remand just saved you another previous removal spell)
Also useful vs decks that counter your own stuff. Got a spell on the stack and your opponent just played a counterspell on it? remand it back and do it again when they have one less counter. Oh, and you just drew a card too.
I am playing remand in a blue/black t2 w/ravnica deck and so far it has yet to let me down.
Currently in testing on apprentice I am 12-0 vs decks inlcuding UB ninja/aggro, RW and GW weenie, and GB Rock-style decks. I played 2 games vs a UB mill deck and lost one to topdecked glimps with 10 cards, but the second game was without sideboards, and ivory mask + reito lantern + more threats should ruin that plan. I can post more if I test vs that again.
The deck is played like most control decks, the bonus is that firemane and shard phoenix both come back a lot, and have very useful side effects. I have ended most of my wins at about 28 life on average.
Ivory Mask vs Form of the Dragon should be fun especially when there are no critters out. If they get Form + Weirding then you're kind of screwed.
Ink-Treader Nephilim :symu::symr::?mana::?mana:
Creature - Nephilim
If Ink-Treader Nephilim is the target of an instant or sorcery spell, that spell also targets each other legal target in play.
2/2
The way it is worded there just makes it target other things if the original spell could target other things. So Lightning Helix on the Ink-Treader would get spread to nothing since it can only target one creature to begin with. I think the wording would have to be more like Radiate to be correct.
As far as constructed, I think this guy will see a lot more play, and I think his applications (as with all the good hybrid cards) will be in a lot more than just r/g decks. Imagine if you will, an r/u aggro deck with these, ninjas, izzet guildmages, electrolyze, cheap burn (shock + izzet guildmage will take down meloku for 1UR) and mana leaks/remands. That sounds pretty deadly to me already. And in the same way that boros relies on burn to finish the game quite often, this guildmage will finish the game on his own. Very powerful stuff.
I think there is a somewhat obvious reason that the Orzhov guildmage is one of the weaker ones. This is that White, and in a way black as well, are known for having blazingly fast weenie decks in the past (take a look at CHK block with WW and Black Hand). We know these colors will usually get some good 2 drops in each set (dark confidant anyone?) so the idea of having a great guildmage as well sort of makes things even worse.
Exhumer Thrull sounds like a good limited card. Gravedigger was decent and a possible double raise dead out of one creature sounds better.
Agent of Masks sounds decent, but it all depends on the mana cost and p/t, but also a decent casual multiplayer card.
Wild Cantor is disappointing. Sure Green is the mana generating creatures color, and lately red has gotten the Seething Song piece of the pie, but never the any color factor. The hybrid cards have definitely been stretching the color pie (see Giant Solifuge) but the effect seems rather boring by itself. I guess all the common hybrid cards have been rather dull now that I think about it. Lurking Informant is the least dull of the bunch, and it's still pretty damn dull.
Turn 1: Land, Terrarion
Turn 2: Land, Desperate Ritual -> Seething Song -> Sac Terrarion for UU -> Sky Swallower
You can do it turn 3 without the Ritual.
You can do it turn 2 without the Ritual in an Elvish Champion Vanguard deck.
You can also play it in a Loxodon Hierarch Vanguard deck, which actually doesnt seem that bad. For those who don't know, that avatar gives you +12 life (helpful to stop the early beats) and has "Sacrifice a permanent: Regenerate target creature you control." So obviously you play him, then sac everything else in response to triggered ability to give him 5 or so regeneration shields. Then all you have to do is drop a land each turn and he is nigh unkillable. Except of course for pesky things like putrefy that don't let you regenerate.
So yeah, for general constructed play, this guy is bad.
Turn 1 birds
Turn 2 nocturnus
Turn 3 cabal therapy, flashback with birds, duress, attack for 6-10?
Sure thats a god draw but the possibilities are there. Any other thoughts?
Fatespinner
Lifespinner
Once again we have the first card in the first set of a block, and the second in the second set of the next block. This leads me to believe that another -spinner card will show up in Dissension.
As for further speculation on the card itself, my guess is that it will be Red and Common. The reasoning for rarity is that Fatespinner was rare, and Lifespinner was uncommon, which would set up the next one as being common. The reasoning behind the color being Red is less concrete, and is simply taken from the example mega-mega-cycle color affiliations, and skipping one instance. (The first was blue, the third was green, the fifth was red, therefore this one will be red)
What the card actually would do is beyond me as neither of the other two cards are related at all in how they function.
I could be totally off on this one, but the similarities here really seem to suggest that this is what's going on.
Anyway the plan is simple, and if not disrupted, almost unstoppable. A decklist:
// Land
2 Watery Grave
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Temple Garden
2 Island
1 Swamp
2 Plains
2 Forest
3 Tendo Ice Bridge
4 Yavimaya Coast
4 Brushland
1 Adarkar Wastes
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Farseek
3 Journeyer's Kite
4 Heartbeat of Spring
3 Wrath of God
4 Drift of Phantasms
4 Time Stop
2 Kuro, Pitlord
1 Blazing Archon
1 Nullstone Gargoyle
1 Plague Wind
4 Grozoth
The idea is obviuos enough, you hardcast Grozoth and grab Myojin, Kuro, Archon, Nullstone, Plague Wind, and another Grozoth (or two if you have room in your hand). Next turn you cast Myojin, ad at the end of your turn you remove the counter to drop your entire hand, as well as use grozoth #2 to search for your second copies of Myojin and Kuro as well as your other Grozoths. Nullstone is important here because if they have a wrath of god then they need to waste another spell to get past the nullstone, and then next turn you can still drop another army which they will need another wrath of god for. Kuro himself is also amazing as he often gets to wipe out their blockers. I have won games by simply hardcasting Kuro and beating face with him. Plague Wind also serves as a way to kill any blockers they may have, but be mindful of your own nullstone. Once you get rolling with this sequence of plays its hard to stop you.
The problem is of course that hardcasting grozoth requires 9 mana and any good deck should have you dead by turn 9 if you dont do anything. Birds Farseek and most importantly heartbeat help make this possible very early. Next up are the defensive measures you have: drift, which as a 0/5 flying wall happily blocks specters and other such nonsense, but also has the benefit of transmuting for heartbeat (and potentially dosan out of the sideboard vs counterspell decks). Wrath of God you generally cast to stop early assaults, and time stop helps save you from bad things like wildfire, but can also serve as a simple time walk vs aggro decks.
The sideboard could use updating, but the general idea was for dosan to help vs counterspells, naturalize and needle to help vs jittes and possibly other potential offenders, and shadow of doubt to help stop cranial extraction. (I have had grozoth extracted and still won, Kuro is such a beast. (Yes someone really extracted Grozoth. Grozoth wins.))
This deck is competitive, but probably in the realm of Tier 3. Try it out a bit before bashing, because it really does work.
Also useful vs decks that counter your own stuff. Got a spell on the stack and your opponent just played a counterspell on it? remand it back and do it again when they have one less counter. Oh, and you just drew a card too.
I am playing remand in a blue/black t2 w/ravnica deck and so far it has yet to let me down.
// Land
1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Le
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
5 Plains
5 Mountain
3 Tendo Ice Bridge
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Sacred Foundry
2 Journeyer's Kite
4 Pithing Needle
4 Lightning Helix
4 Devouring Light
3 Boros Fury-Shield
3 Ghost-Lit Raider
3 Faith's Fetters
3 Wrath of God
1 Final Judgment
3 Shard Phoenix
3 Firemane Angel
2 Kumano, Master Yamabushi
Currently in testing on apprentice I am 12-0 vs decks inlcuding UB ninja/aggro, RW and GW weenie, and GB Rock-style decks. I played 2 games vs a UB mill deck and lost one to topdecked glimps with 10 cards, but the second game was without sideboards, and ivory mask + reito lantern + more threats should ruin that plan. I can post more if I test vs that again.
The deck is played like most control decks, the bonus is that firemane and shard phoenix both come back a lot, and have very useful side effects. I have ended most of my wins at about 28 life on average.
Ivory Mask vs Form of the Dragon should be fun especially when there are no critters out. If they get Form + Weirding then you're kind of screwed.