Now that's interesting, I think it's the first time they print an exchange effect like this, it really opens up a lot of design possibilities. The 4-mana price tag on the effect probably leaves it confined to Limited or casual formats, where we'll see crazy stuff like pumping it and then exchanging a dangerously life total with it, or bouncing it after a greedy opponent tried to hit you with a 17/4 lifelinker. I love it from the design viewpoint.
This is a cool callback. I wonder if it's playable over negate.
I think it will be more along the lines of playable WITH Negate, there's a big difference between having to leave 2 or 3 mana open, so I think they will complement each other just fine. Unwind gets way better as the game drags on and opponents start tapping out for big walkers and stuff like that, leaving you the opportunity of countering and then using instant-speed card draw.
The illustration is cool, all that's missing is the Xenomorph lurking in the back. As for the card, it may be useful in Limited sometimes, as long as you know the opponent doesn't have bounce or blinking effects to make you look dumb after throwing half of your life away on the token. The first two chapters are really good in multiplayer I guess.
Oh, well, it's nothing to scoff at in Limited, but way overcosted for Constructed. I'm not a fan of the uncommon Legends though, it feels kinda jarring from a flavor perspective and it's also a bummer if you get two in your Limited deck and draw one while the other is in play.
You can practically hear the heavy metal playing on the background with that new Juggernaut art. And hooray for Thorn Elemental, reminds me of the 7th Edition precons I learned to play with. Now at uncommon it's going to kick some ass in Limited.
In short, this is only good if you can realistically do something else with the mana that you untapped, which requires some build around. Otherwise, I'd stick with negate.
Not really, the point of Rewind in Standard when it was reprinted was that you could use that mana to fire more counters, so it was much harder to either win a counter war or to bait countermagic, and pretty much any instant counts as building around anyway, removal, draw, you name it. I can't see this card being absent from control decks in the upcoming meta.
And I really didn't see the "free spell" mechanic coming back, R&D considers it a mistake with good reason, but as long as there are no busted mana engines around, one or two cards like that every now and then seem fair.
Ok, what's not to like about that blue memorial? Solid in Sealed, and I think a definite 1-of in blue Control decks for Standard.
Control tends to be mana hungry. Playing another tapped land is a downside, and the upside is not that great considering that a lot of the time you draw cards in control is to make sure you hit your land drops. I would feel pretty bad to pay 6 and sac a lad to draw more land. Arch of Orazca is more efficient even for a single activation considering you don't put yourself back a land drop. If you need the colored source then you probably already have a greedy manabase and should just run an island. 3 color decks tend not to have a card advantage problem because of higher card quality, so I don't think it would get used in 3 color control either.
I guess you're right, I haven't been following Ixalan closely as there's no MtG where I live (sad, I know) so I didn't think about Arch of Orazca, which looks clearly better, oh well, it is still pretty neat for Sealed.
Well, if the whole pirate+dinosaur setting, plus vampire conquistadors,including mono-white Vampires, lest we forget, still seems ridiculous to me, I have to say the Opt reprint is very exciting news, it will see play in Standard and probably Modern too, what's not to like about a 1-mana instant cantrip that filters your draws. This reprint and Spell Pierce seem like a good idea.
Who cares about the tribal interactions, sheesh, why try to force this card into a contrived janky Horse deck? Playing it on its own without any other horses still gives you a respectable beater, and getting off even just one activation is immense value, TWO indestructible 5/5s? That's some serious horse...er firepower. This guy deserves at least some testing as a Wx Control finisher. And if you're really set on building around this card, lifegain is the way to go, just maximize those token triggers.
I agree, any UR or Grixis Control deck that might pop up in the new Standard will want 3 or 4 of these.
My thoughts exactly, this monster should see play in Standard, the God-Pharaoh has definitely answered the prayers of UR and/or Grixis players. What's not to like? a 5-mana wrath (which may be playable now that Marvel is gone) in Red PLUS the ability to nuke most planeswalkers all in one. I'd be surprised if those two archetypes don't make any splash now. All in all, this is the only card in HOU that has really impressed me so far.
Well people, time to hoard those basic lands, I remember having to wait for like a month until SCG had the foil Unhinged Island at 12$ back then to complete the set, and now it goes for around 70$, grab your foils while you can, they will explode in value if UNH is anything to go by.
I seriously doubt it, Diabolic Tutor isn't seeing any play, and this is even more expensive. There are better cycle cards out there to be sure so I doubt this will make any splash.
Really, some people just love to complain about every card that isn't stupidly broken. Disperse is already a very fine card on its own, and this comes with a bonus, besides its obvious uses in Limited, I predict this will see Standard play if control decks with access to UB become played, the bounce half can have its uses in pretty much any match up, and the Mind Rot half can be used in the late game when you have mana to spare, and in case it gets countered, so what? It didn't cost you a full card anyway. A solid car all around.
Refuse is going to make soo many Commander players unhappy when their big spells end up exploding in their faces. Also, if some sort of ramp deck takes off, this could be a nice SB card against them. Anyway, this looks like yet another would-be hoser for Marvel they had planned in case they'd refrained from swinging the banhammer at the last moment...nah, T4 Ulamog...I burn you for 10 before conceding =/
I think it will be more along the lines of playable WITH Negate, there's a big difference between having to leave 2 or 3 mana open, so I think they will complement each other just fine. Unwind gets way better as the game drags on and opponents start tapping out for big walkers and stuff like that, leaving you the opportunity of countering and then using instant-speed card draw.
Not really, the point of Rewind in Standard when it was reprinted was that you could use that mana to fire more counters, so it was much harder to either win a counter war or to bait countermagic, and pretty much any instant counts as building around anyway, removal, draw, you name it. I can't see this card being absent from control decks in the upcoming meta.
And I really didn't see the "free spell" mechanic coming back, R&D considers it a mistake with good reason, but as long as there are no busted mana engines around, one or two cards like that every now and then seem fair.
I guess you're right, I haven't been following Ixalan closely as there's no MtG where I live (sad, I know) so I didn't think about Arch of Orazca, which looks clearly better, oh well, it is still pretty neat for Sealed.
My thoughts exactly, this monster should see play in Standard, the God-Pharaoh has definitely answered the prayers of UR and/or Grixis players. What's not to like? a 5-mana wrath (which may be playable now that Marvel is gone) in Red PLUS the ability to nuke most planeswalkers all in one. I'd be surprised if those two archetypes don't make any splash now. All in all, this is the only card in HOU that has really impressed me so far.
I seriously doubt it, Diabolic Tutor isn't seeing any play, and this is even more expensive. There are better cycle cards out there to be sure so I doubt this will make any splash.