• Scattered Groves replaces Temple Garden
• Ash Barrens replaces Safewright Quest
• Jade Mage replaces Selesnya Guildmage
The +1/+1 mode just isn't as good when the core creatures are growing to be more spread out. Repeatable 1/1 chump blockers is the most appealing part of this and doubling at 6 and 9 being achievable makes this a good swap.
• Gnarlwood Dryad replaces Death-Hood Cobra
With multiplayer, this is attacking less, so having to hold up mana for deathtouch makes the snake pretty bad, even if it can block fliers. This one turns into a threat when drawn late to help end games.
• Deathcap Cultivator replaces Avacyn's Pilgrim
This solves the problem of bad mana dorks. In smaller settings, 1/1 bodies can be made relevant fairly easily. This setting needs more longevity when flooding out late. Deathtouch is natural even if this change prevents the deck from moonlighting as a commander deck.
• Clear Shot replaces Dromoka's Command
This is a questionable change, but it makes it harder for this to 2-for-1 combat tricks, allows it to BE a combat trick, and allows deathtouch creatures to damage big creatures without dying. The blow out scenario is also lessened with awkward interactions with removing aura-based removal in combat.
• Choking Restraints replaces Contagion Glasp
This interacts with a slightly different set of threats. Instead of being expensive and targeting utility creatures, it's cheap, and stops big creatures before being a mana sink to deal with creatures with abilities late.
• Provoke replaces Detainment Spell
Doesn't answer threats as easily, but allows social play and deals with utility creatures with no card cost.
• Blessed Alliance replaces Martial Law
This interacts with a slightly different set of threats but does untap creatures tapped down by tappers. Detain is awkward and was ultimately just a 1 for 1.
• Faith Unbroken replaces Vow of Duty
This has better gameplay as the vow typically clogged the board and didn't answer utility creatures. This cleans up utility creatures decently, especially those that accrue value over time.
• Elder of Laurels replaces Seedcradle Witch
This is less-dependent on the ability to ward off early plays and is less of an oppressive ability.
• Unstable Obelisk replaces Selesnya Keyrune
This is more tension and ramp-desiring / pay off. This may be less useful midgame though. This is one of the few remaining ways of getting an aura off your big threat.
• Become Immense replaces Beast Within
This targets combat rather than being efficient, flexible removal. This slot no longer destroys auras and doesn't leave behind a 3/3 token to be dealt with.
• Prepare // Fight replaces Test of Faith
Untap combat trick has more play to it than a flash aura that eats deathtouchers.
• Ainok Bond-Kin replaces Phyrexian Revoker
Early game 2/1s are just bad now and utility creatures are less important than in 1v1
• Heliod's Emissary replaces Wiltleaf Cavaliers
Aggro needs a bit more assist than beefy vigilance. This is now a mana sink and adds to delirium
• Benevolent Offering replaces Briarhorn
Testing out flying tokens and life gain. Might be too much of a liability, but Briarhorn was always too much of a blow out.
• Dragonscale General replaces Auriok Bladewarden
Trying something new.
• Sentinel of the Eternal Watch replaces Coalition Honor Guard
Flagbearers are significantly more awkward in multiplayer where they prevent opponents from killing each other's creatures.
• Conifer Strider replaces Acidic Slime
• Domesticated Hydra replaces Kavu Primarch
Golgari Decoy is now on the watch list because there are very few things it can actually interact against in a satisfying way compared to before. I think there are fewer permanent buffs it can acquire but it still may have enough buffs for it to be usable.
On a side note, Matrix Reloaded was my favorite.
Obviously, this has the most impact on casual players, but has anyone else had this experience?
The "worth" of any of these cards can only be currently based on decks they could go into right now. It's perfectly plausible that any of these could go into any deck and be the perfect land for the deck.
I dislike how Nimbus Maze is directly dependant on what other cards you have in play and only provides 1 otherwise. I suppose with Fetch lands and the Ravnican lands it isn't so bad, but those are the only other lands besides basic lands you could reasonably expect to play and still get the fixin's you want early game.
Having said that, I dislike how many people argue that late game the lands' ability to produce correctly colored mana doesn't matter. If you're using a deck that has lots of ways to use mana late game, colors still matter, especially in situations where you're digging or using lots of activated abilities.
River of Tears—This card has practically no drawbacks. It basically has the same slot as an island or maybe a 3 Island:1 Swamp replacement ratio. I really like this card for it's lack of drawbacks, but as for color production, the deck is really the key thing and what cards are being played matters most.
Nimbus Maze—Plays well only with a certain subset of lands. In decks of more than 2 colors, I question this card's playability. If ever there were to exist a deck that loved lots of late-game color-choice (Windreaver?) this would be a good land for that deck.
Horizon Canopy—A wonderous compliment to Harmonize. This seems like it would play best in a Green and white version of Boros. You really want to off it as soon as you don't need* it anymore so you want to make the need for it as brief as possible.
*as soon as you reach the top of your curve
Graven Cairns—The deck that would want this plays a lot of double cost mana cards. As noted elsewhere this type of card enables turn-1-Duress-turn-2-Blood Knight-type plays with a basic land.
Grove of Burnwillows—If ever a red green control deck were to exist, this would be the land for it. A big finisher could overwhelm the draw back with a mere turn. Also consider that if your opponent is playing certain duals as well, any life they pay offsets the life you let them. The arguement that you'll give your opponent enough life to not die is valid, but trivial if you're not trying to win as fast as possible.
Yep, so basically the purpose of duals is to fix mana, which each of these cards do in their own ways. The content of the decks greatly influences the utility of the lands. My favorite would be River of Tears since it has no drawback beyond undermining part of the purpose of duals. My least favorite is Nimbus Maze, mostly because I like playing with interesting non-basics, like Prahv, Spires of Order.
Which would make it more useful?
The only problem I have with allowing lands is that a turn 2 play would practically lock an opponent out of the game who couldn't make a drop or a blocker.
What do y'all think?
I was figuring that blue utility creature would often want haste to be useful. (Get around some removal/ tapped out opponent.)
As for the Ripple. There exists a green card for 2G that returns any land to the top of its owner's library. I wanted the blue one to be more restricted in its targets, so as to allow the opponent to aleast make a play first, so I went with Instant.
Creature—Homunculus
Haste
Whenever Ætherwield Familiar deals combat damage to an opponent, you may have each player return a non-land permanent he or she controls to its owner's hand
[1/2]
Ripple | 2U
Instant
Put target tapped land to the top of its owner's library.
Unsummons | 2UU
Instant
Put 2 1/1 blue Wierd creature tokens into play with, "When this creature leaves play, return target creature to its owner's hand."
These are just some cards I'm contemplating on since posting a thread in the General forum.
Yay, nay?
Fool: Taunting Elf or Norin the Wary
Magician: Barrin Master Wizard, Ith High Arcanist, Zuran Spellcaster
High Prestess: Oriss, Samite Guardian, Alexi, Zephyr Mage, Linessa, Zephyr Mage, Azusa, Lost but Seeking, Kiku, Night's Flower, Masako the Humorless, Erayo, Soratami Ascendant
Darien, King of Kjeldor
Karona, False God (I'd use her as Death IMO; she want's something)
Blue creature decks seem like they'd make sense as a way for blue to be competitive given the right conditions, but I'd just worry if they still felt blue while doing so...
Outside of that, there exists a copy of each and every comes into play ability ever made. Important things to note are that you can't target the creature with anything, but you can reference it with global effects.
Infinite Mana and Untappage
Orochi Leafcaller
Sachi, Daughter of Seshiro
Morphling
However:
Burning-Tree Shaman, Lifelink creatureS, Ageless Entity, Phyrexian Marauder
I can't think of a way to remove any of the counters without activating the process again, or using a card other than the creature.
I suppose you could try to damage it off of it with Phantoms.
Of course then ther is Vigean Hydropon.
Then there's also,
Pirate Ship
Scarred Puma
Okk
Worldgorger Dragon
EVERY SINGLE GATING TRIGGER
.
.
.
Yeah, so the safest route in terms of time seems to be playing it face down as a morph.
Initial Conditions: 3, a turn for summoning sickness, 1U, some random creature, maybe a 1/1 spirit creature token.
Better yet, you could try to turn it face up and get some 1/1 Saproling tokens and then turn it face down as Wall of Deceit and then re-turn it face up as Vesuvian Shapeshifter copying a token. But I'm still certain there's some sort of creature Pithing Needle that's going to stop everything...
But what does it mean in terms of cards and abilities?