• 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.
4 Cautery Sliver
4 Goblin Legionnaire
4 Auramancer
4 Guardian of the Guildpact
4 Squee's Embrace
4 Faith's Fetters
1 Shelter
2 Dawn Charm
1 Rebuff the Wicked
7 Plains
2 Secluded Steppe
4 Terramorphic Expanse
4 Boros Garrison
I believe that currently the weakest card is Guardian of the Guildpact is probably the weakest card, even though there are several decks that don't have an out for it, especially if it's upped to 4/5.
Anyway, this is just what I'm playing at the moment...
I suppose turn 3 Dread Return and then later sac the tokens for Flashback...
Nevermind. No.
I am going to retract my prediction that this card will have a 187 effect. It still might, but Dakmor Lancer was the foil to Champion Lancer in Portal yet they didn't have mirrored abilities. I do believe, however, that if there is more to the similarites than just the art, the flavor text will follow the pattern on these two cards.
Here is a List of all the existing Lancers.
W Benalish Lancer
W Champion Lancer
W Daru Lancer
W Lancers en-Kor
W Soltari Lancer
B Dakmor Lancer
R Pardic Lancer
R Suq'Ata Lancer
1 Arcbound Lancer
(As a final note, enlarging the image on my computer, and then enlarging it on my television via wii, I can find no traces of coalition symbols.)
I'm thinking it's a 187.
Anyway, for the deck... I picked Blood Knight up in the first pack, and proceded in Red from there, but couldn't decide whether to go white or blue as it progressed. I saw 0 parasites and 0 rescuers during the draft. I got Numot somewhere in the second pack, so I just went with that. Here's what I ended up throwing together:
1 Mana Tithe
1 Sunlance
1 Gossamer Phantasm
1 Dreamscape Artist (which no one would let me use)
1 Sinew Sliver
1 Dawn Charm
1 Blood Knight
1 Cautery Sliver
3 Prodigal Pyromancer
1 Erratic Mutation
1 Aven Riftwatcher
1 Frenetic Sliver
1 Needlepeak Spider
2 Primal Plasma (which I never drew)
1 Aquamorph Entity
1 Molten Firebird
1 Synchronous Sliver
1 Battering Sliver
1 Numot, the Devastator
6 Island
5 Plains
1 Serra Sphinx (Which I should have played over the firebird)
1 Firefright Mage
1 Rebuff the Wicked
1 Sunlance (*)
1 Fa'adiyah Seer
1 Seal of the Primordium
1 Fury Charm
1 Dawn Charm
4 Reality Acid (which are useless without bounce...)
1 Aven Riftwatcher (*)
1 Poultice Sliver
1 Skirk Shaman (*)
1 Aquamorph Entity
1 Auramancer's Guise
1 Dismal Failure (*)
1 Ghost Tactician
1 Vampiric Link
1 Brain Gorgers
1 Dash Hopes
Round 1: I was paired with somebody piloting a Red and green deck with Jedit, Skirk Shaman and a few Woodreaders.
In game 1, I double mulliganed and kept a hand with an island and a plains, two red creatuers and Mana Tithe. I drew Blood Knight right off the bat and then a Mountain. He took me down to 15 early with Keldon Maruaders. I used Mana Tithe to counter Brute Force in response to pinging an Uktabi Drake which was trying to get enchanted with Dust Corona. Eventually, he played Jedit. I blocked and killed it with Needlepeak Spider with aid from Tom. Later we stood off (my 14 life vs his 8). He had 3 2/2s and I had a Pyromancer and Blood Knight. He kickered 2 Citanul Woodreaders and then Utopia Vowed my Knight. He played Deadwood Treefolk. Then he kickered Hunting Wilds and then attacked into my Dawn Charm. I won the next turn.
In game 2, I kept a hand with 5 lands, Aven Riftwalker, and Erratic Mutation. I proceded to draw Numot turn 1, but feared his Vow from game 1. The game was boring. I played Numot on turn 10. And my opponent conceded after I attacked once. (22 - 4)
Round 2 was against a very focused red and white deck. Supposedly sporting 5 Shades and 5 Rescuers and 2 Rough//Tumble and at least 2 Stingscour.
Game 1, I killed my Pyromancer with Errattic Mutation by mistake. I was trying to kill an early shade of Trokair while my opponent was tapped out. I died quickly with Numot in hand.
Game 2 played much the same as game 1. I got beat around by an early shade with Stingscour support until I played Blood Knight at 2 life. I died to a flier. I saw exactly 1 Rescuer, which was promptly countered by Dismal Failure. I played Numot, but he died to Tumble.
Overall, I'm surprised at the potency of Erratic Mutation, Stingscour, Aven Riftwatcher, and, I suppose, Shade of Trokair. I'm also surprised at the mistakes I made.
2/0, then 0/2, for 2 Boosters.
If a single land were to exist that could do the job of all ten cards I would be much happier. (Obviously this is better than all of the painlands...)
There are problems with this though.
—With a single land that would go in every multicolored deck, the demand for this would be huge.
—This is only 1 card, where three color decks currently have the option of running 3 cards to fix their mana.
hm....and just because this seems interesting:
The only real way I think this would ever see decent play is in some combo deck out of standard, eg., ones with very few lands for a specific reason.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/feature/224
Note the 2-Land Charbelcher deck which ran 4 copies of Elvish Spirit Guide.
And on that note, I plan to build a deck around Pyrohemia on MTGO using Guardian of the Guildpact, Fetters and Auramancer.
Interestingly, I could only find two cards with "Protection from Enchantments"...