I'm still really torn on this one. I am expanding my guild sections to 5 cards (as part of my cube expansion to 500 cards) with a max of 2 PW's per guild. I already have Dack Fayden and I'm not sure whether I should run Saheeli, Sublime Artificer or this? The Royal Scions has some redundancy with Dack Fayden with the first ability and can help aggro/tempo with the second...on the other hand Saheeli, Sublime Artificer lends support to artifacts which is an archetype I'm trying to make small improvements towards (but I'm not going all in on it either).
If you're unable to cast this with a decently sized creature (probably 4 or more power) on board than maybe but I don't think that is a terribly difficult hoop to jump through. This gives you mana, life, +1/+1 counters, and cards simultaneously. On average, I think this will outperform Guardian Project.
I initially read the cost reduction ability as total power ala Ghalta, Primal Hunger, but even as is it might be good enough.
I think the mana generating ability comes way too late so far as ramp is concerned, but at least the ability allows you to potentially follow up this spell with a 1 or 2 drop along with 2 life, a +1/+1 counter, and a card. Cards like this make me want to revisit cards like Rhonas the Indomitable or even Steel Leaf Champion as I think green sometimes suffers in cubes that aren't designed towards what it does best....being the biggest.
I think it compares favorably to Outpost or Vitu-Ghazi, but I can't imagine a cube game where paying 5 mana for a 1/1 is a satisfying play. Even if the odds of this slowing you down are very slim, it just isn't worth a slot to me. Especially when we have better options in White already (Karakas, Kor Haven) The only reason I ran Westvale Abbey was for that Profane Prince.
I prefer stronghold. Black has better life loss/card draw already available and this one really punishes you if you aren't in madness mode.
Creature recursion strapped to a land - even if only to the top of your deck is better IMO.
It isn't great but it is the best utility land red has gotten so far IMO and for those who would like to run a cycle of these (including myself) this would be the Red one I would run for the time being....
Earth-Cloaked Giant5G
Creature - Giant (M)
Unroot 3GG
Sorcery - Adventure: Put two target lands on top of their owner’s library.
Trample, Protection from Lands.
5/5
Note: Realm-Cloaked Giant really underwhelmed many of us with its creature half. I also think the art looks pretty green and it definitely evokes Plow Under to me. I traded vigilance for trample since A) This is green and B) Late game cards want evasion/resilience not just the ability to be able to block when they attack. I chose Pro-Land because A)It is narrow and I think a card this pushed doesn't merit a stronger form of protection as well. B) It's flavorful. If you are cloaked with the earth it makes sense that you would have protection from it. C) I design with an eye towards cube and this hoses Manlands and Maze of Ith. Initially I gave this Primeval Titan stats (6/6) but think the P/T needs a nerf considering your opponent just got set back two lands.
Arcane Research1UR
Instant (R)
Exile the top three cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn you may play those cards. At the end of your next turn you may put one of the cards still exiled this way into your hand.
Notes: Escape to the Wilds inspired me to pair Red's impulse draw effect with other colors. The idea is that it is a red impulse-draw 3 spell for 3 mana, but because it is also blue. You get to actually draw one of those cards once the impulse casting window ends (useful for any card you've drawn that you can't cast yet). I tried making this an instant to give it some extra utility, but it may need to be a sorcery. Not sure.
Meh, I tend to be disappointed and that's probably a good thing as I am very greedy....lol. I probably do need to nerf this a bit, but I think Plow Under is very improvable still.
The bounce synergies are a good point in favor of this card. I don't agree with the rest though. The cards you mention were good because of particular tribal synergies (or just the viability of White Weenie in general) or the PW centric nature of WAR that made proliferate good enough. Growth-Chamber Guardian was well positioned for the format giving you a 4/4 on turn 3 and providing additional copies of itself. Calling it a 3GG 4/4 is like saying Exalted Angel is a 5WW 4/5 Flying, Lifelink....being able to divide the costs changes the valuation of the card. So these are all really poor comparisons.
This is meant to be a control finisher and it succeeds in part just by having a wrath as an adventure mode and essentially drawing you a late game threat. The problem is control decks late game threats need evasion or resilience. Vigilance by itself is about as close to vanilla as abilities get. This comes two turns later which gives the opponent ample time to reestablish their board. Everytime you tap out for this (and don't have the bounce combo on hand) your opponent is going to be relieved.
I just custom-carded the card I wanted this to be and I'm going to share it here.
Earth-Cloaked Giant5G
Creature - Giant (M)
Unroot 3GG
Sorcery - Adventure: Put two target lands on top of their owner’s library.
Trample, Protection from Lands.
6/6
That's a green finisher. Plow Under into a big beater that laughs at your opponents Maze of Ith...Trample + Pro-Land isn't mindblowingly good, but is is flavorful and much better than just Vigilance. Plow Under doesn't quite make it into my cube, but this would in a heartbeat.
Like I said in the rumor mill thread. Attach any decent control finisher to a wrath, even a 5 mana one, in one card, and you have a very good card. Problem is, this is not a decent control finisher. Some guy posted a hypothetical card with a lightning strike adventure mode attached to an overcosted giant threat and said I would probably say that is bad too as if this is the same thing (Adventure mode strike attached to near-anything would be played for the strike alone.) His hypothetical reminded me why I love the cube forum....our card evaluation skills are SO MUCH better.
Edit: Also, this thread is missing the card title.
2nd Edit: This art makes me imagine an adventure style card with plow under as the adventure side....now that card would by the mythic I want in my life.
If you're unable to cast this with a decently sized creature (probably 4 or more power) on board than maybe but I don't think that is a terribly difficult hoop to jump through. This gives you mana, life, +1/+1 counters, and cards simultaneously. On average, I think this will outperform Guardian Project.
I think the mana generating ability comes way too late so far as ramp is concerned, but at least the ability allows you to potentially follow up this spell with a 1 or 2 drop along with 2 life, a +1/+1 counter, and a card. Cards like this make me want to revisit cards like Rhonas the Indomitable or even Steel Leaf Champion as I think green sometimes suffers in cubes that aren't designed towards what it does best....being the biggest.
Creature recursion strapped to a land - even if only to the top of your deck is better IMO.
Earth-Cloaked Giant 5G
Creature - Giant (M)
Unroot 3GG
Sorcery - Adventure: Put two target lands on top of their owner’s library.
Trample, Protection from Lands.
5/5
Note: Realm-Cloaked Giant really underwhelmed many of us with its creature half. I also think the art looks pretty green and it definitely evokes Plow Under to me. I traded vigilance for trample since A) This is green and B) Late game cards want evasion/resilience not just the ability to be able to block when they attack. I chose Pro-Land because A)It is narrow and I think a card this pushed doesn't merit a stronger form of protection as well. B) It's flavorful. If you are cloaked with the earth it makes sense that you would have protection from it. C) I design with an eye towards cube and this hoses Manlands and Maze of Ith. Initially I gave this Primeval Titan stats (6/6) but think the P/T needs a nerf considering your opponent just got set back two lands.
Inspired by Escape to the Wilds
Arcane Research 1UR
Instant (R)
Exile the top three cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn you may play those cards. At the end of your next turn you may put one of the cards still exiled this way into your hand.
Notes: Escape to the Wilds inspired me to pair Red's impulse draw effect with other colors. The idea is that it is a red impulse-draw 3 spell for 3 mana, but because it is also blue. You get to actually draw one of those cards once the impulse casting window ends (useful for any card you've drawn that you can't cast yet). I tried making this an instant to give it some extra utility, but it may need to be a sorcery. Not sure.
This is meant to be a control finisher and it succeeds in part just by having a wrath as an adventure mode and essentially drawing you a late game threat. The problem is control decks late game threats need evasion or resilience. Vigilance by itself is about as close to vanilla as abilities get. This comes two turns later which gives the opponent ample time to reestablish their board. Everytime you tap out for this (and don't have the bounce combo on hand) your opponent is going to be relieved.
I just custom-carded the card I wanted this to be and I'm going to share it here.
Earth-Cloaked Giant 5G
Creature - Giant (M)
Unroot 3GG
Sorcery - Adventure: Put two target lands on top of their owner’s library.
Trample, Protection from Lands.
6/6
That's a green finisher. Plow Under into a big beater that laughs at your opponents Maze of Ith...Trample + Pro-Land isn't mindblowingly good, but is is flavorful and much better than just Vigilance. Plow Under doesn't quite make it into my cube, but this would in a heartbeat.
2. Black Lotus
3. Mox Sapphire (ABU Moxen)
4. Mana Crypt
5. Mana Vault
6. Time Vault
7. Grim Monolith
8. Umezawa's Jitte
9. Sword of Fire and Ice
10. Mox Diamond
11. Skullclamp
12. Wurmcoil Engine
13. Winter Orb
14. Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
15. Sword of Light and Shadow
16. Batterskull
17. Sword of Body and Mind
18. Coalition Relic
19. Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
20. Emrakul, the Promised End
Edit: Also, this thread is missing the card title.
2nd Edit: This art makes me imagine an adventure style card with plow under as the adventure side....now that card would by the mythic I want in my life.