This is just a symptom of the format becoming popular and recognized by WotC. They are now producing cards specifically aimed at multiplayer formats. Unfortunately, I'm not sure they have multiplayer balance down to a science yet.
I think they just don't understand what EDH needs. We already have tons of big, huge, swingy effects. And I think deckbuilding is more rewarding when you devise a game plan and execute it, rather than dropping a disgusting 7-drop at the perfect moment and winning out of nowhere.
What the format needs is new, unique effects that help balance the colours without wrecking the pie. I thought Avacyn Restored was one of the best expansions EDH has ever seen. Because it gave targeted creature removal to a colour that needed it. It gave card draw to a colour that has very little of it. And it finally started to spread the love when it comes to stack control. None of those cards I linked are game-breakers or staples, but they were all great EDH cards that make deckbuilding much more interesting than just "Ok I'm playing green/black, I guess I need to get those two primordials".
It's fun to compare the primordials, but since they all do different things and are in different colours, it's not really easy to say which ones are best.
And I echo the sentiments of people who wish this cycle didn't exist. Yes, I will play with them, but I miss the days when EDH staples were diamonds in the rough, rather than diamond shoved down our throats.
I have to say I'm pretty shocked to see everyone list the white primordial last. That was the one that stuck out the most for me (before the green one was spoiled). Duplicant is one of my absolutely favorite cards in the format, and this guy is him X3. Granted, it's for one more mana, and it's in a colour which probably needs the effect the least. But still, it will consistently have a dramatic and permanent effect on the board state, which is not the case with the red, blue, and black ones.
I am not a big fan of the blue and black ones simply because I hate depending on my opponents to provide resources for me. Sure, they will often be very powerful, but they will also sometimes be duds. I guess this comes from years of using Teneb as a general and finding that if my opponents aren't playing a utility creature deck that leans on EtB dudes, the best target was usually just in my own graveyard. And I had Chancellor of the Spires in my blink deck and found the same thing. They are both excellent cards, but neither is my cup of tea because of their inconsistency/randomness. I also think that blue and black already have some gamebreaking cards at 7+cc, so these guys are competing with some powerful cards.
I love the red one. Obviously, it's in a weak colour and lends itself to a weak strategy (aggro), but it will probably provide a bigger boost to its colour/archetype than the blue/black ones will. My Urabrask deck is a Big Red deck and Insurrection and Conquering Manticore are both all-stars. Huge amounts of surprise damage is the best way to dodge sweepers and grab surprise kills. And this guy is all about that. Of course, this one also sort of depends on the opponent having resources for me to steal, but hey, if they don't have creatures in play, they are in big trouble against a Big Red deck, anyways.
I guess it comes down to play style and the deck type. The Green and White ones are defensive, while the other three are aggressive. I tend to lean towards having lots of answers and a small collection of very powerful threats. So the defensive cards are more likely to appeal to me.
So at the risk of everyone calling me wrong!...
1) Green
2) White
3) Red
4) Blue
5) Black
(Note: I reserve the right to change my mind when I actually start playing with these.)
Yeah, this guy isn't quite Primeval Titan. But he is still fantastic. I believe Terastodon is one of the best green cards in the format. This guy is comparable, at one less mana and forests for you instead of elephants for them. (In exchange, you give up flexibility, since you can't target more than one thing per player and the aggro player likes using Terastodon on his own stuff to make 18 power.) I think most green decks with a utility creature base are going to want this thing. Theme decks might not find room for it, since 6+ drops are so abundant these days.
Sylvan Primordial's ability is better than I could have hoped. (I was just hoping for the first half of it).
<whine> Buuuuuuut.... I was sooo sure it was going to have trample and more power! So it could have sick utility and a decent sized body for Stonebrow! 6/8 Reach with no evasion is pretty disappointing for aggro decks.</whine>
Yes, I just complained about one of the strongest EDH cards we've seen spoiled in awhile. It's the Internet; I can do that.
There's your answer. Planeswalkers are fragile and they were balanced for 1v1, not multiplayer. They need to do something pretty special to be worth a spot in an EDH deck.
The thing is a transforming vasuva. How is that bad?
Reading the Rumor Mill as an EDH player is an ordeal.
Partly because whenever a non-Standard-playable card is spoiled, at least three posts on the first page will be "Another EDH card :mad:".
I like Molten Primordial. Big Red is a deck and people don't play enough of it. Not sure if it's necessarily better than Conquering Manticore, costing 7 and lacking flying, but I've had enough success with the Manticore that I'll happily run both.
I have played a U/B controlish version before rotation but this time I want to do it a little differently. Has anyone tried a more midrange creature based approach?
To bad I never got to play the deck with Birting Pod. That would be so sweet.
My deck in the OP is fairly midrangish. It plays lots of creatures. It used to run more, but I've slowly been cutting them.
Liev Skynight and Augur of Bolas are next on the chopping block, so my deck is likely moving to control. Midrange BoW is a lot of fun, though!
I wonder if Ground Assault is worth a look. I know Skred is way better than it looks, and RG could totally use a Terminate. But 2cc and Sorcery speed might make it not good enough.
It costs three and isn't grim monolith (are we this greedy? Also, comparing any card's efficiency to cards from broken ass urza's block based on CMC is pointless.)
I'm not saying an optimized UBR deck will never have mana issues, but they should not be so common as to warrant running a 3cc 1-mana producing rock over a far more efficient colourless-producing rock like, say, Grim Monolith.
I think they just don't understand what EDH needs. We already have tons of big, huge, swingy effects. And I think deckbuilding is more rewarding when you devise a game plan and execute it, rather than dropping a disgusting 7-drop at the perfect moment and winning out of nowhere.
What the format needs is new, unique effects that help balance the colours without wrecking the pie. I thought Avacyn Restored was one of the best expansions EDH has ever seen. Because it gave targeted creature removal to a colour that needed it. It gave card draw to a colour that has very little of it. And it finally started to spread the love when it comes to stack control. None of those cards I linked are game-breakers or staples, but they were all great EDH cards that make deckbuilding much more interesting than just "Ok I'm playing green/black, I guess I need to get those two primordials".
It's fun to compare the primordials, but since they all do different things and are in different colours, it's not really easy to say which ones are best.
And I echo the sentiments of people who wish this cycle didn't exist. Yes, I will play with them, but I miss the days when EDH staples were diamonds in the rough, rather than diamond shoved down our throats.
I am not a big fan of the blue and black ones simply because I hate depending on my opponents to provide resources for me. Sure, they will often be very powerful, but they will also sometimes be duds. I guess this comes from years of using Teneb as a general and finding that if my opponents aren't playing a utility creature deck that leans on EtB dudes, the best target was usually just in my own graveyard. And I had Chancellor of the Spires in my blink deck and found the same thing. They are both excellent cards, but neither is my cup of tea because of their inconsistency/randomness. I also think that blue and black already have some gamebreaking cards at 7+cc, so these guys are competing with some powerful cards.
I love the red one. Obviously, it's in a weak colour and lends itself to a weak strategy (aggro), but it will probably provide a bigger boost to its colour/archetype than the blue/black ones will. My Urabrask deck is a Big Red deck and Insurrection and Conquering Manticore are both all-stars. Huge amounts of surprise damage is the best way to dodge sweepers and grab surprise kills. And this guy is all about that. Of course, this one also sort of depends on the opponent having resources for me to steal, but hey, if they don't have creatures in play, they are in big trouble against a Big Red deck, anyways.
I guess it comes down to play style and the deck type. The Green and White ones are defensive, while the other three are aggressive. I tend to lean towards having lots of answers and a small collection of very powerful threats. So the defensive cards are more likely to appeal to me.
So at the risk of everyone calling me wrong!...
1) Green
2) White
3) Red
4) Blue
5) Black
(Note: I reserve the right to change my mind when I actually start playing with these.)
Yeah, this guy isn't quite Primeval Titan. But he is still fantastic. I believe Terastodon is one of the best green cards in the format. This guy is comparable, at one less mana and forests for you instead of elephants for them. (In exchange, you give up flexibility, since you can't target more than one thing per player and the aggro player likes using Terastodon on his own stuff to make 18 power.) I think most green decks with a utility creature base are going to want this thing. Theme decks might not find room for it, since 6+ drops are so abundant these days.
<whine> Buuuuuuut.... I was sooo sure it was going to have trample and more power! So it could have sick utility and a decent sized body for Stonebrow! 6/8 Reach with no evasion is pretty disappointing for aggro decks.</whine>
Yes, I just complained about one of the strongest EDH cards we've seen spoiled in awhile. It's the Internet; I can do that.
There's your answer. Planeswalkers are fragile and they were balanced for 1v1, not multiplayer. They need to do something pretty special to be worth a spot in an EDH deck.
Reading the Rumor Mill as an EDH player is an ordeal.
Partly because whenever a non-Standard-playable card is spoiled, at least three posts on the first page will be "Another EDH card :mad:".
I like Molten Primordial. Big Red is a deck and people don't play enough of it. Not sure if it's necessarily better than Conquering Manticore, costing 7 and lacking flying, but I've had enough success with the Manticore that I'll happily run both.
My deck in the OP is fairly midrangish. It plays lots of creatures. It used to run more, but I've slowly been cutting them.
Liev Skynight and Augur of Bolas are next on the chopping block, so my deck is likely moving to control.
BTW I am up to two FNM wins with this deck
Um, why is it pointless? Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Mana Vault, Grim Monolith, Thran Dynamo, etc. are all just as legal in EDH as Chromatic Lantern. So why can't we compare them?
I'm not saying an optimized UBR deck will never have mana issues, but they should not be so common as to warrant running a 3cc 1-mana producing rock over a far more efficient colourless-producing rock like, say, Grim Monolith.
Coalition Relic is a bit of an exception, since ramping 2 for 3cc is quite solid. Still not fantastic, but always worth considering.
1. Sol Ring
2. Sensei's Divining Top
Those two are in every single list, as long as I have enough copies to go around.
3. Duplicant
Probably makes the cut in 60-75% of decks. It's just so great.
If I had more copies, the #3 would probably be Mana Crypt or Grim Monolith or something.