A Hydroid Krasis variant. Stronger body but lets you work for the life gain and card draw.
Important to note: This one rounds up, while Krasis rounds down.
These are the roles that it can give itself and other non-token creatures:
Royal: Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has ward {1}
Sorcerer: Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has “Whenever this creature attacks, scry 1”
Monster: Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has trample.
It's confusing but I like it. Selesnya doesn't have much to offer so I think I will try this.
A card draw engine that impacts the board when it enters. I really like this. The 4 damage upon entering should buy you enough time to fully take advantage of the pseudo card draw over the next turns.
Wish it would have one less red pip or could hit planeswalker.
Will probably cut experimental frenzy for this.
Where would you rank this card today?
I'm currently considering to cut it in my unpowered vintage Cube because it never seems like a slam dunk, but it has so many little synergies and fits in a lot of decks.
I believe this card was spoiled together with the explanation for the ring tempting mechanic, so people were more focused on that.
I actually thought until now that you choose a creature as your ring-bearer once and can't change it (or choose it again) as long as it's on the battlefield.
So if I understand this correctly now, this is like a 2 mana Phyrexian Arena that costs 2 life instead of 1 and only works when you have a creature on the board. But you also get all these cute upsides from the ring emblem.
In comparison to Sylvan Library this isn't really good on turn 2 though except when you played a creature on turn 1.
But I agree: If you don't shy away from additional complexity this looks like a good card even if you don't have any other ring tempting going on.
Choose one. If you control a Wizard as you cast this spell, you may choose two instead.
• Target player draws two cards.
• Destroy target artifact.
• Flame of Anor deals 5 damage to target creature.
Essentially a solid draw spell that can also deal with artifacts or creatures at a worse rate if it needs to. Where would you place this card among the other izzet modal spells like Prismari Command, Izzet Charm or Fire//Ice?
Choose an opponent. They look at the top four cards of your library and separate them into a face-down pile and a face-up pile. Put one pile into your hand and the other into your graveyard. The Ring tempts you.
A Dimir FoF variation. I've seen some discussion about this on discord, but otherwise not much. Do you think this can compete with the top Dimir cards? Is the one mana reduction worth 1 card less and incomplete information?
I like this card. I'm still running Control Magic since my cube is quite creature-heavy and combat-centric. One more mana to add monarch to that is a really good deal in my book.
I was largely unimpressed with Fall From Favor when we tested it, as it's basically only an aggro/midrange card, and requiring a target to cast it on ended up being a tough sell. Having useful targets can become an issue for these effects, and we've since cut Treachery and Control Magic too for the same reasons. Non-Sower of Temptationcontrol magic effects feel a little bit dated imo since they're mostly just good vs midrange decks, and this doesn't break that mold enough for me to want to try it. Definitely a very pushed card tho
Sower of Temptation has been underperforming for me recently. It was just way too easy to kill. Enchantments are at least a little bit trickier to remove.
So I read some opinions and gave this card a little bit more thought. I think 99% of the time you will scry 2 and draw a card after the third counter is placed on this card. No matter what type of deck this is played on or how you decided on your scrys. I can't imagine that an opponent will risk the game to deny you a card.
Interesting are the first two turns.
The first turn you are still more in control. If there is one card in the top 2 that you really want to draw, just put it second from the top. You will draw it either way.
That doesn't really work after the second counter, but you can still punish your opponent by aiming for the highest mana value possible.
I think that because the player controlling the Palantir has more information, the opposing player has a higher chance to make a mistake.
There is also always the possibility to hit Uro, lingering souls or other similar cards. It's also never bad to fill the graveyard (Delve, escape etc.).
At the beginning of your end step, put an influence counter on Palantir of Orthanc and scry 2. Then target opponent may have you draw a card. If that player doesn't, you mill X cards, where X is the number of influence counters on Palantir of Orthanc, and that player loses life equal to the total mana value of those cards.
Punisher effects are usually weaker than they seem, but this one I like quite a bit. It's either a better Sulfuric Vortex or a way better Coercive Portal. In the right (aggressive) deck neither of these options should be appealing for the opponent.
I will definitely test this out and expect it to stick.
This card made some waves in constructed and flew a little bit under the radar in the cube community (besides a mention in wtwlf's article).
I'm strongly considering adding this to my cube as a ramp and reanimation target (I dont play other cheat effects like Breach or Natural Order) as well as a value midrange top end.
7/7 with trample is good. the flip effect is a nice mana sink or even wincon. But the real kicker is the pseudo double cascade. Random cards are of course always a risk. Sometimes you'll hit a counterspell or a board wipe that you can't use. And getting a Goblin Guide is also nothing to get excited about. But in midrange matchups this card could really shine.
What do you think? Does the dino belong only in certain (grindy and midrangey) cubes? Did you have any experience with it already?
I also like this quite a lot. It's good for spellslinger and artifact deck an has a big butt against aggro.
Having to pay 2 everytime to maybe only get 1/1 or 2/2 is not a good rate but the flying body of shark buddy makes up for that. Think this might have a place in 540 unpowered.
A Hydroid Krasis variant. Stronger body but lets you work for the life gain and card draw.
Important to note: This one rounds up, while Krasis rounds down.
These are the roles that it can give itself and other non-token creatures:
Royal: Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has ward {1}
Sorcerer: Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has “Whenever this creature attacks, scry 1”
Monster: Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has trample.
It's confusing but I like it. Selesnya doesn't have much to offer so I think I will try this.
Wish it would have one less red pip or could hit planeswalker.
Will probably cut experimental frenzy for this.
I'm currently considering to cut it in my unpowered vintage Cube because it never seems like a slam dunk, but it has so many little synergies and fits in a lot of decks.
I actually thought until now that you choose a creature as your ring-bearer once and can't change it (or choose it again) as long as it's on the battlefield.
So if I understand this correctly now, this is like a 2 mana Phyrexian Arena that costs 2 life instead of 1 and only works when you have a creature on the board. But you also get all these cute upsides from the ring emblem.
In comparison to Sylvan Library this isn't really good on turn 2 though except when you played a creature on turn 1.
But I agree: If you don't shy away from additional complexity this looks like a good card even if you don't have any other ring tempting going on.
Instant
Choose one. If you control a Wizard as you cast this spell, you may choose two instead.
• Target player draws two cards.
• Destroy target artifact.
• Flame of Anor deals 5 damage to target creature.
Essentially a solid draw spell that can also deal with artifacts or creatures at a worse rate if it needs to. Where would you place this card among the other izzet modal spells like Prismari Command, Izzet Charm or Fire//Ice?
Instant
Choose an opponent. They look at the top four cards of your library and separate them into a face-down pile and a face-up pile. Put one pile into your hand and the other into your graveyard. The Ring tempts you.
A Dimir FoF variation. I've seen some discussion about this on discord, but otherwise not much. Do you think this can compete with the top Dimir cards? Is the one mana reduction worth 1 card less and incomplete information?
Sower of Temptation has been underperforming for me recently. It was just way too easy to kill. Enchantments are at least a little bit trickier to remove.
Interesting are the first two turns.
The first turn you are still more in control. If there is one card in the top 2 that you really want to draw, just put it second from the top. You will draw it either way.
That doesn't really work after the second counter, but you can still punish your opponent by aiming for the highest mana value possible.
I think that because the player controlling the Palantir has more information, the opposing player has a higher chance to make a mistake.
There is also always the possibility to hit Uro, lingering souls or other similar cards. It's also never bad to fill the graveyard (Delve, escape etc.).
Legendary Artifact - 3
At the beginning of your end step, put an influence counter on Palantir of Orthanc and scry 2. Then target opponent may have you draw a card. If that player doesn't, you mill X cards, where X is the number of influence counters on Palantir of Orthanc, and that player loses life equal to the total mana value of those cards.
Punisher effects are usually weaker than they seem, but this one I like quite a bit. It's either a better Sulfuric Vortex or a way better Coercive Portal. In the right (aggressive) deck neither of these options should be appealing for the opponent.
I will definitely test this out and expect it to stick.
This card made some waves in constructed and flew a little bit under the radar in the cube community (besides a mention in wtwlf's article).
I'm strongly considering adding this to my cube as a ramp and reanimation target (I dont play other cheat effects like Breach or Natural Order) as well as a value midrange top end.
7/7 with trample is good. the flip effect is a nice mana sink or even wincon. But the real kicker is the pseudo double cascade. Random cards are of course always a risk. Sometimes you'll hit a counterspell or a board wipe that you can't use. And getting a Goblin Guide is also nothing to get excited about. But in midrange matchups this card could really shine.
What do you think? Does the dino belong only in certain (grindy and midrangey) cubes? Did you have any experience with it already?
Having to pay 2 everytime to maybe only get 1/1 or 2/2 is not a good rate but the flying body of shark buddy makes up for that. Think this might have a place in 540 unpowered.