This is definitely one where the 2nd and beyond hits snowball with each other the problem is that getting more than 2 sword triggers is pretty win more regardless of the sword.
I also don’t this is too hot. I want a sword where you can play 5, slam in, and feel okay if you don’t connect again. UR and GB easily top for me based on immediate impact, then this would probably be like 5th/9?
I get more and more interested in jamming all the experience counter counters in a lower power cube since they have very strong synergy with each other, but aside from that thi s is an easy pass, 5 is too much.
All 3 abilities here have aspects that are easy to miss on first read:
First makes the creature attack a player specifically —- not nahiri or any other PW. So it’s a pretty real way to protect herself even absent good blocks, albeit at a cost to your face
2nd is the seasoned pyro templating, so you just draw if hellbent
3rd is less rather than less than equal
Overall I think this is a pretty reasonable but not quite gets there on 3, and fairly weak but not that bad on 4, so the modality may just push it into being decent.
Personally as far as rw walkers go I still really like vengeant.
Closest comp is Outland liberator. Trading the backside for 3rd power and proliferate option seems mostly worthwhile to me. Expect this to make a lot of cubes.
Firmly in the “maybe, if it seems fun to you” tier. The board impact is actually pretty obscene here but a W 5 with no immediate impact has to do *so much.* This is a baneslayer variant in effect. It’s got a cool hatebear component and can bury people in CA if you untap with the right stuff, but doesn’t have nearly as large an impact in racing situations.
What about steel seraph has performed well? Common play pattern?
The flying often functions as pseudo haste, elspeth style, and then let’s it add more than 3 damage on further turns. Also can be key to sniping or at least effectively contesting loyalty on PWs that hit the board early seemingly well defended (opp deployed it with sufficient ground blockers vs no flying visible). But if you’re vs aggro (or the right board vs nonaggro decks tbf) the lifelink can also be really critical. Pretty much what it says on the tin, just great effects at a great rate.
Vigilance option, 6 mana option, artifact synergies, and getting a better body from blink/cheat/reanimate are better than if they weren’t there of course, but relatively fringe so far, not really part of the core gameplay but relevant icing when taken together.
edit: To be clear, W 3s are *really* stacked (and I personally feel like cubes are often slightly bloated on 3 already). So I don’t necessarily expect it to keep a place in all environments. But it is among the A tier of W 3s for me so I do recommend getting some direct reps and seeing how you like it vs the other A W 3s.
Where’s a thread for the white removal spell? That card seems sweet, and I don’t know why it hasn’t been mentioned…
Funny to me how I’m not sure if you mean the plains matters sorcery or the elite spellbinder instant — both are sweet W removal spells and neither have threads.
The main downside vs pulse is that it won’t hit multiple nontokens with the same name, but that is mitigated in cube where there are no duplicates.
Cube Downsides:
Can’t nuke a card+Cards that are copies of it (metamorph, image, etc)
Can’t target your own stuff
Upsides:
Won’t nuke your own clone of an opposing thing
Won’t nuke your own starting deck card that an opponent copied
Won’t nuke your own in deck card if opponent has the same card in their starting deck (league play only)
Exiles
Overall I do think this is better than pulse but I’m not if that’s enough for small orzhov sections — may not be enough to beat vindicate and running both is kind of awkward (though plenty of people will).
No it’s called “For Mirrodin!”
First makes the creature attack a player specifically —- not nahiri or any other PW. So it’s a pretty real way to protect herself even absent good blocks, albeit at a cost to your face
2nd is the seasoned pyro templating, so you just draw if hellbent
3rd is less rather than less than equal
Overall I think this is a pretty reasonable but not quite gets there on 3, and fairly weak but not that bad on 4, so the modality may just push it into being decent.
Personally as far as rw walkers go I still really like vengeant.
The flying often functions as pseudo haste, elspeth style, and then let’s it add more than 3 damage on further turns. Also can be key to sniping or at least effectively contesting loyalty on PWs that hit the board early seemingly well defended (opp deployed it with sufficient ground blockers vs no flying visible). But if you’re vs aggro (or the right board vs nonaggro decks tbf) the lifelink can also be really critical. Pretty much what it says on the tin, just great effects at a great rate.
Vigilance option, 6 mana option, artifact synergies, and getting a better body from blink/cheat/reanimate are better than if they weren’t there of course, but relatively fringe so far, not really part of the core gameplay but relevant icing when taken together.
edit: To be clear, W 3s are *really* stacked (and I personally feel like cubes are often slightly bloated on 3 already). So I don’t necessarily expect it to keep a place in all environments. But it is among the A tier of W 3s for me so I do recommend getting some direct reps and seeing how you like it vs the other A W 3s.
After #6: made the top 5, cool I agree
After #4: top 3 wow
After #1: …… ☠️
Funny to me how I’m not sure if you mean the plains matters sorcery or the elite spellbinder instant — both are sweet W removal spells and neither have threads.
Upside: mills 3, instant speed
Downside: worse card quality added to hand than simple draw 3
Not gonna cut it, at 2B you could think about it for GY synergy.
The main downside vs pulse is that it won’t hit multiple nontokens with the same name, but that is mitigated in cube where there are no duplicates.
Cube Downsides:
Can’t nuke a card+Cards that are copies of it (metamorph, image, etc)
Can’t target your own stuff
Upsides:
Won’t nuke your own clone of an opposing thing
Won’t nuke your own starting deck card that an opponent copied
Won’t nuke your own in deck card if opponent has the same card in their starting deck (league play only)
Exiles
Overall I do think this is better than pulse but I’m not if that’s enough for small orzhov sections — may not be enough to beat vindicate and running both is kind of awkward (though plenty of people will).