I personally can't say that I've had much experience drafting BfZ yet (only did one draft last Friday, ran a Bant-colored deck) but from looking at the set, it would be wrong to ignore good green cards half-way through first picks. In fact, that's a poor idea in nearly any draft environment. I agree that green looks to be the weakest color, but if you're seeing more and more solid green cards that can pull their weight, it should be up for consideration.
Suppose I cast Prime Speaker Zegana and I have, say, a 3/3 creature on the battlefield while doing so. Zegana resolves with three +1/+1 counters.
Now, Zegana's ability triggers. An opponent responds with any removal spell targeting Zegana (let's say Doom Blade in this case). It resolves, and Zegana dies. When the ability resolves, would I draw four cards based on Zegana's last known information, or would I only draw one card since her power is 1 in all other zones? Or do I even draw any cards?
Thank you, you have added clarity to my initial point. As of current, M14 actually has more "enchantments matter" cards than Theros does, which is pretty sad. Unless you're counting Heroic, but that cares about any spell you control that targets a creature, which isn't Aura-specific.
Like I said before, it's sort of a letdown that there's barely any cards that actually care specifically about enchantments in a set that's presumably noted as "having an enchantment theme".
I am quite appalled by this card being rare. For crying out loud, it's a questionable sideboard card that at most could see really niche play.
Negate is almost strictly the better card T2-wise. For an extra mana, you get to use a common card that's been around for a long time, that counters anything Swan Song can + Artifacts + Planeswalkers, and without giving them a 2/2 flyer (and it'll be less money too). Standard's nowhere near fast enough to care about Swan Song, even with Thoughtseize around.
In Modern you have Spell Pierce and (arguably) other better counters. In Legacy / Vintage it may find a home in sideboard slots.
And it had to take up a rare slot? That's what really grinds my gears about this card. Not often do I make a rage post like this but Swan Song crosses the line. The other recent counterspells that are rare, I can understand them being rare because they have unique upsides. Swan Song has a drawback and it's not even necessarily as potent as several other one mana sideboard counters.
I expect people will want to lump me together with those that complained about the scry lands being rare, but that's a very tolerable case compared to this. Swan Song is the true grand champion of recent cards that "should've been uncommon".
On a sidenote I'm really liking the rest of Theros and most of its cards, from mythic to common. No regrets pre-ordering boxes whatsoever. This is really the first Theros rare I've seen that I strongly dislike, which in a way is a very good thing.
I would just like to see more cards that care about enchantments, be they utility cards or just centralized around them. Something along the lines of Mesa Enchantress, Etheral Armor or Sigil of the Empty Throne. Such were the types of cards I expected to see in Theros.
Instead, we've been given Creature Enchantment - Gods, and Nymphs and other Enchantment Creatures with Bestow. They're cool but I was expecting something more enchantment-based.
The only cards that really care about Enchantments are creatures with Heroic in a vague sense, and Commune with the Gods. The real joke with Commune with the Gods is the exciting cards are Creature Enchantments, so it doesn't matter which type you're digging for. Why couldn't it be "put an enchantment or land into your hand"? Then Creature Enchantments would have more relevance.
It really is all about creatures in recent years, and people just telling other people "that's just how it is these days, might as well embrace it". It's getting old.
Boon Satyr has different angles to it which is what I love about it. You can Flash it in to surprise block, or just EoT play it for aggressive beats. Or, once you hit five mana, suddenly one of your attackers gets +4/+2 and unless countered, you're at least getting a 4/2 while your opponent is deciding how to respond to it.
Well Glorious Anthem has always been a solid card for aggro decks, so this card could certainly see play. The second ability is icing, albeit very reactionary. Honor of the Pure is better often enough but that doesn't mean this can't see constructed play.
It is a bit difficult to say now about how the Theros Gods will be ranked. Here's pretty much my thoughts on the new gods:
Thassa has the innate advantage of being three mana, and thus can smooth out draws with Scry quite early. That seems useful enough as is, and she'll become even more relevant when it's time for an unblockable attack. My pick for 1st.
Purphoros could be an amazing set-up card, depending on how many creatures you can dump out afterwards. Especially if you reach five devotion after playing him, that's a lot of damage out of nowhere. Purphoros wants cards to be played after him. The +1/+0 ability seems to be slow for what you're paying.
Heliod seems great when you already have board presence, just drop him and attack with vigilance. The token cost is high but should come in handy at times.
Nylea should play out similarly with her ability to pump + giving your creatures trample to help push damage through. She wants pre-set board presence, sort of like Heliod does. Between Nylea, Heliod and Purphoros, I'd say they all have about an equal chance of seeing play.
Erebos is a tough read, since he's very reactionary and swingy. Good against control decks when you want card draw, but not so much against aggro. And would a deck that plays Erebos care about preventing lifegain? My pick for least likely to see play, although depending on how the meta shapes (resurgence of Control decks?), Erebos could really shine.
And of course there's the devotion factor. Cards like Boros Reckoner, Kalonian Tusker and Burning-Tree Emissary come to mind immediately, inherently good cards that can push Purphoros, Heliod and Nylea. Thassa and Erebos, however, may have a harder time becoming creatures. There's always Nightveil Specter, but that card is nothing spectacular (you need good reasons to play cards after all).
Quite frankly, I don't mind these scry lands being the new land cycle. I like that people will have to think a bit more about their otherwise greedy manabases.
I just don't care for the rarity. I seriously believe that had this land cycle been uncommon, it would not ruin Theros Limited. Some decks would have one or two more additional sources with scry 1 in their manabase, which should not be consistently game-breaking.
secondly, I'm almost certain it's going to be a common rarity mana fixer and terramorphic expanse fits perfectly in the name and number crunch.
Agreed about this being a speculation thread.
And yes, I'm very much hoping Terramorphic Expanse fits that slot, which it very well could. But even if it's not that, another new land might be really sweet.
For those complaining about the flavor, they are all temples. There's at least a mild connection with what scry does. The shocklands, however, make practically no sense in regards to basic land types. Godless Shrine looks nothing like a Plains or Swamp for example.
I like this cycle of lands a lot, but I hate that they are rare. It's not hard to see these at uncommon, and I don't think that would make Limited warped to the point of disaster.
Now, Zegana's ability triggers. An opponent responds with any removal spell targeting Zegana (let's say Doom Blade in this case). It resolves, and Zegana dies. When the ability resolves, would I draw four cards based on Zegana's last known information, or would I only draw one card since her power is 1 in all other zones? Or do I even draw any cards?
Thank you, you have added clarity to my initial point. As of current, M14 actually has more "enchantments matter" cards than Theros does, which is pretty sad. Unless you're counting Heroic, but that cares about any spell you control that targets a creature, which isn't Aura-specific.
Like I said before, it's sort of a letdown that there's barely any cards that actually care specifically about enchantments in a set that's presumably noted as "having an enchantment theme".
Negate is almost strictly the better card T2-wise. For an extra mana, you get to use a common card that's been around for a long time, that counters anything Swan Song can + Artifacts + Planeswalkers, and without giving them a 2/2 flyer (and it'll be less money too). Standard's nowhere near fast enough to care about Swan Song, even with Thoughtseize around.
In Modern you have Spell Pierce and (arguably) other better counters. In Legacy / Vintage it may find a home in sideboard slots.
And it had to take up a rare slot? That's what really grinds my gears about this card. Not often do I make a rage post like this but Swan Song crosses the line. The other recent counterspells that are rare, I can understand them being rare because they have unique upsides. Swan Song has a drawback and it's not even necessarily as potent as several other one mana sideboard counters.
I expect people will want to lump me together with those that complained about the scry lands being rare, but that's a very tolerable case compared to this. Swan Song is the true grand champion of recent cards that "should've been uncommon".
On a sidenote I'm really liking the rest of Theros and most of its cards, from mythic to common. No regrets pre-ordering boxes whatsoever. This is really the first Theros rare I've seen that I strongly dislike, which in a way is a very good thing.
Instead, we've been given Creature Enchantment - Gods, and Nymphs and other Enchantment Creatures with Bestow. They're cool but I was expecting something more enchantment-based.
The only cards that really care about Enchantments are creatures with Heroic in a vague sense, and Commune with the Gods. The real joke with Commune with the Gods is the exciting cards are Creature Enchantments, so it doesn't matter which type you're digging for. Why couldn't it be "put an enchantment or land into your hand"? Then Creature Enchantments would have more relevance.
It really is all about creatures in recent years, and people just telling other people "that's just how it is these days, might as well embrace it". It's getting old.
Very playable card imo.
Thassa has the innate advantage of being three mana, and thus can smooth out draws with Scry quite early. That seems useful enough as is, and she'll become even more relevant when it's time for an unblockable attack. My pick for 1st.
Purphoros could be an amazing set-up card, depending on how many creatures you can dump out afterwards. Especially if you reach five devotion after playing him, that's a lot of damage out of nowhere. Purphoros wants cards to be played after him. The +1/+0 ability seems to be slow for what you're paying.
Heliod seems great when you already have board presence, just drop him and attack with vigilance. The token cost is high but should come in handy at times.
Nylea should play out similarly with her ability to pump + giving your creatures trample to help push damage through. She wants pre-set board presence, sort of like Heliod does. Between Nylea, Heliod and Purphoros, I'd say they all have about an equal chance of seeing play.
Erebos is a tough read, since he's very reactionary and swingy. Good against control decks when you want card draw, but not so much against aggro. And would a deck that plays Erebos care about preventing lifegain? My pick for least likely to see play, although depending on how the meta shapes (resurgence of Control decks?), Erebos could really shine.
And of course there's the devotion factor. Cards like Boros Reckoner, Kalonian Tusker and Burning-Tree Emissary come to mind immediately, inherently good cards that can push Purphoros, Heliod and Nylea. Thassa and Erebos, however, may have a harder time becoming creatures. There's always Nightveil Specter, but that card is nothing spectacular (you need good reasons to play cards after all).
I just don't care for the rarity. I seriously believe that had this land cycle been uncommon, it would not ruin Theros Limited. Some decks would have one or two more additional sources with scry 1 in their manabase, which should not be consistently game-breaking.
Agreed about this being a speculation thread.
And yes, I'm very much hoping Terramorphic Expanse fits that slot, which it very well could. But even if it's not that, another new land might be really sweet.
I like this cycle of lands a lot, but I hate that they are rare. It's not hard to see these at uncommon, and I don't think that would make Limited warped to the point of disaster.