Ashnod's Altar has long been a favorite card of mine, so pleased to see it reprinted. Phyrexian Altar strikes me as a perfect card for the next Commander product (though I've said that before and been wrong). Hope it makes it in sometime soon.
This is a very mediocre card, and the fact that it's a rare is a little baffling. I'm not sure that slow color fixing at uncommon would have caused any problems at limited, and this is the kind of card that is immensely disappointing for a player to open in a pack. I don't think there's any format that wants this. Why they didn't tack on an "otherwise add C to your mana pool" and/or some self-milling clause is beyond me. Eh.
1. Karlov of the Ghost Council - well-designed, good abilities that promote interesting play, can fit into a number of existing decks (as well as being a build-around), and generally solid.
2. Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest - the ability is powerful and very synergistic with lots of GB cards, as well as a number of existing decks.
3. Kaseto, Orochi Archmage - Not one I'm super excited about personally, but opening up snake tribal decks is pretty awesome (as someone who appreciates flavor/thematic builds), and the unblockable ability is definitely one that can blow-out a game.
4. Arjun, the Shifting Flame - I have a Niv-Mizzet deck with Mindmoil in it, and this probably makes the cut in there, but on its own as a Commander it doesn't seem to open up a ton of interesting archetypes that don't exist, and is slow/clunky/random (and not in a super-fun way).
5. Anya, Merciless Angel - Boros is my least favorite color pair in general, and if you want an angel Boros commander Gisela, Blade of Goldnight or Aurelia, the Warleader are both better and more interesting.
I think a 3U converge draw spell at sorcery speed would be totally reasonable and not at all problematic in a format where Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time are significantly more powerful and/or versatile cards. Allied Strategies would be a reasonable point of comparison, and that is not really a card that sees play in a constructed setting. But the likelihood is probably lower with the black converge draw spell in any case.
The common land cycle will definitely find a way in, but I am still not sure how I want to approach it. Weighing ditching the signets or guildgates as most likely approaches.
Shambling Attendants, Treasure Cruise, and Hooting Mandrills all seem quite possibly good, but I am wary of overloading on delve cards (adding just these 3 is fine, but thinking more long-term with the set/block). Just have to keep the balance right.
I know that there have been plenty of discussion around manabase construction in these forums, but I am curious about a particular area and want to see what others are doing. Generally I run 35-40 (mana producing) lands backed by 4-20 ramp cards in my builds, but I am curious about how many "comes into play tapped" lands people run as a portion of your mana base. I realize it will almost certainly be a range for each of us, but if you can give a general sense (ie. 0-10%, 10-20%, 20-30%, etc.) of your mana base that would be great.
For the purposes of this discussion I am going to break things into three categories:
1. Lands that always come into play untapped and are essentially fully active immediately (ie. basics, original duals, things like High Market, etc.).
2. Pseudo-active lands (ie. Glacial Fortress, Ravnica Shocks, and friends), basically those that will often be active the turn the come into play but are not guaranteed. (Tainted Peak and Graven Cairns like cards I will count as active since they can tap for a colorless if nothing else).
3. Tapped lands. Everything from Terramorphic Expanse, to cycling lands, to manlands, trilands, whatever. If they are not active the turn they come into play as a mana producing land they fall into this category (I would count Temple of the False God here as well).
No need to do a close statistical analysis here, but I am just curious to see what others mana construction philosophies look like.
I like Ajani's Presence, worth testing for sure. Same goes for Sigiled Starfish, which I think is marginally better than Omenspeaker in the types of decks that would run it. Plus it's a starfish.
Yep, I think you summarized the weakest cards pretty well.
Brute Force is my main contender right now, mostly because I also run Rubblebelt Makka, which is just generally better.
I generally agree on your assessments and have kept a couple of those cards in largely out of demand from people I play with, but I am curious if you would suggest a substitute for Vithian Stinger from amongst the pingers that I am not running?
There are some auto-cube includes up there to begin with: Rancor and Armadillo Cloak for sure, but there are some other cards well worth considering on that list regardless of whether hexproof/auras is a theme for you. It has been fun for me.
Goblin Guide
Counterspell
Stoneforge Mystic
Lotus Petal
Chain Lightning
Will not be reprinted:
Scalding Tarn
Swords to Plowshares
Jace, The Mind Sculptor
Sensei's Divining Top
Umezawa's Jitte
10/15/2006: This has no mana cost, which means it can't normally be cast as a spell.
While I'm sure it'll find a home in decks with Jace, Vryn's Prodigy and Snapcaster Mage it can't be cast using their abilities.
2. Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest - the ability is powerful and very synergistic with lots of GB cards, as well as a number of existing decks.
3. Kaseto, Orochi Archmage - Not one I'm super excited about personally, but opening up snake tribal decks is pretty awesome (as someone who appreciates flavor/thematic builds), and the unblockable ability is definitely one that can blow-out a game.
4. Arjun, the Shifting Flame - I have a Niv-Mizzet deck with Mindmoil in it, and this probably makes the cut in there, but on its own as a Commander it doesn't seem to open up a ton of interesting archetypes that don't exist, and is slow/clunky/random (and not in a super-fun way).
5. Anya, Merciless Angel - Boros is my least favorite color pair in general, and if you want an angel Boros commander Gisela, Blade of Goldnight or Aurelia, the Warleader are both better and more interesting.
The common land cycle will definitely find a way in, but I am still not sure how I want to approach it. Weighing ditching the signets or guildgates as most likely approaches.
Shambling Attendants, Treasure Cruise, and Hooting Mandrills all seem quite possibly good, but I am wary of overloading on delve cards (adding just these 3 is fine, but thinking more long-term with the set/block). Just have to keep the balance right.
Bitter Revelation and Disdainful Stroke both seem like maybes, but will definitely need some testing.
Nothing else is really piquing my interest yet.
For the purposes of this discussion I am going to break things into three categories:
1. Lands that always come into play untapped and are essentially fully active immediately (ie. basics, original duals, things like High Market, etc.).
2. Pseudo-active lands (ie. Glacial Fortress, Ravnica Shocks, and friends), basically those that will often be active the turn the come into play but are not guaranteed. (Tainted Peak and Graven Cairns like cards I will count as active since they can tap for a colorless if nothing else).
3. Tapped lands. Everything from Terramorphic Expanse, to cycling lands, to manlands, trilands, whatever. If they are not active the turn they come into play as a mana producing land they fall into this category (I would count Temple of the False God here as well).
No need to do a close statistical analysis here, but I am just curious to see what others mana construction philosophies look like.
Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Oppressive Rays
Supply-Line Cranes
Cloaked Siren
Sigiled Starfish
Flurry of Horns
Sigiled Skink
I think the only outlier in my list is the Lagonna-Band Trailblazer, which I think could be solid.
1. Damnation
2. Supreme Verdict
3. All is Dust
4. Mageta the Lion
5. Obliterate
6. Nature's Ruin
7. Rout
8. Oblivion Stone
9. Upheaval
10. Bonfire of the Damned
11. Martial Coup
12. Desolation Angel
13. Whirlwind
14. Pernicious Deed
15. Fracturing Gust
Brute Force is my main contender right now, mostly because I also run Rubblebelt Makka, which is just generally better.
I generally agree on your assessments and have kept a couple of those cards in largely out of demand from people I play with, but I am curious if you would suggest a substitute for Vithian Stinger from amongst the pingers that I am not running?
Land Destruction, assuming you want to support it:
- Aftershock
- Wrecking Ball
- Icefall
- Befoul
- Sinkhole
- Stone Rain
All somewhat versatile cards, except for Icefall, which has recursion.
Graveyard Recursion:
- Moldervine Cloak
- Grim Harvest
- Tortured Existence
- Werebear
- Undertaker
- Thrashing Mossdog
- Terrus Wurm
- Gravedigger
- Unearth
- Disturbed Burial
- Cadaver Imp
- Grisly Salvage
All of the above are worth considering, though some are a little more niche, or dependent on the number of cards in your cube.
Hexproof Auras:
- Silhana Ledgewalker
- Guardian of the Guildpact
- Primal Huntbeast
- Rubbleback Rhino
- Rancor
- Wingsteed Rider
- Armadillo Cloak
- Moldervine Cloak
- Observant Alseid
- Leafcrown Dryad
- Feral Invocation
- Ethereal Armor
- Knightly Valor
There are some auto-cube includes up there to begin with: Rancor and Armadillo Cloak for sure, but there are some other cards well worth considering on that list regardless of whether hexproof/auras is a theme for you. It has been fun for me.
Tokens:
- Raise the Alarms
- Attended Knight
- Mogg War Marshall
- Doomed Traveler
- Elgaud Inquisitor
- Cenn's Enlistment
- Empty the Warrens
- Rukh Egg
- Veteran Armorer
Those might be worth considering, I run a few of them. But this is by far the weakest of your theme lists to my eyes.