It is also possible that we need to add Boros Reckoner to your list, but that is a up to more debate.
Boros Reckoner may be the R/W Geralf's Messenger, a 3 drop that is hard to kill in combat and will almost always two for one your opponent if they try to kill it.
Not quite as strong probably but I think it's quite comparable. It is much easier to cast and can actually block so that's something.
The problem with the Cipher cards is that they are costed to be good cards only if you can connect with the encoded creature twice. And it feels like wishful thinking, to be able to connect two times with the same creature.
We'll see there's not much reach (only the Crocodile Frogs) at common so it shouldn't be too difficult.
There was a time when this would have been an excellent red 2 drop for constructed. Not in a format with Ash Zealot and Gore-house Chainwalker, though.
You're probably right but if you have this and pyreheart, how are they ever blocking?
A lot of the rares seem kind of crappy to good but not insane. As I play mostly limited I'm pretty stoked about this though since the commons/uncommons so far has been awesome.
So a split card that is a 2/2 on turn 2 or a 6 mana 4/4 with haste allready seems pretty good. Besides that the first ability doesn't really do all that much in the early game and the second ability doesn't necessarily mesh that well with the Gruul plan since in most cases you are tapping out precombat.
I think this is one of the weaker guildmages in a vacuum but in a guild that will be more interested in a 2/2 for two to begin with so that balances it out a bit. Still a high pick.
Also: predicting right now that Ponder won't be in M13. (=
If R&D is feeling at all cautious about the Miracle cards that made it to print, cutting back on Standard's library manipulation seems like a good safety valve.
It won't work with ponder all that well, you can only cast it for it's miracle cost if it's the first card you drew that turn so you can only set it up for next turn.
Lingering souls is still a pretty powerfull spell even without the captain so I don't think it's outrageous to cut him. Adding geists and/or Swords would diversify your angle of attack somewhat which could be valuable. The question is if the black splash is really worth it at that point since that definitively hurts some of your draws.
The Interaction is really powerfull against creature decks which make up a pretty significant segment of the metagame, it's pretty risky against decks that run Slagstorm or Day though. Maybe siding out the captains and adding swords in those matchups is a good idea since recursive creatures + swords is pretty good against decks where captain can get blown out.
Side out mana leaks, yes... especially if you are on the draw. If on the play, you can leave them in if you still have the slots open.
But I wouldn't side out swords. Even if their hand is empty you need the life gain of SoWaP. Also: White creatures!
I usually side out one and I've been doing fine with that. The sword is still good but a lot more situational than it normally is so I'm fine with not drawing one right away. I think it's worth it in a matchup where you sometimes topdeck sword and wish it was almost anything else. I don't know how many white creatues that deck runs in your meta but the ones I've been seeing online only has Glint Hawk and between spell bombs, glint hawk idols and nexi it's pretty easy for them to produce colorless blockers while still maintaining an offensive.
I'm not in love with the card but I don't hate it either. One good thing about it is that it can allow you to change your tricks around between the MB/SB making it more difficult for them to play around what you might have. Playing around Vapor Snag by leaving back two blockers looks pretty bad when you're FoD'ing them.
I've been siding it out vs tempered steel, their hand is usually empty by turn 4/5 and they have no sweepers/counterspells that you care about. If they still have cards in their hand at that point you can be pretty sure it is either dispatches or extra tempered steels/champions they haven't had the time to cast yet or just lands/extra mox opals.
I also side out a couple of mana leaks and maybe a sword or two for o-rings, divine offerings and ratchet bombs. I haven't been that impressed with the bombs in the games I've played and almost always wish it was a Gremlin Mine instead but the card is just too narrow to fill a sb slot.
Boros Reckoner may be the R/W Geralf's Messenger, a 3 drop that is hard to kill in combat and will almost always two for one your opponent if they try to kill it.
Not quite as strong probably but I think it's quite comparable. It is much easier to cast and can actually block so that's something.
We'll see there's not much reach (only the Crocodile Frogs) at common so it shouldn't be too difficult.
You're probably right but if you have this and pyreheart, how are they ever blocking?
I think this is one of the weaker guildmages in a vacuum but in a guild that will be more interested in a 2/2 for two to begin with so that balances it out a bit. Still a high pick.
Cardwise I like how the 3 thoughness plays well with the Evolve one drops.
It won't work with ponder all that well, you can only cast it for it's miracle cost if it's the first card you drew that turn so you can only set it up for next turn.
The Interaction is really powerfull against creature decks which make up a pretty significant segment of the metagame, it's pretty risky against decks that run Slagstorm or Day though. Maybe siding out the captains and adding swords in those matchups is a good idea since recursive creatures + swords is pretty good against decks where captain can get blown out.
I usually side out one and I've been doing fine with that. The sword is still good but a lot more situational than it normally is so I'm fine with not drawing one right away. I think it's worth it in a matchup where you sometimes topdeck sword and wish it was almost anything else. I don't know how many white creatues that deck runs in your meta but the ones I've been seeing online only has Glint Hawk and between spell bombs, glint hawk idols and nexi it's pretty easy for them to produce colorless blockers while still maintaining an offensive.
I also side out a couple of mana leaks and maybe a sword or two for o-rings, divine offerings and ratchet bombs. I haven't been that impressed with the bombs in the games I've played and almost always wish it was a Gremlin Mine instead but the card is just too narrow to fill a sb slot.