Seems pretty solid, but not game breaking. I can definitely see it being a CA engine in some sort of midrangy ramp deck where you have some actual creatures to provide blockers. I also think that the +1 ability is strong enough to actually allow a shot at the ultimate. With some ramp, you can start locking down a threat per turn starting on 3, which puts an actul clock on your control opponents. Overall seems like a very well balanced design. I do think it got bumped up to 4 mana because it would be too hard to balance if it got played on turn 2 with mana elf.
But it is a tempo loss every time you regen. In your scenario, you're presuming you have a critter that makes attacking viable as well as assuming it doesn't need to regen and then, when it does, you're playing 1-2 drops behind the creature your opponent can drop next turn. Yes, tempo is less crucial in sealed, but playing 2 mana behind what your opponent can play is bad over the long run, especially without that on color boost.
Well, if you are swinging and regening every turn then they are evidently blocking and losing a creature each time (Otherwise why would you attack?), so even if they are playing more expensive spells you evidently have a better creature in play still. I think your point is much more relevant when regening on defense. If you are being forced to hold back to chump and regen every turn you are being trapped, because here you allow your opponent to play more expensive spells than you without applying any board pressure.
Regen on defense is only really relevant on stalled board states, or if you have flooded out. In these situations regen is not costing you much board position, and often times is rarely actually used. Simply having the ability present keeps an opponent from making pointless attacks, In this case although you have to keep the mana open, you still have the ability to play instants after your opponent has declined to attack.
Honestly, the problem with MBC is not the power level of it's cards (Though mutilate is pretty sweet), it is the lack of flexibility within those cards. Blacks control spells are basically discard or creature removal, and each card functions only in that role. Compare them to counterspells, which can address any issue being thrown at them, albeit with a more limited window (Although discard can become equally irrelevant depending on the game state). Basically, while MBC has very powerful control tools, it lacks the ability to select which tool appears when, and this can easily run lack the appropriate answer for what it has to deal with. That being said, if the meta features decks that slant heavily towards spells or creatures, then MBC can prey upon those tendency very easily, especially post-board. I see the main issue arsing when opponents utilize a variety of card types (spells and creatures) thereby exploiting blacks inherent lack of card selection and binary tools.
Note, I really want MBC to work, and it is impossible to say without being able to see the entire card pool. But i would hope to see at least 1 of 2 things before I would feel confident in its return. Either A) A finisher that can take advantage of heavy swamps a la Phyrexian Obliterator, or B) a spell (non-permanent) based way to cripple rival control decks like Mind Sludge.
As is, it is not too powerful. In MBC it is reasonable at parity since it can start kill a creature, or start pumping loyalty if your opponent has nothing out. However, without a way to feed the +1 you are put in the awkward position of discarding buisness or lands while be left wide open to O-Ring or direct damage. I see too many situations where you can't use the +1 without pitching something you really want, can't use the -2 because it is ineffective for the board state, and just have to leave her sitting there doing nothing.
That being said, if there is any card that can be cheaply (3-4 mana) and repeatably returned from grave to hand this will become a very strong PW. Right now their is no single card that really breaks the parity well.
Oh, and on the topic of Jace B vs lili 2.0, I think in a generic control shell Jace is better. Over 2 turns you have a net gain of +1 CA and +1 loyalty vs +1 CA (assuming you kill a relevant non-token creature) and -1 loyalty. Plus, Jace is a better topdeck vs an empty board since you can just start drawing cards for yourself. However, Lili has more potential to be built around, and a unique deck tailored to her needs will make her more powerful than Jace B.
Both seem like quality cards. I would be really surprised if the PW is not contructed playable. Considering the low power of previous black 'Walkers I think Wizards wanted to push it's power more now. Also, to everyone who is critizing the discard ability, THERE 2/3 OF A SET TO BE REVEALED. This is a PW based on synergy with your deck, not pure power. By the time everything is revealed there will be enough support to make it really good.
As powerful as this seems I'm not convinced that this will be the resurgence of Weenie aggro. Basically you are choosing to cantrip rather than play lords to pump your dudes slowing down your clock. Add on the fact that you won't start cantripping until after your first few plays if you are trying to hit a curve. Basically you are trading speed for resilience, but I'm not sure that is the best way to beat control/combo in standard at the moment.
I do however see a possibility of this guy as a replacement to Squadron Hawk in Puresteel decks. You can draw off ll your creatures and still pump them afterwards since you rely on equipment, plus he is a random dork to wield a sword. Unlike weenie aggro puresteel decks use hawk for attrition,not aggro, and Mentor can fill that role as well.
Printing one checklist card that has the names (and possibly mana costs) of every Transform card is a HECK of a lot simpler than printing twenty (or however many there are) proxy cards and somehow getting them into the hands of the right people that open the right cards in certain boosters.
But if you have multiple transformers in the deck being proxied via checklist cards then it's impossible to know which you drew if the checklists have every transformer listed.
If they put a back onto the tips/tricks cards and then replace the tips/tricks card of packs with a transformer with the appropriate checklist card it could work in draft. If you draft the transformer and checklist card together no one else knows if you took a checklist or tips thing. Granted this isn't the best system, but it could possibly work.
In the end we are prolly going to just have to live with other people knowing when we take a transformer in draft unless if it is after pick 1 and you are are sneaky about covering it up.
I would prefer Foresee toDistant Memories. Ultimately they should never give you part of the combo since they know you if they do, so it is a draw three. Foresee lets you look at twice as many cards when searching for your missing piece.
This could be completely excessive but has anyone tried out adding Pyromancer's ascension to the mix? A lot of the cards used in pyro decks are already present here anyway. Obviously you can't pyro, bloodchief, and splinter twin effectively at once. But there is certainly enough space to run 1 of the three in the SB.
I'm not sure if you gain a lot from doing this, but it does allow for a lot of variety from game to game and really keeps your opponent guessing as to what is going on. Ultimately I guess the real question is if Pyro has any match-ups that are good for it that neither splinter or bloodchief can handle well.
My point isn't that Splinter Twin is so easy to disrupt. It's just that it's easier to disrupt than bloodchief. The problem occurs with splinter twin when a control player decides to just leave 2 or 3 mana open so they can counter Splinter Twin/Exarch (this is when they know it's coming). Assume a situation like this:
You and opponent have 5 lands each. You have some burn spells in your hand, and you've just cast Sea Gate Oracle. You see a Bloodchief Ascension and Deceiver Exarch. Your opponent is playing a control deck with both creature kill spells and counterspells, and he knows what your combos are. Which card do you take?
I take the bloodchief. He may be saving Mana Leaks and/or kill spells, and is going to be playing with enough mana untapped to disrupt a Splinter Twin/Exarch combo, even with an Exarch cast on his end step. However, his kill spells are absolutely useless vs. bloodchief ascension, and his Mana Leaks are also not too much of a problem, since your bloodchief, mindcrank, and kill spells are all so cheap - whereas with a Splinter Twin, costing 4, his Mana Leak may very well kill it. You might be able to win in 2 turns with Exarch, and it's virtually guaranteed that the Ascension will take longer, but it is so much more likely that he won't be able to answer it than an Exarch combo.
The combo I choose to go for depends on the situation and the deck I'm playing against. Against control decks like MBC, UB, and UW, I go for bloodchief, since it's less likely that they'll be able to seriously disrupt it. Against aggro, speed is key, so I'm going for Splinter Twin/Exarch. So far on MWS, I've faced a lot more aggro, so I have ended up going for the Twin/Exarch combo a lot more, but 4 out of the 5 control matches I've won were through Bloodchief, and most of the control matches I've lost were because I went Exarch/Twin when I should have gone Bloodchief/Crank.
In this case, do you sideboard out one of the combos for g2 and g3? If you are playing control will you remove most of the Splinter combo, or do you still leave it in.Sidebaording has been very difficult since there is very little you can take out without compromising one of the victory routes.
I have testing out a dual combo-list a little. Most of the time I find myself shooting for the splinter twin win rather than mindcrank. anyone else having the same experiece?
I really like your list Xover. I do have some questions though.
How is ruinblaster for you? It seems a little narrow as far as having good targets considering you are likely targetting non-basics with your removal anyways, and the 2/1 body is awkward considering you are giving them 3/3's.
Have you tested staggershock vs arc trail? What is the main purpose of Staggershock?
Without any card draw do you ever find yourself low on gas to finish of opponents?
I really like mold shambler because it gives so much flexibility on its targets, and can always be played without kicker if you just need to apply some pressure. One of the reasons I am excited about the green destroyers is that they can be used to target caw-blade's threats without even bothering with lands if you don't want to. All the equipment, Jace, Gideon, and Colonades are vulnerable, and they have only 4 mana leaks to stop you.
Well, if you are swinging and regening every turn then they are evidently blocking and losing a creature each time (Otherwise why would you attack?), so even if they are playing more expensive spells you evidently have a better creature in play still. I think your point is much more relevant when regening on defense. If you are being forced to hold back to chump and regen every turn you are being trapped, because here you allow your opponent to play more expensive spells than you without applying any board pressure.
Regen on defense is only really relevant on stalled board states, or if you have flooded out. In these situations regen is not costing you much board position, and often times is rarely actually used. Simply having the ability present keeps an opponent from making pointless attacks, In this case although you have to keep the mana open, you still have the ability to play instants after your opponent has declined to attack.
Note, I really want MBC to work, and it is impossible to say without being able to see the entire card pool. But i would hope to see at least 1 of 2 things before I would feel confident in its return. Either A) A finisher that can take advantage of heavy swamps a la Phyrexian Obliterator, or B) a spell (non-permanent) based way to cripple rival control decks like Mind Sludge.
That being said, if there is any card that can be cheaply (3-4 mana) and repeatably returned from grave to hand this will become a very strong PW. Right now their is no single card that really breaks the parity well.
Oh, and on the topic of Jace B vs lili 2.0, I think in a generic control shell Jace is better. Over 2 turns you have a net gain of +1 CA and +1 loyalty vs +1 CA (assuming you kill a relevant non-token creature) and -1 loyalty. Plus, Jace is a better topdeck vs an empty board since you can just start drawing cards for yourself. However, Lili has more potential to be built around, and a unique deck tailored to her needs will make her more powerful than Jace B.
I do however see a possibility of this guy as a replacement to Squadron Hawk in Puresteel decks. You can draw off ll your creatures and still pump them afterwards since you rely on equipment, plus he is a random dork to wield a sword. Unlike weenie aggro puresteel decks use hawk for attrition,not aggro, and Mentor can fill that role as well.
I think that technically everything will work, but in practice transform is going to be really annoying.
But if you have multiple transformers in the deck being proxied via checklist cards then it's impossible to know which you drew if the checklists have every transformer listed.
If they put a back onto the tips/tricks cards and then replace the tips/tricks card of packs with a transformer with the appropriate checklist card it could work in draft. If you draft the transformer and checklist card together no one else knows if you took a checklist or tips thing. Granted this isn't the best system, but it could possibly work.
In the end we are prolly going to just have to live with other people knowing when we take a transformer in draft unless if it is after pick 1 and you are are sneaky about covering it up.
I'm not sure if you gain a lot from doing this, but it does allow for a lot of variety from game to game and really keeps your opponent guessing as to what is going on. Ultimately I guess the real question is if Pyro has any match-ups that are good for it that neither splinter or bloodchief can handle well.
In this case, do you sideboard out one of the combos for g2 and g3? If you are playing control will you remove most of the Splinter combo, or do you still leave it in.Sidebaording has been very difficult since there is very little you can take out without compromising one of the victory routes.
How is ruinblaster for you? It seems a little narrow as far as having good targets considering you are likely targetting non-basics with your removal anyways, and the 2/1 body is awkward considering you are giving them 3/3's.
Have you tested staggershock vs arc trail? What is the main purpose of Staggershock?
Without any card draw do you ever find yourself low on gas to finish of opponents?
I really like mold shambler because it gives so much flexibility on its targets, and can always be played without kicker if you just need to apply some pressure. One of the reasons I am excited about the green destroyers is that they can be used to target caw-blade's threats without even bothering with lands if you don't want to. All the equipment, Jace, Gideon, and Colonades are vulnerable, and they have only 4 mana leaks to stop you.