I have to say, I think we're on exactly the same page here. It's pretty remarkable to me how your thoughts echo my own.
Only point I really disagree with is that Skybonder is the best azorious hybrid. I can't imagine that a pretty medium wind drake is better than minister of impediments and mistmeadow witch
Also, the warrior-trample-tribal element in gruul is something I had totally missed, and really should look into now.
Great minds, as they say
The Skybonder isn't exactly stellar, in retrospect it probably belongs down in the Borderline/Fringe section. I think my ranking/excitement speaks more to the weakness of the Azorius hybrids in general (I wouldn't really consider Mistmeadow Witch a true hybrid, as you need access to both colors before you'd want to put it in your deck). Maybe I'm underestimating Minister of Impediments, but that seems really slow for a tapper. Wouldn't Curse of Chains be better in most matchups?
Late to the party, I wanted to share my thoughts on the new cards:
Staple/Solid: Boon of the Wish-Giver - I will happily trade the instant speed on Opportunity for Cycling 1, which turns this into a card that will either win you a long game or be effectively a free slot in your deck. Seems like the average of those two modes should result in a pretty good card. Ominous Seas - In a similar vein, this card is a two-mana win condition when drawn early and a cheap cycle when drawn late. Blue has a ton of incidental card draw even without looking at looters, which means you can expect Kraken #1 quick enough to be relevant in most games and in longer games there’s even the threat of Kraken #2.
Bastion of Remembrance - Second or third best version of this (behind Blood Artist and somewhere near Falkenrath Noble). I like it a lot more than Zulaport Cutthroat, as I am happy to pay the extra mana for a near-permanent version of the triggered ability plus a free body to chump or sac with (the body on Cutthroat is never relevant outside of emergencies) Grimdancer - Efficient and flexible body which will be good at any stage of the game. Lots of tension in choosing the right keywords; great design. Heartless Act - Third best 2cc black removal (behind Go for the Throat and Cast Down). Arguably more interesting since it’s never a dead card, and it becomes an indirect payoff for the +1/+1 counters deck by giving their creatures resiliency against a premium removal spell.
Weaponize the Monsters - Lots already said on this one, personally I think it’s going to be great. Likely the second best sacrifice outlet in red, behind Goblin Bombardment and just ahead of Bogardan Dragonheart (a card that has overperformed, I would definitely recommend it if you want to support sacrifice in red). Flame Spill - Glad to see this printed since I don’t run silver-bordered. Four damage for three mana is a good rate (I recently cut Stoke the Flames for being too inefficient), and this can partially get around the downside of not targeting players as long as your opponent has a token lying around.
Ram Through - Probably the best green fight spell we’ve seen printed yet, edging out Nature's Way and Clear Shot. I like giving green access to this type of effect so I’m happy to find room for this one.
Skull Prophet - Ramp and self-mill on a relevant body? This does everything a Golgari deck could want and more. Sprite Dragon - A fantastic payoff to the Izzet spells archtype, this is a two-mana win condition in the right deck and will take over the game very quickly if not dealt with.
Reconnaissance Mission - Adding cycling on an already fringe playable makes for a very intriguing card. Will have to test to see if this is good enough for the tempo or flyers decks. Neutralize - This vs Sinister Sabotage is tough. I ultimately landed on keeping Sabotage due to the raw power, but I’ll have to try to track how many times I wished I could have cycled it away.
Parcelbeast - I will have to test this to see if it will play as good as it looks, but that ability is absurd if you can get more than one activation and the mutate means you can get this rolling as early as turn 3. Jubilant Skybonder - Probably the best Azorius hybrid, especially if you support any sort of flyers theme.
Borderline/Fringe: Will of the All-Hunter - Testing to see if cycling and +1/+1 counter support are enough to put this combat trick over the top. Probably not. Valiant Rescuer - Almost good enough on his own, and this inches white closer to enough support for a cycling sub-theme.
Wingspan Mentor - Seems like it is going to play very awkwardly with the targeting restriction, poor body, and slow ability, but testing to see if this ends up being more than the sum of its parts.
Cavern Whisperer - My pick for best mutate card (not counting Parcelbeast). Black has very few humans, usually has access to a lot of tokens, and the discard clause helps mitigate the inherent 2-for-1 in mutate. Trading off your worst creature for a 3B 4/4 haste, menace with ETB discard seems like a great deal in any aggressive-leaning black deck. Call of the Death-Dweller - On the fence about this one. You’re never going to be up on mana (as compared to most reanimation spells), so you’ll need the keyword counters and 2-for-1 possibilities to make up for the times when this card is dead in hand without reasonable targets. Will be testing.
Fire Prophecy - Probably the best 2-mana burn spell that doesn’t hit face, but not hitting face should be a deal-breaker for those trying to push viable aggro strategies.
Hornbash Mentor - Likely the best of the Mentor cycle due to the base body. Also lightly supports +1/+1 counters and trample themes. Wilt - Honorable mention if you need non-creature artifact/enchantment hate in green
Proud Wildbonder - I like this card as another playable RG hybrid, and also as an interesting sub-archtype in Gruul (beyond just "Gruul smash"). Testing this out in a fun little package with Bramblewood Paragon and Hornbash Mentor.
Primal Empathy - Seems strong enough, but I personally couldn’t find room in my Simic section. Back for More - This vs Baloth Null is interesting. The Null is generally going to get you more value and plays better in the graveyard as a creature if it gets milled, but Back for More can be really explosive (especially at instant speed) and should help stabilize better against most board-states.
Overall a pretty impressive haul from this set, especially considering how much of a whiff Mutate was for cubes.
Yes, Bacchus. Darkthicket wolf is pseudo unblockable throughout much of the early game. If you have stuff to do, that's usually much more important than actually spending 3 mana on +2/+2.
Seconded, Darkthicket Wolf is one of the best ways for a G/x aggro deck to push through damage early. Threat of activation makes blocking a nightmare while still allowing you to develop your board.
I'm sure none of us paid heed at the time to the MM2015 rarity downshift of Eldrazi Temple, but with all the new Eldrazi (and perhaps more in the next set) is this getting close to playable?
Considering: Expedition Envoy - I think I have enough Elite Vanguards right now, but it's always nice to see more printed Roil's Retribution - Interesting effect for white, but probably too situational and expensive Malakir Familiar - Very unique combination of stats and abilities, and black 3's are pretty shallow in my cube Vampiric Rites - High activation cost, but still one of the better sac outlets we've seen in a while Akoum Stonewaker - Another Goblin Piker with upside, but this feels like it will generally be worse than Satyr Nyx-Smith due to the exile clause Blighted Gorge - A free shock is still a free shock, even if this is a bit overcosted Brood Monitor - Good value, but this feels just a bit under curve for what we have access to with green 6's Catacomb Sifter - Powerful, just not sure if I like it enough to crack my Golgari section (I can't believe I just typed that) Drana's Emissary - Same as above, Orzhov is tight
I don't like the Shadow mechanic, and in fact have been trying to move my cube away from creatures that are effectively unblockable 100% of the time. Triggered unblockable effects like on Intimidator Initiate or one-time abilities like on Fervent Cathar are fine, but anything that is perma-unblockable tends to be "feel-bad" for newer players. Looter Il-Kor is undoubtedly a strong card, but I try to keep all my unblockable effects strictly in red as those tend to invite more interesting plays than just "resolve dude, turn it sideways every turn."
I share your dislike of Shadow. While the mechanic isn't quite as parasitic as something like Infect, shadow creatures were clearly designed for environments where shadow didn't just mean "unblockable". If you can get a critical mass (as stonecrowe mentions) then this problem is lessened slightly. I tend to cube with a number of less experienced players, and Looter il-Kor led to too many "feel bad" moments with players asking if they should have drafted more shadow blockers...
However, I don't see what's wrong with cards like Latch Seeker and Inkfathom Infiltrator. It's an effect that makes sense in blue (especially if you support blue aggro), they play exactly as designed, and they die to a stiff breeze.
Hmmm, thanks for bringing Hunting Triad to my attention. Having a Hordeling Outburst mode (and they're warriors!) does make the card much more versatile and the flavor is pretty sweet. I still want to test Dromoka's Gift as bolster plays around some things that reinforce can't, but Triad is gonna be on my radar.
I'm not running online downshifts unfortunately, otherwise Goblin Trenches would be a snap include. Bull Cerodon has been on my radar, but with the release of Origins it would just look so sad in a pack next to Sentinel of the Eternal Watch
I'm a big fan of Undercity Troll, it's just a really solid 2-drop.
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I seem to be one of the few interested in Shadows of the Past, but I'm also having a hard time evaluating it. How much does it need to scry to be worth 1B and a card? Four? Five? It triggers on any creature, I can easily see games where this thing scrys 8+.
The activated ability is a bonus that will only be relevant in a very grindy game, but is certainly nice to have (and makes it a much less painful topdeck).
Really disappointed with the Boros uncommon Iroas's Champion, we already have Hearthfire Hobgoblin which is basically the same card (edit: lead beat me to it). But I can't be too upset because the haul from this set otherwise is amazing.
Great minds, as they say
The Skybonder isn't exactly stellar, in retrospect it probably belongs down in the Borderline/Fringe section. I think my ranking/excitement speaks more to the weakness of the Azorius hybrids in general (I wouldn't really consider Mistmeadow Witch a true hybrid, as you need access to both colors before you'd want to put it in your deck). Maybe I'm underestimating Minister of Impediments, but that seems really slow for a tapper. Wouldn't Curse of Chains be better in most matchups?
Would it be possible for someone to update my display name from 'hedgehogger' to 'Mitas' please?
Thanks!
Staple/Solid:
Boon of the Wish-Giver - I will happily trade the instant speed on Opportunity for Cycling 1, which turns this into a card that will either win you a long game or be effectively a free slot in your deck. Seems like the average of those two modes should result in a pretty good card.
Ominous Seas - In a similar vein, this card is a two-mana win condition when drawn early and a cheap cycle when drawn late. Blue has a ton of incidental card draw even without looking at looters, which means you can expect Kraken #1 quick enough to be relevant in most games and in longer games there’s even the threat of Kraken #2.
Bastion of Remembrance - Second or third best version of this (behind Blood Artist and somewhere near Falkenrath Noble). I like it a lot more than Zulaport Cutthroat, as I am happy to pay the extra mana for a near-permanent version of the triggered ability plus a free body to chump or sac with (the body on Cutthroat is never relevant outside of emergencies)
Grimdancer - Efficient and flexible body which will be good at any stage of the game. Lots of tension in choosing the right keywords; great design.
Heartless Act - Third best 2cc black removal (behind Go for the Throat and Cast Down). Arguably more interesting since it’s never a dead card, and it becomes an indirect payoff for the +1/+1 counters deck by giving their creatures resiliency against a premium removal spell.
Weaponize the Monsters - Lots already said on this one, personally I think it’s going to be great. Likely the second best sacrifice outlet in red, behind Goblin Bombardment and just ahead of Bogardan Dragonheart (a card that has overperformed, I would definitely recommend it if you want to support sacrifice in red).
Flame Spill - Glad to see this printed since I don’t run silver-bordered. Four damage for three mana is a good rate (I recently cut Stoke the Flames for being too inefficient), and this can partially get around the downside of not targeting players as long as your opponent has a token lying around.
Ram Through - Probably the best green fight spell we’ve seen printed yet, edging out Nature's Way and Clear Shot. I like giving green access to this type of effect so I’m happy to find room for this one.
Skull Prophet - Ramp and self-mill on a relevant body? This does everything a Golgari deck could want and more.
Sprite Dragon - A fantastic payoff to the Izzet spells archtype, this is a two-mana win condition in the right deck and will take over the game very quickly if not dealt with.
Cubable:
Splendor Mare
Void Beckoner
Sanctuary Smasher
Titanoth Rex
I love this whole cycle (except for the tragic blue one). Splendor Mare is flexible, efficient in either mode, and relevant at every stage of the game. Void Beckoner and Titanoth Rex are huge bodies for reanimation and/or ramp strategies that are never dead in hand and bin themselves. Sanctuary Smasher and Void Beckoner can be two-for-one combat tricks. Sanctuary Smasher is an actually playable 6-drop in red.
Reconnaissance Mission - Adding cycling on an already fringe playable makes for a very intriguing card. Will have to test to see if this is good enough for the tempo or flyers decks.
Neutralize - This vs Sinister Sabotage is tough. I ultimately landed on keeping Sabotage due to the raw power, but I’ll have to try to track how many times I wished I could have cycled it away.
Forbidden Friendship - Enough said on this one.
Excavation Mole - Super efficient body with self-mill upside, green now has a very reasonable suite of graveyard enablers (Satyr Wayfinder, Grapple with the Past, Winding Way) that aren’t embarrassing to run outside of the dedicated gy deck.
Parcelbeast - I will have to test this to see if it will play as good as it looks, but that ability is absurd if you can get more than one activation and the mutate means you can get this rolling as early as turn 3.
Jubilant Skybonder - Probably the best Azorius hybrid, especially if you support any sort of flyers theme.
Borderline/Fringe:
Will of the All-Hunter - Testing to see if cycling and +1/+1 counter support are enough to put this combat trick over the top. Probably not.
Valiant Rescuer - Almost good enough on his own, and this inches white closer to enough support for a cycling sub-theme.
Wingspan Mentor - Seems like it is going to play very awkwardly with the targeting restriction, poor body, and slow ability, but testing to see if this ends up being more than the sum of its parts.
Cavern Whisperer - My pick for best mutate card (not counting Parcelbeast). Black has very few humans, usually has access to a lot of tokens, and the discard clause helps mitigate the inherent 2-for-1 in mutate. Trading off your worst creature for a 3B 4/4 haste, menace with ETB discard seems like a great deal in any aggressive-leaning black deck.
Call of the Death-Dweller - On the fence about this one. You’re never going to be up on mana (as compared to most reanimation spells), so you’ll need the keyword counters and 2-for-1 possibilities to make up for the times when this card is dead in hand without reasonable targets. Will be testing.
Fire Prophecy - Probably the best 2-mana burn spell that doesn’t hit face, but not hitting face should be a deal-breaker for those trying to push viable aggro strategies.
Hornbash Mentor - Likely the best of the Mentor cycle due to the base body. Also lightly supports +1/+1 counters and trample themes.
Wilt - Honorable mention if you need non-creature artifact/enchantment hate in green
Proud Wildbonder - I like this card as another playable RG hybrid, and also as an interesting sub-archtype in Gruul (beyond just "Gruul smash"). Testing this out in a fun little package with Bramblewood Paragon and Hornbash Mentor.
Primal Empathy - Seems strong enough, but I personally couldn’t find room in my Simic section.
Back for More - This vs Baloth Null is interesting. The Null is generally going to get you more value and plays better in the graveyard as a creature if it gets milled, but Back for More can be really explosive (especially at instant speed) and should help stabilize better against most board-states.
Overall a pretty impressive haul from this set, especially considering how much of a whiff Mutate was for cubes.
Seconded, Darkthicket Wolf is one of the best ways for a G/x aggro deck to push through damage early. Threat of activation makes blocking a nightmare while still allowing you to develop your board.
Getting a 1-mana discount on these cards sounds great, and the opportunity cost is pretty low
Artisan of Kozilek
Deathless Behemoth
Bane of Bala Ged
Breaker of Armies
Eldrazi Skyspawner
Brood Monitor
Eldrazi Skyspawner
Blighted Cataract
Carrier Thrall
Rising Miasma
Blighted Fen
Rolling Thunder
Plated Crusher
Hedron Archive
Deathless Behemoth
Bane of Bala Ged
Breaker of Armies
Considering:
Expedition Envoy - I think I have enough Elite Vanguards right now, but it's always nice to see more printed
Roil's Retribution - Interesting effect for white, but probably too situational and expensive
Malakir Familiar - Very unique combination of stats and abilities, and black 3's are pretty shallow in my cube
Vampiric Rites - High activation cost, but still one of the better sac outlets we've seen in a while
Akoum Stonewaker - Another Goblin Piker with upside, but this feels like it will generally be worse than Satyr Nyx-Smith due to the exile clause
Blighted Gorge - A free shock is still a free shock, even if this is a bit overcosted
Brood Monitor - Good value, but this feels just a bit under curve for what we have access to with green 6's
Catacomb Sifter - Powerful, just not sure if I like it enough to crack my Golgari section (I can't believe I just typed that)
Drana's Emissary - Same as above, Orzhov is tight
Another swing and a miss for Boros
I share your dislike of Shadow. While the mechanic isn't quite as parasitic as something like Infect, shadow creatures were clearly designed for environments where shadow didn't just mean "unblockable". If you can get a critical mass (as stonecrowe mentions) then this problem is lessened slightly. I tend to cube with a number of less experienced players, and Looter il-Kor led to too many "feel bad" moments with players asking if they should have drafted more shadow blockers...
However, I don't see what's wrong with cards like Latch Seeker and Inkfathom Infiltrator. It's an effect that makes sense in blue (especially if you support blue aggro), they play exactly as designed, and they die to a stiff breeze.
Lightning Berserker > Goblin Glory Chaser
Pyrohemia > Break Through the Line
Break certainly gets style points, I think there's enough synergy now with the new renown creatures to merit a test run.
Genju of the Spires > Weapon Surge
Genju of the Cedars > Dromoka's Gift
Haven't been feeling Genjus for a while now, so Surge gets tagged back in. The more I think about Dromoka's Gift, the more I like it.
Wall of Roots > Satyr Wayfinder
Putrid Leech > Spider Spawning
Losing some individual power level to go deeper on Golgari graveyard.
Lightning Helix > Boros Charm
Similarly, Helix has stayed on power level alone. But like Putrefy/Terminate, it ultimately doesn't justify a gold slot for being a Searing Spear++. I'm not the biggest Boros Charm fan, but at least it does some unique things.
Out > In
Azorius Guildmage > Consul's Lieutenant
Wandering Champion > Topan Freeblade
Ornitharch > Sentinel of the Eternal Watch
Wing Splicer > Jhessian Thief
Darkslick Drake > Whirler Rogue
Ghostly Flicker > Calculated Dismissal
Makeshift Mannequin > Necromantic Summons
Homicidal Seclusion > Shadows of the Past
Qal Sisma Behemoth > Acolyte of the Inferno
Torch Fiend > Boggart Brute
Blind with Anger > Seismic Elemental
Gruul Guildmage > Undercity Troll
Kozilek's Predator > Rhox Maulers
Gravetiller Wurm > Skysnare Spider
Cathodion > War Horn
Myriad Landscape > Foundry of the Consuls
Momentary Blink > Thunderclap Wyvern
Juniper Order Ranger > Citadel Castellan
Horizon Chimera > Bounding Krasis
Far // Away > Possessed Skaab
Pretty amazing haul from the final core set, can't wait to see these in action.
Out > In
Attended Knight > Aven Riftwatcher
Meh
Knight of Obligation > Temporal Isolation
I still don't like the Shadow mechanic, but it plays fine as a flash-ifism so I'm making an exception here.
Stealer of Secrets > Sea Gate Oracle
Trying to give blue control some more support.
Searing Blaze > Tormenting Voice
I think I like Voice more than Magmatic Insight right now, being able to get you out of land screw seems more important than a 1 discount.
Avacyn's Pilgrim > Elvish Mystic
Pilgrim wasn't getting drafted outside of G/W, here's to more turn 2 Wolfir Avengers
Boros Charm > Ride Down
Outside of Truefire Paladin, I'm fairly unhappy with my Boros section (Iroas's Champion was such a disappointment). Ride Down could be fun.
Rakdos Guildmage > Nezumi Graverobber
Thoughtpicker Witch > Incremental Blight
Pawn of Ulamog > Stinkweed Imp
Tower Above > Moldervine Cloak
Culling Dais > Elixir of Immortality
Cutting back on some fringe "sacrifice" archetype cards to make room for some solid "graveyard" archetype cards.
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I seem to be one of the few interested in Shadows of the Past, but I'm also having a hard time evaluating it. How much does it need to scry to be worth 1B and a card? Four? Five? It triggers on any creature, I can easily see games where this thing scrys 8+.
The activated ability is a bonus that will only be relevant in a very grindy game, but is certainly nice to have (and makes it a much less painful topdeck).
Edit: Oh and it's a very unique effect, it's like the Peasant Thassa, God of the Sea
Definite includes:
Consul's Lieutenant
Sentinel of the Eternal Watch
Jhessian Thief
Whirler Rogue
Acolyte of the Inferno
Boggart Brute
Skysnare Spider
Undercity Troll
Thunderclap Wyvern
Likely tests:
Topan Freeblade
Calculated Dismissal
Necromantic Summons
Shadows of the Past
Goblin Glory Chaser
Magmatic Insight
Seismic Elemental
War Horn
Foundry of the Consuls
Bounding Krasis
Possessed Skaab