MTG Salvation

It does seem very broken in the right deck. I mean it basically makes all multicolored spells cost 2 less which is bonkers.

Murdering Crows 1UB
Sorcery {U}
Choose one:
° Destroy target creature.
° Create two 1/1 blue Bird creature tokens with flying.
"You'd find it ironic if the crows weren't so brutal."

At 9 mana an 11/11 sounds pretty strong, but a 6/6 and 5 1/1s seems even better so that's a decent playoff. I'm not sure how Eldrazi and artifacts would work flavorwise but I'm not going to be too harsh on that one.

Farron's Abyss Watcher 1RWB
Double Strike, Haste {M}
Whenever Farron's Abyss Watcher deals combat damage to an opponent, you may exile target card from that player's graveyard. If you do, you gain life equal to that card's converted mana cost.
2/3

It seems like it could be a very powerful card in the right deck, especially for cheap reanimator or delve decks. 100% legacy playable. I'd say it doesn't need the split second, it's good enough as it is.

Here's another card from my Dark Souls set: a Boros commander that isn't focused on combat for once!

Gwynevere, Daughter of Light 5RW
Legendary Creature: Avatar {R}
Whenever you cast a spell, you gain life equal to its converted mana cost.
When Gwynevere, Daughter of Light dies, double your life total.
"May thou be one with the sunlight for evermore."
3/3

that card is definitely very strong. I would slot it as a rare. I feel like it's a bit unnecessary to filter it through an activated ability unless you make it tapped (you could word it like Chromatic Lantern or "you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color").

Here's a card from my Dark Souls custom set:

Bonewheel Skeleon 1WB
Creature - Skeleton {U}
Double Strike
Whenever a Skeleton creature you control attacks, you may pay 2 life. If you do, return Bonewheel Skeleton from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped and attacking.
"Mercy!" Wun cried out, "Anything but them!"
1/1

Thought Mirror 6
2, T: Copy target activated ability. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Whenever a nonland permanent enters the battlefield from a library or graveyard, untap Though Mirror.


Next: Selvala, Explorer Returned

Seems like a fairly balanced card. I would reword it to a "at the beginning of your upkeep" trigger, but it looks good otherwise.

__

Whispers of the Dead 1B
Sorcery - {Mythic}
Search your library for a card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. You lose life equal to its converted mana cost.
Some secrets are just worth dying for.

I feel like it's a very powerful card even with a lot of indestructible. Making it a 4/4 wouldn't hurt it whatsoever. I can imagine this thing becoming very hard to deal for aggressive decks with little removal.

Echoes of Life 3RG
Enchantment {M}
Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, put a charge counter on Echoes of Life and you gain 1 life.
Remove a charge counter from Echoes of Life: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.

This week's story wasn't bad, but we've had a lot better. The Gatewatch's plan to kill Emrakul off just like they did Ulamog and Kozilek but with even less leylines was obviously going to fail. Also, there was an inconsistency at one point in the Story when they mention Thraben being the most densely populated city of Innistrad.

From Battle of Thraben

That, plus the fact that Thraben is the densest population of life on Innistrad, will mean that Emrakul will almost certainly be drawn there.

From Planeswalker's guide to Innisrad: Gavony and Humans

Thraben lies in on the northern edge of the province of Gavony. It's the largest walled city in Innistrad, although parts of Nephalia's seaports are more densely populated.

You could argue that since Emrakul came from the sea, she already warped most of Nephalia, leaving Thraben as the next biggest city, but I feel like there might have been a lack of research into the plane for this story.

I like Emerge. It's like a fixed version of Offering which was a mechanic I always loved.

Also holy snacks those angels. Gisela is ridiculously strong and Bruna has the potential to be ridiculously good value if you bring back a something like Linvala or Reflector mage.

Also getting Brisela out is a huge hindrance to your opponent. I'm pretty sure there aren't any playable counterspells or spot removal that cost more than 3 (aside perhaps from Silumgar's command). And on top of that, she's a really three turn clock at worst and hits for an 18 life swing.

That on top of Blessed Alliance could make a White or W/X control very playable.

Opened five packs in total, three from a draft. Got a foil Vampiric Tutor from my first draft pack which made my day. Also got a foil Invogorate, Maze of Ith, foil Void and a Hymn to Tourach.

I don't play legacy at all, but I play a lot of EDH and just finished a cube, so I'm happy I got a few cool tools for it (no rancor though).

Gyre Clade Recluse2GU
Creature - Spider
Flash, Reach
When Gyre Clade Recluse enters the battlefield, untap all creatures you control. Those creatures gain Reach until end of turn.
2/5

I think the most likely chance we'll get of seeing a 5 color precon would be if they produced some sort of "Commander Event Deck" as a single release. More expensive, but with more valuable cards etc etc. Although I don't think we'll be getting anything of the sort for C16, but maybe as an extra product (like the Modern event deck)

D: Matchups

Reserved for later

A: Introduction

Battle for Zendikar brought something to the table that Standard hadn't seen in a while: typed dual lands. Although they did make a return during the Return to Ravnica block, this format also has a cycle of Fetchlands from Khans of Tarkir, effectively making this standard the one with the best land base we have seen in a very long time, which fortunately suits the new Converge mechanic as well as the five three-color clans from the aforementioned block.

The Standard metagame has a decent range: Abzan Midrange is this year's top contender, but also gets competition from Jeskai variants as well as Esper control and various aggro decks like GW Megamorph or Aristocrat decks. This deck aims to be a mix of midrange and tempo, relying on cheap, powerful creatures to pave your way to victory as you clear the board of the various threats your opponents may have.

B: Card Selection

1: Meat and Potatoes.

• Mantis Rider is perhaps one of the most aggressive creatures WOTC has printed in a long time. A three mana 3/3 is already considered a strong card, so when you give it evasion, haste and the ability to recklessly attack because you won't be losing a blocker (did I mention it costs three mana?). Mantis Rider has defined Standard as one of the best creatures the format can offer. Not running such a great card would be stupid.
• Savage Knuckleblade is also an incredibly powerful card that puts an incredible amount of pressure. This is a card that fits in at pretty much any stage in the game (people have even likened it to an early game Ætherling. It provides great early game support as a 4/4 that can attack as he comes down for a little mana investment, whereas in the later stages in the game he becomes almost unkillable as you attack with plenty of mana open to pump it up or bring it back to your hand if it risks dying on you when you don't need it. Savage Knuckleblade makes for one of the most dangerous three drops for a long time. Did I mention it can kill Siege Rhino for a little extra investment?
• Collected Company is one of this format's most powerful cards in my opinion. Being able to cast this during your opponent's turn and placing down extra blockers to ruin his attacks (or put down two extra attackers for next turn) is an incredibly versatile effect, as having this much mana open during your opponent's turn also lets you cast pretty much any of the other instants in the deck. Essentially, one of the only things better than three mana for a Mantis Rider is four mana at instant speed for two of them.
• Rattleclaw Mystic is the best mana dork in Standard and fits in this deck perfectly. It taps for three colors out of the four your deck runs allowing you to stabilize your mana, it accelerates your curve so that you get that early game pressure down as quickly as you can (as well as benefiting from a very good Morph effect in case you need the extra mana and have the time for it), and with a 2/1 body it can also provide some early damage if your opponent doesn't have anything decent to defend him/herself with.

2: Tempo for days.

• If there's one thing that defines a card that provides tempo, it's being able to choose exactly how you would like to spoil your opponent's plan. Jeskai Charm does this very well as it offers to you three very useful choices for you to beat down and disrupt your opponent. The first mode gets rid of one of his blockers but also robs him of his next card draw, which can be devastating when your opponent misses a land drop for example. The second mode is fairly straightforward but helps a lot when your opponent is down to his/her last shreds of life and your creatures have been dealt with. And the third mode is a great combat trick that usually allows you to tank a big attack as well as remove a few creatures from the table, but it also works as a good offensive pressure during an attack.
• Den Protector also works great for tempo. He doesn't offer a choice but being able to recover one of your spent creatures or instants for a second round is incredibly versatile. Not to mention that Den Protector is a great offensive presence as it evades all the smaller creatures that it doesn't want to trade against. He can also be fetched with Collected Company if need be, but it's a big waste of its potential.
• Dig Through Time is one of Control's more defining cards, trading out the unwanted and unused cards in your grave for a selection of your top seven cards, so that you can pick your two best options and proceed to keep on annihilating your opponent. However this deck runs a lot of choice and is prepared for a lot of situations, so a need for several copies of this card aren't needed.
• Likewise, Bring to Light is a card that works very well in this deck as it allows you to fetch pretty much any spell in the deck for you to throw at your opponent and ruin whatever board state he/she currently has. At best it can get you a Collected Company to drop whenever you feel like it, which can really scare your opponent. But being a sorcery speed it is also a hindrance as it's slow and on the higher end of the curve for this format.

3: Removal

• Similarly to Jeskai Charm, Dromoka's Command is a cheap spell that can provide you with a very good amount of options. Whereas most people will opt for the last two modes as a means to get rid of an opposing creature whilst pumping up your own, it sometimes is worth it to wait and cancel the odd Radiant Flames or Evolutionary Leap your opponents might drop on you. Dromoka's command is very versatile, but works best as a quick buff/removal spell.
• Sticking to the "modal spells" theme, Valorous Stance is a great spell that pivots offensively and defensively. Where on one side it kills off the big blockers that this deck doesn't like facing such as Tasigur and Siege Rhino, it also protects them from mass removal and combat tricks as your opponents tap out to try and wipe your board. This spell is one of the best uncommons of all of standard, and it's pretty clear to my why that is.
• Wild Slash acts as our early game removal, picking off the small cards that can become a nuisance later on such as Hangarback Walker, Jace and opposing Rattleclaws. You could just as easily run Fiery Impulse in order to pick off tougher cards like Drana or Mantis Rider, however I feel that losing the ability to target players makes it a dead card in a few situations, whereas you could always toss your Wild Slash at your opponent when he/she has very little life left (much like Jeskai Charm).
• Although not exactly a removal spell, being able to drop Deathmist Raptor in on a Collected Company or by flipping over one of several morphing cards of the deck can turn it into a very good trade off if your opponent's bigger creatures. It and Den Protector are best buds, and Dromoka's Command becomes a lot more versatile as well.

4: The Big Guns

NB: In this style of deck I wouldn't recommend playing these cards early on, as they are meant to be the mid-to-late game finishers after your opponent is out of removal after spending it all in the immense early pressure you should be placing. However both of these cards remain very powerful and can impact the board in a way that may hinder their survivability.

• Gideon, Ally of Zendikar is the poster boy of the most recent set, and he is well deserving of it. Gideon is great at being dangerous, providing a steady stream of 2/2s that you can pump and use in various ways, but Gideon can also kill himself off for a more permanent buff to your creatures, or become an indestructible 5/5 (Dromoka's Command's other best friend). Gideon is a very versatile card, but in my opinion I feel like he has the most impact right after your opponent clears the entire board and is left with an exposed field.
• Ever since I saw it spoiled, I felt like there was nothing wrong with Dragonlord Dromoka. It could've costed one more mana and still be an excellent card. The fact of the matter is that Dromoka is a massive roadblock to pretty much any deck. As an uncounterable fatty that stops your opponent's combat tricks, counterspells and Dig Through Times, she is a bane to control. And as a 5/7 flyer with Lifelink that impacts their combat tricks, Dromoka is also a massive problem to any aggressive deck. The fact that she can munch on a Siege Rhino without any problem is reason enough to warrant her appearance in here.

5: The Sideboard

• On several occasions I have considered maindecking Atarka's Command, and I would if I knew what to remove for it. It's a cheap, versatile spell that allows you to do so much. Preventing lifegain for a turn can destroy everything you opponent was banking on, as well as being even more taunting with three damage to his/her face. Although it's not used all that often, getting a free land drop in a four colored deck is a very good thing to have, especially at instant speed (now imagine Gideon or Collected Company the next turn). And finally the +1/+1 and reach can be deadly for opposing Mantis Riders and Thunderbreak Regents, and can also act as a last ditch pump spell for your alpha strike (and it conveniently comes with three damage too).
• I was often town between using Suspension Field or Silkwrap, but a bit of wishful thinking and realizing that Valorous Stance was just as effective let to sideboarding Silkwrap, which can deal with a lot of annoying threats like opposing Mantis Riders, Drana, Anafenza, Jace/Liliana and a lot of other bothersome creatures.
• Dispel is both a boon and a blessing to me. Seeing as almost all my noncreature spells are instants, Dispel is a cheap way to counter my tempo (this is also why Bring to Light is more useful than you think). However that works both ways as I can then counter whatever instants they want to bring out. Dispel is good against control decks and other Collected Company based builds.
• Similarly, Negate works as a better Dispel for an additional mana, but also hits some other major threats liks Wrath effects, See the Unwritten, Languish and Radiant Flames.
• Speaking of the latter, Radiant Flames works as a double edged sword for me here. I only side it in against aggro decks with a faster pace than mine such as GW Megamorph and Tribal Warriors. I would often side out the Mantis Riders in favor of something with more recursion like Deathmist Raptor.
• As a nitpick against Esper control with their constant stream of Scatter to the Winds and Ojutai's Command, Surrak Dragonclaw is the perfect answer to this as a flashing 6/6 beater that disrupts their playstyle. I haven't been able to test him out yet, but I feel that he will be strong.
• Mastery of the Unseen is the type of card I'm usually sceptical about, but it has shown its worth before and in a deck with Rattleclaw, Deathmist Raptor and Den Protector, the chances of triggering the lifegain are a lot more likely. This is also a card I would side in against overly aggressive decks. Arashin Cleric may end up being a safer option for this deck seeing as it's fetchable with Company, but tests need to be made.
• As well as being in the maindecks, there is also an extra copy of Deathmist Raptor, Dromoka's Command and Valorous Stance in the side. All three of these cards are very strong, but have a niche in being able to effectively deal with certain deck types (Megamorph for Raptor, burn for Dromoka's Command and Abzan for Valorous Stance).

C: Strengths and Weaknesses

Thrun, the Fast Troll 2GG
Legendary Creature: Troll Meme
Haste, Hexproof
Thrun, the Fast Troll can't be countered
Thrun, the Fast Troll is Indestrucible
Thrun, the Fast Troll is unblockable
When Thrun, the Fast Troll enters the battlefield, target player exiles all permanents he or she controls.
When Thrun, the Fast Troll deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game.
U mad bro?
500 000/500 000