Sets [KTK] Khans of Tarkir Spoilers
- Thread starter anotak
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Grillo_Parlante
Contributor
This is starting to look like it could be a great tempo oriented draft environment. Mechanically, delve, outlast, prowess, ferocious, morph, and raid all encourage committing resources to the board, and provide a means to connect the early game with the mid or late game, much like flashback and cycling did in their respective formats. Outlast, in particular, looks like a great mechanic, a bit like a new take on "level-up," and offering the same tempo tension.
Even the morph cards seem well designed, and I think WOTZ may be aware that having a format oversaturated with threes would be a problem. Ice feather aven provides a reasonable 2 mana mode, and if there is sufficient tempo pressure in the format (which it looks like will be the case), than there is a real tension between the two mana mode and the morph mode.
I would like to see a few reasonable one drops to encourage early mana use and provide some measure of pressure. I also hope there is some strong cheap bounce, like silent departure, to add drama to all of this mana sequencing (especially as regards the morph cards--another reason to consider playing them unmorphed).
A lot of these mechanics also seem great for cube in the inclusive aggro sense. Heir of the wilds (and ferocious in general) looks like it encourages midrange decks to actually go with the early beater plan rather than just ramp. Prowess looks like it will provide more support for creature light "spells matter" aggro-control decks. Outlast seems like an elegant way to reward going with the early beater plan.
Even the morph cards seem well designed, and I think WOTZ may be aware that having a format oversaturated with threes would be a problem. Ice feather aven provides a reasonable 2 mana mode, and if there is sufficient tempo pressure in the format (which it looks like will be the case), than there is a real tension between the two mana mode and the morph mode.
I would like to see a few reasonable one drops to encourage early mana use and provide some measure of pressure. I also hope there is some strong cheap bounce, like silent departure, to add drama to all of this mana sequencing (especially as regards the morph cards--another reason to consider playing them unmorphed).
A lot of these mechanics also seem great for cube in the inclusive aggro sense. Heir of the wilds (and ferocious in general) looks like it encourages midrange decks to actually go with the early beater plan rather than just ramp. Prowess looks like it will provide more support for creature light "spells matter" aggro-control decks. Outlast seems like an elegant way to reward going with the early beater plan.
CML
Contributor
At the Magic party last night I became incredibly drunk off the tickets of teetotalers, hit on members of the "Lady Planeswalker Society," and forced false smiles from Aaron Forsythe and Randy Buehler. The canapes were exceptional, the drinks were strong, and the live music outlasted even me. It was the only time I've ever felt treated well as a player by Wizards. (Mic-drop)
(Picks up mic) OK, really, how many of these 3-color cards are we gonna run in our Cubes? Probably 0 here
(Picks up mic) OK, really, how many of these 3-color cards are we gonna run in our Cubes? Probably 0 here
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Oh man, this set is so awesome for my Battle Box though 
Now, do I order boxes or not...
Now, do I order boxes or not...
Grillo_Parlante
Contributor
I'm actually kind of excited now about the shards. Jeskai is a blue, red, white shard with a spells matter mechanic: I am sure to (finally) get some awesome white build arounds for that theme.
Prowess itself seems nuts considering how often it triggers; it has the potential to be a fixed version of storm, and could solidify spells matter as a real cube archetype.
Consider this slightly expensive guy:
When you combine him with other tempo cards:
You get a threat that can sometimes just combo out and end the game in one attack, conveniently at the 6 mana point.
And he even scales with power level:
I'm excited to see where they go with this.
Prowess itself seems nuts considering how often it triggers; it has the potential to be a fixed version of storm, and could solidify spells matter as a real cube archetype.
Consider this slightly expensive guy:
When you combine him with other tempo cards:
You get a threat that can sometimes just combo out and end the game in one attack, conveniently at the 6 mana point.
And he even scales with power level:
I'm excited to see where they go with this.
re: the aven:
It is cool but I do wonder about the costing. 4 extra mana to get an unsummon?
It is cool but I do wonder about the costing. 4 extra mana to get an unsummon?
I think this Sorin is considerably less inspiring than the previous one.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
So... Third set = Zendikar confirmed?
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
I love this Sorin. The artwork is stunning, he has a huge enough butt to survive, and he has a nasty but not insurmountable emblem. His -2 does seem weakish though.
It's like they simply reversed the previous one.
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
+1 make a dude, lifelink
-2 help the team
Sorin, Solemn Visitor
+1 help the team, lifelink
-2 make a dude
The new one seems less elegant, though. It's better to want to + before wanting to - , which the former encourages since you want dudes to buff.
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
+1 make a dude, lifelink
-2 help the team
Sorin, Solemn Visitor
+1 help the team, lifelink
-2 make a dude
The new one seems less elegant, though. It's better to want to + before wanting to - , which the former encourages since you want dudes to buff.
i really like the flexibility, gaea's skyfolk is still vaguely above curve today, just not worth a multicolor slot in most of our cubes, and now you have a kicker you can do in payments to get a man-o'-war sort of
im not sure if its good, but i really like the feel of the card
That Sorin art isn't duel deck art? Oh dear...
The Sultai clan leader seems alright. I hate that (s)he's a 3 color hill giant, but at least the ETB should give you a 2/2 zombie if you're building your decks right. I also like how the effect supports a self mill theme.
New wrath effect is sweet. That new raid spell seems...meh.
New wrath effect is sweet. That new raid spell seems...meh.
Yeah, I was kind of afraid to say it (for fear of typecasting myself), but the 1/2 outlast guy is the one I'm far and away the most excited for. It seems like it'd be great in both the midrange and control matchups, and wouldn't be horrible when you're trying to do an aggro rushdown, either.
I have to say I really like these five wedge mechanics, way more than their Alara counterparts. They exude flavour and match their colour combinations surprisingly well. Shards gave us unearth and exalted, but the other three mechanics were clunkers, and neither unearth nor exalted were good fits for blue. Already, prowess seems awesome for UWR; graveyard shenanigans make a whole lot of sense for BUG; and attack triggers seem well-suited to WBR. I guess I have my doubts about ferocity, as threshold mechanics that require you to keep a large body in play can be dicey, but the 2/2 common is already more promising than any of the Naya 5-power guys ever were.
1/2 outlast guy is the one I'm far and away the most excited for. It seems like it'd be great in both the midrange and control matchups, and wouldn't be horrible when you're trying to do an aggro rushdown, either.I have to say I really like these five wedge mechanics, way more than their Alara counterparts. They exude flavour and match their colour combinations surprisingly well. Shards gave us unearth and exalted, but the other three mechanics were clunkers, and neither unearth nor exalted were good fits for blue. Already, prowess seems awesome for UWR; graveyard shenanigans make a whole lot of sense for BUG; and attack triggers seem well-suited to WBR. I guess I have my doubts about ferocity, as threshold mechanics that require you to keep a large body in play can be dicey, but the
2/2 common is already more promising than any of the Naya 5-power guys ever were.
Dom Harvey
Contributor
New Sarkhan is awesome, nothing else is so far IMO