FlowerSunRain
Contributor
The Best Card in Khans of Tarkir
Many cube enthusiasts can't help but be a little disappointed at one of the core themes of Khans of Tarkir: three color cards. We all know the design limitations of cube and how they relate to heavily restrictive casting costs, so no need to dwell on them. The multicolor cards in this set were very good and those who were willing to tinker their design to include them were rewarded with some amazing options like Sidisi, Brood Tyrant, Savage Knuckleblade, Mardu Ascendancy, and Anafenza, the Foremost. But under the golden gifts, there were a lot of really amazing single color cards that pushed players in different directions. One word I heard used to describe the set was "inspiring". The three color themes inspired bold, broad based design in some, but the mechanics of the set also were inspiring, making players think about the value of different resources and how they relate. Azban Falconer and its ilk made people think deeper about the value of the +1/+1 counter as a resource and Khans delivered new payoff angles for the theme. Sure, Morningtide did it first with cards like Rage Forger, but Khans took the concept and did it in a better, broader, more self sufficient manner. Then, you had delve which helped give a new emphasis on graveyard management and provided insanely powerful rewards like Treasure Cruise for accumulating a big graveyard.
The mechanic that seemed to excite the most people, though, was Prowess. Prowess isn't fancy, giving a mere +1/+1 until end of turn, but the reward came from something extremely simple: casting a non-creature spell. That's something decks do all the time, naturally, as part of gameplay. But still, is it a big deal? Its not like Delver of Secrets and Young Pyromancer are tearing up cubes. Its not like a non-permanent +1/+1 buff is going to incentivize players to do that more, right?
Actually, it will. The first thing note about prowess is that unlike previous "spells matter" cards that only work on an instant or a sorcery, prowess triggers off of artifacts, enchantments and planeswalkers, which opens up tons of deckbuilding space. No longer must you choose between a less appropriate card with a trigger and a better one that gets you nothing. Also as a consequence of this is that prowess supports more then just spells matter decks. These creatures cross over into heroic/aura-aggro decks, artifact decks, and are great in any deck with way too many planeswalkers. Cards that find ways of connecting decktypes are great for brewers who like the deckmaking opportunities that cube provides and will invariably use these types of cards as glue to make decks you didn't think were possible in your cube work. Prowess, you could say, is an inspiring ability and is a great representative of the set as a whole.
Specifically, Seeker of the Way is the best card in Khans of Tarkir. His most important attribute is that he is a white card, which is important because it helps him bring the spells matter theme into a third color. He's also an asskicking aggro creature that is a huge threat, specifically to any deck that tries to race. A 3/3 lifelink for 1W would just be a stupid card and Seeker of the Way will be that as long as you can feed him. That lifelink also makes him life gain matters support. He is in the best color for aura aggro and looks fantastic wearing a turn three Empyreal Armor. He's a fine silver medal in a doublestrike deck. He's better then most random 2 drops as a 23rd card in a loose deck, because he's got a good chance of getting a 6 life swing before he's useless. And, at worst he's a bear, which is not the worst thing you can be, even in cube (see again Delver of Secrets).
And he's a human warrior, two types which are very relevant for incidental support.
He's powerful in his theme, he ties in multiple themes, he's incidentally relevant, and not that bad as a random body. Seeker of the Way is pretty much a perfect design and is definitely the best card in Khans of Tarkir.
Many cube enthusiasts can't help but be a little disappointed at one of the core themes of Khans of Tarkir: three color cards. We all know the design limitations of cube and how they relate to heavily restrictive casting costs, so no need to dwell on them. The multicolor cards in this set were very good and those who were willing to tinker their design to include them were rewarded with some amazing options like Sidisi, Brood Tyrant, Savage Knuckleblade, Mardu Ascendancy, and Anafenza, the Foremost. But under the golden gifts, there were a lot of really amazing single color cards that pushed players in different directions. One word I heard used to describe the set was "inspiring". The three color themes inspired bold, broad based design in some, but the mechanics of the set also were inspiring, making players think about the value of different resources and how they relate. Azban Falconer and its ilk made people think deeper about the value of the +1/+1 counter as a resource and Khans delivered new payoff angles for the theme. Sure, Morningtide did it first with cards like Rage Forger, but Khans took the concept and did it in a better, broader, more self sufficient manner. Then, you had delve which helped give a new emphasis on graveyard management and provided insanely powerful rewards like Treasure Cruise for accumulating a big graveyard.
The mechanic that seemed to excite the most people, though, was Prowess. Prowess isn't fancy, giving a mere +1/+1 until end of turn, but the reward came from something extremely simple: casting a non-creature spell. That's something decks do all the time, naturally, as part of gameplay. But still, is it a big deal? Its not like Delver of Secrets and Young Pyromancer are tearing up cubes. Its not like a non-permanent +1/+1 buff is going to incentivize players to do that more, right?
Actually, it will. The first thing note about prowess is that unlike previous "spells matter" cards that only work on an instant or a sorcery, prowess triggers off of artifacts, enchantments and planeswalkers, which opens up tons of deckbuilding space. No longer must you choose between a less appropriate card with a trigger and a better one that gets you nothing. Also as a consequence of this is that prowess supports more then just spells matter decks. These creatures cross over into heroic/aura-aggro decks, artifact decks, and are great in any deck with way too many planeswalkers. Cards that find ways of connecting decktypes are great for brewers who like the deckmaking opportunities that cube provides and will invariably use these types of cards as glue to make decks you didn't think were possible in your cube work. Prowess, you could say, is an inspiring ability and is a great representative of the set as a whole.
Specifically, Seeker of the Way is the best card in Khans of Tarkir. His most important attribute is that he is a white card, which is important because it helps him bring the spells matter theme into a third color. He's also an asskicking aggro creature that is a huge threat, specifically to any deck that tries to race. A 3/3 lifelink for 1W would just be a stupid card and Seeker of the Way will be that as long as you can feed him. That lifelink also makes him life gain matters support. He is in the best color for aura aggro and looks fantastic wearing a turn three Empyreal Armor. He's a fine silver medal in a doublestrike deck. He's better then most random 2 drops as a 23rd card in a loose deck, because he's got a good chance of getting a 6 life swing before he's useless. And, at worst he's a bear, which is not the worst thing you can be, even in cube (see again Delver of Secrets).
And he's a human warrior, two types which are very relevant for incidental support.
He's powerful in his theme, he ties in multiple themes, he's incidentally relevant, and not that bad as a random body. Seeker of the Way is pretty much a perfect design and is definitely the best card in Khans of Tarkir.
