Sets Battle for Zendikar Spoilers
- Thread starter Eric Chan
- Start date
If only this set had no allies. I feel like Scars again where I go into a draft knowing 100% that I don't want to draft a certain, predominant archetype.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Looks like they're less poisonous this time around, but I tend to agree. I will say that I thought allies were extremely fun to play in constructed formats, be it casual or competitive, but they're pretty much useless for cube.
Man I have a strong feeling that I am gonna be disappointed with this block's Eldrazi. I was hoping for some non-annihilator hotness to go into my colourless section..
Well... blue eldrazi confirmed. I honestly thought the mechanical reason all the colored eldrazi were
was that those colors are the three with access to ramp- white has land tax / knight of the white orchid type catch-up stuff but ACTUAL ramp/rituals, where spawn landed, are jund. Also these spawn have power- woo!
it's sunburst!
it's...dreadbore hero's downfall ruinous path
ulamog 2.0
wait what the fuck is this one
it's...
ulamog 2.0
wait what the fuck is this one
Super excited about Eldrazi scions. The spawn tokens had a surprising amount of impact last time around as 0/1's, and giving them an upgrade in power while still letting them sacrifice at will for mana (!) is huge. Reeeeeaaaaallllly hope there's a draft sac theme supported in at least two of the colours.
Well ulamog seems okay.. 10 mana, almost definitely win the game on your next turn? Could be worth a shot.
Looks like the breakdown is thus:
- "Zendikar Expeditions" is a special set of cards that are legal in limited and formats they're already legal (Steam Vents is not BFZ-legal)
- They are all premium/foil, 'full' art, and have the new "zendikari" frame.
- They are in BFZ boosters and will "appear slightly more than premium mythic rares." (Projected 1-3 per case of product)
- 25 Cards in BFZ (Every shock, ZEN fetches, new "slow lands")
- 20 cards in the followup set
Slowlands.. more like... Slowlames...
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Holt shit!
Also those slow lands are fechable sir
Also those slow lands are fechable sir
Grillo_Parlante
Contributor
I'm really excited about those slow lands: they look about perfect for cube.
Still holding out on my unrealistic hopes that the fetchland reprints lower the prices to reasonable levels.
I didn't buy scalding tarns because I was hoping for something like this.
Still holding out on my unrealistic hopes that the fetchland reprints lower the prices to reasonable levels.
I didn't buy scalding tarns because I was hoping for something like this.
I'm taking out the ally buddy lands for these. I'll keep the enemy buddy lands I guess. More variety and more fetch targets.
I think I might actually pull Elspeth, Knight-Errant for new Gideon. I like making bigger tokens that actually feel impactful on their own, I like swinging with a 5/5 pro damage at least as much as +3/+3 flying I think and the ult is certainly more realistic.
I used to have Eldrazi in my cube but I eventually took them all out. I am considering this one since its more versatile, being a reanimator target, but it still feels like its just a super fatty that hands you the game on a silver platter.
I think I might actually pull Elspeth, Knight-Errant for new Gideon. I like making bigger tokens that actually feel impactful on their own, I like swinging with a 5/5 pro damage at least as much as +3/+3 flying I think and the ult is certainly more realistic.
I used to have Eldrazi in my cube but I eventually took them all out. I am considering this one since its more versatile, being a reanimator target, but it still feels like its just a super fatty that hands you the game on a silver platter.
Did people not see the basic land types as the first feature of the lands?
Also, Gideon is an Ally? Ugh.
I sweat to god someone at wotc lurks here. Doesn't onderzeebot run these exact lands already?
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Actually I run the scars fastlands with basic land types, which are, I would argue, loads better for cube than these. I like the new lands, but they are best in midrange and control decks, and I like mana fixing best when it's beneficial to aggro decks, as fixing in and of itself already promotes durdly decks.
Edit: I hate foils, but I like these full art duals, because if I open one (if it's a fetch or shock at least), I can sell them for loads of cash and they won't take up a rare slot in my boosters.
FlowerSunRain
Contributor
After marking out like crazy for Origins, Khans and Theros, this set has me completely disinterested. The lands definitely have a home in my binder, but the ideas here just don't speak to me at all. Gideon and Ulamog are just raw power level mythics with no play to them, Eldrazi are dumb and allies are a tribe that don't work because they aren't incidental. I'm sure they'll get some good stuff in here, but at least this isn't a set that I'm going to really like.
Those are expensive.
Those are expensive.
I hope I'm not the only one who looked at Ulamog and thought, "bleh"
Not a huge fan of the art on some of these either... I mean, they just don't look as "epic" as the older ones do:
or
Not a huge fan of the art on some of these either... I mean, they just don't look as "epic" as the older ones do:
or
Is it me or is this new Gideon design the laziest planeswalker design ever?
I know I am a lame #ArtWhiner but I will say again, since venny brought it up: I'm so far awfully displeased with the art direction in this set, similar to my hang-ups with Origins. I can barely tell the artists apart so far; it all looks either the same or really lame (Gideon's Reproach). It's not as if I flatly hate it all (some of the art so far is nice), but it bothers me that, so far, it all looks so heavily uniform.
I'd have to agree with FSR on being generally unimpressed so far; Gideon is especially a disappointment, because I thought his art was nice (again, I'm big on the art), but he is ridiculously powerful, and I was really hoping he'd turn out playable. I do think I may switch to the new sorcery speed Hero's Downfall, though... We'll see.
My issue with the slowlands is the same as Onzer's; they're for midrange, and I like my lands to be aggro-friendly, since aggro needs the help, and durdle doesn't. The fact that they're fetchable doesn't mean much in a format that has lots of nonbasics, because if they ETB tapped, then it's like paying 1 life for an Evolving Wilds. To me, the slowlands seem like they are flatly unplayable in any really focused aggro shell, because they are worse than shocks, pains, fetches, and even temples. At least I can make a calculated decision with a temple and get something good out of it in an aggro deck (digging for gas); this land demands I draw into two basics before it can be used T3, and that feels like quite a hurdle in a format that is very nonbasic-friendly. Being a fetchable 2-typer doesn't matter much when I can just as easily pack in a 1-of on my splash colour and fetch that instead. I dunno you guys; I get it, new lands are hype and all, but like Onzer said, I am not interested in lands that are most likely to be used by control/durdle decks, because that's one of those MTGS singleton-style mistakes. At the very least, slowlands are more demanding of aggro players for little reward compared to other land cycles, and imo aggro is hard enough to incentivize in cube when midrange decks can so often be more easily "fun" and less demanding.
I'd have to agree with FSR on being generally unimpressed so far; Gideon is especially a disappointment, because I thought his art was nice (again, I'm big on the art), but he is ridiculously powerful, and I was really hoping he'd turn out playable. I do think I may switch to the new sorcery speed Hero's Downfall, though... We'll see.
My issue with the slowlands is the same as Onzer's; they're for midrange, and I like my lands to be aggro-friendly, since aggro needs the help, and durdle doesn't. The fact that they're fetchable doesn't mean much in a format that has lots of nonbasics, because if they ETB tapped, then it's like paying 1 life for an Evolving Wilds. To me, the slowlands seem like they are flatly unplayable in any really focused aggro shell, because they are worse than shocks, pains, fetches, and even temples. At least I can make a calculated decision with a temple and get something good out of it in an aggro deck (digging for gas); this land demands I draw into two basics before it can be used T3, and that feels like quite a hurdle in a format that is very nonbasic-friendly. Being a fetchable 2-typer doesn't matter much when I can just as easily pack in a 1-of on my splash colour and fetch that instead. I dunno you guys; I get it, new lands are hype and all, but like Onzer said, I am not interested in lands that are most likely to be used by control/durdle decks, because that's one of those MTGS singleton-style mistakes. At the very least, slowlands are more demanding of aggro players for little reward compared to other land cycles, and imo aggro is hard enough to incentivize in cube when midrange decks can so often be more easily "fun" and less demanding.