Sets [DTK] Dragons of Tarkir Spoilers Thread

[Chris Taylor]

It's clearly inferior to Goblin Guide, which we are all okay with (in fact love, or I do anyway), so what's the fuss about? I also think the Legendary supertype hurts it more for constructed purposes than one might think, because you want your red 2-powered one-drops to be as redundant as possible, and the second Zurgo is a dead draw much more often than the second, say, Sidisi is. Essentially, you want to play as many as possible, because they are only good (well, okay, best by far, it does have dash after all) in your opener, but you want to play as few as possible because it is legendary.

Actually on reflection I think this is less fuss and more "This is interesting, how do you guys feel?" (I'd edit my post but lazy)

Isaumaru had this problem as well in standard at the time (And at that point both copies died when you played a second, so technically zurgo here can gain vigilence for a red )
IIRC the zoo decks of the time settled on 3 copies and sometimes had sad draws.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Actually on reflection I think this is less fuss and more "This is interesting, how do you guys feel?" (I'd edit my post but lazy)

Yeah, my post was in reply to FSR. I think you said it well in your edit, this is bringing up the floor. They did the same thing with the blue flyer, 2/1 for without drawbacks was long overdue for a color that's supposed to be the best at flying. So far there hasn't been a card that felt over the line, but they are, thankfully, raising the bar on long-neglected color/stat combinations.

 

[FlowerSunRain]

Red one drops have sucked forever and this card does not suck. I'm hoping this is a sign that we are going to get a better spread of power levels in places where traditionally we haven't, rather then simply just jacking up the power level in general. The first is interesting, because we can use that to tweak our cubes and put power where we want it without having to make (as many) custom cards to fill holes where the options just don't exist. The second just doesn't go anywhere interesting.

 

[Goldenpineapple]

Zurgo is fine, as Onder said legendary keeps it from cramping constructed's style while giving cube more shiny new cards to play with. I was going to say something about lightning berserker being so close power-wise to firedrinker satyr, a rare, but bleh.

Interesting! More fun than hero of bladehold, right?

Look at all those words! It's so boring though! I'm not familiar with formats, but is he eternal playable in reanimator or tron or something? Making your opponent play at sorcery speed seems very good against a lot of decks.

Wtf is this art?
Shikiri Raptor
Deathtouch
Whenever a permanent you control is turned face up, you may return ~ from the graveyard to play face up or face down
Megamorph

Uhhh wat

 

[Chris Taylor]

I'm really liking the idea of Ojutai Exemplars. As for controlling creatures at cheaper than 5, restoration angel is about as close as we get, and that's mostly just because it's really strong. Tapping down attackers, gaining life, and dodging removal whenever you slam a new walker or brainstorm or whatever might help take prowess from "Kiln Fiend but less variance" to "Something cool everyone can have fun with because brainstorms".
I'm sorry CML, it might be time for Galepowder Mage to leave

Yawn. Baneslayer randomly hosing blue does not excite me

As for Neo-Zurgo:

http://magiccards.info/query?q=mana=r+pow=2&v=scan&s=cname
While it's missing a few 1 drops I'd cube, Thats a search of all the red 2 power 1 drops.

Here's my inner monologue scanning through

Okay sweet, love this guy

Not my favorite, but they're fine

This could be cool if he read "reveal a red card" or something less specific

Jeez, not a fan

I don't know if that's something I can garentee with any regularity...

Oh Christ

 

[FlowerSunRain]

The Exemplars are really interesting, but they probably want more instants then I run. Emerge Unscathed, though. . .

The Raptor is, umm, different? Its also in a weird place where most cubes have no use for such a narrow effect, but in a cube that pushes morph you will likely have a lower power level so do you even need something this pushed to support the theme?

Also why isn't it a black card?

 

[Chris Taylor]

I'm all for green being able to hop on the recurisve threat train gravecrawler is driving.
I think someone a while back on MTGS proposed a GG1 3/3 that you can cast from your graveyard unconditionally. Probably too strong, but I can see green being able to do that with bigger creatures.

I figure with exemplars, you likely don't need a massive density of instants. Thirst for Knowledge in response to a removal spell is totally acceptable, and you don't want him being utterly indestructible, just resiliant.
Also: T4 Exemplars, T5 Attack --> Wrath, Slide it out

 

[FlowerSunRain]

Lol, I didn't even think of that. Good thing I don't run any white wraths, that'd probably be a little too strong in my environment. I'm liking the idea of this card a lot, lot sure if Prowess needed a dedicated curve topper, but here we are and it can do work in mostly any deck. Actually, its a better voltron curve topper then almost anything else (except Thrun I guess) too.

 

[Goldenpineapple]

Almost-impulse? In modern magic?? I really never thought I'd see the day.

The staple 2/2 doublestrike for

Also: T4 Exemplars, T5 Attack --> Wrath, Slide it out

It just flickers, it doesn't slide. Likely for that exact reason.

 

[FlowerSunRain]

My warriors are not that numerous (22, one has doublestrike already, two are probably getting cut) and are haphazardly distributed, so including this card, which is decent enough, probably does more damage as a false signal then its worth.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Almost-impulse? In modern magic?? I really never thought I'd see the day.

The staple 2/2 doublestrike for

It just flickers, it doesn't slide. Likely for that exact reason.

Interesting! I wonder if almost-Imulse is good enough for modern. My gut tells me yes, but 2cc is not inconsequential.

Arashin Formost actually looks super cool. I think Fabled Hero probably sends a message I don't like, since when I did run double strike I wanted the decks to start earlier than turn 3. Arashin formost I like better because it's all the best parts of silverblade paladin, in that he's a double strike creature that adds some damage the turn it comes into play, but isn't quite as swingy, and is better on it's own (Silverblade Paladin preformed much better in the generic midrange decks giving Polukranos double strike then he ever did picking up a bonesplitter.
Full discolsure: I just removed the double strike theme for preforming too much like Kiln Fiend and too little like Ajani's Pridemate, but those differences can likely be ironed out.

Exemplars: Awww, you're right. Man, and it returns tapped? I still like it, but sadface

 

[Goldenpineapple]

As someone who doesn't actually play constructed magic I could see anticipate being modern-played: telling time is the next-closest thing and what a lot of people are pointing out as the reason anticipate wouldn't be played, but telling time has the feel-bad of forcing you to keep a bad card on top if that's all you see. Anticipate lets you slide right past all that nonsense and get that much closer to your splinter twin / scapeshift.

 

[Chris Taylor]

As someone who doesn't actually play constructed magic I could see anticipate being modern-played: telling time is the next-closest thing and what a lot of people are pointing out as the reason anticipate wouldn't be played, but telling time has the feel-bad of forcing you to keep a bad card on top if that's all you see. Anticipate lets you slide right past all that nonsense and get that much closer to your splinter twin / scapeshift.

I do think it's better in the dark then telling time, but I'm not sure weather it's better enough than slight of hand/serum visions/gitaxian probe

 

[Goldenpineapple]

I'm just going to pretend instant is extremely relevant. Or something.

This art is a complete and utter upgrade, right?

 

[Jonas]

That art is all light and full of details instead of brown and dark and gritty. I like it.

 

[Chris Taylor]

I love that I'm like "I like the direction this card is implying, start early" and FSR is like "Warriors are inconsistent and spread out, I don't like the direction this card is implying"

 

[FlowerSunRain]

Its like our cubes have different cards in them or something!

 

[Dom Harvey]

That is not allowed here, please move towards the Platonic ideal of a power-max Cube immediately.

 

[MCMcEmcee]

I'm just going to pretend instant is extremely relevant. Or something.

This art is a complete and utter upgrade, right?

I'm partial to the dark ascension version but this one is fine too

 

[shamizy]

Anticipate is nice. A smaller Impulse, and Impulse is good in 60 card decks. Can't wait to try it out at FNM.

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

That is not allowed here, please move towards the Platonic ideal of a power-max Cube immediately.

There is only one cube, and you will assimilate

 

[David Bohlander]

I do have a cube that pushes morph, and I was thinking about bumping up how much green cared about morph anyway. That lizard seems pretty exciting in that environment. It seems awful in anything else, though.

 

[Chris Taylor]

I'm partial to the dark ascension version but this one is fine too

This one will look much better in foil IMO

 

[shamizy]

I think this is my favorite version thus far. All the colors!

 

[safra]

No love for the FNM promo evolving wilds? it's even prettier in person (also i am a filthy magpie)