Sets (OTJ) Outlaws of Thunder Junction Previews

[Rusje]

I do run wildfire, but I know some people think land destruction isn't fine. I see what they're getting at but stuff like wildfire and cataclysm adds a certain flair to the format I think.

Mass Land destruction is the bane of ramp.
Exaggerating but it is similar to people who do not like midrange due to the fact that midrange trumps aggro (and they love aggro). It is different when a strategy/colour is just the best, but not having an answer to a strategy due to people liking a certain strategy and they do not want to lose is just meh. I like it when there is balance, and yes that means some strength against a strategy but also a weakness to different strategy.

 

[Brad]

I don’t think so. Shivan Devastator is already a pretty hit-or-miss card, and this takes away one of its biggest advantages in favor of some weird treasure generation.

I feel like the main thing that Devastator has going for it is that it's so red. Flying haste at any point in red's curve is always appreciated.

I feel like green might be too good at creatures to want this X-1 statted guy. The card's flavor is really cool, though, and I think it gets better in multiples.

APOLOGY FORM

[ } I didn't know he was so good at Halo 3


Double Cultivate for 4. Even with singleton, that's a nice one to grab.

 

[Velrun]

Double Cultivate for 4. Even with singleton, that's a nice one to grab.

Wooooooow nice find. That’s crazy!
Okay the lands are suddenly very colorless but that’s pretty damn cool!

 

[Onderzeeboot]

You’ve just piqued the attention of every Cuber over 40

Over 40 and running two Wildfires and I feel seen.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Over 40 and running two Wildfires and I feel seen.

God we still are living in a singleton world aren't we

 

[Onderzeeboot]

God we still are living in a singleton world aren't we

Don't know why anyone would want to run singleton if you can run multiple Wildfires!

 

[MilesOfficial]

This has a lot of words, but ultimately feels like it's kinda mid powered? I kinda wanna run it, but the mythic symbol has me nervous that I'm underestimating it.

I'd personally rather have this:



Unlike Shivan Devastator, playing the Hydra for less than x=4 feels pretty bad. It's not meaningfully better than a Hill Giant in most circumstances until it dies! Froghemoth has never been interesting enough either, and if we're talking about flexible cards that benefit from having anywhere between 5 and 10 mana, it's not going to be my go-to.

Don't know why anyone would want to run singleton if you can run multiple Wildfires!

Us singleton Cubers can too :3

 

[Velrun]

God we still are living in a singleton world aren't we

Tagging: @Onderzeeboot

I believe this was a reference to the fact that we still have to mention the oddity when we include anything more than singles.

 

[shamizy]

I agree with y'all that the Hydra is definitely less scalable and impressive than Shivan Devastator, I think that's just one of the cleanest designs in years, but the treasures left behind aren't just trinket text. Depends on the Gx deck, but if they have their share of beef to trot out at 4 or 5 mana then being able to chain those + a 2nd smaller spell on a following turn is pretty big game in grabbing back advantage.

The dream is obviously to ramp it out for 6+ and just smash, but having the modal option to trot it out early isn't terrible if you've got other ways to grow it ala Luminarch Aspirant or Siege Veteran. Just growing it over time is viable if it can outpace the other side of the board. Throw in stuff like Evolution Sage or other ways to proliferate or Bristly Bill, Spine Sower in a double fetch environment and it could be a little more exciting. I like the simplicity and not having to read through a whole wall of text to grok it, especially if you're playing with drafters who haven't kept up with the hundreds of cards being released every year.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Us singleton Cubers can too :3

I know you can, but satisfying that arbitrary rule used to cost you an arm and a leg. When I built my first cube, I wanted to use both Wildfire effects, but Burning of Xinye was super expensive, and I was like: “I’m not going to pay hundreds of euros when I can also run a second Wildfire instead…”

I’m aware that nowadays Burning of Xinye isn’t very expensive anymore, but it still holds a special place in my heart as the card that made me realize singleton was an arbitrary rule that I could ignore for my own cube. I held on to that lesson once the price crashed when Burning got reprinted in a From the Vault. That version is available for a pittance nowadays, but you’re stuck with a pringle if go with that option, and I have never fancied foils anyway. (In fact, my biggest pet peeve with Magic is that the commander face cards are only available in foil.)

 

[landofMordor]

[ } I didn't know he was so good at Halo 3

This was perfect lol

 

[Chris Taylor]

For clarity I was specifically poking fun at running exactly 2 Wildfires, a holdover from wildfire/burning singleton

 

[Chris Taylor]

I'd personally rather have this:

Unlike Shivan Devastator, playing the Hydra for less than x=4 feels pretty bad. It's not meaningfully better than a Hill Giant in most circumstances until it dies! Froghemoth has never been interesting enough either, and if we're talking about flexible cards that benefit from having anywhere between 5 and 10 mana, it's not going to be my go-to.

You might be right.

 

[Velrun]

So do we like this showcase card treatments for Thunder Junction?


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The Big Score

 

[Erik Twice]

Ok guys, what do you think of this swap?

vs

 

[Mown]

They seem to want to go in different decks considering Geralf is limited to your turn and wants a lot of cheap spells, Shark works a lot better with bigger spells and being able to hold up mana. I think you should be able to intuitively land on one.

 

[TrainmasterGT]

This has got to be one of my favorite cards in the set. Quench is a playable floor for a counterspell, but can feel a bit lacking without some extra oomph. This card, bringing in a flash Desert Drake mode and a decidedly less boomer nonsense Mystic Snake mode, definitely has that extra punch. While I don't think the card is better than Miscalculation or Lose Focus, I think it's a great design that looks like a lot of fun to Cube!

 

[Velrun]

But what is going on on that art?

 

[Nanonox]

I was looking for a conditional 2 mana counterspell and I think Phantom Interference is it! You’re right Train that it’s less powerful than Lose Focus, but I like the mana sink mode for a mediocre proactive threat.

Erik, if you run just one, I think the Shark is more versatile. It’s fantastic in any sort of artifact deck obviously, but the tokens also naturally lend themselves to control strategies. There you can wrath and have the tokens left over or leave mana open for interaction and if nothing happens activate a token. Plus slower strategies tend to have higher mana value cards thus making bigger tokens. Finally the 2/4 body is huge!

I am excited to try Geralf, but more so for spell velocity decks and combo decks. Chaining a bunch of cheap/free spells isn’t too difficult in some cubes and I think yours is one of them. What is nice is that it triggers off creatures too, increasing the amount of decks that can run it.

I am going to try both because they reward play patterns I want to push in Blue and are fun to build around.

 

[Brad]

So do we like this showcase card treatments for Thunder Junction?

The OTJ ones don't look that great to me because of the color palette, but I feel like I'd probably like them if I were more yeehaw.

But what is going on on that art?

That Phantom is making an Interference.

I really like both Geralf and Shark. I probably give the edge to the Shark because 4 flying toughness is so good. Geralf would get the nod if your format is fast enough that paying 2 to incubate is difficult or you have a zombie theme.

Interference's token having evasion is such a difference maker. Really nice common.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

There are some really tasty spree cards in this set. Loving them!

 

[Brad]

Really nice common lands.

Smoothing and yard enabling in colorless on an ok body.

*bites Kozilek's ankle*

That's a pretty good secondary option in red. Doesn't have the scary "additional cost" wording, either.

Power creep makes a lot of the mythics look ridiculous, but it gives us more playtable commons, too.

Cool decisions to make with Plot.



Outlaws isn't for me, but some Commander dude is loving it.

"Commit a crime" is a mouthful and not that elegant, but it's pretty mid.

Spree is a great Kicker variant that gives interesting decisions on a lot of the cards rather than having a main mode.

Saddle is kinda weird.

I think they made Plot much more interesting than Foretell was.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Cool decisions to make with Plot.

I've found the funniest creature to force spike when they CAN pay for it

 

[safra]

Oh, UNTAPPED lands.... I'm just gonna be over here crying in the corner I guess.......

 

[TrainmasterGT]

Oh, UNTAPPED lands.... I'm just gonna be over here crying in the corner I guess.......

I think you're supposed to plot it in order to get the ability. It seems completely unobtainable otherwise.

Ok guys, what do you think of this swap?

vs

Shark is going to have fewer people making... let's call them... inappropriate puns.