Sets (ZNR) Zendikar Rising Testing/Includes

[TrainmasterGT]

This is a testing/includes thread. Post pictures or a text list using /c with what cards you plan to include and what cards you plan to test.​

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Including:

Testing:
Literally every MDFC I didn't mention above.

I was completely unexcited for this set, but it actually turned out really well. The MDFCs are all great. While I'm not sure which ones are going to stick in my cube, I'm fairly confident that the ones I listed above will be long-term includes. I can definitely see the Blue Uncommons I didn't list (other than the Beyeen Veil) sticking around for a while, but they may get cut if another Ikoria-level cycling set is released and we get another sweet censor variant.

Over all, I think Zendikar Rising is a nice breath of fresh air after the power creep fests 0f 2019 and 2020 and I'm excited to see what this coming year will hold for Magic.

What are your plans for this set?

 

[jerichoalar]

Testing:
Fearless Fledgling
Felidar Retreat
maul of the skyclaves
skyclave apparition
deliberate
ruin crab
thieving skydiver
feed the swarm
leyline tyrant
broken wings
scute swarm
skyclave pickaxe
territorial scythecat
crawling barrens

edit: reeee deckbox.

For "I don't want to deal with players unsleeving cards during draft/play" reasons, DFCs of any power level don't make my list, and checking party support: rogues and clerics are not well supported tribes for me right now, so that's a bigger reconfiguration than I'm ready to do. These two restrictions significantly reduced the number of cards that were appealing to test for my cube.

I have no idea if any of these tests will stick, I'm definitely interested in getting some more landfall support into green (right now the Naya-Shard landfall deck is usually just boros and rarely naya, selesnya, or gruul.) and most of the rest are just misc. one off effects or utility effects that seem interesting. But I do want to highlight crawling barrens. This appeals to me because it appears to be a valid (if slow) colorless man-land, which is valuable for my cube because it is a) 360 only and b) no ULD (anymore), so finding ways to get these sorts of utility effects into the main list that aren't just going to freely wheel to the one guy who is both drafting a slow deck *and* in the right color(s) is great.

 

[shamizy]

For once there are pretty sparse inclusions to my cube. Kinda thankful for it with the flurry of cards we've gotten in the last year from Modern Horizons onwards. This is what I'll be adding in:

Nothing too exciting here. I'm just not a huge fan of a majority of the modal land cards and the few that I do like don't really add anything all that interesting to my environment. Just gonna pass on them for now, I'll keep an eye out for people's testing results to see if they're as good as theorized. I still contend that the majority are not attractive in a higher powered environment.

Anyway, I'm a fan of the +1/+1 growing bear as it slots nicely across multiple strategies as a two drop allowing you some decision-making when it comes to growing your board. Do you keep growing that Champion of the Parish or are you better off beefing up the rest of your team? Place the counter on an evasive flyer to keep chipping away at life totals? Clean and simple design, I think it'll be around for a long time for me.

I like an evasive flyer that messes with greedy manabases with an impression of Thalia, Heretic Cathar, a card that I loved from the minute I saw it spoiled during EMN. Not quite sure which decks will want it exactly as it does impede the development in aggressive low to the ground strategies, but we'll see when it gets played.

I think Maul is just an excellent bit of equipment, right at the threshold of what you want. It's a hefty upgrade to whichever creature gets attached and I like that the equip cost is appropriately costed. Helps flesh out W/x Stoneforge Mystic based strategies. Also a lot of funny shenanigans you can do with the auto-equip on ETB. Stoneforge trickery with multiple equipments in hand and/or weird shenanigans with stuff like Goblin Welder or Goblin Engineer sounds fun in R/W decks.

Intimidator just reads like a really good aggressive red creature. Nice mana sink for the later game once you've developed your board and allows you to keep applying pressure and maximizing your mana without having to commit further resources. Being able to dump your mana into it in the late game and rumble with big boys is just great. I'm getting Kari Zev, Skyship Raider vibes here as far as utility and ability goes. High hopes for this one.

Finally I just like Roil Erupition as a Volcanic Hammer with the potential to close out games late if you pay that exorbitant kicker cost. Simple cards are good.

 

[Seeker]

Only thing that hasn't been mentioned yet for me is Swarm Shambler:

Spoiler

It's a weird hybrid of Chronomaton and Thorn Lieutenant but the ability also triggering off other creatures with counters getting targeted makes me think it'll just barely be good enough with all the synergies.

(plus Fledgling and Aspirant and testing some MDFCs, the usual)

 

[Mondschwein]

There definitely are some cards I'm pretty interested in:

Spoiler

Not supporting party explicitly, but depending on how much incidental support ends up in the overhauled cube.


Depends on how much lands.dec will bleed into white, which already is home of tokens in case of Jerboa.


Not as potentially busted as Thrummingbird or Grateful Apparition. Looks like a solid include.


Looks great, but maybe a tiny bit too strong? Really have to test this one.


Looking nice and flexible.


Interesting removal spells.


Depends on how many enchantments will find their way into the final version.


Another black recursive beater. Not a favourite.


Aristocrats and counters support, but might be a bit too expensive manawise.


Built-in Fling looks pretty good to me.


Very cool beater with mana sink attached.


Strong 2drop for spells matter and discard themes.


Exactly what I want my removal to look like.


Not sure if I like this above Weaver of Lightning, but being a bit more flexible and also aggressive make it look so.


Strong beater.


Not sure if it's where I want my removal.


Interesting lands matter/tokens card. Maybe a bit too good.


Interesting 1drop.


IF lands might become a thing for white. Not liking a 2/3 body on a 2drop, though.


Very cool cards in a bounceland supporting environment. Still not sure.

 

[sigh]

Just want to say after solitairing some games that

truly is the bees knees. By itself it attacks as a 2 mana 3/3, which is awesome, but paired with a flier or double striker and it just goes ham. Also has perfect synergy with

can be searched up with

the list goes on. Highly recommend.

 

[TrainmasterGT]

Just want to say after solitairing some games that

truly is the bees knees. By itself it attacks as a 2 mana 3/3, which is awesome, but paired with a flier or double striker and it just goes ham. Also has perfect synergy with

can be searched up with

the list goes on. Highly recommend.

I agree, this card is amazing. However, it tends to snowball a lot quicker than most other 2-drops. I would be weary of this card in slower environments- it can really punish decks that take a while to get going.

 

[japahn]

Yeah, Luminarch Aspirant is no low power card. I like you need to decide where to put counters and it's an interesting decision, but I don't think I can run it in my cube.

 

[Karn Cuberated]

Jeez, I didn't realize Luminarch Aspirant puts the first counter the turn it enters the battlefield. #ReadingCardsIsTech

 

[Rasmus Källqvist]

Having played against it on MTG arena I can say that it's quite a removal check, which could be good or bad for your environment depending on what kind of boost white needs.