Today’s story was the first of the latest Innistrad stories (so far) to not have pacing issues.
The story was good though it didn’t seem to explain why Chandra ‘dressed to kill’ in a formal gown.
If she (as a +1 or small cadre) accompanied Sorin at the festivities in the barely hidden guise of ‘witnessing’ the occasion, then I could be convinced of the change in appearance.
But that’s not what happened, nor has it been explained why or how she got the dress.
If anything, she’s about to lead a bunch of human allies and soldiers into battle.
I mean, who does that IN HEELS??
That and the flavor text with Arlinn being the one to object to the wedding. Having the flavor not match the story is a weird way to avoid spoilers from having the set come out before the story.
Welcoming Vamp and Vyrn Wingmare both both are evasive fliers with a bonus. The taxing ability is very strong but much stronger on a two drop like thalia than on a 3 drop like wingmare. Incidental card draw is great and I have both Adeleline and Brimaz so lots of ways to trigger the card draw without casting spells.
With Thirst for Discovery I fully intend to keep either it or Inspired Idea because I desperately want more burst card draw in blue. Cuts are hard and Skydiver is very good but it's proven to be more of a very good sideboard card than a maindeck staple for us.
Incarnation Technique has been a win more card. I thought we needed more reanimation density but I think it was overkill. Graf Reaver probably doesn't stick because I don't really support black aggro but I love that it can kill a planeswalker so it gets a shot.
Hellkite is getting a look as another stealth storm payoff that is pretty playable anywhere. It's not great in aggro but it's not completely embarrassing. Wildfire has been bad for a while and I'm finally giving up on it.
The Prowler goes in for my weakest 2 mana ramp creature because it's almost never gets played with the high density of mana rocks in 360 powered. Also watching Ulvenwald oddity in my ongoing efforts to move away from the super parasitic green hyper ramp strategies.
This is really interesting. It is less good than a compulsive research for pure control I think but if you support storm, reanimator, or even just spell slinger it becomes really interesting. A pure draw 3 for 3 is really good. I think I'm going to test it but have no idea how it is going to perform.
Going to have to test it. Incidental card draw is very good in aggro and the body is just respectable enough to not be completely embarassing. I don't think it quite breaks my list but it's close. Very good with Brimaz, adeleline, and rabblemaster.
White 3s are a very tough slot but it might push out my stax'y pet card Vyrnn Wingmare finally even in my 360.
I really enjoyed Sorin's parts of that story. Unlike some of the revisits we've had the previous trips really add to the story here. We know the depth of his ties to the plane and seeing him become emotional doesn't feel jarring like it could have. It feels earned here.
Blue cuts are always absurdly hard but I'm looking at a non filter/draw spell because I want to increase my card draw density. Thinking it might finally be time for Inkwell to no longer be a tinker target.
Ohhh! Sorry completely missed the may. Then yeah that is very cool.
And that is a cool image, similar to gorgon's head. Anyway I really like your idea here! Having a police subtheme makes so much sense and there is precedence for it with the Azorious.
One more note I thought of with Mob Boss is that it's probably too generic for a whole set built around warring crime families. It should probably be whichever of Grixis, Esper, or Jund ends up being the most profit focused. Really like it as a spin on Desecration Demon or the new Vamp that is going to be eratta'd.
Edit: One more note if you were trying to fantasy cast the whole set Investigate is unlikely to be used again with clue tokens floating around in Midnight Hunt and cycling and investigation together in the same set are a bit redundant as consistency enablers. They fill slightly different niches but mechanics that smooth your draws like that probably don't both need to be in one set. Sorry if I'm coming off negative, overall I like the design here!
I don't love that police corruption uses a mechanic to create a token it will never make. I really like the flavor of the card but the execution is clunky. I love the flavor of the other two enchantments though. Stake Out in particular is really cool, I don't think WotC would print it in white but as a card to play with I love it in any color.
Blind Eye is great but does the flavor make more sense if it taps the enchanted creature rather than making it unblockable? It's a very different card that way but I think it captures the idea of an officer pocketing the bribe and looking away better if it's a negative enchantment on an opposing creature.
I am very excited to try this. I had just been talking about wanting a burst card draw instant in blue and this feels right up the alley of what I was after. Basics only is a big drawback but I'm still going to give it a shot.
I am supporting storm and I think that grapeshot is pretty unplayable outside the Underworld Breach. It's never been main decked into a non storm spellslinger deck that I can remember. I'm of the same opinion of Empty though. I think I'd go Empty first because of the chump blocking to buy time mode but would prefer to run cards like Smoldering Egg or other things that trigger off your repeated spells. Monastery Mentor, the Stx Witch, and things like that can't win on the turn but aren't as bad in any situation other than the Underworld Breaching for the win turn.
Really wish the vampire had deathtouch but it's still a solid value walker. +1 to draw and go to 5 loyalty is pretty hard to kill on a four mana walker. It's slightly worse and not as flexible because of the BB pip but it seems pretty comparable to Karn, Scion of Urza which has been great for us so this is probably solid.
For what it's worth if this sticks for us I expect it be entirely on the strength of the front side. I don't think it will be quite good enough but I really hope it will because I'm desperate for a burst card draw spell for combo/blue midrange decks. The flashback is a bonus but I suspect it will mostly only come up either in crazy long games or turns where someone is already comboing off.
It's well understood by me that the Wizards team isn't building a product with the company in mind, or the consumer in mind, but their own private interests and business concerns. I well long proved this back on the official Wizards forums.
Many would say that about scry. The reason temples are regarded is because it's a something where people are used to nothing.
I would argue that shroud was 'discontinued' because players don't like being locked out of their own design. But as I described, it is a great way to cut-off the 'external' elements so you can do 'internally'. Nothing about shroud or especially hexproof should ever be implemented so much that it's a concern as relayed. It's something whose placement should be so sparing and concise that there's never a question about it.
People are used to their lands coming in untapped. So being willing to play a tapped land indicates the scry is pretty valuable.
As for Shroud and Hexproof I agree that that is should be used sparingly and when used be so obvious as to why it was used. But that's my point here why is the counterspell hoser also resistant to spot removal? If feels very strange for it to attack both avenues of interaction.
That and the flavor text with Arlinn being the one to object to the wedding. Having the flavor not match the story is a weird way to avoid spoilers from having the set come out before the story.
Welcoming Vampire in for Vyrn Wingmare
Thirst for Discovery in for Thieving Skydiver
Graf Reaver in for Incarnation Technique
Manaform Hellkite in for wildfire
Cemetery Prowler in for Wall of Roots
Welcoming Vamp and Vyrn Wingmare both both are evasive fliers with a bonus. The taxing ability is very strong but much stronger on a two drop like thalia than on a 3 drop like wingmare. Incidental card draw is great and I have both Adeleline and Brimaz so lots of ways to trigger the card draw without casting spells.
With Thirst for Discovery I fully intend to keep either it or Inspired Idea because I desperately want more burst card draw in blue. Cuts are hard and Skydiver is very good but it's proven to be more of a very good sideboard card than a maindeck staple for us.
Incarnation Technique has been a win more card. I thought we needed more reanimation density but I think it was overkill. Graf Reaver probably doesn't stick because I don't really support black aggro but I love that it can kill a planeswalker so it gets a shot.
Hellkite is getting a look as another stealth storm payoff that is pretty playable anywhere. It's not great in aggro but it's not completely embarrassing. Wildfire has been bad for a while and I'm finally giving up on it.
The Prowler goes in for my weakest 2 mana ramp creature because it's almost never gets played with the high density of mana rocks in 360 powered. Also watching Ulvenwald oddity in my ongoing efforts to move away from the super parasitic green hyper ramp strategies.
White 3s are a very tough slot but it might push out my stax'y pet card Vyrnn Wingmare finally even in my 360.
And that is a cool image, similar to gorgon's head. Anyway I really like your idea here! Having a police subtheme makes so much sense and there is precedence for it with the Azorious.
One more note I thought of with Mob Boss is that it's probably too generic for a whole set built around warring crime families. It should probably be whichever of Grixis, Esper, or Jund ends up being the most profit focused. Really like it as a spin on Desecration Demon or the new Vamp that is going to be eratta'd.
Edit: One more note if you were trying to fantasy cast the whole set Investigate is unlikely to be used again with clue tokens floating around in Midnight Hunt and cycling and investigation together in the same set are a bit redundant as consistency enablers. They fill slightly different niches but mechanics that smooth your draws like that probably don't both need to be in one set. Sorry if I'm coming off negative, overall I like the design here!
Blind Eye is great but does the flavor make more sense if it taps the enchanted creature rather than making it unblockable? It's a very different card that way but I think it captures the idea of an officer pocketing the bribe and looking away better if it's a negative enchantment on an opposing creature.
It can be tight but if you include the secondary win cons like Monastery Mentor, Young Pyro and Sedgemoor I think that is enough.
People are used to their lands coming in untapped. So being willing to play a tapped land indicates the scry is pretty valuable.
As for Shroud and Hexproof I agree that that is should be used sparingly and when used be so obvious as to why it was used. But that's my point here why is the counterspell hoser also resistant to spot removal? If feels very strange for it to attack both avenues of interaction.