First off, the new cycle isn't done yet. There's definitely a chance that if they're going to have more complicated keywords and abilities that it would make the most sense on the remaining two anyways.
I'm hoping you are right.
Secondly, not all of the original manlands were shining examples of creative design. Reach and Unblockable are just as boring and predictable as Hexproof, Double Strike and Lifelink are.
Well, they're not "just as boring and predictable". Reach was pretty new at the time. Unblockable isn't a real keyword, they don't even print it on cards any more, if it were printed today Tar Pit would read "can't be blocked", which is definitely not nearly the same level as the evergreens. But yes, it's certainly within the realm of reasonable guesses in my hypothetical.
Lastly, it's about function, not just form. Despite the fact that Tar Pit has a boring and predictable ability, it's still far and away the best manland. And when it was printed, people weren't complaining about a flavor fail for that card because it didn't have a weird attack trigger or an activated ability. All three of the new manlands are better than the worst two manlands from the original cycle, and even if their design is "boring", all the abilities are perfectly fitting. They make sense in the context of the guild, and that makes the design simple and elegant ...arguably even more important than being overly creative.
No, see, I'm just looking for the bare minimum of creativity here. I'm not debating their function and have specifically stated as much, they are all going to be easy cube includes and we don't even have to see the UR one to know it. My point, and only point, is that if the first cycle was designed so lazily, Ravine would just trample, Tar Pit would just fly, Colonnade would just have vigilance etc etc...they designed the WWK cycle to be just a bit more than "keyword on manland goes here", lest they look too much like the OG manland cycle of Faerie Conclave and co. There is no such effort in the new cycle.
Let's not write off cards that haven't even been seen yet! Perhaps the Worldwake cards are being viewed through rose-tinted glasses. The only Worldwake manland that was more than an evergreen mechanic was Raging Ravine. Celestial Colonnade is literally Serra Angel. Stirring Wildwood is literally Heartwood Treefolk. Firebreathing on overcosted critters has been red since the game's inception. Creeping Tar Pit's ability has been around since Odyssey at least. If the argument is that cherrypicking evergreen mechanics is bad, does anyone really think the Worldwake manlands are a strong example to hold up as proof? They're arguably a lot safer in design than Lumbering Falls and Shambling Vent, both abilities which are very rarely seen on competitively costed cards.
I guess my point of contention lies with the phrase that the WWK lands "don't function too much differently" than the OGW lands, yet they are somehow more "unique". I'm not seeing it, but I'm open to being convinced
If you were to predict what abilities each color pairing would have on their manland, you would have a hard time coming up with even 1 out of the 5 of the original ones (Reach was keyworded what, 3 years before it appeared on Stirring Wildwood?). "Lifelink", "Double strike" and "Hexproof" (been a keyword for almost 5 years now) would be incredibly easy to guess. You'd probably never in a million years guess Colonnade having two evergreens, Lavaclaw's firebreathing being colorless in requirement, or Raging Ravine's attack trigger. That's my point -- the function isn't affected too much when it comes to the cards actually being played, but the lazy design process itself is what bothers me. The new ones don't appear creative in the slightest.
I detest how lazy the design is. Solid card for the decks that need it, a fixer and a 4 power beater for control decks and aggro decks alike, overall a pretty easy albeit simple include. My gripe is that it's just so bland. The original manduals cycle didn't function too much differently but they put the effort in to make them more unique than just "classic evergreen here" and "classic evergreen there". Regeneration, lifelink, double strike, hexproof compared to generic-cost firebreathing, reach, unblockable, flying+vigilance, and an attack trigger that grows the land larger and larger.
It just makes the U/R one utterly predictable -- 1UR to make a 2/2 that loots upon combat damage would make me giddy, but we'll probably just get UR for 2/2 flying, and cubers will just slam dunk that one too with little regard for the sadness that is this lost opportunity.
Well, they're not "just as boring and predictable". Reach was pretty new at the time. Unblockable isn't a real keyword, they don't even print it on cards any more, if it were printed today Tar Pit would read "can't be blocked", which is definitely not nearly the same level as the evergreens. But yes, it's certainly within the realm of reasonable guesses in my hypothetical.
No, see, I'm just looking for the bare minimum of creativity here. I'm not debating their function and have specifically stated as much, they are all going to be easy cube includes and we don't even have to see the UR one to know it. My point, and only point, is that if the first cycle was designed so lazily, Ravine would just trample, Tar Pit would just fly, Colonnade would just have vigilance etc etc...they designed the WWK cycle to be just a bit more than "keyword on manland goes here", lest they look too much like the OG manland cycle of Faerie Conclave and co. There is no such effort in the new cycle.
If you were to predict what abilities each color pairing would have on their manland, you would have a hard time coming up with even 1 out of the 5 of the original ones (Reach was keyworded what, 3 years before it appeared on Stirring Wildwood?). "Lifelink", "Double strike" and "Hexproof" (been a keyword for almost 5 years now) would be incredibly easy to guess. You'd probably never in a million years guess Colonnade having two evergreens, Lavaclaw's firebreathing being colorless in requirement, or Raging Ravine's attack trigger. That's my point -- the function isn't affected too much when it comes to the cards actually being played, but the lazy design process itself is what bothers me. The new ones don't appear creative in the slightest.
It just makes the U/R one utterly predictable -- 1UR to make a 2/2 that loots upon combat damage would make me giddy, but we'll probably just get UR for 2/2 flying, and cubers will just slam dunk that one too with little regard for the sadness that is this lost opportunity.