If the latest MTGO Modern results are any indication, turns out that we've been underestimating Oko, Thief of Crowns. Not only has Whirza picked him up as a sideboard option (he's uniquely positioned as both anti-hate and a threat walker), but Bant Stoneblade has also picked him up, and rogue Arcum's Astrolabe midrange/control builds have also tended to use him. Inspired by the last case, I tested Oko in No White Snow Wrenn Control, which theoretically doesn't support Oko all that well (few creatures to buff right off the bat, only artifacts he can immediately turn into creatures are 4 Arcum's Astrolabes, deck is mainly stuck protecting Oko with removal instead of blockers). Turns out that he was quite good in that deck, too--he makes a 3/3 every other turn, he puts creatures into Bolt or small Dead of Winter range, he removes evasion and powerful abilities from opposing creatures, he intimidates some opponents away from playing small creatures lest he exchange his Food token for the next guy, and he therefore rightfully attracts aggro harder than Wrenn and Six does (and possibly as hard as Jace TMS does). He's been disruptive enough even when dealt with early, and he manhandles the battlefield if not dealt with.
In the meantime, Wishclaw Talisman has performed the best by far in Whirza variants--it gives my slower builds a lot of their speed back. It's performed significantly more poorly in Paradoxical Urza, where it often only ends up being used when I already have Paradoxical Outcome in hand.
I don't get how Mystic Sanctuary counterspell locks work. Don't you cast your counterspell on their turn, bounce your Sanctuary then, draw a card on your turn, then play Sanctuary topdeck recurring the counterspell, therefore resulting in a counterspell every second turn instead of every turn?
Robin Hood is bad because he has to attack? He doesn't even have to connect to get you the card, just attack. how many red creatures don't have to connect to get value in Modern? I think Eidolon may be the only one. I hope everyone agrees with you and the other people not respecting this card so I can get it cheap, but I don't see any way this isn't the star of the set by the time it rotates from Standard
Young Pyromancer just needs you to hold priority and cast an instant or sorcery in order to get value. Seasoned Pyromancer doesn't even need that. Bedlam Reveler is expensive or a late-game play but is instant value.
But I've killed so many Goblin Rabblemasters before they had a chance to make any Goblin tokens and so many Kiki-Jikis before they could truly go infinite that I cannot treat Robber of the Rich like he's on par with Young Pyromancer.
I personally have my doubts about Robin Hood. He needs to attack to be any good unless he's blocking fliers that day.
Ah yes, the big dump of cards I'm thinking of testing that haven't been mentioned here:
Fae of Wishes: A (4-mana) wish tutor is powerful; the ability to tutor again is more powerful still. Might it make it in Mono-U Tron or UGrx Scapeshift? I know I'm having success with it so far in Paradoxical Urza: I've searched for initial combo pieces with it quite a few times so far, so it's better than a dedicated win con.
Mystic Sanctuary: It's a fetchable Island that can topdeck recur an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard in the mid-late game. It was deceptively good in last night's testing in UW Miracle Control, but needing 3 other Islands in order to topdeck recur kinda sucks.
Castle Garenbrig: OK, I guess I do have to agree with the guys who say it's a land that taps for 2 mana. Primeval Titan loves this land.
Dwarven Mine: A Mountain that can make a 1/1 is powerful, but it runs into much the same issues as Mystic Sanctuary. Nice supplement to Field of the Dead, though...
Hushbringer: I'm sure it will see sideboard play. Stifling "dies" triggers on top of ETB triggers is quite powerful.
Charming Prince: Interesting option for life gain sideboard dude...or blinker. Might Bant Soulherder be interested along with Emeria decks?
Witching Well: Some Whirza guys are interested in this and its ability to increase deck consistency.
Hypnotic Sprite: Yet another way to sneak counterspells into a Collected Company deck. Too bad it can't counter anything when cheated in.
Merchant of the Vale: A 1-mana instant discard outlet is probably the reason you're playing this guy.
The Magic Mirror: Great card draw, but how often is this better than Jace TMS?
Merfolk Secretkeeper: Vengevine No Hogaak players are interested in this card as a 2-mana self-mill 4 dude.
Fervent Champion: His most broken interaction seems to be with Sunforger. Luckily, we have ways to tutor for both in a midrange shell!
Fires of Invention: Is there a way to break this card? At the very least, this might see play as the inevitability 1-of in Living End: it lets them cast Living End from their hand and play 2 creatures in a single turn instead of 1.
Irencrag Feat: Might there be a Big Red deck that wants this card?
Irencrag Pyromancer: A powerful payoff for cantrip-happy decks. Shame UR Phoenix pretty much died...
Redcap Melee: Instant-speed Flame Slash that can also hit planeswalkers is groovy, but how costly is sacrificing a land in order to do so?
Gilded Goose: I'm not that confident it will see play, but it's an intriguing combination of mana dork and life gain.
Kenrith's Transformation: How desperate are mono-green or UG decks for creature quality changing that cantrips? It might be a maindeckable way for Hardened Scales to deal with Collector Ouphe, but losing abilities when this is on their own dudes bites, even though it grants lots of them +3/+3.
Sorcerer's Broom: Hilarious way to gain a swarm of creatures in Spirits decks? Or does it even have to be a Spirits deck as long as you have enough fetchlands?
Hoping the other members of the rare land cycle are as good as Castle Locthwain: that land ETB tapped unless you control a Swamp, produces 1 black mana only, but lets you draw a card and then lose life equal to the number of cards in your hand for only 1BB, t! Decks like BGx Midrange, Death's Shadow decks, and 8-Rack look like they can support it...
EDIT: OK, Castle Ardenvale at least looks like it's at Castle Locthwain level. ETB tapped unless you have a Plains, produces 1 white mana only, and makes a 1/1 white Human creature token for 2WW, t! It looks like a less demanding version of Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree, and I think anything from UWx Control to Death and Taxes may want this card.
Any way to break Escape to the Wilds? It's almost Draw 5 for 5 (sorcery-speed) mana as long as you can cast all the spells and drop all the lands before the end of your next turn...and you get an additional land drop this turn. Oh, it costs 3RG.
Will Goblins decks try going for an infinite combo with Grumgully, the Generous, an infinite sac outlet goblin, and a Persist goblin, or will they stick to the good old good old? Now Goblin Matron can tutor for all 3 pieces of the combo!
How good does Stonecoil Serpent look in Hardened Scales decks? Scalable size, being an artifact creature, getting quite a few +1/+1 counters on it as it ETB is quite fun, and reach, trample, and protection from multicolored are quite fun.
Might Murderous Rider see play as a 3-mana unconditional creature/planeswalker removal spell that creature tutors can find?
But what I'm really interested in is Wishclaw Talisman. There are several ways to make this a one-sided tutor: tutor for a card that wins the game this turn, sacrifice it in response to its ability with something like Goblin Engineer, destroy it with something like Ancient Grudge, bounce it with something like Teferi, Time Raveler, hose it with Karn, the Great Creator or maybe anti-search...Whirza looks like it's one of its best homes because it wants the ability to Whir of Invention for arbitrary cards, it can use it to Improvise for Whir, it's got an infinite combo, and it can make Goblin Engineer or Sai, Master Thopterist sac it in response.
On another note, I've tested Oko, Thief of Crowns in Whirza, and he's been fine, even if I'm not wholly convinced that he's equal to Teferi, Time Raveler. Oko has some dandy synergy with the artifact theme of the deck, he can protect himself the turn he ETB given Whirza's plentiful artifacts, and he's got a bucket of Beast Withins and an exchange mechanism to deal with threats such as Collector Ouphe.
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In the meantime, Wishclaw Talisman has performed the best by far in Whirza variants--it gives my slower builds a lot of their speed back. It's performed significantly more poorly in Paradoxical Urza, where it often only ends up being used when I already have Paradoxical Outcome in hand.
Young Pyromancer just needs you to hold priority and cast an instant or sorcery in order to get value. Seasoned Pyromancer doesn't even need that. Bedlam Reveler is expensive or a late-game play but is instant value.
But I've killed so many Goblin Rabblemasters before they had a chance to make any Goblin tokens and so many Kiki-Jikis before they could truly go infinite that I cannot treat Robber of the Rich like he's on par with Young Pyromancer.
Ah yes, the big dump of cards I'm thinking of testing that haven't been mentioned here:
Fae of Wishes: A (4-mana) wish tutor is powerful; the ability to tutor again is more powerful still. Might it make it in Mono-U Tron or UGrx Scapeshift? I know I'm having success with it so far in Paradoxical Urza: I've searched for initial combo pieces with it quite a few times so far, so it's better than a dedicated win con.
Mystic Sanctuary: It's a fetchable Island that can topdeck recur an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard in the mid-late game. It was deceptively good in last night's testing in UW Miracle Control, but needing 3 other Islands in order to topdeck recur kinda sucks.
Castle Garenbrig: OK, I guess I do have to agree with the guys who say it's a land that taps for 2 mana. Primeval Titan loves this land.
Dwarven Mine: A Mountain that can make a 1/1 is powerful, but it runs into much the same issues as Mystic Sanctuary. Nice supplement to Field of the Dead, though...
Hushbringer: I'm sure it will see sideboard play. Stifling "dies" triggers on top of ETB triggers is quite powerful.
Deafening Silence: It's this close to being a 1-drop Rule of Law. That's gotta see sideboard play.
Glass Casket: An intriguing way to Whir of Invention for removal that ignores Collector Ouphe and friends.
Charming Prince: Interesting option for life gain sideboard dude...or blinker. Might Bant Soulherder be interested along with Emeria decks?
Witching Well: Some Whirza guys are interested in this and its ability to increase deck consistency.
Hypnotic Sprite: Yet another way to sneak counterspells into a Collected Company deck. Too bad it can't counter anything when cheated in.
Merchant of the Vale: A 1-mana instant discard outlet is probably the reason you're playing this guy.
The Magic Mirror: Great card draw, but how often is this better than Jace TMS?
Merfolk Secretkeeper: Vengevine No Hogaak players are interested in this card as a 2-mana self-mill 4 dude.
Fervent Champion: His most broken interaction seems to be with Sunforger. Luckily, we have ways to tutor for both in a midrange shell!
Fires of Invention: Is there a way to break this card? At the very least, this might see play as the inevitability 1-of in Living End: it lets them cast Living End from their hand and play 2 creatures in a single turn instead of 1.
Irencrag Feat: Might there be a Big Red deck that wants this card?
Irencrag Pyromancer: A powerful payoff for cantrip-happy decks. Shame UR Phoenix pretty much died...
Redcap Melee: Instant-speed Flame Slash that can also hit planeswalkers is groovy, but how costly is sacrificing a land in order to do so?
Thrill of Possibility: It's instant-speed Tormenting Voice.
Gilded Goose: I'm not that confident it will see play, but it's an intriguing combination of mana dork and life gain.
Kenrith's Transformation: How desperate are mono-green or UG decks for creature quality changing that cantrips? It might be a maindeckable way for Hardened Scales to deal with Collector Ouphe, but losing abilities when this is on their own dudes bites, even though it grants lots of them +3/+3.
Rosethorn Halberd: Will the lack of Trample prevent this from playing a Rancor-like role?
Chulane, Teller of Tales: There's gotta be a way to break this guy, right?
Dance of the Manse: Somebody is going to want to play artifact/enchantment reanimation.
Doom Foretold: Reminds others of The Abyss, but how powerful will it be?
Sorcerer's Broom: Hilarious way to gain a swarm of creatures in Spirits decks? Or does it even have to be a Spirits deck as long as you have enough fetchlands?
EDIT: OK, Castle Ardenvale at least looks like it's at Castle Locthwain level. ETB tapped unless you have a Plains, produces 1 white mana only, and makes a 1/1 white Human creature token for 2WW, t! It looks like a less demanding version of Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree, and I think anything from UWx Control to Death and Taxes may want this card.
Any way to break Escape to the Wilds? It's almost Draw 5 for 5 (sorcery-speed) mana as long as you can cast all the spells and drop all the lands before the end of your next turn...and you get an additional land drop this turn. Oh, it costs 3RG.
How good does Stonecoil Serpent look in Hardened Scales decks? Scalable size, being an artifact creature, getting quite a few +1/+1 counters on it as it ETB is quite fun, and reach, trample, and protection from multicolored are quite fun.
Might Murderous Rider see play as a 3-mana unconditional creature/planeswalker removal spell that creature tutors can find?
Beanstalk Giant might see play in RGx Titanshift as a ramp spell attached to an additional threat.
Once Upon a Time looks dandy in creature-based combo decks.
But what I'm really interested in is Wishclaw Talisman. There are several ways to make this a one-sided tutor: tutor for a card that wins the game this turn, sacrifice it in response to its ability with something like Goblin Engineer, destroy it with something like Ancient Grudge, bounce it with something like Teferi, Time Raveler, hose it with Karn, the Great Creator or maybe anti-search...Whirza looks like it's one of its best homes because it wants the ability to Whir of Invention for arbitrary cards, it can use it to Improvise for Whir, it's got an infinite combo, and it can make Goblin Engineer or Sai, Master Thopterist sac it in response.
On another note, I've tested Oko, Thief of Crowns in Whirza, and he's been fine, even if I'm not wholly convinced that he's equal to Teferi, Time Raveler. Oko has some dandy synergy with the artifact theme of the deck, he can protect himself the turn he ETB given Whirza's plentiful artifacts, and he's got a bucket of Beast Withins and an exchange mechanism to deal with threats such as Collector Ouphe.