Although I think this card is hot garbage, the new mechanic does seem promising. Threshold really isn't a thing in the cube, but it'd be nice to have some variation of it available. I've been thinking of re-testing Strategic Planning to help support graveyard strategies and fuel delve, hopefully this new mechanic brings some cubeable cards to the table to further increase the value of that card.
This card doesn't even give me pause to ponder the possibilities in an MP environment. There are too many "less risky" things to be doing which are far more powerful.
I feel like his "downside" will be a bonus in SOI so this will be a good card.
In cube its still a downside, so no thanks.
Do you mean the downside of dealing damage to yourself? That seems like a downside in every format. And if you're referring to the self-mill effect, that's an upside in every format pretty much.
I combined the selfmill and damage into one ability, which in standard would overall be an upside, assuming innistrad is still a Graveyard block, and in cube is a really bad thing.
Self-mill is definitely an advantage also in cube. This creature is bad because 4 life a turn is a huge tax and the chance of hitting 4 types is way too low in cube at pretty much every stage of the game. Not a promising mechanic for cube.
Mindbreak Demon has two distinct triggered abilities. The first one is the etb trigger that mills 4 of your cards. The second one is the "ascension" trigger that may deal 4 damage to yourself during your upkeep. Those two should not be mixed together. Not the least because - as wtwlf pointed out - the first one is generally an upside in pretty much every format (including cube) and the latter is a pure drawback (yes, even if the format had something like fateful hour).
As for "ascension" itself, the mechanic is basically a new twist on threshold that fixes the problems Wizards had with that mechanic (mostly being able to turn it on in the middle of combat). The lifeloss is not part of the mechanic just like Grazing Gladehart's lifegain is not part of the landfall mechanic. It is just part of the ability on this specific card. The mechanic itself is actually promising. It will give your cards a bonus once your graveyard is filled up in a certain way, which will usually happen over the course of the game. Creatures will die and most decks run instants and sorceries which will also naturally be put into your graveyard. That's already 3 out of the necessary 4 card types. With fetchlands and/or any other type of permanent that might die or will be looted away, you have "ascension" active.
Sure, hitting ascension is possible. But it won't happen with the regularity that will make me include cards that a) require ascension to be good enough, or b) kill me stone dead if I don't have ascension. Hence why I doubt much cube material will be printed with ascension. Of course I'd love to be wrong on this one.
@Star Slayer: you forgot to take off your pedantry hat. Please take off your pedantry hat
I think the pain text on this guy is just too nasty for him to shine outside of anything but the standard format he will be a part of. It's not so much that you couldn't build a deck around him that could ensure he would land safely on round 4, it's that all it would take to turn him into a 4 damage beat stick to your own face would be any sort of serious graveyard hate.
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StaffMy High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
In cube its still a downside, so no thanks.
thats my cube
Do you mean the downside of dealing damage to yourself? That seems like a downside in every format. And if you're referring to the self-mill effect, that's an upside in every format pretty much.
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StaffMy High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
Mindbreak Demon has two distinct triggered abilities. The first one is the etb trigger that mills 4 of your cards. The second one is the "ascension" trigger that may deal 4 damage to yourself during your upkeep. Those two should not be mixed together. Not the least because - as wtwlf pointed out - the first one is generally an upside in pretty much every format (including cube) and the latter is a pure drawback (yes, even if the format had something like fateful hour).
As for "ascension" itself, the mechanic is basically a new twist on threshold that fixes the problems Wizards had with that mechanic (mostly being able to turn it on in the middle of combat). The lifeloss is not part of the mechanic just like Grazing Gladehart's lifegain is not part of the landfall mechanic. It is just part of the ability on this specific card. The mechanic itself is actually promising. It will give your cards a bonus once your graveyard is filled up in a certain way, which will usually happen over the course of the game. Creatures will die and most decks run instants and sorceries which will also naturally be put into your graveyard. That's already 3 out of the necessary 4 card types. With fetchlands and/or any other type of permanent that might die or will be looted away, you have "ascension" active.
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
@Star Slayer: you forgot to take off your pedantry hat. Please take off your pedantry hat
It was getting warm under that thing anyway. You should never wear your pedantry hat for too long.
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG