Please stop saying "it dies to removal" as an argument against a card. Pretty much all creatures die to removal at some point so this is no longer a valid statement.
If they waste a removal on a 3 cmc common, jokes on them!
"I used to be a creature like you, until I took a removal spell to the face." - Dying Common's last words
How strong would this be as an Instant? Yes, little Tef and blue leyline allow you to cast it at instant speed, but why not make it instant? Anticipate is an instant. I think they were playing it safe with this. Will still give it a shot though.
Did you ever play with Dig Through Time? That is this card, at instant speed. It's banned / restricted in every format because it is BUSTED. I was playing standard with Jeskai back in Khans when that card was printed. It was great in Standard, busted in Modern, and completely broken in Legacy and Vintage. Funnily though, it was generally overshadowed by Treasure Cruise, which somehow is even more broken than Dig Through Time is.
Seriously, go buy a playset of Digs, they're cheap. Then put them in ANY blue deck that can support the Delve mechanic and watch the sparks fly.
Preferably, your deck would have a 2 card combo that you could find with Dig, like Splinter Twin + Pestermite, Omniscience + Show and Tell. You cast the Dig Through Time at the end of your opponent's turn, untap, and win. Basically, that's why that card isn't an instant. Although this costs a hard 4 mana and Dig could be cast for 2 with delve, I think they still didn't want to go anywhere close to the ban land that was Dig Through Time, hence the sorcery speed.
I did play with Dig. What made Dig broken was the cost reduction aspect, imo. Often I was able to cast Dig for UU which is an insane cost to look at seven cards and choose the best two. This card does not have the cost reduction, requiring something else (say God-Eternal Kefnet) to cost less. Making this, at a CMC of 4, instant speed would not make it broken, it would make it a good card that would likely see a lot of play in blue based decks.
How strong would this be as an Instant? Yes, little Tef and blue leyline allow you to cast it at instant speed, but why not make it instant? Anticipate is an instant. I think they were playing it safe with this. Will still give it a shot though.
Of note, it does not draw so it gets around Narset.
I'll likely be on both for a time, determining which would be better suit me. That said, I'd likely go to Nexus in the end to reduce the likelihood of this happening to me again
"I used to be a creature like you, until I took a removal spell to the face." - Dying Common's last words
Moat Piranhas 1U
Creature - Fish (C)
Defender
"Come on, it's not even that deep!" - Gorin the Brazen
3/3
Edit: found the post
I did play with Dig. What made Dig broken was the cost reduction aspect, imo. Often I was able to cast Dig for UU which is an insane cost to look at seven cards and choose the best two. This card does not have the cost reduction, requiring something else (say God-Eternal Kefnet) to cost less. Making this, at a CMC of 4, instant speed would not make it broken, it would make it a good card that would likely see a lot of play in blue based decks.
Of note, it does not draw so it gets around Narset.