well, even though the curve stays pretty darn low, and there's tons of 1cc plays... the scroll-lock takes a whopping SIX lands (2 to activate ruins, ruins itself, 1 to animate mutavault, 1 to cast scroll, 1 to pop it). so having to save lands makes raven's crime a lot less valuable. thinking about taking them out for necrogen spellbombs...
the life loss from scroll is relevant WAY more than you'd think for a derpy little "combo"--i've won games without a rack or a liliana before.
i've also had mutavault bolted/pathed in response. a lot. i also frequently wish everything didn't cost 1, if only because i really want to find room for a chalice of the void.
this is pretty derpy, and not even exactly 8rack considering there's no afflictions--but the scrolls, in addition to being tutorable alongside the titular the rack, can act as an instant speed lock (add academy ruins) AND can give the same 3 life loss as affliction (as long as they don't kill your mutavault).
it's not as efficient as actual 8rack, or have all the synergies one would expect from a trinket mage toolbox a la tezzerator, but there are some really fun interactions, the ruins also gives some resiliency against artifact hate, it packs a lot of discard, and maindeck hate, the discard lock is achievable during opponent's draw step... it's fun as heck, but nowhere near competitive.
i still think S is the closest we're ever getting to purple. the DECKMASTER logo on the backs of the cards is reason enough, i think, not to jump that shark.
maybe i'm making the comparison to goblin guide too linear, because while this design does have a lot in common with GG, in my mind the two cards actually do very different things.
if we're talking explosive damage potentially, i suppose haste is immeasurably more powerful than flash, but in the archetype i'm thinking of, i'm not so sure it's really better... since flash allows you to hold onto spell snare or spell pierce mana... or allow +1 before a spellstutter sprite on turn 3... and the flying really is pretty important, especially if you only have one of them on the board--attacking with three 2/2s on turn 2 is frightening, yes. but only one of them can get clogged up, real fast, while this guy just keeps swinging.
but hey, i don't know. maybe that drawback is too much, since, as you say, with multiples, it is exponentially worse than GG. when i'm fantasizing about imaginary cards, i tend to try to err on the side of jank than broken pet cards. heh.
I could see it as 2/2, and instead of straight draw, it does a guide-check for instant and/or sorcery spells instead of lands.
the reveal-check drawback seems reasonable for a 2/2 on the ground, but since this one flies right over bobs and goyfs and legendary spirit clerics i feel like it almost has to give PURE card advantage to keep it on even power level with the guide.
that said, i'd wouldn't complain with it being a 2/2, if only because i hate spirit tokens. haha.
what i really want is an aggressive one drop for tribal fae you can actually play on the first turn. something on par with a goblin guide: flash is better than haste here, but it has a smaller butt (dies to unbuffed tokens or half of an electrolyze). i imagine it with an even worse drawback because it has mandatory flavor evasion.
U
Creature - Faerie
Flash, flying
Whenever ~ deals combat damage to a player, that player may draw a card.
2/1
This doesn't really go into Death Cloud, because for that deck it is effectively symmetrical. It is better in decks where you can work it to be asymmetrical.
I'm not really that impressed with Gaze. It will have its place, but I don't run the decks where it works.
i'm sure. ever since Pernicious Deed first rotated out of standard, i've waited for pretty much exactly this card.
would i play a BG rock deck with it now? not unless i can figure out a way that death cloud + planeswalkers isn't exponentially better. (and someone else would do that waaaaaaaaaay before i could).
because i don't want to splash white.
the life loss from scroll is relevant WAY more than you'd think for a derpy little "combo"--i've won games without a rack or a liliana before.
i've also had mutavault bolted/pathed in response. a lot. i also frequently wish everything didn't cost 1, if only because i really want to find room for a chalice of the void.
it's been a fun experiment.
it inspired me to get to tinkering with this dumb idea:
3 scroll of griselbrand
4 the rack
1 expedition map
1 nihil spellbomb
1 pithing needle
1 engineered explosives
4 duress
4 thoughtseize
4 raven's crime
Tutor : 4
4 trinket mage
Lock / Disruption: 10
4 liliana of the veil
3 ensnaring bridge
3 dismember
3 academy ruins
3 mutavault
2 urborg, tomb of yawgmoth
4 darkslick shores
4 watery grave
1 island
6 swamp
this is pretty derpy, and not even exactly 8rack considering there's no afflictions--but the scrolls, in addition to being tutorable alongside the titular the rack, can act as an instant speed lock (add academy ruins) AND can give the same 3 life loss as affliction (as long as they don't kill your mutavault).
it's not as efficient as actual 8rack, or have all the synergies one would expect from a trinket mage toolbox a la tezzerator, but there are some really fun interactions, the ruins also gives some resiliency against artifact hate, it packs a lot of discard, and maindeck hate, the discard lock is achievable during opponent's draw step... it's fun as heck, but nowhere near competitive.
i still think S is the closest we're ever getting to purple. the DECKMASTER logo on the backs of the cards is reason enough, i think, not to jump that shark.
EDIT: i just got troll baited didn't i ._.
if we're talking explosive damage potentially, i suppose haste is immeasurably more powerful than flash, but in the archetype i'm thinking of, i'm not so sure it's really better... since flash allows you to hold onto spell snare or spell pierce mana... or allow +1 before a spellstutter sprite on turn 3... and the flying really is pretty important, especially if you only have one of them on the board--attacking with three 2/2s on turn 2 is frightening, yes. but only one of them can get clogged up, real fast, while this guy just keeps swinging.
but hey, i don't know. maybe that drawback is too much, since, as you say, with multiples, it is exponentially worse than GG. when i'm fantasizing about imaginary cards, i tend to try to err on the side of jank than broken pet cards. heh.
the reveal-check drawback seems reasonable for a 2/2 on the ground, but since this one flies right over bobs and goyfs and legendary spirit clerics i feel like it almost has to give PURE card advantage to keep it on even power level with the guide.
that said, i'd wouldn't complain with it being a 2/2, if only because i hate spirit tokens. haha.
U
Creature - Faerie
Flash, flying
Whenever ~ deals combat damage to a player, that player may draw a card.
2/1
I. Love. This. Card.
chandra = 2
ajani = 3
lili = 4
jace = 5
garruk = 6
and she's the "face of the set" or whatever
soltari priest. two power, basically unblockable, AND pro-red for WW. love love love. love love love love.
that was kind of my point
i'm sure. ever since Pernicious Deed first rotated out of standard, i've waited for pretty much exactly this card.
would i play a BG rock deck with it now? not unless i can figure out a way that death cloud + planeswalkers isn't exponentially better. (and someone else would do that waaaaaaaaaay before i could).
i just love that it exists.