really tough to evaluate this card as far as an average case scenario.
Definitely bonkers in some situations but akward to put down in others. I think it is also a bit narrow shining in very specific decks vs being a general power house.
Might look at testing but hard to find room in a gold slot.
you want to cast it early to maximize other cantrips or draw effects later. but you need to have a creature on board to even get the first counter. Most decks that are heavy on draw spells are light on creatures.
could be fun in an izzet shell with young pyromancer just pumping out tokens and putting counters on them.
Not sure i've ever really needed the no maximum hand size effect in cube personally.
This is one of the cards I am more interested in from this set. (which isn't saying much, but still)
There are two scenarios that will likely play out with this card. #1: the opponent doesn't want to give you the tutor and lets this thing get in for damage as long as possible without losing. #2: the opponent figures you will get the tutor sooner or later anyways and just kills the skeleton off the hop.
Also have to consider some of the awkward timing restrictions of this card. If the skeleton dies the case doesn't solve until your end step and then you wont be able to tutor until your next turn at the earliest because of the sorcery only clause.
It has been a brutally slow and terribly low powered spoiler season so far but this card led to some interesting discussion in comparison to other cube staples like Fact or Fiction, shark typhoon, mulldrifter, and even Occult epiphany. Also some comparison to terrible cards like steam augury
At 5cmc it is less flexible and can be played in fewer windows than all the others but has 6 different outcomes that are all above rate in exchange for giving your opponent some control over the outcome.
Possible outcomes 1 & 2:
5/5 flash flyer or draw 5 cards.
At first I thought there probably wouldn't be a situation where you would opt to split 5 and 0 but in the late game if an opponent is tapped out and low on life or relying on top decking removal, flashing in an evasive 5/5 might be game over and force them into giving you 5 cards (which is likely also a death sentence).
Possible outcomes 3 & 4: In this case you are probably putting the card you want most in one pile against 4 others. Either you get the best card and a big threat or you dont get what you want but you have massive card advantage in the form of an instant speed tidings that also gives you a 1/1 thopter.
Possible outcomes 5 & 6: You are splitting the value as evenly as possible guaranteeing that you get decent card advantage and a reasonable creature.
3/3 flash flyer with a free instant speed divination, or a 2/2 flash flyer with ancestral recall
Comparing to the draw spells that also provide a threat at 5 mana Shark typhoon gives you an uncounterable 3/3 and draws 1 card, vs a 3/3 that draws 2 with intrude on the mind. At 5 mana Mulldrifter gives you a 2/2 and draws 2 at sorcery speed where this gives you the same body but draws three cards at instant.
In conclusion I think this spell is worth a look. it is hard to find a slot for a 5cmc spell and that limits it a lot not having the lower cmc flexibility of the other options. But, I think its good in the windows it can be played. It will be tough to see if the opponent having the choice is as detrimental as it was with steam augury, but I am hopeful that getting an evasive threat helps mitigate this to some degree.
Its abilities want you to hold up mana for awkward combat situations but then using that mana prevents you from developing your board. Being a 3 drop you might not have much of a board developed when this hits the battlefield to use the abilities on.
Maybe you don't need much of a board pressence because making this thing a 4/4 doublestriker is enough, except that with no ward or anything this card is blowout city to any kind of removal after you've sunk mana into it.
This card has been good so far. Either you are discarding higher cmc cards you cant play yet and hoping to be playing lands from exile, or you are discarding extra lands to hopefully exile some gas all while pumping your existing team.
I think I've only chosen not to discard once when triggered so the ability is quite relevant and good overall.
It's interesting it is up to one for each player. It won't come up that often but being able to sacrifice a creature/artifact to fix mana or just double spell ain't nothing.
How good is ward 1? I don't have any experience with it.
Definitely bonkers in some situations but akward to put down in others. I think it is also a bit narrow shining in very specific decks vs being a general power house.
Might look at testing but hard to find room in a gold slot.
you want to cast it early to maximize other cantrips or draw effects later. but you need to have a creature on board to even get the first counter. Most decks that are heavy on draw spells are light on creatures.
could be fun in an izzet shell with young pyromancer just pumping out tokens and putting counters on them.
Not sure i've ever really needed the no maximum hand size effect in cube personally.
There are two scenarios that will likely play out with this card. #1: the opponent doesn't want to give you the tutor and lets this thing get in for damage as long as possible without losing. #2: the opponent figures you will get the tutor sooner or later anyways and just kills the skeleton off the hop.
Also have to consider some of the awkward timing restrictions of this card. If the skeleton dies the case doesn't solve until your end step and then you wont be able to tutor until your next turn at the earliest because of the sorcery only clause.
It has been a brutally slow and terribly low powered spoiler season so far but this card led to some interesting discussion in comparison to other cube staples like Fact or Fiction, shark typhoon, mulldrifter, and even Occult epiphany. Also some comparison to terrible cards like steam augury
At 5cmc it is less flexible and can be played in fewer windows than all the others but has 6 different outcomes that are all above rate in exchange for giving your opponent some control over the outcome.
Possible outcomes 1 & 2:
5/5 flash flyer or draw 5 cards.
At first I thought there probably wouldn't be a situation where you would opt to split 5 and 0 but in the late game if an opponent is tapped out and low on life or relying on top decking removal, flashing in an evasive 5/5 might be game over and force them into giving you 5 cards (which is likely also a death sentence).
Possible outcomes 3 & 4: In this case you are probably putting the card you want most in one pile against 4 others. Either you get the best card and a big threat or you dont get what you want but you have massive card advantage in the form of an instant speed tidings that also gives you a 1/1 thopter.
Possible outcomes 5 & 6: You are splitting the value as evenly as possible guaranteeing that you get decent card advantage and a reasonable creature.
3/3 flash flyer with a free instant speed divination, or a 2/2 flash flyer with ancestral recall
Comparing to the draw spells that also provide a threat at 5 mana Shark typhoon gives you an uncounterable 3/3 and draws 1 card, vs a 3/3 that draws 2 with intrude on the mind. At 5 mana Mulldrifter gives you a 2/2 and draws 2 at sorcery speed where this gives you the same body but draws three cards at instant.
In conclusion I think this spell is worth a look. it is hard to find a slot for a 5cmc spell and that limits it a lot not having the lower cmc flexibility of the other options. But, I think its good in the windows it can be played. It will be tough to see if the opponent having the choice is as detrimental as it was with steam augury, but I am hopeful that getting an evasive threat helps mitigate this to some degree.
Side note if this is an escape tunnel why is the door leading outside into sunshine?
Its abilities want you to hold up mana for awkward combat situations but then using that mana prevents you from developing your board. Being a 3 drop you might not have much of a board developed when this hits the battlefield to use the abilities on.
Maybe you don't need much of a board pressence because making this thing a 4/4 doublestriker is enough, except that with no ward or anything this card is blowout city to any kind of removal after you've sunk mana into it.
Fun card, but a pass for me.
That way they'd be tapped in the early game to limit their power but untapped in the late game to make them more playable.
As is I am going to pass.
I think I've only chosen not to discard once when triggered so the ability is quite relevant and good overall.
just think how annoying thalia, guardian of thraben is
Certainly feels close. pretty happy with my red 2s but might be able to test this.
Going to have to think about this one.
My potential cut for this would be evolved sleeper i think.