I would like to discuss, if cards like Caldera Hellion that deal 3 damage to each creatures and cards like Night Incarnate that provide -3/-3 to all creatures are viable in commander.
I often wonder if 4 damage & -4/-4 is the sweet spot of these limited sweepers. Cards like Crater Hellion are quite useful on many boards, while 3 damage & -3/-3 is more limitied.
What do you think, are such cards significant enough in a vacuum? Or do you think that they are too limited for a very mixed meta?
I underestimated Urza and he earned his spot. It's wonderful to tap a Sword of X and Y for mana or even just an utility artifact like Cloudstone Curio.
Also, I would disagree that you need a powered cube to make him work. Even with cheap non-powered cards like Jeweled Amulet you get your benefits - the effect maybe has even more impact.
I think I might be excited about this thing if the rummaging didn't cost anything
Yeah, that is my concern too. I still have Sin Prodder in my list and will test this new Pirate, but 2 mana for the effect is quite a lot, even though it may be better than Prodder.
The effect is more narrow than Faith's Reward because it targets in your GY (more disruptable) and the permanents enter tapped. But 4 mana is a huge burden and 2 mana even with small drawbacks makes this kind of effect better.
Nevertheless, such cards are dead very often. I once tested two cards: Otherworldly Journey and Graceful Reprieve and both of them were almost unplayable, even with a huge focus on etb creatures. While Journey was useful at times because you can time the effect (and can use it as tempo removal), Graceful Reprieve was even worse, because you constantly had to keep 2 mana open for it to actually do something. Only a sac outlet helps with Reprieve and now this newly spoiled card.
Maybe I underestimate the effect - returning a fetchland can be quite helpful and returning a planeswalker with all counters, ready to activate again is also a strong play. But how often do such things happen and wouldn't you wish to have something less situational in you hand?
What happens if I have Yarok, the Desecrated on the battlefield and cast Necromancy, assuming that there are two legal targets in a graveyard for Necromancy. Can I reanimate one creature and with a second trigger a second one, while losing the first creature again? Or do I just get to reanimate one target, as if Yarok doesn't exist?
Cavalier of Dawn - 2WWW
Creature - Elemental Knight
Vigilance
When Cavalier of Dawn enters the battlefield, destroy up to one target nonland permanent. Its controller creates a colorless 3/3 Golem artifact creature token.
When Cavalier of Dawn dies, return target artifact or enchantment from your graveyard to your hand.
4/6
So here we have the white version of the new Cavalier cycle.
4/6 Vigilance for cmc 5 is not impressive, but there is also the option to get another 3/3 Golem if you blow up something insignificant on your side (like a 1/1 token or a mana artifact).
The more regular mode to blow up something on your opponents side is not impressive, but versatile. I like that the body and Vigilance help to mitigate the drawback of giving a 3/3 to your opponent.
And finally, you can return an artifact or enchantment to your hand when the Cavalier dies, which helps to win attrition wars.
I guess this one is too slow and narrow for traditional cubes. I could imagine trying this out in a multiplayer cube or in a low powered cube, although the casting cost is still quite a burden. A card must be really bonkers, like Cryptic Command, to justify this drawback.
I will test this in the spot of God-Eternal Oketra, but I doubt that it can outperform her.
So, has anyone tested Urza already? I am shocked by the high price and still not sure if this card is worth the cost.
I would cut Whirler Rogue or God-Eternal Kefnet for Urza and I dislike very much that he is just 1/4 with a 1/1 (without evasion) if you don't have other artifacts in game.
I am overwhelmed by rating this card. My cube does not really support artifact decks, so is Urza anough good stuff in a vacuum?
Discarding a card, spending a lot of mana and not even the guarantee to hit a relevant target.
Instant speed, GY-enabler and counter protection in return.
I am not convinced. I guess it's better than Birthing Pod for cube, but not by a large margin.
Sadly, doesn't work with sorcery-speed Threaten-effects.
Very slow engine for token strategies. I think Sadistic Hypnotist is the much better card for that role.
Sage of Epityr > Benthic Biomancer: Sage is strong in my cube because of the wizard tribal theme, but not strong enough. I am quite thankful for the new addition, it's great for Marchesa, Atraxa and has some neat random synergies with Nissa or Hadana's Climb. Mardu Shadowspear > Gutterbones: These attackers that do 1 damage to each opponent are all playable, but still quite weak when the board is cluttered. Shadowspear still has the possibility to abuse it for "cast" triggers like Extort, but Gutterbones can also offer such a functionality since it recurs to hand and is the better attacker. Comet Storm > Electrodominance Comet Storm is a hard cut, but I like the flexibility of Electrodominance too much. ETB-creatures with instant speed can be a blowout! Gyre Sage > Incubation Druid: I am quite sure that the new Druid will be a strong multiplayer addition. Joraga Treespeaker is the green Sol Ring - and Incubation Druid may be known as green Gilded Lotus! Craterhoof Behemoth > End-Raze Forerunners: Vigilance is very important in multiplayer and I guess with some tokens this can finish off one player but doesn't open your flanks against the rest of the table. Natural Order > Guardian Project: Natural Order is very strong, but my cube doesn't have many degenerate targets, but a heavy etb theme and the new enchantment fits that much better. Huntmaster of the Fells > Rhythm of the Wild: Rhythm, sac outlet and a persist creature? Oh yeah! Huntmaster is not that strong in multiplayer where it more often than not stagnates and doesn't flip. Xenagos, the Reveler > Domri, Chaos Bringer: Xenagos has a neat ultimate with Doubling Season, but Domri has so, too. And Domri draws you gas, which Xenagos doesn't.
And for commanders Olivia Voldaren > Judith, the Scourge Diva: Olivia 1.0 is a very strong card in 1vs1 drafting, but in multiplayer she often does nothing before the next sweeper removes her.
I am not sure how this compares to Deranged Hermit and Tendershoot Dryad. It is most likely stronger than Dryad in 1vs1 Cube.
Triple green and one colorless is a lot for just one 2/2 that maybe continues to grow.
I like that even if your opponent destroys your creature during their turn, you will still keep a 3/3, while Hermit and Dryad will only leave you with 1/1 creatures, although Hermit provides 4 of them.
It's not broken or even strong in Cube, but an interesting card design for sure. Also, it is the first Adapt card that I actually do not hate
Nissa, Voice of Zendikar, Hadana's Climb and Rishkar, Peema Renegade are the playable green cube cards that come to my mind and support this creature. And even then, the payoff is slow can easily be negated by removal. I would not maindeck her in a 1vs1 game, the body is too weak on it's own to be relevant as blocker.
This creature is solid for EDH. Joraga Treespeaker, also known as green Sol Ring, is still much better, but Incubation Druid could be a similar albeit weaker variant of this effect. I will test it in my EDH cube for sure...
I often wonder if 4 damage & -4/-4 is the sweet spot of these limited sweepers. Cards like Crater Hellion are quite useful on many boards, while 3 damage & -3/-3 is more limitied.
What do you think, are such cards significant enough in a vacuum? Or do you think that they are too limited for a very mixed meta?
Also, I would disagree that you need a powered cube to make him work. Even with cheap non-powered cards like Jeweled Amulet you get your benefits - the effect maybe has even more impact.
Yeah, that is my concern too. I still have Sin Prodder in my list and will test this new Pirate, but 2 mana for the effect is quite a lot, even though it may be better than Prodder.
The effect is more narrow than Faith's Reward because it targets in your GY (more disruptable) and the permanents enter tapped. But 4 mana is a huge burden and 2 mana even with small drawbacks makes this kind of effect better.
Nevertheless, such cards are dead very often. I once tested two cards: Otherworldly Journey and Graceful Reprieve and both of them were almost unplayable, even with a huge focus on etb creatures. While Journey was useful at times because you can time the effect (and can use it as tempo removal), Graceful Reprieve was even worse, because you constantly had to keep 2 mana open for it to actually do something. Only a sac outlet helps with Reprieve and now this newly spoiled card.
Maybe I underestimate the effect - returning a fetchland can be quite helpful and returning a planeswalker with all counters, ready to activate again is also a strong play. But how often do such things happen and wouldn't you wish to have something less situational in you hand?
source: http://mtg.bigmagic.net/article/2019/06/preview/M20.html
Cavalier of Dawn - 2WWW
Creature - Elemental Knight
Vigilance
When Cavalier of Dawn enters the battlefield, destroy up to one target nonland permanent. Its controller creates a colorless 3/3 Golem artifact creature token.
When Cavalier of Dawn dies, return target artifact or enchantment from your graveyard to your hand.
4/6
So here we have the white version of the new Cavalier cycle.
4/6 Vigilance for cmc 5 is not impressive, but there is also the option to get another 3/3 Golem if you blow up something insignificant on your side (like a 1/1 token or a mana artifact).
The more regular mode to blow up something on your opponents side is not impressive, but versatile. I like that the body and Vigilance help to mitigate the drawback of giving a 3/3 to your opponent.
And finally, you can return an artifact or enchantment to your hand when the Cavalier dies, which helps to win attrition wars.
I guess this one is too slow and narrow for traditional cubes. I could imagine trying this out in a multiplayer cube or in a low powered cube, although the casting cost is still quite a burden. A card must be really bonkers, like Cryptic Command, to justify this drawback.
I will test this in the spot of God-Eternal Oketra, but I doubt that it can outperform her.
I would cut Whirler Rogue or God-Eternal Kefnet for Urza and I dislike very much that he is just 1/4 with a 1/1 (without evasion) if you don't have other artifacts in game.
I am overwhelmed by rating this card. My cube does not really support artifact decks, so is Urza anough good stuff in a vacuum?
It's solid and an interesting tool in the hands of slower decks.
XX for counters is a bit inefficient though, you pay double the CMC if they only have one permanent that must be destroyed.
Instant speed, GY-enabler and counter protection in return.
I am not convinced. I guess it's better than Birthing Pod for cube, but not by a large margin.
Gideon seems really powerful and has a neat synergy with your own sweepers, providing indestructible for himself and one other creature.
Very slow engine for token strategies. I think Sadistic Hypnotist is the much better card for that role.
Sage of Epityr > Benthic Biomancer: Sage is strong in my cube because of the wizard tribal theme, but not strong enough. I am quite thankful for the new addition, it's great for Marchesa, Atraxa and has some neat random synergies with Nissa or Hadana's Climb.
Mardu Shadowspear > Gutterbones: These attackers that do 1 damage to each opponent are all playable, but still quite weak when the board is cluttered. Shadowspear still has the possibility to abuse it for "cast" triggers like Extort, but Gutterbones can also offer such a functionality since it recurs to hand and is the better attacker.
Comet Storm > Electrodominance Comet Storm is a hard cut, but I like the flexibility of Electrodominance too much. ETB-creatures with instant speed can be a blowout!
Gyre Sage > Incubation Druid: I am quite sure that the new Druid will be a strong multiplayer addition. Joraga Treespeaker is the green Sol Ring - and Incubation Druid may be known as green Gilded Lotus!
Craterhoof Behemoth > End-Raze Forerunners: Vigilance is very important in multiplayer and I guess with some tokens this can finish off one player but doesn't open your flanks against the rest of the table.
Natural Order > Guardian Project: Natural Order is very strong, but my cube doesn't have many degenerate targets, but a heavy etb theme and the new enchantment fits that much better.
Huntmaster of the Fells > Rhythm of the Wild: Rhythm, sac outlet and a persist creature? Oh yeah! Huntmaster is not that strong in multiplayer where it more often than not stagnates and doesn't flip.
Xenagos, the Reveler > Domri, Chaos Bringer: Xenagos has a neat ultimate with Doubling Season, but Domri has so, too. And Domri draws you gas, which Xenagos doesn't.
And for commanders
Olivia Voldaren > Judith, the Scourge Diva: Olivia 1.0 is a very strong card in 1vs1 drafting, but in multiplayer she often does nothing before the next sweeper removes her.
Triple green and one colorless is a lot for just one 2/2 that maybe continues to grow.
I like that even if your opponent destroys your creature during their turn, you will still keep a 3/3, while Hermit and Dryad will only leave you with 1/1 creatures, although Hermit provides 4 of them.
Nissa, Voice of Zendikar, Hadana's Climb and Rishkar, Peema Renegade are the playable green cube cards that come to my mind and support this creature. And even then, the payoff is slow can easily be negated by removal. I would not maindeck her in a 1vs1 game, the body is too weak on it's own to be relevant as blocker.
This creature is solid for EDH. Joraga Treespeaker, also known as green Sol Ring, is still much better, but Incubation Druid could be a similar albeit weaker variant of this effect. I will test it in my EDH cube for sure...