I wonder if leyline would still be the most played card if we didn't have the london mulligan. I feel like it got a huge power boost from that.
Also, Hogaak is a good deck, but it seems very odd to be playing 2 leylines mainboard to be honest. I can see about ?half? ish of the pros running Hoogaak seem to be running it, but for a non Mythic Championship it just seems a little odd what with over half the top 8 consisting of Jund, E-Tron, Humans, Burn, Tron, and UW. (Though it is somewhat useful against UW)
I think Urza overperformed mostly because it destroys hogaak, and also because nobody was geared towards it (Jund was only running 1 k-command and 1 ouphe in some cases, which isn't nearly enough). I'm curious if it'll just fade like every other prison deck we've made though.
Also, lovely to see Hardened Scales give a gasp of performance. Deck is still pretty solidly t2 now though.
Atrophos, God of Dust5CC
Legendary Enchantment Creature - God (M)
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to any color is greater than 0, Atrophos isn't a creature.
Whenever Atrophos attacks, destroy target land.
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. - Percy Bysshe Shelly
Dammaz Kron, Axe of Grudges4WR
Artifact - Equipment
Delve
Dammaz Kron, Axe of Grudges enters the battlefield with a charge counter on it for each legendary creature or dwarf exiled to cast it.
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each charge counter on this card. If there are 3 or more charge counters on this card, equipped creature gains trample and haste.
Equip 2
The Da'wi have long memories and even longer records. Each affront is recorded on the handle of the Dammaz Kron with increasing urgency.
IIW: Original Superheroes with a focus on EDH play.
I dunno man. My guess is that the Hogaak deck will stay pretty much the same, and still be very competitive. I'm not 100% sure what the next best replacement for Bridge is, but Narcomoeba has worked well enough for me. Haunted Dead is also pretty interesting.
Neither Narcomoeba nor Haunted Dead do anything close to bridge. Carrion Feeder and Altar of Dementia are very meh without bridge and those cards certainly don't help. Also, a big problem without bridge is that a deck can now just eventually match you card for card.
Deck will certainly look very different or just not exist really.
Moving away from speculation about why they banned bridge, now that they have I'm very interested in how the deck itself transforms. Off the top of my head, a lot of cards are much less useful: (Carrion Feeder, Altar of Dementia). I vaguely remember a "hollowvine" build from a while back, does hogaak improve that significantly?
Also outside of that, what do we expect now? Izzet and UW were already very strong, and they've only got more toys.
So as far as upgrading dragons goes, these would be the most efficient, and are also pretty cheap: Glorybringer has haste and kills something optionally (1$) Verix Bladewing is a really nifty 4/4 for 4 which also can be 2 4/4's for 7 (1$)
Also there is some very good dragon based removal: Spit Flame can become a reusable killer (0.35$) Draconic Roar can kill things and other players (0.2$)
Promising Prototype2
Artifact - Vehicle {U}
Flying
Metalcraft - Promising Prototype gets +0/+1
When Promising Prototype dies, put a +1/+1 counter on an artifact or artificer you control.
Crew 1
"Does it work?" "Well, no... but with just a few improvements it might!"
Trajan, First Among Kings2UU
Legendary Human - Soldier {M}
Creatures you control have basic landwalk. (Creatures you control are unblockable as long as defending player controls a basic land)
When the royal treasury overflowed with lucre, Trajan built neither castles nor monuments. No exotic animals graced his estate, and none visited his dining table. Instead, he built roads across the whole of Meletis. And so it became the center of the world.
Antaam sent forth Arishad. And he knew he would not return.
//
What is Right WW
Sorcery
Aftermath
Put 2 +1/+1 counters on target legendary creature you control. Exile your current commander if it is in your command zone. That creature is now your commander.
When he stood finally in the circle of the ancients, Antaam cast down his crown. He anointed Aristen, son of Arishad.
Wade, Master CraftsmanRW
Legendary Human {R}
Whenever you destroy a dragon or drake, you may search your library for an equipment card and exile it with a material counter on it. t: Put a card you own with a material counter on it from exile onto the battlefield.
"Wade!" "Nonsense Heren, I would not DREAM of charging for the splendid opportunity to craft in dragon bone!"
Assuming the theme is Spiders, but also kind of accepting of miscellaneous "insect, vermin" type flavor, you could do a budget -1/-1 counter deck along the lines of:
Basically you have a bunch of stuff that synergizes with -1/-1 counters, which happens to make insects or do something gross. Other cards that are vaguely interesting like Splendid Agony work too.
EDIT: Replaced Die Young, it doesnt do what I thought haha.
Enchantment
Creatures you control have +0/+1.
W: Remove a -1/-1 counter or poison counter from any target.
An early response is the surest method of prevention.
IIW: Original Superheroes
Also, Hogaak is a good deck, but it seems very odd to be playing 2 leylines mainboard to be honest. I can see about ?half? ish of the pros running Hoogaak seem to be running it, but for a non Mythic Championship it just seems a little odd what with over half the top 8 consisting of Jund, E-Tron, Humans, Burn, Tron, and UW. (Though it is somewhat useful against UW)
I think Urza overperformed mostly because it destroys hogaak, and also because nobody was geared towards it (Jund was only running 1 k-command and 1 ouphe in some cases, which isn't nearly enough). I'm curious if it'll just fade like every other prison deck we've made though.
Also, lovely to see Hardened Scales give a gasp of performance. Deck is still pretty solidly t2 now though.
Legendary Enchantment Creature - God (M)
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to any color is greater than 0, Atrophos isn't a creature.
Whenever Atrophos attacks, destroy target land.
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. - Percy Bysshe Shelly
0/1
IIW: Original Superheroes
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Equipped creature gets +1/+0
U, Sacrifice Stale Baguette: Add 2 mana to your mana pool.
Equip 1
Eet is ze instrument of our libaration. Eet is ze soggy, dis-appointin dinnair of our victairy.
IIW: Original Superheroes
Enchantment (R)
Land creatures you control have infect.
As the necrosis spread across the white moon Bringer, Mirrordin found itself bathed in grey and red.
IIW: Original Superheroes
Artifact - Equipment
Delve
Dammaz Kron, Axe of Grudges enters the battlefield with a charge counter on it for each legendary creature or dwarf exiled to cast it.
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each charge counter on this card. If there are 3 or more charge counters on this card, equipped creature gains trample and haste.
Equip 2
The Da'wi have long memories and even longer records. Each affront is recorded on the handle of the Dammaz Kron with increasing urgency.
IIW: Original Superheroes with a focus on EDH play.
Neither Narcomoeba nor Haunted Dead do anything close to bridge. Carrion Feeder and Altar of Dementia are very meh without bridge and those cards certainly don't help. Also, a big problem without bridge is that a deck can now just eventually match you card for card.
Deck will certainly look very different or just not exist really.
Also outside of that, what do we expect now? Izzet and UW were already very strong, and they've only got more toys.
Glorybringer has haste and kills something optionally (1$)
Verix Bladewing is a really nifty 4/4 for 4 which also can be 2 4/4's for 7 (1$)
These might also be useful:
Thundermaw Hellkite is a little bigger (2$)
Thunderbreak Regent is a 4 mana 4/4 which hurts them if they target it(3$)
Also there is some very good dragon based removal:
Spit Flame can become a reusable killer (0.35$)
Draconic Roar can kill things and other players (0.2$)
For mana ramp, consider:
Whisperer of the Wilds
Or even Land Ramp like:
Rampant Growth
Explore
Farseek
Khalni Heart Expedition
Harrow
Typically these are better than creatures which make dragons cheaper because you can use the lands on everything and they dont die.
Artifact - Vehicle {U}
Flying
Metalcraft - Promising Prototype gets +0/+1
When Promising Prototype dies, put a +1/+1 counter on an artifact or artificer you control.
Crew 1
"Does it work?" "Well, no... but with just a few improvements it might!"
3/0
IIW: Original Superheroes
Legendary Human - Soldier {M}
Creatures you control have basic landwalk. (Creatures you control are unblockable as long as defending player controls a basic land)
When the royal treasury overflowed with lucre, Trajan built neither castles nor monuments. No exotic animals graced his estate, and none visited his dining table. Instead, he built roads across the whole of Meletis. And so it became the center of the world.
4/4
IIW Original super heroes
Sorcery {R}
Sacrifice a creature, draw 2 cards.
Antaam sent forth Arishad. And he knew he would not return.
//
What is Right WW
Sorcery
Aftermath
Put 2 +1/+1 counters on target legendary creature you control. Exile your current commander if it is in your command zone. That creature is now your commander.
When he stood finally in the circle of the ancients, Antaam cast down his crown. He anointed Aristen, son of Arishad.
IIW: Original Supeheroes
Legendary Human {R}
Whenever you destroy a dragon or drake, you may search your library for an equipment card and exile it with a material counter on it.
t: Put a card you own with a material counter on it from exile onto the battlefield.
"Wade!" "Nonsense Heren, I would not DREAM of charging for the splendid opportunity to craft in dragon bone!"
0/1
IIW: original superheroes
Enchantment - Aura{R}
Enchant creature.
Enchanted creature can't attack unless its controller was attacked last turn.
Some deontological systems do not take Pacifism as a categorical imperative.
IIW: Original superheroes
// 22 Creature
4 Obelisk Spider
2 Juvenile Gloomwidow
4 Fume Spitter
2 Necroskitter
4 Nyx Weaver
2 Ishkanah, Grafwidow
2 Skinrender
2 Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
4 Crumbling Ashes
3 Blowfly Infestation
3 Nest of Scarabs
// 4 Instant
4 Grim Affliction
// 22 Land
2 Swarmyard
4 Llanowar Wastes
4 Woodland Cemetery
5 Forest
7 Swamp
2 Black Sun's Zenith
Basically you have a bunch of stuff that synergizes with -1/-1 counters, which happens to make insects or do something gross. Other cards that are vaguely interesting like Splendid Agony work too.
EDIT: Replaced Die Young, it doesnt do what I thought haha.