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["God's Beard!"]

Genesis Hydra is secretly the 3rd best green card in standard right now and also secretly the best tutor-esque effect in standard right now. It's value because it can grab enchantments and artifacts and planeswalkers. But what you really end up revealing each time you cast it for more than 5 is your 3rd copy of elvish mystic and all land.

The card is absolutely nuts. Getting a Banishing Light or Planeswalker is ridiculous,

 

[ironmang]

Ajani and Sorin are both awful. Jace is actually really good in that Ashiok deck, and that deck survives rotation.

Which Ashiok deck is that? Always kind of liked that card so I'd probably be open to using it in standard.

 

[kirblar]

http://www.starcitygames.com/article/29190_Daily-Digest-Dimir-Has-Standards.html

 

[manipulate]

from reddit:

shrug

 

[ElyrionX]

http://www.starcitygames.com/article/29190_Daily-Digest-Dimir-Has-Standards.html

Hmmm would splashing green for Courser in that deck make sense?

 

[kirblar]

Hmmm would splashing green for Courser in that deck make sense?

I played BUG walkers for a while- the problem is that you expose yourself to wrath and you're not ramping into impactful enough cards. I think there are better options for a Courser shell.

 

[ultron87]

from reddit:

*Mardu Ascendancy*

shrug

Could get out of hand quick if you have an anthem effect. And in our new 5-mana wrath world protecting your squad from Anger of the Gods might be pretty relevant.

 

[red13th]

from reddit:

shrug

Love that art.

 

[Firemind]

Why +0/+3? Isn't Mardu supposed to be the zergrush clan?

 

[kirblar]

Why +0/+3? Isn't Mardu supposed to be the zergrush clan?

Anger of the Gods.

 

[ultron87]

It annoys me that there is nothing Black about that card.

 

[bigkrev]

It annoys me that there is nothing Black about that card.

I have a feeling that is going to be a problem through this entire set (all these cards would be fine as 2 color cards)

 

[divisionbyzorro]

It annoys me that there is nothing Black about that card.

I agree. This is a silly solution, but all they had to do was make the goblin black and it would "feel" better.

 

[Toxi]

It annoys me that there is nothing Black about that card.

I could see the toughness boosting kinda being Black, since high toughness is now a Black thing. It's definitely more White though.

It annoys me that there is nothing Black about that card.

Alara had the same problem. Designing three color cards that feel like three color cards is hard.

 

[The Technomancer]

I have a feeling that is going to be a problem through this entire set (all these cards would be fine as 2 color cards)

It was a problem all through Alara as well, and why I'm happy this isn't a full wedge block since Alara convinced me that genuine three color design is pretty limited

 

[divisionbyzorro]

I could see the toughness boosting kinda being Black, since high toughness is now a Black thing. It's definitely more White though.


Alara had the same problem. Designing three color cards that feel like three color cards is hard.

Nah; it's just hard to make it elegant. You can easily make a card feel three-color by making it do three things.

 

[The Technomancer]

Haha uncanny timing

coriell1 said: I think one of the depressing things about Khans not being a wedge block, similar to Theros not being Enchantmirrodin, is that the mere existence of a wedge set makes seeing a wedge block at any point in the near future an impossibility. Is there any hope for those with dashed expectations?

Let you in on a little bit of truth. The lesson of Shards of Alara block is there’s really not enough design space for an entire block of three-colored cards. You’ll notice that Shards of Alara block cheated by having Conflux have a strong five-color theme and Alara Reborn having the all-gold gimmick rely a lot more on two-color gold cards than three-colored.

The real reason you’re not going to see a wedge block in the future has nothing to do with the Khans of Tarkir block structure but on the fact that there just isn’t enough design space to really make a wedge block work.

There are all sorts of factors at play. Three-color design is tricky to start with. Having a wedge block pushes you heavily toward having factions of some kind which even more narrows the design space. And then, three-color designs lean heavily on having elements of monocolor design to help fill things out (with things like charms and extra effects to make sure the spell feels like all three colors). That space just gets chewed up quickly making it hard to make more three-color designs that feel unique.

There’s enough to make one really exciting large set and that’s what we’ve done. One of the things that drew us to wedge is the Khans of Tarkir block structure requires change so we wanted to do something that would be super exciting but would only fill the available space allowing us not to waste a theme that we could build a whole block around.

I use this blog to be bluntly honest with you all. Khans of Tarkir isn’t keeping you from getting a wedge block. Design space was keeping that from happening. Khans of Tarkir is allowing us to blow out the wedge theme in the most exciting way we can.

I've been saying this about Alara for years

 

[divisionbyzorro]

 

[bigkrev]

How is that card mythic?!? It's a worse Summoning Trap most of the time!

 

[Haly]

A poor substitute for Tooth and Nail.

 

[manipulate]

Azban ascendancy seems kinda okay to me (second effect better than the first, but interesting that the former is one-time counters rather than anthem). That green mythic sorcery seems awful. It would be good, but not outrageously good, if it was an instant, I think.

Edit: Although, since nissa makes 4/4s.. shrug.

 

[ThLunarian]

The effect feels Mythic to me when combined with the flavor. Appropriately flavored, Summoning Trap could've been mythic too.

 

[ultron87]

Not too shabby.

 

[Haly]

What the hell.

 

[bigkrev]

I know that most people hate it, but seriously, RIP Land Destruction

 

[Firemind]

lol

bye bye, thassa

 

[The Technomancer]

Ahahahaha

 

[kirblar]

What the hell.

In case you haven't noticed - "Actively shit on the last block in the two sets immediately following it in order to make sure the new cards get bought/played" is a thing.

 

[Kurtofan]

It annoys me that there is nothing Black about that card.

They care more about the clans's philosophy than the colors.

That's what they did with Alara's Shards as well.

 

[Yeef]

I'm gonna need tons of Utter Ends. I'm sure I'll open dozens.

 

[kirblar]

Did we expect anything less from an Erik Lauer set?

 

[y2dvd]

Not too shabby.

At first, I was thinking it was a mana too expensive, then I reread it and it's not just creatures, but nonland permanents. Not too shabby indeed.

 

[rexor0717]

At first, I was thinking it was a mana too expensive, then I reread it and it's not just creatures, but nonland permanents. Not too shabby indeed.

Also an instant.

 

[ThLunarian]

So... Money rare?

Edit: Preorders at 6 already on SCG. Looks like they think so.

 

[f0rk]

It's funny how it makes the gods worse in Standard but being 4 mana means Keranos probably won't fear it in Modern (as no one will play it there)

 

[red13th]

It's an instant Vindicate that exiles but costs 1 more, seems good. Going from 3 to 4 mana is big though.

 

[kirblar]

So... Money rare?

Edit: Preorders at 6 already on SCG. Looks like they think so.

If the fetches weren't in, it'd start at 10, lol.

 

[OnPoint]

Not too shabby.

Whoa, this will see play, I think.

I at least want one for EDH.

 

[bigkrev]

Fetchlands are at 20-25 on SCG pre-order. Anyone remember what the Shocklands were at pre-order wise?

 

[kirblar]

Fetchlands are at 20-25 on SCG pre-order. Anyone remember what the Shocklands were at pre-order wise?

Less, especially the GTC ones. I preordered a set at 220-ish.

 

[red13th]

Also, the new Summoning Trap puts the other revealed cards in the graveyard, so there's that. Still think it's not mythic enough though.

 

[rexor0717]

Also, the new Summoning Trap puts the other revealed cards in the graveyard, so there's that. Still think it's not mythic enough though.

If you used it to grab a Karmic Guide, do you think you could reanimate a creature put into the graveyard with the card's effect?

 

[ThLunarian]

If you used it to grab a Karmic Guide, do you think you could reanimate a creature put into the graveyard with the card's effect?

You can. The Guide's ability doesn't go on the stack until the spell finishes resolving.

 

[pelicansurf]

Genesis Hydra is secretly the 3rd best green card in standard right now and also secretly the best tutor-esque effect in standard right now. It's value because it can grab enchantments and artifacts and planeswalkers. But what you really end up revealing each time you cast it for more than 5 is your 3rd copy of elvish mystic and all land.

My favorite combos recently have been already having a Nylea down with some mystics + or caryatids with some burning emissaries around turn 3-4, then Nykthos-ing into a Genesis Hydra for 8 or so and pulling a Xenagos, God of Revels, and immediately attacking for 16 with Trample. So dirty. Obviously a lot of things have to go right, but doing the same without Nylea is still pretty intimidating.

Near end game, with Xenagos, the Reveler, Nykthos, + Mana Dorks, tossing down a Genesis Hydra for 20-something is pretty ridiculous.

I'm sad that my deck will start seeing more play soon. I want to be the only one running it!

 

["God's Beard!"]

Not too shabby.

FUCK YOU WIZARDS WHERE'S MY VINDICATE :-(

 

[GregLombardi]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";128149436]FUCK YOU WIZARDS WHERE'S MY VINDICATE :-([/QUOTE]

Which reminds me, I should sell mine. I know it will be reprinted eventually. Probably. Okay its still broken, so maybe not.


Anyone who pays more than $10 for a fetchland at this point is getting shafted (unless you're into tournament play and need one in the next 9 months.)

 

[bigkrev]

Which reminds me, I should sell mine. I know it will be reprinted eventually. Probably. Okay its still broken, so maybe not.


Anyone who pays more than $10 for a fetchland at this point is getting shafted (unless you're into tournament play and need one in the next 9 months.)

They don't want to put it into modern/standard (because 3 cmc destroy a land is EVIL, apparently.) It was a judge foil a little while back.

 

[kirblar]

They don't want to put it into modern/standard (because 3 cmc destroy a land is EVIL, apparently.) It was a judge foil a little while back.

It's the T2 blowing a land up off of Birds thing.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

Also, don't be crazy - the last place you would see Vindicate or LD would be in a gold block where mana fixing is important.

 

[ultron87]

They don't want to put it into modern/standard (because 3 cmc destroy a land is EVIL, apparently.) It was a judge foil a little while back.

Stone Rain and Molten Rain are already legal in Modern. They just don't want that effect to be on a card that is useful in so many other circumstances as well. If you want to play Land Destruction you at least gotta mean it and not just free roll it off Vindicate.