Unreleased and New Card Discussion

[Lifeless]

Yeah I'm not too concerned with infinites because they're a dime a dozen but this guy being a wacky mix of relentless assault and lure plus wildly overstatted draws my attention.

[Dunadain]

plus wildly overstatted

This is what stands out to me. Can I get a vanilla version with these stats?

[Lifeless]

To be honest wildly overstatted is probably an overstatement for modern MTG but the stats definitely stand out. I think this is one of those instances where it's balanced via legends rule.

[5colorsrainbow]

@folding_music i feel you. Sometimes it feels there was no adult in the room to review and cut some of the jokes. And there is a dissonance between the tone of the stories and the cards. I get the joke guys, no need to have 50% of the set be in it

After a full year of Phyrexia body horror and such I welcome some levity.

[Hermes_]

If I cast Anzrag, the Quake-Mole I'm going to say "Holy Moley"

[kirkusjones]

I already posted it in @darrenhabib's thread, but I am irrationally excited that Leery Fogbeast FINALLY has a purpose.

[duducrash]

Undergrowth Recon - i wish it was a creature!

[TheGildedGoose]

Undergrowth Recon - i wish it was a creature!

Now this is pod racing.

[CommanderMaster999]

recon is nuts

1. You just need one fetchland in your yard and you just fixed your mana instantly (and fast with Amulet of Vigor effects)

2. You can reload any sac land along with the fetches from earlier you can go 😈 with Strip Mine lands

3. A Crucible of Worlds effect in play you create a from the graveyard version of Exploration

[darrenhabib]

I see people getting excited about Undergrowth Recon but this card is suuuuuper slow. You have to wait until your next turn to put a land into play and it comes into play tapped. So you don't get any benefits for two full turns. You'd be doing a Strip Mine or fetch land effect every other turn and so much game happens within two turns that I just think people who play it are going to be disappointed.

[Lifeless]

My gut reaction is this is a defensive piece for decks playing utility land packages. Making sure Cradle or Sanctum have inevitability sounds pretty good to me. One Amulet of Vigor and you're all set.

[Mookie]

I like Undergrowth Recon, but I will agree that it looks slow. I'm running Evolving Wilds and other tapped fetches in my decks, which adds even more time before it produces mana - if I play it T3, I won't have any mana from it until T6 (assuming I even have a fetch to recur on T4). It also only recurs any given fetchland every other turn due to them entering tapped. It is better if you have the budget for actual fetchlands though, and Amulet of Vigor effects really turbo-charge it. I'll also call out Maestros Theater and the other fetch-on-ETB lands, which can be recurred by it every turn.

I suspect it will end up being too slow for decks that expect to fuel it with a single fetchland, but it seems reasonable if you can get multiple fetchlands going or if you have enough self-mill to fuel it with normal lands. It also seems worth consideration if you have Korvold, Fae-Cursed King, Knight of the Reliquary, or some other way to sacrifice lands.

...I am slightly annoyed that it's at mythic though, which seems odd for a card this simple. I guess Blossoming Tortoise was also a mythic? Hmmm...

[Ink-Treader]

I like Undergrowth Recon, but I will agree that it looks slow. I'm running Evolving Wilds and other tapped fetches in my decks, which adds even more time before it produces mana - if I play it T3, I won't have any mana from it until T6 (assuming I even have a fetch to recur on T4). It also only recurs any given fetchland every other turn due to them entering tapped. It is better if you have the budget for actual fetchlands though, and Amulet of Vigor effects really turbo-charge it. I'll also call out Maestros Theater and the other fetch-on-ETB lands, which can be recurred by it every turn.

I suspect it will end up being too slow for decks that expect to fuel it with a single fetchland, but it seems reasonable if you can get multiple fetchlands going or if you have enough self-mill to fuel it with normal lands. It also seems worth consideration if you have Korvold, Fae-Cursed King, Knight of the Reliquary, or some other way to sacrifice lands.

...I am slightly annoyed that it's at mythic though, which seems odd for a card this simple. I guess Blossoming Tortoise was also a mythic? Hmmm...

Mythics generally tend to be simple, but powerful. Usually the wackier effects go at rare.

[CommanderMaster999]

the "Pull" side from Push // Pull might potentially come in handy but we will see.

weirdly the source for this card is gone.

[Mr_Webman]

I really don't think Undergrowth Recon would have been that broken if it brought back the land untapped. As is, it's just waaaayyy too slow. Feels like a waste of a mythic slot to me.

Anzrag, the Quake-Mole and The Pride of Hull Clade are some of the funniest, wackiest commanders I've ever seen. I approve.

Barbed Servitor is good, but I'm not sure it's worth 4 mana. It also has a weird mixture of abilities, and just drawing one card a turn from it isn't enough to justify your opponents using 2+ creatures to block it AND take damage.

I love Archdruid's Charm, but costing three green pips makes it fair. Definitely will pick up a few copies.

Is it just me, or is Treacherous Greed really good and easy to fulfill? Maybe I just put a lot of fliers in my decks lol.

[TheGildedGoose]

Incidentally, the first thing that came to mind when I saw Undergrowth Recon was Thawing Glaciers, an oldie but a goodie. I think it's perfectly playable in the right decks but not grossly imbalanced or a format staple. Great card, though its placement at mythic is questionable.

[Mookie]

Barbed Servitor is good, but I'm not sure it's worth 4 mana. It also has a weird mixture of abilities, and just drawing one card a turn from it isn't enough to justify your opponents using 2+ creatures to block it AND take damage.

I think it's hard to evaluate due to its political nature - you don't have to point the life loss at the blocking player, which means you may be able to make a deal to burn out whoever at the table is archenemy. Of course, if one player is far ahead, then the others may not have worthwhile boards to block with. I don't think having it burn an opponent for 10+ damage is that difficult though. Otherwise, I feel like you want some way to benefit from the indestructible body (although as a 1/1 artifact creature, it is particularly vulnerable to exile and -X/-X effects).

edit:

• The Case of the Crimson Pulse doesn't excite me for EDH, but I am very tempted to toss it in my cube. Not sure if it beats Bitter Reunion, but seems fun.
• Cryptex is notable as a (conditional) two mana rock. I don't think it's very good (especially when Arcane Signet exists), but could be interesting with proliferate.
• Ezrim, Agency Chief doesn't particularly excite me as a potential Brago inclusion, but does seem like a solid Standard win condition (assuming that's still a thing) - evasive, hexproof, generates card advantage, stabilizes against aggro with lifelink. Not necessarily all at the same time, but seems good.

[Hermes_]

Slime Against Humanity + Surgical Extraction

EDIT: also Aeve, Progenitor Ooze and naturally Thrumming Stone

[MAGUSZANIN]

Barbed Servitor not being able to block is rough, but I almost think it would be too good if it could. Cheaper Stuffy Doll that also draws cards and has a power stat for something like deathtouch?

But no, this is primarily going into decks that play things like Brash Taunter and Boros Reckoner. Which certainly exist and can even be a bit nasty in combat metas.

I also have heard at least one person consider it for their Davros artifact creature build, where it either gets through every turn and draws a card, or the opponent blocks it and most likely triggers Davros anyway, very possibly with the damage redirection enabling a full 3 out 3 opponents getting hit. While also acting as a finisher due to the deck already playing cards like Chain Reaction and Blasphemous Act.

Undergrowth Recon seems nasty with Glacial Chasm, or in self-mill decks. I wouldn't play it if my primary plan was to have one of my six fetch lands my graveyard or whatever.

[CommanderMaster999]

Lost in the maze is awesome

You can stun their creatures, and you could do your own creatures because it gives them hexproof if tapped.

[Dunadain]

Idk, 3 mana to give a creature hexproof is pretty terrible.
You don't really need to give multiple creatures hexproof too often (board wipes tend not to target).
Tapping down creatures is useful though, it's like a 2-turn fog.

I understand you're paying for the flexibility, but it ain't worth it imo.

[Mookie]

Deadly Cover-Up is mildly interesting to me, primarily because black doesn't actually have that many cards that say 'destroy all creatures' at under 6 mana - just Damnation and arguably Crux of Fate, with others being conditional or costing life. That said, if you are willing to tolerate some variance, black has strong board wipes like Massacre Girl and Toxic Deluge, so I don't know if it makes the cut.

I think Lost in the Maze is decent. Three mana to save a creature is a bit steep, but the enchantment sticks around and can be annoying for opponents in the future. I think the best place is in decks that can tap their own creatures via tap abilities or vehicles.

[duducrash]

It doesnt mention nonland? It can be so fun to pick a random forest and end the game for someone.

Sam Guay has killer art. Who is this person?

[TheGildedGoose]

I love that black is getting more board wipes at less than six mana. Especially ones that allow for regeneration.

[darrenhabib]

It doesnt mention nonland? It can be so fun to pick a random forest and end the game for someone.

This isn't exactly an early play card, so your opponent is probably got a mana base setup already and would welcome drawing spells for the rest of the game. Saying that it ends the game is not true, likely the opposite, it probably enhances their chances of winning. It's probably why they specifically didn't bother with putting Surgical Extraction basic land wording because by the time it is cast, its too late and would be welcomed.