Re: Unreleased and New Card Discussion
Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2024 5:38 am
On the precons:
Disguise and Cloak just aren't worth while without a deeper card pool sadly. The new cards in the precon are a step in the right direction, but the mechanic is rough from an efficiency perspective and they aren't willing to print the kinds of effects they need to print to make this strong. They also need more original design slots if they are going to do this for every set mechanic. An extra 5 pushed face down creatures would make a big difference.
Combine that with the only real support in the command zone is on diametrically opposite color sets (Naya with the new deck, Sultai with the old deck) and you have a situation where you can't even pull the old support forward or use a lot of the new support to bolster the old deck. Yes, Kadeena will adopt some of the new green disguise cards, all 5ish that are worth trying out, but it's ultimately another example of WOTC wanting a precon for every set mechanic being a questionable thing from a design perspective.
This may get better when we return to Tarkir, but we'll see. As it is I just am continuously reminded that Kadeena is the most static deck in the format from what I recall of the data, because there's simply not much you can even do with it.
Surveil has the advantage of being a secondary mechanic in its own deck, being used primarily as an enabler for a classic reanimation strategy.
Clues have multiple sets to pull from, with both card draw and Artifacts being strong and deep mechanics.
Boros forced combats isn't anything new or overly strong, but the deck does offer some great support pieces and at least lets you keep everyone pointed away from you in the short term. Also nice to see this Strategy branch out into White. I assume we will get a Mardu deck eventually that will allow you to play things from this deck with cards like Kardur, Doomscourge, which could be interesting.
The question of this much Goad being healthy for the game is in my head though. Taking all of your choices away in the declare attackers step isn't a great feeling, especially when the other players are in the same situation of being forced to hit you. When this was a handful of spells I was less concerned, but at this point we have like 5 board wide ones and a ton more continuous and resetting ones. It's only a matter of time until we can reliably build a deck that just makes hitting it from turns 3-7 functionally impossible, and I'm not sure that's good for the overall health of the game.
2/4 decks being questionable outside the precon environment isn't a great place to be, but none of these are nearly as bad as the Blood/Vampire Precon, so I won't complain to much overall. Also the massively improved reprints are noticed and welcomed! Here's hoping every deck is like this going forward and they do a bit more for the mana bases. I am seriously considering buying a set of these just because of all the juicy reprints.
On the set itself: it's fine? Not much notable at lower rarities outside of the usual pushed uncommons, but some cool cards for lands decks, Collect Evidence is an interesting way to use the graveyard, and some interesting but not broken designs for rares and mythics. Looks like a fun and interesting set. Getting all 10 lands upfront is great too.
Disguise and Cloak just aren't worth while without a deeper card pool sadly. The new cards in the precon are a step in the right direction, but the mechanic is rough from an efficiency perspective and they aren't willing to print the kinds of effects they need to print to make this strong. They also need more original design slots if they are going to do this for every set mechanic. An extra 5 pushed face down creatures would make a big difference.
Combine that with the only real support in the command zone is on diametrically opposite color sets (Naya with the new deck, Sultai with the old deck) and you have a situation where you can't even pull the old support forward or use a lot of the new support to bolster the old deck. Yes, Kadeena will adopt some of the new green disguise cards, all 5ish that are worth trying out, but it's ultimately another example of WOTC wanting a precon for every set mechanic being a questionable thing from a design perspective.
This may get better when we return to Tarkir, but we'll see. As it is I just am continuously reminded that Kadeena is the most static deck in the format from what I recall of the data, because there's simply not much you can even do with it.
Surveil has the advantage of being a secondary mechanic in its own deck, being used primarily as an enabler for a classic reanimation strategy.
Clues have multiple sets to pull from, with both card draw and Artifacts being strong and deep mechanics.
Boros forced combats isn't anything new or overly strong, but the deck does offer some great support pieces and at least lets you keep everyone pointed away from you in the short term. Also nice to see this Strategy branch out into White. I assume we will get a Mardu deck eventually that will allow you to play things from this deck with cards like Kardur, Doomscourge, which could be interesting.
The question of this much Goad being healthy for the game is in my head though. Taking all of your choices away in the declare attackers step isn't a great feeling, especially when the other players are in the same situation of being forced to hit you. When this was a handful of spells I was less concerned, but at this point we have like 5 board wide ones and a ton more continuous and resetting ones. It's only a matter of time until we can reliably build a deck that just makes hitting it from turns 3-7 functionally impossible, and I'm not sure that's good for the overall health of the game.
2/4 decks being questionable outside the precon environment isn't a great place to be, but none of these are nearly as bad as the Blood/Vampire Precon, so I won't complain to much overall. Also the massively improved reprints are noticed and welcomed! Here's hoping every deck is like this going forward and they do a bit more for the mana bases. I am seriously considering buying a set of these just because of all the juicy reprints.
On the set itself: it's fine? Not much notable at lower rarities outside of the usual pushed uncommons, but some cool cards for lands decks, Collect Evidence is an interesting way to use the graveyard, and some interesting but not broken designs for rares and mythics. Looks like a fun and interesting set. Getting all 10 lands upfront is great too.