Surveil and Landfall are now deciduous.

[Guardman]

So a neat little update to Gatherer (and confirmation from MaRo) that Surveil and Landfall are now deciduous.

Surveil on Gatherer

Landfall on Gatherer



Personally, I have been wanting surveil to become deciduous since its debut since the use the wording so much. The landfall isn't that big of a deal since it is an ability word. We have had a several scry commanders over the years, and it is only a matter of time until we have a surveil one as well.

[void_nothing]

Links are hecked up, but searching manually of course works. What interesting news.

This is - not exactly the right forum for this, I guess Magic General or maybe Previews would be more suitable - but I don't know where to move it to. Both these abilities are ones that were generic enough that they worked fine as "nonkeyworded keywords" at which no one batted an eye, but with surveil in particular this actually matters due to things like Dimir Spybug.

[Mookie]

Yeah, Magic General seems like the best place for this thread.

Anyway, this is very interesting to see. Surveil doesn't have that much mechanical support (since it only showed up in ~2 sets), but this opens up some additional options for it.

Meanwhile, I'm curious if this is the first deciduous ability word - are there any others? Tagging it everywhere doesn't open up any additional mechanical space, but it does suggest that they'll be having more support for it. I have some mild concerns about having more landfall support (particularly since fetchlands are already so expensive), but it certainly is a solid mechanic.

[void_nothing]

Meanwhile, I'm curious if this is the first deciduous ability word - are there any others? Tagging it everywhere doesn't open up any additional mechanical space, but it does suggest that they'll be having more support for it. I have some mild concerns about having more landfall support (particularly since fetchlands are already so expensive), but it certainly is a solid mechanic.

Best I can tell, this is the first-ever ability word that's been upgraded to anything more frequent than a set mechanic. Since ability words can't be referenced ruleswise (in black-border/non-acorn-land anyhow), my take is that it's more a marketing thing. We'll be able to see sets with a landfall subtheme at basically no cost to their mechanical profile otherwise, and we'll be able to get things like, IDK, marquee cycles of Elder Dinosaurs with landfall on planes like Ixalan and generally non-Zendikar landfall vertical cycles or whatnot.

[Dunadain]

what does deciduous mean? lmao

Like the trees?

[void_nothing]

what does deciduous mean? lmao

Like the trees?

Well it's analogous. If evergreen mechanics are in every set, deciduous ones aren't, but can just be used whenever they need to be/whenever R&D feels like it. The best example is cycling, which was on the Spara's Headquarters cycle and nothing else in New Capenna.

[TheGildedGoose]

I really wish Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth was a hill giant.

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

I think 85% is to silence people that kept asking why Consider didn't have surveil 1. The other 15% is this:

Personally, I have been wanting surveil to become deciduous since its debut since the use the wording so much.

Absolutely agree.

I've always said that surveil's true place was to temporarily replace scry in a graveyard-matters set. Looks like it might be doing so in an upcoming set.

Landfall I think so it's just easier to search out.

[Serenade]

Probably means we're getting legends soon who support or double-trigger them.

[Guardman]

Following up, here is the official announcement from WotC:

https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/a ... 2022-10-18

[motleyslayer]

Probably means we're getting legends soon who support or double-trigger them.

I would really enjoy that, I think surveil is a great mechanic

[The Fluff]

I think this is a positive thing. Surveil is useful.

although for some reason.. when I hear surveil, what comes to mind is Gurmag Angler. This zombie fish has been in most of my ub deck.