iMtG Server: Gathering

Hey guys!  Since spoilers for Journey into Nyx have started, I thought maybe I'd try writing an article thing explaining my thoughts on the more interesting and big-name cards, coming from an EDH standpoint.  I wont write commentary for every card, since that would get tedious, but if I have thoughts about a card as they come out, I'll write them up.  I'm also including the text of each of the cards for reference.

Iroas

QuoteIroas, God of Victory {2}{R}{W}
Legendary Enchantment Creature - God
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to red and white is less than seven, Iroas isn't a creature.
Attacking creatures you control can't be blocked except two or more creatures.
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to attacking creatures you control.
7/4

This guy is everything that Boros colors have been waiting for in a general.  He provides a power offensive buff while punishing what blocks your opponent does make.  This combination allows you to force through damage that would otherwise just be chumped and cost you creature.  This is rounded out by the fact that Iroas has an incredibly huge, easily enabled 7/4 body.  It's not hard to see him coming down swinging on turn 4, if you run creatures or enchantments that grant haste ({Fervor}, {Mass Hysteria}, {Hammer of Purphoros}), and cards in the 2-3 drop spot with multiple colored mana symbols ({Boros Reckoner}, {Mirran Crusader}, {Hearthfire Hobgoblin}).  This guy is going to be awesome.


Keranos

QuoteKeranos, God of Storms {3}{U}{R}
Legendary Enchantment Creature - God
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to blue and red is less than seven, Keranos isn't a creature.
Reveal the first card you draw on each of your turns. Whenever you reveal a land card this way draw a card. Whenever you reveal a nonland card this way, Keranos deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
6/5

Keranos is amazing for this format.  No questions asked, any sort of Control/burn deck that runs at least {U}{R} will want this guy.  When you hit late game, there's nothing more annoying than topdecking lands, and this stormy guy mitigates that insanely.  At the somewhat low cost of revealing the first card you draw...  Okay, for some control decks, hiding an extra counter spell could be nice, but regardless, revealing that counter spell lets you bolt a player or a problematic creature, or flipping a land lets you try to draw in to live card.  He may be a little steep at 5 CMC, but he'll definitely go places.


Underworld Coinsmith

QuoteUnderworld Coinsmith {W}{B}
Enchantment Creature - Human Cleric
Conestellation - Whenever Underworld Coinsmith or another enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life.
{W}{B}, Pay 1 life: Each opponent loses 1 life.
2/2

Where do I begin with this guy?  Even ignoring his Constellation ability, this guy is incredibly cool.  {W}{B} Extort and Oloro decks have almost no reason not to play the smithy.  Extra mana and the life buffer created by the deck's styles instantly becomes life advantage over your opponents.  In an Oloro deck, where it's possible to create infinite mana, he can just end a game.  The first ability works well in Enchantment-based Oloro builds, where it provides a bigger life buffer and more triggers for Oloro's Drain-and-draw ability.


Darka Mystic

QuoteDakra Mystic {U}
Creature - Merfolk Wizard
{U}, {T}: Each player reveals the top card of his or her library. You may put the revealed cards into their owners' graveyards. If you don't, each player draws a card.
1/1

Now, this one is interesting.  It has application in both Control and Group Hug builds, and goes really well the with recently {Spirit of the Labyrinth}.  It can also serve has hate against the Mirage Tutor family, since they put the cards on top.  Overall a really cool design, and at a low enough cost that we can actually play it.


Eidolon of Blossoms

QuoteEidolon of Blossoms {2}{G}{G}
Enchantment Creature - Spirit
Constellation - Whenever Eidolon of Blossoms or another enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, draw a card.
2/2

This is probably the one I'm most excited about, since one of my decks is based around drawing cards by casting enchantments.  The difference here is that this Enchantress draws you cards when they enter the battlefield, which is both a plus and a negative.  The downside is that if your enchantment gets countered, you don't get a card, unlike the other five enchantress effects you can run.  The upside is that it goes really well with blinking enchantment creatures or creating Enchantment Creature tokens.  I'm looking forward to shenanigans where I draw half my deck just by making tokens off of {Heliod, God of the Sun}.


Godsend

QuoteGodsend {1}{W}{W}
Legendary Artifact - Equipment
Equipped creature gets +3/+3
Whenever equipped creature blocks or is blocked by one or more creatures you may exile one of them.
Your opponents can't cast cards with the same name of a card exiled by godsend.
Equip {3}

This one is a really neat tool for White equipment-based decks.  It essentially gives +3/+3 and makes it so they can't block your dude.  If they do, their guy is gone.  Period.  The last ability isn't as relevant in EDH, although if you manage to exile a creature that a lot of decks run (This used to be, say, {Primeval Titan} or {Sylvan Primordial}), it can help stop shenanigans from other players at the board.  It also feels really run to play with Provoke effects, like any creature with Provoke itself (When ~ attacks, you may have target creature defending player controls untap and block it if able), or things like {Courtly Provocateur}, or even the big guy himself, {Boros Battleshaper}.  Sadly exiling someone's Commander with it doesn't make it so it can't be cast again.  Also, I'm kinda bummed it's not an enchantment.


Hall of Triumph

QuoteHall of Triumph {3}
Legendary Artifact
As Hall of Triumph enters the battlefield, choose a color.
Creatures you control of the chosen color get +1/+1

It's a cool Anthem ([Color] Creatures get +1/+1) effect for Non-white decks.  This card will definitely be played in an Weenie Aggro deck that isn't already in White, and possibly in White ones as Anthem effect number who knows what.


Dictates

QuoteEnchantments with Flash with effects:
Howling Mine for {1}{U}{U}
Furnace of Rath for {3}{R}{R}

These cards are pretty awesome, so far, and can probably replace the cards that they're based on.  The Howling Mine one may be more expensive and have Double-{U}, but the Flash to be the first to draw from it may be worth it.  The Furnace of Rath effect is easier to cast at only having Double {R} instead of Triple that the original has.  In almost any deck that runs Furnace, I'd probably replace it with the Dictate.

I like how godsend is not an enchantment(from a player perspective, i personally will never play it cuz its douchey)

Enchantment hate is going to be in most decks or SB post journey to Nix because theyre gonna be EVERYWHERE, but i doubt people are going to want to side in arti hate as well due to its virtual nonexistance in standard. Godsend will be more annying to decks that dont run {naturalize} or something similar because chances are they wont have specific removalfor it unlike if it were an enchantment. Just my thought. The enchantment on it would be nice at the same time but i think itll be a better SB card for not being an enchantment in the long run(as long a run as standard is).

Quote from: MisterJH on April 08, 2014, 08:50:09 PM
I like how godsend is not an enchantment(from a player perspective, i personally will never play it cuz its douchey)

Enchantment hate is going to be in most decks or SB post journey to Nix because theyre gonna be EVERYWHERE, but i doubt people are going to want to side in arti hate as well due to its virtual nonexistance in standard. Godsend will be more annying to decks that dont run {naturalize} or something similar because chances are they wont have specific removalfor it unlike if it were an enchantment. Just my thought. The enchantment on it would be nice at the same time but i think itll be a better SB card for not being an enchantment in the long run(as long a run as standard is).

The only use for {Artificers hex} in standard ever

4/9/14 Update -
Cards spoilt worth talking about: Ajani, Eidolon of the Great Revel

Ajani

QuoteAjani, Mentor of Heroes {3}{G}{W}
Planeswalker - Ajani
+1: Distribute three +1/+1 counter among one, two or three target creatures you control.
+1: Look at the top five cards of you library.  You may reveal an Aura, Creature or Planeswalker card from among them and put that card in to your hand.  Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
-8: You gain 100 life
[4]

On first glance: BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (etc)
Actual thoughts: Solid Ajani is Solid.  Makes your guys big, finds buddies.  What more do you need?  Not to mention the shenanigans in {Doubling Season} decks: Doubling Season on board, drop Mentor of Heroes, ult to go up to ~120.  Drop {Ajani, Caller of the Pride}, ult and get a metric crapton of cats.  I'll more than likely be picking up a copy for Krond.  If his second ability said "Enchantment, Creature or Planeswalker", I'd already have figured out what I'm taking out, though he's still awesome as-is.

Eidolon of the Great Revel

QuoteEidolon of the Great Revel {R}{R}
Enchantment Creature - Spirit
Whenever a player casts a spell with converted mana cost 3 or less, ~ deals 2 damage to that player.
2/2

Alright, from an EDH standpoint, he isn't nearly as potent as in Modern or Legacy, but here's a go:  If you have someone that plays Ad Nauseum Storm, land this and watch them cry.  If you can lay it down turn 1 (via {Simian Spirit Guide} or {Lotus Petal}) or turn 2 being on the play, you can probably get a good 4-6 damage in on each opponent before they even have a chance to play much.  Awesome against Storm-type builds and decks with super low curves.  I know I'll have to pack something in Krond to get rid of this guy, since it makes going infinite off of 1/2-cost enchantments hurt.
In other formats, i can easily see this guy being played in Legacy and Modern burn, where the curves of (most) decks are low enough that you get the shock trigger most of the time.  Sure, everything but your {Fireblast} shocks you, too, but the benefit will probably outweigh the risk.
Also, like {Ruric Thar, the Unbowed}, giving this guy Lifelink is probably the cutest thing ever.

Is it JUST ME OR DOES NAYA LOOK UNSTOPPABLE?! It literally has EVERYTHING. Aggro, midrange.. Naya goodstuffs is just going to be lethal

Quote from: MisterJH on April 09, 2014, 10:08:12 PM
Is it JUST ME OR DOES NAYA LOOK UNSTOPPABLE?! It literally has EVERYTHING. Aggro, midrange.. Naya goodstuffs is just going to be lethal

I already play Nayachants

Well once nix drops id love to play my naya possibly and find the superior naya... I think this set already has an insane amount of ish for naya that it desperately needed

Actually the nee constellation that draws a card may force me into nayenchants

4/10/2014 Update -
Cards added: Kruphix, God of Horizons; Silence the Believers; Extinguish All Hope.

Kruphix

QuoteKruphix, God of Horizons {3}{G}{U}
Legendary Enchantment Creature - God
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to green and blue is less than seven, Kruphix isn't a creature.
You have no maximum hand size.
If unused mana would empty from your mana pool, that mana becomes colorless instead.
4/7

Really cool abilities, okay cost, sizeable body.  I don't see him much as a general, but Kruphix finds his best home in Bant or BUG decks, where you can use his second ability, combined with buddies {Seedborn Muse} and {Prophet of Kruphix} to amass large amounts of colorless mana and fire off some sort of X spell, like {Genesis Wave}, {Sphinx's Revelation} or {Exsanquinate}.  If you want to play him as a general, you have cards like GWave, {Mind Spring}, {Prosperity} and {Blue Sun's Zenith}, to potentially make players draw out after gathering up enough mana.

Rare+ Black Removal

QuoteSilence the Believers {2}{B}{B}
Instant
Strive - {2}{B}
Exile any number of target creatures and all Auras attached to them.

Extinguish All Hope {3}{B}{B}{B}
Sorcery
Destroy all nonenchantment creatures.

Silence is a pretty cool card.  They seem to be giving Black more exiling effects (This one and {Gild}), which is nice, but this one feels like a flavor-fail to me.  If mortals are killing mortals for believing in the gods, why does it exile?  The world may never know.  Anyways, this provides a great outlet for all the mana that black decks can generate with {Urborg, Tomb of Yagmoth} combined with {Cabal Coffers} to exile people's fields.  Awesome utility is not without price though, as the spell itself is fairly expensive.  4 as a down payment and 3 for each extra target is a little steep, but it's little price to pay for Mono-Black Ramp, right?  Especially when it also rids you of {Rancor} and any cards Bestowed on the target.  It's also hurt by the fact that most Aura-based decks are built on Hexproof creatures, making this card a lot less useful.  Potential nickname: Silence the Beliebers

As for Extinguish... It's no Damnation.  It has potential to be one-sided if you build around it, but most of the time, it's just an expensive Wrath.  Mono-Black has a new sweeper, and not much has changed, other than that.  I would probably still choose to run {Life's Finale} over this, for the utility of ripping key creatures out of another player's deck.  It does have one this going for it: three gods looking like thugs makes for some great artwork.

4/15/14 Update - LOTs of cards: Athreos, Hydra Broodmaster, King Macar, Polymorphous Rush, Pharika, Master of the Feast, Twinflame, Bearer of the Heavens, Aegis of the Gods, Eidolon of Rhetoric, Battlefield Thaumaturge, Daring Theif.

SO, after not updating over the weekend, we have a long one for today!  For the sake of space, I wont be including the text of the cards.

Athreos, God of Passage
Athreos is pretty sweet.  In BW Weenie decks, he can recur your guys and punish opponents for playing board wipes and kill spells.  Decks like {Teysa, Orzhov Scion} (or really any other BW-based sacrifice deck), he can gain tremendous value.  The best part is that his ability is "target opponent", meaning that in the political game, you can target your current partner in crime, or force someone to let you have creatures back if they aren't in a position to pay the life.  Overall, really cool card.

Hydra Broodmster
Yo, I heard you like Hydras, so I stuck Hydras in your Hydra so you can make Hydras while beating people down with Hydras.  Gorgeous card for G-based Ramp/Token decks.  Make a bunch of mana, make a bunch of dudes.  Have {Pandemonium} or {Warstorm Surge} or anything to grant haste and win.  'nuff said.

King Macar, the Gold-Cursed
Our King Midas, the Gild-on-a-Stick, is incredibly flavorful and just a little less useful.  While he gets rid of problem cards, MonoB doesn't have too many ways to forcibly tap and untap him.  I'd rather see him in something like a {B}{U}{G} list with things like {Kiora's Follower} and {Freed from the Real} to just dump mana and wipe people's board, at the silly cost of {U} per creature, assuming you use the Gold Token to pay for part of the cost.

Polymorphous Rush
This card is pretty cool late-game, when you have the mana to abuse it.  Swinging with a bunch of guys?  Make them all copies of the largest thing on the battlefield.  Board wipe on the stack?  Make them all in to something with a sweet Dies trigger or has Persist.  In some ways, {Mirrorweave} can be better, but Polymorphous Rush is much more Versatile.  You can simply copy someone's commander if it has an ability you want to abuse for a turn.  Or make your entire field in to Worldspine Wurms.  Pretty awesome.

Pharika, God of Affliction
Like I was telling a friend on Saturday night, Pharika is going to be a let-down.  The other four Gods of the set are amazing, so there has to be a worse one.  She's not all bad, though.  She works as Hate against Scavenging Ooze and Reanimator, and she can also create surprise Deathtouch blockers.  However, doing so will also shrink your Jarad and Nighthowler, so...  yeah.

Master of the Feast
Probably the most undercosted fatty in recent history with a marginal downside.  The downside's, well, Downside, depends largely on what deck you're playing against, but giving your opponents cards is rarely a good thing.  But {U}{B} Notion Thief or Nekusar decks love this guy.  A massive flying body for only 3 mana that gats everyone for an extra 1 on your upkeep?  Nekusar totally wants this guy.

Twinflame
Red gets another cute toy to clone creatures.  With Red's awesome number of Enter-the-battlefield chaos abilities, or Goblin's ETBs or Attack triggers, I'm sure decks with find use for it.  It also meshes really well with {Wort, the Raidmother} for {R}{G} Goblins; Pay {3}{R}{R} and tap two Red creatures you control to make Four more Lords (if you already have two), Maybe an extra pair of {Goblin Piledriver}s, some new {Goblin Ringleaders} to grab some guys.

Bearer of the Heavens
Speaking of Red creatures that are fun to clone, Bearer of the Heavens just says "Hey, board wipe, I dare you."  Sadly, Twinflame has you exile the token, so you can't just use it with this huge guy as a 3-mana Jokulhaups.  He still works hilariously with things like Sneak Attack, allowing you to set up world-wipes whenever you need them.  If Red got more recursion, I'd love to try building a dck around it.

Aegis of the Gods
The Aegis is a shield held by Hera and given to Perseus.  This term of Aegis probably just refers to the Shield-bearer, blessed by the gods.  Anyways, this guy is functionally Leyline of Sanctity number 3, while also being a 2/1 that can beat down, if needed.  Being a creature, as always, is both an up and downside, being bother easier to recur and protect, but easier to remove.  There are a lot of decks that I wouldn't mind slamming this turn 2 against, that's for sure.

Eidolon of Rhetoric
A fun {Rule of Law} on a stick.  As with any other Arcane Lab/Rule of Law effect, it serves to shut down Storm, slow down your opponents, and potentially lock people out of the game.  With any of these effects, once you have full control of the board, you can slam down {Possibility Storm} to shut down all players from casting spells for the rest of the game.  Douchey, but effective, especially if you already have several planeswalkers and just resolved a creature wipe.

Battlefield Thaumaturge
Screw the heroic trigger, this guy is great.  Throw him in a {R}{W}{U} X-Spell Burn deck and you instantly have value.  Comet Storm is the best example here.  You opponent has six creatures with none bigger than x/5.  You pay your {R}{R}, Choose {5} for X, then you kick it 5 times to target each of your opponents' creatures, making it cost {5}{R}{R}+{5}.  Thaumaturge says "Yo! You're targeting 6 creatures!  Reduce it by {6}!" And you wipe your opponents field for {4}{R}{R}.  Value.  Also, playing Curse of the Swine lets you Pig-ify everything for just {U}{U}.  More value.

And the last one on the day: Daring Thief
It's a cute little card for steal decks in the colors that can abuse it the most.  Not too much to see here, but you can play it in {U}{W}{G} for some fun stuff.  {U}{G} gets the best untap abilities, while {W} gives you access to "Return to the battlefield under its owner's control" exiling effects, such as {Venser, the Sojourner}, to be able to get your stuff back and keep theirs.

I really want to playtest {Iroas} in my {Kaalia of the Vast} EDH. Will it be a win-more card or a great utility? I'm anxious to find out! Well written article mate. +1.