[LCI] Pirates, Vampires and Dinos, oh my! The Lost Caverns of Ixalan spoliers

[ronco]

Adventure cards, Commander cards, and "special guests" aka cards like Lord of Atlantis and Mana Crypt with special art treatment.

Does reanimator or SNT want the new Ghalta, or is that win more:
5GGG
Trample
When ~ ETB, put any number of creature cards from your hand onto the battlefield.
12/12

[Fox]

Requires Flash to be unbanned. In general, harder to cast than Sneak Attack and more susceptible to known interaction (Dress Down).

[rufus]

Adventure cards, Commander cards, and "special guests" aka cards like Lord of Atlantis and Mana Crypt with special art treatment.

Does reanimator or SNT want the new Ghalta, or is that win more:
5GGG
Trample
When ~ ETB, put any number of creature cards from your hand onto the battlefield.
12/12

Seems like EDH fodder to me. What's a game plan where it makes sense to pick that over one of the many creatures that win more directly like Griseldad, Craterhoof or Worldspine Wurm?

[ronco]

Seems like EDH fodder to me. What's a game plan where it makes sense to pick that over one of the many creatures that win more directly like Griseldad, Craterhoof or Worldspine Wurm?

That's why I put the "is it win more" in there. The thought was a SnT or Entomb this plus reanimate puts (or can put) multiple key creatures out, protecting from edict effect. Just cheating out grisel probably is enough since it can refil your hand multiple times depending on the reanimation spell being used. Assuming you have multiple creatures in hand of course. Anyway, that was just my knee jerk reaction to seeing the card.

[Zoid]

Can't wait to be disappointed by the merfolk cards.

[FTW]

UG Show and Tell can already play Eureka to deploy multiple creatures, UR has Sneak Attack, Bx Reanimator can just get Griseldaddy -> draw into 2nd reanimate spell.

U has Omniscience (better SnT target than Ghalta because it pitches to Force of Will and plays noncreatures too).

Edit: Ghalta is perfect for Chunderbucket.dec though. Pitches to Endurance and Chrome Mox, plays clunky 7 drops from hand.

[Zoid]

https://mythicspoiler.com/lci/cards/getlost.jpg

This looks really strong if people can't do anything with the maps.

[morgan_coke]

Matzalantli, the Great Door
3
Legendary Artifact
t: draw and discard a card
4t: if you have 4 or more permanant types in your graveyard, transform
//
The Core
Legendary Land
T; add x mana of any one color, x = number of permanent types in your graveyard

this feels pretty strongk. mostly pushes midrange value, but its 7 mana for a 4+ mana land, and you can split up the payment/get value from it, doesn't really have a drawback in multiples since you can run 2 on the field at the same time in different forms or just discard the extras.

good with madness too. Doesn't work for combo, but anything with delirium, any kind of slowish control deck that wants a big pile of extra mana lategame, lot of uses here, playable not a staple maybe?

The flip does NOT have a sorcery speed clause on it, so you can do it during your opponents EOT, makes it a lot stronger for any kidn of control deck.

[PirateKing]

Knowing how obnoxiously elusive Delerium can be at times, not including Instant or Sorcery in this list of hits means serious deckbuilding choices need to be made if your aim is to flip this. Artifact, Battle, Creature, Enchantment, Land and Planeswalker are the hits. So sure, Land is a free one. Artifact and Creature aren't too hard, but then what? What sacrificial Enchantment or Planeswalker are you running just to bin for this? Shortlist of quality Enchantments are all extremely valuable in play, wild to think the plan would be to bin a Beanstalk or Deafening Silence just to flip this. Not -Turn-Zero Leylines are about the only I can think of.
Would you play Battles for this?

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Artifact, Creature, Land are the gimmies, what would be the fourth?
Soul Snare decks?
Battles?

[morgan_coke]

Knowing how obnoxiously elusive Delerium can be at times, not including Instant or Sorcery in this list of hits means serious deckbuilding choices need to be made if your aim is to flip this. Artifact, Battle, Creature, Enchantment, Land and Planeswalker are the hits. So sure, Land is a free one. Artifact and Creature aren't too hard, but then what? What sacrificial Enchantment or Planeswalker are you running just to bin for this? Shortlist of quality Enchantments are all extremely valuable in play, wild to think the plan would be to bin a Beanstalk or Deafening Silence just to flip this. Not -Turn-Zero Leylines are about the only I can think of.
Would you play Battles for this?

Shark Typhoon comes to mind. So do Enchantment Creatures.

I mean, you definitely have to build around it to a degree, but its not like its some impossible dream. Seal of X enchantments also work, literally any Saga does, since they always bin themselves, or you can just discard something to the first ability.

[PirateKing]

Shark Typhoon comes to mind. So do Enchantment Creatures.

Okay, like a SharkStill list using this to power Currency Converter then flip to make huge sharks in the late game. I'll concede to your initial review, playable not a staple.

[Zoid]

https://mythicspoiler.com/lci/cards/kitesaillarcenist.jpg

Non-meme pirate stompy?

[Zoid]

Reaperclaw Raptor
2R
Creature - Dinosaur
Whenever a player casts a spell, if it's not their turn, Reaperclaw Raptor deals 4 damage to that player.
4/3
This looks really strong and also has a stompy cost, even though it doesn't really play well with Chalice an lock effects.

[PirateKing]

lol get wreaked Reset High Tide I guess

[FTW]

Okay, like a SharkStill list using this to power Currency Converter then flip to make huge sharks in the late game. I'll concede to your initial review, playable not a staple.

Seems questionable even in Standstill because of 3 mana cost. You'd much rather play extra Currency Converter (which curves under T2 Standstill) than this (which curves under T4 Standstill?? vs opponent's 3 creatures while you tap out to not interact with the board). That lets you manage your mana better and stay interactive with opponent.

At 3 mana this competes with Scroll of Fate (other way to get value out of dead cards), which actually interacts with the board and enables Dreadnought. It deserves testing. But the potential payoff of a 4-mana land doesn't seem worth tapping out for a 3-mana looter. Most of the 3-4 mana sorcery plays interact with the board.

In any non-Standstill midrange list, its outclassed by The One Ring. 3 mana looter? Or spend 4 to get an insane draw engine? At least when you tap out for Ring you don't lose tempo (protection from everything), while tapping out for a non-interactive looter is a liability.

[Fox]

@FTW I don't think it reaches the point of deserving testing. If you have enough mana to flip it, then you reached a point in the game where you don't need more mana.

This is a 3 mana looters that plays you into Bowmaster without compensation. Neither side of this card can take over a game. If Standstill is going to play a 3cmc value 1-of, it's going to be Palantir.

[Barook]

https://cdn1.mtggoldfish.com/images/h/Inti-Seneschal-of-the-Sun-LCI-265.jpg

That one looks really powerful in the right deck since it has no "once per turn" limitation.

[Whoshim]

However, it is only one card per discard effect. So you get 1 card from Faithless Looting, not 2. A comparable creature is Containment Construct, but it gives you the cards that you discard, and only this turn.

Inti has a good chance of being played, I think, despite the limitation.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

We've come a long way since conspiracy theorist

[Reeplcheep]

I honestly think The Enigma Jewel is close enough to sol ring that it will see legacy play.

The Enigma Jewel {U}
Legendary Artifact
The Enigma Jewel enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {C}{C}. Spend this mana only to activate abilities.
Craft with four or more nonlands with activated abilities {8}{U} ({8}{U}, Exile this artifact, Exile the four or more from among other permanents you control and/or cards in your graveyard: Return this card transformed under its owner's control. Craft only as a sorcery.)
----
Locus of Enlightenment
Color Indicator: Blue
Legendary Artifact
Locus of Enlightenment has each activated ability of the exiled cards used to craft it. You may activate each of those abilities only once each turn.
Whenever you activate an ability that isn't a mana ability, copy it. You may choose new targets for the copy.




Discussion is in this thread

[Reeplcheep]

I have been having a lot of success with witherbloom command recently. This 2 mana possible 2 for 1 feels like it could revive grixis control. Missing beanstalk is an issue though.

BR
Sorcery
Choose one. If you descended this turn. you may choose both instead.
・ Destroy target creature or planeswalker.
・ Destroy target noncreature, nonland permanent with mana value 1 or less.

[FTW]

How many decks have 2 relevant targets?

0-1 cmc noncreature nonlands that see a lot of play and don't cantrip in response (eg Bauble):
Chalice of the Void
Aether Vial
Exploration
Manabond
Carpet of Flowers
Abundant Growth
Deafening Silence
Pithing Needle
Currency Converter
Mox Diamond
Mox Opal
Chrome Mox
Lion's Eye Diamond
Lotus Petal

Some of those decks don't play many creatures.

The most common use-case against fair decks seems to be using both modes of Abrade at once, so maybe it would just replace Abrade in SBs or replace other 2 cmc spot removal? It doesn't seem like a reliable 2-for-1. Witherbloom has the backup mode of drain 2.

[Reeplcheep]

The best case scenarios are probably SFM + vial, saga construct + exploration, carpet + cosmic pup, mox diamond + KOTR. I agree perhaps it doesn’t have enough synergy.

Dirge of the Forgotten - UB
Sorcery (Rare)
Descent 8 - Chose one. If your graveyard has eight or more permanent cards when you cast this spell, choose one or more instead.
Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand
Target opponent discards a card
Look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest in your graveyard

I’m not sure what deck can reliably hit this, but it gets pretty insane when you do. Strategic plannin is not the worst fail case since it enables itself.

[FTW]

It seems good against Stompy, hitting Chalice/Mox + Caves of Chaos Adventurer/Rabblemaster/whatever. Also against Saga decks and SFM. Basically decks where you want Abrade. It just seems weaker otherwise, probably SB material.

Dirge seems strong. Descent 8 shouldn't be hard to reach. The key clause is "permanent cards". It counts fetchlands, but not spells, so it's bad in traditional Xerox spell-heavy tempo or midrange. Most Delve/escape fuel does not apply.

It might be playable in Dressnought or UB Shadow decks. You get a bunch of extra permanents through Dreadnought, Dress Down, Death's Shadow, Troll, Bowmasters, Grief, etc.

Esper Vial or Cephalid Breakfast have enough permanents to support it, but not clear if they want this effect.

[ESG]

The best case scenarios are probably SFM + vial, saga construct + exploration, carpet + cosmic pup, mox diamond + KOTR. I agree perhaps it doesn’t have enough synergy.

Dirge of the Forgotten - UB
Sorcery (Rare)
Descent 8 - Chose one. If your graveyard has eight or more permanent cards when you cast this spell, choose one or more instead.
Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand
Target opponent discards a card
Look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest in your graveyard

I’m not sure what deck can reliably hit this, but it gets pretty insane when you do. Strategic plannin is not the worst fail case since it enables itself.

The Otherworldly Dredge deck could play this card, although I don't know what it would replace.

[Whoshim]

I play Otherworldly Dredge, and I don't think this makes the cut. There are other 2 mana spells that I would run over this. The spells for Dredge need to be 1 mana. Otherworldly Gaze's 2 mana flashback is fine because you get it for 1 mana the first time and you can use it if it gets dredged.

[PirateKing]

The best case scenarios are probably SFM + vial, saga construct + exploration, carpet + cosmic pup, mox diamond + KOTR. I agree perhaps it doesn’t have enough synergy.

Dirge of the Forgotten - UB
Sorcery (Rare)
Descent 8 - Chose one. If your graveyard has eight or more permanent cards when you cast this spell, choose one or more instead.
Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand
Target opponent discards a card
Look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest in your graveyard

I’m not sure what deck can reliably hit this, but it gets pretty insane when you do. Strategic plannin is not the worst fail case since it enables itself.

Since choosing all modes go in the order listed, it's also a Recoil when fully powered, against a hellbent opponent, you bounce the permanent then they discard it.

[FTW]

Yeah the Recoil part is most appealing. The problem is what deck wants 2-mana Recoil and can also support Descent 8?

Grixis Control wants it but has too many spells. Grixis Delver might but will never keep enough permanents in GY.

Esper Vial can support it, but do they want this noncreature value effect?

UB Shadow maybe?

[Reeplcheep]

I thought my esper enchantress deck might be a good fit. Lots of permanents that are effectively spells, and is a UB control deck. The issue is having enough sacrifice effects/mill to get them into the gy.

[Reeplcheep]

Corpses of the Lost
2B
Enchantment

Skeletons you control get +1/+0 and have haste.
When Corpses of the Lost enters the battlefield, create a 3/2 2/2 black skeleton pirate creature.
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, you may pay I life. If you do, return Corpses of the Lost to its owner's mana row hand.

This could be good in my bumbleberry deck. It turns any fetchland or sac effect into buyback on estrid or itself, and gives hasty creatures to kill planeswalkers. Estrid copying this is two hasty 4/2s.

[FTW]

Seems strong in Bumbleberry. That's the token engine/wincon you were missing. Much better than the other options.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Just fyi It's a 2/2, a 3/2 after the enchantment's bonus

[Reeplcheep]

If you have a corpse and a copy of a corpse, you have 2 2/2s, and 2 different sources of +1/0 and haste.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

If you have a corpse and a copy of a corpse, you have 2 2/2s, and 2 different sources of +1/0 and haste.
Sure but

When Corpses of the Lost enters the battlefield, create a 3/2 black skeleton pirate creature.
is wrong.

[FTW]

Well... the creature is 3/2 haste, but that's not the text written on the card.

I got confused about that too based on the above post and had to look up the spoiler to confirm. If it was the other way (4/2 haste after the +1), then that's pretty insane for a recurrable 3 drop. 3/2 (after the +1) seems more balanced.

[rufus]

I honestly think The Enigma Jewel is close enough to sol ring that it will see legacy play.
...

What cards do you want to use it with? Legacy is a very mana-constrained format, so there are very few cards that have mana-using abilities in popular use and most of them are effectively single use like Thespian Stage, Stoneforge Mystic, or Grindstone.

[Reeplcheep]

What cards do you want to use it with? Legacy is a very mana-constrained format, so there are very few cards that have mana-using abilities in popular use and most of them are effectively single use like Thespian Stage, Stoneforge Mystic, or Grindstone.

Urza’s Saga, Lorien Revealed, Currency Converter, Shark Typhoon, Retrofitter Foundry, Shadowspear, Timeless Dragon, grim monolith, expedition map, elvish reclaimer and basalt monolith are all cards that see legacy play.

[FTW]

What cards do you want to use it with? Legacy is a very mana-constrained format, so there are very few cards that have mana-using abilities in popular use and most of them are effectively single use like Thespian Stage, Stoneforge Mystic, or Grindstone.

I've been testing it in Standstill.

Urza's Saga
Currency Converter
Expedition Map
Timeless Dragon
Shark Typhoon
Hall of Heliod's Generosity
Lorien Revealed
Otawara, Soaring City
Hall of Storm Giants

Standstill is full of activated abiltiies (non-spell actions). "Sol Ring" comes down turn 1 under Standstill or pitches to Force.

Blue Artifacts may be able to use it too:
Urza's Saga
Retrofitter Foundry
Urza, Lord High Artificer
Sai, Master Thopterist
Nettlecyst
It also adds to affinity & pitches to Force.

12Post has:
Expedition Map
Elvish Reclaimer
Candelabra of Tawnos
Eye of Ugin
Urza's Saga
Thespian's Stage
Grim Monolith

Karn Forge has:
Urza's Saga
Grim Monolith
Basalt Monolith
Voltaic Key
Manifold Key
Inventors' Fair
Walking Ballista

Karn Forge can easily generate enough mana to use the ultimate, letting it steal abilities from Basalt Monolith (untap or mana), The One Ring (draw cards) and Manifold Key (untap or unblockable) all at once. The untaps get doubled and the draws get doubled.

Legacy is a mana-constrained format, but also has decks that will Walking Ballista X=30 @ people. Sol Ring is a good card if you can use the mana.

[PirateKing]

Does a Shark Typhoon in the graveyard count as a permanent with an activated ability as a condition to transform the Enigma Jewel? Cycling can only be activated by a card in hand, but does it still have an activated ability in other zones?

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Does a Shark Typhoon in the graveyard count as a permanent with an activated ability as a condition to transform the Enigma Jewel? Cycling can only be activated by a card in hand, but does it still have an activated ability in other zones?

Yes
Think Zirda. But also, it doesn't say permanents. It just says "non lands". You could use Lightning Storm

[PirateKing]

Yes
Think Zirda. But also, it doesn't say permanents. It just says "non lands". You could use Lightning Storm

Okay I'm getting on board with this idea. To be clear though, you wouldn't be able to just 1UX and make an X\X every turn, the cost on cycle is still "discard this card" which couldn't be paid by Locus of Enlightenment, right?

[FTW]

Okay I'm getting on board with this idea. To be clear though, you wouldn't be able to just 1UX and make an X\X every turn, the cost on cycle is still "discard this card" which couldn't be paid by Locus of Enlightenment, right?

Cycling can only be activated from the hand, not the battlefield or other zones. Just as if you cast Shark Typhoon you wouldn't be able to activate the ability to make X/X sharks.

But Shark Typhoon in graveyard does count towards the 4 cards you need, which helps pay the cost even if the ability isn't useful to take. Nonpermanents like Lorien Revealed would also count.

What I don't know is how stealing planeswalker abilities work. Can you activate a + ability to give it counters, then also activate the - ability once it has counters? Could you activate each PW ability once per turn, in other words using both the + and - ability (both copied)? Could you take 2 copies of the same legendary planeswalker and then activate each + and - ability twice?

I've never actually flipped Jewel in Standstill yet. I just use it for the mana boost so far. There were a few game states though where I was curious what would happen if I took 2 planeswalkers with it (eg Comet + Teferi), especially if you roll 6 with Comet's ability.

[Zoid]

https://mythicspoiler.com/lci/cards/charismaticconqueror.jpg

No hue-man but still decent.
Not sure if he's better than just running hate though.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Okay I'm getting on board with this idea. To be clear though, you wouldn't be able to just 1UX and make an X\X every turn, the cost on cycle is still "discard this card" which couldn't be paid by Locus of Enlightenment, right?
Right, you still have to pay the costs and the abilities still need to be in the correct zone: you can't discard it to cycle. You can't do lightning storm counters because it's not on the stack.
You can do loyalty abilities but you have to pay their costs. Just like Grist under cauldron.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Cycling can only be activated from the hand, not the battlefield or other zones. Just as if you cast Shark Typhoon you wouldn't be able to activate the ability to make X/X sharks.

But Shark Typhoon in graveyard does count towards the 4 cards you need, which helps pay the cost even if the ability isn't useful to take. Nonpermanents like Lorien Revealed would also count.

What I don't know is how stealing planeswalker abilities work. Can you activate a + ability to give it counters, then also activate the - ability once it has counters? Could you activate each PW ability once per turn, in other words using both the + and - ability (both copied)? Could you take 2 copies of the same legendary planeswalker and then activate each + and - ability twice?

I've never actually flipped Jewel in Standstill yet. I just use it for the mana boost so far. There were a few game states though where I was curious what would happen if I took 2 planeswalkers with it (eg Comet + Teferi), especially if you roll 6 with Comet's ability.
The adding or removing counters is a cost so it won't be doubled even if the ability is
So: you craft into a jace.
You can add two counters to fatesteal. Then you'll fatesteal again. The artifact stays at 2 counters.
You brainstorm, and then get a chance to crack fetch and brainstorm again.
You can't bounce because it didn't enter with any loyalty
Can can't activate a hundred times because loyalty abilities can only be activated once per object per turn

[FTW]

Interesting. I was wondering if the "once per turn" restriction for Planeswalker Loyalty activations was tied to Planeswalker cards or Loyalty Abilities. It appears to be tied to Loyalty Abilities, even on non-Planeswalker cards (rule 606.3).

So if you Craft a Planeswalker, you can only choose one of its abilities to use that turn (copied). You can't +2 Fateseal copied then -1 bounce (copied) in the same turn. Though you could -1 next turn.

That also means there is no advantage to Crafting 2x Jace (can still only use one loyalty ability). If you Craft 2 different walkers (Jace + Teferi), you only get one loyalty ability from the two (still marginally better than just crafting one).

What gets interesting is if you Craft Jace & Comet, you can activate Comet's 0: roll 2 6 sided dice. If either roll is a 6, you get to activate 2 Jace abilities (both copied). Or you can roll 4 more dice and try to get another 6!

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Interesting. I was wondering if the "once per turn" restriction for Planeswalker Loyalty activations was tied to Planeswalker cards or Loyalty Abilities. It appears to be tied to Loyalty Abilities, even on non-Planeswalker cards (rule 606.3).

Expirment Kraj changed it. I know it's different now (I think you had to be a 'walker before)


So if you Craft a Planeswalker, you can only choose one of its abilities to use that turn (copied). You can't +2 Fateseal copied then -1 bounce (copied) in the same turn. Though you could -1 next turn.
Exactly


That also means there is no advantage to Crafting 2x Jace (can still only use one loyalty ability). If you Craft 2 different walkers (Jace + Teferi), you only get one loyalty ability from the two (still marginally better than just crafting one).
I wouldn't say no advantage, you might only have a gy full of jace, but yes.

[PirateKing]

So followup question on Comet, Stellar Pup then: When crafted into Locus of Enlightenment, what abilities does it see? If it's the whole text of Comet then activating once, getting two rolls and spiking 6's gets wild combined with other crafted Planeswalkers. But looking at the card, you could argue that the activated ability of Comet is just "0: Roll a six-sided die." Like if you craft with Tavern Scoundrel you can flip a coin, but nothing on the Locus of Enlightenment itself would care about the result of that flip.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

From gatherer:
In some unusual cases, Comet may gain loyalty abilities other than the one he normally has. In those cases, the effect of rolling a 6 applies only to his normal ability.

[rufus]

Tarrian's Soulcleaver :1:

Legendary Artifact — Equipment

Equipped creature has vigilance.

Whenever another artifact or creature is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on equipped creature.

Equip :2:


Seems like it might find some niche play as a 1-of in decks with Urza's Saga and Walking Ballista.

[FTW]

From gatherer:
In some unusual cases, Comet may gain loyalty abilities other than the one he normally has. In those cases, the effect of rolling a 6 applies only to his normal ability.

If Comet is Crafted with Locus and you roll a 6, then can you still activate the same ability 2 more times (copied)? Or does Locus stop you, since Locus says you can only use each ability once? Which rule takes priority?

I'm just a Legacy player trying to break new cards, and here comes WOTC being careful with rules to avoid breaking cards.

Edit: Comet's ability is a 0, so you don't need loyalty counters to use it. Even if you roll a - and remove all counters, Locus won't die and you don't need counters to keep activating.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

I'm going to say you can. Just like how normally you can only activate a loyalty ability once the restriction on the Jewel isn't a "can't"
So if you hit a six, you can activate the ability twice more, and get two triggers for a total of 4 more resolutions

[FTW]

If so, seems good.

The best use case might be in Karn Forge: Craft The One Ring with an untap effect (Basalt Monolith).

You exile the previous Ring with burden counters, and Locus doesn't have the life loss ability, so now you lose 0 life per turn.
Tap: Add 3
3: 2 Untaps
Between untaps, tap: +1 counter, draw 1 / +1 counter, draw 2
Locus untaps again

Then on opponent's turn..
Tap: Add 3
3: 2 untaps
Between untaps, tap: +1 counter, draw 3 / +1 counter, draw 4
Locus untaps again
Lose 0 life

With Voltaic Keys or Paradox Engine this gets even more insane. The bottleneck is what to do with extra activations and cards. Karn -> Aetherflux Reservoir storm kill? Phyrexian Processor making a whole lot of X/Xs?

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Are there any abilities that make mana that aren't mana abilties? Like DRS's?
I don't want to look it up, where is doubling cube in this?

[FTW]

I think almost all are mana abilties by definition. Doubling Cube might not be, but you still need another mana source and only get to use it once. Is that worth the variance of playing Doubling Cube in your Forge deck?


Seems like it might find some niche play as a 1-of in decks with Urza's Saga and Walking Ballista.

Seems funny with Arcbound Ravager.

Isn't there some version of Affinity with 4 Ravager 4 Steel Overseer 4 Saga? This might be a nice 1-of, especially with Ballistas in the deck. Ballista seems maindeckable because it picks off Bowmasters.

[Reeplcheep]

The exceptions are abilities with targets (DRS), loyalty abilities (Chandra, torch of defiance) and trigger abilities not triggered by adding mana (burning rite shaman).

Doubling cube and utopia sprawl are mana abilities.

[Goaswerfraiejen]

The dinosaurs sure look like shit. It would have been nice if they'd gotten some actual palaeoartists to design them. Instead, we're stuck with this crap that's all vibes and no actual dinosaur.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

They threw the paleontologists a bone by adding some feathers

[Zoid]

The paleontologists are in the Jurassic World cards :)

The best cards is objectively this happy Pepe:

https://cards.scryfall.io/art_crop/front/6/2/62c1f09a-9d17-415c-8afa-cd0b62abe48d.jpg?1699044475

[Goaswerfraiejen]

They threw the paleontologists a bone by adding some feathers

Ugh. I'm pretty sure they all smashed their heads into a wall when they saw the results.


They should throw everyone a bone and do a passable job. Get John Conway or Raven Amos to do them.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

I'm also mad that paleontology even exists in ixilan. There aren't any fossils because the dinos are still alive.
It's just biology

[PirateKing]

Well even if you were alive in the middle of the Cretaceous period, dinosaurs would have been around for some 160 million years prior, so there would be a fossil record of note.

But also, it is a children's card game.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Well even if you were alive in the middle of the Cretaceous period, dinosaurs would have been around for some 160 million years prior, so there would be a fossil record of note.

But also, it is a children's card game.

One small problem: The Ixilan earth is hollow, so where in the strata are the fossils?

[PirateKing]

/shrug

Hollow but thick?

Or maybe the fundamentalists were right, and Tibalt buried them to trick us, Ixalan is only 4,000 years old :|

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

That's more believable than a plane inventing a discipline to study extinct creatures when said creatures are still alive

[PirateKing]

https://amorphia-apparel.com/storage/images/devil/devil.1300x700.png?cf7cf29950743758da913774f15ec478

[Goaswerfraiejen]

I wasn't aware there was any narrative left behind the sets at this point. Sounds like they put as much effort into it as into the art.