[DFT] Aetherdrift ... racing to get more money

[rufus]

It looks like the new set has some potentially interesting cards. For example:



Ketramose, the New Dawn :1::w::b:

Legendary Creature — God

Menace, lifelink, indestructible

Ketramose can’t attack or block unless there are seven or more cards in exile.

Whenever one or more cards are put into exile from graveyards and/or the battlefield during your turn, you draw a card and lose 1 life.

Let the past die so the future might live.
4/4


That casting cost is a little bit high, but there's a decent number of ways to get cards from play or graveyard into exile. Is there something better to pair this with than food chain?

[morgan_coke]

Ketramose turns Swords to Plowshares and Solitude into cantrips. Also its an insane draw engine with Astral Slide.

Ephemerate becomes a draw 2.

There's a new G 1 mana 1/1 that has T: exile a card from your graveyard to add 1 mana of any color. Value engine right there.

At 3cmc you can Unearth it, though that probably isn't relevant in any deck using this.

[Zoid]

https://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/molttender.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/thelastride.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/vnwxtverbosehost.jpg

Artifact matters theme:

https://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/wintercursedrider.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/mendicantcoreguidelight.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/stridehangarautomaton.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/adaptiveomnitool.jpg

(Draw+)Discard theme:

https://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/maraudingmako.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/captainhowlerseascourge.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/fearlessswashbuckler.jpg

A playable Merfolk;

https://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/mindspringmerfolk.jpg

[Barook]

Ketramose turns Swords to Plowshares and Solitude into cantrips. Also its an insane draw engine with Astral Slide.

Ephemerate becomes a draw 2.

There's a new G 1 mana 1/1 that has T: exile a card from your graveyard to add 1 mana of any color. Value engine right there.

At 3cmc you can Unearth it, though that probably isn't relevant in any deck using this.
Solitude into Ephemerate is the stone-cold nuts with Ketramose in play. If your opponent has 3 creatures you can hit, you gain a total of +6 CA for a single W (you lose 2 cards, but draw 5, they lose 3 creatures = +6 CA for you). Less bonkers is they have less creatures, but the potential is there.

I can see it being run in BW Taxes in Modern between Bone Emperor, Ephemerate, Phelia, Flickerwisp and Solitude, there's plenty of exile potential.

https://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/hashatonscarabsfist.jpg
This card can probably do some really dumb shit with LED in play.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

The chokepoint for Ephemerate decks in Legacy heretofore has not been that Ephemerating a Solitude doesn’t provide enough CA against decks with creatures to exile. Making this play more value-y by spending another card and three mana on it seems like the definition of win more

[FTW]

Lion Sash on the other hand...
W: draw a card
Stoneforgeable
Builds towards unlocking God mode

[rufus]

Lion Sash on the other hand...
W: draw a card
Stoneforgeable
Builds towards unlocking God mode

I tend to think that a card that gets cast for 3 mana needs to either be capable of taking over a game on its own or part of a winning combo to be good enough to play in legacy. For that to happen with Ketramose basically means having a way to exile cards from play or graveyards many times per turn. That could happen with the aforementioned food chain, but it could also happen with something like Psychatog or with Planar Void. I don't think the "incremental value leading up to god mode" plan is likely to be legacy viable without a combo threat.

[Barook]

Another one of the Mage cycle fetching artifacts:

http://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/transitmage.jpg

But damn, this art sucks.

[morgan_coke]

The Voyage Home
Sorcery
5WU
Draw 3 cards and Gain 3 life.
Affinity for Artifacts.

So basically Healing Salve and Ancestral Recall stapled together for artifact decks.

Seems pretty good. Or have we hit the point where Thoughtcast for only 1 mana and 2 cards is better than this for 2 mana and 3 cards?

[FTW]

WU Draw 3 vs U Draw 2 or U Draw 2 + 2/2 flyer.

Draw 3 is good, but costing double and needing the 2nd color could be a lot for those decks. It might see play but it doesn't look busted.


I tend to think that a card that gets cast for 3 mana needs to either be capable of taking over a game on its own or part of a winning combo to be good enough to play in legacy. For that to happen with Ketramose basically means having a way to exile cards from play or graveyards many times per turn. That could happen with the aforementioned food chain, but it could also happen with something like Psychatog or with Planar Void. I don't think the "incremental value leading up to god mode" plan is likely to be legacy viable without a combo threat.

Food Chain is off color and pairs better with Misthollow Griffin (UU) and blue cantrips, which makes 1WB Ketramose clunky.

The most competitive ways to mass-exile are Murktide Regent, Gurmag Angler, Yorion, Sky Nomad, Abhorrent Oculus, Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath, Nethergoyf, and Nihil Spellbomb. These can quickly cantrip + let Ketramose attack. Delve & Escape threats should work well (though Uro is too tough on the mana).

Esper Yorion Midrange could work. You can "combo" Ketramose quickly, or use it for incremental value.

[Barook]

WU Draw 3 vs U Draw 2 or U Draw 2 + 2/2 flyer.

Draw 3 is good, but costing double and needing the 2nd color could be a lot for those decks. It might see play but it doesn't look busted.
2 mana draw 3 might still be good enough to see play. Let's not forget that Expressive Iteration is banned in Legacy.



Food Chain is off color and pairs better with Misthollow Griffin (UU) and blue cantrips, which makes 1WB Ketramose clunky.

The most competitive ways to mass-exile are Murktide Regent, Gurmag Angler, Yorion, Sky Nomad, Abhorrent Oculus, Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath, Nethergoyf, and Nihil Spellbomb. These can quickly cantrip + let Ketramose attack. Delve & Escape threats should work well (though Uro is too tough on the mana).

Esper Yorion Midrange could work. You can "combo" Ketramose quickly, or use it for incremental value.
Technically, you could also run Serum Powder to instantly get the 7 cards into exile. Most likely too janky, but it's a possibility.

[rufus]

....

The most competitive ways to mass-exile are Murktide Regent, Gurmag Angler, Yorion, Sky Nomad, Abhorrent Oculus, Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath, Nethergoyf, and Nihil Spellbomb. These can quickly cantrip + let Ketramose attack. Delve & Escape threats should work well (though Uro is too tough on the mana).
...

Hmm... I imagine that delve has a more favorable interaction with the "whenever one or more cards" template than escape does since it's a "for each...you may". Though that list really just makes me think Ketramose won't see legacy play.

[Zoid]

https://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/kalakscionhungertyrant.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/tyroxsauridtyrant.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/terrianworldtyrant.jpg

What a time to to be alive when these are ok at uncommons and most likely wont see any play.

[Barook]

It's a cycle of 5 vanilla legends. Maybe we're going to see a 3/2 for W.

[FTW]

Hmm... I imagine that delve has a more favorable interaction with the "whenever one or more cards" template than escape does since it's a "for each...you may". Though that list really just makes me think Ketramose won't see legacy play.

Yeah maybe there isn't a viable use.

The ideal enabler has a 0-mana no-tap activated ability that exiles 1-3 cards. Repeatable & free. Unfortunately the list of permanents with that text is small: unplayable cards, banned Psychic Frog, and Psychatog.

The next best is either:
a) triggered ability (Planar Void)
b) 1-mana repeatable activations (Lion Sash)
c) efficient mass-exile (Delve, Spellbomb/Soul-Guide). These ones aren't repeatable, only 1 draw, but you get to play cards that are good on their own and Ketramose will attack soon.

Planar Void can draw a lot fast (0 mana, repeatable) but is dangerous. Ketramose isn't a "may". Opponent can dump cards to yard to drain you to 0. Planar Void is also pretty bad on its own maindeck.

Relic of Progenitus might be the best. You can either draw 1 a turn or exile 7 & cantrip immediately.

[Zoid]

It's a cycle of 5 vanilla legends. Maybe we're going to see a 3/2 for W.

https://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/caelornacoraltyrant.jpg

Blue delivers :)

[Barook]

http://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/monumenttoendurance.jpg

Does this have any use in Legacy? The draw ability is nice and the life loss could add up pretty quickly.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

It's a cycle of 5 vanilla legends. Maybe we're going to see a 3/2 for W.

I would expect a 2/3 if anything.

Or a WW 3/4

[Barook]

I would expect a 2/3 if anything.

Or a WW 3/4
Legendary Kird Ape would be pretty meh.

http://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/webstrikeelite.jpg

It can trade with Delvers and DRC.

The cycling mode can get rid of Urza's Saga for 2 mana while cantripping. Might be a decent SB card?

[rufus]

http://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/monumenttoendurance.jpg

Does this have any use in Legacy? The draw ability is nice and the life loss could add up pretty quickly.

Maybe I'm missing something, but that seems implausible to me: It's CMC 3, doesn't provide its own discard outlet and, barring shenanigans, takes at least two turns to get to break-even and three to get to profit.

[morgan_coke]

http://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/monumenttoendurance.jpg

Does this have any use in Legacy? The draw ability is nice and the life loss could add up pretty quickly.

There's a LOT of good cycling stuff in this set, I doubt its enough to make Drift playable in Legacy again, but once we've got the full set I'll give it a whirl. The same old problem of most of what you want being 3 mana still exists though.

Drift/new god/this guy/abandoned sarcophogus - all 3 mana. Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth existing does help a lot with Tombs though.

Stuff being all over the color wheel and W6 being banned are also negatives.

[morgan_coke]

Maybe I'm missing something, but that seems implausible to me: It's CMC 3, doesn't provide its own discard outlet and, barring shenanigans, takes at least two turns to get to break-even and three to get to profit.

you're missing cycling, its an enabler, you can trigger it on both your and your opponents' turns. first card you cycle each turn draws 2, second one makes mana or pings your opponent for 3, and it stacks in multiples. think about all the cards with "cycling: 1" they've printed over the last few years.

[PirateKing]

A local Riddlesmith player is all over this card lol

Fable of the Mirror Breaker and Faithless Looting as well

[FTW]

A local Riddlesmith player is all over this card lol

Fable of the Mirror Breaker and Faithless Looting as well

Riddlesmith might be the best use.

LED is also good: discard 2, +4 mana, draw card, cast card with that 4 mana. LED + Echo often fits with Riddlesmith.

Gamble gets some upside too. You draw after the discard, so it doesn't affect odds of keeping the card you want, but you do get a card or mana back after.

Edit: Lol Harnfel, Horn of Bounty.
Don't know if this will be tournament playable, but I already see a TonyScapone video in the making.

[Zoid]

Both the BW god and Monument do very similar things which are nice in theory but require 3 mana + setup for something that doesn't take over the game.
The monument might be easier to enable but the pay-off seems pretty meh.
AFAIK Containment Construct also never went anywhere.
Maybe if Survival was still legal...

[FTW]

Containment Construct made the rare top8 in Riddlesmith (Killabee or other dedicated players)

However it is repeatable while Monument isn't. 3 mana is also infinitely more than 2 for these storm decks running 8-12 lands.

[rufus]

...
However it is repeatable while Monument isn't. 3 mana is also infinitely more than 2 for these storm decks running 8-12 lands.

It seems more like a card for underworld cookbook decks than one for riddlesmith decks. I still think it's bad though.

[Barook]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GioPK0XWAAA4VnI?format=jpg&name=small

Well, that was disappointing.

[Zoid]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GioPK0XWAAA4VnI?format=jpg&name=small

Well, that was disappointing.

As expected, white gets shafted again.

https://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/scroungingskyray.jpg

With the same effect on a 1 mana 1/1 without flying in the same set there may be something to this.
Most likely not in legacy though.

[FTW]

If that was from hand or library, it would see play.

Dragon's Rage Channeler, Surveil duals, Consider, etc.

As is it's too slow for the Hollow One/Madness decks or LED decks.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GioPK0XWAAA4VnI?format=jpg&name=small

Well, that was disappointing.

Y’all realize this whole cycle is bad, right

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

The 0/8 is going to break walls right open

[Goaswerfraiejen]

Legendary Kird Ape would be pretty meh.

http://mythicspoiler.com/dft/cards/webstrikeelite.jpg

It can trade with Delvers and DRC.

The cycling mode can get rid of Urza's Saga for 2 mana while cantripping. Might be a decent SB card?


Oh, this is lovely. My mono-green deck needed a better two-dtop in the main deck, and this is really, really good!