[SCD] Unexpectedly Absent

Unexpectedly Absent
XWW
Instant
Put target nonland permanent into its owner's library just beneath the top X cards of that library.
Once you've been dragged down the currents of time, you'll never quite trust your own permanence again.
Illus. Nin Yum

At X=0, this card is a Submerge that also hits non-creature permanents. If cast in response to a shuffle effect, that's effectively removal for anything, including Planeswalkers. In a stalled/positive board state, it can also function as a pseudo-Time Walk since your opponent will be forced to draw the same card again.

Along with Swords to Plowshares, White now might have the most efficient removal suite in Legacy. Abrupt Decay is uncounterable, but its limitation of only hitting CMC <3 makes it more limited, in addition to its awkward mana requirement. It also can't be used to Timewalk an opponent.

The other option the effect has is that you can target your own permanents with it, for example in response to removal, or to trigger another ETB effect, or to recast a Planeswalker or other permanent to reset its counters.

White might now be arguably the best secondary color for any non-combo deck in Legacy.

True-Name Nemesis is getting more buzz about it right now, but I think this new removal spell is going to be the more important card from the new Commander set.

I like it. It's a pretty clever design, unlike Nemesis.

It should be noted that it can also be used to recycle used Stoneforge Mystics.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barook

It should be noted that it can also be used to recycle used Stoneforge Mystics.

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Or put a Deathrite on top in response of Shardless Agent! =D
And respond your own Oblivion Ring with it to use it again!
Ok, there are possibilities. I like the card.

Re Stoneforge: it costs you two cards this way. You recoup one when the Mystic comes back down. Wait, that math seems wrong.

Anyway, I like the card too. Very tricksy.

"WW Instant: Spin a Creature" would've been borderline playable, this is obscene. I love this card quite a lot. It's especially good when they go all in attacking my Jace and I spin it back to the top as a cute little Fog with an upside. It can also be used with Jace to put something on the bottom of a deck.

This is very strong. Will almost always be cast for WW in conjunction with shuffling or Jace fateseal.

Permanent base control just keeps getting weaker with decay and this...

I find the "just" in the wording weird. Sounds odd and isn't needed. Otherwise I like the card a lot. Pretty much the opposite of Nemesis: Well designed, fair but powerful and it opens a lot of possibilities for skill-rewarding plays on both sides of the board.

The mana cost is the biggest problem. It is hardly possible to play it in a 3-color deck and even 2-color decks might struggle with double-white if they face Wastelands, play their own Wastelands and want to run a couple basic lands of another color. Usually White acts more as a splash color for Swords and Stoneforges and you don't need double White for anything.
Nonetheless the card is very powerful and will most likely see a good amount of play.

Tao, the "just" caught my eye too. I think the word is a good decision. While it grammatically superfluous, it makes sense to keep the dipshits of the English-speaking world from claiming it can go under "X or more" cards. This way the card explicitly states the intention of design, leaving nothing to interpretation. I would say that it is an elegant solution to presumptively ending arguments about the card.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finn

Tao, the "just" caught my eye too. I think the word is a good decision. While it grammatically superfluous, it makes sense to keep the dipshits of the English-speaking world from claiming it can go under "X or more" cards. This way the card explicitly states the intention of design, leaving nothing to interpretation. I would say that it is an elegant solution to presumptively ending arguments about the card.

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Yeah I could see someone saying (if X is 4) " Well, 12 cards under IS beneath 4"

Gaddock Teeg laughs at another white control card.

It's obviously a great card in a vacuum, but the WW cost is going to be very tricky to manage. Most decks interested in this card are mostly blue based, so it'll prevent it from being a 3-4 in most decks.

Or perhaps this card is powerful enough to warrant a change in manabases for accommodation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finn

Tao, the "just" caught my eye too. I think the word is a good decision. While it grammatically superfluous, it makes sense to keep the dipshits of the English-speaking world from claiming it can go under "X or more" cards. This way the card explicitly states the intention of design, leaving nothing to interpretation. I would say that it is an elegant solution to presumptively ending arguments about the card.

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Indeed it is. People seem to still be confused about where Long-Term Plans actually puts the card. :/

@ the card itself: In response to a shuffle effect this is practically a 2-mana Vindicate. In an aggressive deck it's "removal enough" at lower mana costs to buy you time to win around something durdly that's ruining your day.

I'm almost surprised that this card does not also have an "X can't be 0" errata in the wings, since "day one errata" appears to be the sub-theme of this set.

I don't know that people should be sleeving up their Soldier of Fortunes anytime soon to force synergy where there isn't any, but it's hard to think of a deck where this card won't be able to take advantage of a shuffle to 'permanently' throw away a nonland object. Seems real good.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TsumiBand

Indeed it is. People seem to still be confused about where Long-Term Plans actually puts the card. :/

@ the card itself: In response to a shuffle effect this is practically a 2-mana Vindicate. In an aggressive deck it's "removal enough" at lower mana costs to buy you time to win around something durdly that's ruining your day.

I'm almost surprised that this card does not also have an "X can't be 0" errata in the wings, since "day one errata" appears to be the sub-theme of this set.

I don't know that people should be sleeving up their Soldier of Fortunes anytime soon to force synergy where there isn't any, but it's hard to think of a deck where this card won't be able to take advantage of a shuffle to 'permanently' throw away a nonland object. Seems real good.

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BTW, presumptively is an apropo scewup by my phone. It presumed that I meant "presumptively" and not "preemptively".

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finn

Re Stoneforge: it costs you two cards this way. You recoup one when the Mystic comes back down. Wait, that math seems wrong.

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That math is right. You go -1 CA first to get it back later. It might be a fringe case, but flexibility is king.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TsumiBand

I'm almost surprised that this card does not also have an "X can't be 0" errata in the wings, since "day one errata" appears to be the sub-theme of this set.

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Because it's fully intentionally designed this well to screw with fetchland-heavy decks. There's an article about it on the mothership today.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barook

Because it's fully intentionally designed this well to screw with fetchland-heavy decks. There's an article about it on the mothership today.

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Aahhh. Good on 'em.

Hopefully he can explain why stupid Identity Derpins Merfolk can have mini-Progenitus better than MaRo's "oh well protection from things-besides-color is a Blue thing, we just forgot to tell ya all these years".

Someones gotta say it: UA shoulda been blue. Hmm maybe this is a timeshifted set?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barook

That math is right. You go -1 CA first to get it back later. It might be a fringe case, but flexibility is king.

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Overall, it's +0 CA but provides double-tutoring for 6 mana over 3 turns.

+1 SFM enters
-1 Casting UA
-1 SFM on top of the library
+1 when SFM comes back.

Still, a very good card, expecting to see 2 in Miracles.

A 2 mana vindicate should fit into most white decks tbh.

Maybe DnT plays it as well? Its a bit like a situational abrupt decay in that it gives W decks ways to reasonably maindeck a card that can deal with creatures and other random derpy permanents that they lose to like Jitte or a random ensnaring bridge or something.