D&D (Maybe Better Off) Forgotten Realms Previews

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Yeah but you're asking this card to be playable in Legacy, the bar is extremely high.

Nobody is complaining that the Dungeon cards aren't playable in legacy or the Learn/Lesson cards from strixhaven aren't playable etc, why is this Tithe mechanic so objectionable in particular?

Knight of the White Orchid was certainly a playable card in Pioneer/Standard for example. It would be so strong for other formats if the 'fail case' just unconditionally added a plains to your hand, and then we would just get more crying from the people who complain that DNT is the only deck that keeps getting new tools every set (or has everyone forgotten that period now that ragavan is the new flavour of the month)

I mean this plus like, they’ve been printing a really abnormally high number of Legacy playables ever since War of the Spark, not just in the eternal-insert sets like MH/MH2 but just in Standard-legal sets. How many cards is D&T playing that were printed in the last 30 months? https://mtgdecks.net/Legacy/death-taxes-decklist-by-ben-lukas-1178025]This was one of the first lists I saw[/url] and it’s running 6 different recent printing cards between main and board. And that’s with only one Esper Sentinel which has to be wrong.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

And like, Magic is 28 years old, pretty sure that puts the average cards that should be showing up from each year in the average decklist, sideboards included, well under 1.

The idea that they're not printing good cards flies in the face of evidence. And recent bannings.

Also a bit terrifying that if I'm doing the math right the chronologically median set at this point is Future Sight

[BirdsOfParadise]

Well, by your reasoning the average number of cards from any given year showing up in any given list should be 75/28 = 2.5 or so (I.e., not less than 1) ... but your point still makes sense with that correction.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Well, by your reasoning the average number of cards from any given year showing up in any given list should be 75/28 = 2.5 or so (I.e., not less than 1) ... but your point still makes sense with that correction.

No because I said individual cards

[BirdsOfParadise]

I take it you mean differently named cards (to me “individual cards” sounds like you’re counting 4 Llanowar Elves as 4 cards); that is, you’re counting 4 Llanowar Elves + 1 Lightning Bolt as two cards from Alpha? In that case, sorry for the pedantry, I just didn’t follow your wording.

[Barook]

Are the Commander cards part of Forgotten Realms or do they need their own thread?



This one caught my attention - one mana more expensive than Pillar/Eidolon, but it's one-sided and the potential upside is way higher.

1/6 chance to deal less damage at 1.
1/6 chance to deal equal damage at 2.
2/3 chance to deal higher damage.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Are the Commander cards part of Forgotten Realms or do they need their own thread?



This one caught my attention - one mana more expensive than Pillar/Eidolon, but it's one-sided and the potential upside is way higher.

1/6 chance to deal less damage at 1.
1/6 chance to deal equal damage at 2.
2/3 chance to deal higher damage.

I think it's pretty good sb card, but I don't really know how burn/big red decks operate.

[Cire]

Are the Commander cards part of Forgotten Realms or do they need their own thread?



This one caught my attention - one mana more expensive than Pillar/Eidolon, but it's one-sided and the potential upside is way higher.

1/6 chance to deal less damage at 1.
1/6 chance to deal equal damage at 2.
2/3 chance to deal higher damage.

Does "another" one of your opponents means it enchants the same player over and over in a one on one game?

[Goaswerfraiejen]

Does "another" one of your opponents means it enchants the same player over and over in a one on one game?

I would think that 'another' specifically instructs you to find someone else. Since it can't in 1v1, it just sits there, unattached.

But that's just a guess. It would nerf it substantially, however, and I'm pretty sure that's what Wizards would want.

[H]

I would think that 'another' specifically instructs you to find someone else. Since it can't in 1v1, it just sits there, unattached.

But that's just a guess. It would nerf it substantially, however, and I'm pretty sure that's what Wizards would want.

The release notes are already out:

[rufus]

This is an intriguing card:

Rod of Absorbtion 2U

Artifact

Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery spell, exile it instead of putting it into a graveyard as it resolves.

X, T, Sacrifice Rod of Absorption: You may cast any number of spells from among cards exiled with Rod of Absorption with total mana value X or less without paying their mana costs.

It's probably not viable because the mana has to be paid all at once, but, if I'm reading things right this recycles flashback spells. It's also another way to cast the "suspend only" spells.

[Barook]

This is an intriguing card:

It's probably not viable because the mana has to be paid all at once, but, if I'm reading things right this recycles flashback spells. It's also another way to cast the "suspend only" spells.

You have to cast the Suspend spells first to be able to recycle them, though.

As for mana cost, it might be an interesting option for big mana decks against spell-heavy decks.

[Vacrix]

The most important limit with Rod of Absorption is that the spell has to resolve to be exiled, not just cast. In blue, that seems underwhelming in this format.

However, ‘Whenever a player’ in a 4 pod is quite good if you can cast it early, but not so much in a 1v1 format. Cantrip, Vamp tutor, cantrip, counterspell, board wipe.. lots of value in EDH.

Most interesting to me is that it can exile a counterspell after a counter war, regardless of which player wins it.

One can activate Rod at instant speed, and it actually doesn’t feel like a counter target since it’s recursion. Also it’s blue for Force of Will. Getting to 3 mana before your opponent has already burned 2 cantrips seems rough.

[HdH_Cthulhu]

Maybe in something like high tide? Seems powerful but also kinda clucnky...

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Maybe in something like high tide? Seems powerful but also kind clucnky...

It's not really any worse than a candelabra is it

[rufus]

Yeah, the card isn't strong enough to see play. It's just interesting.

The most important limit with Rod of Absorption is that the spell has to resolve to be exiled, not just cast. In blue, that seems underwhelming in this format.
...

It occurs to me that that the timing means that it will exile spells puts it on the battlefield, so there's potential synergy with something like Second Sunrise.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Yeah, the card isn't strong enough to see play. It's just interesting.




It occurs to me that that the timing means that it will exile spells puts it on the battlefield, so there's potential synergy with something like Second Sunrise.

It does not: the trigger is when the spell is cast, but doesn't do anything until the spell resolved. The object isn't in the field when the spell is cast it won't replace how it resolves.

[rufus]

It does not: the trigger is when the spell is cast, but doesn't do anything until the spell resolved. The object isn't in the field when the spell is cast it won't replace how it resolves.

Yeah, I misread it. Having it templated as a trigger into a replacement like that seems like unnecessarily complex timing. (Maybe they were worried about strange interactions with Ertai's meddling.)

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Yeah, I misread it. Having it templated as a trigger into a replacement like that seems like unnecessarily complex timing. (Maybe they were worried about strange interactions with Ertai's meddling.)

It is kinda silly but it's probably done that way intentionally. You could easily chain warp worlds or the new free warpworld if it didn't.

[Vacrix]

It's not really any worse than a candelabra is it

Candelabra of Tawnos is more efficient as a permanent because it’s a 1 drop and you don’t have to sacrifice it, suggesting it can be played with bounce, perhaps Paradoxical Outcomes and High Tide. Seems like High Tide not being a permanent is too relevant for Candelabra to be played that way.

That or one could play Candelabra in a 12 post list since a lot of the lands enter tapped.

Both Rod and Candelabra are similar though in that each seems to be missing a piece or two that pushes it into playable. Candelabra being 1U cheaper feels easier to include, and one can find Candelabra with Urza’s Saga actually.

My guess is that exiling only sorceries and instants from both graveyards is too narrow to be played as a symmetrical piece as well where it would cut off the opponent from resources for Delve, flashback, recursion, thresh, etc. If it could be played that way though, then it serves multiple purposes rather than being only useful as delayed, super-efficient recursion. I don’t think there are too many pieces that pair with Rod to exile the other card types from the graveyard. It reminds me of Dryad Militant.

EDIT:
Planar Void is a card that I’m surprised sees 0 play in this format despite being quite a nice one drop. Perhaps Shallow Grave and Entomb dodge that too well? It seems so good against any list that wants it’s graveyard for anything. Dredge, Loam, Delve, Threshold, reanimation, recursion, flashback..

With Rod, the spells being exiled upon resolution means you deny graveyards while saving each inst/sorc played. Planar Void suffers tho from being unable to exile what is there already.

Planar Void triggers Tormod, the Descrator perhaps in black stax for Contamination or Smokestack.