Playtesting Update #1

Update update: I have taken too long to post this update and have continued to playtest and have more updates. However, I will keep this first update article as is and will post a second update in the coming days. Because I have been updating so much and not keeping up with posts, some changes may have been missed, but I will post correct deck lists after the next update. Please comment if you notice any discrepancy.

Having now play tested for the first time, I have many, many changes to the set. However, most importantly, the set is fun to play even in its unpolished state. Many cards played well, others will be tweaked or out right cut.

For my initial play testing I only had the blue and green decks sleeved. We played three games. The first game ended with the blue deck not finding mana. The second two games ended with Hermie, the blue general, taking over. Which leads to my list of changes.

1. Cuts: Karakas, City of Brass, Pact of Negation, Misdirection (except blue), the Magus and their corresponding artifacts, Dismember, Sphere of Resistance (red), Kor Haven (white), Horizon Canopy (blue).

Karakas is banned for a reason in Commander and I learned why very quickly. With the generals having such a cheap mana costs, with Karakas you can easily cast them every turn. The generals should be played about 3 times a game, not 10. I hate to cut because of power, but it lead to repetitive, un-fun board states.

City of Brass, while giving you what you need, is the weakest five-color land. Most games, because of the amount of card draw, it was very easy to become flooded. City of Brass was the low man on the totem pool.

Pact of Negation was never the card you wanted and did nothing, even in the blue deck. Easy cut.

Misdirection is great for the blue deck, but really unimportant for all the others and not what they want to do.

The Magus all need to be reworked and there corresponding artifacts are un-fun. I will work on creating fun Maguses, but these are not it.

Dismember has always felt like a place holder to me, so I am going to try Noxious Revival instead.

Sphere of Resistance just slows the game down with little fun to be had. Cut mostly because it is boring.

Kor Haven and Horizon Canopy weren’t the lands I wanted for there decks and were cut for better fits.

2. Adds: Fact or Fiction, Mental Misstep, Noxious Revival, Bitterblossom (white), Lingering Souls (white), Soul of Theros (white), Gavony Township (white) Invoke Prejudice (blue), Sphinx's Revelation (blue), Tamiyo, the Moon Sage (blue), Soul of Ravnica (blue), Desolate Lighthouse (blue), Pack Rat (black), Phyrexian Obliterator (black), Reanimate (black), Soul of Innistrad (black), Molten Golem (red), Myr Battlesphere (red), Vandalblast (red), Violent Ultimatum (red), Soul of Shandalar (red), Etherium-Horn Sorcerer (green), Maelstrom Wanderer (green), Krosan Grip (green), Titanic Ultimatum (green), Soul of Zendikar (green)

Fact or Fiction is amazing and even more amazing in a format where all the cards are amazing. Easy add to every deck.

Mental Misstep is the perfect counterspell for this format at preventing broken cards like Ancestral Recall and Contract from Below. Way better than the counterspells being cut.

Noxious Revival brings the same feel as a Vampiric Tutor without searching your library. It is a nice card to surprise you opponent with.

All the Souls are great and I want to test them out in the format.

Bitterblossom and Lingering Souls were added to shift the deck towards tokens. I foresee continuing to add more in the future.

Invoke Prejudice, Phyrexian Obliterator, Molten Golem were added to create a cycle of 4CC 4 of a color cards. Hard to cast but very powerful. I still need to create a green one and find space for it. Molten Golem maybe too good; we will see in playtesting.

Molten Golem

RRRR

Artifact Creature – Golem

Haste

Whenever a source deals damage, put a 1/1 red Elemental creature token onto the battlefield.

5/5

Gavony Township and Desolate Lighthouse were added as they have effects their decks want.

Vandalblast and Krosan Grip were added to give there decks powerful yet color flavorful answers. I will look to expand on this theme with the other colors.

Blue needed another Planeswalker, so Tamiyo gets the nod for now.

Etherium-Horn Sorcerer and Maelstrom Wanderer were added because Cascade is awesome!

3. Card updates:

Nayru, the Risk-Taker

WWW

Ante Creature – Avatar

Flying

When Nayru, the Risk-Take enters the battlefield, each player antes the top card of his or her library.

Other creatures you control get +X/+X, where X equals the number of cards in the ante.

2/3

Ripped from the Page

2UUU

Ante Instant

Counter target noncopy spell. If the spell is countered this way, put it into your graveyard. You own that card. Then, put Ripped from the Page into the target’s former owner’s graveyard. He or she owns Ripped from the Page.

Binding Contract

2R

Ante Enchantment – Aura

Enchant permanent

Enchanted permanent gains “Cumulative upkeep—Ante the top card of your library.”

When Binding Contract leaves the battlefield, remove all age counters from enchanted permanent.

Tales of the Ancestors

GGG

Ante Sorcery

Ante the top card of your library.

You may play target card in your graveyard without paying its mana costs this turn.

Grizzly, the Bear

GW/UB/R

Legendary Creature – Bear

Commanding — When Grizzly, the Bear enters the battlefield, choose up to X, where X is the number of times it has been cast from the command zone — Destroy target artifact or enchantment; or target creature gets +3/+2 and trample until end of turn; or the next spell you cast this turn has cascade; or transform Grizzly, the Bear.

Unanteable (If Grizzly, the Bear would be put into the ante or you would lose ownership, instead put it into your graveyard, then ante the top card of you library.)

2/3

Grizzly, the Sky Seeker

Legendary Creature – Bear Faerie

(Grizzly, the Sky Seeker is blue, black and green)

Flying

Unanteable (If Grizzly, the Sky Seeker would be put into the ante or you would lose ownership, instead put it into your graveyard, then ante the top card of you library.)

4/4

Gwendal, the Bicorn

WU/BR/G

Legendary Creature – Unicorn

Commanding — When Gwendal, the Bicorn enters the battlefield, choose up to X, where X is the number of times it has been cast from the command zone — Exile another target creature. Return that card to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of the next end step; or put a 1/1 white Soldier creature token onto the battlefield, then populate; or gain 5 life; or transform Gwendal, the Bicorn.

Unanteable (If Gwendal, the Bicorn would be put into the ante or you would lose ownership, instead put it into your graveyard, then ante the top card of you library.)

2/3

Gwendal, Wrath’s Taken (Gwendal, the Bicorn’s Transformation)

Legendary Creature – Unicorn Demon

(Gwendal, Wrath’s Taken is white, black and red)

Haste

Unanteable (If Gwendal, Wrath’s Taken would be put into the ante or you would lose ownership, instead put it into your graveyard, then ante the top card of you library.)

6/2

Hermie, Homarid Dreamer

UB/RG/W

Legendary Creature – Homarid

Commanding — When Hermie, Homarid Dreamer enters the battlefield, choose up to X, where X is the number of times it has been cast from the command zone — Return another target nonland permanent to its owners hand; or scry 1, then draw a card; or the next instant or sorcery you cast this turn has buyback with a cost equal to the spell’s casting cost; or transform Hermie, Homarid Dreamer.

Unanteable (If Hermie, Homarid Dreamer would be put into the ante or you would lose ownership, instead put it into your graveyard, then ante the top card of you library.)

2/3

Hermie, Dreams Revealed (Hermie, Homarid Dreamer’s Transformation)

Legendary Creature – Elemental Homarid

(Hermie, Dreams Revealed is blue, red and green)

Trample

Unanteable (If Hermie, Dreams Revealed would be put into the ante or you would lose ownership, instead put it into your graveyard, then ante the top card of you library.)

5/3

Rakadak, the Pilferer

RG/WU/B

Legendary Creature – Orc

Commanding — When Rakadak, the Pilferer enters the battlefield, choose up to X, where X is the number of times it has been cast from the command zone — Rakadak, the Pilferer deals 2 damage to target creature or player; or each player sacrifices a land; or the next instant or sorcery you cast this turn has storm; or transform Rakadak, the Pilferer.

Unanteable (If Rakadak, the Pilferer would be put into the ante or you would lose ownership, instead put it into your graveyard, then ante the top card of you library.)

2/3

Rakadak, Grace’s Found (Rakadak, the Pilferer’s Transformation)

Legendary Creature – Angel Orc

(Rakadak, Grace’s Found is white, blue and red)

Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.)

Unanteable (If Rakadak, Grace’s Found would be put into the ante or you would lose ownership, instead put it into your graveyard, then ante the top card of you library.)

4/4

The Rummaging Gang

BR/GW/U

Legendary Creature – Gremlin

Commanding — When The Rummaging Gang enters the battlefield, choose up to X, where X is the number of times it has been cast from the command zone — Target creature gets -2/-2; or target opponent discards a card at random; or return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand; or transform The Rummaging Gang.

Unanteable (If The Rummaging Gang would be put into the ante or you would lose ownership, instead put it into your graveyard, then ante the top card of you library.)

2/3

The Restful Fellows (The Rummaging Gang’s Transformation)

Legendary Creature – Gremlin Treefolk

(The Restful Fellows is white, black and green.)

Banding (Any creatures with banding, and up to one without, can attack in a band. Bands are blocked as a group. If any creatures with banding you control are blocking or being blocked by a creature, you divide that creature’s combat damage, not its controller, among any of the creatures it’s being blocked by or is blocking.)

Unanteable (If The Restful Fellows would be put into the ante or you would lose ownership, instead put it into your graveyard, then ante the top card of you library.)

3/6