[article] The Obligatory Type One Fifth Dawn Review

[jpmeyer]

So as you can tell, I didn't really think that there is anything too good in this set.

[Dr. Sylvan]

I don't think we should be too surprised that there's the occasional set with almost nothing for us. If you look at my data, Invasion actually sucked, too, as did Legions. So I figure it's okay to write this one off and wait four months.

[MixedkNuts]

Sorry Pipster, but I disagree.  I think you'll find that 5D will have an impact across the board in Constructed formats.  I don't think you'll see 10% of the cards showing up in your monthly stats, but I don't think 5% would be too much of a stretch.

There are certain cards that scare the hell out of me right now, but that's not a bad thing, because if there's one thing I really love, it's a great combo deck.

--Knut

[Dr. Sylvan]

OMG a number to contest! <3!

Okay, so I crunched some numbers (in this case averaging the portion of a set's cardnames that appeared in a given month over the spread February to April), and came up with the following.

17.2% - /287 Alpha/Beta/Unlimited
10.9% - /165 Darksteel (over Mar-Apr only)
10.5% - /143 Urza's Legacy
8.8% - /286 Mirrodin
8.6% - /85 Antiquities
7.5% - /143 Judgment
7.0% - /143 Exodus
6.5% - /330 Urza's Saga
6.3% - /143 Torment
6.3% - /143 Scourge
6.0% - /78 Arabian Nights
5.5% - /330 Odyssey
5.1% - /143 Urza's Destiny
5.0% - 8-9/165 Fifth Dawn (Ted)
4.8% - /330 Onslaught
4.4% - /144 Alliances
4.4% - /167 Visions
4.2% - /330 Tempest
4.2% - /143 Stronghold
4.0% - /167 Weatherlight
3.7% - /143 Planeshift
3.5% - /143 Nemesis
3.5% - /143 Apocalypse
3.4% - /363 Ice Age
3.1% - /119 The Dark
2.5% - 4-5/165 Fifth Dawn (Phil)
2.4% - /330 Mercadian Masques
2.3% - /330 Mirage
2.3% - /145 Legions
2.0% - /330 Invasion
1.7% - /310 Legends
1.2% - /143 Prophecy
0.9% - /115 Homelands
0.7% - /101 Fallen Empires

So here's the cards that I predict will show up: Serum Visions, Night's Whisper (even though I would almost always play Scrying over it), Engineered Explosives... oh wait I agree with JP. Heh. Maybe: Tel Jilad Justice, Crucible of Worlds, Mycosynth Golem

So we're talking maximum six cards, IMO. That's 3.7%. So I'm saying it won't be higher than Planeshift. Your prediction ranks it with Urza's Destiny and Onslaught. I will be shocked if 5D is at the same power level as the set that gave us the most busted card in Magic. Now I can hardly wait for July data! I'm all excited. :)

[rvs]

I'm going to agree with Ted on this one. I've already found quite some nice combotastic cards. Anyway, we'll see what happens.

I thought the article was horrible. Not so much that it wasn't spot on, but more that it wasn't funny to read, unlike most of jaypee's stuff.

[Dozer]

What got me most is JP's dismissal of Eyes of the Watcher. I think it has potential, and will be at least tried in Control decks. I agree that 5D will require a lot of thinking to incorporate, and I think it will take quite some time until the interactions and goodies beyond the obvious (which JP is identifying correctly) are recognized.
I don't think we will get another Darksteel-caliber impact (just look at those numbers!), but I'd rather go with MoreFling and Ted.

Btw, I am eagerly awaiting Ben Bleiweiss' T1-analysis of Fifth Dawn tomorrow. I hope he will not go too far astray in his predictions...

Dozer

[Mon, Goblin Chief]

Fist of the Suns
What a waste of cool art. I mean, your spells have to cost six or more mana for this to do anything unless you're trying to cast like, Lich or something.

Maybe it can console you a bit that there's that remotely stupid combo (fun for the judges :lol:) with Fist and announcing a Fireball/X-Spell for 10^19+5 onto your opponent, paying BGRUW for it. It already happened once at the prerelease at the German Nationals using Consume Spirit for the win.

And I missed just grapping Donate with Plunge. Sweet idea.

[Jebus]

Fist of the Suns
What a waste of cool art. I mean, your spells have to cost six or more mana for this to do anything unless you're trying to cast like, Lich or something.

Maybe it can console you a bit that there's that remotely stupid combo (fun for the judges :lol:) with Fist and announcing a Fireball/X-Spell for 10^19+5 onto your opponent, paying BGRUW for it. It already happened once at the prerelease at the German Nationals using Consume Spirit for the win.

That doesn't work.

X
If a cost has an “X� in it, the value of X must be announced as part of playing the spell or ability. (See rule 409, “Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.�) While the spell or ability is on the stack, the {oX} in its mana cost equals the amount announced as part of playing the spell or ability. If a card in any other zone has {oX} in its mana cost, the amount is treated as 0. If you’re playing a spell that has X in its mana cost and an effect lets you play it without paying any cost that includes X, the only legal choice for X is 0. This does not apply to effects that only reduce a cost, even if they reduce it to zero. See rule 409, “Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.�
     In triggered abilities, X is defined when the ability resolves. It may be defined by the text of the ability, by a keyword ability of the card, or by the trigger event. See rule 410, “Handling Triggered Abilities.â€?
     In other cases, X is defined by the text of a spell or ability. If X isn’t defined, the controller of the spell or ability chooses the value of X. All Xs on an object have the same value.

[Smmenen]

I'll wait for Ben's review tonight, but as of yet, and while I admit I haven't looked *too* closely at the set, I don't see combo parts that create new combos not already in place from the last two sets.  My team has been working on those combos and frankly, they have yet to be any good - even with 5D testing.

The one card I'm convinced is good is Night's Whisper and I think it will fuel a new deck built around it based upon the idea that cheap draw spells are heavily played in t1.

Steve

[jpmeyer]

Sorry Pipster, but I disagree.  I think you'll find that 5D will have an impact across the board in Constructed formats.  I don't think you'll see 10% of the cards showing up in your monthly stats, but I don't think 5% would be too much of a stretch.

There are certain cards that scare the hell out of me right now, but that's not a bad thing, because if there's one thing I really love, it's a great combo deck.

--Knut

While Night's Whisper, Engineered Explosives, and Serum Visions are the only cards that I think SHOULD see play, there are a lot of cards that probably will see play anyway.

Here's 6 more to get up to 5%:

Tel-Jilad Justice
Synod Centurion
Auriok Salvagers
Crucible of Worlds
Blind Creeper
Krak-Clan Ironworks (I missed this one.  It might have potential)

And to try to get up to 10%:

Plunge Into Darkness
Goblin Cannon
Staff of Domination
Devour in Shadow
Skyhunter Skirmisher
Eternal Witness
Mycosynth Golem
Vedalken Shackles

The thing is just that like someone in the comment thread for the article on SCG said something along the lines of "I love reading Type 1 set reviews because the only cards on them that are said to be playable are ones that net mana or win the game."  There are a ton of cool cards in this set, just not too many ones that have one of those two effects--but since they are cool, people will play them for at least a little while.

[Matt]

I don't think Goblin Cannon is THAT much better than Rocket Launcher that it'll be tried in T1. Certainly stuff like Vedalken Shackles and Eternal Witness rate much higher.