Future Sight spoiled: Street Wraith - 4 of in every deck?

[Mon, Goblin Chief]

When would you play a 3/3 for 3BB in every single T1 deck? Maybe if it makes your deck 56 cards?

Spoiled from Future Sight on MTGSalvation:

Street Wraith - 3BB
Creature Wraith
Swampwalk
Cycling - Pay 2 Life.

3/4

Now, as a spell this is completely useless... but it makes your deck 56 cards for the cost of a few life. With the relevance life totals have in T1, this seems like a likely candidate for just about every deck I can think of, especially combo. Reducing maximum deck size seems kind of good.... I honestly hope this isn't real, I don't want to have that crap in my decks. And I already have problems cutting to 60 The nice sideeffect is Jester's Cap protection, though *grin*.

Am I crazy? Is Wotc?

/edit: 3/4, typos

[Machinus]

I think it's a 3/4.

And yeah this might be one of the ways Wizards filters cards through type II, although to be honest I imagine this isn't even that bad there either.

[BreathWeapon]

It's 3/4.

I'm not certain I would replace cards just to replace cards in Gifts or Longs, blue counts are important for Force of Will, and this just doesn't make me want to cut a specific card out of their shells for it.

[diopter]

It's 3/4.

I'm not certain I would replace cards just to replace cards in Gifts or Longs, blue counts are important for Force of Will, and this just doesn't make me want to cut a specific card out of their shells for it.

I haven't done the math, but I imagine you can cut at least one blue card, since you're essentially playing with a 56 card deck.

The only real issue with this card is that it makes mulliganing more difficult. You will have to have to judge 7-card hands based on the first 6, or something similar. On the other hand... playing with 56 cards, that will allow you to draw your most broken spells, sooner, and more consistently.

[BreathWeapon]

It's 3/4.

I'm not certain I would replace cards just to replace cards in Gifts or Longs, blue counts are important for Force of Will, and this just doesn't make me want to cut a specific card out of their shells for it.

I haven't done the math, but I imagine you can cut at least one blue card, since you're essentially playing with a 56 card deck.

The only real issue with this card is that it makes mulliganing more difficult. You will have to have to judge 7-card hands based on the first 6, or something similar. On the other hand... playing with 56 cards, that will allow you to draw your most broken spells, sooner, and more consistently.

Building decks and mulliganing with this card is going to be a challenge, but on another note, Unmask has become a consideration for a lot more decks now that 4 black cards are an auto-include.

Edit: This card complicates Brainstorm to.

[Moxlotus]

I'm not sure this is an autoinclude like everyone is saying.  I mean, what 4 cards would you cut from Long?  Gifts?  Slaver?  It's not like they have extra slots.

[Malhavoc]

This card seems much better than baubles in ichorid, and it does not go under the chalice@0 (yours and possibly eve your opponent's too), and null rod. Let's say:

- Bazaar, activate
- Cycle this and dredge already

Plus, it's a black creature to feed Ichorid, and has a decent power to feed the big guy too.

[The Atog Lord]

While only playtesting will give certainty, I strongly suspect that four in almost every deck will be the correct number. (Yes, it won't be good in Oath).

[Vegeta2711]

I'm not sure this is an autoinclude like everyone is saying.  I mean, what 4 cards would you cut from Long?  Gifts?  Slaver?  It's not like they have extra slots.

Whatever you perceive the 4 worst cards in the deck to be. For a normal Long list I can already see 2. Remember you can also reduce mana sources if you want, because the mana ratios for a 56 card deck are going to be a bit more lenient. 

[ErkBek]

Wow, you guys have really set the bar on this one really high. When I first saw the card, I thought the same too. However, I believe that this card will only see play in Ichorid and maybe some sort of fast combo deck. The reason why I don't expect this to be an auto 4-of in every deck is be this card will cause mulligan decisions to be complicated, much as Time Walk can in Long and Dragon. I feel that this card will create a number of times when a player will be left thinking, man this hand would be insane if I cycled into XXX or YYY. I've got 14 cards that would be hot to cycle into, after I draw for turn I'll see 2 cards, so that's like a 40% chance I'm just going to crush my opponent. 

With that said, one thing I'm surprised no one has mentioned is that this will help achieve threshold even faster for fast combo decks for more consistent 5 mana cabal rituals. 

[Thug]

Seems highly playable in a fast-combo deck.

- Gets you to threshold earlier.
- Pitches to unmask when needed.
- Makes I Seal, Vampiric and Mystical much better!
- Makes you see bombs more often.

Koen

[Guli]

When i saw this card i thought about the nice draw engine that it could provide in my oath of ghouls deck. Should be tested though. As for in combo. I have no idea. Could be used in a dredge deck aswell i guess.

[Harlequin]

I think its dangerous saying that you play with a 56 card deck when you run this.  It is what it is: a free cycle when you have priority.  In addition to mulligans which as been discussed, you can't actually use this for mid-spell draws.  Spesifically: Brainstorm and Thirst for Knowledge.  If you draw this card as one of the 3 then it does you no real good (and perhapse does some damage).  So I have a hard time seeing this card doing more good than harm in decks like Gifts, Slaver, or Bomberman.   

But certainly, as others have noted, looks good in any deck running Ichorid or Cabal Rit.

[Disburden]

 Once again the Vintage mindset of "What do you put this in? There's no room in Control Slaver, etc", is completely incorrect. One of the biggest flaws of this format is when we believe the decks we have are the only decks new cards can go into. If this card is real then it can create a whole new powerhouse of a deck that runs 56 cards and wins very quickly. We have access to thousands of cards and growing with each new set, but we want to know how to put cards in the 6 decks that are in the format currently.

 Doesn't make sense.

 If we gave this new card to a Pro Tour veteran and asked them to make a Vintage legal deck out of it, I garantee you the busted monster that would emerge wouldn't look like Gifts, Slaver, Grim Long, Fish, etc.

[Implacable]

I can cut four cards from most decks in the format.  I see this fitting into basically everything (excluding Oath, of course).  What a stupid card.

EDIT: I understand Becker's concerns about it complicating mulligans.  Nevertheless, as Zeus points out, the synergy with card disadvantage tutors alone makes it amazing.  It also helps cycle through Brainstorm, just for kicks.  What this guy does, plain and simple, is increase the power level of your deck by cutting the, admittedly very good, filler.

[zeus-online]

Hmm this just made Imperial seal, personal tutor, mystical tutor and vampiric tutor alot better.

Might try this out in a version of belcher where unmask was used over duress...Definetly an interesting card, but i wish WoTC hadn't printed it.

/Zeus

[Disburden]

It hasn't been confirmed yet, am I correct? Let's not go nuts yet.

[BreathWeapon]

The card is retarded in combo, building Threshold and drawing after a top deck tutor 4x's this card for certain in SX; with Yawgmoth's Wills and that generate 2 storm and mana of Summoner's Pact that deck is insane it's so fast.

[ReAnimator]

The card is stupid in combo, building Threshold and drawing after a top deck tutor 4x's this card for certain in SX; with Yawgmoth's Wills and that generate 2 storm and mana of Summoner's Pact that deck is insane it's so fast.

Summoners pact only searches green creatures,

Otherwise this would be insane with that, 0 mana draw a card Yawgwill draw 2 more cards for 6 life and zero mana.  So 3 cards for 0 mana, yeah WotC isn't that crazy.

This card is stupid good in ichorid, and probably quite good in 1st turn combo like beltcher.

[BreathWeapon]

The card is stupid in combo, building Threshold and drawing after a top deck tutor 4x's this card for certain in SX; with Yawgmoth's Wills and that generate 2 storm and mana of Summoner's Pact that deck is insane it's so fast.

Summoners pact only searches green creatures,

Otherwise this would be insane with that, 0 mana draw a card Yawgwill draw 2 more cards for 6 life and zero mana.  So 3 cards for 0 mana, yeah WotC isn't that crazy.

This card is stupid good in ichorid, and probably quite good in 1st turn combo like beltcher.

No, Street Wraith is just for Vampiric Tutor->Yawgmoth's Will and draw Yawgmoth's Will. Summoner's Pact is for -> Elvish Spirit Guide, Yawgmoth's Will -> Summoner's Pact -> Elvish Spirit Guide.

Turning the deck into 56 cards cards and focusing on tutoring for Yawgmoth's Will makes the deck a lot more consistent (or rather easier to play).

[Methuselahn]

The reason why I don't expect this to be an auto 4-of in every deck is be this card will cause mulligan decisions to be complicated, much as Time Walk can in Long and Dragon.

Quoted for Truth.

This is the reason why we wont be seeing the card in Vintage.  Your opening hand determines everything.  This card is a big question mark in your opening hand.  It's like you're partially giving up the power of the mulligan with this card.

This card does not turn your deck into 56 cards.

[Midknight]

Well if they would have made it, if its in your opening hand you could cycle it before or look at the top card of your library before you choose if you want to muligan then it would be like running a 56 card deck. Its just like that zero artifact in Cold Snap, everyone made a big hype about saying it was like running a 56 card deck. Now grant its this slightly better, but decks like Grim Long, already have alot of loss of life. The tutors, necro, bargain, are all based on your life.

[LotusHead]

If that Zombie card is real, would you/we re-evaluate our manabases for a 56 card deck?

I agree that 56 cards is more broken in T1 than 60 cards (even though I have played 61 cards before), but is this REALLY that broken that it would change things?

What 4 cards are worse than Pay 2 Life: Draw 1 Card in any known deck?

Seriously, What Would You Cut?

I'm not doubting that there is an answer, but for say, My Own Decks, I am always trying to get DOWN to just 60 cards.

Full Disclosure: I was gonna put this in Community Rumors/Spoilers thread, but this one exists.

[Guli]

Drawing demonic with grim long usually means you win from my experiences with it. If this card makes vamp/seal/mystical even cheaper then i say yes it will change things.

[moxpearl]

If that Zombie card is real, would you/we re-evaluate our manabases for a 56 card deck?

I agree that 56 cards is more broken in T1 than 60 cards (even though I have played 61 cards before), but is this REALLY that broken that it would change things?

What 4 cards are worse than Pay 2 Life: Draw 1 Card in any known deck?

Seriously, What Would You Cut?

I'm not doubting that there is an answer, but for say, My Own Decks, I am always trying to get DOWN to just 60 cards.

Full Disclosure: I was gonna put this in Community Rumors/Spoilers thread, but this one exists.

We know Street Wraith will not really like playing with a 56 card deck due to the mulligan issues Methuselahn mentioned and the loss of life.  But if you really could start with a 56 card and draw 7 with 20 life, then you could easily eliminate 4 cards.   If you take Pitch Long, it's 30/60 (50%) mana, 7/60 draw, 9/60 counter/bounce, 7/60 tutor, 8/60 bomb, 1/60 kill.   As you keep dropping cards from a deck, you stick to those ratios, but statistically your mana percentage can go down since your deck will be getting more consistent.

If we drop all the way to 12 cards, we proportionally need 6 mana, 1 draw, 2 counter, 1 tutor, 1 bomb, 1 kill...or reducing mana, we could have 5 mana, 2 draw, 2 counter, 1 tutor, 1 bomb, 1 kill.    The deck could be Lotus, Petal, ritual x2, underground sea, ancestral, brainstorm, force, force, demonic, yawg, and tendrils.   I know that's not the best 12, but it's just an example.

Between 12 and 60, you'd follow similar rules, but your land count can go down as your draw/tutor/bomb ratio goes up.  Hence, a more consistent early kill.

[Midknight]

This card is overrated. You could compare any draw spell too it. Yes I know this one is free, well not really it has a draw back like all of them do, loss of life.

Think how many cards cycle for one mana or you play a spell to draw a card for one mana. They basicly replacing itself or another card and we dont call those decks 56 card decks. Now there draw back is using a mana.

Look at Mishra's Bauble from Cold Snap. Its zero mana to play and zero mana to sac it to draw a card. This cards draw back is you have to wait for your next upkeep to draw the card.

This card may be a good card in Astral Slide. Im sure it will fit into some decks but its way over rated right now, just like how Mishra's Bauble was before it came out.

[Guli]

This card is overrated. You could compare any draw spell too it. Yes I know this one is free, well not really it has a draw back like all of them do, loss of life.

Think how many cards cycle for one mana or you play a spell to draw a card for one mana. They basicly replacing itself or another card and we dont call those decks 56 card decks. Now there draw back is using a mana.

Look at Mishra's Bauble from Cold Snap. Its zero mana to play and zero mana to sac it to draw a card. This cards draw back is you have to wait for your next upkeep to draw the card.

This card may be a good card in Astral Slide. Im sure it will fit into some decks but its way over rated right now, just like how Mishra's Bauble was before it came out.

Do I really have to point out how important that can be?

EDIT - PS, only mods should use red text.  What you had red is now green.  - Dante

[moxpearl]

It's way better than bauble, not only because of the next upkeep issue, but also because the cycle ability is immune to chalice and null rod, two top weapons against combo.

[Midknight]

Mishra's Bauble by far isnt as good as the new card.

Why did eveyone make a big deal about Mishra's Bauble before it came out, saying it was like playing with a 56 card deck.

I dont think you understand the point I was trying to make. Just becuase you play with X amount of cards, that say, replace it for a new card, doesnt make your deck X cards smaller.

The main reason like pointed out ealier is you dont know what your going to draw into.

I never said this card wasnt going to see play, I am sure it will, but not as much as some people think.

[ErkBek]

Why did eveyone make a big deal about Mishra's Bauble before it came out, saying it was like playing with a 56 card deck.

No offense, but I don't think anyone did.