[Free Article] Ravnica Restored Vintage Set Review

[forests failed you]

http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/vintage/24958-Return-To-Ravnica-Vintage-Set-Review.html

Vintage set review is up on SCG.

[vaughnbros]

This was a pretty good read.  I agree in that it seems like RTR's biggest effect is going to be graveyard hate spells.  I think deathrite shaman is another pretty playable graveyard hate card that you didn't mention.  That would put it at 2 pretty much guaranteed new GY hate spells, and 2 at least fringe playable graveyard hate cards.

The two cards I disagree with you which both look good in theory, but I dont think they are playable in reality.

While vandalblast looks amazing in theory when you overload it chalice at 1 still counters it so I dont think its really playable over ingot chewer or shattering spree.

Again treasure find looks like a slightly more cost prohibitive regrowth, but is regrowth even playable anymore with all this new graveyard hate? Unlike snapcaster it has no use outside of recurring spells.  You even said in your analysis

I usually play the allotted one copy of Regrowth

not you guaranteed play the allotted regrowth in cobra gush.

[psyburat]

After reading the relevant comment in the article I cannot tell if this thread's title should be ironic or not.

Solid read, echo'd a lot of the community.  Rest in Peace is certainly not the nail in the coffin, but surely changes the focus of Dredge, perhaps much in the way it prepared for Cage.

[Lemnear]

Solid roundup of the Expansion ... Not for vintage only. Echoed large parts of the community with additional content. A good one

[MaximumCDawg]

Seconding Deathrite Shaman as an overlooked playable.  Noble Hierarch sees play in Vintage because it accelerates while proving a gravy bonus on top of that.  Deathrite Shaman is, in my mind, very comparable.  Now, whether the bonus is powerful enough remains to be seen.  Hierarch got alot better because Pridemage and Selkie existed.  Shaman doesn't have that level of offensive synergy.  What it does have is defensive applications against Dredge (nuke yard) and Aggro (life gain).

Biggest strike against it is that, even though it's a one-drop, it can't stop Dredge even when you're on the play due to summoning sickness.  Deathrite is only going to shine against Dredge if you hit their initial dredger; once they have more than one going, it won't do much.  Still, it gives you options, and does so much, I have an eye on it.

[Prospero]

Brian, thank you for taking the time to write this article; I thoroughly enjoyed it, and your analysis of the new set.

[oshkoshhaitsyosh]

Good job I enjoyed this read as well!

[Metman]

Clever and informative, I liked it.

[Phele]

Good Read, thanks a lot!

A few notes:

I agree that White meanwhile has become an attractive option for the tertiary color of UBx Confidant control. But I would say, that you are still not in a dilemma between Ingot Chewer in Red and Rest in Peace in White. While Rest in Peace is terrific, it can be exchanged with other sufficent hate like Leyline, Cage ... But there is no alternative to Ingot Chewer, not in any color and especially not in White. You need an effective early game removal against shops. The only thing White can offer is Disenchant, which is very underpowered and too slow. Serenity is even slower. So you have to choose something like Steel Sabotage, which dies to Chalice one and is still slower under a Thorn. Imo Chewer is the reason to play Red in the moment.

Aprupt decay: I think the deck this card is taylor made for is Oath. Uncounterable instant removal for Trygon, Cage, Chalice Two, Meddling Mage ... And Oath has a pretty good access to green and black.

Detention Sphere: While it looks really versatile, it has a few downs. In the control mirror I often came to the situation we call the confi war. Both opponents had Confidants on the board and digged heavily for überpowered game winning cards or removal for the other Confidant(s). Detention Sphere would hit all Confidants in this case. It might be a minor weakness, but at least it is one. And while it definately would be overwhelming to catch two Chalices with it, I think it will not happen very often to get two Thorns, Golems or Spheres (or Wires) with it, as Detention Sphere is affected by all of them and so the casting cost with even two colors in it becomes much too high. And without hitting multiple targets it is just a very costy single removal against Shops, which you probably would board out and never in.

[nedleeds]

Thanks for an enjoyable read. One point I thought you missed about Judeges Familiar ... the most important part about it is not it's evasion or even being not a merfolk but the fact that it is white. Thalia is white and all the other mana tax men are white. In w/g we also have beaucoup exalted making the evasion a bit more important.