I didn't expect to see the Cyclops table.

I think Clear a Path is probably the right choice here.

When are we going on autodraft?

+1 Clear a Path activator + hate, best of bad options.

+1 autodraft remainder of this round too

Well damn. We got some good picks out of this pack, but I definitely feel like we got cut off from a lot of cards we would have liked pretty early. Hopefully we can be the ones to snag them up again in the next pack.

+1 Clear a Path

+1 to AutoDraft strategy.

Back again from a visit to see the family.

+1 Clear a Path

+1 Autodraft

+1 "R: Your skylocpi army is totally badass for this turn and oh go kill something annoying while your at it"

+1 Autodraft - I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for that Ral Zarek

Auto drafting starts tomorrow with pick 13

+1 Clear a Path

Oh my god this pack. There is so much in this pack that is good for our deck. We will get something good when this tables, guaranteed. We of course take Dragonshift this pick.

The fuck. This is a silly, silly pack.

Obviously, the three primary contenders are Turn / Burn , Cyclops, and Dragonshift .

Turn / Burn is straight up removal. Cyclops is straight up consistency. Dragonshift is straight up silly.

Let's explore the option that we won't be Overloading Dragonshift , since it's so expensive and slow. Shift on a Cyclops reads: Target creature gains +4/+0 and flying until end of turn. Shift on our flyers is even weaker. Is Jump + Fists of the Anvil + 1/2 of Ovinize tacked on the same spell really that good? Is it better than unconditionally killing their bomb for 5 mana? Is it even better than grabbing another copy of what's possibly our best creature?

Also worth noting: If we pass Turn / Burn the person splashing R/U will snag the Izzet card we passed and a random red deck will grab Turn / Burn just for the red side.... and we'll be stuck with another copy of Hidden Strings , which is unexciting.

This set is very limited in terms of removal, and Turn / Burn is the creme de la creme. I really think we should grab it while we have the chance.

+1 Turn / Burn

(Now quick, someone convince me Dragonshift is better. It'll make me sad if we don't take it. It's just so awesome thematically. Skyclops!)

We take either turn and burn or cyclops. Dragonshift will come back with 95% certanity. If it were anything else I'd say Cyclops but since Turn and Burn is so damn good removal in this format there's no question.

+1 Turn / Burn and let's hope there are more Cyclops coming our way. It'll be dragonshift when we get this pack back.

No way in hell is Dragonshift coming back around. People realize just how good it is. Even if it's not the other Izzet drafter who takes it, someone is going to hate draft it. IT'S A BOMB!

It goes at the very top of our curve. Yes, I'll concede the point that in draft formats we may not get to overload it because draft is quicker than sealed, but at the very WORST this card will ever be is a combat trick and a Cyclops activator. Sometimes we will think of it as a removal spell (we can cast it on the opponent's attack step and kill whatever they attacking with).

It's also a rare and Turn / Burn is an uncommon. I'm not saying we'll see another Turn/Burn, but it's more likely that we'll see another one. And if by some weird twist of fate that we get passed a second Dragonshift then we need to snatch that up and not think twice about it because it's better in multiples and we need to Cyclops activation.

Think of Dragonshift like this, "1UR; 4/4 or 7/4 creature with flying until end of turn." As I said, combat trick or removal. But then there is the overload, "3UURR, multiple 4/4's and 7/4s with flying until end of turn. GG". And there is the bomb.

Here's my final thoughts. Dragonshift is a bomb that can be used like a removal spell or a combat trick. Turn/Burn is a removal spell that can deal 2 to the dome. In respect to BREAD, we take a bomb before we take removal. And Dragonshift is both bomb and removal. And at rare as compared to uncommon, we're more likely to see another Turn/Burn.

+1 Dragonshift

Well since I specifically called out Turn / Burn while discussing what we'd like to see in the next pack, I'm pretty happy it's in here. However the rare is ALSO izzet colored and actually better for all the reasons stated above by dcarpntr so...

+1 Dragonshift , and happy to vote that way.

A pack like this is perfect to go back into BREAD philosophy. This pack has literally all of BREAD in it in our colors.

Dragonshift is the BOMB here. If we cast it, we win the game. Unless it's a game-making play otherwise, we treat this as a 3UURR card.

Turn / Burn is REMOVAL at its finest. It will absolutely remove at least one creature from the battlefield. In rare cases it can remove two.

Hidden Strings is single-turn EVASION. The only real reason to cast it is to punch damage through a stalled board.

Nivix Cyclops is AGGRESSIVE, or at least he is in our deck build. Never bad to have more 4/4s for 3.

And then we have the DREGS. Murmuring Phantasm isn't a good card. Never will be. He makes me sad.

That being noted, you should "always" take the BOMB. Any card that reads:

3UURR: Win target game

should pretty much get scooped up as soon as possible. Sad to see the Cyclops and Turn/Burn leave us so soon, but with a little bit of luck the Cyclops will table. The rest of this pack IS pretty nutty.

+1 Durgins

+1 Dragonshift

Good arguments on it being a bomb. As much as it hurts to see the other cards get passed on, we should celebrate our good fortune. It's a nice card for us.

Yes, yes, Skyclops. This pleases me. I'll report this pack, and then I'm off for a bit. I leave you all in dcarpntrs hands. He'll be running things on his deck page until I get back. See you all soon.

@dcarpntr, can we get a link?

Just checking the steps, let's say we have 2 skyclops and a murmuring phantasm. We cast overloaded dragonshift.

1. Both Nivix Cyclops abilities trigger "on cast", putting a +3/+0 on the stack for each and removing defender restrictions.
2. Dragonshift resolves, resetting all critters P/T to 4/4, erasing defender from the phantasm, any future instants/sorceries will NOT boost our new dragonbeasts, which are all now flying.
3. +3/+0 at bottom of stack applies, but to dragons instead of skyclops. We assault our enemy with one 4/4 dragon (phantasm) and two 7/4 dragons (skyclops), for 18 damage (assuming unblocked).

I'm just trying to make sure that +3/+0 applies AFTER the reset, b/c something something layers something resets confused . . .

Short answer: Yes, we get 7/4 cyclopi.

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't matter either way, though. I'm fairly sure that abilities that set power and toughness to specific values are on a different layer than effects that buff those values. It is possible to Giant Growth a creature, then Dragonshift it to get a 7/7 dragon.

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/the-dark-brotherhood-interim/

Sorry I'm so late getting back to this. I just got home from refereeing at a martial arts tournament all day.

The link that Darkness posted is indeed or deck for the next five or six days while our leader is on vacation. Please post something there so that you'll receive updates.

I'm still not convinced. I won't complain, but I don't think this is a Pay 7 Mana: Win the game. You need to be in a stalled board state in a position to alpha strike to make this card worth it.

Hell, with this we can be even blown out by a Riot Control .

I'd always rather have unconditional removal over a conditional bomb. Every single time.

(And I still think if we take Dragonshift that we'll lose both the cyclops and turn//burn before the pack gets back to us.)

Ok. I also prefer Turn , I just initially checked in late and figured it had been decided (I have a weird work schedule so I'm usually the last to chime in). Dragonshift just seems counter to our gameplan . . . our creatures are good enough as they are and, like we've said, most of them are made better by sequential small casts than by one big, ability-depriving overload.

We can't ignore it simply because it's conditional. If we don't take Dragonshift , I don't want that to be the only reason. Our entire deck is situational. That's pretty much our whole game plan.

Anywhoo, it's also quite good at just 3 mana. Getting a free swing in for 7 in the air will do plenty of work in our deck.

Can't complain if we do go the Turn / Burn route, though; it's a beautiful card. I just enjoy dragons and don't want to be blown out by an army of them.