Sultai Ascendancy
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on Sept. 5, 2014, 1:02 p.m. by NixTheThird
Sultai Ascendancy
BGU
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them into your graveyard and the rest on top of your library in any order.
Don't know how to link pictures, please forgive. But reading that took me a while to like it. But it's like scry 2 in a deck that loves the gy or jace, the living guild-pact +1 for free, during your upkeep.So it has a place, like enabling my dreams with Empty the pits.
MindAblaze says... #3
Between that and Jace, the Living Guildpact there will be fodder for your 'yard shenanigans.
September 5, 2014 1:05 p.m.
weisemanjohn says... #4
This is an amazing card. Even though I want to play temur, this could be a 1-of just to get that bonus card advantage. Pair this with Courser of Kruphix and you can almost guarantee you get your land drops and good card draws each turn.
September 5, 2014 1:07 p.m.
Nigeltastic says... #5
This card is nuts and I'm happy to see people realizing that somewhere. Hail the brood!
September 5, 2014 1:08 p.m.
I'm happy to see that people's opinions on here are much more realistic than on mythicspoiler. This card is sweeet.
September 5, 2014 1:26 p.m.
trentfaris242 says... #8
Ya, man. This thing gets you at least a free Scry 2 every upkeep for 3 CMC. That's great. In addition, you get to put stuff in your graveyard to synergize with other dudes. Such a good card.
September 5, 2014 1:27 p.m.
Nigeltastic says... #9
Yeah in a delve style deck I'm so much more psyched for this than scry even as I get more fuel rather than just bottoming things.
September 5, 2014 1:32 p.m.
NixTheThird says... #10
I think it is good, but it does suffer because it does nothing when it comes in. It enables moves down the road, but man it does make me nervous it is an enchantment... there's plenty of enchantment hate and turn three you will probably rather to be putting down a good ol' Courser of Kruphix or another strong hold the line creature. I think this will work out fine if the format does slow down, but I don't like "turn three, card that does nothing for now, go."
Still, a lot of potential for sure. I'm thinking a two of in a deck that has other gy fillers and such. What do you all think?
September 5, 2014 1:35 p.m.
MindAblaze says... #11
That being said Yavimaya Coast , Elvish Mystic , turn two swamp this...not impossible.
But yes, three drops that don't do anything immediately can really hurt you.
September 5, 2014 1:38 p.m.
trentfaris242 says... #12
Well, I mean Courser of Kruphix does nothing for you the turn you play it unless you ramp into it. If you're playing it vanilla on t3, I think I'd rather have this than Courser of Kruphix since it let's me dig 2 cards keep during my upkeep.
September 5, 2014 1:49 p.m.
NixTheThird says... #14
If I have nothing attacking me on turn 2, 3? Yeah this is great! But generally there's something going on, so not sure I want to keep not putting anything that blocks down.
Now if I already have Sylvan Caryatid down and I'm hitting my land drops? Oh yeah, let the digging for shenanigans begin.
September 5, 2014 1:54 p.m.
Wait so you're saying don't play an enchantment there's to much enchantment hate play an ENCHANTMENT creature instead? I'm fine with preferring to drop a Courser of Kruphix because it's a creature but all the hate and more exists for Courser. Never argue "it dies to removal." Everything dies to removal.
September 5, 2014 1:59 p.m.
It's also might be a lot like Underworld Connections in that you side it in/out depending on how aggro your opponent is. Also, anyone think they'll be reprinting Tombstalker ? The rare delve guy they've already spoiled is sweet regardless of if they do or not, but I just wanted to see what you all think.
September 5, 2014 2 p.m.
trentfaris242 says... #18
@MindAblaze! Ya I was making a massive assumption. Carry on.
September 5, 2014 2:02 p.m.
NixTheThird says... #19
Sry, didn't mean to conjure the doom blade argument. Was more leaning on the it's not safe to set it up thinking it'll sit there forever. I think Spootyone nailed it on the head though.
September 5, 2014 2:22 p.m.
Great card in a BUG Midrange deck. It lets you dig and get rid all the stuff you dont want. That with Courser of Kruphix can guarantee every turn a landdrop. With that we might see a BUG Dredge style deck.
September 5, 2014 2:50 p.m.
I'm not a fan of the ascendancy cycle artworks. It looks like they just recycled the promo images they revealed, where all the clan members looked like they got together for a group photo.
OT: I'm not sure why any Sultai deck would want to run Sultai Ascendancy over Jace, the Living Guildpact . Jace does almost the same thing ascendancy can do, but more, for only one more mana investment. Ascendancy triggers at the beginning of each of your own upkeeps, so for the first turn it is a do-nothing card for you, and realistically gives you value on the same turn Jace 5.0 can come down. There will be cases where you would want to mill both of the cards you look at, but is that option worth more than what Jace gives?
September 5, 2014 3:26 p.m.
NixTheThird says... #22
I'm working through just such a concept. Waiting on better delve/gy loving cards to be spoiled though. Working Sultai concept
September 5, 2014 3:26 p.m.
NixTheThird says... #23
Krayhaft i did not mean it was a replacement. I was drawing a connection between the two. I mean, i personally prefer the draw of caryatid, into courser, into Jace v5 over ascendancy (if you freedom to do so of course). But having ascendancy on top of jace, both working at once? ooo, that'll get those pits filled up fast nice and quick like for when Sidisi, Brood Tyrant commands her zombies to Empty the pits.
September 5, 2014 3:31 p.m.
CrovaxTheCursed says... #24
Krayhaft does have a point in that Jace can almost accomplish what Ascendency does. However, I see a lot more Hero's Downfall than I do Revoke Existence and the like so I still maintain that Ascendency is harder to remove. Sure there's a lot of Enchantment hate in Standard, but not mainboard in anyone's deck. The Ascendency is not meant to be dropped on turn 3, it's meant for a little bit later when you've stabilized your board, have defenders up if necessary, and are starting to enter top-deck-mode. So just when you are stable enough to drop the enchantment is when you should drop it. Just because it costs 3, doesn't mean you need to cast it as soon as you have 3 mana. Now, with all that said, I don't feel like it's a game-changer per say, but I can see the potential possibilities of the card and they're quite vast (albeit restricted to those three colors). This card should probably not be more than a two-of unless you were to sideboard in a third or fourth, as was mentioned a few posts ago. It's not one of those cards that immediately demands attention, or immediately gives you value; however, it is one of those cards that will punish the opponent for underestimating it and leaving it unchecked (much like people did with Courser when it first came out).
September 5, 2014 4:24 p.m.
BlastercoolWeird says... #25
worth noting that you can't just punch Ascendancy into oblivion like you could with Jace.
Cards like this and Sidisi actually make me really interested in Sultai. I've seen analogies to Sylvan Library and I don't feel it's /wholly/ inaccurate
September 5, 2014 4:38 p.m.
CastleSiege says... #26
Whoops, didn't see this thread before I went and made one. My bad :L
September 5, 2014 9:40 p.m.
Spootyone, they won't be reprinting Tombstalker with Necropolis Fiend around, they're too similar
September 7, 2014 8:40 a.m.
Kidsune: That's what I figured. Anyone think Necropolis Fiend is good enough to see play? There's a lot of ways to dump things into the grave and necropolis fiend seems sweet once it hits the table. Mostly becuase is blocks and kills a stormbreath dragon.
September 7, 2014 12:59 p.m.
Death_The_Kid says... #29
I have a few things I want to say. 1 this is really tempting me to play Sultai, really badly, i love delve and I love scry2 every turn, it comes out the same turn as Thassa maybe sooner since you are in green, I understand it cant walk and beat face like Thassa but I really think Sultai Control Mid range decks are going to love this card. now second comment, for everyone that talks about enchantment removal. Well sure there is a lot of things that can hit this card now, but really everything dies to removal, for instance I now pack 2x Feast of Dreams because of doom blade leaving and Courser is a thing. To sum it up I love this card and can see it played in EDH and Standard.
trentfaris242 says... #2
And that card finally makes my decision. I will be playing Sultai.
September 5, 2014 1:03 p.m.