MTG Top 10: BAD Cards in GREAT Cycles | Magic: the Gathering | Episode 412

#MTG #Magicthegathering #MTGArena
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Direct Card Kingdom Links for Each Card in this Video (SPOILERS)
Note: Prices may have changed
Pulse of the Dross - www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/darks...
Howltooth Hollow - www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/lorwy...
Teferi's Isle - www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/mirag...
Frantic Purification - www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/torme...
Tolaria - www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/legen...
Vine Dryad - www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/merca...
Intervention Pact - www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/futur...
Marrow Shards - www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/new-p...
Scars of the Veteran - www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/allia...
Healing Salve - www.cardkingdom.com/mtg/alpha...
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Animations by Mike from Mythic Tales. Find his channel filled with awesome MTG animation here: / radiocommand
I Can Feel it Coming Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com )
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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[@NizzahonMagic]

Many have brought up Shivan Gorge in the comments. And while, yeah, the other cards in the cycle are way better, it isn't on the list because it isn't bad enough. It has two PT Top 8s and is in over 1000 decks on EDHRec.

[@smashbuddie]

It's a win condition in my Zacama deck!

[@siener]

I suppose you're correct since Sihvan Gorge isn't bad per se, but the gap between it and the rest of the cards in the cycle is massive. Anyway, thanks for another great video!

[@ellajid]

No way ancestral recall is worth 240,000 dollars. Where did you get that from?

[@NizzahonMagic]

@@ellajid Obviously was a mistake.

[@archonambroseus]

I like lists where, despite almost 30 years of design innovation and change, I know ahead of time the #1 card is going to be from Alpha :).

[@elliotthood1719]

Healing salve? Edit: yeah, healing salve

[@Matti_Mattsen]

yeah, healing salve

[@bertyamgeebler1865]

there can be only one

[@muddlewait8844]

As a guy who hasn’t played magic regularly for over 20 years, I appreciate the rare times my usually obsolete knowledge is still relevant

[@matthewgagnon9426]

It's obvious because three of the cards in that cycle are the absolute gold standard for what they do, one is still pretty strong in its category, and then there's one that is absolutely garbage and has had a card that does BOTH modes of it at the same time for the same cost.

[@apjapki]

Wizards needs to print a damage prevention commander to give these cards a home. If it was mono white and the damage prevention turned into card draw at some rate, people would go nuts for it.

[@shatterspree4123]

The only problem with that idea is that you generally can’t control preventing damage, because your opponents have to be ‘working with you’ I guess you could prevent your own damage, which is a possibility and an interesting concept.

[@apjapki]

@@shatterspree4123 It's commander. It doesn't have to be top tier. Also some effects allow you to prevent damage to other players and their creatures, which can be used politically while still netting you a bonus. I think combat damage is regular enough in mid tier commander that it would be playable.

[@apjapki]

@Chad Manning Yes, you could do it either (a) per source (b) per point, paying 1 mana per card or (c) one card for every 2 damage prevented. I guess you could even do more than one.

[@vitorlaet9983]

@Chad Manning It could also give provoke to your white creatures as a way to ensure they're taking damage... There would be a chance of the deck being more about battle tricks though...

[@TheL0rd0fSpace]

They could even fill the precon with cards with Absorb. They would be more repeatable/engine focused, like T: target permanent or player gains Absorb X. They could even print Absorb in a standard set as a "new" mechanic.

[@gwikeh]

Came for the Healing Salve, stayed for the Bounty of The Hunt ...

[@tron_the7the9]

healing salve

[@noahr4951]

Poor Healing Salve, technically it has two modes so it’s actually better than the other four.

[@TheEvolver311]

The OG

[@charliemallonee2792]

@@noahr4951 Well, Ancestral Recall can target either player, giving it two modes in a sense.

[@tron_the7the9]

Lighting bolt technically has 3 modes too

[@Readceras]

@@charliemallonee2792 A Gollum correcting another Gollum under a random mtg video, now I've seen it all....

[@jingweizheng4053]

Marrow shards saw a ton of play in Block constructed. Mainly in side boards against the mirror. It technically has a 3 PT top8s. I say technically because that Block Pro Tour top 8 was draft, but swiss was block constucted.

[@SmugLookingBarrel]

I was really expecting Shivan Gorge to make this list, as part of the cycle of legendary lands from Urza's Saga. Included in that cycle are Tolarian Academy, Gaea's Cradle, and Serra's Sanctum, three of the best lands of all time, then there's Phyrexian Tower which is no slouch either, and then there's Shivan Gorge which is awful.

[@arthurvandenbergh1881]

Just looked up shivas gorge and the card doesn’t seem that bad to me tbh. Way worse than the rest of course but still

[@Harakanis]

I actually had a couple of those in my burn deck way back in the day, card draw was super rare in red and it helped with a bit of reach against some decks

[@gdiridium5525]

tbh Gorge is only awful in comparison to the others, on it's own it looks like it was a pretty reasonable card for giving red decks reach

[@herbbranan78]

Shivan Gorge is certainly less powerful than the other 4, but it's not quite as "bad" as the other cards on this list. It's still repeatable damage for a manageable amount of mana, especially late game.

[@jondean2729]

Shivan Gorge is a very good card in a vacuum, comparable to Ramunap Ruins. Granted, still could've made the list since the other 4 cards in the cycle are 4 of the best lands ever printed.

[@gwikeh]

Double check that math, Nizzahon ... you added a 0 to card kingdom's Ancestral price. A quarter of a million is insane, even for mtg finance vampires.

[@Psychonaut165]

I was wondering about that.. I figured that must be a mistake..

[@TeaHauss]

I'm expecting a lot of white cards, and number one Healing Salve

[@InsanityPlea100]

Actually, Ancestral Recall gives you two options, just like Healing Salve. Everyone just forgets that you can force your opponent to draw three cards instead of yourself. Lol. It is technically bad milling and does have limited uses in very specific scenarios. Which is better than no additional use.

[@tomscud]

it also comes up in multiplayer games

[@InsanityPlea100]

@@tomscud it also could come up in wonky strategy's where you know what is on the top of their deck, and want it in their hand to force a discard effect or make them have more cards in hand than you or something. There are a few funky, niche ways that this can work out

[@andrewallstar2719]

JTMS ult then ancestral recall your opponent to kill them on the spot is definitely something I have seen once

[@InsanityPlea100]

@@andrewallstar2719 oof. Ya, that would do it. I would probably laugh at my own death at the very least.

[@Semino1eC4]

Would you really force your poor opponent to draw three cards? That's a bit of a traumatic experience, which is why drawing the cards yourself is so noble.

[@djjmandos]

Fun video! That said I'll make a pitch for vine dryad. This card was a staple of mono green stompy in both standard and extended formats during the era of rancor and giant growth. All that mattered was getting as many threats out as quickly possible and dropping rancor and punching through damage. Your 1/3 quickly became a 3/3 with trample on the turn it attacked.

[@NizzahonMagic]

It definitely was not a staple, as I found 0 evidence of it being played in that deck. It might have been played for sure, but you can't be a staple with 0 Top 8s at any relevant event.

[@djjmandos]

@@NizzahonMagic Vine Dryad was a 4x staple of early 2000's 10 land stompy and had day 2 and top 8s in GPs in that era as well as being ubiquitous at PTQs at that time as one of the aggro decks of choice to pilot for an easy top 8. Anyone who played from that period was well aware of the power of that deck and in particular, the fast start that was provided Vine Dryad/Rancor from that period.

[@NizzahonMagic]

@@djjmandos Interesting that there is no historical record of this. Obviously I had to base this video on such things, but yeah, sounds like Vine Dryad shouldn't be on the list.

[@scaerverie]

@@NizzahonMagic Vine Dryad was a "staple" in early 2000's Vintage 10 land stompy.

[@G_Elo]

What about Dread Shade in the ccc cost from the Dominaria cycle? I remember Goblin Chainwhirler, Benalish Marshal, Tempest Djinn and Steel Leaf Champion being heavily played but Dread Shade was not.

[@SpitefulAZ]

maybe that's number 12. number 11 should be shivan gorge.

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

@@SpitefulAZ I'm actually surprise Shivan Gorge was not included in the list!

[@SpitefulAZ]

@@ROMANTIKILLER2 me too! The cards in that cycle are way more iconic than some of this list. However, Shivan gorge does see play in EDH is an instant speed win condition with world gorger dragon combo. Maybe that's why it's missing.

[@aritzmartinezrodriguez1825]

@@ROMANTIKILLER2 IMO the thing is that Shivan Gorge seems "bad" because some of the other lands in that cycle are serious contenders for "best land ever printed" but the card itself, in a vacuum, is pretty solid. Specially now with EDH being so popular. This seems that can easily be slotted as one of the wincons of an infinite mana combo deck. I don't play the format so this is probably the clunkiest way of comboing it xD, but from the top of my head, I assume a bunch of those decks already use staff of domination and something to convert the colorless mana in to colored mana. So throw in there a few of the blue creatures that can untap any permanent (if they aren't already in the deck, which probably are) and there you go, that should do the trick. And I am sure that there are a thousand better ways to exploit this thing. Also, I am to lazy to look at it xD, but I wouldn't be surprised if this was played quite a lot in mono red decks back when it was printed. I can see this thing doing the last couple of damage points once you've rune out of gas . Back in the day red card draw was virtually non existent and x/1 where more common, this could have been quite useful. So, I am sure its points are nowhere close to those of the other lands in the cycle, but I would be quite surprised if it didn't have quite a decent score/amount of people playing it anyway.

[@smegmalasagna]

I played with Dread Shade. It was worse than the rest of course but I would not call it a bad card. (Or atleast it used to be playable on arena until the powercreep came with war of the spark)

[@ohuckabee]

Running Tolaria instead of an Island might not even be an upgrade, technically, since there's probably more effects that target non-basic lands in use than creatures with banding.

[@erikallen4923]

I run it in Niambi, Esteemed Speaker Reanimator since you can pitch it to draw 2. I think you're effectively safe from wasteland effects - who would ever choose Tolaria as their wasteland target?

[@Demonologo666]

@@erikallen4923 : blood moon and back to basics still are a thing.

[@erikallen4923]

@@Demonologo666 maybe, but those cards only see play in 5% and 2% of the eligible decks that can play them - I can cycle it for two cards in nearly 100% of games as the floor. I think as long as your mana base isn't crazy greedy there's not a real cost.

[@Demonologo666]

​@@erikallen4923 I'm pretty sure there are higher benefits for monocolor or bicolor decks to run such strong nonbasic hate than to run tolaria in any deck in the first place. Also, where did you pull this 5-2% from? I play blood moon whenever I got the chance in any of my EDH deck and it's absolutely devastating for my opponents almost all times.

[@erikallen4923]

@@Demonologo666 those are the percent stats from all eligible decks that could play those cards from EDHREC. I definitely think Tolaria sucks in most decks and won't be worth it - my point was that it has one home where it's pretty useful, in Niambi, where it helps to make sure you have a high threshold of cards you can turn into card advantage.

[@TheEiric]

I was expecting frost titan to appear. Sun, Inferno, Grave and Primeval all saw a lot more play than him

[@andrewsparkes8829]

Frost Titan still saw a fair amount of play though. Maybe only around 10% of the play, compared to the lots-of-play of the others...but that's still infinitely more than a cycle where 4 cards saw a fair amount and the fifth saw none.

[@randomusername1735]

Fair enough but Frost Titan is still way more playable than even number 10 on this list

[@superbaas8822]

Frost Titan actually saw quite a bit of play. Even by today's standard, it's a pretty legitimately solid card.

[@JalebJay]

It definitely wasn't weak. It had play in sideboards for quite a few decks when you wanted to tax removal (or opponent sided out all of their removal)

[@rhysfuuma4640]

I can say I have all of them, and almost each ones playmat, but I do have one question, is there a WUBRG Titan? I know I could search for myself but in the MTG community there are usually fairly knowledgeable players who know these answers without having to look it up

[@JalebJay]

Forgot to mention shelldock is strong in cube since the decks require only 40 cards at the start.

[@darksteel913]

The Tolarian Academy/Shivan Gorge cycle surely knocks something off here. The power level disparity in that cycle is absurd.

[@Petronio39]

Agreed, it should have at least been an honorable mention, but it doesn't fit into the format for how he measures these cards popularity. A lot of red decks play it anyway, just because having a mediocre utility land is still worth the slot in mono colored decks. Imagine what it could be like if it was on par with the other lands. "Add R for each point of noncombat damage." or something along those lines. It could have been so good.

[@TheSpiritombsableye]

There's also nothing to make it a cycle beyond the decreement to say so.

[@Weasels42]

@@TheSpiritombsableye Not sure I follow - why wouldn't the cycle of legendary lands from Urza's saga be a cycle? Tolarian Academy, Phyrexian Tower, Serra's Sanctum, Gaea's Cradle, and Shivan Gorge. One of these things is not like the others.

[@BrotherAlpha]

I'm only halfway through the list and I'm already amazed how often the White card is the worst card in the cycle.

[@teridax4]

I’m gonna guess Shivan Gorge will be on this list because it’s going up against lands like Tolarian Academy and Gaea’s Cradle

[@Argetbrisingr101]

I thought so too. I guess it has 1600 EDH decks, but Phyrexian Tower is the next worst and has 33000.

[@DiscardatRandom]

@@Argetbrisingr101its miles better than pulse of the dross

[@wehpudicabok6598]

I was right about Healing Salve - that's probably the most notoriously unbalanced cycle of all. I did expect Shivan Gorge to be on this list, but maybe it was played in Standard back in the day? I don't know; I didn't play then.

[@endlessrain6992]

It's for sure one of the cards most outclassed by the rest of its cycle, but it's really not a bad card on its own. It's the kind of card that could have been good in "a different Standard". It doesn't have the power level for eternal formats and it didn't have a home in 1998, but in a Standard with bad mana and a slower burn deck, it could very easily find a home imo.

[@bluedestiny2710]

In Shivan Gorge's defense, it still provides burn decks a nearly unstoppable constant source of damage that does not hinder your land base MUCH (it does add colorless instead of red... :( ). It would help your burn deck win by still putting up a clock for your opponent, whittling their life points and getting them in range of your burn spell that you top deck. Its a "running on fumes" kind of card... But its better than nothing

[@matthewgagnon9426]

Shivan Gorge is a card that if it were printed at almost any other time would be considered a pretty good card. It only looks awful when it's compared to two of the best lands ever printed, one incredibly strong land, and one that's really good in a niche.

[@muddlewait8844]

This channel has consistently *great* scripts. Entertaining, dense without being impenetrable, and incredibly efficient. Every sentence has a purpose. Excellent stuff.

[@ronaldwayne7092]

Forgotten note on Keldon Necropolis: it was a way for red decks to get around protection.

[@Liliana_the_ghost_cat]

I predict that the white card of the boon cycle is somewhere in this list

[@Liliana_the_ghost_cat]

Yep. Healing salve is number 1 (the original comment was posted as soon i the video was released and this one was posted when i saw healing salve appear in the video

[@HybridAngelZero]

I started playing Magic around when 7th edition came out, and a lot of older players gave me a bunch of their bulk cards to get me started, and a local shop had a bunch of stuff around from older sets. As I was learning about the cards from Alpha, I had always assumed Swords to Plowshares was the White card for the boon cycle. Sure it doesn't do anything with the number three, but Healing Salve supposedly being in the same cycle as stuff like Lightning Bolt and Ancestral Recall never even entered my mind xD

[@andreasmalits395]

I would be interested if they thought drawing 3 cards is as powerful as pumping a creature for a turn or preventing/dealing 3 damage or if they only thought, what could we do with the number 3 in each color ... blue? blue draws cards ... neeeeext.

[@nikolaskohl4269]

Tolaria is actually really good in my willbreaker deck, but that really may be it's only time to shine. Legacy ventures into the dungeon/willbreaker is surprisingly effective. It may never be great, but the synergy of getting value on ventures and having some of them target creatures with effects is really fun with how you have to plan your turns to hit ventures and choose dungeons based on the matchip. Also the card fly becomes amazing. One blue to take an opponent's creature with willbreaker, give it flying, and then it gives you more venture triggers to steal more creatures, yep, that just makes you smile when it happens.

[@oakguy2153]

I have Tolaria in my Yasova deck. Does LOTS of work, the deck has Willbreaker as its secret commander, so _any_ land that targets a creature is huge. The first time I played it I acted dumb and said "I read about banding and thought I better have a way to remove it". Next turn targeted DAO's commander with it to 'remove Banding', and said "Ah, that's mine now". Laughter stopped. It has a zero opportunity cost, as it enters untapped and taps for one of my colors, an Island with upside. Hammerheim, Tower of the Magistrate and Kessig Wolf Run there for the same reason.

[@techoutsider5631]

Do you mean Willbreaker? Tolaria has no interaction with Beguiler of Wills

[@oakguy2153]

@@techoutsider5631 Doh!!! Yes, thank you for that, of course I meant Willbreaker, updated my comment (and corrected a couple of spelling mistakes).

[@techoutsider5631]

dw :) its what im here for

[@Bluequaz]

I never noticed healing salve was part of that cycle. Never really thought about it. In that Alpha 3s cycle: one card in the cycle can buy you a house, 3 are absolute cornerstones of MTG, and one is a downgraded 11 cent common lol. What a range from a cycle. Here are some examples of better cards you can play: [Healing Grace] (W) instant (this is an $0.11 common from dominaria) Prevent the next 3 damage from target source AND gain 3 life [Light of hope] (W) instant (this is an $0.11 common from ikoria) Gain 4 life, destroy target enchantment, OR put a +1/+1 counter on target creature and a few more similar and probably better cards: [revitalize], [hallow], [blossoming call], [chaplains blessing], [festival of trokin], and basically every white one drop ever. What a wild #1. Thanks for the video!

[@stevenglowacki8576]

Shelldock Isle sees play in Doomsday sideboards in Legacy, paired with Emrakul. Plenty of decks might be willing to let you resolve your Doomsday and just counter whatever you plan to do afterwards, but Shelldock Isle/Emrakul gets around counterspells completely and your opponent generally won't see it coming game 2. It also only takes up 2 card slots, although actually drawing the Emrakul makes it hard to win that way - I assume they still keep in the main game plan, Thassa's Oracle, as well just in case.

[@CockroachED]

Feels life Dread Shade from Dominaria deserves a spot on this list. The other 4 CCC creatures were ubiquitous in the standard of the time, and were early staples in historic. Banalish Marshal in White Weanies, Tempest Djinn in Mono Blue Tempo, Goblin Chainwhirler in RDW, and Steel Leaf Champion in Green Stompy. Dread Shade on the other hand I'm not sure if I have ever seen it played.

[@Placjusz]

My Man Nizzahon not bashing on The mighty Shivan Gorge. May I remind you that it's both forge and gorge? You earned my sub with this display of wisdom.

[@fo-ef8qo]

I love the emphasis on "draws you 3 cards!" but to be fair it's literally one of the best cards in the entire 25+ years of the game and worth thousands of dollars and even its "fixed" version was banned in modern for a while.

[@hobez64]

Can't wait to see the bottom 9 cards plus Healing Salve

[@midorimage]

Vine Dryad was used a lot in Standard Stompy

[@midorimage]

Pulse of the Fields was used a lot in Standard back in the day.

[@AaronRotenberg]

Neon Dynasty gave us a new one with the March cycle. It features effects ranging from pretty good red card advantage (March of Reckless Joy) to one of the strongest removal spells ever printed (March of Otherworldly Light). And then there's the green March of Burgeoning Life, which is basically always worse than just running another creature card.

[@Yetinokles]

Atleast Tolaria has the small upside of being in the color that offers occasionally "whenever a creature becomes a target return it to their owners hands effect" and I guess if an edh decks runs it, it's due to this I guess the Black one synergies eith similar destruction effects tho

[@siener]

I love the red, white and green hideaway lands and I know Shelldock Isle is a cube staple, but I haven't seen Howltooth Hollow before. It is so bad compared to the others...

[@kaszael]

11:50 What makes Noxious Revival the green representative from this cycle over Corrosive Gale, exactly?

[@dr.tre90]

"Filth" would have been a good pick for this list too, from the 'Incarnation' cycle from Judgment. Anger gives haste. Brawn gives trample. Valor gives first strike. Wonder gives flying. Filth gives... Fear? Shadow? Nope. It gives swampwalk. It has always bothered my OCD. It's so stupid.

[@mkill572]

I tried Frantic Purification in my Varina deck. If they ever make a version that can hit more types, say enchantments and artifacts, it’s probably worth it?

[@noehonegger4624]

howltooth hollow started seeing some fringe cedh when tergrid/sire of insanity divergent transmutation decks

[@bstachutheuneatable1727]

I still want to see wizards retool banding the same way they retooled cumulative upkeep in coldsnap

[@corrinestenman5683]

If they do, they're coming up on the perfect opportunity to do so: The Brothers' War.

[@bstachutheuneatable1727]

@@corrinestenman5683 fingers crossed

[@Uryvichk]

I guess the argument against Banding is "it's too complicated," but I'm not sure that it's even really THAT complicated. It might just be that old rules writing was kind of bad. The official rules for Banding are still a little confusing/complicated, but it is a lot clearer and can basically be boiled down to: Any number of creatures with Banding and up to one creature without can be declared as a band when assigning attackers/defenders (technically this isn't how defensive Banding works but eh), they block or are blocked as a band, and the controller of the band assigns combat damage to band members any way they like, no matter what normal combat rules say. Is that "too complicated" for play? I don't know, but it's not as complicated as I remember thinking it was back in the day, and it is at least an interesting and unique effect. Maybe they'd try to "update" Banding with a new keyword that's similar but not as complicated. Possibly remove the "up to one non-Banding member" thing, force a declaration of a defensive "band" replacement at the same time as attacking ones to streamline the process, etc. Being able to split up combat damage is fairly powerful and there are certainly situations where it allows you to attack safely (since attacking individually might let an opponent gang up on one attacker and kill it, while blocking the band won't do enough damage to kill everything if you spread the damage out).

[@bstachutheuneatable1727]

@@Uryvichk here's the thing though, they STILL make overly complicated abilities. I mean look at mutate. I don't be know *how* they could retool banding. I know in ice age block, there were 44 cards w/ cumulative upkeep in their txt box (either as CU itself, created creatures w/ CU, or gave CU) & it was always downside as an additional cost to burden the card's controller. Fast forward to Coldsnap & you have cards like Balduvian Fallen that interacts positively w/ the upkeep or Braid of Fire where the upkeep became just upside. Banding was just kinda... there. Out of the 41 cards w/ banding only 3 (Camel, Icatian Skirmisher, & Urza's Engine) actually do anything with the band. However, building off those 3 I can picture something like creatures in the band all get some kind of combat trick, keyword ability or an effect goes off for each creature in the band.

[@androthsatyr]

A word for #5 - Unmask is often used in Legacy Reanimator targeting yourself in order to get effectively 2 discards and having easy way of putting Griselbrand or Ashen Rider/Elesh Norn in the graveyard.

[@AkukAkuku]

It is used in reanimator decks this way, but it discards only one card, as the additional cost EXILES.

[@androthsatyr]

@@AkukAkuku Oooh, fair point actually, been awhile since I've played Legacy but got excited when I saw Unmask!

[@punchsnonsense2336]

Pre-Thoughtseize it saw quite a bit of Vintage play as a combo protector as well. Post-Thoughtseize it had a home for a long time in Manaless Dredge as one of the best cards available to try to interact with opposing hate.

[@MerelyFlowers]

I, uh, think you maaay have added an extra zero into that Ancestral Recall price in your script.

[@anthonydelfino6171]

someone talking about real Urborg!? I run this card in every black commander deck! No one expects you to be able to remove Sheoldred's swampwalk

[@sallomon2357]

The fact which proves even more that Healing Salve is an awful, nearly unplayable card is the fact that they printed a strictly better, 'Entwined' version of it in Dominaria without changing any of its 'stats' and it still wasn't played.

[@romualdbrochard8674]

Just wondering for #8, since phasing out makes you treat the permanent « as it doesnt exist », is it then possible to play 2 tefari’s isle even if its legendary?

[@Steiveplays]

As long as they aren't ever phased in at the same time, that would work.

[@celebrim1]

What would have kept the white card on the cycle off the list, and made it seem like a member of it's cycle? a) Year of Plenty: If your opponent has more lands in play than you, search your deck for 3 Plains cards, reveal them, and put them in your hand. b) Muster the Militia: Create three 1/1 Soldier tokens. c) Healing Salve: Prevent up to 3 damage, and gain 3 life.

[@iam9991000]

I wonder if you could do this with data like take the average points of the other 4 and group it based on the difference between the problem card and the average.

[@basicpigeonbee]

Wake up babe, new Nizzahon video just dropped

[@hepatitis123]

I'm so happy Hammerheim wasn't considered the bad card in that cycle lol. I love that card in my Naya deck, just because it's a land that can be tutored for with Sisay, and it has an added niche ability. Spreading Seas, Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, and Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth makes landwalk fairly relevant in the right metas.

[@aarongarcia6640]

Vine dryad saw some play in legacy in manaless dredge

[@punchsnonsense2336]

Saw play in Urza/MM Standard too as part of Stompy and Trinity Green decks, as a free threat hitting the board while Tangle Wire locked everything down was pretty sweet. Unfortunately during that era Worlds was the only top level Standard featured event (it was usually used for local/Regionals/Nationals level events) so that data is largely unavailable these days.

[@lucabozza1750]

Despise not having any decent competitive result vine dryad may very well have some somewhere in the future, it's a decent card in hogaak manaless dredge. Which is a bad deck in legacy rn, bu one may never know

[@punchsnonsense2336]

Dryad did actually see some competitive play, namely in the Trinity Green and Stompy decks during the Standard era for Saga/MM blocks. Since those were largely competitive at Regionals and Nationals tournaments at the time they likely escaped the research done while making this video, as data from that era at that level is... spotty, at best.

[@DerangedHermit]

Especially since it was BFFs with Rancor

[@devin5201]

I had never seen those Hideaway lands, that's badass!

[@edtorgerson1009]

for the Phyrexian mana cycle postmortem lunge should actually be Surgical Extraction, which is arguably even worse than Marrow Shards

[@apjapki]

Ooh! You hinted at this video s long time ago. Really looking forward to it.

[@LodeCos]

I don't play nor do I care about magic the gathering, but I do like your channel. So... keep up the good work. It's interesting and fun.

[@ServusLeuts]

Vine Dryad is commonly played in Legacy Manaless Dredge sideboards

[@RaynmanPlays]

To be fair to Intervention Pact, it's actually quite nice against Fling decks.

[@stormerbuzz352]

Wait a second... I know this is super conditional, but hear me out. Marrow Shards would be a great card if you used it to ping your own board of enrage dinos for 1 when they attack

[@MakeVarahHappen]

Usually when number one is an obvious early magic pick it seems like Nizzahon doesn't have much to say about it. Here though this rant was just so much catharsis.

[@crovax1375]

How does Lavaborn Muse stack up when compared to the rest of the muse cycle?

[@christopherb501]

#5 - Huh. I thought it least did something with the earlier forms of Glimpse of Nature decks in Legacy. Go figure.

[@beelor5777]

Is the phyrexian mana 1 cmc spells a cycle when there are 2 green ones?

[@onefightone]

Scars of the Veteran is actually secret tech for the new human commander Kyler. Have him out, block an attack from an opponent and get up to 7 0/1 counters for no mana cost. That’s a potential +7/+7 for all your humans.

[@aztecaXV]

Hmm, scars of the veteran may need to go into my Arcades edh deck

[@andrewsegers7942]

What a fun top 10! Shivan gorge probably should have made the list seeing as the other lands in the cycle are absolutely busted and the red land is basically garbage.

[@NizzahonMagic]

It isn't on the list because it was played competitively. It is worse than the others for sure, but still a decent utility land.

[@moshladaan]

Forbidden Orchard and Pulse of the Tangle more broken than Punishing Fire & Grove of the Burnwillows? Now that I've pointed out THAT OP combo, we need to ban it in Modern! LOL

[@FrankFrankly711]

I still rock Teferi's Isle and Tolaria in my Tolaria Deck!

[@edkolbe1850]

I wish Intervention Pact worked like Deflecting Palm. It would be one of the best white cards ever. But I guess it would be breaking the color pie.. when does R&D ever do that?

[@chesement4131]

intervention pact actually has a niche for madcap experiment decks

[@kriosuranous3440]

Surprised Shivan Gorge didn’t appear on the list. Did it get a pt/gp top 8 or something?

[@kingginger3335]

Intervention Pact would be great in CEDH against things like Aetherflux Reservoir

[@johngleeman8347]

How much more would healing salve need to heal you for it to be able to hang with the other cards in the cycle? 20? XD

[@Sepp_Tember]

Shelldock Isle is an amazing cube card for modern or even legacy cubes.

[@odioalospoopers]

Healing Salve is still probably the biggest cucking in magic's history. Doing something that you don't even want in limited while the rest of your team are: -the best ritual in the game -the best spark in the game -for a good while the best pump in the game -arguably the best card in the entire game -the most expensive card in the game(excluding the one ring bs) and the competitor with your other sibling for best card in the game, were you to include colorless in the cycle

[@hiygamer]

Just started the video, but I'm calling it now, Healing Salve is number 1.

[@Mechsrule1]

Huh, Marrow Shards actually looks perfect for my next commander deck. It's a deck running dinosaurs, and a lot of those have enrage, so all those triggers for 2 life isn't too bad.

[@moshladaan]

Number 5 should've been what appeared in MH2, with green getting their evoke elemental instead of Vine Dryad. I would have accepted that.

[@UNCSspartan84]

Marrow shards works nicely with pestilent spirit

[@YTzinkk]

great list!

[@miahmagick]

I'd be curious how Tower Gargoyle stacks up.

[@jii-ro7083]

Where did you come up with that ludicrous price of 200k+ for alpha ancestral recall? :D

[@irou95]

I would give anything so I could play frantic purification in my anje cedh deck.... Enchantments are usually the biggest problem to graveyard combo decks, I can only tutor for feed the swarm. So yes the card is bad but If anje was mardu it would see a crap ton of cedh play

[@karfsma778]

Shelldock Isle may be worse in EDH than the others, but it's a HOUSE in cubes

[@blacklancejeo6625]

Cycles may also mean the same set tied to a theme per rarity, I think

[@SR-di7ox]

Healing Salve! Edit: I made this comment before watching the video. I would like to commend you sir for your dedication to these videos, I imagine the pre-internet information isn't exactly easy to come by. Then you have to sift through it all to find what it's best for the video.

[@marianocolsin8968]

I don't know how its called right now, but there is a card that literally does both modes of healing salve. Even has the same mana cost

[@KuroShiroKonohaTheAnim3Foo]

Healing Grace from Dominaria which is a homage to Healing Salve

[@hiddenleaf414]

Noxious Revival’s effect is extremely powerful and underrated in EDH. Get back a bomb spell someone just countered, return a creature your opponent is about to animate to the top of their library. O someone didn’t pay their Rhystic Study trigger or my Etali trigger is about to go off? Lemme choose the best card in my graveyard for free!

[@DracoX-hz3tu]

Did shivan gorge see play or something? That was the first land I thought of to make this list since it's cycle has 3 of the best lands ever and phyrexian tower which is also a great card, then shivan gorge which is just a mediocre burn land.

[@NizzahonMagic]

Yes, it did see play.

[@trunkage]

I wonder what number of life gain Healing Salve would have needed to be as powerful as the other boons

[@bfragged]

It’s hard to say, as life gain is not usually going to change the board state very often. Prevent 3 damage “and” gain 3 life instead of “or” probably would have made it a lot more playable.

[@trunkage]

@@bfragged well, I was going to say what if you got 30/33 life for 1 white. Would it match the power of the others

[@PokeBattlerJaze]

So healing salve?

[@alexrharvey7]

My guess is #1 is going to be the Alpha white version of bolt and recall

[@nigel534]

I’m surprised the titan cycle from m11 wasn’t on this list

[@NizzahonMagic]

They all have seen significant play, and all are played a ton in EDH.

[@yuyu63]

Was the new phyrexia cycle listed as such? Because I Always thought that surgical extraction was the black card for this cycle

[@techoutsider5631]

The cycle is uncommon. Surgical Extraction is rare.

[@yuyu63]

@@techoutsider5631 not all cycles are the same rarity, hell ansestral recall is a rare while the other 4 were common

[@techoutsider5631]

@@yuyu63 This cycle was tho

[@yuyu63]

@@techoutsider5631 but this is the only scorcery in it and it doesn't fit

[@TheMajesticYak0]

I've always wondered, how could you redesign Healing Salve to make it a decent card? Staying with the theme of the boon cycle where it must cost one white mana, and give you three of something that fits with the flavor of white, what could it do that wouldn't be terrible? Maybe give you three 1/1 soldiers? That would now seem too powerful. Maybe put a +1/+1 counter on up to three creatures. That would be like a distributed giant growth type of effect.

[@NizzahonMagic]

Having an effect that redirects damage would make a big difference.

[@monkeygaming2859]

Healing salve? Let’s see how high up it is

[@evang7954]

i still have 3 copies of kor haven somewhere

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

The "winner" of this list was pretty much obvious. However, I am very surprised that Shivan Gorge did not make the list: the other legendary lands from Urza's Saga include powerhouses that can give a ton of man such as Gaea's Cradle, Tolarian Academy and even Serra's Sanctum, plus a powerful card like Phyrexian Tower. In comparison, paying 2R to deal 1 damage to your opponents is extremely underwhelming.

[@NizzahonMagic]

Gorge has seen a fair bit of competitive and EDH play, so that's why it isn't here.

[@kekkres]

Teferis isle really doesnt even look like it belongs in that cycle, the other four all have a consistant design base and the isle chucks all of it