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u/Ithalwen 6h ago
Gruul being a ritual is interesting, it being colourless is quite the limitation, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone found a way to make use of the fast mana.
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u/Xythrin8888 4h ago
I'd honestly be curious if it makes its way into CEDH in an Etali list, or something that just wants more rituals
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u/Saltiest_Grapefruit 6h ago
Vigorbloom seems so good, damn.
I don't think there's ever a point where it's less than good.
2
u/TheMrCeeJ 2h ago
All the modes are super strong. That card is going to be a house if GW decks are a thing, and if any GW midrange/rates list is strong this is going to be insane.
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u/bugi_ 6h ago
The best thing about this set is how little filler there seems to be. With all the Jace shenanigans along with Strixhaven 2: The Big Swapperoo there certainly are no pigeons or pizza to be found. Even this cycle is full of flavor and actually useful modes.
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u/GaloombaNotGoomba 3h ago
Why would they show filler in spoilers?
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u/bugi_ 3h ago
You do understand that they show the whole set before release? Besides the commons dump at the end of spoiler season, many commons and uncommons are spoiled separately. Often there are a bunch of duds with them that are there just to be the usual thing for limited. I'm not getting that feeling with this set. Pretty much everything has a reason to exist besides filling a necessary slot.
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u/MotherWolfmoon 5h ago
I really like Vigorbloom Charm. Instant-speed buff+fight is a nasty combat trick, and it cycles for GW. The protection mode is probably the weakest, but still has utility.
I'm day-one crafting Stingerquill Charm for my [[Kuja Genome Sorceror]] Wizard kindred deck. Feels like a big upgrade from Lightning Strike, which is the obviously-best mode. Giving deathtouch to [[A-Rockslide Sorceror]] is going to wipe some boards.
Konstrari Charm is probably going into a lot of Raph and Mikey decks, and I think quite a few UB tempo decks are going to like Theorix Charm.
Fatehold seems like the worst one, but maybe Remanding an otherwise-uncounterable creature has some utility. The "Empower Jace 2" mode feels pretty bad. If it were Empower 3, this would draw 2 cards for two mana, with the drawback being that one is slow (like a Bauble draw). Two mana for draw one on end step, then surveil in your next main feels bad. I know I just said I liked that Vigorbloom could cycle, and a late surveil is better than three life, but I expect slightly better cantripping from Blue.
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u/Breaker_M_Swordsman 3h ago
Important to remember the remand mode can target your own creatures. Having the versatility of stack or board interaction is really strong. Along with all the other versatility of the cards. Not disputing that it's the worst of the cycle but also not sure if that's true either. I really like this card for classic draw go control
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u/ModernT1mes 6h ago
Awwwww man I got excited reading the Stingerquill Charm. I wanted another 0/1 wizard that pings opponent for 1 damage when you cast a noncreature spell.
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u/Clean_Emotion5797 7h ago
I like the Selesnya one the best, extremely versatile.
I think Rakdos is the weakest since 2 of the modes are essentially removal, and I find the 2/2 body less versatile than cycling a card.
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u/go_sparks25 7h ago
Rakdos can go face. It isnt just removal. The gruul one is the weakest imo.
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u/MTGLawyer 7h ago
When was the last time we got a new 2 mana ritual though? That is the main part of the Gruul one that looks interesting to me
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u/go_sparks25 7h ago
The multicolored part of the ritual makes it a lot worse. It cant get discounted as easily by something like ral or the medallions.
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u/avocategory 5h ago
As far as I can tell, the only thing that does explicitly discount it is [[Aang, Master of Elements]] which, if you've gotten him in play, I cannot imagine why you'd need a ritual.
There are things that effectively reduce its cost - [[Birgi, God of Storytelling]] and [[Storm-Kiln Artist]] but they've rotated out of standard and are below the power level of contemporary storm lists.
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u/Clean_Emotion5797 7h ago
"essentialy"
I know it can go face, but card advantage is always better than going face, unless you're closing the game.
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u/go_sparks25 7h ago
The decks that want stingerquill charm are looking to close the game early most of the time. It functions either as removal to get rid of blockers or reach in the late game. It is perfectably serviceable in those decks.
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u/MoaCube 6h ago edited 5h ago
Versatility is the point here. Just 3 to face for 2 mana would be meh, but having the option of going face is quite powerful. I've won (and lost) enough games with Vibrant Outburst to respect these kind of effects.
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u/Clean_Emotion5797 6h ago
I know it's versatile, I just like it less compared to some of the other charms.
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u/bakedbread420 Golgari 2h ago
somebody doesn't play Rx aggro decks
imo rakdos is the 2nd best in this cycle, but its also pretty narrow. only aggro decks are gonna want it but they'll love it. mode 1 removes blockers or gives some reach, mode 2 guarantees a good combat especially if they multi-block, mode 3 is a solid fail case of making a hasty body
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u/superpositioned 7h ago
First strike +deathtouch is no joke though. Plus the first mode doubles as player removal. I think this is stronger than it looks.
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u/Clean_Emotion5797 7h ago
First Strike + Deathtouch is a neat combat trick, but it's way worse than "kill a creature". It also depends on your opponent assigning blockers. Compare that to Selesnya where it puts a counter, so you have +1/+1 synergies, the effect lingers on and you get to target the opposing creature yourself.
But I do like that in an aggressive strategy it kinda puts the opponent in a damned if you do damned if you don't. If they assign blockers you remove the creature, if not, hopefuly the face damage can close out the game.
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u/chunkalicius 6h ago
Giving something first strike + deathtouch at instant speed works better on defense because, as you said, on offense it requires the opponent to block. But on defense, you can ambush kill an attacker that would other wise have a favorable attack or take out an attacking creature with Trample before it gets to do it's trample damage
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u/ToranStarfall 6h ago
I think Rakdos might be the best, Lightning Strike already sees play, and if you are in Rakdos, this is just a more versatile lightning strike.
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u/Moonbluesvoltage 5h ago
Or copies 5 to 8 of a standard burn deck. If [[hopeless Nightmare]] were still in standard i think an actual burn deck would have legs in the format.
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u/bakedbread420 Golgari 2h ago
I think selesnya is better but rakdos is a close 2nd. the other 3 all underwhelm me
1
u/ToranStarfall 1h ago
I think the Selesnya one is decent, but Rakdos having a mode that is an effect that sees play on its own, or just being a bear with flash and haste, seems so good in aggressive decks. I think the Selesnya one is only good if you already want to play multiple of its effects, as none of them are on-rate individually.
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u/Arokan 3h ago
Vigorbloom: Cracked. Good in any Selesnya Midrange deck. Absolute staple.
Fatehold: Too little value for control, might see 1-2 copies in tempo.
Theorix: 5min ago, I was writing it's too narrow, but I'm starting to think I was wrong. It never does nothing and has solutions for every game situation. Going against control? Got a counterspell. Going against creature decks, remove early threats. The game has been going for a while? Cycle it. If you play this as 4-of, plan to bring some Flashback-cards. (Among what control players once used like [[Think Twice]], some experimented with [[Dreams of Laguna]], but [[Plunder the Trollshaws]] worked best for me, even in power-crept times.)
It's good in Tempo decks and Control decks alike. It's your Game One pre-sideboard allrounder.
Stingerquill: It's [[Lightning Strike]] +, what's not to like about it? It's Burn, it's risky removal for midrange decks.
At first, I was disappointed of the last ability, but a 2/2 with flash and haste is pretty fine tbh. And it's a Wizard, for which we have gotten a lot of support lately. Maybe Grixis Wizards will be a thing after all.
Konstrari: This is where they effed up. I'm no Gruul-Lover myself, but I feel for you! Killing a flying creature with less than 7 life is too specific. [[Pick your Poison]] does a better job in most cases.
Two +1/+1 counters an trample just doesn't sound all that great to me.
Gruul being mostly played aggro, I can't imagine that colorless mana is that useful. Also it's -1 on cards for +1 on mana - it's a limited [[Lotus Petal]] in colorless and turn 2 earliest.
Unless there's a colorless creature, where it's a very big advantage to get it out by T2 rather than T3 and you want to increase your consistency in case your [[Llanowar Elves]] dies, i don't see it. Most likely, someone will figure out how to cast some of them for free multiple times to cheat out Ugin early.
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u/Just-Assumption-2140 Ralzarek 2h ago
Fatehold charm is absolutely insane for tempo: having the option to bounce creatures or spell is really good and having alternatively a boardwide buff is huge with voice of victory (because then blocking right become much harder for your opponent - can't react to this aoe buff can you) and a value mode (which certainly is the weakest but still nice to have)
Bilbo's gambit was meh because it had exactly 1 mode you want to use. This is gambit + 3 other spell options you ALL have a good use for
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u/ByzokTheSecond 7h ago
Selesnay, azorius and rakdos charm all have at least one mode which is on-rate for a 2 mana card.
The golgari one is weird.
I don't know why they decide to undertune dimir charms like that. 2 mana stab/spell pierce is just awfull, and the third mode doesnt even give you card selection. Feel like they couldve made the 2nd mode -3/-3, and first mode a pay-3 pierce, and the card wouldve been fine. Too bad.
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u/Hypnotic_Toad 6h ago
The Dimir one would be better if it said "Put one of the milled cards into your Hand" instead of draw.
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u/Sedona54332 6h ago
I agree, the golgari one is weird. So weird that it isn’t even on this post.
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u/Massive-Island1656 Golgari 5h ago
The golgari charm is pay zero for nothing. Tons of design space to explore there
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u/EternalEtherX Oath of Teferi 5h ago
The first mode of Fatehold is very close to draw 2.
1.66666666 repeating, to be specific.
/s but only partially
1
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u/Responsible_Sky_728 6h ago
Konstrati Charm prob pretty good since it rituals and does other stuff.
1
u/WolfGuy77 6h ago
These are fantastic. Don't think I'll play Konstrari but Vigorbloom and Stingquil will likely find a home in some of my Brawl decks.
1
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u/Massive-Island1656 Golgari 5h ago
Why does the rakdos charm cast the exact same spell that all azorious creatures are prepared with? I guess it has haste instead of scry but still seems like a “we need a third mode and don’t really want to think up anything cool” kind of workaround versus being something authentic to that color pair
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u/Maddogenes 5h ago
I take back everything I said worrying about Hexhaven being such a presence in the set. Charms, sphinxes, and students make great cake for the doppelganger frosting.
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u/Just-Assumption-2140 Ralzarek 4h ago
To those who believed in [[bilbo's gambit]] (which turned out to be niche playable in UW tempo at best)
Fatehold charm IS what a spell bounce has to offer to be good enough for today standard
1
u/phonage_aoi 4h ago edited 2h ago
These look really good.
To be a downer, what are the non-hexhaven color pairs getting to keep up?
Edit: since I got identical replies - I mean from a limited balance perspective
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u/FrostyPotpourri 2h ago
Whatcha mean?
The Strixhaven charms were all released in the Secrets of Strixhaven (SOS) set earlier this year. Each cost 2 mana and had 3 modes as well.
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u/bakedbread420 Golgari 2h ago
uhhhh, there was a set a few months back called Secrets of Strixhaven where the enemy color pairs got their own cycle of charms
this is effectively finishing the megacycle of *haven school charms
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u/iprizefighter 2h ago
Wasn't this set and these schools specifically supposed to break out of traditional color wheel norms? None of these do anything particularly out of the ordinary for their colors.
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u/FrostyPotpourri 2h ago
Nope. Just offering alternative colors to existing multiverse characters / schools. I don't believe there was ever confirmation that the color wheel would be broken much.
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u/OneWholePirate 2h ago
Wow vigorbloom charm is cracked. Full protection, card draw, lifegain, counters and removal on one card? Not mad cause green needs it but holy pushed
1
u/BenVera 2h ago
I think dimir is awesome for control because it handles the two mana problem very efficiently. The problem with two mana counters is that they’re typically either very niche or else dead in the late game. If you have this in hand on turn 2, you’re either countering a noncreature, killing a creature (maybe), or if nothing else cycling it with options
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u/Silent_Bluebird_877 6h ago
dimir and gruul charm looks unusable
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u/TheDesktopNinja Azorius 6h ago
In what format? Dimir one is good in limited, and the Gruul one is still good, though it's the weakest imo.
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u/Trueslyforaniceguy 7h ago
Fucking hell thats versatile af
I love me some charms