Since I went over splashing for some chase uncommons yesterday, I'll be talking about splashing for a lot less rare cycle of cards, and whether they're worth playing at all. This set of cards is a 10-card cycle, again in guild colors, one in the cost, and an off-color activated ability.
The Azorius colored one of the cycle is pretty much filler in most decks, but it can be quite the wall. It has massive toughness, and it does fly, evasion being highly sought after in this draft set. It's off-color ability seems underwhelming at first, but given enough mana, it can potentially turn a lethal swing into one much less fatal. If you do end up running this Lion/Ram headed monstrosity, it could be worth it to splash for it's ability, or even just let it be as a massively tough flyer.
A mini-Juggernaut, efficiently costed and very tough, Deathbellow Raider is a very solid card to play on turn 2. Think Riot Piker of DGR draft, but far better, due to it's off-color ability. Add to this that this set is highly Voltron-oriented, and you can have a hell of a swinger turn 3 or turn 4. In red decks not featuring black, but are more aggro-oriented, this card could be played as is, usually seen in RW or RG decks. In such a strat, more often than not you wouldn't have the mana necessary to sink into his regeneration shield, so it's not really worth it to splash for his ability. A very niche (and somewhat poor, by experience) strategy is RB Minotaurs which also features this card, and this will be talked about somewhere in the future.
Perhaps the worst of this cycle, the Golgari-colored creature is a 6 mana 3/3 which is already highly inefficient. It has a forced block activated ability with a -3/-3 death trigger tacked on. This means that it can, in perfect scenarios, take out X/6s, but why even bother with a two color card like this when you can, for instance simply play Sip of Hemlock at a much similar mana cost and come out with more advantage? I have been informed however that this card has done work for some people, but I find it a little hard to believe and more of wishful thinking. If this card HAS done work for you, please do leave a comment, or message me on Cockatrice. I always do love to be told fun draft stories!
Our Dimir-colored common in the cycle is Returned Phalanx, another brilliant common in the cycle. A two mana 3/3 is always a brilliant two-drop, regardless of it's defender. Whether it's just a wall to stop short aggro strategies, or as a semi-mobile attacker, it's very good in solidly Dimir colored decks. It's also very useful in non-blue black decks to stop short those early plays, and trade with 3/3s profitably. Although in those decks it's better off in the sideboard. It isn't usually a good idea to splash for it's off-color activated ability because you want it out of the gate fairly quick, getting in points of damage or stalling the board effectively.
The Boros-colored common of this cycle is also very good in Theros draft. Think of it as the Executioner's Capsule of this draft format and as I've mentioned earlier, "Destroy target enchantment" is extremely relevant here. In aggro strategies, it comes out swinging on turn 1, and threatens the loss of your opponent's enchantments later in the game. I also find it extremely cute as it's considered a red source of enchantment removal, technically anyway. Quite the card to run in any red/white aggro strategy, and splashing for her ability isn't really recommended, unless you're hard pressed for enchantment removal.
As always, our Izzet card of the cycle deals damage, as Izzet is prone to do. This card is pretty decent filler, and it's shock is quite good tempo. However it doesn't do all that much work, by experience, in Theros draft. I could see it being potentially decent tempo, and combat-positive. It could also bring together the final points of damage in a game, giving you a victory quite out of the blue (pun intended). Because it's a blue card, get it? Aah, I'll show myself out. But not before the rest!
Satyr Hedonist is a brilliant card to have in any R/G deck, the Red Dark Ritual ability some serious ramp in this format. It enables a turn 3 Nessian Asp, or even late game, it enables Monstrosity in a lot of large R/G creatures. In fact, it is a key piece in an R/G ramp strategy which will also be discussed later on. Not only does it carry with it a Dark Ritual, it's also a 2 power creature for 2, which is quite effective in bringing in the early beats if you don't need it's mana. Quite the common to run, but I definitely don't recommend splashing for it's ability. In non R/G decks it's simply a 2/1 for 2, which is rather ineffective in this draft format.
Our Orzhov off-color card is Scholar of Athreos, and true to Orzhov, her ability is a drain. Now, this drain is enormously useful in Theros draft. Not only is it a 1/4 for 3, highly efficient and a wall, it also performs a secondary function in unblockable life loss and tempo advantage. Lategame people start to fear her, and for good reason. I recommend splashing at least two swamps for her in your deck, because a double activation can be quite devastating.
Agent of Horizons, in true Simic form, has a brilliant evasion ability, though slightly mana-intensive. At the very least, it's a three power swinger for green decks, and absolutely shines in UG decks. Theros being an enchantment format, anything you put on him becomes worth even more than on other creatures. Such evasion on a green creature is very rare, and much desired. So I would indeed splash for his ability, and he can definitely bring home the last few points of damage to win.
Setessan Griffin, in Selesnya colors, is a quirky card. This card is obviously good in draft, 3 power flyers for 5 always do well, but with a caveat. It can Rootwalla up if need be, and swing for 5. This card is strange because it's mana cost isn't what's restricting, it's the activated ability. For this card, you're not splashing for the ability, but for the CARD itself. You want to play this card in decks dominated by green, splashing white for this beauty. I wouldn't recommend more than two copies usually in a single deck, because you probably can't activate two at a time, usually, and a 3/2 for 5 that flies on turn 5 isn't really the greatest in Theros draft. This Griffin can most definitely bring the game home, quite quickly, in fact.
Until next time, draft hard and draft well, and above all, have fun!
Cheers,
Brick
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