It's not really a mana system and essentially just a new mechanic: spells that require colorless mana to be spent to cast them. It is flavorful for the set but I think it's mainly a bone for EDH players who really need a basic colorless land. Besides, the vast majority of cards that rotate out of Standard will only see play again in EDH if anywhere, and generating colorless mana in EDH is a non-issue.
I flubbed this cube season so hard at times, but it feels so good when you outplay someone (or in my case accidentally). Did you know Nicol Bolas can destroy himself? Bless Silumgar. Seriously though, Reanimate is legit. Frantic Search is amazing in that deck, oftentimes better than Fact or Fiction. I had a game where my opponent hardcasted Elesh Norn, wiping my board and I followed it up with Frantic Search, discarding fatties, Living Dead, return Mesmeric Fiend and Brain Maggot back with fatties. Next turn, Entomb for Glen Elendra Archmage instead of Griselbrand, Reanimate with mana open. Or how about baby Jace in play with two cards in graveyard, my opponent wants to kill it, I Entomb, loot, transform Jace. Then flashback Ponder the next turn.
New land. Love the flavour with the Old Oran Rief.
edit: old one, for reference:
Scions definitely make it more dangerous.
Using M/M instead of C/C - there are a lot of variants (W/B, B/R, Mono-B, U/B) with the same shell.
Clean, official version
I still think this land will be amazing somewhere at some point.
Definitely a gold cycle.
It doesn't have to be. I think you kind of need Survival/Nightmare or Channel to make it work against the fast combo decks though. Tooth and Nail and/or Natural Order are also nice to have. Craterhoof is sometimes not enough with one or two creatures, so having Avenger of Zendikar to fetch with it is a thing. A disruption package is also mandatory I think, whether it's counterspells, discard or artifact/land destruction. I've been thoroughly impressed by Nature's Claim. The four life is often negligable and against the aggro decks it can destroy swords or gain 4 life in a pinch. And it destroys mana rocks for one mana. What more can you ask for?
I think it's a block cycle, rather than all in Oath.
dat boob armor
I think it's usable in some kind of budget affinity list. Going to try it myself one of these days.Clean, official version
I still think this land will be amazing somewhere at some point.
Yeah, but I don't think he's part of the cycle. I think the cycle is of story-relevant characters and he doesn't seem to have any role in the story. We also know that the Mul Daya twins are RG.
Jace, despite being a mind-reader, is still somehow oblivious.
He's already done that.
