| Set |
W |
U |
B |
R |
G |
C |
M |
Set |
W |
U |
B |
R |
G |
C |
M |
T |
| MID-M |
3 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1* |
3 |
VOW-M |
4 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
|
2 |
40 |
| MID-R |
7* |
8* |
8 |
7 |
7 |
2 |
25 |
VOW-R |
9* |
9* |
10* |
9* |
9* |
3 |
15 |
128 |
| MID-U |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
3 |
20 |
VOW-U |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
3 |
10 |
166 |
| MID-C |
19 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
5 |
|
VOW-C |
19 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
5 |
|
200 |
| Total |
41 |
42 |
43 |
41 |
41 |
11 |
48 |
Total |
46 |
45 |
47 |
46 |
45 |
11 |
27 |
534 |
I’ll let this table do the talking of how cut from the same cloth these two sets are.
3.1. Mythics
3.1.1. Monocolored cycles
Each set has one big monocolored cycle where they have very interesting mechanics and gameplay but when it comes to leaving a feeling, they really struggles to. And in Innistrad, that is a big problem.
- MID has the five Adversaries, creatures that have an adjective in front of that word, is a 2 mana creature with one or two keyword (or 1 more mana in Green’s case) and a multikicker in function. Each kick costs 2 or 3 mana (in Rakdos case, both have numbers that I feel can totally be tuned down to get to the lower cost) and gets you a +1/+1 counter and an effect fitting for the color. Except the white one trades the +1/+1 counters for valor counters so that the creature can become a lord for even itself. I guess that way you can’t just pump up the anthem with all the easy +1/+1 counters out there. My memory can count the number of times I ever kicked the red one.
- VOW has five Cemetaries, where the adjective is now on the back instead of the front. Now the mana cost range is much wider, because you’ll pay in delving cards instead, whether once, twice or a titan trigger. These cards will then give you abilities based on these delved cards, whether by sharing the card type or in the black card’s case, mana values. While completing Simic’s side of the cycle focusing on playing cards might feel difficult, I wonder what if the whole cycle more strictly follow the Boros side, just giving an effect whenever a card of matching type is played.
3.1.2. Other things
After these two cycles, things get silly fast. After all, color balance aren’t here, and black got the most out of it. Maybe that’s due to the multicolored characters messing things, let’s take a look at that.
Planeswalkers (and I realize I may name the multicolored commanders here too) wise, MID picked Wrenn, Arlinn and Teferi and VOW picked Sorin, Chandra and Kaya.
- Color balance wise, is this a good choice? MID first, looking at how it has more mono black than the other colors. Surely adding an Azorius and Gruul card will balances that out. Then you look at the Sigrada that’s also gold alongside these two characters, and she’s Selesnya, for one. So then why isn’t there an Izzet card to actually balance things out? Oh right, sketchy land that can turn black! VOW second, we’ve already biased Mardu colors to have the monocolored advantage, but now let’s have a Kaya and an Olivia that’s obviously Rakdos, which also happens to fit in Mardu. I don’t think this is getting balanced with the other set whatsoever.
- Expectations wise, does this selection make sense? Arlinn and Sorin literally starts here, so sure, they fit in. Wrenn is our novelty character, her card is really wordy and all, good. Then we get basically half of the Gatewatch here: Teferi, Chandra and Kaya. Yes, that certain goth woman planeswalker who frankly defines this plane isn’t here anymore. Granted she did appear somewhere else, and lore will actually makes these character choices make all the sense in the world.
Let’s now actually take a look at the moncolored cards.
- MID has Lier and Meathook Massacre, the grown up versions of Snapcaster and Blood Artist respectively, all proven to be just as practical as those originals. The latter may be too much. And did you know there’s also a Tarmogoyf reference here? No, because it’s an Ooze and it have to shrunk the text down thinking that it can’t even fit any flavor text in.
- VOW has an insane Limited issue with broken bombs. Toxrill for instance, a mono black that’s actually Dimir, for some reasons, like old Magic’s actual Slugs were in green and red, not blue! Its crime that made it an unbeatable bomb was that it wipes people boards using -1/-1 counters that only shrinks when it’s on the board. I don’t think Lorwyn is that sadistic, which really says something. Three other mythics does something just as horrible: creates lots of tokens. And there’s a last one, a wordy two stage value engine that casts Growth Spiral, how fun.
3.2. Rares
3.2.1. Multicolored
Each set has two multicolored cycles in addition to the magecraft mechanics I’ve covered above.
For one, each set has a full cycle of commanders. Each set will pick three of them to become DFCs. How about the rest of them?