It's 2022 and the full spoilers for Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty are out! First I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read my Possibility Cube Cards From 2021 post on New Years, it got nearly 6,000 page views and that completely blows away the expectations I had when I started this blog. While I'm sure not nearly that many people read the entire thing, it's certainly a milestone and I was very happy to hear from some of you that read it. But enough of that, it's time to talk about the news cards I'm looking at for my Possibility Cube!
In this post I'll be writing about all the cards from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty that people are talking about or should be talking about for an unpowered unrestricted cube environment in the context of my personal cube, the Possibility Cube.
Before we get into the usual format, I'm going quickly talk about the new cycle of mono-colored Legendary lands in the set. My thoughts on them are essentially all the same so I figured I'd talk about them here.
These cards are great, in just about any cube they are in you can draft them and they will always make your deck. However, these are the kind of cards where the great comes from them being free to run. Sure you'll see cards like Wasteland "punish" you, but the opportunity cost to run one of these in your draft deck is essentially zero and that's why they are good. I personally do not run cards like these when I find the actual effect underwhelming and boring. For example, I don't run Lutri even though the card is obviously good enough considering it would never be cut from a deck, but there is also every other just as good Izzet card I could have in my cube that's way more interesting and fun to play. That is how I feel about these cards and I will not be running any in my cube. The best one and the one people are most excited for is Boseiju, but when I've limited my cube to 540 cards, I simply don't want to use a slot on a bad Naturalize simply because it has low opportunity cost to run. Now, into the set!
Ao, the Dawn Sky
The Good: Oh how far we've come from Serra Angel. The mono-white deck in my cube tends to end its curve at 4cmc, but every now and then it will have a single 5-mana threat and Ao would not be a bad card in that slot. Actually I only have 1 card in my cube that has that role now, that card being Archangel Avacyn. Ao will kill your opponent, 5 power with evasion is the kind of clock you want at this mana value. This card will need to be dealt with and what it leaves behind is likely to be just as threatening, there are a lot of good combinations of threats to be found with total mana value 4 and digging 7 deep means you find them more often than not.
The Bad: As I said it is a little above to curve for the general white aggro deck nowadays and I'm not sure you want in anywhere else. While it does pass the Vindicate test, there are a lot of ways to Exile it in cube. If your opponent can avoid the death trigger, Ao is really just another Baneslayer.
The Verdict: I think if your mono-white decks run just a little higher than mine Ao is a fine option as a topend finisher, I'm going to pass on it for my cube though. I run enough exile effects that I see this card being a Baneslayer too often.
Cloudsteel Kirin
The Good: A 3/2 with Flying is a completely fine threat for 3 mana. The most interesting thing here for me is that you can tutor for this with Stoneforge Mystic if you already have your other Equipment. The option of giving your Hero of Bladehold some evasion later in the game is nice too if not always relevant.
The Bad: I really don't see the Platinum Angel effect being a good reason for running this card, it's expensive and not even a little immune to removal. Again a 3/2 with Flying is just fine, there are better threats, if this isn't getting extra points for being an artifact it probably isn't worth running over something else.
The Verdict: A fairly easy pass for me, I like 3-mana threats in white to be a little more disruptive and the upside of running this with Stoneforge Mystic doesn't push it enough for me. If you're running a larger artifact or equipment theme, I feel like this definitely makes the cut. Artifact aggro is getting more popular and it's a lot of fun so this could even be a reason to try that archetype out!
Hotshot Mechanic
The Good: I mentioned the artifact aggro deck earlier and every Savannah Lions that is also an artifact is going to be good support for it. Notable vehicles this can crew include Esika's Chariot and Heart of Kiran.
The Bad: The best aggressive vehicles can already be crewed by a 2/1. Savannah Lions is generally not good enough anymore, you need to make use of Hotshot's typeline if you want to run it.
The Verdict: Now I don't run the artifact aggro deck so I'm obviously not putting this one in my cube, but this set has some good support for that archetype so I wanted to feature some of the better ones.
Kyodai, Soul of Kamigawa
The Good: I still run Restoration Angel in my cube and I regularly see it played in decks without Kiki-Jiki. 4 mana for a 3 powered flier that saves another creature or eats a creature in combat is just good value. This card has the bonus of saving your noncreature permanents from destruction spells too. You sacrifice a toughness on Restoration Angel but the fact that what you save remains indestructible for as long as you control Kyodai is huge and lets you get value if you want to just end of turn flash in a 3/3 flier. I kind of wish it didn't have the activated ability because it's going to be pretty strictly flavor text, but I suppose it does have a splashable mana cost if you really want to force the 5-color deck.
The Bad: Honestly this card is just very solid, it's biggest downside is I don't run many 4-mana white creatures because white wheenies don't need many, but this is good in most decks that run any amount of white.
The Verdict: This card almost slipped under my radar and I haven't seen much discussion on it, but I am definitely going to test this. I generally like the play pattern of Resto outside combo and blink value and this card just seems super solid.
Lion Sash
The Good: Scavenging Ooze has been a cube classic since its printing and while I think the loss of lifegain is pretty huge, I believe there is enough here to make this a sidegrade to Ooze and the changes certainly suit the new color. Starting as a 1/1 is more than made up for by the fact you can get +1/+1 counters off lands and the option to take its p/t and equip it to your flier is certainly going to be relevant. I'm a big fan of graveyard hate stapled onto good cards and this is one that can be fetched when needed by a Stoneforge Mystic. I think this card is great.
The Bad: I'd just feel too greedy to complain about anything.
The Verdict: I'd say this is likely a slam dunk. It's not likely to dominate games or be the best card in your deck, but I'm going to love running this in my cube and I imagine it will stay for some time.
Spirited Companion
The Good: Elvish Visionary is a good card and it's just as good in white. Considering white is a primary color in the flicker deck, it's perhaps even better here.
The Bad: There's not much to say about this card, you'll be perfectly fine running it but there are a lot of other white 2-drops that are better than this whether that's in aggression, utility, or simple stats in the case of Wall of Omens.
The Verdict: I'll pass on this one as I'm happy with Charming Prince and Wall of Omens in the non-aggro white 2-drop slots. You shouldn't need much convincing to run this card in your own cube though, it will play good.
Touch the Spirit Realm
The Good: Awesome modal Banishing Light variant that can slot right in if you run a flicker archetype. If Banishing Light is prime removal in your environment then this shouldn't be too far off the mark.
The Bad: Oblivion Ring and Banishing Light are not prime removal spells in my cube, they're a bit expensive and leave a chance for the threat to come back. The reason I run them and why you'd play them in your deck is because they are unconditional removal, in place of efficiency they can hit anything you need them to hit. Touch the Spirit Realm not hitting planeswalkers is a huge blow in this card's playability, especially with how many are entering my environment.
The Verdict: I have too many planeswalkers to consider running this over Banishing Light. I honestly have more threatening enchantments than ever before too. A pass for me but if your environment doesn't care about what it misses, it could be a straight upgrade.
The Wandering Emperor
The Good: A planeswalker with Flash! Like Kyodai this can surprise kill an attacking creature and it has the potential to do so with any of its abilities. Untapping with Gideon, Ally of Zendikar and getting that second 2/2 is generally enough value to make your opponent sweat and this card gets you there more often and with Vigilance tokens despite not quite having Gideon's longevity. Really I just love how many options you have in combining the loyalty abilities in your first 2 activations. It should also be noted the static ability works quite nice with Blink effects. Normally Flickerwisping your planeswalker is just a way to reset their loyalty, but with The Wandering Emperor you get an extra activation out of it as well.
The Bad: Really the only thing I can say is that 4-drop planeswalkers in white are stacked and they're generally more aggressive than this one, but I honestly think The Wandering Emperor makes up for this is flexibility.
The Verdict: I am absolutely testing this card and I'm excited to see what comes from it. I don't think she's quite as good as the best 4-mana white walkers but she's not far behind.
Mindlink Mech
The Good: Now I love the tempo deck that encourages the blue player to run creatures and those creatures are generally great for crewing this beefy flier with cards like Sea-Dasher Octopus and Ninja of Deep Hours. I draft U/R aggro/tempo more than I probably should and all I want to do is crew this with Goblin Rabblemaster and swing in!
The Bad: As you can imagine blue is a pretty stacked color and has less room for creatures than the other colors. I fear that in the general cube this card will simply go last pick a lot of the time because the blue drafter just isn't looking to do this kind of stuff.
The Verdict: I'm not sure how long it will stay, but I have a few 3-mana blue creatures I've been meaning to cut so I might as well give this one a shot. I think it's an awesome card and hope it sees some play while it's in my cube. If you are running some kind of blue creature based tempo deck (a ninja deck perhaps) then I would be slamming this in really fast.
Mnemonic Sphere
The Good: I think this is generally a better Hieroglyphic Illumination. You really only lose out on the ability of holding up another 3 or 4-mana spell instead of a 2-mana one. The ability to pay in installments really makes all the difference, I mean it's basically foretell. When compared to Behold the Multiverse you're trading the Scry 2 for the ability to cycle it on the cheap and while that's probably worse it's not bad if you're running these 4-mana draw spells.
The Bad: I do not run Hieroglyphic Illumination or Behold the Multiverse and I'm not very high on them and their variants. Some people are very high on the 1-mana cyclers but I am not, Peek just isn't a good card in most cubes, especially when it doesn't trigger spells matter cards.
The Verdict: I'm passing on this one but in a lower powered environment I can definitely see this as a decent choice.
The Reality Chip
The Good: So a Future Sight that you can pay for in installments, but it also sits on the battlefield as an 0/4 for the first 2 mana. That honestly doesn't sound too bad, Future Sight is a powerful effect. This definitely wants to be played in a grind your opponent out control deck, slow them down with an 0/4 wall and then later down the line Equip it to your random Snapcaster Mage to keep on grinding through your deck.
The Bad: Blue decks don't play many creatures and while getting to look at the top card of your library isn't nothing, this card's certainly no Wall of Omens. There's just so many ways to accrue card advantage in blue and I'm just not sure this is one of the better ones.
The Verdict: I could see myself maybe testing this if I have an easy cut for it lying around, but I think I'm most likely to pass on it.
Thousand-Faced Shadow
The Good: Now this is a very cool clone because your clone essentially has haste and can't be blocked this once due to when Ninjutsu actually happens. This is another good card for encouraging the blue creatures deck and it doubles as support and payoff for the ninja-style decks.
The Bad: I do think you need to be running some kind of ninja-esque deck for this to be good, a 1-mana 1/1 flier isn't really anything without it. It's also unfortunate that whatever you clone also needs to be attacking, this card would be much much better if that weren't the case.
The Verdict: I'm passing on this one. I mostly just wanted to talk about it because this set truly has some great support for the blue deck that wants to run creatures and if you're looking to support that deck, you have some great tools from this set.
Blade of the Oni
The Good: I imagine this has to be a shoe in if you run black aggro. A 3/1 Menace for 2 is not bad at all on rate. Later down the line you can turn one of your creatures into a 5/5 Menace creature. Now that's a creature that will need to be removed and when it does get removed, you have a 3/1 Menace again and the ability to re-equip to something else! Like a lot of the black cards in this set, the art on this one is just so sick.
The Bad: Honestly not much bad to say about this. I started to type that it's generally restricted to the black aggro deck but I don't actually think that's true.
The Verdict: Writing this I have convinced myself I need to test this card. I love the W/B disruption aggro deck and I think this will do quite well there. I don't run black aggro but every set it's getting better and cooler cards. Eventually, if I ever think the power level is there, I might just cut these aristrocratsy cards and try black aggro for myself.
Junji, the Midnight Sky
The Good: This 5-drop is going to kill your opponent fast so they need to get rid of it. The problem for your opponent is that they need to be ready to lose 3 cards if they want to kill it. A 3 for 1 isn't the kind of value you often get stapled onto a threat and it makes this card very formidable. Sure there will be times your opponent has less than 2 cards left over in their hand when this dies but at that point in the game you surely have some other threat in your graveyard to reanimate. Generally Junji's trigger is a 2 for 1 when you want and a 3 for 1 when you can and that's pretty good.
The Bad: The big downfall to these dragons are that the value comes from death triggers. If your opponent has a Swords to Plowshares this card is a big fat Baneslayer. A lot of environments are getting ever more exile effects and ever less room for Baneslayers.
The Verdict: Now I only run 2 black 5-drops and Custodi Lich has been seeing less and less play so I think I'll actually test this. Midrange aristocrats is a big deck in my cube and a sacrifice outlet on the field lets me run out Junji with no fear of it being a Baneslayer. If your environment doesn't feature many exile effects, I expect this to be one of the best black 5s you have access to.
Mukotai Soulripper
The Good: That's a lot of stats for 2 mana, with consistent sac fodder it has evasion and will just get bigger and bigger. Classic recurrable creatures such as Gravecrawler and Bloodghast work very well with this card since they can be sacrificed and be used to crew.
The Bad: I'm not sure if the payoff is strong enough here to warrant playing it outside a focused aristocrats deck. To attack with this on turn 3 and get back the Bloodsoaked Champion you sac'd to it is essentially your whole turn to attack with your 2-drop.
The Verdict: I'm going to test this specifically as a synergy piece for the aristocrats deck. I have a feeling this isn't actually a 2-drop creature to be played on turn 2, but more of a Goblin Bombardment type card where you play it a little later when you have an engine going and you need a cheap effective outlet.
Okiba Reckoner Raid // Nezumi Road Captain
The Good: So a 1-mana 2/2 with Menace is exceptional rate and unlike some other saga-creatures this one does a pretty okay imitation of just that. Sure it can't block for a bit, but it does "hit" for 2 the turn after you play it. This just seems like a fine black aggro support card.
The Bad: It kind of has mega summoning sickness since you can't attack the turn it flips and that actually hurts a lot.
The Verdict: One of these days I'm going to bite, but black aggro isn't quite there for me yet so I'll pass. This seems like a fine support card for it though if you're looking for that 1-drop density.
Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death's Wail
The Good: This card reminds me of Voldaren Bloodcaster from Crimson Vow in that I just want that backside of the card so bad. It would be absolutely unplayable if it didn't have Haste but since it does there's hope. The backside is just a great engine for the aristocrats deck.
The Bad: Your opponent has the Reclamation Sage or Pest Infestation every time. Worst case is they have a Skullclamp, giving your opponent 1/1s just generally isn't good.
The Verdict: I'm passing on this one, but I would love to see it tried in a cube somewhere.
Atsushi, the Blazing Sky
The Good: I feel like I just say the same thing for every playable red 4-drop. This would be a perfectly reasonable include, red 4-drops are stacked but you usually have 1 or 2 flex slots where just about any red 4-drop printed in the last couple years would be fine. You are going to be doing pretty well whether or not your opponent lets this live or kills it.
The Bad: While the 2 for 1 here (or even 3 for 1) has the potential to be very good, it does compete with cards like Rekindling Phoenix and Thunderbreak Regent which have much more consistent 2 for 1s.
The Verdict: I won't be running this but I expect to see it in some cubes and for it to do fine.
Kumano Faces of Kakkazan // Etching of Kumano
The Good: So this technically has the same turn 3 damage output as a turn 1 Zurgo Bellstriker. Potentially even 1 more damage if your turn 2 creature has haste. Of course this damage output is less consistent than Zurgo but there is a case to be made for this card always at least pinging your opponent and having the utility of distributing a +1/+1 counter onto another creature. Because of the first 2 saga triggers I actually think this is quite a better top deck than Zurgo later in the game because you get your ping in and give the counter to something that is able to attack.
The Bad: This is certainly inconsistent as a turn 1 play in the red deck, the question is just how detrimental that inconsistency is.
The Verdict: I'm very happy with my current red 1-drops so I'll need to figure something out, but I'm going to test this card because I have a feeling you need to see it in action to really evaluate it. Less consistent damage output as a turn 1 play but a better chance of dealing damage when you top deck later is something I'm going to need to test.
Lizard Blades
The Good: Now I don't have much experience playing with Fencing Ace variants in cube but they do have some small synergy driven upside over a mere 2/2. The added bonus of giving a different threat Double Strike later may be enough to make it playable. It certainly plays well with equipment like Bonesplitter.
The Bad: I imagine I have little experience with Fencing Ace variants in cube because they're typically quite a bit worse than most aggressive 2-drops. I'm not sure the ability to be a Fireshrieker is enough upside on a body that is essentially just a bear.
The Verdict: I'm going to pass on this one, my red section may actually be my tightest section and this one just doesn't get there for me.
March of Reckless Joy
The Good: You're really only looking at the 1-mana mode for this card. Sure you sometimes are forced to cast full price on Light Up the Stage but it's never where you want to be. 1-mana at instant speed to draw 2 cards is pretty great, assuming you've pitched something you don't want.
The Bad: The thing about the red deck is that the only cards you really want to pitch are lands and you can't do that with this card. You gain card advantage in the red deck by being able to play all your cards quickly and effectively before your opponent can play theirs and you're never going to want to exile a playable spell for a random card in your deck. This card is quite limited to the red deck as well since you need to pitch Red cards to get the discount.
The Verdict: I'm not a fan of any of the marches, this is the most playable one but I also don't think it's very good. Pass for me.
Reinforced Ronin
The Good: So I kind of look at this card as a repeatable shock you can only point face and cast once a turn until you can't anymore and then you can pay 2 mana to cycle it. 2 damage for a single mana is a pretty good rate when you can do it over and over with the same card. The question is just how long until you need to cash in the cycle.
The Bad: How bad this card is depends entirely on what the average number of hits you can get in with it will be and there's a chance it's going to be pretty bad. All your opponent needs is a 2/1 for you to hesitate and once they get an X/3 you're shut out completely. I'll also say sometimes you just want to cast your 2-drop or 3-drop and now you need to decide to play on curve or to keep getting in with this card while you can.
The Verdict: I'm certain this card will see some testing and I may test it in my own cube. Either way I'll be keeping my eye out to see how it performs in cubes. I can imagine this being unplayable trash or this card is so good duh.
Thundering Raiju
The Good: Another good aggressive 4-drop in red. This one gets points for having haste and pushing damage through. If you're adding 5 damage to your attack when you swing you're doing pretty dang good.
The Bad: Needing other attacking creatures to push damage through makes me wish it pushed through a little more. You run into the same thing with Hellrider but the potential of just how much damage Hellrider can be makes up for it, I'm not sure if this card does enough to also make up for it. It is better alone than Hellrider is.
The Verdict: I think this would be a fine test, but I simply don't want to cut any of my red 4-drops to do it. I expect this card will do well in the cubes it is in though.
Invoke the Ancients
The Good: Wow green really got the short end of the stick when the only card I'm considering has 4 green pips. But honestly this card is just some monster stats across 2 bodies. You cast this card on turn 3 and your opponent better have a boardwipe and they better have it now.
The Bad: Yes this card is very much only for the mono-green deck. A lot of people aren't going to run it because of that, however I will say no one ever seems to argue against Goblin Guide. It can be okay to have a powerful card for a single deck.
The Verdict: I'm going to test this if only to test a green card from this set. Let me know if there are any green cards I'm overlooking but I found all of them to be extremely underwhelming. That being said I do actually think this card is pretty good.
Kaito Shizuki
The Good: Now this is a weird card. We all know the power of being a 3-mana walker and this one protects itself for 1 turn cycle. If you start with the -2, the card becomes a Phyrexian Arena unless your opponent can answer it (or the 1/1 but you'll be happy if they waste removal on it). It also slots into a UB reanimator deck as just some good filler.
The Bad: After this phases back in it really has no way to protect itself. Assuming it usually dies when your opponent untaps, this will essentially be a 3-mana 1/1 unblockable that draws you 1 card. While that's not the worst, is it good enough?
The Verdict: I'm really glad they've continued to explore planeswalkers with static abilities, they've really been getting creative with them. I want to try this card but my Dimir section is so incredibly stacked. I run Baleful Strix, Ashiok, Thief of Sanity, Fallen Shinobi, and The Scarab God... What am I suppose to ever cut from there? Maybe I'll just find a cut somewhere else because I'd like to try this one out.
Eater of Virtue
The Good: The absolute slam dunk of the set. Bonesplitter is one of my favorite cards and is bar none the best aggressive equipment for cube (you could make a case for Grafted Wargear but that's the only one). 1 mana to add 2 power anywhere on the board is just amazing and flexible value. The fact that this gives me another 1-mana artifact that's fetchable with Urza's Saga makes it even better. Honestly the parts that aren't Bonesplitter won't come up super often, but sometimes this thing is going to give Haste or First Strike and that's going to feel really good.
The Bad: The equip creature needing to be exiled is going to be a pain sometimes, but it's worth noting it's a trigger so you can even play around it with some instant speed shenanigans.
The Verdict: Slam dunk, I'm running this card and it's going to stay in my cube for a long time.
Reckoner Bankbuster
The Good: It's a little slow for my cube but I've been very impressed with Mazemind Tomb in other cubes and I think this is generally going to be better. You get 1 less draw but you also basically get a 4/4 with the crewer it spawns.
The Bad: It's slow and you're generally not getting a lot of use out of the 4/4 until you get the Pilot since it has Crew 3.
The Verdict: Not for my cube, but if yours is a little more slow and grindy then this is a great option.
And that's what I got for Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty! Let me know if I missed any cards you think I shouldn't have, especially green ones. Overall a pretty tame set for higher powered cubes, I'm super disappointed in the amount of cubeable green cards but I'm quite happy with what I'm going to test in the other colors. This set does have some great support for some lower powered archetypes such as Blue Creature Tempo, White Artifact Aggro, and Black Aggro. Thanks for making it this far and hope you enjoyed! Check back later for my post of NEO considerations for my Pauper Twobert. Happy cubing!
