Future Sight: A Review in Commons

Polyjak: White is the first among colors, and Judge Unworthy the first among your listed.
Eegag: What a solid common, eh? Scry is one of my favorite mechanics from recent sets, and I am very excited to see it return in large numbers in Future Sight. Judge Unworthy is a well designed card that shows how Scry can be melded with other effects. In this case, we get an excellent new white removal spell that doubles as card selection.
Polyjak: And yet, from my crimson-tainted perspective, this card is a horribly limited excuse for a removal spell, not quite good enough at either of its tasks. I know this card is hyped, so I feel the need to play devil's advocate here. It seems that Scrying for the purpose of removal may in fact hinder your following draw.
Eegag: I see your point, but you're usually only wanting to kill an x/2 or x/3 in Pauper. Those mana costs are very common in most Pauper decks, plus you can get rid of that unwanted land you'll be drawing next turn. Even a 4cc card is not difficult to find, especially in control decks with access to Errant Ephemeron or Aurochs Herd. So, you kill an attacker and draw into your finisher ... sounds like a nice way to deal with an aggro rush for a W/x control deck.
Polyjak: Perhaps so. Perhaps it is the lack of anything resembling 'control' in my persona that allows me to judge this common so unworthily. I imagine my aggro rushes will soon grow to hate it.
Eegag: Maybe. Though, I feel control is on the rise, right now, in Standard. More on that later, perhaps ...

Polyjak: There's only one white common on my list. And most people will probably stop reading after they see what it is.
Eegag: Oh? Do you care to reveal this mystery?
Polyjak: Marshaling Cry. Here's why. I am a backer of Gnarrly Beats / Selesnya Saprolings, and I often enjoy the excitement of winning with a Fortified Saproling swarm. On the other hand, I nearly equally often bemoan the opening hand full of Fortify and War Cry with nothing to pump. Marshaling Cry read my mind.
Eegag: Ah, this allows you to draw into what you need, if you're in a pinch ...
Polyjak: With Cycling, I can use it at any time I want... as long as a sorcery can be played?! BUMMER. ...still, no one doubts the pump is coming when the Saprolings start turning sideways anyway, so the sorcery speed isn't too horrible.
Eegag: This is true, but the sorcery-speed does prevent you from using it as a defensive measure against Subterranean Shambler or Rain of Embers ...
Polyjak: To be honest, my choice of this card comes directly from my experience playing Gnarrly Beats. The fact that it grants Vigilance helps with Convoke, and the fact that it can be cycled helps with rough early draws. If I need to save my army, I still have Kjeldoran War Cry. But I must admit, given the sorcery speed, this requires testing.
Eegag: The bonus of Vigilance and its synergy with Convoke is a good point that I hadn't considered.
Polyjak: Indeed. Especially if Gnarrly Beats takes a fatty turn as Hokusai22 was experimenting with, by convoking out fat.
Eegag: Or, if it adopts Sprout Swarm as yet another instant-speed Convoke spell.
Polyjak: We'll get to that gem in a bit... read on, gentle Pauper.

Eegag: My next choice might come as bit of a surprise, too. Initially, I was bummed about this card, but I think it has potential to play a big role in a W/x control deck, if one comes into existence. This card is Saltskitter. Your thoughts?
Polyjak: Flash creatures do not exist in ample abundance to make this card more than a good dream.
Eegag: Why do you need Flash creatures in abundance when you have Whitemane Lion, which you can use over and over again?
Polyjak: Ah, tricksy.
Eegag: Plus, add in, say, a Crookclaw Transmuter or two, and possibly a card I will disucss later, and you have the creature base of a decent U/W control deck. At 3/4, Saltskitter has great stats. It could be a powerful, hard-to-kill finisher.
Polyjak: That I will concede. Also, one of my major objections was the opponents' ability to make it go away. But I see that even were that the case, the creature would come back at opponent's EOT, thus allowing you to beat anew on your own turn.
Eegag: Right. If you plan to use it as a blocker, you're probably in trouble. But, as a finisher that has some built in protection, it could fare well.

Polyjak: For many reasons, Leaden Fists is an intriguing card to me. The main one is because auras have always enticed me and impelled me to concoct elaborate and unplayable combos. I see such a combo brewing with this card in Azorius Acid, a deck using Reality Acid and bounce to control the board. Good auras are hard to come by, and this one is good... as far as auras go, anyway.
Eegag: I find it interesting because it gives blue two things that it rarely has access to: instant-speed "removal" and instant-speed "pump." It seems to be continuing the trend of Planar Chaos cards like Piracy Charm and Shaper Parasite.
Polyjak: Excellent point. I hadn't even considered the Flash element, which is why it's, in my opinion, top-notch aura removal. I also enjoy its synergy with cards such as Dream Stalker and Drake Familiar, both of which I see forming the crux of aforementioned Azorius Acid deck.
Eegag: As you mentioned earlier, this has the potential to be yet another "elaborate and unplayable" combo deck, but Paupers have certainly been given the tools to at least give such an outrageous deck concept a try.

Eegag: While I wasn't that impressed with blue, overall, in Future Sight (at least in comparison to the two previous sets), there are several cards in which I see some possible potential. One of those is Foresee. At first, it's difficult to understand why anyone would use it over Compulsive Research. But, as Grozathia put it, Foresee digs 4-6 cards and always nets you 1, while Compulsive Research digs only 3 cards deeps and sometimes nets you 0 cards overall.
Polyjak: I see this card as outstanding... except for the cost, which may be prohibitive, especially in a landscape without the kind of artifact mana fixing with which Ravnica block has spoiled us.
Eegag: That's the question ... will its relatively high mana cost limit its play? I think the answer is yes, in certain decks. Izzet aggro-control, like Burnt Fish for instance, probably can't afford to raise its average mana cost any more. However, U/x control decks that might otherwise use Train of Thought have probably found themselves a wonderful new addition.
Polyjak: With Transmute on the way out, the depth of this card's Scry may be important for control decks.
Eegag: That's a good point. Decks that rely heavily on Transmute, like Parlor Tricks, will have to find another means to dig for their answers. Foresee might fulfill that need.
Polyjak: It certainly doesn't fulfill my aesthetic needs, that's for sure.
Eegag: You mean the artwork? It's dreadful. That is everything Magic artwork should not be.
Polyjak: I concur. Shall we crack on?
Eegag: We shall.

Eegag: Here is another surprise pick for you: Vedalken Aethermage. I was actually just intrigued by this card for the first time when I was looking through the spoiler preparing for this article, as I was beginning to develop this dream of a U/W Control deck with Flash creatures and Saltskitter. Here is a creature with Flash that can also cycle for a 3/1 flier with Flash in Crookclaw Transmuter.
Polyjak: And, in the event of a Slivers matchup, return that pesky creature to its owner's hand at a most inopportune time.
Eegag: Very true. And, who knows, Future Sight might push Slivers into actual contention... If so, this card will see some play. If not, it will probably live on only in my dreams.
Polyjak: Not necessarily. I do think its other applications may be more universally applicable. Again, I had forgotten it had Flash.
Eegag: It has potential, like so many cards in Future Sight, but it is one of the most questionable cards on my list, in my opinion.
Polyjak: Frankly, I'm surprised you didn't choose Infiltrator il-Kor... but then again, it's pretty obvious what that card is good for.
Eegag: That card is good, but I wanted to discuss something a bit more ... debatable.
Polyjak: You've done just that, sir.

Eegag: Delve is one of the mechanics from the future of Magic that Future Sight has previewed, and one of the Delve commons is Death Rattle. At first, it seems like an overpriced kill spell. The mechanic of Delve goes against our current trend of graveyard recursion, so many have instantly dismissed this spell. However, I think it may have a home in a deck like R/B that utilizes Hellbent, where many cards end up in your graveyard, but you don't really expect to use them later ...
Polyjak: I am an avid hater of graveyards everywhere (I was a lvl. 11 Cleric in past lives) and so I find the Delve mechanic to be delightful. Plus, like another of my favorite mechanics (Convoke), it offers alternative payment options for spells... which usually means the spells start out overcosted, sure. But as BweeBwee pointed out, Delve is like Affinity, only not broken.
Eegag: I agree. Convoke, at first, seems overpriced too. Yet, more and more Convoke commons are seeing play in Standard. Delve is the latest in a long line of cost-reducing mechanics, and I think it has tremendous potential because it doesn't tie down your resources on the board as Convoke does.
Polyjak: You pointed out its synergy with Hellbent, which is a good one, though we are in line to lose a great number of Hellbent cards... to say nothing of Dredge cards. Dredge would greatly fuel Delve... perhaps it's best that they don't long co-exist.
Eegag: Dredge and Delve have great synergy, as one Dredged Stinkweed Imp makes Death Rattle cost B. I think you're right: it's probably for the best that they don't co-exist in Standard for too long.
Polyjak: When am I not right, my friend?
Eegag: Good point.

Polyjak: Deepcavern Imp is going to make a nightmare of Madness decks, I fear. Easier to cast than Skyknight Legionnaire, who saw plenty of play, and a free Madness outlet to boot? I'll take 4.
Eegag: Yes. In the right deck, this Echo cost is not a drawback at all. With this and other new Madness outlets in Future Sight, as well as one of the best Madness cards in the the block, a B/x deck exploiting the mechanic is likely right around the corner.
Polyjak: Get yourself a periscope!

Eegag: Here is a card that I think will be underrated at first: Lost Hours. What are your initial thoughts?
Polyjak: My initial thoughts were indeed to under-rate it. In some ways, however, it's like a black bounce spell. And it can also be viewed as a Coercion for 1B.
Eegag: It seems at first like you are just delaying the inevitable, but three turns is a long time in Magic and a lot can change, especially in the early game. Casting this on turn two keeps them from drawing into it until turn five, by which time you could have really established board control.
Polyjak: Exactly. Plus, it fixes one of their draws... though that may not always be in your favor, if you genuinely want to be rid of that card. But at least you have a while to plan for it.
Eegag: It can also be used in combination with cards like Thoughtpicker Witch, Lurking Informant, or Induce Paranoia to make sure they don't get the card back. Also, sometimes delaying a card for three turns can be much better than putting it in the graveyard. Case in point: Stinkweed Imp.
Polyjak: Yes. But again, black is already the best color at permanently dealing with graveyard recursion. This card is preaching to the choir in that way.
Eegag: I'll concede that point, but I still think this is the second best discard spell in Standard.
Polyjak: Let's hope experience renders your opinion fact!

Polyjak: Last for black, we come to Augur of Skulls, far and away the strongest Augur both for his built-in Mind Rot ability and for his sick interaction with Grim Harvest (which does not rotate away with Ravnica).
Eegag: I said Lost Hours was the second best discard spell - I wasn't counting creatures in that assessment. Augur of Skulls is very powerful, and should make an immediate impact. He often comes down before control decks can get their counters going, which makes him a great weapon for black aggro decks.
Polyjak: Indeed. He fits beautifully in Alfred's RB Insane (Rakdos LD Control) deck too, as a far superior Recover trigger to Mogg War Marshal. The red Augur has potential, but this guy is the king.
Eegag: Plus, with regenerate he makes an excellent blocker. A top-notch card, to be sure.
Polyjak: A top-notch card, and some of the blackest art you'll ever did see.

Polyjak: Ghostfire has an artifact border but a red casting cost. That's the only bad thing about it.
Eegag: Worried it will tarnish the look of your mono-red deck, eh? You're right, this is a solid burn spell ... one of the best to come out of the Time Spiral block. 3 damage at instant-speed is great. Additionally, Ghostfire provides us with a weapon against Guardian of the Guildpact.
Polyjak: Which, if mono-red is to be at all viable, it definitely needs. This is welcome in Standard, but I think it will be more potent in Classic, where pro red creatures are more abundant. It also nearly proves that Incinerate will be uncommon in 10th Edition.
Eegag: Agreed on that count, which is actually a bit of a relief. Ghostfire and Skred are enough good burn for me in Standard.
Polyjak: Not me! Burn! Burn! But you're right. Much more removal, and things could get ugly.

Eegag: Grinning Ignus is a card that's just begging to be abused. Do you think there is some way to exploit this card in Standard?
Polyjak: It seems as though there must be. Because it almost pays for itself every time you use its ability, it could be a way to ramp up Storm counts...
Eegag: It's also a neat form of red mana acceleration, providing you with 2 extra mana on turn four. That's kind of a simple application, but possibly useful nevertheless.
Polyjak: True. And it can beat first, if that comes into play. It's certainly an intriguing, eye-grabbing card... I wonder if cards like these really aren't as good as we think they could be, or if their secrets are just remaining untapped...
Eegag: Grinning Ignus definitely falls into one of those categories ... only time will tell which.

Polyjak: One of my favorite cards from this whole block, I'd say, has got to be Henchfiend of Ukor.
Eegag: Fireball with legs.
Polyjak: Finally a use for extra mana... though, it has to be either red or black. But this guy seems to fit right into a UR/b Magnivore-style deck. He's also a great finisher for BR Control, or maybe even mono-red. And I'm happy to see the hybrid mana symbol back.
Eegag: Like Chilling Shade, Henchfiend can end the game in a hurry. Haste is an added bonus, allowing you to possibly end the game the turn you cast him.
Polyjak: Unlike the Shade, the Henchfiend lacks evasion, but does have the surprise factor. And red is usually more than capable of clearing a path for beats.
Eegag: Also, in a deck like RB Control, you often wait to play your finisher until you have elminated the opponent's resources - for example, made them discard their entire hand. Henchfiend will end the game before they can even react by drawing a kill spell or holding back chump blockers.
Polyjak: Agreed. This card fits into many archetypes, and provides something we just plain don't yet have in Standard. I'll want 4 copies as soon as possible.

Eegag: Burnt Fish began its life as a aggro-control deck made to exploit Suspend. I was slightly disappointed when Planar Chaos contributed nothing to this theme. Future Sight, however, is a different story. We've already briefly mentioned Infiltrator il-Kor as a solid Suspend creature. Rift Elemental fits this theme even better.
Polyjak: Indeed -- and the preponderance of blue in the card's art denotes the card's readiness to integrate into a blue-red affair.
Eegag: At 1/1 it is vulnerable to splash damage from weenie hate. The ability to bring your Errant Ephemeron is two turns earlier while swinging for 5, however, is too hard to pass up.
Polyjak: Rift Elemental makes a solid turn one play in a deck that otherwise has little to do early. It can punish decks that are slower to develop, while speeding your own deck's development. It is an excellent example, flavor-wise and mechanically, of the exploitation of time and tempo in this block.
Eegag: I can't wait to test it. This is one of the most exciting cards in the set for me.
Polyjak: It may also be useful in other decks packing suspend, though Errant Ephemeron is clearly one of the strongest suspend cards.
Eegag: I suspect that we'll be seeing a few Rift Elementals in UR decks soon after Future Sight's online release.
Polyjak: Whenever that is.

Polyjak: One of the highest profile red commons in this set is Gathan Raiders, both because of its synergistic pairing of mechanics (almost a trio, really), and because it's actually a playable red common for a change. This card, like so many others in the set, screams for a deck to fit into. That deck just may be B/R Hellbent/Madness.
Eegag: If we do see a RB deck with Hellbent and Madness emerge, then this, alongside Deepcavern Imp, will be a centerpiece.
Polyjak: Does this card not excite you, Eegag??
Eegag: Oh, it does. I've just been burned with so many Hellbent and Madness experiments in the past. I'm a bit hesitant, I suppose.
Polyjak: And rightly so. Hellbent doesn't often provide a bonus worth the resulting card disadvantage. And the Madness cards have been spotty at best. But the pie looks to be complete, and what's left for us Paupers to do is taste it and see if it's worth eating.
Eegag: After Future Sight, it appears tasty from a distance...

Eegag: Green has some great cards in Future Sight. One of the best has to be Thornweald Archer.
Polyjak: Yes, as an ex of mine once said, 'The future's gonna be awesome!' And Thornweald Archer is a scion of this awesomeness. Two new keywords in one little package.
Eegag: All for the cheap price of 1G.
Polyjak: If only he could tap to hurt something, the world would be a scary place for fliers everywhere.
Eegag: While Classic has Viridian Longbow, Standard Paupers remain without such a tool. Perhaps in the more distant future ...
Polyjak: ...or the unshifted future...
Eegag: It's safe to say this card is good. It can block and take care of most creatures or attack for 2, at a cost of 1G. I'm not sure what deck has a place for this creature, but something like UGAC comes to mind.
Polyjak: Indeed, indeed. That deck is just starved for 2-drops. =)
Eegag: Heh. I think, however, that this might just unseat some of the current choices at that slot and find a home.
Polyjak: Insurrection!
Eegag: Something like that.

Polyjak: Sporoloth Ancient continues the trend of impossible-to-spell names on beefy Saproling generators, and naturally something that falls into this category is bound to catch my eye. A 4/4 for 5 that also cuts Sap production times on ALL Sap producers in play is quite enticing.
Eegag: It is a solid card that reminds me of Bramble Elemental. That card hasn't seen much play, but it also relies on auras. Sporoloth Ancient makes Saprolings on its own, and immediately affects your other fungi.
Polyjak: Thinking specifically of Gnarrly Beats as I am wont to do, I'm not sure precisely where this guy would fit in. I do know, however, that making Saprolings is the way the deck likes to win, and so something that makes Saprolings faster seems, by necessity, to be worth playing. It may also prove to be a critical piece of a Standard Rock deck.
Eegag: Plus, its a fattie. Hokusai22 showed us that fat might have a place in GW. Maybe this will find a spot after all.

Eegag: Edge of Autumn is an interesting card that has already turned the heads of five-color green players like redleg. It gets what you need early, and cycles for "free" when you no longer need the spell's ability. He said, in his deck, that it was simply better than Rampant Growth. I tend to agree.
Polyjak: It has its pros and cons, but I do think the added functionality of Cycling makes it nice. I just wish it didn't pre-assign a cutoff of 4 or fewer lands.
Eegag: They had to make it so the card wasn't "strictly better" than Rampant Growth. However, 4 or fewer does seem like a rather low number.
Polyjak: But I don't think I've ever seen anyone play more mana-fixing spells than redleg, so if he's excited about it, it's gotta be good.
Eegag: How true.

Polyjak: Petrified Plating is another suspend spell, but the thought tickles my mind of suspending this creature enhancement before the creature is actually summoned. It seems like a worthwhile turn one play for a mono green beats deck.
Eegag: I agree. This looks like a neat card, to be sure. I think it's another possibility for UGAC. Yes, Surging Might has a home there and you can get some incredible card advantage from it. However, maybe the reduced cost of suspending Petrified Plating gives it an advantage. UGAC wants mana open to counter spells. This allows you to get a 3/3 Ledgewalker going while not dropping your counter shield during turns three or four.
Polyjak: It has the enticement factor common to so many auras, and it will be borne out by time whether this card is as useful as our hopes make it seem. However, I believe that mono-green is looking very promising in the new environment.
Eegag: It's about time mono-color became promising again ...
Polyjak: You tell 'em!
Eegag: I just did.

Polyjak: Last but not least... a green card that provides a service something no common on MTGO is capable of... design so elegant you'd think MaRo had ascended to godhood... and art so cute you'll want to jump off a mossy toadstool into a verdant ravine, too...
Eegag: The suspense is killing me!
Polyjak: Can you guess what it is?
Eegag: It just has to be Sprout Swarm. There is nothing else that I can think of as cute as that.
Polyjak: Righto. When you're not making out with this card, you're making Saprolings with it. Great in Gnarrly Beats, and great in control decks that want an endless stream of blockers. Also great in a possible new Rock build.
Eegag: The synergy of these abilities is wonderful.
Polyjak: You're right on that count, sir!
Eegag: An unkillable token producer at common. I never thought I'd see the day. Could we see a Pauper version of Counterpost?
Polyjak: If someone designs it, we will!
Eegag: Only the future will tell ...