Standard will finally rotate next week, for the first time in two years. Some of my decks with survive, with a few changes, and some won’t. But when I think about it, I don’t think there are any cards in the whole year’s worth of disappearing sets that I’m really sad to see go, except for the five channel lands from Neon Kamigawa.
They’re basically perfectly designed: useful without being overpowered. Very few decks want four copies of them, but most decks benefit from having one or two in the appropriate colors. With the possible exception of Slogurk legends, decks aren’t built around them, and games don’t hinge on whether you draw one or not. Their abilities are moderately powerful and fairly costed. They help mitigate mana flood. Their legendary status makes them self-regulating.
I do my share of complaining when I think Wizards gets something wrong, so I don’t want to neglect to mention what they get right. The channel lands were a great design and I’ll miss not being able to put them in my Standard decks.
Channel lands are excellent, aside from the fact that they almost have no “cost to include.” Unless you’re doing some “basic land types matter” deck (cough Domain Ramp cough), they’re basically a straight upgrade to a basic. And multicolor decks still run them, just as a second priority after color fixing.
Don’t get me wrong, I love them. I just think they could have entered tapped and still been considered very strong.
I don’t disagree, but I think being legendary helps mute the effect. The first copy is a no-brainer, but there are increasing trade-offs for subsequent copies. It’s not like the Snow-Covered lands where there’s little or no downside to replacing all of your basics even if you don’t have a reason to. I guess I’m okay with it if it’s only one card out of sixty, and it’s not a game-swinging effect.
I don’t feel the same way about legendary creatures – I’ll run four copies of them because you know your opponent’s going to kill them as soon as possible. Being legendary doesn’t count as a drawback for creatures, but it does for lands.
Mono-Blue Cauldron combo lives or dies off of an Otowara versus decks running Temporary Lockdown.
It doesn’t have space for a spell that bounces an enchantment, but having it on a land is perfect. In Arena I run the full play set, paper I only have 3.
Losing that is potentially a bigger loss than alt wincon and best blocker Hypnotic Grifter. But Green losing Boseiju helps protect the combo pieces, so swings and roundabouts. No need to run a surveil land now then.
But to head back to the main topic, yes the channel lands are great.
