It's easy to dismiss Ballista as bad 2-drop, a bad 4-drop, a bad 6-drop etc. The thing is, the card IS a 2-drop, IS a 4-drop, IS a 6-drop etc, which most cards aren't. Flexibility is easy to overlook, but it's the biggest asset of the card (both on casting cost and color). The card is better than a 6-drop early in the game and better than a 2-drop as a lategame topdeck. Regarding Beast's list...



Let's start by saying that I rather put +1/+1 counters in Ballista than like in 70% of those cards, because when the removal spell comes (and you can count on it comming), I rather turn those counters into damage than waste them. Besides, Ballista can go in more decks than let's say Kari Zev simply because Kari Zev can only go in decks than run Red and are super aggressive. It's a more versatile card while still being good, and that's why it gets a better grade. I never said Ballista is better than Kari Zev or any other card, and that's what you and other people are not understanding. A 3.0 is a card that is good in one type of deck, a 4.0 is a card that is good in two or more types of decks. I'm not grading power, I'm grading usability.

Another thing that is being done here that I think is very unwise is comparing cards that got the same grade. Cards that got the same grade are going to vary in power and that is a result of using round grades like 4.0s and 3.0s. Some cards are going to be much closer to one side of the grade. I'm rounding my grade, but you can easily have cards that are like 4.5 and 3.8 receiving the same grade. Again, Don't give much weight to the actual numbers and understand what I'm trying to say, both in the scale and in the article.

One more thing:



Hey, that's a pretty bad pun. Maybe you have a bright future in set reviews

Fel, I think the main problem people are having is when they look at your set review, they see it as a sliding power scale, which you do not list as such. I think you have it as a scale of usefulness or ubiquity in use in Duels. Two totally different ways of looking at and grading cards.

Hey, it gives us something to talk about to pass the final stretch before release. Honestly rather follow and participate in ratings discussions here than suntail hawk trolling threads...

Walking Ballista is very reminiscent of Hangarback Walker. That card was overlooked when Origins was announced but quickly became a chase rare for the set a few days after release. The card flexibility on its casting cost and its resilience to removal made it a must run for a lot of decks. The cost to pump it with counters was also really cheap, the only real issue was that you needed to tap it.

That said I'm honestly not sure where to stand on Walking Ballista yet. It has the same flexibility but is not as resilient to removal. The ability to use counters as a damage source is very valuable, but the cost to add those counters seems a bit high to me. I'm not sure if it can really be a role player outside of dedicated +1/+1 counter decks. I have the feeling that it's not quite on the same power level as Hangarback Walker was.

Last article. Finally!

Great job Fel! Can't believe push beat out Druid... :'( and heart beat out aethersphere.

Heh

Tomorrow's going to be fun!

Shock as #3. That's...interesting.

As always, Fel, good job.

Excellent reviews Fel. Thanks for helping me evaluate what to play with.

One more day until Solvent proves all the haters wrong.

I was more hyped about recurring evolving wilds and unbridled growth with the rallier tbh.
The 3.0 score for the UR uncommon reminds me that I was a bit surprised about you giving 0 to the hasty,tramply improvise dude but 1 to that random dragon that has no impact the turn it hits the board.

The Rallier is best in a delirium deck where it can recur Oath of Nissa, Vessel of Nascency and Crop Sigil.

Why?

Because.

I largely agree with fel's ratings. Just want to give a shoutout to Metallic rebuke. I think it's the best Improvise card we got. It will see play in almost all blue artifact decks and the mechanic may even create entirely new decks.

This joke has been beaten to death, risen from the grave and been beaten to death again. It's like watching the climax of the Molag Bol quest in Skyrim over and over.

It doesn't even elicit a chuckle anymore.. and it died during the stream.

Beast has spoken, so it must be so

I usually don't complain about the ratings but there is NO WAY Spire Patrol is a 0.0. It's totally a 2.0 (Gem! Back me up on this)

I think it's very playable in the right deck.

Thanks for writing these articles, Fel! Great way to introduce ourselves to the expansion.

I don't think it's that bad either.. I think there's a tapdancer deck that wants it actually. Frost Lynx, the Pestermite spirit, this thing, Kytheon's Irregulars, some solid two drops including Dauntless River Marshall.. holding up mana for tap effects and counterspells on turn 4-5+

UW Tempo fliers... possibru

Very possibru indeed; I really want to try that archetype out in this new set.