Today I’m going through higher CMC blue budget staples. What is everyone playing, and do they ever pay the full mana cost?

Frantic Search has a couple clear shortcomings. Even though it’s “free” you still need to pass the 3 land gate in order to cast it, and you end up down a card. That means it doesn’t help your 2 land draws, and it’s dead if you can’t keep cards in hand. Still though, it’s instant speed zero mana hand filtering for $0.49 CAD. That’s less interesting than 2 mana options, but it’s going in to boost card draw availability.

My play group loves Entrancing Melody, so Control Magic will be happily accepted. It’s much more mana-efficient than Melody, with the minimal shortcoming of being undone by Oblivion Rings or disenchants. $0.65 to increase the frequency of games with these fun swings.

Everyone loves Fact or Fiction: there’s a rich interaction that doesn’t come up in Magic otherwise that’s easy to understand but challenging. I’ve seen it mentioned on lists of sacred cows to consider cutting, but the game play is too fun for me to consider taking it out.

I opened a Gush from Mystery Booster, but haven’t had a chance to play it yet. The modes here are really interesting. If you just have nothing else to do, cast for the mana. If you want to power a late Frantic Search, happily return two Islands to your hand. If you want to be really efficient, cast it as a sorcery and play the Island back out. I’m really looking forward to playing this.

I can see games ending with Rise from the Tides. Having the payoff for a spells matter deck be a bunch of zombies is weird flavour, but I’m open to trying it, especially for only $0.25. It’s wildly good return with 4 spells in your graveyard, which doesn’t even take building around. My only question is whether this fits a spells decks’ game plan — it may just gum up the board to buy time, rather than finish the game. That will be the deciding factor in whether we keep running this.

I will be picking up Treasure Cruise ($0.49 nearby). We’re not interested in supporting any focused self-mill archetypes, but having graveyards be at least occasionally relevant is fun. I can’t wait. Along with Frantic Search and Rise from the Tides, blue really enjoys messing with mana costs, eh?

Verdicts

Frantic Search: adding for density, but not excited

Control Magic: Entrancing Melody twin

Fact or Fiction: everyone loves this card

Gush: can’t wait to play it

Rise from the Tides: if this is a win-con, I’m down; if it just stalls boards, it’s gone

Treasure Cruise: hell yes

Looks like we’re going to be drawing a lot of cards going forward. Where am I missing important elements?

Find me on twitter at @zoydraft, and on CubeCobra!