Sorry about last Thursday-I was called away. But I'm back now, and the spoiler link is here so let's get to it!
The mechanics are not very interesting to me this time around: Coven is a limited mechanic and one that I don't think is going to be very easy or fun to turn on. The payoffs don't seem to payoff. Hell, the pushed one, Sungold Sentinel is only good because of it's other abilities and power/toughness boost. The Coven ability, while strong, isn't one that matters if you're playing that card-it's just a bonus.
Disturb makes for fun artistic 'story on a card' moments but again; limited mechanic-just because of the cost of making that a thing. Again; the cards just aren't strong enough to justify playing both sides. I don't hate it, but I can't say I'm excited by what they did.
The Daybound/Nightbound idea is a nice way to clean up the werewolves mechanic and I think opens up some cool design space. It also allows for other colors to benefit from the change and that's rad. But I still hate werewolves as a mechanic; rewarding players for not playing spells is bad design, in my opinion.
Flashback is a classic and I don't see anything here that changes the way we should think about it.
On the other hand, Innistrad seems to be a plane where Magic really lets the artwork shine. Even simple cards like Tapping At The Window go a long way to build the feel of things but there are a ton of eye-popping visuals here. Devious Cover-Up, the new art for Duress, Burn Down the House-there's just so much to appreciate.
One last thing: the Adversary cycle is one of the better ones I've seen in a while. From the connective artwork, to the cost for creatures and the boost they might get, everything is smashing.
So let's get into the meat of it.
White
Boy, White really is getting a boost, isn't it? Fateful Absence might be one of the best removal spells printed in years, Curse of Silence is very good and there's a strong range of creatures available.
I do hope this helps restore some balance to the colors but more importantly, I hope this makes White interesting to players. For example, Sigarda's Splendor has a lot of bookkeeping involved but the effect is neat and one worth adding to decks. There also seem to be more pushed 'bring back tiny creatures from the graveyard' in Midnight Hunt, which gives White decks something to do at the high end of the curve. I like it.
Blue
Component Collector should becomes the new Fblthp. C'mon. It's adorable.
Reprinting Delver of Secrets was...a choice. I consider that card to be a mistake for Blue: it's just too damned efficient for what that color should receive, especially when it was printed at common. Printing it at uncommon doesn't fix that. And since the card was never over $1 (according to MTGStocks data), does this really fall under needed reprints?
I understand that designers might not think it's pushed but that is an assessment I disagree with. The card rewards players for doing what Blue wants to do as a color and rewards them handsomely. Contrast that with the werewolf mechanic's punishing quality and I just don't get it. But: I do concede that in Limited environments, the card is adequate.
I will say that Mysterious Tome is possibly one of my favorite examples of a double-faced card though. Lots of cool things happening there, even if it's not very powerful.
Black
Look, they finally printed Defenestrate. I'm good.
But! They also are continuing the adventures of Thraben Inspector with Foul Play, Gisa not only does awesome things but looks positively deranged on her card, and Rotten Reunion has the fun wink-and-nod art people love to see.
There are two oddballs: The Meathook Massacre, which takes its place as the 7th enchantment to have X in the mana cost. Neat card though and a way to get Black control decks back in the game.
Then there's Lord of the Forsaken which does a lot of stuff but doesn't seem to tie together. It's a 6/6 flying trampler for six: that's already solid. The other abilities though-sacrificing a creature to mill, and then playing life for colorless mana for graveyard spells...I just don't get how these are supposed to come together or represent this demon. I don't hate it I'm just puzzled by it.
Also really dig the Curse of Leeches card.
Red
I wonder if Flame Channeler has the potential to cut it? A 3/3 for two mana in Red that benefits from things Red wants to do looks pretty good.
Speaking of things Red wants to do: Cathartic Pyre has the kind of versatility that makes it a card I find very attractive.
The rest of the color is...nothing wrong with it or brilliant either. Except for the artwork on Stolen Vitality. That's creepy.
Green
Rise of the Ants feels weirdly out of place. I get the reference but that's just it: mad-scientist movies of the 50s and 60s don't belong in a Victorian era gothic horror setting. And the mad scientists of Innistrad are body stitchers not mutant creators. This same set has Eccentric Farmer, showing a person feeding a massive centipede! It would suggest that giant ants exist and there's nothing to rise.
Feels weird.
Unnatural Growth, though, is my jam. I love that card and want to run it in all the decks. Yes, I know. But still.
Multicolor
Looks like we're getting another overpowered Teferi. I also dig the artwork for Old Stickfingers almost as I am underwhelmed by the card mechanically.
But the multicolor cards in Midnight Hunt look to be the frosting on the cake. Fun, a little splashy, not sorry it's there, but it isn't the set's focus-as is appropriate.
Artifacts & Lands
Personally, I cannot believe it's taken them this many sets to do a Jack-o'-Lantern card. This is the sixth Innistrad set and they're just now getting around to it?
I'm also surprised there's only one scarecrow. I suppose scarecrow tribal just is not meant to be.
As for the new dual lands; solid and should be excellent for the player on a budget, and Hostile Hostel would've been better if you could activate it as an instant. It's a mythic rare, so why it isn't a better card is a bit of a mystery.
Finally, the basic lands in black and white are a very nice touch.
So that's it! I think this set falls squarely into the 'solid but not groundbreaking' area and should give the format a nice shot in the arm-with another burst of energy coming in just two months!
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