So, I’m semi exciting about the new slivers in M15 and the new sliver land.
First up: Sliver Hive. Taps for any color to play sliver spells. The odd part is that it doesn’t tap for sliver abilities. At the moment, it looks like Sedge Sliver is the only sliver that has an activated ability that has a colored mana cost. Still, they could have pushed the ability a bit in anticipation of future slivers. The create a sliver ability is pretty bad. 5 mana, have a sliver on the board, and tap the land?
The best similar lands are Cavern of Souls and Ancient Ziggurat. Other than the unplayable create a sliver ability, the other two lands are better. Cavern of Souls has a very good anti-counter ability and it’s not locked into slivers (so Cavern number 2 or 3 can be played for non-slivers and be used for sideboard creatures). Ancient Zigguart can tap for any creature and thus again can be used for sideboard creatures. Both of these lands are Modern/Legacy playable in a Sliver deck, while this likely won’t make the cut.
They could have pushed it and made it more like Primal Beyond. I’m just saying, no love given to the sliver hive!
Sliver Hive might be played in a standard Sliver deck, but I likely don’t want to be playing that deck at the moment no matter how much I love slivers. It’s just that mana is really good and I’m not in any hurry to create 1/1 slivers for 6 mana. It doesn’t even help you rebuild after a Supreme Verdict because you need a sliver on the board to make a token! I’ll pick up a playset in 6 months when everyone realizes it’s a dud.
Next up: Sliver Hivelord. Indestructible slivers is pretty solid on a sliver. The problem is it costs 5 when Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict cost 4. This isn’t so much of a travesty against justice as the other issue with the card: it’s a 5/5, and not the traditional 7/7. The flavor alone makes me hate this. If there is a Standard Sliver deck, this is likely a 1 or 2 of and not even 3 or a full playset. Again, pick up a playset in 6 months when everyone realizes it’s only playable in control and the sliver deck is pretty bad.
Into the colored uncommon sliver cycle!
Constricting Sliver is unplayable. 6 mana and we only get Banisher Priest Sliver? It even has the new template wording so we can’t play with enter the battlefield/leaving the battlefield tricks? And we have a candidate for worst sliver printed ever!
Diffusion Sliver is possibly playable. This isn’t Crystalline Sliver by any means. Crystalline sliver counters the spell upon resolution if you flash it into play (say with Aether Vial) after your sliver has been targeted. This sliver doesn’t have that effect. Still, it could be a contender in Standard if there is a Sliver deck. Modern is less playable but could still be used to defend the team. In Legacy it’s unlikely to be played due to Crystalline Sliver being available. And here is another sliver that could have been pushed by giving us a Hexproof sliver for 2 or 3 mana.
Leeching Sliver again is a marginal playable. Loss of life is relevant at times and it’s a triggered ability. How many times in a creature deck do you wish you had the ability to have your opponent lose 1 life through loss of life to get around Worship or the like? With the trigger, if your opponent has a gigantic lifelink creature the loss of life triggers happen and they die before they can block and gain life. Bad timing that Syphon Sliver doesn’t work with it and both are top quality slivers that are in Standard and in the same color at the same time. Standard and Modern playable if there is a sliver deck. This could be played in Legacy depending on how you build your sliver deck.
Belligerent Sliver is interesting depending on what sliver deck you play. If you are playing only slivers, this looks to be a nice addition and gives more evasion other than flying. You can talk to red deck players to know how powerful requiring two defenders per attacker is to get through the last few points of damage. The problem we have is we already have a copy of this ability in Two-Headed Sliver and it’s not really played. Standard is likely due to the power of red slivers already and it’s on line with what the deck wants to do (vomit out slivers and run over the opponent). Modern or Legacy not so much.
Venom Sliver is the MVP of the M15 slivers. Many sliver dreams start with teaming him up with Striking Sliver or Thorncaster Sliver and running over the opponent. Definitely Modern and Standard playable and likely to be the heart of the standard sliver deck if there is one. Legacy isn’t really into creature combat and deathtouch isn’t where we want to be.
Hopefully this gives you an idea of the M15 slivers and possible ideas.