Community

You guys know the bit.

This can be prices, playability, format specific, or whatever. It is just too hard to isolate rules. I will just say defend any statement you make with some thought. Feel free to challenge the remarks of other members as well.

Why?

Remember Temporal Aperture ?  Unexpected results is a Whiff-resistant one-shot version of that.  Aperture was always more of a rogue card, I see no reason why Unexpected Results would do much better.  After all, if Aperture hits a cantrip or counterspell you get to try again next turn.  If Results hits one, it's done, and flipping up a Counter doesn't protect you from shenanigains for the rest of the turn the way it does with aperture.

For limited, I think Shambleshark is underrated: Simic has a LOT of high toughness, so the Shark will often swing as a 3/2 its first time out, and can grow decently reliably to 4/3 in a good sealed (with Crocanura among others) or probably 5/4 in draft (with anemones and Elusive Krasis ) -- that's a lot of bang for a mana investment equal to or less than most spells that can remove the sucker.  While the flash is kind of moot early game where it shines, it evolves Experiment One and Cloudfin Raptor , the latter even after it's been evolved once before.  And late game, when it won't be doing much evolving and topdeck mode means its chances of evolution are slimer?  Flash is great, since it lets you bluff counterspells without losing your play (drop it EoT)