Toluz, Clever Conductor (SNC)

Toluz, Clever Conductor
Casting Cost: {W/U}{U}{U/B}
Card Type: Legendary Creature - Human Rogue
Power/Toughness: 3/1
Card Text:
When Toluz, Clever Conductor enters the battlefield, it connives. (Draw a card, then discard a card. If you discarded a nonland card, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.)
Whenever you discard one or more cards, exile them from your graveyard.
When Toluz, Clever Conductor dies, put the cards exiled with it into their owner's hand.
Artist: Donato Giancola

Strengths:

• Card Selection: The connive ability lets you filter your hand upon entry, potentially making Toluz a 4/2 creature.
• Value Upon Death: When Toluz dies, it can provide you with a lot of cards back into your hand, making it a great value engine.
• Self-Contained Synergy: The card benefits from discarding cards but also provides a way to discard cards.

Weaknesses:

• Low Toughness: At 3/1, it's very vulnerable to removal and can easily die in combat.
• Exiling Discarded Cards: While this has synergy with its last ability, it also prevents you from leveraging those cards in the graveyard through other means.

Potential Deck Placement:

• Azorius or Dimir Control: Fits well as a value engine that can help you filter through your deck.
• Discard-Matters Deck: Synergizes with other cards that benefit from or trigger discarding.
• Self-Mill or Dredge: Though it exiles discarded cards, the last ability can give you another shot at using them.

Flavor and Art:

• Flavor Text: Not provided, but given Toluz's abilities, one can imagine him as a cunning manipulator or information broker.
• Artist: Donato Giancola is known for detailed, realistic paintings, which would suit a mastermind character like Toluz well.

Overall Impression:

Toluz, Clever Conductor is a card that promises multiple avenues of value over the course of its lifetime. Its low toughness makes it a risk, but the potential reward in terms of card advantage is significant. It would require a carefully built deck to maximize its potential but could be a sleeper hit in the right environment.