We had some new cards spoiled over night and some of them look pretty interesting. Let’s take a closer look.
Aegis of the Gods- A 2/1 Enchantment Creature Human Soldier for 2 mana (1 white, 1 colourless), this is a pretty cool card. It grants you, the player, hexproof. Well, that’s pretty spiffy! My first reaction is that this was merely a speed bump for burn decks that now must target the Aegis first before burning you out to the dome, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this little guy could save your bacon from a few other nasty treats. The biggest one is Thoughtseize, but there could be other really nasty spells that this helps you to avoid. Now, here’s the drawback. He’s too slow, too small, and can’t protect himself. He’s totally in reach for any burn spell…so he dies. He’s not hexproof so he dies to doom blade or ultimate price. He’s too little and gets run over by…well…basically everything…and dies. Basically, this guy dies. At a casting cost of 2 he’s already missed the first Thoughtseize and is really only holding off a second one. Not usefuI. If he had flash and could play the role of a counterspell to foil something then he’d have more hope, but basically this guy is kind of groovy, but you would need a pretty significant way to protect this guy to reap the benefit, and I don’t see that happening. He’s getting a C from me.
Battlefield Thaumaturge- A 2/1 Blue creature for 2 mana (1 Blue, 1 White) you get a Human Wizard that makes instants and sorcery spells cost 1 colourless less for each additional target AND has Heroic so that when you target it with a spell it gains Hexproof. At first I thought this was just a poor copy of Goblin Electromancer, but then scrolling through some of the other cards spoiled I saw that this was really designed to enable Strive cards. One in particular jumped out. The U/W Heroic deck that plays lots of guys would LOVE to cast Launch the Fleet and target EVERYTHING for FREE! So, Heroic triggers abound, a whole load of creature tokens pop up…and things get gross from there. The Heroic trigger on this guy is also cute and allows you to protect him a turn or two if your opponent is frustrated with him. This could be a very fun card and might be broken by deck running tons of Strive cards. I’ll give this guy a B- and will be watching closely to see if he I was right.
Bearer of the Heavens- This is super flavourful and clearly drawn from the story of Atlas. For 8 mana (1 red and 7 colourless) you get a 10/10 creature that says when Bearer of Heavens dies, destroy all permanents at the beginning of the next end step. Fun, flavourful and playable at draft with a MASSIVE sweeper ability (that you may be super wary of), I can’t really get behind this guy. First, this feels like an ability for a White creature, not Red. Second, the fact that ALL permanents (including your land) are destroyed makes me nervous and hesitant to run him. Third, 8 mana is very expensive…in any format…except maybe EDH where it seems like mana is plentiful and wild spells abound. This just might be the landmine everyone plays around allowing you to smash face…but it could just as easily be your undoing. I’m not a huge fan…so again, another C from me.
Daring Thief- A 3 mana (1 blue, 2 colourless) 2/3 creature with Inspired that says whenever Daring Thief becomes untapped, exchange control of target non-land permanent you control with permanent your opponent controls that shares a card type with it. This will be a fine limited or casual card where the ability to steal something from your opponent is fun and cool, but the set up cost to get him there is pretty steep. Once again, Inspired has largely underperformed, and while the ability on this guy is powerful I don’t see it getting there. Another C.
Dictate of Heliod- Ok, so I was down on the Dictate cycle before, but I’m really down on it now. This is a 5 mana (2 white,3 colourless) enchantment with Flash that gives all your creatures +2/+2. In my opinion 5 mana is WAY too expensive to play for this sort of boost. Spear of Heliod and Hall of Triumph both exist and offer similar benefits for cheaper. Sure, the Flash ability could be a nasty combat trick to pump your team for the win, but if you are in any other situation you would rather see almost any other 5 drop. I hope that I’m wrong because I love the art on this, but I think this ability, while powerful, is a trap and that you can get similar abilities for cheaper.
Eidolon of Rhetoric- This is a 3 mana (1 white, 2 colourless) 1/4 enchantment creature spirit. The neat ability here is that each player may only play 1 spell each turn. I’m not sure what to think of this guy. The body is serviceable and is largely out of range of burn spells and can block reasonably well. The ability is extremely stifling, particularly to aggro decks that want to toss their whole hand on the table and attack. It feels very controlling and limiting, so if you like that style of deck, you may have a new best friend. Pair him with Spirit of the Labyrinth and suddenly your opponent is looking across the table and wants to cry. I think this could be quite useful in a number of formats, so I’ll give this guy a B.
Riddle of Lightning A 5 mana (2 red, 3 colourless) Red burn spell that allows you to Scry 3, then reveal the top card of your library and Riddle of Lightning deals damage to target creature or player equal to the converted mana cost of the card revealed. I think this is fun and interesting and I love to scry 3 but I find it tough to justify spending 5 mana for this. I’m hoping I pack my deck with Colossus of Akros just in case. I feel like this will draw dead more often than not and if you need to spend 5 to scry 3 then you are likely in trouble. I’ll give this a C.
Riptide Chimera- Hmmm… three mana (1 blue, 2 colourless) for a 3/4 flying enchantment creature Chimera that requires you to return an enchantment to your hand during your upkeep. This will be a staple in limited environments because a 3/4 flier, even with the drawback, is nothing to sniff at. Also, there are enough inexpensive enchantments with upside that it shouldn’t be hard to cram something in your deck so you can reap the benefits again (I’m looking at you fate foretold!). Oh, and I love this art…a shark head at a piranha head…on a scaly lion body? Why not? It looks awesome…and if Kiora wants one, so do I.
Star-Woolen Sheep- Another story from mythology with the tale of the Golden Fleece, this card is a 2 mana (1 white, 1 colourless) for a 0/5 enchantment creature sheep that gives you 1 life at the beginning of your upkeep. I like the ability, because gaining even 1 life a turn is pretty good. The casting cost feels pretty good for what is essentially a 0/5 wall. I think this is very playable in a number of different types of decks…although I don’t think Standard is one of them. I’ll give this flavourful, fun card a B and hope that it sees significant play.
Yet some more sweet goodness was spoiled, including the last of the Gods…so let’s see what we find today!
Master of the Feast- Whoa! Now, here we have something pretty crazy that I haven’t seen in a while. This is a 5/5 flying Demon for 1 colourless and 2 black. Yup, you heard me, 3 mana for 5/5 flier. I’m sorry…but that’s huge! Yes, there is a drawback, but this casting cost reminds me of Juzam Djinn in that you get a ridiculously overpowered creature for cheap. Now, with any creature that is overpowered to such a degree, there is a drawback and it is that during your upkeep each opponent draws a card. Now, let’s be honest, if you see this card in a draft it is a first pick bomb, no questions asked. However, will this see play in Constructed? At this point, I don’t think so, but you may see some Mono-Black decks experiment with it instead of Desecration Demon because it doesn’t get tapped down, and Master of the Feast still contributes 2 to your devotion. Now, once rotation comes in the Fall I can see this card getting played to restore some of the loss of the giant demon from Return to Ravnica, but I think right now it is on the outside looking in. I’m still not crazy about the drawback because that extra card could be exactly what my opponent needed, but it’s a trade off I may be prepared to make to get a 5/5 flier on Turn 3. So, for being a first pick in Draft and having some serious potential in Constructed I figure this gets a A.
Pharika, God of Affliction- I thought that 1 God for 3 mana was good, here’s yet ANOTHER one! Pharika is a 5/5 indestructible Legendary Enchantment Creature God with the same devotion mechanic we have come to expect. Her ability is that for a black and a green you can exile a creature card from target players graveyard and put a 1/1 snake token with death touch under the control of the owner of the card exiled. Notice that she doesn’t need to tapand can do it and instant speed in order to churn through a graveyard and could exile all the creatures in very short order. A super aggressively costed God, she will likely see play and will totally result in ridiculous graveyard shenanigans. With B/G “dredge” starting to pop up all over the place place, this just might be the tool it needed to take control and push it into a very serious contender. Like with any of the Gods, she’s awesome in Draft…and could be really cool in Constructed. So, for yet another awesome God, she’s getting an A.
Prophetic Flamespeaker- Another Mythic rare is spoiled and it is super interesting. A 3 mana (1 colourless and 2 red) for 1/3 with double strike and trample. Whenever Prophetic Flamespeaker deals damage to an opponent exile your top card of your deck, you may cast that card this turn. I think this is super fun and very interesting for the fact that it can generate extra card advantage for a red deck that usually struggles to draw cards. The issue I have is that it is a 1/3 and in order to get it to the point where it can likely deal damage to reap the benefit of the ability, I’ll need to at least bestow or enchant something on it because a 1/3 isn’t getting there (even with Double Strike and Trample) in most situations. That extra set up cost makes it a hard sell to Constructed games, but it would be pretty useful in draft where you may find yourself bestowing more frequently. I think that this is fun card, very interesting and could be useful in draft, but the set up is too high for Constructed, so I feel like this is a B even if it is a Mythic Rare.
Twinflame- Here we have a something that could be wild if you are playing a creature heavy deck. A 2 mana (1 red, 1 colourless) sorcery that says you may make put a token that is a copy of one of your creatures. The token gains haste and is sacrificed at the beginning of your end step. That could give you an extra attacker to rush your opponent, and if the creature you are attacking with is a real menace, then you have twice the firepower coming. What makes this potentially back breaking is the strive ability where for each additional 3 mana (2 colourless and a red) you may choose another target creature. So, this could totally allow you to flood the board and overwhelm an opponent and just crush them with tokens that essentially double up your board state. This will absolutely see draft play because creatures play a very prominent role there, and I would love to see a Constructed deck emerge that could utilize it. I doubt it will see constructed, in no small part to fact that it also takes some heavy set up in order to pull it off, but I can dream. I feel like this is a C+ because in the right draft deck it could be pretty powerful, but may end up drawing dead more often than not.
There were a few new treats that got spoiled and figured it would be a good time to go over them as well. Here we go.
Athreos, God of Passage- Wow…here we have a really aggressively costed God. For 3 mana (1 black, 1 white, 1 colourless) you get a 5/4 indestructible enchantment creature God with the same devotion mechanic as the other minor Gods. Whenever a creature you own dies, return it to your hand unless your opponent pays 3 life. At the mana cost of 3 this is very aggressively costed and will most assuredly see play in Constructed formats. Orzhov Mid-range has already proven that it can hang with the big boys of Standard, but this has pushed it into a whole new stratosphere. The ability that basically ensures your creatures continue to threats even after they have died is huge or you opponent can punish himself in order to keep it dead. That’s potent stuff. I really like the art, the cost is super aggressive, and the ability makes your creatures very resilient to removal…it’s safe to say that this is probably an A+ bomb that will really shake some things up.
Forgeborn Oreads- a 4 mana 4/2 creature…well, that’s fairly reasonable for an uncommon. What is neat about this little guy is the Constellation ability that says whenever Forgeborn Oreads or another enchantment enter the battlefield it deals 1 damage t target creature or player. This gives Red yet another threat to burn out their opponents without ever having actually fight them . The more I read through Red the more in appears as if Red Mage’s are going to have to consider very carefully how they want to proceed to burn out their opponent. Do they want to go the route of spells like lightning strike or bolt of Keranos to go straight to the dome? Or with they opt for the Purphorous/Eidolon of the Great Revel/Forgeborn Oreads to light them up. The choices will be plentiful and this is just another option. I see this being a solid B in limited environments where the body is very serviceable, but you may not have enough enchantments to trigger the Constellation ability enough to really see a huge benefit, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it caught on a little at Constructed as someone dabbles with a burn deck featuring some of these new treat.
Hydra Broodmaster-A 6 mana 7/7 hydra. We’ve already see one massive hydra, and this one is better, but still not good enough. What makes this guy interesting is the Monstrous ability where for xx and a green it gets +X/+X and puts X hydra tokens at the X/X where X is equal to the mana spent in the ability. So, you could absolutely flood the board with Hydra tokens and have them run amuck of everyone. At least the creation of tokens allows you to rush your opponent and overwhelm them to seal the win, but again, the lack of trample is what sets this guy back. I want something this large to punish my opponent, but it will get chump blocked by a 1/1 every time meaning I can’t get through to smash face. It’ll be a bomb in limited, but a 6 mana and no trample, it will likely sit out Constructed games. He gets a B+ from me.
King Macar, the Gold-Cursed- This is a super flavourful card obviously stemming from the story of King Midas. For 4 mana you get a 2/3 legendary Human with inspired that says whenever King Macar untaps you may exile target creature and place a Gold token on the battlefield. We’ve seen the Gold token before and it allows you to sacrifice it to produce 1 mana of any colour. This is a super fun card and I could see the Inspired trigger being very powerful. The problem with Inspired is that it just hasn’t lived up to the hype. If Pain Seer, and the quasi “bob” like effect can’t see Constructed play, I doubt that this card will see play. The exiling ability is very powerful and might just be enough to push someone down the road to try this guy out, but I doubt it. Now, the fact that it is Legendary might make it appealing to EDH players as I bet someone out there could do something nutty with him, but otherwise he’s just a cool card that won’t see much play. B-
Kruphix’s Insight- This is a three mana sorcery that allows you to reveal the top 6 cards of your library and place 3 enchantments into your hand and the rest in your graveyard. This is actually quite solid because the ability to burn through your library and dig up 3 enchantments, including enchantment creatures, is very powerful. It plays perfectly with the emerging B/G dredge style deck that is popping up and has far more reach to dig deep into your deck than Commune with the Gods or Satyr Wayfinder. Not every deck will be looking for this ability, but those that do now have another terrific weapon to dig deep into their deck and find the tools they need. I give this guy a C because of the somewhat narrow scope of the ability, but don’t be deceived, decks that want this guy will consider it a soild B or maybe even a B+ and decks that don’t want him will treat him like a D. So, the middle road is a C.
Polymorphus Rush- This 3 mana instant is going to take combat tricks to a whole new level in limited. This Instant allows you to change target creature and have it become a copy of another target creature until the end of turn. That’s cool, because when you attack with your biggest bomb and a little guy, you can suddenly have a pair of big ol’ critters bearing down on your opponent. But you know what makes this even better folks? It’s the Strive ability! For each additional 1 blue and 1 colourless you get to pick an additional target for this spell. So, what’s better than attacking with 2 Nessian Asps (or fill in your favorite big, scary monster)? The answer is attacking with LOTS of Nessian Asps thanks to this spell. It won’t be super useful in the early game, and will usually be a dead card, but when you need, my GOD will it mess up combat. I’ll give it a C+ because when it’s good, it’s REALLY good, but when it’s bad…well…it’s REALLY bad
Pheres-Band Warchief- So, Centaurs now got a lord, huh? For 4 mana (3 colourless and a Green) you get a 3/3 Centaur with Vigilance and Trample and gives other centaurs you control +1/+1 and vigilance and trample. It’s a fun flavourful card, and will assuredly see play in limited, but this is mostly casual card to entice someone to play a Centaur themed tribal deck. The abilities are all super relevant because Vigilance let’s him play Offence and Defence, and trample can just be punishing, but Standard won’t run enough Centaurs to make his other abilities matter. Now, Voltron this guy up with some Bestow guys and your limited game just swung around in your direction, for sure. He’s a solid B and very playable but won’t break anything.
It’s like the 5th day of Christmas again…let’s see what Santa left us under the tree today!
Dictate of Karametra- So, it appears as if my prediction on the Dictate cycle is coming to fruition, this one is green. So, for 5 mana (3 colourless and 2 green) whenever a player taps a land for mana, that player adds one mana of any type that the land can produce. Like the other Dictates it comes in with Flash, which is kind of neat, but the real appeal of this is the mana ramp. This ensures that you land makes its regular mana, but then gives you an additional boost. This is a cool effect that reminds me very much of Mana Flare in its global effect. I don’t know if there is a Standard deck that is screaming out for this, but it will be a terrific casual and EDH card to allow players to ramp into all sorts of silly shenanigans. I’ll give it a C, much in line with my view on the other Dictates in the cycle, but at least this one I think is fun and cute to play.
Hypnotic Siren- a 1/1 flier for 1 Blue and had this stopped there it would be very playable in Limited. A 1 drop with evasion in Blue is super good and will automatically get consideration over a number of 1 drops elsewhere in the Block. The real treat is the Bestow ability that is in essence a Control Magic type effect. So, in the late game if you are being smacked around by some big beat stick , or you see an opportunity to take a particularly valuable asset from your opponent, this little guy could be your ticket. Now, the Bestow cost is very steep at a 7 mana (5 colourless, 2 Blue), but the effect is very powerful and not overlooked. I’ll give this a B+ because the efficient 1 drop with evasion is very valuable, and late game can turn the tide of battle by permanently stealing a creature from your opponent.
Kiora’s Dismissal– This is yet another Strive card and it is kind of interesting. For 1 Blue you get to return target enchantment to their owner’s hand. The Strive cost for additional targets is 1 Blue for each additional target. Now, ordinarily I would be down on this card because in many set enchantments just aren’t that prevalent. Furthermore, you are only returning it to their hand, not eliminating it permanently. However, in this set, with all the Enchantment Creatures with Bestow circulating around this is getting close to being an unsummon effect. Notice I say “close”. It isn’t an unsummon or even retraction helix, but it is cheap and can significantly impact a board with multiple enchantments at instant speed. I still think the fact that it limits you to targeting enchantments will be the reason players pass it over in favor of other things, if you are in dire straight for some sort of quasi removal effect in your draft or sealed deck then this could see play. Otherwise, I think this is just too limiting and will be set aside as an interesting but seldom played card. This is getting a C from me because of the conditions on it.
Launch the Fleet– A 1 White sorcery with Strive that says “Whenever this creature attacks, put a 1/1 white soldier token into play” and can target multiple creatures by adding a mere 1 colourless for each additional target. This is a Heroic triggering nightmare for decks playing against any base white Heroic deck in limited. This will basically ramp out a whole load of 1/1 soldier tokens, trigger Heroic on the whole team, and then allow for the White Weenie beat down to begin in earnest. I think this could be a very valuable and potent draft card because we’ve seen the value of inexpensive Heroic triggers, and this not only is a massive trigger, but also nets you extra value in the form of creatures. The value decreases significantly if you aren’t the Heroic deck, but adding extra, inexpensive chump blockers is also quite useful, so I can see it get a reasonable amount of play at draft. I figure this will be a B- because not every deck will want this type of effect, but when it goes off it could be very powerful and flood the board to put you well ahead of the race.
Mana Confluence- This Rare land allows you to tap it, pay one life to add one mana of any colour to your mana pool. This sort of damage land used to be the norm with lands that produced multiple mana types and they have all proven to be very good. Adarkar Wastes, Battlefield Forge and the lands of that ilk did at least allow you to tap for colourless without taking damage, but that doesn’t mean Mana Confluence won’t see play. This basically opens the door to splash all sorts of fun and interesting spells without the need to worry too much about trying to find the required fixing to make it work . So, no Sprinleaf drum, no Traveler’s Amulet, heck, no Sylvan Caryatid (unless you really want to), you can just put Mana Confluence in and off you go to Splash-ville. It will absolutely get played at Draft, of that there is no doubt, but the flexibility in terms of play at Constructed formats could allow this to sneak in to help decks splash new options and liven up the format with fun new spells that decks didn’t have available to them. I think this is a solid B for having a range of possibilities, but the drawback of taking damage will still deter some players from playing this overly aggressively.
Ritual of the Returned- This 4 mana Black instant allows you to exile target creature from your graveyard and put a zombie token into play that is the has the power and toughness of the exiled creature. Ok, first off, I love this spell. The G/B reanimator deck will gobble this up all day because it could very well allow them to cheat their big fatties into play for a modest price. Yes, 4 is a significant price to pay, the fact that this can be done at instant speed is really what makes this appealing. You can cast this on their end step, bring back your big fatty that you put in your yard with a Grisly Salvage, Commune with the Gods, or Satyr Wayfinder, and then it will be all ready to attack and smash face when you untap. Solid card…and at uncommon is EXACTLY what reanimator decks are looking for to make this a viable strategy again. This gets a B+ from me.
Worst Fears- A 8 mana sorcery that says control target player during that player’s next turn. Ok, there is trend with Mythic Rare cards and that is the ability is either absolutely crushing, or hilarious, and sometimes both. This one fits the bill for both. The problem is really in the casting cost…8 mana is very expensive. It won’t see play in Constructed. I doubt that it will see play in limited. The only place I see this fitting is in EDH decks (and incidentally, wouldn’t that be a riot to play at a multiplayer EDH game!) or by Casual players who want to see if they build some wacky deck. In all the games I’ve played, I have yet to see someone else actually control an opponent for a turn, but it is something I’d like to see and this just might open that possibility. I still can only give this a D+ because I can conceive of very few situations where I ever really want to draw this card…but some Johnny out there is going to love this spell and will break it wide open, I’m sure.
Well, that’s it for today. Thanks for reading and I’ll be back with more spoilers as soon we get them!
Bruce Gray
@bgray8791
Day 4 of spoilers and we got some sweet new goodies. Let’s check them out.
Eidolon of the Great Revel- Ok, so earlier this week I may have been a tad mistaken about Keranos. He’s an awesome bomb for an emerging R/W/U control deck that seems to be taking shape. Once I considered him from that angle, this card becomes an unbelievable bomb to pair with Keranos. Once you have taken control of the board state, this 2 mana 2/2 will start to lock things down with Keranos to simply crush your opponent. His ability punishes players who play spells with a converted mana cost of 3 or less and deals 2 damage to them. Ok, so it is a sysmetrical ability, but once you’ve set up the board state with an indestructible Keranos, wipe the board state clean with a supreme verdict and then follow up with this guy. You won’t need to cast spells because Keranos will reveal cards and deal damage without the need for a spell, and this guy will punish your opponent for having to play spells to try and get back into the game. Also add in the fact that the Eidolon is a Devotion generating field day and you have a real winner here. I’ll give him an A for an efficient body, and devastating ability, and the potential to help re-shape standard as Keranos’ sidekick.
Interpret the signs- This is a fun looking draw spell where for 6 mana you get to Scry 3, then reveal your top card and draw cards equal to the converted mana cost of the card revealed. I love the ability and the Scry 3 almost assuredly allows you to find something with an expensive casting cost to draw a bunch of cards, but I wonder if 6 is too high to pay for this. I suppose if Opportunity can see play in a G/U flash deck like it did in the fall, this could see play, but I get the sense this is a card that EDH players will love. I think it is extremely flavourful, and I love to scry, so I’ll give it a try, but it may not see a whole of competitive play. I’ll give a B because I like the card more than I probably should.
Kruphix, God of Horizons- Ok, another of minor Gods is revealed and this one leaves me scratching my head. For 5 mana (1 green, 1 blue, and 3 colourless) you get a 4/7 indestructible legendary enchantment creature God with the same devotion mechanic we have come to know. His pair of abilities are interesting and while one I really like, the other leaves me confused. The first one is that you have no maximum hand size, which I always appreciate, so if you fire off a huge Sphinx’s Revelation you get to keep all your cards and not concern yourself with discarding. The second ability is what leaves me shaking my head because if you have unused mana in your mana pool, that mana becomes colourless. It’s extremely interesting, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do with that colourless mana. I love the card…but I’m a little baffled what I’m doing with the second ability. I’ll pass on giving him a grade because I just don’t know what to do with him.
Setessan Tactics- Another example of Strive, as it has been pointed out elsewhere looks and feels alot like multi-kicker, Setessan Tactics is a 1 mana instant that gives target creature +1/+1 and the ability to tap it and fight target creature. The Strive cost lets you pay one mana for each additional target and each new target is granted the same ability. This is super cheap to play, triggers Heroic on potentially numerous targets for an equally inexpensive amount, and then is as close to mass removal as I’ve ever seen in Green. With this being at instant speed it could prove to be a back breaking combat trick in any limited game. I’ll hold off on Constructed formats, but perhaps it could be sided into a monsters deck as a sideboard card to clear the road to bring the pain. All in all, this is a sweet removal card and an excellent and inexpensive example of Strive. I’ll give this a B+.
Silence the Believers- Wow…Black got MORE removal…and this time things don’t even die, they get EXILED instead. Oh, and the spell has Strive just in case one target wasn’t enough. OH MY GOD! So for 4 mana you get to exile a creature and all Auras attached to it and you can spend another 3 mana to target additional creatures. This is yet more awesome removal for Black, and the fact that it exiles creatures means that even indestructible cards aren’t immune. I can assure you that this will be played in Constructed, even if only in the side board as a one or two of, but there is no doubt that this is very powerful. Watch out, Black got more toys to take for a spin. This has got to be an easy A even if it could be a tad expensive to cast.
Spite of Mogis- A 1 mana sorcery that deals damage to target creature equal to the number of instants and sorceries in your graveyard. This is going to be fine removal and is very reasonably costed provided you set your deck up to play enough other spells to make it truly relevant. My only issue with this card is that I don’t feel like this is a Mogis-like ability. Mogis is B/R, but this ability is very reminiscent of abilities attributed to R/U (like Spellheart Chimera), so while I like the card, I feel like it’s a little off in terms of where it fits from a flavour perspective. So, if my only real quibble is with the flavour this guy is packing, I have no doubt that the card will be just fine. It’ll get a B- because it’s a tad narrow in the sense that it needs the right deck, but once it finds a home will be a very solid addition and pull its own weight for sure.
Ajani, Mentor of Heroes- I always love checking out the new planeswalkers that each set reveals, and this one looks super sweet. The art is sweet, so right there we have a plus. The 5 mana is steep, but with the improved abilities on this guy over some of the other incarnations of Ajani, I think it is very playable. What I like most is that he comes in at 4 loyalty and starts ticking up right away…and you can’t minus him until he ultimates. The 2nd ability, of being able to filter through your deck for an Aura, a creature or a planeswalker gives this guy a huge card draw advantage and will be super powerful. The 1st ability of handing out 3 +1/+1 counters is also amazing and steep upgrade from Ajani, Caller of the Pride. The ultimate is kind of silly, because by the point he reaches 8 loyalty you should probably have things under control, but just in case you didn’t the 100 life will pretty well put things out of reach. The only drawback that I can see, and it is a relatively small one, is that he can’t protect himself. Sure, he can make basically your entire team much tougher to deal with, but there is almost no way you really want to cast this guy into a board state where you are behind and empty because he just can’t do enough to save you or stay alive. However, this Ajani is very cool and I see big things for him. I’ll give him an A+ because I think this guy is going to be a beast for a long time to come.
Crystalline Nautilus- This will join the realm of the Phantasmal Bear as fun cards with hilarious abilities. The relative overpowered nature of this card is totally balanced by the fact that when it is targeted you need to sacrifice it. On the whole, a fun and flavourful card that will have a home in a limited game. It gets a B- from me.
Mogis’s Warhound- A super aggressively costed 2/2 for 2 mana, but even more so is the Bestow cost of a mere 3. Sure, it attacks every turn, but if you are playing this Red deck that’s pretty much all you want to do anyway. It is a good solid card and a matching good solid B from me.
Sage of Hours- This is another Mythic Rare released last night and he’s very solid. A 2 mana 1/1 with Heroic that gives him +1/+1 whenever he is targeted with one of your spells. The casting cost makes him very competitive and will slide nicely into W/U Heroic decks without a second glance. However, it is his second ability that is pretty wild. If you remove all the +1/+1 counters from Sage of Hours and for each 5 counters you remove you get to take an extra turn. Taking extra turns is always very powerful, although by the time the guy is a 6/6 you should either have the game all sown up…or something terrible has happened to you. However, I love the card and think that it could be broken by a Johnny out there. I’m giving this guy an A for being a solid Heroic creature and having a super powerful additional ability to be exploited.
Sightless Brawler- a 3/2 for 2 mana is pretty awesome as we have seen in limited. Swordwise Centaur has done good work for draft players and this guy will too. The drawback on this guy is that he can’t attack alone, but he is probably fitting in nicely in a White based Heroic deck and will have plenty of friends to follow into battle. Also, he is still able to block, so he comes down early to play a little D, and then when he lands a friend can roll into attack mode. The Bestow ability is just extra value in the late game and gives a pretty sizeable boost for 5 mana. I like this guy and give him a B for being just a very useful body despite his drawback.
Spirespine- A 4/1 for 3?! Ok…and he can Bestow too?! Wow! Ok, so he needs to block, if able, but let’s be realistic, he’s very aggressively costed and powered up so blocking isn’t really a big deal for this guy…he wants to go on the attack. We have seen that Nyxborn wolf has been very good at limited and he Bestows for the same 5 mana, so it would reason that a 4/1 for the same Bestow cost would be pretty sweet too. I like him and is another really sweet Bestow creature and gets a B from me.
Note: The more Bestow creatures I see, the more I like the ability! Nothing quite like getting extra value!
Temple of Epiphany and Temple of Malady- Ah yes, the corresponding Temples for this set. We have seen that these are super useful cards and the free Scry ability is very relevant. I can’t wait to get my hands on these guys. Further to that, I really like the art work. In particular the Temple of Malady looks very cool and foreboding.
Dawnbringer Charioteers – [Eric] seems pretty standard as far as Heroic creatures go for White. Opening this pack 1 pick 1 in your draft that also nets you Akroan Skyguard and Wingsteed Rider would definitely provide you a formidable airforce, but not something I would necessarily gamble on.
[Bruce] This is exactly the sort of flying bomb that all the Heroic decks at limited wanted…and they got it in spades. A 2/4 flier for 4 (2 white, 2 colourless) with a Heroic trigger of getting a +1/+1 counter when it is targeted with a spell. Had the card stopped there, it would be still be a bomb and well worth the 4 mana. However, they added one other little key word…lifelink! Well, now you have a giant bomb that can very quickly get suited up to smash face and turn your life total completely around. Even a modest 4 point life swing could be enough to turn the tide of the game, but this could get wildly out of control. So, if Wingsteed Rider and Akroan Skyguard are good, this one is NUTS! This one gets a solid A for having terrific limited playability, and it remains to be seen if it could see some fringe Standard play.
Dictate of Kruphix – [Eric] with the addition of Flash on this neo-Howling Mine you are able to somewhat skirt the issue of providing the advantage to your opponents before you, and it works into a control mindframe to keep your mana open. It is however still a symmetrical card draw and gives benefit all around. Could be useful in a Nekusar Commander build as another card drawer but the Flash is nearly useless there.
[Bruce] Well, here’s my sweet art on a blue spell. This 3 mana enchantment with flash that allows each player to draw an additional card at their draw step is a super interesting. I could see it see play in drafts, but it most certainly will not be a first pick and will likely be a mid to late pick. The trouble, once again, is that it is symmetrical in nature, meaning that your opponent will also reap the benefit. I’m not usually down on having my opponent draw cards thanks to my spells because I’m concerned that I’ll Brick out and get nothing, while they’ll pour more Gas on the fire and just shred me. However, I could see this in an all blue deck with Floodtide Serpent, where you return Dictate of Kruphix to your hand, attack with the Serpent, and then Flash it back in at the end of your opponent’s turn. Yeah, that’s pushing it, and you have to work awfully hard for your card…but it could be done. More likely as not, this will slide into EDH quite happily and take up residence in “Group Hug” decks or something of that nature. I’ll give this a C for being interesting, but not a high priority in most formats.
Dictate of the Twin Gods – [Eric] A sweet new take on Furnace of Rath which is clearly a boon to aggressive decks looking to beat face as quickly as possible. I wonder how effective adding Flash is to this type of effect as you clearly want it played on your turn to start taking advantage, but the element of surprise might get there when they decide to not block what becomes a lethal attacker. Also stacks with Double Strike to effectively create ‘quadruple’ strike.
[Bruce] This is starting to look like there is going to a cycle of Dictates and this one is once again, interesting, but hardly impressive. For 5 mana you get an Enchantment with Flash that doubles the damage that a creature or player receives when it receives damage. This is cute, and very flavourful, and Draft decks might run this, but I feel like this is again destined for EDH. Again, I’ve got it down for a C.
Doomwake Giant – [Eric] How nice is it to have a one-sided wrath effect which can dispose of Indestructible creatures as well. This can be so easily abused with enchantments that can be recurred such as Flickering Ward. While not a top tier strategy this is doubtless a casual superstar.
[Bruce] Well, this is an interesting Giant to say the least. A 4/6 Giant for 5 ( 1 Black, 4 colourless) that also has Constellation where when Doomwake Giant or another Enchantment enters the battlefield creatures your opponents control get -1/-1. There is no doubt that this will be a limited BOMB because it is basically a mass removal spell on legs. Imagine, you have the Giant in play and are playing a R/B/U draft deck…cast Fate Foretold on it, Messenger Speed, and an Ordeal of Erebos and you’ve just wiped your opponent’s board of basically everything…and you spent exactly the same 5 mana you spent to cast the silly giant. It will be devastating, to say the least. I don’t think there is a deck running Black at Standard that wants this guy, but maybe something new could shake things up and tear the title of best deck away from Mono-Black Devotion for a week or two. I’ll give this guy an A- for being a beast at limited.
Godsend – [Eric] I love how we finally have that iconic sword that Elspeth always carried around. While stat wise +3/+3 for converted cost 3 then equip of 3 isn’t going to break the game it’s the Exile clause that will constantly have opponents worried about any sort of blocking as it makes proper combat math prediction almost useless. Not being able to cast any of the exiled creatures should also play a factor in its sucess. It could easily be a one-of in any White Weenie style aggro deck.
[Bruce] So, once again, here’s my sweet art, and on a ridiculously sweet Legendary Enchantment Artifact. Elspeth’s weapon is a 3 mana artifact that equips for 3 more mana, but gives the equipped creature +3/+3 and if the equipped creature is blocked or blocks one or more creature, you may exile one of those creatures. As if that wasn’t enough, your opponent can not cast spells with the same name as those exiled by Godsend. Ok, so that’s alot of text, but the +3/+3 for 3 mana and a reusable Artifact is pretty awesome. The other abilities are also pretty neat, but when evaluating this you will be looking at the +3/+3 and that’s about it. This will be devastating in a White based Heroic deck and will be an easy pick. Standard…not so much. I can’t think of a single Standard deck that will be keen to spend the sort of mana needed to cast and then equip this instead of dropping other more potent spell. However, for being a wicked limited bomb, I’ll give this an A-.
Heroes’ Bane – [Bruce] Yet another huge Hydra for Green to run out. Heck, soon I figure Green should be able to have a full on Tribal Hydra deck from the looks of things. This 5 mana hydra comes into play with 4 +1/+1 counters on it. So, you get a 4/4 for 5 mana…alright. But, Wizards, if I’m going to play THIS hydra over others, I need more. So, for 2 colourless and 2 green you can put X additional +1/+1 counters where X is the creatures Power. So, in essence, I can double its power by sinking 4 more mana into it. The nice piece, if there is one, is that you don’t need to tap it to add the extra counters so you could do it a number of times in the same turn, provided you have the mana for it. Here’s the problem, it’s much too slow for Standard and is chumped by a Voyaging satyr. If my big monster is going to be played I want the damage to count, especially by the time I’ve sunk 9 mana in to get an 8/8, so Trample is almost a must…and it just didn’t get it. So, this will be a huge bomb in limited for players in Green, but otherwise will take up residence in trade binders and casual decks from here on after. I’ll give this guy a B+ because there are better Hydras out there.
Keranos, God of Storms – [Eric] while it is fairly stock as a God at 6/5 with the requisite Indestructible it does have an interesting ability. Easily abusable with top of the library manipulation like Sensei’s Divining Top and Jace, the Mind Sculptor or even with the abundant Scry in Theros block. The mana cost has me skeptical if it will find Standard play but if the niche is found could be a minor role-player in that deck.
[Bruce] Ah…now we’re talking. A 6/5 indestructible God for 5 mana (3 colourless, 1 red, 1 blue) with the same devotion mechanic we’ve come to expect. However, his ability is very neat because when you draw your first card of your turn you reveal it. If it is a land you get to draw and extra card. If it is not a land, Keranos will deal 3 points of damage to target creature or player. This is a hilarious card and will certainly see play in limited as a disgusting bomb to anchor a suddenly very scary R/U deck. However, I don’t think Standard will be in his future. We’ve basically established that Gods that cost 5 to play just don’t fit in Standard right now, and while this guy is fun, probably not what the players in a constructed environment are looking to pull. Now, I can dream up a deck pairing Melek, Izzet paragon and this guy for some WILD interactions, but that’s a discussion for another day and another article. This guy will get an A- for being a Limited bomb, and an interesting casual card.
Scourge of Fleets – [Eric] what a ridiculously powerful effect to hand a Mono-Blue deck. Already the color is weak in sweepers but this allows it to present a reasonable threat with a backbreaking ability. The cost is very high and you still need to survive to that point but if you cast this guy you’ve very likely just turned the tides.
[Bruce] A 6/6 for 7 mana…hmmm…this better be good. When it enters play you return all creatures that your opponent controls with toughness less than X where X is equal to the number of islands you control. Ok…well…this will go one of two ways…either you’ll never get a chance to cast this or it will be a complete and utter blowout. Wow. So, this will be drafted in Blue heavy draft decks…and that’s where it stops. There is no way a Standard deck will play this, but it does open the door for a super controlly blue deck with this guy, whelming wave, sea god’s revenge and the host of other cards that tap down or return creatures to their owners hand en masse in limited decks. I’ll give this a B+ because the body is good and the asymmetrical quasi board wipe will lead to blowouts, but the casting cost is steep and heavy to get to.
Spawn of Thraxes – [Eric] this is a supremely powerful effect tacked on to a huge flyer. Any Red based deck would be more then happy to have him as a finisher. Abusing a blink effect with it is going to be a Red mages dream come true.
[Bruce] Another 7 mana creature…this time a 5/5 flier. Well, let’s see if this guy is good. When he enters play he deals damage to your opponent equal to the number of mountains you control. Again, great limited bomb and a super relevant ability in an aggressive red deck, but 7 is huge. I love me a dragon, but I can still only give this guy an A-…if this was just a little less expensive it would be an easy A+, but at 7 he’s extremely hefty to get into play.
Squelching Leeches – [Bruce] 4 mana for a */* creature where * is equal to the number of swamps you control. This is essentially Nightmare, just without flying and for 4 instead of 6. This will be a strong card in limited decks, but doesn’t really excite me. In a mono-black deck it will be a 4/4 for 4 mana which is very good value, but you will need to be almost all in on black and that is limiting. It won’t likely see Standard play because Mono-Black is already decked out with better critters. This is a solid B because of the strong limited application, but that’s where he ends.
Underworld Coinsmith – [Eric] sure it’s always good to gain life and no doubt this guy will gain you some life, but that’s not why we would run him. He is going to be a multi-player All-Star with his ability to bleed on a stick. There are numerous ways in these colors to be gaining life which will enable it to put in some hard work. No doubt there are many Commander players salivating at the though of getting their hands on one.
[Bruce] Here we have an extremely interesting card. Here we have a 2/2 creature for 2 mana (1 white, 1 Black) with Constellation where whenever Underworld Coinsmith or an enchantment enters play you gain one life. Had the card stopped there it would be solid. It would be reasonably costed, have a relevant ability for a B/W deck to exploit, but the next ability seals the deal. For a White, a Black and a paying a life your opponent(s) lose a life. Notice that Underworld Coinsmith doesn’t need to tap in order to drain out the life from your opponent, so as long as you are winning the race you could really put this guy to use and just drain off your opponent’s life without even having to enter into combat. This will be perfect for that ultra grindy B/W draft deck that runs Servant of Tymaret, Scholar of Athreos, and a bunch of creatures with Deathtouch and Lifelink. I see this guy as being a real solid pick near the front of the pack and being a potential win condition. Now, I doubt highly that there will be a Standard deck looking for him, but perhaps a B/W midrange deck might want a copy or two to side in, depending on a matchup. I’ll give this guy a B+ for being efficiently costed and super useful in drafts.
Well, spoiler season has finally arrived. Last week we caught a glimpse of the art that will be used on some of the new cards including all the remaining minor Gods and a few other sweet treats. The problem with spoiling just the art is that we want to know what the cards do! So, to finally see some of the new cards finally gives us a picture of what we are looking at. Today I’m going to go through the cards that have been spoiled and their new mechanics and see where they might fit.
Ajani’s Presence – This is a pretty neat combat trick and it highlights the new mechanic- Strive- so that we can see an example. First off, Strive looks like it is going to be a mechanic that would allow you to target more than one creature or target with your spell, for a cost. In the example of Ajani’s Presence you can cast the spell for +1/+1 and indestructibility on a creature, but can then target other creatures for an additional 1 white and 2 colourless. That could be a really useful ability, particularly in Heroic decks where the more you target, the more benefits your team can rack up. Ajani’s Presence is going to another really key combat trick in the limited environment because any time you can give a creature +1/+1 and indestructibility it is no laughing matter. You won’t want to take it super high in your draft pack, but if you are a base white deck it’ll be a useful trick. I doubt it’ll see much in the way of constructed play as this sort of ability is rarely sought after, but perhaps a Heroic deck is going to emerge as a powerhouse deck and make good use of this card. It gets a B as a playable limited card, but hardly an all-star.
Cyclops of Eternal Fury – This 5/3 Enchantment Creature Cyclops for 6 mana is going to see play in drafts where base red decks are looking to really put their opponent on the back foot by being very aggressive. By granting all other creatures you control haste you make it very difficult for opponents to attack with the whole team because the chance of having something come back on crack back with Haste is very real. A 5/3 body for 6 mana is hardly efficient, and there are better ways to generate the same effect for you team if you are playing Red, but the card is perfectly reasonable and will see draft play for sure. I give this guy a B- because he’s somewhat overcosted for the body you get and the ability that is granted can be achieved through more inexpensive means.
Dakra Mystic – a 1/1 Merfolk for 1 Blue mana . I think that this is going to be one of those cute cards that everyone reads and then promptly opts not to play in any environment. If her ability was a milling attribute or something of that nature, or conversely drawing cards, she would be far more acceptable, but instead she’s a symmetrical mill OR a symmetrical card draw. In very few situations do I want to mill myself AND my opponent…if my deck is graveyard based I want to put my things in my yard and not contend with what my opponent is doing. And I definitely do not want my opponent to draw cards…that’s helping them. Sure, I can draw a card too, but I’m not overly interested in the symmetry of the exchange and would thus keep her out of my deck. Oh, and I wasn’t even considering this for a constructed deck. So, Dakra Mystic is getting a C- because I’m not impressed despite how cute the ability is.
Eidolon of Blossoms – A 2/2 green creature for 4 mana (2 green, 2 colourless) is a little underwhelming, particularly as a Rare, but she highlights the new Constellation ability. Constellation appears to be a mechanic that rewards you for playing enchantments and each time that you do you will trigger some sort of benefit. This is an ability reminiscent of Landfall from the Zendikar, where each time you do something, whether play a land or cast an enchantment, you trigger a bonus. I like the concept, and Landfall was a very strong ability in Zendikar, but I’m not as convinced that this will prove to be as good. The reason Landfall was so potent was that you HAVE to play lands, meaning you can trigger the effect all the time. Enchantments are not always the best choice and you may only run a handful. Now, at limited, with a host of Enchantment creatures available, it may have more applications, but I doubt that players in the Standard environment will be interested. As for Eidolon of Blossoms, her Constellation ability of drawing you a card is useful, and pretty sought after in Green who doesn’t usually get as many ways to draw cards as Black or Blue, but it is still underpowered and pretty limited in its application. B- as an underpowered body with an interesting ability.
Extinguish all Hope – 6 mana for black sweeper…hmmm…seems pretty solid to me. This is a pretty pricey sweeper at 6 mana, and the added feature of only hitting non-enchantment creatures is not ideal either, but the fact that Black gets access to yet another significant removal card is frightening. There is almost no chance that this will see any play in Standard because the price tag is too high, but in a limited deck this will be an excellent pick and will go very highly in your packs. B+ for being solid mass removal, even if a little limited in scope because of the restrictions.
Gnarled Scarhide – a 2/1 for 1 black and a Bestow cost of 4. I had such hopes that Black was going to get a really relevant 2/1 for 1 mana (similar to Soldier of the Pantheon aka improved Savannah Lions), but the drawback of not being able to block ended that dream. However, this guy will be useful in order to put early pressure on your opponent and really set an early and aggressive tone. I could see this guy pop up in a B/R or Rakdos aggro deck in constructed formats (if those become a thing again soon) because he fits in with that game plan very nicely. The Bestow ability is also relevant to add a little extra reach to something in the late game. The other interesting piece with this guy is that because he’s a minotaur, you could see him emerge in a Tribal Man-Bull deck where Ragemonger reduces his casting cost to the point that he’s free to cast. So, despite the drawback of being unable to block I would still give this guy a solid B+ and hope to see if he can find a spot in a very aggressive deck somewhere.
Hall of Triumph – So, as if Spear of Heliod wasn’t enough, now we get the Hall of Triumph to further beef up creatures…got to love the Glorious Anthem effects. This will see extensive limited play and will be a first pick because it doesn’t commit you to a colour, but is still suitably aggressive and powerful that your team (regardless of colour) will get a nice boost. I can’t imagine that this will see play in Standard, but I can dream up many scenarios where EDH players or casual players will gobble this up for their tribal decks. I will give this an A- as a very good limited card and useful addition to the arsenal of casual players across the board.
Iroas, God of Victory – I am pleased to see that the devotion mechanic for the Gods in Born of the Gods and Journey into Nyx are the same and we didn’t see it rise any higher than the 7 it is. Iroas is pretty sweet because a 7/4 indestructible enchantment creature for 4 makes him very aggressively costed and scary to face down. His added abilities of making your attacking creatures extra difficult to block and making your attacking creatures indestructible is perfect for the W/R decks out there. I don’t know if Standard is in his future because most of the base Red decks aren’t running creatures, but rather are trying to go to the face with burn, but if there is going to be a R/W creature heavy deck this guy would be perfect. Could a R/W/U Heroic deck be with Iroas, a bunch of aggressive, inexpensive Heroic creatures, backed by Supreme Verdicts and Detention Spheres be far off? We’ll see, however, in a draft this guy is a bomb and an easy first pick. If you are the R/W deck you will windmill slam this guy all day long. He gets an A for being a limited All-Star with potential Standard implications as well.
Ravenous Lucrocota – This is going to be a draft staple for Green base decks. A 2/4 for 4 mana with vigilance is solid value and a decent body and the ability to play offence and defence as needed is key. Adding in the Monstrosity ability makes this guy a solid beat stick in the late game when you have nowhere else to sink your mana. Think of him as the Nessian Asp of the set…just not quite as good. He’s still very serviceable, but make no mistake, the Asp is a better card on the whole. For being a solid body in a limited environment and having some upside I’ll give this guy a B, but he has essentially no aspirations of getting mixed up in constructed formats of any kind.
Satyr Hoplite – a 1/1 for 1 in red is hardly news. Nor is the Heroic ability he packs as well, although I feel like the heroic ability should be on White card not Red. No, what is interesting with this guy is actually the flavour text. Up until this point the Satyrs had been minions of Xenagos, however, the flavor text gives you the distinct impression that the Satyrs have rebelled against Xenagos. Is that overly relevant to the card? No…but interesting. As far as playability, he will be a perfectly playable red creature in your R/W Heroic deck anchored by Iroas, but you will hardly be awed or impressed by him. He’s a B- for being a serviceable limited card that may or may not make your deck, depending on what else you running.
Sigiled Starfish – This 2 mana (1 blue, 1 colourless) 0/3 is actually a very solid card. Much like how Sylvan Caryatid in an excellent creature, this one is also very good. The 3 toughness puts him out of reach of a number of obvious burn spells and allows it to block bears and 2 power creatures all day. The real treat will be the activated ability to Scry 1 by tapping it. We’ve seen over and over again that improved card selection afforded by the Scry ability is hugely powerful and to have a repeatable Scry ability on a creature that is very reasonably costed will be a boon. I don’t think many Standard decks are going to be looking for this card, but as a piece in a Draft deck I can see this being an early to mid round pick for the player in Blue. I’ll give this guy a B for the solid defensive body for a cheap 2 mana and a very relevant ability.
Whitewater Naiads – a 5 mana (2 blue, 3 colourless) 4/4 with Constellation is once again reasonable, but hardly anything to write home about. The Constellation ability is relatively relevant in enchantment heavy Heroic draft decks because it allows you to push through damage by making target creature unblockable. While I would prefer that this would be an Air Elemental, the Constellation ability does give this card some quasi evasion in order lay down some damage, and a 4/4 body is nothing to sniff at. He’ll get a B from me for draft, but once again won’t be seen on the battlefields of the Constructed world.
Well, there are the first batch of cards released…stay tuned because I’m sure that there is more to come before the whole picture comes into view. Am I way of base? Have I forgotten something? Is there a deck out there screaming from one of these cards? Let me know what you think!
Until next time keep it fun, keep it safe…keep it casual.
Bruce Gray
