Subject: Stronghold cards to look out for. Date: Sat, 21 Feb 1998 15:00:00 -0800 From: Chuckie Sarsparilla Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy After reading over the spoiler a few times, I've come to the conclusion that this set is a small legends - a few gems here and there, but it's surrounded by lots and lots of chaff. Here's my take on some of the more potent cards in the set: Ensnaring Bridge - Caught my eye because it's the king of creature removal in a control deck that relies on having few cards in the hand, as well as it's natural synergy with cursed scroll. I believe this deck already exists. It's called pox. I'll have to playtest a couple of these first, but it's worth considering. Horn of Greed - A lot of people seem to love this card. It's a double-edged sword, but it's easily tipped in your favor by one card - Undiscovered Paradise. Run very few lands, 4 paradises, and some horns, and you have yourself a one-sided howling mine. Mox Diamond - Will probably turn out to be a rare lotus petal, and is comparable to it - and it's probably a little bit better. It isn't for many decks, as you probably need the cards in your hand to kill your opponent faster. But I have no doubt that people will be paying $15 each for these as soon as they can. Grave Pact - Each of your creatures can be used to kill another creature upon dying. If you can sacrifice a creature to some effect, (READ: Bottle Gnomes) you can generate huge card advantage. Lab Rats - noted solely for sealed, where this card is about as broken as they get. Evacuation - Nice before a 'Geddon to seal everything up. Really pisses off those scroll players. Intruder Alarm - This card has been giving me a headache since I woke up this morning. This card has a million different ways to be played, the question is which one is broken? Mana Leak - Good replacement for arcane denial in all those winter orb decks. If only the effect was actually a power sink... Mind Games - another annoying card to power with those sapphire medallions we all fight over. Tidal Warrior - For all you fish freaks, that islandwalk granted by your lords actually does something now... Burgeoning - Goregeous way to replace thawing glaciers - especially with skyshroud rangers to let you put land into play. Hermit Druid/Mulch - Honorable Mention - get a lot of land real fast. Be sure to pack 4 gaea's blessings, so their drawback is nullified. Provoke - as close as we're going to get to green creature removal. I would care more if cursed scroll didn't exist. Volrath's Stronghold - Bottle Gnome necro. Those cards you're necroing for aren't random anymore... Crystaline Sliver - Stronghold's Muscle Sliver, will probably be played as the only sliver in the deck. Fanning the Flames - Sealed game winner. Flame Wave - If you can cast this and NOT win your game of sealed, you or your deck must really suck. Mogg Maniac - Annoying Sligh guy - go ahead, bolt him! Even better if you kill him yourself - multiple Maniacs and an earthquake hurt... Ruination - Too bad the extended qualifiers are over. ;) Shock - Replace those kindles in your T2 sligh. Hidden Retreat - die stupid burn deck, die. All the en-Kor's - nice weenies, esp. with Nazis. (White Knights who hate other creatures because of their color.) If you have a lot of creatures, impossible to kill by direct damage. Persuit of Knowledge - If you can sacrifice the 3 draws, it's definately worth it. Decks that benefit from this set: New-age necrodecks Propaorb Pox Sligh I don't see any dominating new decktypes, though. It's a so-so set, not much spectacular, so I guess my wallet gets to take a break this time. Mail me with any comments, I can't read newsgroups anymore... Chuckie Sarsparilla sarsparilla@earthlink.net -- An immense river of oblivion is sweeping us away into a nameless abyss. -Ernest Renan