Subject: Comments of Stronghold (my own) Date: Mon, 23 Feb 1998 13:11:59 +0200 From: Yehuda Berlinger To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com # I just wanted to comment on the spoiler list (as found on the DoJo) # before I read anyone else's comments. My comments are indented. # # A few general comments: # # 1. Green is shafted, as usual. However, I see WotC trying to add "life # gain" as Green's Big Thing, which would be nice if it weren't for White # and Black's major life gaining strengths. # # 2. Of the five 1C 0/4 walls, white and black's are the strongest. Of the # buyback spells, green's are most useless, then white's. Black's buyback's # are kickass, and blue's reusable twiddle for only 4 is big. Licids: # Green's is best, white's and red's are chaff. # # 3. I rate highly for any of three categories: Constructed, Sealed, and Fun # (Yes, children, more than 95% of the people who play magic will play # only with their friends, and never see a tourney.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***STRONGHOLD SPOILER LIST v1.3*** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --BLACK-- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bottomless Pit 1BB Enchantment Uncommon During each players upkeep, that player discards a card at random. # Can't think of a combo for this one, yet. Works well with Cursed Scroll # I suppose. Not too strong for any format, not much Fun since it will # make the game feel like it dragging on more than being played. Brush with Death 2B Sorcery Common Buyback 2BB Target opponent loses 2 life. You gain 2 Life. # Wow. Killer rochester card, fun for multiplayer. A little too impotent # for constructed, I think. Cannibalize 1B Sorcery Common Choose two target creatures controlled by any one player. Remove one of those creatures from the game and put two +1/+1 counters on the other. # Fun. Not as good as edict. But think about using it with Spikes. Corrupting Licid 2B Summon Licid Uncommon B, T: Corupting Licid loses this ability and becomes a creature enhantment that reads "enchanted creature cannot be blocked except by artifact creatures and black creatures" instead of a creature. Move Corrupting Licid onto target creature. You may pay B to end this effect. 2/2 # Chaff. In any situation that this could be used, there are a million # better alternatives. Might work in Rochster. Crovax The Cursed 2BB Summon Legend Rare Counts as vampire. Comes into play with 4 +1/+1 counters. During your upkeep sacrifice a creature and put a +1/+1 counter on him or remove a +1/+1 counter. B: gains flying untill end of turn 0/0 # Nicer than he looks. On his first attack he will be a 5/5 flyer. Could # be worth designing (part of) a deck around. Good fun. Dauthi Trapper 2B Summon Minion Uncommon T: Target creature gains shadow until end of turn. 1/1 # Good card in sealed. Not a fun card. Too fragile for constructed. Death Stroke BB Sorcery Common Destroy target tapped creature. # Great card for black. Good all around. Dungeon Shade 3B Summon Spirit Common Flying. B:Dungeon Shade gets +1/+1 untill end of turn. 1/1 # I think we've seen these before. Didn't think much of them then, don't # think much of them now. Foul Imp BB Summon Imp Common Flying When Foul Imp comes into play, lose 2 life. 2/2 # Nope. Would work for me if it was BB1-3/3-lose 2 life. Even in sealed # which loves flyers, the BB is harsh. Grave Pact 1BBB Enchantment Rare Whenever anycreature you control is put into any graveyard, each other player sacrifices a creature. # Wow. (Just for fun, think enduring renewal / ashno'd altar / ornithopter) # Great is sealed, great fun, and good for an all black weenie deck (maybe # one of 'em, but imagine two out at a time :-) ) Lab Rats B Sorcery Common Buyback 4 Put a rat token into play, Treat this token as a 1/1 black creature. # Wow again. Beats all those token making machines, because you don't need # the permanent in play. Much Fun too. Megrim 2B Enchantment Uncommon Whenever any opponent discards a card, Megrim deals 2 damage to him or her. # Eh. Any deck built around discard doesn't have time for this sort of # nonsense. Mind Peel B Sorcery Uncommon Buyback 2BB Target player choses and discards a card. # Without the buyback it's not bad. In late game discard decks, it's # a good way to get rid of that idle counterspell. Too black for # sealed. Not really much fun. MindWarper 2BB Summon Spirit Rare Mindwarper comes into play with 3 +1/+1 counters on it. 2B, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Mindwarper: target player chooses and discards a card, play this ability as a sorcery. 0/0 # I think WotC is reaching here. This card sort of fills a slot ("OK, then # we should also make a black creature with counters for discard") Even # with Spikes I think this is a reach. If it was a Coersion, it could be # worth it. Otherwise, for 13 mana, you get 3 to 1 advantage. Morgue Thrull 2B Summon Thrull Common Sacrifice Morgue Thrull: Put top 3 cards of your libary into your graveyard. 2/2 # Very cute. Almost as much fun as Buried Alive, or Ertai's. Not much # good in sealed, I fear. Mortuary 3B Enchantment Rare Whenever any creature is put into your garveyard from play, put that creature on top of your libary. # I'm not really thrilled about the whole concept of killing your draw # phases, but this is the best one of them. If the idea strikes you, this # is your card. RULES QUESTION: do you get your opp's card if it is put into # your graveyard? Rabid Rats 1B Summon Rats Common T: Target blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. 1/1 # Good sealed. Not much good elsewhere. Revenant 4B Summon Spirit Rare Flying. Revenant has spower and toughness each equal to the number of creature cards in your graveyard. */* # Good card for the graveyard junkies among us, but only if you don't # play with your Necratog, Hidden Horror, etc... price is not too bad # since it's late game anyway. Serpent Warrior 2B Summon Soldier Common When Serpent warroir comes into play , lose 3 life. 3/3 # If it flew ... Look, WotC, if black wanted 3/3 for 3 mana, it would # splash green. If it's playing black, it doesn't expect to win by medium # creatures, so don't twist your arms trying to find ways to give it a medium # useless creature for penalties. We don't need it. Skeleton Skavengers 2B Summon Skeltons Rare Skelton Skavengers comes into play with 1 +1/+1 counter on it. Pay 1 for each +1/+1 counter on it: regenerate Skeleton Scavengers and put a +1/+1 counter on it. 0/0 # (That's a misspelling?) Definitely Fun. Good sealed. As usual, # too involved for constructed, but pretty close anyway. After all, outside # of black, most kill is damage based. Stronghold Assasin 1BB Summon Assassin Rare T, Sac a creature: Destroy target non-black creature. 2/1 # Stronger than he looks. uses cheap token generators, and can always # sac himself. Stronghold Taskmaster 2BB Summon Minion Uncommon All other B creatures you control get -1/-1. 4/3 # Blech. We were all hoping this would be 3B, so it could be splashed. # As it is it is useless. Torment 1B Enchant Creature Common Enchanted creature gets -3/-0. # Marginal for sealed. useless otherwise. Come on, it has the same score # as Unholy Strength, but it can't even kill, and costs one more. Tortured Existence B Enchantment Common B, Choose and discard a creature card: Return a creature from your graveyard to your hand. # Fun card. Probably works better than it looks in sealed. In constucted, # works only for cards that can jump out of graveyards. Wall of Souls 1B Summon Wall Uncommon Deals damage to target player equal to damage recived in combat. 0/4 # Very nasty sealed card. More frustating than fun for opp in casual play. # I think I might just side this in versus Sligh :-) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --BLUE-- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cloud Spirit 2U Summon Spirit Common Flying. Cloud Spirit can only block creatures with flying. 3/1 # Cloud spirit would never have blocked creatures with flying anyway. How # many X/3 creatures with flying was Cloud spirit likely to see? Good in # sealed, of course, but overly so. Yawn for constructed. Contempt 1U Enchant Creature Common If enchanted creature attacks,return that creature and Contempt to owner's hand at end of combat. # Fun card (think Fog elementals or Ball lightning). Any real reasons # to bother with this for opp's cards? I don't think it will do more than # mildly annoy him/her. Dream Halls 3UUU Enchantment Rare Instead of paying the casting cost for a spell of any color, its caster may choose and discard a card that shares at least one color with that spell. If the spell has X in its casting cost, X is 0. # Wow for fun play. Turn all of your counter's into forces of will. But # opp can do the same WITH ANY COLOR, and you are limited to blue. Erk. Dream Prowler 2UU Summon Illusion Common Dream prowler is unblockable as long as no other creatures are attacking. 1/5 # Might work for a control deck, but I's rather have a Warrior. OK for # sealed if you're going blue anyway. Evacuation 3UU Instant Rare Return all creatures to owners hand. # Another kill green card. Not too bad against sligh also, unless they # are running any of a zillion no summ sickness cards. Let's call this # card "Counter Overrun". Gliding Licid 2U Summon Licid Uncommon U, T: Gliding Licid loses this ability and becomes a creature enhantment that reads "enchanted creature gains flying" instead of a creature. Move Corrupting Licid onto target creature. You may pay U to end this effect. 2/2 # Good sealed. Too much work for constructed. Hammerhead Shark 1U Summon Fish Common Hammerhead shark cannot attack unless defending player controls any islands. 2/3 # Is this as written, or is it "Islandhome"? same as other islandhome # creatures. Hesitation 1UU Enchantment Uncommon Counter next spell cast and bury Hesitation. # Wow for fun decks. I've always wanted to see this card. In constructed # read this card as "tap one of opponents lands of his/her choice". Intruder Alarm 2U Enchantment Rare Creatures do not untap during their controllers untap phase. Whenever any creature comes into play, untap all creatures. # Haha! Another great fun card. Useless against creature swarm decks. However, # imagine "summon Quiron # return forestsummon bird # attack with 21/21 behemoth" total cost=2 mana. Leap U Instant Common Target creature gains flying untill end of turn Draw a card. # Card name "Improved Jump". Good for sealed. Mana Leak 1U Interrupt Common Counter target spell unless its caster pays an additional 3. # very good alternative to the other 1U counters. Real name: "force opp # to only cast cheap spells" Mask of the Mimic U Instant Uncomoon Sacrifice a creature: Search your Libary for a copy of target creature card put it into play. Shuffle you libary aferwards. # Or by it's other name: "Destroy local enchantment" Mind Games U Instant Common Buyback 2U Tap target artifact, creature or land. # Wow! Think 8 mana. Must be used with winter orb / stasis, with a # way of untapping on yours side. How to do this is left as an excersize # for the reader. Ransack 3U Sorcery Uncommon Look at the top 5 cards of target players libary. Put any number of those cards on the bottom of that libary in any order and the rest on the top of that libary in any order. # a little pricey for a better impulse, but useful to a certain extent # against opp. (Not that useful, however, without a combo.) Rebound 1U Interrupt Uncommon Target spell which targets only a single player, targets another player of your choice. # A much better deflect. As good as honorable passage, because it can also # be used against discard spells. Reins of Power 2UU Instant Rare Untap all creatures you and target opponent control. Exchange Control of those creatures until end of turn. Those creatures are unaffected by summoning sickness this turn. # A drool for creatureless control or counterburn, but only if you # haven't succeeded in destroying all of his creatures yet. Think # Ashnod's altar, etc... Shift 3U Sorcery Common Draw 3 Cards, then choose and discard a card. # light years better than inspiration. Still wastes a turn. This should # have been an instant. Silver Wyvern 3UU Summon Drake Rare Flying. U: Target spell or ability, which targets only Silver Wyvern, targets another creature of your choice instead. Play this ability as an interrupt. 4/3 # It might has well have been "cannot be the target of spells or abilities" # since it won't be, unless the caster gets power sinked (or is foolish). # So an untargetable 4/x flyer for the price of an Air Elem. You decide. Spindrift Drake U Summon Drake Common Flying. During your upkeep, pay U or sacrifice Spindrift Drake. 2/1 # Wow! Think Rouge Elephant for Blue without having to really sac the # Island. Constructed deck worthy. Thalakos Deciever 3U Summon Wizard Rare Shadow. Sacrifice Thalakos Deciever: Gain control of target creature permanently.Use this ability only if Thalakos deciever is attacking and unblocked. 1/1 # Trying hard to make another 4 CC control magic, this one is fun, if # your opp isn't playing shadow. Otherwise it has as much of a prayer # as the last 1/1 (forgot his name). Not for the serious constructed # player, a nice card for sealed and fun however. Tidal Surge 1U Sorcery Common Tap up to 3 target creatures without flying. # This couldn't have been an instant? Nice for sealed, I guess. Tidal Warrior U Summon Merfolk Common T: Target Land is an Island until end of turn. 1/1 # Useless for anyone except for a: Merfolk junkies, and b: fun Islandhome # decks. Volraths Shapeshifter 1UU Summon Shape Shifter Rare As Long as the top card of your graveyard is a creature card, Volraths Shapeshifer is a copy of that card, except that Volraths Shape Shifter retains its abilities. 2: Choose and discard a card. 0/1 # Hoho, another fun card. (It's cards like these that keep the game # interesting :-] ). Imagine attacking and then discarding a Leviathan. # Could see some serious play in graveyard decks. Also a fun way of doing # an animate dead ... sort of. Walking Dream 3U Summon Illusion Uncommon Walking Dream is unblockable. Walking dream does not untap during your untap phase if your opponent controls two or more creatures. 3/3 # Against creaturefull decks, it's not useful. Against cretureless decks, # it's not useful. Against sparse creature decks it won't live long. :-( Wall of Tears 1U Summon Wall Uncommon If wall of tears blocks any creatures, return each of those creatures to owners hand at end of combat. 0/4 # Can't find much space in any deck for this one. (I'll block your # Nekrataal ...) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --GREEN-- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Awakening 2GG Enchantment Rare At the beginning of each players upkeep, untap all creatures and lands. # An anti stasis card? An anti-worb card? A wee late for such a card, # no? For green, this basically sucks, because your opps don't have to # worry about holding back for defense (Oh look, there goes the Breezekeeper, # well at least we can attack him ba... oh look, there he is again). # However, can be used to double your tapping power if you have something to # cast during upkeep. Burgeoning G Enchantment Rare Whenever any opponent plays a land, you may choose a land card from your hand and put it into play. # If this would have read: ... from your library ..., green would have # gotten a truly useful card. good for sealed I suppose. Also good for # fun decks. Carnassid 4GG Summon Beast Rare Trample. 1G: Regenerate Carnassid. 5/4 # As castable as a Craw worm, but actually almost useful, with # both trample AND regen. Better than Crash of the Rhino's. Constant Mists 1G Instant Uncommon Buyback, sac a land Creatures deal no combat damage this turn. # unh. a sunstone. good sealed, but forces your opp to build great # defenses. A delaying tactic. Good for a fun deck. Crossbow Ambush G Instant Common All Creatures you control can block creatures with flying until end of turn. # getting better, better than all of those other "one creature can # block cretures with flying" tricks. Limited applications. Great # sealed deck sideboard card. Elven Rite 1G Sorcery Uncommon Put 2 +1/+1 counters, distributed anyway you choose, on any number of target creatures. # Useful for spikes only. See spikes. Endangered Armodon 2GG Summon Elephant Common If you control any creature with toughness 2 or less, sacrifice Endangered Armodon. 4/5 # Can this be played in a fatty deck, say vineyard? If anyone should want # to play (god knows why) a big green deck, wherein your extra mana sources # cannot come from elves, birds or rangers, use this creature (I.e. strictly # for fun decks) Hermit Druid 1G Summon Druid Rare G, T: reveal cards from the top of your libary until you reveal a basic land, put it in your hand, all other revealed cards are discarded. 1/1 # Another queer and useless card (useless for its straight function, # that is; works wonders with graveyard decks ;-) ) Lowland Basilisk 2G Summon Basilisk Common Whenever Lowland Basilisk damages any creature, destroy that creature at end of turn. 1/3 # Think firewhip. Good sealed deck card. Mulch 1G Sorcery Common Reveal the top 4 cards of your libary to all players. Put any of those cards that are land into your hand and the rest into your graveyard. # See Hermit Druid Overgrowth 2G Enchant Land Common Whenever enchanted land is tapped for mana , it produces an additional GG. # Whoopee. A big fat Wild growth. great for land untapping combinations, # useless otherwise. Primal Rage G1 Enchantment Rare All creatures you control gain trample. # Wow. A green card that is actuall tourney useful, and splashable even. # Trample has always been one of the best abilities, and we've been waiting # for this card. Kills is sealed, Whopping fun, and serious stompy for # constructed. Provoke 1G Instant Untap target creature you do not control. That creature blocks this turn if able. Draw a card. # shrug. guided strike from weatherlight was the definitive average of # all "draw a card" spells, and this one seems about the same. Skyshroud Archer G Summon Elf Common T: target creature with flying gets -1/-1 until end of turn. 1/1 # good against a field on flyers, but limited, of course. Useful for # skeet shooting however (i.e. target creature gains flying: BANG) Skyshroud Troopers 3G Summon Elves Common T:Add G to your mana pool. Play as a mana source. 3/3 # Come now. Whom are we trying to kid? Exactly when is this useful? To # Support all of your Endagered Armodons? # Spikes: First of all, Spikes are fantatic fun, better than the # Thallids, even, because the sheer complexity of moving little # coffee beans around the table is joyous. So at least we have # that to comfort ourselves with. However, I would like to venture, # that in the hands of a very experience player, Spikes could actually # prove almost (but not quite) useful in constructed. Why? Because # I think that in the hands of an experience player, playing a general # opponent, the complexity of motion will confuse. Of course, in the # hands of a non-skilled player, the complexity of motion will confuse # the player as well, so don't try this at home. Just look at all of # the cards in OTHER colors that use +1/+1 tokens as well, hmmm. If you # want to, you can think of these as glorified creature charms (let's # see, I can move a token here and gain 2 life, or move it here to make # a little creature, here to counter a ping, ... Spike Breeder 3G Summon Spike Rare Spike Breeder comes into play with three +1/+1 counter on it. 2, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Spike Breeder: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. 2, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Spike Breeder: Put a Spike Token into play. Treat this token as a 1/1 green creature. 0/0 Spike Colony 4G Summon Spike Common Spike Colony comes into play with 4 +1/+1 counters on it. 2,Remove a +1/+1 counter from Spike colony: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. 0/0 Spike Feeder 1GG Summon Spike Common Spike Feeder comes into play with two +1/+1 counters on it. 2, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Spike Feeder: put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Remove a +1/+1 counter from Spike Feeder:Gain 2 life. 0/0 Spike Soldier 2GG Summon Spike Uncommon Spike Solider comes into play with 3 +1/+1 counters on it. 2, remove a +1/+1 counter from spike soldier: put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Remove a +1/+1 counter from Spike solider: Spike soldier gets +2/+2 until end of turn. 0/0 Spike Worker 2G Summon Spike Common Spike Worker comes into play with 2 +1/+1 counters on it. 2, remove a +1/+1 counter from spike worker: Put +1/+1 counter on a target creature. 0/0 Spined Wurm 4G Summmon Wurm Common 5/4 # The new definition of average creature: 5 mana = P + T = 9 # instead of 8. Tempting licid 2B Summon Licid Uncommon G,T:Tempting Licid loses this ability and becomes a creature enhantment that reads "All Creatures able to block enchanted creature do so "instead of a creature. Move Tempting Licid onto target creature. You may pay G to end this effect. 2/2 # I have to say that this is a fantastic card. A reusable, practically # unkillable lure. One of green's problems has always been getting # all that damage through, and this should do it. Useful all-around Verdant Touch 1G Sorcery Rare Buyback 3 Target land becomes a 2/2 creature permanently. # A little unwieldy. Certainly a Fun card, to throw in with your # Pheonix Pyroclasm. Volraths Gardens 1G Enchantment Rare 2: Tap a creature you control: gain 2 life. Play this ability as a sorcery. # The third and last of green's three useful cards. If you # can survive the onslaught, this is a VERY fast life gainer. # 10 life a turn is easy to come by, and probably won't leave # you defenseless. Quite probably broken. Wall of Blossoms 1G Summon Wall Uncommon When wall of Blossoms comes into play, draw a card. 0/4 # Yawn. Quantumly worse that a Wall of Roots # # Well, three good green cards, spikes which are only good if you play # with all of them, and still not Good Enough. Keep it coming, WotC. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --RED-- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amok 1R Enchantment Rare 1, Discard a card a random: Put a +1/+1 token on target creature. # More spike fodder. Useless otherwise. Convulsing Licid 2R Summon Licid Uncommon R,T:Convulsing Licid loses this ability and becomes a creature enhantment that reads "enchanted creature cannot block" instead of a creature. Move convulsing Licid onto target creature. You may pay R to end this effect. 2/2 # Big yawn. This over Suqata Lancer? Craven Giant 2R Summon Giant Common Craven Giant Cannot Block. 4/1 # And given 1 Toughness, Craven Giant cannot attack. Duct Crawler R Summon Insect Common 1R: Target Creature cannot block duct crawler this turn. 1/1 # This one can be useful, about as useful as fear rats. Good # for sealed and fun, requires some sort of boost for constructed, # at which point the player will probably be playing black. Fanning the Flames XRR Sorcery Uncommon Buyback 3. Deal X damage to target creature or player. # Awesome, as usual for red X. For 8 mana, we have a hammer, # albeit dead if counterspelled. But consider a few medalions. Flame Wave RRRR3 Sorcery Uncommon Deals 4 damage to target player and each creature he controls. # For mono red only, duh. I think one in a deck, might give red # that little extra push he needs for slowing down. Fling 1R Instant Common Sac a creature: Fling deals damage equal to sacrificed creature's power to target creature or player. # Turn every creature into a mogg. Particularly useful with # Flowstones. Not so useful for sligh, Good for sealed. # Flowstone. The concept. I never really liked it with Shambling # Strider. Don't think I like it too much here. If only it went both # directions +1/-1 OR -1/+1. Flowstone Blade R Enchant Creature Common R: Enchanted creature gets +1/-1 untill end of turn. # Firebreathing is better for your own creatures, so I can only # presume that this is a "Bury regenerating creature" spell. # Still won't work for Pro:Red. Great in sealed. Flowstone Hellion 4R Summon Beast Uncommon Flowstone hellion is unaffected by summoning sickness. 0: Flowstone Hellion gets +1/-1 untill end of turn. 3/3 # of course. See comments above. Flowstone Mauler RR4 Summon Beast Rare Trample R: Flowstone Mauler gets +1/-1 untill end of turn. 4/5 # Might be the best of the lot. Don't expect to see it # played much, however. Flowstone Shambler 2R Summon Beast Common R:Flowstone Shambler gets +1/-1 untill end of turn. 2/2 # Blech. Furnace Spirit 2R Summon Spirit Common Furnace Spirit is unaffected by summoning sickness. R: Furnace Spirit gets +1/+0 untill end of turn. 1/1 # 1 toughness. Ouch. Had to be 2 toughness at least to work, sorry. Heat of Battle 1R Enchantment Uncommon Whenever a creature blocks, Heat of battle deals 1 damage to that creatures controller. # Great with the luring licid! good for sealed and fun. The traditional # sligh doesn't rely on enchantments, but if it did, this might be # up for consideration. Works as a similar threat theat to manabarbs: # damned if you do, damned if you don't. Expect to see it toyed with. Invasion Plans 2R Enchantment Rare Each creature blocks whenever able. Attacking player chooses how each creature blocks. # Also great with heat of battle. Game should be over in two rounds. # Fantastic in sealed, good for constructed, and great fun. Mob Justice 1R Sorcery Common Mob justice deals 1 damage to target player for each creature you control. # Yet another Sligh card. Good all around. Mogg Bombers 3R Summon Goblins Common If any other creature comes into play, sacrifice Mogg Bombers and it deals 3 damage to target player. 3/4 # Nope. I don't get it. Can't think of a good enough reason to # use it over all the other red dd. Mogg Flunkies 1R Summon Moggs Common Mogg Flunkies cannot attack or block during a turn in which no other creature you control attacks or blocks. 3/3 # Another FANTASTIC Sligh card. Ouch. Mogg Infestation 3RR Sorcery Rare Destory all creatures target player controls. For each Creature put into the graveyard in this way, put 2 Goblin Tokens into play under players control,treat these as 1/1 red creatures. # Gee. Use this on your self, and play Mob justice / Goblin # bombardment. 5 creatures = 20 damage. Otherwise, good # for trample or Tremor. Other than the above, it is not as # useful as it looks. (Imagine getting two in a row.) Mogg Maniac 1R Summon Goblin Uncommon Whenever Mogg Maniac is dealt damage, it deals an equal amount of damage to target opponent. 1/1 # Ping. Shrug. Although, this is a great card to use with # all the new white damage redirectors. A tremor, a few # redirects ... boink. Ruination 3R Sorcery Rare Destroy all non-basic lands. # Sideboard, of course. Probably worth two in the sideboard. Seething Anger R Sorcery Common Buyback 3. Target creature gets +3/+0 untill end of turn. # If your forces are operating, this could be like a hammer. # I get the feeling that it is not as good as it looks. Although # For eight mana, you get +6 somewhere. Good Fun card. Shard Phoenix 4R Summon Phoenix Rare Flying. RRR: Put Shard Phoenix into your hand. Use this ability only if Shard Phoenix is in your graveyard and only during your upkeep. Sacrifice Shard Phoenix: Shard Phoenix deals 2 damage to each creature without flying. 2/2 # Wow. Rarely will it see combat duty. Another attempt # to imitate the hammer. My new deck: white redirecters, # pheonixes, and mogg maniacs. The Bang-Whoosh Deck. Shock R Instant Common Shock deals 2 damage to target creture or player. # Looks familiar, hmmmm. Wasn't there a better version of # this spell once? You can see the gears clicking in the # heads of the developement teams, as they whittle down # some cards, and boost up others. The best cards are always # the new ones, of course. Kindle easily kills this card, of # course. A standard for Stronghold only. Spitting Hydra 3RR Summon Hydra Rare Spitting Hydra comes into play with four +1/+1 counter on it. 1R, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Spitting Hydra: Spitting Hydra deals 1 damage to target creature. 0/0 # Good for sealed, but as usual with big casting costs, # unlikely to have an impact on constructed, even with # Spikes. Wall of Razors 1R Summon Wall Uncommon First Strike. 4/1 # great against any non DD, not flying deck. And the natural # wall for white's animate wall. pratcically broken in sealed. # another 1 toughness n constructed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --WHITE-- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bandage W Instant Common Prevent 1 damage to any creature or player. Draw a card. # A heal - instant draw. good, but unlikely. Calming Licid 2W Summon Licid Uncommon W, T: Calming Licid loses this ability and becomes a creature enhantment that reads "enchanted creature cannot attack" instead of a creature. Move Calming Licid onto target creature. You may pay W to end this effect. 2/2 # bleh. same as red's Change of Heart W Instant Common Buyback 3. Target creature cannot attack this turn. # bleh. same as red's Conviction 1W Enchant Creature Common Enchanted creature gets +1/+3. W: Return Conviction to owners Hand. # Another familiar card. Not good enough for constructed, # Might be splashed in sealed for lack of a better card. Contemplation 1WW Enchantment Uncommon Whenever you successfully cast a spell gain 1 life. # Fun card. Not really worth the effort. Hidden Retreat 2W Enchantment Rare Choose a card in your hand and put it on top of your libary: Prevent all damage to you from an instant or sorcery. # Or "skip your next draw phase to counter target blast spell." # Won't stop sligh. Won't stop much, actually, inconstructed. # a good card for leveling the playing field in sealed, however. Honor Guard W Summon Soldier Common W: Honor Guard gets +0/+1 until end of turn. 1/1 # White usually runs on little mana, so this isn't gong to # help him much. # A word about the en-Kor's: redirection is another lovely ability, # A little like banding, but much better (especially with a Ray of # Command). The most important factot is the combos: The Pheonix # is one example that comes to mind. How about infinite damage # with the Furnace of Rath? The ability is (like Spikes) not Good # Enough to make a tourney deck on it's own. Lancers en-Kor 3WW Summon Soldiers Uncommon Trample 0: Redirect 1 damage from lancers en-kor to a creature you control. 3/3 # White trample? Go figure. A little pricey, but a lovely card # that walks right though any X/2 creature. Nomads en-Kor W Summon Soldiers Common 0: Redirect 1 damage from Nomads en-Kor to a creature you control. 1/1 # Very good card. Pursuit of Knowledge 3W Enchantment Rare Skip drawing a card: put a study token on Pursuit of Knowledge. Remove 3 study tokens from Pursuit of Knowledge, sacrifice Pursuit of Knowledge: Draw 7 Cards. # Broken. Why? Try an anscestral recall. Try Impulse! Yes, # impulse. draw one, put it in your hand, then draw 7. Any # flaws in that logic? Rolling Stones 1W Enchantment Rare Walls can attack as though they were not walls. # Great fun, of course. Not going to cause a ripple in constr, # because, like Celestial Dawn, if it goes, you're sunk. Sacred Ground 2WW Enchantment Rare Whenever a land is put into your graveyard by a spell or ability you opponent controls put that land back into play. # This would make a nice anti-armagedon card, except that # if you're playing white, you're playing armagedon. And how # many land destruction decks have been pestering you lately? Samite Blessing W Enchant Creature Common Enchanted Creature gains "T: prevent all damage to any creature from any one source" # Great sealed deck card. Now imagine combining it with the # damage redirecters. Unfortunately, I think that this won't # work because the packets are all separate? Oh well. Facing # black or blue, don't bother, facing red or green, it could be # quite useful. Scapegoat W Instant Uncommon Sacrifice a Creature: Return any number of target creatures you control to owners hand. # Wrath of God, I can only presume.Would you really # make room for this, though? Shamen en-Kor 1W Summon Cleric Rare 0: Redirect 1 damage from Shaman en-Kor to a creature you control. 1W: Redirect to Shaman en-Kor all damage dealt to any one creature from any one source. 1/2 # see note on en-Kor Skyshroud Falcon 1W Summon Bird Common Flying. Attacking does not cause Skyshroud Falcon to tap. 1/1 # Been there, done that. Smite W Instant Common Destroy Target Blocked creature. # Wow. The new swords. Plays more useful than it seems. # 4 standard. Soltari Champion 2W Summon Soldier Rare Shadow. If Soltari Champion attacks, all other creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. 2/2 # Great card for any format. Play with 4. Spirit en-Kor 3W Summon Spirit Common Flying. 0: Redirect 1 damage from Spirit en-Kor to a creature you control. 2/2 # see notes on en-Kor. Temper X1W Instant Uncommon Prevent up to X damage to target creature. For each damage prevented in this way put a +1/+1 counter on that creature. # Play this with the redirecters, of course. Since it doesn't # work for players, it's use is limited. Venerable Monk 2W Summon Cleric Common When Venerable monk comnes into play, gain 2 life. 2/2 # chaff Wall of Essence 1W Summon Wall Uncommon For each 1 combat damage dealt to Wall of Essence, gain 1 life. 0/4 # good wall, great versus sligh. but won't last too long. Great # in sealed, of course. Warrior Angel WW4 Summon Angel Rare For each damage angel deals gain 1 life. 3/4 # Should fly. Less impressive than it looks. By the time you # get it out, it can be taken care of too easily. Warroir en-Kor WW Summon Knight Uncommon 0: Redirect 1 damage from Warrior en-kor to a creature you control. 2/2 # should have first strike. see note on en-Kor Youthful Knight 1W Summon Knight Common First Strike. 2/1 # chaff and fragile. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --GOLD-- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # There are still few enough slivers in any color that # if your deck has the right color for it, inclusion is # a given. Acidic Sliver BR Summon Sliver Uncommon Each Sliver gains "2: Sacrifice this creature: This creature deals 2 damage to target creature or player". 2/2 # Wow. great sliver. Crystaline Sliver WU Summon Slivers Uncommon Slivers cannot be the target of spells or abilities. 2/2 # Another great one, although the blue and white slivers # are not so impressive. Hibernation Sliver UB Summon Sliver Uncommon Each Sliver gains"Pay 2 life:Return this creature to owners hand". 2/2 # eh. Sliver Queen RWGUB Summon Legend Rare Counts as a Sliver 2:put a 1/1 sliver token into play, this is colorless. 7/7 # been waitng for a five color card for a while. once # it's out, it's deadly, since it will probably have first # strike, trample, and be +1/+1. suseptible to many # deaths (perish, etc) although immure to many, too. # great fun. How far will the 5c sliver deck, really go? Spined Sliver RG Summon Sliver Uncommon If any Sliver is blocked, it gets +1/+1 untill end of turn for each creature blocking it. 2/2 # so - so Victual Sliver GW Summon Sliver Uncommon Each Sliver gains "2, sacrifice this creature: gain 4 life". 2/2 # woof. more fun. will only be used once, however, # since it we be the target of all spells. Hardly going # to do you much good to sac your army otherwise, # except versus a wrath type spell. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --ARTIFACT-- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bull Whip 4 Artifact Uncommon 2, T: Bulwhip deals 1 damage to target creature. That creature attacks this turn if able. # Better than a Rod of Ruin. A must for sealed. Ensnaring Bridge 3 Artifact Rare Each creature with power greater than the number of cards in your hand cannot attack. # Let's make cursed scroll even more abusive. Heartstone 3 Artifact Uncommon The cost of each creature ability requiring an activation cost is reduced by 1 this cannot reduce the abilities generic mana to less than 1. # Spikes? Regenerate? Artifact Creatures? Queen Sliver! Hornet Cannon 4 Artifact Uncommon 3, T: Put a Hornet token into play. Treat this token as a 1/1 artifact creature with flying that is unaffected by summoning sickness. At the end of turn Destroy token. # Rod of Ruin, take two. The only other possibility is # for saccing purposes, say Skeleton Scavengers Horn Of Greed 3 Artifact Rare Whenever any player plays a land, that player draws a card. # Nice for Maro. A deck: 4 Fastbond, 4 HoG, 4 Taste of Paradise, 4 Hurricane, # 4 WoRoots, 4 Maro, 36 forest. Jinxed Ring 2 Artifact Rare Whenever any card is put into your graveyard from play, Jinxed Ring deals 1 damage to you. Sacrifice a creature: target opponent gains control of Jinxed Ring permanently. # Fun play, of course. Not really much good, I fear. Not # even as much potential as Jinxed Idol. Mox Diamond 0 Artifact Rare When Mox Diamond comes into play choose and discard a land or sacrifice Mox Diamond. T: add on mana of any color to your mana pool. # A definite contender. You lose a card, but you don't lose # momentum. At least it's wasteland proof. A maybe. Portcullis 4 Artifact Rare When ever any creature comes into play, if their are two or more other creatures in play, set that creature aside. If Portcullis leaves play, put the creature into play under its owners control. # cast, cast, cast, cast, jokulhaups. hmmm. Only problem # is the creatures your opp has been casting. if there # weren't so much damned DD in this game, these cards # would be a lot more interesting. Shifting Wall X Artifact Creature Uncommon Counts as a wall. Shifting wall comes into play with X +1/+1 counters. 0/0 # A use for the animate wall, of course. Delaying walls like # these only work at the beginning of the game, by round six # your opp is not scared of it. Sword of the Chosen 2 Artifact Rare Legendary Artifact T: target Ledgend gets +2/+2 until end of turn. # Once it's already on the table, the threat value is not # so scary, it only costs two, however. Not going to # see much use. Volraths Laboratory 5 Artifact Rare When you play Volrath's laboratory,choose a color and creature type. 5,T:Put a token into play. Treat this as a 2/2 creature of chosen colour and type. # A step up from the other token producers. Remeber to # use it during opps turn. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --LAND-- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Volraths Stronghold Legendary Land Rare T: add 1 colorless mana to your mana pool. 1B: put target creature card from your graveyard on top of your libary. # One wonders why this was the only land. It is # not even going to see much use considering the # other ways black has of doing this, and the greater # benefits of leaving them in the graveyard. RULES # QUESTION: does this work while tapped? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With thanks to Matt Braunstein for many corrections. ^_^ # Overall, a fair proportion of nice cards, some definitely # fun cards. I think Srtonghold only environments will be # quite boring, actually. A mediocre expansion, good enough # to keep the money flowing into WotC. # Yehuda Berlinger