Subject: [COMMENTARY] Exodus Thoughts Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 10:45:36 -0400 From: Dave Matteson To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com -------------------------------------------------------------------- This is my take on all the worthwhile Exodus cards. Unlike many people, I will not bother to whine about the bad cards, I will simply omit them; except in the case where it is a card some people have raved about, in which case I will explain why it is not as good as they think. As always, these opinions are subject to change... Card Title: Anarchist Card Color: Red Type & Class: Summon Townsfolk Casting Cost: 4R Pow/Tgh: 2/2 Card Text: When Anarchist comes into play, you may return target sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand. Flavor Text: "I'll take that. You won't need it when the revolution comes." Artist: Brom Rarity: C Anarchist is far too expensive to be useful. The only type of deck that could use this at all would be land destruction. Since LD decks are so disempowered right now, it can't even be used for that. The fact that it's a sorcery and not an instant makes it useless to burn. Burn decks that use sorceries other than Hammer and Earthquake are weak. You should not be wasting your earthquakes, so fetching them back for 4R is not worthwhile. Look at it this way; you can get 2 Ironclaw Orcs and a Mogg Conscripts out for the cost of him. That's 3 2/2s instead of 1. Card Title: Avenging Druid Card Color: Green Type & Class: Summon Druid Casting Cost: 2G Pow/Tgh: 1/3 Card Text: If Avenging Druid damages any opponent, you may reveal cards from your library until you reveal a land card. Put that land into play and put all other revealed cards into your graveyard. Flavor Text: Artist: Daren Bader Rarity: C This is a nice blocker, but playtesting has shown him to not be useful enough to warrant a place in any constructed deck. He severely shines in Limited, however, where land can be sorely needed very easily. Card Title: Bequeathal Card Color: Green Type & Class: Enchant Creature Casting Cost: G Pow/Tgh: Card Text: If enchanted creature is put into any graveyard, draw two cards. Flavor Text: "On my death, I give you this treasure: the knowledge that life is hard, yet too soon past." -Dal funeral rite Artist: D. Alexander Gregory Rarity: C A few people commented that this should have been blue. I agree, however, Green needs all the help it can get right now. As far as I am concerned (and it seems, most people in this area), Green only exists in Limited right now. Even then, it is still fairly week and requires one of the strong colours (Black/Red) as an assistant in order to have any chance whatsoever. Card Title: Carnophage Card Color: Black Type & Class: Summon Zombie Casting Cost: B Pow/Tgh: 2/2 Card Text: During your upkeep, pay 1 life or tap Carnophage. Flavor Text: Eating is all it knows. Artist: Pete Venters Rarity: C Initially, I, with a few others, thought this guy was better than Sarcomancy. I was wrong. He is very good, but look at it this way; you are always guaranteed to take damage from Carnophage in order to use him. You are not guaranteed to take damage from the Sarcomancy. This is still a very strong card, however. Card Title: Cartographer Card Color: Green Type & Class: Summon Townsfolk Casting Cost: 2G Pow/Tgh: 2/2 Card Text: When Cartographer comes into play, you may return target land card from your graveyard to your hand. Flavor Text: How do you map a world when the land moves beneath your feet? Artist: Jeff Laubenstein Rarity: U This card is only good as evidence that WotC thought they were empowering LD in this set -- 2G versus all the other "return from graveyard costing 3x or 4x. They were so, so wrong. This guy is utter crap, really. Decent in Limited, but then, that's the format where Giant Crabs are strong. Card Title: Cataclysm Card Color: White Type & Class: Sorcery Casting Cost: 2WW Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Each player chooses from the permanents he or she controls an artifact, a creature, an enchantment, and a land and sacrifices the rest. Flavor Text: The Weatherlight dragged the Predator behind it, the cradle hauling the casket. Artist: Jim Nelson Rarity: R Those who tout this as "the New Balance" never played in the old days. This is a strong, strong card, but in no way is it Balance. U/W control may actually have hope of resurging, but I wouldn't hold my breath as neither colour has fast enough ways of dealing with creatures for today's environment. Possibly a 4 or 5 colour variant might work. Card Title: City of Traitors Card Color: Land Type & Class: Land Casting Cost: Pow/Tgh: Card Text: If you play a land, sacrifice City of Traitors. T: Add two colorless mana to your mana pool. Flavor Text: "While we fought, the il surrendered." -Oracle en-Vec Artist: Kev Walker Rarity: R This card rules. Proof that WotC R&D works while stoned. Card Title: Culling the Weak Card Color: Black Type & Class: Mana Source Casting Cost: B Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Sacrifice a creature: Add BBBB to your mana pool. Flavor Text: "The blood of the weak shall be the ink with which we scribe great Yawgmoth's glorious name." -Stronghold architect, journal Artist: Scott M. Fischer Rarity: C This card could be employed to good effect. Think of it this way; attack with your Carnophage second turn, then sac him to this and turn him into a Black Knight and a Dauthi Slayer. I wouldn't put 4 in but a couple could be useful. I only got 1 in my half of a box because Exodus card distribution is a lot like Visions (see 3 Waterspouts in one box and 3 Song of Serenity in one half a box of Exodus.) I will have to playtest more to really see. Card Title: Curiosity Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Enchant Creature Casting Cost: U Pow/Tgh: Card Text: If enchanted creature damages an opponent, you may draw a card. Flavor Text: All Mirri wanted to do was rest, but she couldn't ignore a nagging suspicion as she followed Crovax's skulking form. Artist: Val Mayerik Rarity: U This is one of the most broken cards in Exodus. I will be trying to draft R/u, I can tell you that. Any form of Tim works wonders with this little beauty. Reverse Necropotence. Card Title: Dominating Licid Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Summon Licid Casting Cost: 1UU Pow/Tgh: 1/1 Card Text: 1UU, T: Dominating Licid loses this ability and becomes a creature enchantment that reads "Gain control of enchanted creature" instead of any other type of permanent. Move Dominating Licid onto target creature. You may pay U to end this effect. Flavor Text: Artist: Heather Hudson Rarity: R I am still debating whether I like this more than Control Magic. If I actually get some in the next couple boxes I buy, then I can see how good they are. I guarantee they rock in Limited, but I don't think they are going to be worthwhile in Consctructed. Card Title: Entropic Specter Card Color: Black Type & Class: Summon Spirit Casting Cost: 3BB Pow/Tgh: */* Card Text: Flying Entropic Specter has power and toughness each equal to the number of cards in target opponent's hand. If Entropic Specter damages any player, that player chooses and discards a card. Flavor Text: Artist: Ron Spencer Rarity: R I was luckily blessed enough not to get a single one of these. I can see what the R&D guys were thinking, but they were wrong. A creature succeeding at what it's supposed to do is not supposed to die. If the casting cost were 1BB or even 2BB it would be a lot better; at 3BB I expect the discard to at least be random. Card Title: Ephemeron Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Summon Illusion Casting Cost: 4UU Pow/Tgh: 4/4 Card Text: Flying Choose and discard a card: Return Ephemeron to owner's hand. Flavor Text: From nothing came teeth. Artist: Keith Parkinson Rarity: R Very expensive but I think he could be a good finisher. Playtesting has shown Wayward Soul to be more effective, so far. I am one of the few champions of Silver Wyvern in Constructed. Card Title: Equilibrium Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Enchantment Casting Cost: 1UU Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Whenever you successfully cast a creature spell, you may pay 1 to return target creature to owner's hand. Flavor Text: In Rath, there are only so many souls to go around. Artist: Jeff Miracola Rarity: R Whoo-hoo everything's a Man-o-War. Hmm, wait a minute, what kind of decks are Man-o-Wars useful in? 5CG and Fish. Ok, well the 1UU is too hard a commitment to blue to make it really useful in 5CG, and Fish is better off with a Counterspell, Legacy's Allure or another creature. I guess it's not that great afterall. Card Title: Ertai, Wizard Adept Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Summon Legend Casting Cost: 2U Pow/Tgh: 1/1 Card Text: Ertai, Wizard Adept counts as a Wizard. 2UU, T: Counter target spell. Play this ability as an interrupt. Flavor Text: "Was that it?" -Ertai, wizard adept Artist: Terese Nielsen Rarity: R This guy is a piece of crap in Limited. He MIGHT be a good addition to a heavy counter deck, but I haven't playtested yet, and I have my doubts anyway. Card Title: Fade Away Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Sorcery Casting Cost: 2U Pow/Tgh: Card Text: For each creature, that creature's controller pays 1 or sacrifices a permanent. Flavor Text: "Consider the fable of the greedy herder. As her flock grew, so did her weariness; she slept, and the sheep wandered off." -Karn, silver golem Artist: Jeff Miracola Rarity: C Despite what some may say, this is not a blue Wrath of God. It is very strong in Limited, but I think it will be only a good sideboard card in Constructed. A Fish deck could employ it to good use against a Suicide Black or Geeba deck. Imagine; it's the Blue player's third turn, he has a now 2/2 Manta Riders out, the Black player has Carnophage, Sarcomancy, Black Knight, Dauthi Slayer and two swamps. Hmm, that could get ugly. Card Title: Flowstone Flood Card Color: Red Type & Class: Sorcery Casting Cost: 3R Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Buyback-Pay 3 life, Discard a card at random. (You may pay 3 life and discard a card at random in addition to any other costs when you play this spell. If you do, put Flowstone Flood into your hand instead of our graveyard as part of the spell's effect.) Destroy target land. Flavor Text: Artist: Paolo Parente Rarity: U Earlier versions looked better, but as it stands now, it is only useful as an expensive Stone Rain. It can be employed to good effect in Limited, but will never find its way into a Constructed deck. Then again, I've been wrong before. Card Title: Forbid Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Interrupt Casting Cost: 1UU Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Buyback-Choose and discard two cards. (You may choose and discard two cards in addition to any other costs when you play this spell. If you do, put Forbid into your hand instead of your graveyard as part of the spell's effect.) Counter target spell. Flavor Text: Artist: Scott Kirschner Rarity: U There's a debate over this card, and I'm on the side of "Piece of crap." Ok, it is possible that you could include this in a Blue Control deck and make some use of its buyback. However, exactly what are you going to be discarding for another expensive (vs. UU Counterspell, 1U Mana Leak and 1UU Dissipate) counterspell? What do Control decks generally have in their hand? More counters and utility cards. As disenchant and most creature removal are far cheaper than 1UU and more effective (resolving the problem after the fact is more common), discarding those kinds of cards is probably not a good idea; and if you're going to discard 2 counters for 1 that costs a lot, well, I hope I play you at the next tournament I attend. WotC is afraid, with good reason, of making a buyback counterspell. Now, if this was Choose and discard a card, it would be nice. But the fact that it gets rid of two cards you obviously want (you have them in your hand, and it's mid-to-late game (early game would use Counterspell or Mana Leak)) and gives you -1 Card Advantage, is very bad. If it was the top two cards of your library, then I might go along with it. But giving up Card Advantage is a bad thing. (You get -3 (cast spell, discard 2) + 1 (get spell back) they get -1 (whatever you countered) = you get -1) Card Title: Hatred Card Color: Black Type & Class: Instant Casting Cost: 3BB Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Pay X life: Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn. Flavor Text: "I will flay the skin from your flesh and the flesh from your bones and scrape your bones dry. And still you will not have suffered enough." -Greven il-Vec, to Gerrard Artist: Brom Rarity: R I hereby deem this card "Second Most Overrated Card in Exodus." I don't care what you say about Dark Ritual, this card is too expensive to be useful. Ok look at it this way; 2 life and 3BB for +2/+0, whereas Unholy Strength is B. Yes it is a suprise at Instant speed but if you care that much, play with Rootwater Shaman or whatever that idiot from Tempest is. Ok, so it's use is in greater amounts of life. Ok, so you have out a Black Knight/Dauthi Horror/Dauthi Slayer/Carnophage/Sarcomancy/ whatever and you attack, tap BBB, Dark Ritual and cast a 12 point Hatred to wreck your opponent. Shock/Kindle/Edict/Capsize/whatever. Whoops! Hmm, looks like you're probably going to die! It can rock in Limited, I will give it that, because Creature Removal and Counterspells are far less common. However, the fact remains that in Constructed (even Rath Cycle Constructed) your opponent will almost always have a way of dealing with it, and I would rather invest only B in an Unholy Strength or 1B in a Bad Moon than 3BB and some life in this. It also does not solve the problem of first-strikers and guys with Protection. If it gave any toughness bonus at all, it would be infinitely better. Card Title: Jackalope Herd Card Color: Green Type & Class: Summon Beasts Casting Cost: 3G Pow/Tgh: 4/5 Card Text: If you play any spell, return Jackalope Herd to owner's hand. Flavor Text: There's little more demeaning than getting your butt kicked by a bunch of bunnies. Artist: Ron Spencer Rarity: C I won't bet my best cow on it, but I think this card could be good. Not in large numbers, but the ability can be turned to your advantage with a little creativity. Still, it's no Erhnam. Card Title: Killer Whale Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Summon Whale Casting Cost: 3UU Pow/Tgh: 3/5 Card Text: U: Killer Whale gains flying until end of turn. Flavor Text: Hunger is like the sea: deep, endless, and unforgiving. Artist: Stephen Daniele Rarity: U Shamoo! Card Title: Limited Resources Card Color: White Type & Class: Enchantment Casting Cost: W Pow/Tgh: Card Text: When Limited Resources comes into play, each player chooses five lands he or she controls and sacrifices the rest. As long as there are ten or more lands in play, players cannot play lands. Flavor Text: Artist: Keith Parkinson Rarity: R Again, potential for U/W control, but I won't hold my breath. (Think bounce with this one.) Card Title: Memory Crystal Card Color: Artifact Type & Class: Artifact Casting Cost: 3 Pow/Tgh: Card Text: All buyback costs are reduced by 2. Flavor Text: Hues of recollection flicker like facets of a gem. Artist: Michael Sutfin Rarity: R Out go the Medallions, in comes something better. Paul Barclay is wrong in saying this does not reduce it below 1. The way it is worded, it does. The word "costs" does not imply it cannot go to 0 in and of itself, but besides which, the precidence of 0 being considered an activation cost is there as well. Instead of 2 Sapphire Medallions out, a StaticGames deck can now have 1 Memory Crystal out. Nifty. Card Title: Mind Maggots Card Color: Black Type & Class: Summon Insects Casting Cost: 3B Pow/Tgh: 2/2 Card Text: When Mind Maggots comes into play, choose and discard any number of creature cards. For each card discarded this way, put two +1/+1 counters on Mind Maggots. Flavor Text: Artist: Ron Spencer Rarity: U One of the best Limited creatures I've seen in a long time. I think that one or two of these in a suicide black deck could be very sweet. First turn Sarcomancy, second turn, Swamp, Ritual, Mind Maggots, discard two creatures for a 6/6. Beeyatch! Card Title: Mind Over Matter Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Enchantment Casting Cost: 2UUUU Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Choose and discard a card: Tap or untap target artifact, creature, or land. Flavor Text: Lyna turned to the figure beside her. "They're gone. What now?" "As ever," said Urza, "we wait." Artist: Keith Parkinson Rarity: R I hereby decree that this is The Most Overrated Card in Exodus. This thing is an utter piece of crap. I spit upon this card. Sure it is potential for some really bizarre decks, but have I not taught you all that Combo Decks Don't Work yet? Especially when they cost this much! Card Title: Mirri, Cat Warrior Card Color: Green Type & Class: Summon Legend Casting Cost: 1GG Pow/Tgh: 2/3 Card Text: Mirri, Cat Warrior counts as a Cat Warrior. First strike; forestwalk (If defending player controls any forests, this creature is unblockable.) Attacking does not cause Mirri to tap. Flavor Text: Artist: Daren Bader Rarity: R One of the best Legends ever printed. She is slick. Too bad green doesn't exist in Constructed. But hey, still great in Limited. Card Title: Nausea Card Color: Black Type & Class: Sorcery Casting Cost: 1B Pow/Tgh: Card Text: All creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn. Flavor Text: Any mogg will tell you there's nothing more nauseating than the smell of cute. Artist: Jeff Miracola Rarity: C These are great for playing against the WW decks that are so popular around here. They have out a couple Soltaris that are bugging you? Cast a Nausea, they all go bye-bye. The great thing is, most of the creatures that Suicide black uses have a 2 toughness, whereas the Soltari Monks and Priests are both only 1. Should clear out enough of them that you can edict the White Knights and whatnot away. Card Title: Necrologia Card Color: Black Type & Class: Instant Casting Cost: 3BB Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Play Necrologia only during your discard phase. Pay X life: Draw X cards. Flavor Text: "My enemies' death yields threefold benefit: removal, reuse, and research." -Volrath Artist: Brom Rarity: U This card is goofy. I don't think it will find its way into any decks, but I could be wrong. It is nice in that you can still draw cards as normal, but it is expensive and a one-time-only deal. Card Title: Null Brooch Card Color: Artifact Type & Class: Artifact Casting Cost: 4 Pow/Tgh: Card Text: 2, T, Discard your hand: Counter target noncreature spell. Play this ability as an interrupt. Flavor Text: Give away everything so others have nothing. -Brooch inscription Artist: DiTerlizzi Rarity: R Just what we needed, more encouragement for the Uno players. I think I will build an Uno deck and conquer the world with it. Card Title: Ogre Shaman Card Color: Red Type & Class: Summon Ogre Casting Cost: 3RR Pow/Tgh: 3/3 Card Text: 2, Discard a card at random: Ogre Shaman deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Flavor Text: Ogre shamans must be bright enough to learn their invocations and dim enough to use them. Artist: Paolo Parente Rarity: R Little Stormbind Boy. Unfortunately, he's too expensive for today's environment. I predict Jay Schneider will try to fit one or more of these into the next form of Geeba. My playtesting, however, shows that he just slows most red decks down far too much. Card Title: Paladin en-Vec Card Color: White Type & Class: Summon Knight Casting Cost: 1WW Pow/Tgh: 2/2 Card Text: First strike, protection from black, protection from red Flavor Text: "Our belief shall be the lance that pierces Volrath's heart." Artist: Randy Elliott Rarity: R Out go the Sky Spirits from Andrew's version of Underwood, in go these guys. Protection from the 2 most powerful and popular deck colours is a good thing, Jim. Card Title: Pandemonium Card Color: Red Type & Class: Enchantment Casting Cost: 3R Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Whenever any creature comes into play, that creature's controller may choose to have it deal damage equal to its power to target creature or player. Flavor Text: "If we cannot live proudly, we die so!" -Eladamri, Lord of Leaves Artist: Pete Venters Rarity: R Whoo-hoo! My PandeNaught deck will kick your ass!!!! Disenchant. Doh! Card Title: Pegasus Stampede Card Color: White Type & Class: Sorcery Casting Cost: 1W Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Buyback-Sacrifice a land. (You may sacrifice a land in addition to any other costs when you play this spell. If you do, put Pegasus Stampede into your hand instead of your graveyard as part of the spell's effect.) Put a Pegasus token into play. Treat this token as a 1/1 white creature with flying. Flavor Text: Artist: Mark Zug Rarity: U Oh no! My Lab Rats deck has been antiquated!! Wait it already really, really sucked. Lab Rats was really great in booster draft, this will rock even more if the game is forced into Mid or Late. Card Title: Plaguebearer Card Color: Black Type & Class: Summon Zombie Casting Cost: 1B Pow/Tgh: 1/1 Card Text: oXoXB: Destroy target nonblack creature with total casting cost equal to X. Flavor Text: Its respiration is your expiration. Artist: Ron Spencer Rarity: R More playtesting required, but looks very promising. Think; weenie decks are popular, most casting cost are 1 or 2. Bwahahah... Card Title: Price of Progress Card Color: Red Type & Class: Instant Casting Cost: 1R Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Price of Progress deals 2 damage to each player for each nonbasic land he or she controls. Flavor Text: Man versus nature is not a fair fight. Artist: Richard Kane Ferguson Rarity: U Nobody plays with Ruination so why should they play with this? 5CU is not popular around here right now because it can't hold up to all the weenie decks. Most of them don't use many non-basics. However, this could still be good for the sideboard as SRB has precious few good sideboard cards right now. Card Title: Pygmy Troll Card Color: Green Type & Class: Summon Troll Casting Cost: 1G Pow/Tgh: 1/1 Card Text: For each creature that blocks it, Pygmy Troll gets +1/+1 until end of turn. G: Regenerate Pygmy Troll. Flavor Text: "Who you callin' ?shorty'?" Artist: Daniel Gelon Rarity: C Hardly a replacement for River Boa as it is intended, but still a fairly decent Limited creature. Regeneration cannot be overestimated in that format. Card Title: Raging Goblin Card Color: Red Type & Class: Summon Goblin Casting Cost: R Pow/Tgh: 1/1 Card Text: Raging Goblin is unaffected by summoning sickness. Flavor Text: Volrath has bred them to fear only him. Are they charging into battle, or merely fleeing his wrath? Artist: Brian Snoddy Rarity: C Playtesting shows these guys to rock. A very good addition for the current Creature-SRB decks that are beasting on everyone right now. Card Title: Reaping the Rewards Card Color: White Type & Class: Instant Casting Cost: W Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Buyback-Sacrifice a land. (You may sacrifice a land in addition to any other costs when you play this spell. If you do, put Reaping the Rewards into your hand instead of your graveyard as part of the spell's effect.) Gain 2 life. Flavor Text: Artist: Heather Hudson Rarity: C Hmm, a not-as-good Zuarn Orb. Well, in Type 2 right now, Control decks have a hard time holding their own as it is. They don't need to start saccing land. If a U/W Control is possible, this will probably find its way into at least the sideboard, however. Gaining lots of life is the only way they can survive against SRB and Black. Card Title: Reclaim Card Color: Green Type & Class: Instant Casting Cost: G Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Put target card from your graveyard on top of your library. Flavor Text: The wise pay as much attention to what they throw away as to what they keep. Artist: Andrew Robinson Rarity: C It's no Regrowth but at least it's not Reap or Elven Cache, either. Again, Green is dead in Constructed, but this card might be useful to some multicoloured decks. Maybe some inane combo decks will use it. I wouldn't take this immediately in Draft as I would a Corpse Dance or a Disturbed Burial, but that's because those cards have buyback. If you have nothing better, and you are playing green, it can be helpful, though. Card Title: Recurring Nightmare Card Color: Black Type & Class: Enchantment Casting Cost: 2B Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Sacrifice a creature, Return Recurring Nightmare to owner's hand: Put target creature card from your graveyard into play. Play this ability as a sorcery. Flavor Text: "I am confined by sleep and defined by nightmare." -Crovax Artist: Jeff Laubenstein Rarity: R If this was not used as a Sorcery I would jump on it. That small little part, however, limits its real uses. Living Death decks can probably employ it, however, I am not a big supporter of those decks. Suicide Black doesn't need to bring things back from the graveyard, so it won't be using this. Card Title: Scare Tactics Card Color: Black Type & Class: Instant Casting Cost: B Pow/Tgh: Card Text: All creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn. Flavor Text: "Fear rules those weak enough to accept it." -Greven il-Vec Artist: DiTerlizzi Rarity: C Not as powerful as Zvi was saying, but a nice card all the same. I think it might be nice in Black Weenie if you have the room. I prefer Unholy Strength, however, as this is only useful later on when you have hordes of creatures, and by then you want them dead, and it gives no toughness bonus, with, which Cursed Scroll around, is essential. The difference between a x/2 and an x/3 is the x/3 lives. Card Title: Seismic Assault Card Color: Red Type & Class: Enchantment Casting Cost: RRR Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Choose and discard a land card: Seismic Assault deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Flavor Text: The flowstone seemed for a moment to assume Greven's rage-it lunged like a wild beast at the Weatherlight. Artist: Dermot Power Rarity: R Overrated silly combo card. Those old Land's Edge, Land Tax decks were fun and all, but there's no Land Tax to go with it. Tithe doesn't really cut it, I'm afraid. Card Title: Shackles Card Color: White Type & Class: Enchant Creature Casting Cost: 2W Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Enchanted creature does not untap during its controller's untap phase. W: Return Shackles to owner's hand. Flavor Text: Shackles of gold are still shackles. Artist: Heather Hudson Rarity: C Good if you're forced into drafting white, but as I've said, white really needs instant removal. These stupid Enchantments and Sorceries are just sorry excuses. WotC wants to preserve the "character" of the colours, which I can understand. But forcing them into nigh-implayability while Red and Black flourish is no good. Look at the 4CWW decks, what cards are they using from other colours? Removal! Card Title: Shattering Pulse Card Color: Red Type & Class: Instant Casting Cost: 1R Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Buyback 3 (You may pay an additional 3 when you play this spell. If you do, put it into your hand instead of your graveyard as part of the spell's effect.) Destroy target artifact. Flavor Text: Artist: Donato Giancola Rarity: C Shatter sucked, this is a little better. Especially if Urza's Saga loads up on artifacts, which it will. Better than Allay, which is an easy thing to do. Card Title: Skyshaper Card Color: Artifact Type & Class: Artifact Casting Cost: 2 Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Sacrifice Skyshaper: All creatures you control gain flying until end of turn. Flavor Text: "It'll get us to the portal, but I can't guarantee what it'll do to the ship." -Hanna, Weatherlight navigator Artist: Donato Giancola Rarity: U This is quite possibly one of the most useless Uncommons ever printed. Another piece of evidence that WotC R&D smokes crack and doesn't consult any decent players. If they asked some trustworthy, decent players, a lot of these utter piles of shit would never be printed. Card Title: Skyshroud Elite Card Color: Green Type & Class: Summon Elves Casting Cost: G Pow/Tgh: 1/1 Card Text: Skyshroud Elite gets +1/+2 as long as any opponent controls any nonbasic lands. Flavor Text: "Civilization is a conspiracy to disguise the mutilation of nature." -Skyshroud elite creed Artist: Paolo Parente Rarity: U As I have said, Green is only useful in Limited. Since non-basic lands are very rare in Limited, this is a very weak creature at best. I only point it out here as more proof that Green is Dead. I for one really hope they bring green back because it was a great colour. Card Title: Slaughter Card Color: Black Type & Class: Instant Casting Cost: 2BB Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Buyback-Pay 4 life. (You may pay 4 life in addition to any other costs when you play this spell. If you do, put it into your hand instead of your graveyard as part of the spell's effect.) Destroy target nonblack creature. That creature cannot be regenerated this turn. Flavor Text: Artist: Pete Venters Rarity: U Expensive, not Constructed-worthy, but snatch it (as with all removal) in Limited. I never used the Buyback, but it's still another removal card which is great. Plus, the potential is there in case there are many troublesome creatures. Card Title: Song of Serenity Card Color: Green Type & Class: Enchantment Casting Cost: 1G Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Creatures with any enchantments on them cannot attack or block. Flavor Text: Heartwood brings peace in great symphonies where dryads conduct the trees through every note. Artist: DiTerlizzi Rarity: U How the hell do I get 3 of these and not a single, let's say, Forbid? I don't have to play with this to know it sucks. Card Title: Sonic Burst Card Color: Red Type & Class: Instant Casting Cost: 1R Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Discard a card at random: Sonic Burst deals 4 damage to target creature or player. Flavor Text: Music scythes the savage beast. Artist: Brian Snoddy Rarity: C This card is wonderful. Until Urza's Saga comes out, after July 1st, prepare to see red. Lots of it. 4 Fireblasts, 4 Sonic Bursts, 4 Incinerate, 4 Kindle, 4 Shock, 4 Furnace of Rath, 4 Ball Lightning, 4 Mogg Fanatic, etc. You die very quickly. Control has almost no hope against a deck like that. Card Title: Spellshock Card Color: Red Type & Class: Enchantment Casting Cost: 2R Pow/Tgh: Card Text: Whenever any player successfully casts a spell, Spellshock deals 2 damage to him or her. Flavor Text: A snap of fingers, a snap of teeth. Artist: Thomas M. Baxa Rarity: U This really should be a blue card. Why? With Burn you want to be casting lots and lots of stuff. This basically makes your Shocks and first Kindle useless. Bah! It could be decent if you're playing creature-based SRB, but even then, it's probably not worth it. The reason I say it should be blue is because Blue Control sits back and lets you cast what you want until it doesn't like it. Then it counters. CounterHammer will use this if its smart. Card Title: Sphere of Resistance Card Color: Artifact Type & Class: Artifact Casting Cost: 2 Pow/Tgh: Card Text: All spells cost an additional 1 to play. Flavor Text: A sphere pushes equally in all directions. Artist: Doug Chaffee Rarity: R My Prison decks are shaping up nicely. Card Title: Survival of the Fittest Card Color: Green Type & Class: Enchantment Casting Cost: 1G Pow/Tgh: Card Text: G, Choose and discard a creature card: Search your library for a creature card, reveal that card to all players, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library afterwards. Flavor Text: Artist: Pete Venters Rarity: R Far too much is being made of this card. You go ahead and fill your graveyard with creatures. Then, when you try to Living Death, I'll counterspell. Or, while you're doing that, I will burn you to death. Or, while you're doing that, I will beat you down with Sarcomancies and Carnophages. Don't forget, Living death costs 3BB. By the fifth or sixth turn, you will be dead against Burn or Black Weenie. Even WW can be that fast sometimes with the Mox Diamond and Empyrial Armour. Card Title: Thalakos Drifters Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Summon Townsfolk Casting Cost: 2UU Pow/Tgh: 3/3 Card Text: Choose and discard a card: Thalakos Drifters gains shadow until end of turn. (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.) Flavor Text: They drift in and out of shadow and ever on toward madness. Artist: Andrew Robinson Rarity: R Another creature I was lucky enough not to get any of in my box. Probably wonderful for Limited, however. The only reason I point it out is to thank WotC for not putting any in my box. Card Title: Theft of Dreams Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Sorcery Casting Cost: 2U Pow/Tgh: Card Text: For each tapped creature target opponent controls, draw a card. Flavor Text: "Volrath stole everything there was of me." -Takara Artist: Richard Kane Ferguson Rarity: C See, when they printed this the new they had to print Treasure Trove too, because you can Mind Games each of their creatures with buyback for 2UU (less with Memory Crystal) then cast this and draw a card for each. Cheaper than Whispers (if you do a bunch of them) but still, too precarious and combo-riffic. Card Title: Thrull Surgeon Card Color: Black Type & Class: Summon Thrull Casting Cost: 1B Pow/Tgh: 1/1 Card Text: 1B, Sacrifice Thrull Surgeon: Look at target player's hand and choose one of those cards. That player discards that card. Play this ability as a sorcery. Flavor Text: "Just take a little off the top." Artist: rk post Rarity: C Psst, nobody plays with Coercion either. Actually, this is another example of WotC ruining a perfectly good creature with that silly little Sorcery clause. Card Title: Transmogrifying Licid Card Color: Artifact Type & Class: Artifact Creature Casting Cost: 3 Pow/Tgh: 2/2 Card Text: Transmogrifying Licid counts as a Licid. 1, T: Transmogrifying Licid loses this ability and becomes a creature enchantment that reads "Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and counts as an artifact" instead of any other type of permanent. Move Transmogrifying Licid onto target creature. You may pay 1 to end this effect. Flavor Text: Artist: Jim Nelson Rarity: U "I Transmogrify my Sindbad." Card Title: Treasure Trove Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Enchantment Casting Cost: 2UU Pow/Tgh: Card Text: 2UU: Draw a card. Flavor Text: Karn and Hanna stood over the recovered Legacy artifacts like loving parents over sleeping children. Artist: Michael Sutfin Rarity: U A nice addition for Absolut Card Advantage. Otherwise, I think Whispers is better, because it can hook you up if you need a quick-fix. Card Title: Vampire Hounds Card Color: Black Type & Class: Summon Hounds Casting Cost: 2B Pow/Tgh: 2/2 Card Text: Choose and discard a creature card: Vampire Hounds gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Flavor Text: The hounds' barks are a horrifying chorus of screams, moans, and whispers. Artist: Kev Walker Rarity: C One of the best Limited creatures. Snatch it up whenever you can. Black is the best Draft colour, followed very closely by Red. The supreme creatures in Black are slightly better than those in Red, however. Black has Mind Maggots and Vampire Hounds for "strength in numbers" which is a great strategy for Limited as you want to have a lot of creatures already. Card Title: Wall of Nets Card Color: White Type & Class: Summon Wall Casting Cost: 1WW Pow/Tgh: 0/7 Card Text: (Walls cannot attack.) At end of combat, remove from the game all creatures blocked by Wall of Nets. If Wall of Nets leaves play, return to play under their owners' control all creatures removed from the game with Wall of Nets. Flavor Text: Artist: Terese Nielsen Rarity: R Yes! Norritt + Wall of Nets == Combo! Card Title: Wayward Soul Card Color: Blue Type & Class: Summon Spirit Casting Cost: 2UU Pow/Tgh: 3/2 Card Text: Flying U: Put Wayward Soul on top of owner's library. Flavor Text: "no home no heart no hope" -Stronghold graffito Artist: DiTerlizzi Rarity: C This guy is nice, but not a really wonderful replacement for Waterspout. Sure he's got no upkeep, but he's -1/-2 which hurts a lot. Card Title: Wood Elves Card Color: Green Type & Class: Summon Elves Casting Cost: 2G Pow/Tgh: 1/1 Card Text: When Wood Elves comes into play, search your library for a forest card and put that forest into play. Shuffle your library afterwards. Flavor Text: Secure in the embrace of wood, they want no part of Eladamri's war. Artist: Rebecca Guay Rarity: C If green didn't suck... Well that's about it. Hope I shed at least a little light on a few things, or brought up some points you can ponder over. Well-thought out opinions and comments are welcome. Black and Red got the best out of this set. In fact, I would say no other colours got any really great constructed-worthy cards out of it. This set is a lot better for Draft (which is my favourite format) than I had originally thought it would be. Have fun, ...dave