BLACK:

Fatal Blow, *COMMON*
Better than Mortal Wound for surprise value. Block his biggest creature 
with a 1/1 and then surprise! That big guy gets buried... Sometimes the 
only way to deal with Empyrial Armor.

Fledgling Djinn, *COMMON*
A 2/2 flyer for 2 mana is great. Watch out for its drawback though.

Razortooth Rats, *COMMON*
You'll have games where you'll play this on the 3rd turn, put out some 
blockers and just win 10 turns later.

Shadow Rider, *COMMON*
The only flanking 3/3. Huge against other knights.

Shattered Crypt, *COMMON*
While there's a chance that you won't have the life to spare to play 
this, the extra speed (cards go to hand instead of library) makes this 
at LEAST as good as Bone Harvest. And Bone Harvest is damned good.

Haunting Misery, *COMMON*
IMO, the best graveyard manip card in the set. After you've damaged the 
opponent with creatures in play, then damage him with the creatures in 
your graveyard. In a limited environment, you're going to rely more on 
creatures than direct damage, which will result in large numbers of 
weenies heading into both graveyards, dead blockers set him up for the 
kill...

Spinning Darkness, *COMMON*
Life-gaining and anti-creature that I can use while tapped out?  Great 
surprise value.

Strands of Night, *UNCOMMON* 
Gets your largest creature in your graveyard into play for the cost of a 
swamp. Makes Fog Elementals obscene.

Hidden Horror, *UNCOMMON* 
4/4 creature for 3 mana.  With dark ritual, it is a possible 1st turn 
monster.  Creature discard can be bad, but with all the cards that eat 
stuff out of the graveyard, it can be a benefit.

Necratog, *UNCOMMON*
Really hard to kill after the graveyard is full. If it gets through, it 
can inflict alot of damage fast.

Odylic Wraith, *UNCOMMON*
Huge against black, annoying against other colors, entertaining with Fire 
Whip. A swampwalker with a discarding ability is always welcome in my 
draft.  You figure that many creature decks will have black in them, and 
the Wraith can really hurt your opponent if they are playing black.

Mischievous Poltergeist, *UNCOMMON*
Flying/Regenerating, the WL forcefield.

Morinfen, *RARE*
5/4 flyer. In a limited environmnet, this is a BIG flyer. The cost 
doesn't get bad for a few turns, and if your opponent has no blockers 
it will be over by then.

Gallowbraid, *RARE*
Also a big creature in a large field of weenies.  Just like Morinfen, 
Gallowbraid will give your opponent a headache if they can't get rid of 
him fast.

Wave of Terror, *RARE*
You could list many reasons why this isn't as good as Crypt Rats or 
Savage Twister.  But you won't find the Rats of God or a Twister in your 
Weathelight pack!  The Wave IS mass creature kill that's pretty easy to 
cast.  Even with all the restrictions and timings problems you might run
into - there's not a lot of other mass creature kill around so make do 
with what you got.

Infernal Tribute, *RARE*
This card is just way too good - 3 color is a tough casting cost but to 
be able to get to that torch, bolt, cone quick...plus if your creature is 
going to die, why not get some card advantage?

Urborg justice, *RARE*
Nice way to repay your opponent the favor of destroying a bunch of your
creatures.


BLUE:

Phantom Warrior, *COMMON* 
The UU in the casting cost is annoying.  However,
this is a 2/2 that's an impact card whether you cast it on turn 3 or 
turn 23.

Sage Owl, *COMMON* 
Flies, for 2 mana plus a mini-browse. Nice.

Fog Elemental, *COMMON* 9
Breezekeeper killer or a flying blue bolt. 4 damage for 3 mana.  Not 
bad. Great anti-beat-down card. People often feel stupid trying to kill
it.

Flux, *COMMON*
Got a hand of useless cards/lands late in the game? Throw them all away 
and get a new hand. 

Mana Chains, *COMMON*
Will destroy most creatures eventually.  Opponent: 1st turn Rogue 
elephant You: 1st turn chains Elephant: Ouch!

Phantom Wings, *COMMON*
Keeps a creature out of the graveyard, by unsummoning it when you need 
to. Also makes it a flyer, all for only 1 and a U.

Disrupt, *COMMON*
Force Spike and replaces itself.

Vodalian Illusionist, *UNCOMMON*
Even if you CAN'T find any dirty tricks to do with it's targeted 
phasing ability (unlikely!), it's still a 2/2 for 3 mana.

Abduction, *UNCOMMON*
Often just a trade for an anti-creature spell. In an environment that
prizes anti-creature spells, this can be a very good thing. It can deny 
the opponent one of his good creatures, but since it goes back to his 
control when it dies, and alternate use is on your own creature, in 
much the same way that Phantom Wings works.

Cloud Djinn, *UNCOMMON*
Basic beatdown for one colored mana. Block? This thing will be tapped 
almost all the time anyway!

Relearn, *UNCOMMON*
Graveyard manipulation of a different sort. Cast your only 
counterspell-type thing, your only big-damage fire spell, etc., then 
get it back to cast again. Good draft recursion.

Teferi's Veil, *UNCOMMON*
Very good with Fog Elementals or phasers, makes anti-creature much less 
effective if sorceries don't work.

Ancestral Knowledge, *RARE*
The low casting cost makes it easy to draft without
having to build a whole deck around it.  Good to have in your
opening hand or to draw on turn 20.  It's more powerful here
than in constructed you're playing with a 40 card deck instead
of 60.  With the high probability that some of your POWER cards will
pop up when you play it, it's like a multiple tutor.


GREEN:

Rogue Elephant, *COMMON*
A no-brainer. Even without Harvest Wurm to bring the forest back, a 3/3
for G is too good to pass up...

Redwood Treefolk, *COMMON*
There are better attacking creatures for Green in this set.  But this is 
easier to cast (one G instead of GG) and can outlive the higher powered 
cumulative upkeep creatures that you might have drafted instead.  That 
is, this can block those Arctic Wolves or Uktabi Efreets and when they 
can't pay the upkeep anymore, the Treefolk will still be around.

Briar Shield, *COMMON*
A +1/+1 and then Giant Growth. The surprise factor is missing, and it
can't be cast as an instant the armor of thorns, but it's still 3 extra
damage when you need it, and can make some small creature incinerate
proof for one go round.

Choking Vines, *COMMON*
It's no rock slide.  But it'll do.  Better than Sandstorm as it's useful 
against bigger creatures (like a fog). But, unlike fog, it'll kill 
weenies.

Vitalize, *CONMON*
Great suprise card that can translate into creature kill via blockers 
that your opponent didn't expect.

Uktabi Efreet, *COMMON*
Even though it won't be around too long(cumulative upkeep), the Uktabi 
Efreet can make its presence felt.  A 5/4 creature for 2GG isn't too 
shabby in rochester/booster draft!

Fallow Wurm, *UNCOMMON* 
Strong creature with small casting cost and a minor drawback. good early 
or late in the game.  Green mana is fairly easy to get, and discarding a 
land is often not a problem.

Barishi, *UNCOMMON*
If you don't have a card like Haunting Misery to utilize your creatures 
after they've gone the way of all flesh, they aren't doing you much 
good in the Graveyard. So why not bring 'em back with this guy, a 
Feldon's Cane for creatures?

Llanowar Behemoth, *UNCOMMON* 
Big and easily pumped.

Downdraft, *UNCOMMON*
Flyers are BIG in this environment - this handles flyers very well.  

Gaea's Blessing, *UNCOMMON*
Low cost deck tightening and recursion for you. Can be used to defuse 
the opponents graveyard if he has good graveyard manipulation cards.

Tranquil Grove, *RARE*
Okay, so it's rare, but it would still be fantastic in a 
creature-and-sorcery filled deck. Gets rid of those annoying things like 
Emperyal Armor and Serra's Blessing.

Dense Foliage, *RARE*
Keeps creatures safe from spells and effects.  This makes the game a 
battle of creatures.  Green has fat creatures which will win most battles.

Fungus Elemental, *RARE*
If you HAVE to cast this early, then you have a 3/3 for 4 mana.  That's 
your basic good ground pounder. Cast late in the game, when you need big 
creatures, you can probably make it HUGE!

Call of the Wild, *RARE*
If you just draft creatures, massive card advantage.

Aboroth, *RARE*
Huge and cheap. Will be an 8/8, 6/6, 3/3 to attack with... not bad.



RED:

Thunderbolt, *COMMON* 
A no-brainer. Not effective against ground creatures, but you can still 
blast the opponent if he doesn't put out any fliers. But then again,
everyone drafts flyers.

Firewhip, *COMMON*
The Fire Whip is a very good card in any sealed deck playing red.  Why?  
Because it can poke at your oppnent and it can kill most weenies, 
assuring an easier win.

Bogardan Firefiend, *COMMON*
This creature can do at least 4 damage for 3 mana. Even if it's blasted 
as soon as it comes into play, you can poke your opponent for 2 damage, 
or kill one of his smaller creatures (again, not graveyard manip, but 
very efficient).

Bloodrock Cyclops, *COMMON*
3/3 for 3 mana.  Any questions?

Orcish Settlers, *UNCOMMON*
When a player is dealing with three- and more color decks, land 
destruction at the right time, and against the right lands, can 
completely shut down your opponent. A late game killer with tons of 
mana on the table. It can be a near armageddon.

Cone of Flame, *UNCOMMON*
multiple target direct damage. Up to 3:1 card advantage.

Heart of Bogarden, *RARE*
Here's a case were the RR in the casting cost hardly hurts.  Many times 
you'll WANT to cast this late in the game.  So you can include this with 
only a few sources of red mana (I'd say 4 in a 40 card deck).  Of course,
in decks that have a lot of red it's even better.  But the main point is 
that if you don't draft this, somebody is going to play it against you!

Thundermare, *RARE*
This guy does some serious damage.  Combine with 
winding canyons or flash to cast during opponents turn or use 
vitalize to untap and roll over opponent.

Maraxus of Keld, *RARE*
Can be disgustingly powerful when played at the right time.

Fervor, *RARE*
I can attack with creatures as soon as they come into play? I can use 
vitalize to untap them and block?

Firestorm, *RARE*
It's a situational card but the very low casting cost (R) and the great 
flexibility make up for it. Since you know it's in your deck, you can 
sandbag land in your hand so that losing the cards won't hurt much when
you finally do draw and cast it.


WHITE:

Empyrial Armor, *COMMON* 
Natch, I'd heard this card called "broken" in these sorts of tournaments. 
Draft it either to use yourself, or as a defensive pick. It would be bad
to pass this up unless you have several ways of dealing with it in your
deck. Third turn armor usually equals game, since a 5/5 that early in the
game is pretty hard to deal with.

Heavy Ballista, *COMMON*
This is so strong in creature vs. creature battles that it's close to 
broken.  And it attacks for 2 when there aren't any blockers to take 
out!  A steal for 4 mana and only 1 of those colored.

Benalish Knight, *COMMON*
Insta-Knight! Another "effient" card, can serve as a surprise blocker.
Think of it as as an easier to cast Nekrataal that only kills creatures 
with a toughness of 2 or less. Can also be cast at end of opponents turn
to act as a psuedo "no summoning sickness" creature, that when cast at
the right time, will be an almost guaranteed 2 points of damage.

Duskrider Falcon, *COMMON*
Flies, it's protection black, cheap.

Ardent Militia, *COMMON*
Only one colored mana, 2/5 non-tapper... winner. With a defense of 5, it 
will not usually die if it attacks.  Since it does not tap when it 
attacks, it can attack with little worry.

Mistmoon Griffin, *UNCOMMON*
Unless you're unlucky enough to have this as the first creature you lose, 
this is pure card advantage. You might even get one of your fatties back!

Serra's Blessing, *UNCOMMON*
A reusable Vitalize. Devastating when used with fervor. Really great with
creatures that have tapping abilities, as it lets you attack with them
and still use their abilities on you opponents turn.

Foriysian Brigade, *UNCOMMON*
Good blocker.

Master of Arms, *UNCOMMON*
Hard to get rid of. Ties up a big blocker indefinitely, or hits for two
damage.

Peacekeeper, *RARE* 
Draft is based on creature attacks.  If your opponent cannot deal with it
then you have stalemated the game. Then you can wait till you have a
cerature advantage, or wait for that X-spell to show up. Drawback is that 
it's an easy to kill 1/1 creature.
 
Alabaster Dragon, *RARE* 
Six mana is the going price for a 4/4 flyer in this series.  This one is 
extra hard to get rid of!



ARTIFACTS:

Mind Stone, *COMMON*
Good early to get those 4CC fatties out on turn 3. You don't get colored 
mana out of it like a diamond, but you never draft the right color 
diamond anyway!  And, of course, it replaces itself with it's cantrip sac 
feature on demand.  That's the key reason I'm rating it so highly.  If 
you have this, it MUST be put in your deck.

Serrated Biskelion, *UNCOMMON*
Kills small regenerators, messes with creature combat calculations, and 
can attack. A 2/2 creature for 3 mana is a good deal anyway.

Chimeric Sphere, *UNCOMMON*
It can be a flyer, or a 3/2 creature, or just an artifact. A creature 
that isn't a creature, it can be a surprise blocker, or a hard-to-block
attacker. If the opponent can't block flyers, this one can do 3 points 
to him for 4 mana of any color. (2 makes it a 2/1 flyer, it flies over 
blockers, then before the damage-dealing step, make it a 3/2 ground 
creature).

Jabari's Banner, *UNCOMMON*
A great card that can leave your creatures unblocked or your opponents 
creature dead. Slightly limited because you have to use it before
blockers are declared for it to be effective.

Mana web, *RARE*
In drafting, opponent will have 2 or 3 colors, by making them tap out 
one color all at once, upkeeps and other non-main phase costs are much 
more costly.

Null Rod, *RARE*
Hoses Chimeric Sphere and most other good artifacts.