What’s my take on Alara Reborn?
It’s Alara Re-BORING.
Okay, that’s a complete lie. I just wanted to separate myself somewhat from the overly-excited wave of writer’s spoiler reviews. It’s Wednesday, 99 cards have been spoiled, my ankle is the size of a grapefruit, and I spent all of Monday relaxing on a lake named Canyon after buying out all the innards of a Target retail store going out of business.
Life is good, but not nearly as good as this new multicolor freak festival that Wizards is unleashing on us. I haven’t seen so many good, strong, fit, lean, low body-fat men since my one experimental trip to that bar. That occasion was quite memorable, but this new set has a way of perking my perception that the former stud-filled gallery couldn’t.
We’ve had many “Gold” sets in the past, but this one is going to revolutionize what exactly a Gold set is. Multicolored cards require a tricky card evaluation system. They are a little more awkward to cast and usually range from “slightly more powerful” to “absurdly overpowered WTF were you thinking when you made this?”
This puts creative deck builders in an awkward position to either capitalize on hidden gems and trends, or be drowned out by the overwhelming power of all these new creatures that will define whatever format we play. I’m going to start the list with the two most powerful creatures in the set, then randomly include creatures that I think will or will not impact the smaller Constructed formats of Standard and Block Constructed.
Qasali Pridemage – GW
Creature – Cat Wizard (Common)
Exalted
{1}, Sacrifice Qasali Pridemage: Destroy target artifact or enchantment.
2/2
This guy is possibly the best aggressive utility creature ever printed. When compared to past great utility dudes like Viridian Zealot, Kami of Ancient Law, and Elvish Scrapper/Elvish Hexhunter, he makes them look uninspiring at best. This is a Watchwolf that can kill Artifacts and Enchantments. A Watchwolf! That can kill Artifacts and Enchantments! This uniquely aggressive utility has never been seen in Magic, to my knowledge.
This gives those Little Kid G/W decks an extremely solid two-drop to add to an already inspiring crew of multicolored critters. My Tezzeret deck I’ve been boasting about this past month or so also seems to have a distinct weakness to this card, but honestly, I can only see this helping me in the long run. It just makes me include more Pithing Needles, and tricks the GW decks into thinking they have enough Artifact removal to justify more board slots for the important Fae and Five-Color Control matchups, etc.
People have already gone on record saying they like this guy, but no one has really put it in perspective better than Billy Moreno:
“He’s ridiculous! He changes what you want and what you can get out of your two-drop until he rotates. He’s as good, if not better and more impacting, than Sakura-Tribe Elder.”
Meddling Mage – WU
Creature – Human Wizard (Rare)
As Meddling Mage comes into play, name a nonland card.
The named card can’t be played.
2/2
It’s a slap in the face to print this with a lady engulfed in flames. Pikula is pissed. I’m pissed. And a horde of Wizards-hating flunkies are up in arms.
It still doesn’t change the fact that Reveillark fanboys are undergoing eye surgery across the world from their eyes popping out of their sockets in disbelief. When you think of Reveillark, you think Blue/White. When you think of Blue/White, especially in the context of two-powered creatures, you think Meddling Mage (okay, maybe that’s a bit biased, but I remember playing with Pikula in Standard in Zvi’s Answer deck, and that was the Blue/White deck of this generation).
Predicting the effect this guy will have on Standard is pretty rough. When you compare formats and complexity of the game, Invasion Block pales in comparison to current day Standard.
Invasion, and you could argue Masques, was the changing point of Magic, in both deckbuilding and understanding of the game. Invasion brought forth more refined multicolor possibilities than attained in previous “Gold” sets like Mirage or Tempest, and really highlighted the great work that R&D could do at the time. This is true when you compare Ravnica to Invasion, and now Shards to Ravnica. The format, complexity, and overall usage of the cards has changed very much over the passing of the years, so while it may be our natural inclination to put Mage at the top, the format surrounding him is going to define his effectiveness. There really feels like there are more quality Wrath-effect type cards in circulation than ever before. You’ve got Infest, Volcanic Fallout, Firespout, Pyroclasm, Wrath of God, Austere Command, newly-released Lavalanche, along with the usual boat-load of quality pinpoint removal spells.
Still, I’m much more excited about a turn 4 Meddling Mage with Hindering Light backup following a turn 3 Vendilion Clique, than a turn 2 Meddling Mage naming some random card you know is important in the matchup. Not to mention if Tidehollow Sculler is played on turn 2, before you VC into MM with HL on the DL.
Sen Triplets – 2WUB
Legendary Artifact Creature – Human Wizard (Mythic Rare)
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose target opponent. This turn, that player can’t play spells or activated abilities and plays with his or her hand revealed. You can play cards from that player’s hand this turn.
3/3
Well, damn. Nomination for most brutal Upkeep trigger ever?! Sure, it’s an Artifact. Sure, it’s a measly 3/3 for five mana. Sure, it’s a Legend. But paired with Sharuum, and possibly Etherium Sculptor, in some kind of wacky Artificial shenanigans deck, or even the trump card for the Five-Color Control mirror, this guy could be hotter than Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan.
Knight of New Alara – 2GW
Creature – Human Knight (Rare)
Each other multicolored creature you control gets +1/+1 for each of its colors.
2/2
He’s pretty interesting, but I have a hard time seeing him outperform the already popular Lieges. In a strictly GW deck this guy acts as additional copies of Wilt-Leaf Liege, but I have a hard time seeing that deck wanting more than six copies of Liege-like creatures. In Bant he makes Rhox War Monk attack for seven on turn 3, assuming there is a Noble Hierarch involved. I can’t see him getting much use beyond those archetypes though, because if you really do have a five-color full blown Ancient Ziggurat creature deck, you’re going to be playing all the most powerful spells anyway. Tacking on a 2/2 that makes your broken creatures a little more broken just isn’t the best investment for four mana.
Dauntless Escort – 1GW
Creature – Rhox Soldier (Rare)
Sacrifice Dauntless Escort: Creatures you control are indestructible this turn.
3/3
Doesn’t get around Path to Exile, but makes you feel a whole lot more comfortable overextending to rush the win. I wouldn’t put too much faith in this guy for a main deck slot, mainly because I anticipate the combat phase to increase in popularity with this set and he’s an undersized man, but makes a great sideboard addition to combat the control opponent sideboards.
Uril, the Miststalker – 2RGW
Legendary Creature – Beast (Mythic Rare)
Uril, the Miststalker can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.
Uril gets +2/+2 for each Aura attached to it.
5/5
I’m pretty excited about this one. It’s a rare intangible to have a big creature with untargetability. Gigapede was a very popular (and a touch more versatile) big untouchable guy, but would die to the smallest of forest inhabitants. Uril, however, will take down Beasts, Tarmogoyfs, Dragons, and Giants all the same and live to tell the tale. A valuable premium for any controlling or aggressive strategy at a fair cost.
Spellbreaker Behemoth – 1RGG
Creature – Beast (Rare)
Spellbreaker Behemoth can’t be countered.
Creature spells you control with power 5 or greater can’t be countered.
5/5
Another fatty-boom-batty that has a tangible value not seen in many creatures of his virtue. A fat creature that comes in unhindered, but he has the same problem all these Scragnoth-folk have: they all die to a Terror (another two-mana spell) once they’re down, or in our format’s case, Path to Exile (one-mana spell!). Probably won’t see play since four-mana 5/5s just aren’t what they used to be. Juzam had a drawback. Rumbling Slum had the mutual drawback. This guy has a bonus, but still won’t be able to keep up in a heated metagame of lean contenders.
Dragon Broodmother – 2RRRG
Creature – Dragon (Mythic Rare)
Flying
At the beginning of each upkeep, put a 1/1 red and green Dragon creature token with flying and devour 2 into play. (As the token comes into play, you may sacrifice any number of creatures. It comes into play with twice that many +1/+1 counters on it.)
4/4
Wowza. This was one of the first Alara Reborn cards I ever peeked, and with Billy shoving it in my face I missed one very important word that sets this token generator apart from nearly all others:
“Each.”
Verdant Force had it, and now the Broodmother of all Dragons dawns that critical four letter word.
This card is nuts. Six mana isn’t that much for such an overwhelming ability, but the triple Red could be a huge problem. Still, this one pushes the boundaries of what we expect from an “every upkeep token producer.” She dies to all the most popular removal spells from Path to Exile and Terror effects to Flame Javelin, but I’d still wager this to do something with its time in the limelight, even if it’s only as a couple copies in a Block Constructed mana ramp deck.
Bloodbraid Elf – 2RG
Creature – Elf Berserker (Uncommon)
Haste
Cascade (When you play this spell, remove cards from the top of your library from the game until you reveal a nonland card that costs less. You may play it without paying its mana cost. Put the removed cards on the bottom in a random order.
3/2
The cat’s out of the bag on this one, but what hasn’t been mentioned is what kind of negatives you can expect from playing with this guy…
Yeah, I can’t really think of any.
He forces you to play almost strictly proactive spells, since you don’t necessarily want to Path to Exile against a fair portion of the decks in Standard right now, but that isn’t exactly a negative. This guy into a free Incinerate is probably the worst thing you can do with it, which really says a lot about how good he is. I suppose Bloodbraid Elf into a small creature walking into Volcanic Fallout is probably the worst occurrence, but you’re not that far behind in the trade, since they only spent one mana less and still took two damage to deal with, essentially, one card. Not overextending with this card is going to be tricky for aggro decks, since you really want to know what your four-drop is going to do to help plan out the three turns prior.
Blitz Hellion – 3RG
Creature – Hellion (Rare)
Trample, haste
At end of turn, Blitz Hellion’s owner shuffles it into his or her library.
7/7
A great tribute to Shivan Wurm. Shuffling the library can be very relevant with RG Cascade cards running amok.
Wall of Denial – 1WU
Creature – Illusion Wall (Uncommon)
Defender, flying, shroud
0/8
Glacial Wall with Flying and Shroud!
Sign.
Me.
Up.
This is one of the most beautiful Walls I’ve ever seen. Almost as good as a foil Chinese Jungle Barrier. Plumeveil has been one of the best Defender creatures ever printed, and while this guy is uniquely defensive, I don’t see him taking any slots away from the Wall that can actually kill things. 1/8 and it might have been another story, 2/8 and Plumeveil would have been a distant memory, but at 0/8 this just doesn’t offer enough to stop them from attacking.
Knotvine Paladin – GW
Creature – Human Knight (Rare)
Whenever Knotvine Paladin attacks, it gets +1/+1 for each untapped creature you control.
2/2
G/W Goblin Piledriver! Sort of. If only Armadillo Cloak was legal to give this guy trample…
Lord of Extinction – 3BG
Creature – Elemental (Mythic Rare)
Lord of Extinction’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in all graveyards.
*/*
Don’t let that */* fool you; this guy is insanely huge. Huge enough that if there was a convenient and effective way we could track attacking stats in the Magic World, he would probably have one of the highest averages ever. Mainly because, if he does manage to connect, he will connect for a big number, but you can expect him to be a modest 6/6 the turn he comes into play assuming there is moderate activity on both sides.
Enigma Sphinx – 4WUB
Artifact Creature – Sphinx (Rare)
Flying
When Enigma Sphinx is put into your graveyard from play, put it into your library third from the top.
Cascade (When you play this spell, remove cards from the top of your library from the game until your reveal a nonland card that costs less. You may play it without paying its mana cost. Put the removed cards on the bottom in a random order.)
5/4
Imagine a deck where your game plan is to Wrath, land a Planeswalker, and draw cards. Cascade in control decks is extremely appealing for that purpose, and when he is putting himself third from the top anytime he dies, you have a realistic kill condition that generates recurring card advantage. Seven mana is also the new five mana. With everyone having such powerful quality cards available to them, I expect that games will either a) go longer, or b) end much quicker on account of a lopsided affair.
But this guy, much like every other quality creature that aspires to do something with its magical life while in print, has PTE Syndrome. Path to Exile completely owns most quality men right now, for the low and nigh unstoppable price of the least powerful basic land.
Sphinx of the Steel Wind – 5WUB
Artifact Creature – Sphinx (Mythic Rare)
Flying, first strike, vigilance, lifelink, protection from Red and from Green
6/6
Another PTE Syndrome creature. But at least it will never die to a pair of Branching Bolts. No Haste or pro Black/White makes this an overcosted weak attempt at an Artificial Akroma.
Jenara, Asura of War – GWU
Legendary Creature – Angel (Mythic Rare)
Flying
{1}{W}: Put a +1/+1 counter on Jenara, Asura of War.
3/3
Great offensive addition to the Bant borderline. Unfortunately, she’s a Legend. Fortunately, if she lives a couple of turns they will probably be dead. Her productivity therefore lies in the supporting cast and matchup.
Grizzled Leotau – GW
Creature – Cat (Common)
1/5
There are very few times I look at a creature and it puzzles me. Despite his vanilla form, this creature will be the root of a very complicated decision. Is a 1/5 better than a 3/3 on turn 2? Given the Exalted nature of so many cards, the extra butt is more relevant than the starting power in a lot of occasions, and the 1/5 will act as life gain the turn it comes into play, stopping opposing three- and four-powered critters from making advancement. It’s one of those wait-and-see situations, and I don’t like having more of an opinion on him than that.
Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund – 4BRG
Legendary Creature – Dragon (Mythic Rare)
Flying, Haste
When Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund comes into play, gain control of all Dragon creatures in play and untap them.
Dragon creatures you control have haste.
7/7
I don’t see why this creature has two instances of Haste on him… probably means there’s a misprint on the MTGSalvation spoiler, since Wizards rarely messes up like that. I hope Five-Color Control keeps those Broodmate Dragons in their lists!
There aren’t too many Changelings on the battlefield in today’s Standard, but given the increase in powerful Black spells like Lavalance and Terminate, I don’t have a hard time seeing Chameleon Colossus stepping back into the limelight.
But more importantly, even if that happens this card still won’t see play. Fun too look at and imagine crazy scenarios, but not much else.
Lords of Forgotten Alara* – 4WU
Creature – Spirit (Rare)
Exalted
Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, you may search your library for an Aura card that can enchant it and put it into play attached to that creature. If you do, shuffle your library afterwards.
4/5
This Spirit compliments the on-color Swans of Bryn Argoll plus Pariah combo. I’m not up to par on my Enchant Creatures right now, but there are a couple of attractive ones in the new set, and seeing that there’s no mana requirement you could potentially suit up a Runes of the Deus on a Woolly Thoctar.
Fieldmist Borderpost – 1WU
Artifact (Common)
You may pay {1} and return a basic land you control its owner’s hand rather than pay Fieldmist Borderpost’s mana cost.
Fieldmist Borderpost comes into play tapped.
{T}: Add {W} or {U} to your mana pool.
I wanted to stay on the topic of new dudes, but I guess I’ll include these out of my personal interest.
These are very good at what they do. They are essentially artifact lands, and in that context they also cost three mana. It doesn’t take a wild imagination to see up to ten of these being played alongside a sixteen-eighteen land manabase. At that point you have a manabase that is 40% Artifacts, which pairs well with March of the Machines while also having synergy with whatever other artificial inclinations you can think of.
Probably not worth the liability of gaining synergies at the risk of speed and vulnerability, but definitely an interesting new take on resources.
This is going to be the first time we have a midnight release available here in SA-town, so I’m stoked about the upcoming prerelease weekend. I’m hoping to have Billy at my side the whole time, so I’m planning on putting our brains together to give a solid two-headed set review for next week.
Thanks for reading…
Kyle