Over at Brainburst.com, I would always be one of the premier go-to guys for these set review things, and I really enjoyed writing them. When I moved to StarCityGames.com, I insisted that I be allowed to keep on writing such reviews, despite the fact that Mike was already compiling his own views on the new cards. I think that Mike and I have differences in opinions, though… this will not be a pointless string of articles with stuff you have already heard. I’ll be doing things differently, as I’ll be rating using a numbered scale to show how much play potential I see in the card. I think that is more precise than Mike’s system. I’ll also be giving my view on the cards from a Limited standpoint
Today, I’ll be talking about the White and Azorius cards. The ratings I’ll be using are 1 through 5, with 1 being unplayable, and 5 being a fantastic card. On top of that, I’ll give you a hint as to what I feel would be the best use of the card.
Enough jibber-jabber… here we go.
Constructed: 3
Limited: 2
Best Use: With our good friend, Sensei’s Diving Top.
In Limited, this card will often be a random shot where you often get a guy out of the deal. This is not that exciting for four mana, though sometimes you’ll get to crush your opponent’s dreams with a huge surprise blocker that blows them out. This won’t happen often enough to warrant playing the card, because I still remember whiffing with Commune with Nature, and that sucked. This will suck even more.
In Constructed you can set up your draw with cards like Sensei’s Divining Top, making this a lot less random, and pretty good in a deck that can abuse its abilities. Gift’s Ungiven/Greater Good looks like it could use this card best, but also looks like it doesn’t really need it, as the deck doesn’t even play four Goryo’s Vengeances.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 3
Best Use: Decent card in your draft deck.
Reusable creatures are always interesting, but at this price you expect to at least have a relevant body to throw around. In Constructed this won’t do much, as damage prevention is not very good there, and the 2/2 body will shock no one. In draft, though, this card is a decent addition, since the damage prevention is a great combat trick, and the body isn’t all that bad either. Great in a long game, and it’s card advantage!
Constructed: 1
Limited: 1
Best Use: None.
This is one of those cards where the effect looks pretty powerful, but in the end it costs far too much to have any effect on the game. Its 1/1 body will never ever influence any format, and its effect merely replaces itself most of the time, making it a four-mana cantrip… that’s not good enough.
Constructed: 3
Limited: 4
Best Use: White Weenie
A great Limited creature, and anticipated Constructed creature, despite being painted half-Blue. Leonin Skyhunter was good, and this is the same, since no one enchants creatures in Limited. Might even be better, as it can’t be the target of a Faith’s Fetters, etc.
Constructed: 3
Limited: 5
Best Use: Limited Bomb.
One of the best guildmages for Limited might be lacking a little in Constructed, since a lot of the other available two-drops are better than this guy. Maybe in block, if there’s room. A fine card, where the countering effect might even be better then the tap effect in Constructed… but I’m not so sure if it has a home.
Constructed: 4
Limited: 4
Best Use: That’s all that is keeping this guy back.
A great card, when you look at the cost. It’s a good body, and the four life has been shown to be very relevant in a number of formats… but the real problem is this: in what deck would you ever play this guy? It’s too slow for White Weenie, and not great in a control deck. Maybe this will have a shot in a mid-range Block deck, but I don’t see it right now. In Limited, this is much more than a Phantom Warrior. A very high pick.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 2
Best Use: A trick, when you feel you really really need a trick.
In Constructed, multiple creature combat seldom happens, and when it does, four-mana tricks aren’t going to be exciting. This card will never see Constructed play. In Limited, this is a pretty weak trick that only really works to its full potential when multiple creatures are attacking and blocking. I think the situation that this occurs happens too rarely to ever play this card, but maybe you can board it in sometimes.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 2
Best Use: In every deck that is running Courier Hawk.
… Because that is exactly what this guy is: a slightly upgraded Courier Hawk. You can play him in your Limited deck, but he will never be that great. This is a playable guy, but definitely not a high pick. He’ll rarely decide the game for you. He gets a lot better the more tap guys you have, of course. I am not even going to talk about him in Constructed.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 1
Best Use: Swords to Plowshares proxy.
Creature enchantments are bad in Limited and Constructed. If this gave +3+3 automatically and could be brought back, then we would have a deal. That is why Moldervine Cloak is played, and why this will never make the team.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 1
Best Use: For writing a stern letter to R&D.
I thought this was a fine trick for Limited – at first – although it did look a little expensive… but then I read the word “multicolor.” Why you would make a Limited trick like this work only on multicolored targets, at that cost, is beyond me. It’s unplayable. Compare it to Test of Faith, or Scars of the Veteran. And those cards never got played either.
Constructed: 2
Limited: 3
Best Use: A sideboard card in weenie matchups.
Saving your guy while killing your opponents Savannah Lion or something is obviously a very strong effect, and it also draws you a card. The effect is very limited, and compared to Shining Shoal it’s a little puny, but I wouldn’t rule it out in some matchups. In Limited this gets even better, as there is far more combat, and there will almost certainly be targets around to get with this card. Just imagine preventing that one damage from a Stinkweed Imp, sending it back to a Minister of Tappietappie! It won’t always have that huge an effect, and therefore isn’t a very high pick, though it has the power to win you games by itself… and it’s never a dead card thanks to its cantripping power.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 4
Best Use: Limited Bomb.
In Constructed we have so many alternatives, and the fact is that you’ll never want to be casting enchantments with a whole bunch of creatures in play anyway. In Limited you have a bunch of worthwhile enchantments, and giving your team a permanent Anthem seems very strong. It dies easily, which means that in some decks you would rather pick a removal spell over this, especially if you don’t have any enchantments yet.
Constructed: 4
Limited: 4
Best Use: Control decks that need some creature kill.
The best White creature kill card since Swords to Plowshares and Wing Shards, and it’s all because of the cost. One mana is exactly what you want to pay for the effect, and is also easy to keep open while developing your board. Devouring Light is seeing Constructed play, and this is clearly better.
Constructed: 2
Limited: 1
Best Use: Stirring up controversy.
I don’t like this card at all. I know a lot of people do, and they think that the effect is broken and will be huge in Constructed, but I just do not see it. For this card to work you’ll have to build your entire deck around it, and this means you have a deck that is relying on a very vulnerable six-mana enchantment that cannot be protected by countermagic. That is not a situation I like to be in. The list of “comes into play” abilities that destroy this are endless – in Standard alone – so if this ever does become a deck, it will very easily be sideboarded against. The fact that it looks so powerful means that a lot of people are going to do their best to break it, but I am very sure it will never work out.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 3
Best Use: Wind Drake!
A clear Limited creature, as in this set alone we have two-mana flyers that are better. A fine addition to a Limited deck, but not a particularly insane creature. A filler Limited card.
Constructed: 4
Limited: 4
Best Use: The… *cough* … Dovescape deck.
If there is ever going to be a Dovescape deck, you can bet your ass that this guy is going to feature. Three very powerful effects in one card make this almost a bomb for Limited, and a very good Constructed card. The problem is that most decks that will want to run this will also want to run Wrath of God, and that is not a combo. This leaves a big question mark hovering over his head, as he does need to find a place to shine. Maybe in some sort of Big Blue Block deck?
Constructed: 1
Limited: 4
Best Use: Limited staple.
At first glance, this guy does not look exciting at all… for Constructed he’s obviously terrible, but for Limited he’ll often be your best creature. Stopping Bramble Elementals or attacking past hordes of blockers, he does it all with a decently costed body. I have seen many a person try to Repeal or Disembowel this guy only to then realise how good this guy can be.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 1
Best Use: The black sheep of the Lyrist family doesn’t get a good use.
Compare this to Elvish Lyrist to see how bad he really is. No one plays auras really, and even then a Kami of Ancient Law will take care of it, thank you very much.
Constructed: 2
Limited: 3
Best Use: A deck with lots of White sources.
The only thing that is keeping this guy back from being completely insane is the fact that he needs a huge amount of White mana to function correctly. In Limited this means that often he will only be able to stop two or three guys from dealing damage, but that alone is already very good. Then again, that only happens in two-color decks, which aren’t around all that much these days. In Constructed, I can only see this guy being a good sideboard card in the White Weenie mirror, and I am not sure that is even something that actually happens without one of the decks splashing for something to kill this guy. The effect is strong, but the card is too vulnerable.
Constructed: 4
Limited: 5
Best Use: Finisher in a big blue deck.
In Limited, if you can cast this guy, you take him. He is just that good. A huge body for its cost as well as a very good ability that lets you tutor for you best guy for sure at the second hit, and often enough at the first one (thanks to bouncelands, etc). In Constructed this would be a great late-game threat for the U/W flyer deck, as well as the key card in a Block Constructed deck. I love this guy.
Constructed: 4
Limited: 4
Best Use: White Weenie.
Not much worse then the Skyknight, and easily castable. This is one of the best two-drops for a White Weenie deck, and very efficient. Not much else to say.
Constructed: 2
Limited: 4
Best Use: Very high pick in draft.
It’s unreal how much better free tapping is than cards like Ostiary Thrull, because this card does not hurt your development at all. Better than any of the tappers we’ve had before (like Master Decoy), and therefore an almost automatic first pick bar a good rare. In Constructed this could find a sideboard space against decks with big fatties… and remember, with Augustin out he only costs one mana! Not that great outside of sideboards and Block, though.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 2
Best Use: Shining Shoal Proxy.
Not a great card, as no matter what you do you’ll only get a three-mana counterspell at best, and that’s not very good. For the same cost you can get Hinder, and not even tacking on a Stream of Life is going to help get it into the playable realm.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 3
Best Use: Limited at best.
At six mana, you can do a lot better then a 3/4 spiritlinker. In Limited it is still okay, and you can’t really pick what guys you play… but in Constructed this will never grace a deck. The forecast ability is okay, but will never be amazing. To be honest, forecast is pretty weak in general. The fact that you can only once each turn makes it too bad, as I see nothing wrong with being able to do any of the effects more often.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 2
Best Use: Poor Man’s Urza’s Armor.
This does exactly what Urza’s Armor did, except it does it a little bit better… but doesn’t allow for combo uses. Not a good effect, in a pretty bad card. In Limited you can have it in the all-tapper deck, where it will be okay. Then again, that deck should win already.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 3
Best Use: Tap your guy, play this card on it.
Tapping blockers can be very good in the late-game of any Limited match, but the fact that you can only do it to one blocker makes it fairly weak again. It is also a removal spell that combos with itself, so it is very playable albeit not great. In Constructed this will never see play (of course), as did none of the Thirst wannabes.
Constructed: 3
Limited: 4
Best Use: Flying White Weenie.
People have already started playing this in their post-Dissension weenie decks, and that is where it seems to be at its best. Control decks would love to have an outpost effect like this, but they cannot afford to tap out in their upkeep, so that means that the best place for this guy will be in aggressive decks as a good creature/late game card against those control decks. Four Lantern Kami, four Suntail Hawks, followed up by some two-drop fliers, means that in this kind of deck he will be huge very fast. Just watch out for that Wrath of God. Then again, that is what his forecast is for.
In Limited this will win the game by itself sometimes, or definitely give you a nice little army or a huge dragon for almost no cost. A great card, although removal is probably still a little better.
Constructed: 3
Limited: 1
Best Use: Fog Lock.
With Kami of False Hope, this card and its forecast can set up a Fog soft lock against decks without answers, but I think this will not happen often. Even then, Gifts decks used to have a fog lock themselves they could get with one Gifts Ungiven, and this looks like it is more of the same (maybe even worse). In Limited, you will never ever have enough creatures that cost one mana in your deck to warrant running this card. Even if you do, why would you want them back?
Constructed: 1
Limited: 1
Best Use: Lifegain for casual.
Lifegain is not good, and especially not when a lot of things need to happen for this to actually take effect. You can’t even sac your guys to it. This card, by itself, does nothing!
Constructed: 2
Limited: 4
Best Use: Flying White, or… Dovescape.
Best when you have some guys in play on turn 5, where you tap them to draw a card, and then play him to untap and attack with those men. Still seems too expensive for any regular Constructed deck, but as a card advantage tool in the Dovescape deck I don’t think will exist, this will be okay. The thing is, with cards like this in the deck, it will become even less likely that the deck will actually do anything, as it is very inconsistent as is. Air Elemental never saw play, and this is worse as a creature. Forecast isn’t very good either. In Limited, huge flyers are always great, and this is as good as they get in this format, short of an Isperia.
Constructed: 3
Limited: 3
Best Use: Sideboard against the early beats.
A great sideboard card for any U/W control deck, where it will stop anything that hit the board before it, and will be able to stop everything that came after it as well. Mostly a sideboard card, but in Block I can definitely see it pop up in some maindecks. In Limited the body isn’t big enough, and it will be pretty unexciting in general… although it will always be fine. A nice 6th-8th pick.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 2
Best Use: Glorious Anthem Proxy.
Warrior’s Honor never saw play, and adding the forecast ability (which is pretty weak) will not make it any better. This card would be really good as a risk-free firebreathing if you could use it more then once each turn, but as it is… simply not very good. In Limited it is a trick, but not a very good one. Playable, but only if you are short on playables and are heavily committed to White.
Constructed: 2
Limited: 3
Best Use: Very Poor Man’s Creature Kill.
In many ways, this card is a lot like Chastise and Second Thoughts, as it will take down most attacking creatures. The bad part is that it dies to removal, and therefore can fizzle at that. In Limited, beggars can’t be choosers and you play any removal spell you can find. In Constructed, this isn’t good enough unless you really have no better option, which you actually do in this set alone (Condemn). Of course, in Limited this is great fun with Wakestone Gargoyle.
Constructed: 2
Limited: 2
Best Use: Last resort.
This is too much mana for countermagic, even if it does gain you card advantage. It rarely happens this will counter more then one spell, as stacks that big don’t happen unless there is a counter-battle. Five-mana spells aren’t very good at that. Dismiss was better, and didn’t see much play. However, this card is insane against both storm and replicate, where it will be sure to counter all of the triggers and draw you a bunch of cards. This is a nice thing to keep in mind in case these effects start to see a lot of play.
Constructed: 1
Limited: 1
Best Use: I use it as a bookmark in Deckade, by Michael J Flores.
Blocking doesn’t happen a lot, and the effect is definitely not worth a card. Not good.
Constructed: 2
Limited: 4
Best Use: Limited bomb, Constructed casual decks.
In Limited this comes out early, stops almost everything, and is a good threat. It gets even better when you have some defenders in your deck that want to attack, like Tidewater Minion. Should almost always be a first pick, unless there is some good removal. In Constructed this is simply worse than so many cards, and it will have to settle for a role in the Wall deck.
Constructed: 3
Limited: 4
Best Use: Finisher when all better things are gone.
The first time you see this guy, you can’t help but think of one of the best creatures of all time, Morphling. Though he does have a lot of similar abilities, but the game seems to have progressed past the point where creatures like this are good enough. A decent finisher, but definitely not as good as Morphling was at the time. It’s all about the cheap guys these days, or guys that just take over by themselves, like Meloku. In Limited this obviously a great creature, but in order for it to dominate boards you do need a lot of mana, making it a late-game card or a strong finisher… therefore it’s a 4, not a 5.
That’s it for the first article. There are some nice cards, but nothing very exciting that should definitely make it to Constructed. In the last article of this series (on Friday), I will come back with a list of top cards across all the colors, and we’ll see then where the U/W guild stands.
Jeroen.