Welcome back to the article that charts the areas of the Magic world outside of the commonly walked paths of Tournament Magic, and into the wilds of the casual.
Ever since Legions I have, without fail, provided you a set review of each new set from a Five Color perspective. I love Five Color, and I am happy to provide you with that review. However, over the last few sets I have zinged some cards in my Five Color review article because they don’t hold much value there, only to turn around and advocate their usage in normal casual decks.
Since there aren’t set reviews for multiplayer and peasant Magic and all of the other casual options out there, I felt that my Five Color reviews, although good for the 5C community, may not be ideal for the general casual crowd.
Therefore, for Morningtide, I am going to do a review of the entire set, card by card. I will review each card on several levels, and I will even provide you a score for every single card in the set for each casual type.
What categories will I review my cards on?
Five Color — The original, and still top casual format to my mind. I love it! Check out its rules over at 5-color.com. For illustrative purposes, Five Color is a casual format using all Vintage-legal sets, requiring 250 cards and 20 cards of each color, and it has its own B&R list. My reviews are geared towards the more tournament oriented Five Color.
Multiplayer — This is a review for the general usefulness of a card in multiplayer. Since there are scads of multiplayer formats that could alter the score of certain cards, assume that this review is only considering chaos, grand melee multiplayer, where every player is out for themselves. I may add some individual commentary for specific formats, such as team formats, in the text.
Peasant — A great casual format that requires a deck use no rares, nor more than five uncommons. As such, no rare will have a Peasant rating. Frankly, unless an uncommon is broken good, it won’t get much of a look from my Peasant rating either. With all sets to choose from and just five uncommons to make the cut, most decks can only use the best of the best.
Casual Toolbox — This is a general rating that explores the overall usefulness of a card in a casual setting. Cards like Momentary Blink and Eyeblight’s Ending might not be major powerhouses in Five Color, Multiplayer, or Peasant, but they have value as a great card for the casual deckbuilder’s toolbox, and you should try to get a player’s set or more. This rating will reveal those great, reliable toolbox cards.
In addition to these evaluations, I will also be dropping two symbols by some cards:
* – The Asterisk by a card’s name signifies a card good enough to be added to Abe’s Deck of Happiness and Joy, a highlander deck exceeding 1200 cards (probably a lot that that now) in three separate long boxes. I think these cards are good enough to see play there.
! — The Exclamation Point signifies a card that will make the cut for The Essentials deck, a 250 highlander, multiplayer Five Color deck designed to show off some of the best cards around to give other players ideas for their own decks (which I overview in two previous articles). These are the best of the best.
Because I will be doing ratings on four different casual areas, I will have to review every card. This is new for me, and for those readers who might remember my Five Color reviews as one of the few reviews that only hit the highlights.
Unlike previous set reviews, I will not be spending a lot of time reviewing every new mechanic to discuss their relevance in a casual setting. It’s been my experience that very few mechanics are simply automatically powerful. Even the best mechanics for Five Color, such as transmute and threshold, have entries that are clunkers.
Before I begin, please note that all of these cards come from a Morningtide Spoiler. On at least two previous occasions, I have taken the text off a spoiler, used it to rate a card, then found out that the card read differently, thus changing my review. There is a chance, even if a small one, that a card is spoiled differently than it really reads, and sometimes those differences are enough to make a difference in how the card plays.
All ratings are out of 5. To give you perspective, here are some evaluations I would give generally, without respect to format. 5 is Ancestral Recall, 1 is Squire. Swords to Plowshares is 5, Disenchant is 2.5, Vindicate is 4.5, Counterspell is 4.5, Cancel is 4, Dark Ritual scores a 3, Changeling Berserker is a 3.5, Changeling Champion is a 2, Treefolk Harbinger is a 4, Wall of Blossoms is a 5, Wall of Tombstones nets a 1.5, Elder Spawn gets a 1, Sunstone a 2.5, Capsize is a 4.5, etc.
We will begin with White, then move around the color wheel and end up in Blue.
The White Cards
5C: 2
MP: 2
PEZ: 2.5
CTB: 2.5
The redeeming factor for this card in every environment is the fact that it is a 2/ 1 beater for two mana. In Five Color, the splashable casting cost makes all of the difference between a 1 and a 2. In multiplayer, the fact that this is an aggressive card with an aggressive ability means it doesn’t score as highly as it would in other formats, where aggro is more viable. In both Peasant Magic and Casual, this is one of the engine cards you can build your Kithkin or Soldier deck around, while also serving for two damage early. Note that this accelerates you into a third turn Daru Warchief, which a lot of casual players will be fans of.
5C: 1
MP: 2
CTB: 1.5
What holds this down for me is the symmetry of the card. It not only prevents damage to you, but to your opponent as well. I can’t imagine many 3/4 creatures for 3WW that are worse than Battletide Alchemist for most formats. Not only does it require clerics to be effective, but it’s not even that big for its cost. I’d rather play Staunch Defenders for that power/toughness and casting cost. It has some value to Johnnies, but not much. I’m not tempted by it. In multiplayer Magic, it’s pretty poor in chaos, although preventing damage to everyone makes you a friend, so it scores better there. Note that it does protect your teammates, so there might be some variants where this is pretty good. For example, as the middle seat in Emperor, this protects all of your teammates but not everybody on the opposing side. [Of course, you control this “may” ability… you don’t have to activate it for your opponents. — Craig.]
5C: 1
MP: 1.5
PEZ: 1.5
CTB: 1.5
It’s a Wind Drake, but I don’t know many Wind Drakes, outside of Avian Changeling, that get much play anywhere. Its ability to reinforce is certainly acceptable, but not great. Spending three mana for just two +1/+1 counters certainly isn’t doing much for you outside of Limited. You might have a White deck somewhere that likes the counters for various tricks, but I suspect that you’ll find better options out there for your decks. This was a Wizards preview card, and it’s pretty underwhelming.
5C: 1
MP: 1.5
PEZ: 1
CTB: 1
This card is pretty crappy from a casual perspective. It costs one more than a Hill Giant with not extra beatingness. It doesn’t have evasion, or the ability to deal extra damage in combat when attacking, nor the ability to be extra defensive in combat when being attacked. It doesn’t even have a generic gustcloak ability. Instead, it pumps the back end of a creature by +0/+3 when it attacks. That’s pretty useless.
5C: 1
MP: 2
PEZ: 2
CTB: 2
Its ability to be a super Infantry Veteran (for one mana) on soldiers makes it solid. It even has a second ability, and it can build up your army over time. You can play these in a solider deck, and I won’t laugh at you. I feel that the Dragon Blood ability is a bit too slow for most formats, and the blocking bonus a bit too light. Now, if it had been Goblin War Drums on your creatures with +1/+1 counters, it would have been better. Note that although the first ability requires a solider to target, the second ability affects all creatures with counters on them.
5C: 1
MP: 1.5
PEZ: 1
CTB: 2
The changeling ability is pretty nifty, but in Lorwyn all of the changelings were playable. They all had abilities for around the cost of other, comparable creatures. However, a 3/2 vigilance creature for four mana is just ugly, and the changeling ability doesn’t really redeem it this time There are going to be some decks out there where you want any and all changelings, no matter how sucky. For most decks, however, you are going to skip this card.
5C: 1.5
MP: 2.5
PEZ: 2.5
CTB: 2.5
This isn’t a bad card. It would be more interesting to me if it cost 1W and made you choose a permanent type, not a creature type. Still, for one White mana, its ability to hit either an attacker or a blocker is decent enough. This has more value in formats like multiplayer, where you are likely to get many creatures down of the same type, than in Five Color.
5C: 1.5
MP: 3
CTB: 3
Unlike some of the other +1/+1 cards, this one makes a creature pretty big, and does so quickly. It still falls into the “enchant creature” problem where you ask for card disadvantage by playing it, so it can’t score higher than a 3 without being really good, and this ain’t Rancor. In multiplayer, you might have more time to set it up than in a format like Five Color, and for your toolbox, just find a creature like Troll Ascetic that has “opponent shroud” and slap it down on it.
5C: 1.5
MP: 3.5
CTB: 2.5
This is a card that shines more in multiplayer than anywhere else. Lifegain is alright in multiplayer, whereas it often sucks in duels. Getting a 5/5 too is pretty handy, especially since, in multiplayer, you are pretty likely to fulfill the condition after you gain 10 life. Note that in multiplayer variants where you might only have one or two opponents at the table, such as Star Magic, this is much less useful.
5C: 1
MP: 2
CTB: 2
Although this is not one sided, the instant nature of it lends itself to typically one sided play. There are mass removal spells that this will get around, like Earthquake and Chandra Nalaar’s third ability. However, for dodging removal, I’d rather play Ghostway, which dodges that removal plus more commonly played removal spells like Wrath of God. Since the spell you are countering usually costs a lot of mana, the extra one mana in the card is not as bad. This also can act as a bad Fog, or a way to save a creature after an opponent Giant Growths their own, and so forth. There are ways this is useful, I just don’t think there are enough.
5C: 2
MP: 2.5
CTB: 3
This card fits into traditional reanimation strategies as a way to save your creature from damage. A lot of reanimation target have triggered abilities when they come into play or leave play, such as Sundering Titan, Kokusho, and Bladewing the Risen. All of them like the Reprieve. It also works well with evoke, and is a nice combat trick. Reusing 187 abilities also comes to mind. Note that you can male arguments for this being worse than Angelic Renewal, which does the same thing and can be played down on turn 2 so that you clear up your mana for later turns. Still, this has some value as a surprise that cannot be disenchanted, so there is use here. This works well with a lot of temporary reanimation, such as Footsteps of the Goryo.
Idyll Tutor * !
5C: 3.5
MP: 3
CTB: 3.5
It’s basically a Fabricate for enchantments, only rare. As a sorcery and a three mana spell, it does not make up for the lack of card disadvantage of Enlightened Tutor. Slow and ponderous, the only thing going for it is that White doesn’t often get tutor effects, and that this may allow enchantment heavy decks some options. I do not think we will restrict it in Five Color, although I expect a few people to ask if we should. It’s a great addition to your toolbox, and it’s fine in multiplayer, although it may broadcast your intentions too much there. There are more people to disrupt your plans, so getting a Mirari’s Wake is more dangerous.
5C: 1.5
MP: 4
CTB: 3
This is the type of card that led me to add the other casual reviews to my 5C review. As a 2/10 guy in Five Color, this is a poor creature with very little usefulness. In multiplayer, however, this is a machine, joining some amazing White blockers. If this were 2/12, I’d have jumped its rating to a 4.5 card, because then it could block 11/11 tramplers. I don’t expect these to go for much on the secondary market, so get a player’s set. They shut down every ground creature short of the aforementioned Darksteel Colossus. This is one of the best vanilla creatures of all time, and the best one on defense ever. See also: Doran, the Siege Tower
5C: 1
MP 2
PEZ: 1
CTB: 2
Although this card is interesting, I don’t expect it to slide immediately into anybody’s deck except for a Kithkin deck already built. However, there is a possibility that this card could unlock some interesting combos down the road. It plays well with Daily Regimen, for example.
5C: 1
MP: 1.5
CTB: 2
Although this card has, quite possibly, the stupidest flavor text outside of an Un set of all time, it does have some playability. Note that it gives itself double strike. You could easily slip a few really good knights into a deck and drop one of these to assist them. Many Knights already have abilities that work well with double strike, such as pumping or flying or lifelink.
5C: 1
MP: 1.5
PEZ: 1.5
CTB: 2
This card is a Pearled Unicorn that can be a Serra Angel for a turn under the right circumstances. Cards like Sensei’s Divining Top and Sylvan Library can help with it. However, if I am going to play Scroll Rack or Soothsaying tricks with my library, I want to get a better result than this. The best kinship trick I can think of is to have several of these kinship cards in play, with a changeling card on top. Then they all get the bonus.
5C: 1
MP: 1.5
CTB: 2
For the investment of for mana, you can get a Glorious Anthem effect but only on the current creatures in play, not on any subsequent ones. Titania’s Boon was never that good. Sure, you can play this as a Hill Giant, but that’s hardly good either. With all of the +1/+1 love in the set, it may be better than the Boon, even if you use the evoke mechanic.
5C: 1
MP: 1
PEZ: 1
CTB: 1.5
This is a pretty lousy card. As a 1/1 for two mana, it is strictly worse than Pikemen. Pikemen didn’t see much play. The reinforce is pretty lousy too. Again, it might be a handy draft trick, but this card is not going to see play in many Constructed decks.
5C: 1.5
MP: 1.5
PEZ: 2
CTB: 1
Set aside the creature type issue for a moment. Which would you rather have — a 2/2 for 1W that can get flying for a White, or a 2/1 flyer for 1W? I’d much rather have the second, which is Mistral Charger. Other than PEZ, where commonality comes into play, there are just better options available for cheap White flyers. Mono-White has WW 2/2 flyers, aggro has 1W 2/1 flyers, and so forth. There’s hardly a reason to earmark this card for anything.
5C: 1.5
MP: 3
CTB: 3.5
Getting creatures directly into play is a neat trick. Even though you can only sneak out a soldier, there are some pretty big soldiers. The creature stays in play, unlike a lot of similar tricks. It does require you to swing with the Captain, but White has the ability to bring the Captain back or save a little Captain with various methods. Be careful that you do not overcommit to the board with your soldiers, because you don’t want to walk into a Wrath effect. This has serious value if you can get around the soldier thing, or find some great soldiers.
5C: 1.5
MP: 1.5
PEZ: 1
CTB: 2
Personally, I’d rather play Shelter (which is guaranteed to give me a card) than try the less than 50/50 chance of getting Redeem the Lost back after a clash. Now, if you have a way of changing the odds in your favor, the value of this card goes up. Where I see this getting casual use is in a deck that plays with the top of your deck anyway, and has some key creatures, like Sinbad or the Planar Chaos Timeshifted version, Fa’adiyah Seer. You can use this card to protect your fragile creatures over and over again.
5C: 1.5
MP: 2
CTB: 2.5
This is a pretty strong card in your casual games, because it has a solid ability. The evoke cost is too much for it to score too highly. Play it as a creature, and then laugh as your opponent figures out if he should kill it or not. Great when combined with self sacrifice cards like Martyr of Sand or Ronom Unicorn. It is a 4/3 flyer of splashableness. It’s no Serra Angel, but it is pertinent.
5C: 1
MP: 1.5
PEZ: 1
CTB: 2
Again, worse than Kami of Ancient Law, but good in a deck that wants to add a lot of +1/+1 counters to your critters.
Stonehewer Giant * ! maybe
5C: 2.5
MP: 4
CTB: 4.5
Now this is a nice card. It’s easy to build a deck around, and many a Johnny thought up some tasty combos when they saw it spoiled on the Wizards website. This is a card you can use in several different ways in several different decks, from highlander to multiplayer and more. I’m aiming for a player’s set myself.
5C: 1
MP: 2
PEZ: 1.5
CTB: 2.5
Getting a free creature is handy, and of course, the merfolk have many ways of tapping their creatures. Wizards have lots of ways of tapping their creatures as well, such as Patron Wizard. Tap this to Force Spike a spell and get another Force Spiker for free. In those sorts of decks, this gets nasty very quickly. However, this 1/2 for three mana isn’t going to be doing much on its own.
5C: 1.5
MP: 2
CTB: 2.5
The closest thing you might ever find to a White Blaze is right here. As a spell, it’s a lot of mana for a smaller effect, but there are times when it might prove useful. However, it is the reinforce ability that makes this card interesting. Sure, you have to be attacking for the Blaze ability to kick in, but this is like an instant Endless Scream, only costs two White and X, and it isn’t vulnerable to enchantment removal.
5C: 1
MP:1.5
CTB: 1.5
I’m not a big fan of this card. It’s not even good or reliable life gain, and a 4/4 ground creature for five isn’t anything to write home about. I’d rather have better life gain, more reliable life gain, a bigger creature, a creature with more abilities, or a cheap cost. Any of these would increase its rankings, but instead, we get this. It’s just not worth fooling around with.
5C: 1
MP: 2
PEZ: 2
CTB: 2
I think this is a solid card, although hardly spectacular. I like that you can remove a creature from the game with it, under the right circumstances. That can end the lives of creatures like Darksteel Colossus. It can even stop Akroma. Note that Pacifism can stop those, but not permanently if it is Disenchanted. At least with this card, you have other options, namely removal.
The Green Cards
5C: 1.5
MP: 1.5
PEZ: 1
CTB: 2
The good thing about this common is that is brings two warriors to the table, if you have a card that counts the warriors in play. For that narrow purpose, this card is ideal. Otherwise, I’d rather roll with this card — 3G, 4/4. I’d rather have a vanilla 4/4 for four, than a 3/3 plus a 1/1 buddy for four. Normally I like the card that makes these token creatures, and I play cards like Benthicore. This one just doesn’t strike me as good.
5C: 1.5
MP: 2
PEZ: 1.5
CTB: 2.5
I like this card, because it is naturally defensive – good for multiplayer. However, shaman and treefolk are simply not as sexy as some of the other Bannerets. Treefolk is alright I suppose, but not grand. Shaman are weak as a tribe.
5C: 2
MP: 3
PEZ: 3
CTB: 3
This is one of those uncommons that I can see in a PEZ deck. As a Grizzly Bear, this card is a sufficient beater to make the cut. It also permanently pumps the creatures that you might play to follow it up. Add to that the ability to give the +1/+1 creatures a nice trample advantage, and you have a very strong card. This is better than most lords, because it is very aggressive, but worse because you normally play the lord after the creatures it pumps, and this is vice versa.
5C: 2
MP: 3
CTB: 3.5
As your obligatory 4/4 beater for 2GG, this is a strong creature. Now, add not one ability (like Ravenous Baloth) or two abilities (like Cytoplast Root-Kin) but three abilities. Changeling, Pro Black, and the built in Berserk minus the trample and the death clause. This is a strong card, and one that can be the backbone of many different strategies, in addition to just being a solid creature of beatingness.
5C: 2
MP: 3
CTB: 4
This is an okay card for Five Color, because it can help you find the cards you need… but it’s not great. It’s solid in multiplayer, where it will likely slide under the radar, while cards like Future Sight, Mirari’s Wake, and Sylvan Library hold people’s attention. However, this is a powerful tool in the right deck, and a solid enough card in just about any Green deck. I love Cream of the Crop, and you can expect to see it pop up in decks because it is a really strong tool for many strategies.
5C: 2
MP: 3.5
PEZ: 2
CTB: 2
This is a very multiplayer friendly way of dealing with a lot of stuff that gets flung onto the board. You don’t destroy the artifact/enchantment, so you can tell your opponent that they can get it back or tutor for it, or maybe even draw it. However, you keep it away from reanimation tricks, from Replenish to Bringer of the White Dawn. This is also an answer to Darksteel Colossus, and any removal spell that is an answer to at least one of the Fundamental Enemies in multiplayer is fine by me.
5C: 1
MP: 1.5
PEZ: 1
CTB: 1.5
Yawn. Other reinforce abilities are added to creatures or other effects, giving you options, but this turns a combat trick into… a combat trick. This is thoroughly disappointing.
5C: 1
MP: 2
PEZ: 2
CTB: 2
Reprint of a solid mono-Green creature.
5C: 1.5
MP: 2
PEZ: 1
CTB: 2.5
I like this card. Note that it will fetch dual lands, Arbor Dryads, and such. The defensive P/T is worth it in multiplayer, where is has some blocking ability. In the meantime, you can turn your dead treefolk, or changelings, into Forests. Note that this will work on non-creature treefolk, like Rootgrapple.
Fertilid * !
5C: 1.5
MP: 2
PEZ: 1
CTB: 2
It’s a bit mana heavy, but I’d play it. Now, if this were Spike Fertilid, with the spike ability too, it’d be much better. And more flavorful. I’ll toss it into Abe’s Deck of Happiness and Joy, but this is nothing special.
5C: 1.5
MP: 2
PEZ: 1.5
CTB: 3
This is not a bad card, although it is outclassed by a changeling in its own colors, Changeling Colossus. Changelings are great fodder for decks, and this one is no exception. Other than that, it’s a bit dry as a card.
5C: 1
MP: 2
CTB: 2.5
Drawing a free card with all of your druids is nice enough. Gaining control of all lands target player controls is good, but when you get close to seven in play, this will get taken down by any opponent who fears that they will be the target. Note that you can steal an ally’s lands, so you’d better hope that an opponent doesn’t have a Shunt or Willbender in a team game.
5C: 1
MP: 1
CTB: 2
Although the ability this gives is unusual, the power/toughness to casting cost ratio is very poor. If I am paying five mana for a 2/4, it had better have some good abilities tacked on, and this one simply doesn’t.
5C: 1
MP: 2
PEZ: 1.5
CTB: 2.5
Elves like making mana. They have made mana all the way back to the first sets, when we had cards like Llanowar Elves, Fyndhorn Elves, and Elves of Deep Shadow. Still, this is a bit pricey, needing three elves and preventing them from doing anything else. It’s not a great tool, by any means, but it will suffice in some decks. Personally, I’d prefer Citanul Hierophants. Their ability doesn’t require three elves to tap, gives the ability to make mana to all of your creatures, and can swing themselves.
5C: 1
MP: 2
CTB: 2.5
Making three creatures is good for these effects that like the number of elves and/or warriors in play. Otherwise, its sorcery status isn’t that great. It is tribal elf, so you can search it up with a Harbinger. The reinforce ability is bigger than a lot of other options, so despite the four mana tag, I’d not be surprised to see people use it that way.
5C: 2
MP: 3.5
CTB: 4
Arguably the best kinship card in the set, this has a legitimate P/T for its cost, and thus contributes to the red zone. Playing cards without paying their mana is a great way to keep the pressure on without losing card advantage. Flipping cards like Lignify and Rootgrapple is just as good as flipping Dauntless Dourbark and Timber Protector. Note that the Harbingers are pretty good with the kinship cards especially in a case like this. Treefolk Harbinger likes Leaf-Crowned Elder
5C: 1
MP: 1.5
PEZ: 1
CTB: 1.5
Gaining life is nice, sure. Even in a tribal deck, this card is simply outclassed by Congregate. I’d expect to see it played by players dazzled by the possibility without considering the opportunity cost. It might have value in specific builds along with cards like Beacon of Creation.
5C: 1
MP: 2
PEZ: 1.5
CTB: 2
There are a lot of flyers in multiplayer, which can give you enough targets for its ability. You need an elf spell to trigger it, so you know that only in certain decks will you be able to trigger it reliably. It’s still just a hoser and just in elf decks, so I wouldn’t advocate playing it unless you have a skewed metagame around your kitchen table.
5C: 1
MP: 1.5
CTB: 1.5
I’ve always liked Angelic Chorus. I like it on a creature type that has such large ends. However, this particular card seems a bit clunky. Maybe if it cost less and were smaller, then it would be a better ability. As it is, this comes down too late to get the earlier drops with the large bums.
5C: 1.5
MP: 2.5
CTB: 3.5
I love its easy to trigger recursion, and making a treefolk at instant speed is solid enough. Note that this works well with cards like Everbark Shaman above.
5C: 1.5
MP: 2
CTB: 2
Again, much like other options, I prefer other choices to Recross the Paths. Sure, you get a land, but you don’t even choose the land. You get a color you don’t want, or a utility land you don’t need. You might get a duplicate of a legendary land you already have in play. After all of that, you only have around a 40% chance of getting it back. On the other hand you can play Kodama’s Reach, get a basic land into play and another in your hand — guaranteed two cards. Now, it does work with Scroll Rack and the other similar cards, which gives it a bit of a rating in Casual Toolbox, but for the most part, this is a disappointing card.
5C: 1
MP:1
PEZ: 1
CTB: 1
This is a poor man’s Rancor, and very poor at that. For four mana, which is quite in investment, you get just a +2/+2 enchant creature. Do you get other abilities on that creature too? Nope. But, if the creature dies, you can slide this to another creature that shares the same type. Even if it didn’t have the “same type” restriction, it’d have sucked. Vulnerable to enchantment removal, bounce, and creature kill in response to it targeting the creature, it’s a lot worse than the Urza’s Block enchantments that came back to your hand when they went away. Don’t be lured into playing this card in any deck. I wouldn’t even play this in draft or sealed.
5C: 2
MP: 2.5
CTB: 2.5
As a 3/2 for G2, it’s a solid enough attacker, although outclassed by cards such as Nessian Courser and Call of the Herd. In an elf deck, the regeneration will be rarely used, because frankly, Rhys isn’t good enough to regenerate normally. You might sac a 1/1 elf token, but that’s about it. The life gain is alright, but forcing an attack to get it means you have to play aggressive, when the life gain means you want to be defensive. The abilities don’t work well together, and thus Rhys isn’t that great. He doesn’t suck or anything, but don’t expect me to be cheering his name anytime soon.
Scapeshift * !
5C: 5
MP: 5
CTB: 5
Arguably one of the strongest cards we’ve seen in a while, this is an amazing card, and it might be restricted in Five Color, we’ll see. Although technically card disadvantage (Scapeshift + X sacked lands for X lands is a loss of one card), the exchange in card quality is worth it. You can perfectly set your mana. You can get the entire Urzatron in one go. Get all four Cloudposts. Get Cloudposts and Vesuva. This is one of the best land searchers ever, stronger than Land Tax and Tithe (Although those have different uses). This card single handedly gets you whatever lands you need. In multiplayer, get Maze of Ith and Kor Haven and Volrath’s Stronghold all at once. Grab four manlands. Library of Alexandria, Gaea’s Cradle, Tolarian Academy, and more. There are a lot of great lands over the years, and you can get whatever your deck wants. Perfect. As written, you don’t even sacrifice the lands until resolution, so a counter does not ruin your day like it does for Gaea’s Balance. I have difficulty believing this card does what it says it does, but if so, wow. This is amazing.
5C: 1.5
MP: 2
CTB: 2.5
A good attacker and a solid body despite the champion, this is certainly good enough to play. All of the champions have a slate of tricks that they work really well with, and thus this card can tap into the existing knowledge base. It can save itself when it attacks too, which is okay.
5C: 1.5
MP: 2.5
CTB: 2
Sure, it evokes into a Durkwood Boars. I’d rather just play it, and then get the borderline penumbra ability tacked on. In multiplayer, this is particularly good, because there are a lot of Wrath effects running around, and you get something useful post-Wrath.
5C: 2
MP: 2
PEZ: 2
CTB: 2
Again, like Rhys, it is serviceable as a beater, although outclassed. It can permanently pump itself with the kinship ability, but it is really slow, and even one trigger doesn’t make him that good.
5C: 2
MP: 2.5
CTB: 3
The saving grace of this card is that it is a Grizzly Bear, and thus has some value in the aggro game. It can also make creatures of pertinence (2/2) for free. The shaman kinship isn’t that great, but the elf one is strong, giving a deckbuilder a lot of choices. Still, it’s not super fantastic, and many aggro decks will opt for bigger (Watchwolf) or evasive (River Boa, Mistral Charger) or cheaper (Jungle Lion, Savannah Lion, Sarcomancy,
Jackal Pup).
…
And with that, we come to the close of the first article at 18 pages of Word. Turn in next week when I take a look at a few more colors.
Until later,