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Eldritch Moon

Started by GoblinPiledriver, 28-06-2016, 06:46:32 PM

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GoblinPiledriver

Soon the new edition Eldritch Moon comes out, 32 cards are already released so it's time for a first review.


Here's the Rating which i use:
5: Clear Highlander Staple                   ( e.g. Swords to Plowshares, Brainstorm, Demonic Tutor, Lightning Bolt, Tarmogoyf, Lightning Helix, Wasteland)

4: Staple for several Archetypes             ( e.g. Restoration Angel, Counterspell, Bitterblossom, Young Pyromancer, Sylvan Caryatid, Kolaghan's Command, Maze of Ith)

3: Cards for only a few Archetypes           ( e.g. Porcelain Legionnaire, Muddle the Mixture, Hypnotic Specter, Stormblood Berserker, Flinthoof Boar, Jeskai Charm, Mishra's Factory)

2: Interesting Card Choice                   ( e.g. Wall of Omens, Impulse, Diabolic Intent, Reckless Charge, Rancor, Anax and Cymede, Barbarian Ring )

1: Worth Mentioning but more or less bad     ( e.g. Blind Obedience, Powersink, Smallpox, Mogg Flunkies, Sylvan Ranger, Silumgar's Command, Evolving Wilds)

0: unplayable in normal cases                ( e.g. Benevolent Bodyguard, Hidden Strings, Reassembling Skeleton, Threaten, Prey Upon, Decimate, Azorius Chancery)



Gisela, the Broken Blade  2WW
Legendary Creature - Angel Horror
Flying, first strike, lifelink
At the beginning of your end step, if you both own and control Gisela, the Broken Blade and a creature named Bruna, the Fading Light, exile them, then meld them into Brisela, Voice of Nightmares.
4/3
// The new and cheaper Baneslayer Angel, with 4 mana it swing for 8. The only handicap is the legendary weakness against Karakas.
Rating 4/5


Thalia, Heretic Cathar     2W
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
First Strike
Creatures and non-basic lands your opponents control enter the battlefield tapped.
3/2
// Kismet meets Porcelain Legionnaire. With 3/2 First Strike it can beat most cheap creature and maybe it taps enough permanents to be worth the 3 mana investion. Again the worst part is the legendary handicap (and the small thoughness).
Rating 4/5


Hanweir Garrison           2R
Creature - Human Soldier
Whenever Hanweir Garrison attacks, put two 1/1 red Human creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
2/3
// A mixture of Goblin Rabblemaster and Brimaz, King of Oreskos. It's less aggresive than the Goblin and it's cheaper and has less thoughness than the Brimaz. Could see play in RDW, 4C-Blood(with Nisaa and Sorin) and of course in Token Decks.
Rating 3/5


Hanweir Battlements
Land
t: Add C to your mana pool.
R, t: Target creature gains haste until end of turn.
3RR, t: If you both own and control Hanweir Battlements and a creature named Hanweir Garrison, exile them, then meld them into Hanweir, the Writhing Township
-----
Hanweir, the Writhing Township
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi Ooze
Trample, haste
Whenever Hanweir, the Writhing Township attacks, put two 3/2 colorless Eldrazi Horror creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
7/4
// A cheap source for haste, but I can't imagine the Battlements + Garrison = Township combo sees play. The Battlements could see play in Reanimator or in Ramp decks, where haste is really needed.
Rating 3/5


Docent of Perfection      3UU
Creature - Insect Horror
Flying
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, put a 1/1 blue Human Wizard creature token onto the battlefield. Then, if you control three or more wizards, transform Docent of Perfection.
5/4
--------
Final Iteration
Creature - Eldrazi Insect
Flying
Wizards you control get +2/+1 and have Flying.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, put a 1/1 blue Human Wizard creature token onto the battlefield.
6/5
// What a flairfull card, a giant Horror-Delver which breeds it's own Delver of Secrets. A mixture of Young Pyromancer and Thing in the Ice with a 5/4 Flying Body, the 5 mana makes this card really balanced so that I fear it won't see much play.
Rating 3/5


Emrakul, the Promised End   13
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi
Emrakul, the Promised End costs 1 less to cast for each card type among cards in your graveyard.
When you cast Emrakul, you gain control of target opponent during that player's next turn. After that turn, that player takes an extra turn.
Flying, trample, protection from instants
13/13
// Emrakul meets the Mindslaver, but without the turn loss for the opponent. With it's 9-13 mana it's strictly limited to Ramp decks.
Rating 2/5


Niblis of Frost           2UU
Creature - Spirit
Flying
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, tap target creature an opponent controls. That creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
3/3
// Dungeon Geists meets Monastery Swiftspear. You need to play every turn a Instant/Sorcery to be as good as Dungeon Geists, so I don't think that the Prowess ability(which differs this card form the D.Geist) is worth this risk.
Rating 1/5


Ulrich of the Krallenhorde 3RG
Legendary Creature - Human Werewolf
Whenever this creature enters the battlefield or transforms into Ulrich of the Krallenhorde, target creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Ulrich of the Krallenhorde.
4/4
------
Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha
Legendary Creature - Werewolf
Whenever this creature transforms into Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha, you may have it fight target non-Werewolf creature you don't control.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, transform Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha.
6/6
// The new 5 mana Huntmaster this time without lifegain, Wolf token, direct player damage and even without trample. But it has a giant pump spell and fights with a 6/6 Body other creatures. Even if you would like the abilities and Power/Thoughness 5 mana is still too much.
Rating 1/5
Throw enough goblins at any problem and it should go away. At the very least, there'll be fewer goblins.

Silberhase

Why should Hanweir Garrison be less agressive than Rabblemaster? He attacks with the same Power but splittet on more creature cause he brings 2 tokens onto  instead 1. This means it's also synergizing better with Hellrider, Battlecry, etc. And the Tokens dont need to attack. It's definitly 4/5 or even more.

Thalia is also very great in the current 4C-Midrange-Meta and maybe even 5/5. The legendary thing isn't that bad, cause Karakas comes into play tapped.

ChristophO


Rabblemaster "attacks" for 1 dmg on the first turn and for 6 on the second and an additional 2 every turn after that, the new guy "attacks" for 4 dmg on the second turn and an additional 2 every turn after that. So yeah, Rabblemaster is more agressive.

Kenshin

Rabblemaster starts producing tokens right off the bat. If your opponent is tapped out or has no instant removal, you get a token. With Garrison your opponent can just handle him at a time convenient to him. Rabblemaster escalates faster and usually at least takes something down with him, when he attacks. Garrison will most likely not and also has to put itself in danger when there is no clear path. The worst Rabblemaster does is sit around and make tokens that die, the Garrison might often do absolutely nothing.

tonytahiti

#4
My Top8 Cards

Elder Deep-Fiend
Thalia
Spell Queller
Tamiyo
Liliana
Eldritch Evolution
Collective Brutality
Decimator of the Provinces/Distended Mindbender (all those emerge cards are inherently broken)
Winner - Pro HL Cup, Prague 2002
Winner - Highlander Regional Masters, Phuket 2006
Winner - Sunrise Trophy Run, Hawaii 2006
Winner - North Dakota HL Championships 2007
Winner - Tahiti "One And Only"-Cup #3, 2009
Winner - Gio di Gio Seria, Florenz, 2016
Winner - Jail or be Jailed, Berlin, 2017

GoblinPiledriver

#5
All the cards are out so it's time to complete the Review:


Grim Flayer              BG
Creature - Human Warrior
Trample
Whenever Grim Flayer deals combat damage to a player, look at the top three cards of your library. Put any number of them into your graveyard and the rest back on top of your library in any order.
Delirium - Grim Flayer gets +2/+2 as long as there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard.
2/2
// This card has everything you need for a overpowered card, a 2 mana 4/4 Trample with an inbuild Sylvan Library. The last test with delirium cards proved that they were not so effective like I expected it, but this one is different because it builds it owns delirium.
Rating 5/5



Liliana, the Last Hope 1BB
Planeswalker - Liliana
[+1]: Up to one target creature gets -2/-1 until your next turn.
[-2]: Put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard, then you may return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
[-7]: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your end step, put X 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield, where X is two plus the number of Zombies you control."
[3]
// This card reminds me so of the flipped Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. They are so mirrored, both +1 abilitys give -2 power till your next turn, and both second abilitys let you play cards from your graveyard.
It also reminds of Chandra, Pyromaster both first abilitys kill X/1 creatures, both second ability let you play Cards for the full manacost, and both Ultimate's cost 7 counters and seems to be devastating.
Really all 3 mana Planeswalker/Flipwalker have seen play: Both Nissa, both Jace, both Liliana, Domri Rade, Ashiok and Ajani. So it's very probably that this Liliana will also see play.
Rating 4/5


Oath of Liliana         2B
Legendary Enchantment
When Oath of Liliana enters the battlefield, each opponent sacrifices a creature.
At the beginning of each end step, if a planeswalker entered the battlefield under your control this turn, put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield.
// The CIP-Sacrifice ability normally cost 2 mana, so with 1 additional mana you can have the CIP-Planeswalker 2/2 Zombie ability. On the first glance this sounds promising for decks with 7+ Planeswalker.
Rating 4/5


Eldritch Evolution      1GG
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Eldritch Evolution, sacrifice a creature.
Search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost X or less, where X is 2 plus the sacrificed creature's converted mana cost. Put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Exile Eldritch Evolution.
// Natural Order is back and this time it's balanced. This card is exactly a one mana more expensive green Transmute Artifact. Transmute Artifact wasn't overpowered and saw play so this card will also see play.
Rating 3/5


Tamiyo, Field Researcher 1GWU
Planeswalker - Tamiyo
+1: Choose up to two target creatures. Until your next turn, whenever either of those creatures deals combat damage, you draw a card.
-2: Tap up to two target nonland permanents. They don't untap during their controller's next untap step.
-7: Draw three cards. You get an emblem with "You may cast nonland cards from your hand without paying their mana costs."
[4]
// The first Bant-Planeswalker, and this one is a pure aggro walker. The +1 ability gives you the card draw which you normally lack in a aggro build. The -2 ability is also much better in aggro build, you tap the nonland permanents(especially creatures) and you can attack with your aggro creatures, then next turn the creatures don't untap and you can attack again (maybe with the +1 ability).
Playing this Walker in a defensive deck would make much less sense. The +1 ability wouldn't stop opposing creature, the -2 ability would stop them but this will shrink the Tamiyo fast.
The Ultimate is hardcore Omniscience + Concentrate, but you can't play a planeswalker just for the Ultimate.
Rating 3/5


Selfless Soul            1W
Creature - Spirit
Flying
Sacrifice Selfless Soul: Creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
2/1
// The perfect White Weenie card which protects your creatures from Wrath of God, Rolling Earthquake and so on...
Rating 3/5


Spell Queller           1WU
Creature - Spirit
Flash
Flying
When Spell Queller enters the battlefield, exile target spell with converted mana cost 4 or less.
When Spell Queller leaves the battlefield, the exiled card's owner may cast that card without paying its mana cost.
2/3
// A 3 mana 2/3 Flying spell delaying critter, in aggro or midrange this could easily see play.
Rating 3/5


Incendiary Flow          1R
Sorcery
Incendiary Flow deals 3 damage to target creature or player. If a creature deals 3 dealt damage this wAy would die this turn, exile it instead.
// Volcanic Hammer meets Pillar of Flame, both cards have seen play in RDW so this card will definetly see play there.
Rating 3/5


Curious Homunculus       1U
Creature - Homunculus
t: Add C to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast an instant or sorcery spell.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are three or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard, transform Curious Homunculus.
1/1
----------
Voracious Reader
Creature - Eldrazi Homunculus
Prowess
Instant and Sorcery spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.
3/4
// Sounds like a UR-Control card for the Midgame, only there you have the needed amounts of Instant/Sorcery and there you need such a big creature for 2 mana.
Rating 3/5


Kessig Prowler            G
Creature - Werewolf Horror
4G: Transform Kessig Prowler.
2/1
------------
Sinuous Predator
Creature - Eldrazi Werewolf
Sinuous Predator can't be blocked by more than one creature.
4/4
// The best comparison for this is Figure of Destiny. It cost one mana less for having 2 Power and then it cost one mana more for having 4 Power(Figure=5 mana, Kessig=6 mana) with the Stalking Tiger ability.
Rating 3/5


Wharf Infiltrator         1U
Creature - Human Horror
Skulk
Whenever Wharf Infiltrator deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
Whenever you discard a creature card, you may pay 2. If you, put a 3/2 colorless Eldrazi Horror creature token onto the battlefield.
1/1
// Looter il-Kor meets token producer. You can filter cards and also produce a good board position. Sounds good at first glance, but the risk of facing 1/X creatures is relative high and 3/2 for 2 mana is very mediocre.
Rating 2/5


Imprisoned in the Moon   2U
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature, land, or planeswalker
Enchanted permanent is a colorless land with "T: Add 1 to your mana pool" and loses all other card types and abilities.
// The new blue Songs of the Dryads, but it's weak against Enchantments/Artifacts. The Songs of the Dryads didn't see play, but this is blue maybe there is more need for this in blue.
Rating 2/5


Chaos Reveler           6RR
Creature - Devil
Chaos Reveler costs 1 mana less to cast for each instant or sorcery card in your graveyard.
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
When Chaos Reveler enters the battlefield, discard your hand and draw three cards.
3/4
// On the first glance this looks like a red Treasure Cruise, 6 + RR for 3 cards and a 3/4. The problem is it only counts Instant/Sorcery and that will make this card much worse than Treasure Cruise. I can only image that this sees play in a pure burn deck, where you quickly empty your hand while having such amounts of Spells in your grave.
Rating 2/5


United Resistance        1RR
Sorcery
Escalate 1 (Pay this cost for each mode chosen beyond the first.)
Choose one or both -
* Target player discards all cards in his or her hand, then draws that many cards.
* United Resistance deals 4 damage to target creature.
* United Resistance deals 3 damage to target opponent.
// What a hard card to evaluate, it's a bad Tolarian Winds a bad Flame Slash and a bad Lava Spike. But it's all together, so isn't that good? Well maybe not, all these abilities doesn't compute. Tolarian Winds would be good in a control deck with much diverse cards where you can discard all the cards which don't need, and in this deck United Resistance should better be a Instant. Flame Slash is in every deck similar good, but paying 3-5 mana sounds too much. Lava Spike is definetly an aggro card so paying so much mana ...
Rating 2/5


Gisa and Geralf          2UB
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
When Gisa and Geralf enters the battlefield, put the top four cards of your library into your graveyard.
During each of your turns, you may cast a Zombie creature card from your graveyard.
4/4
// That's maybe the best Zombie recursion ability (the best is the one of Gravecrawler).
With good Zombie creatures in the meta this could see play, but there are only a few good Zombies so this card will propably not see play.
Rating 1/5


Bloodhall Priest         2BR
Creature - Vampire Cleric
Whenever Bloodhall Priest enters the battlefield or attacks, if you have no cards in hand, Bloodhall Priest deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Madness 1BR
4/4
// Hellbent meets Madness on a small Inferno Titan. Hellbent wasn't popular in highlander madness wasn't popular , so I don't see a real chnace for this card, maybe in future there will be more cards for such a theme.
Rating 1/5


Fortune's Favor          3U
Instant
Target opponent looks at the top four cards fo your library and separates them into a face-down pile and a face-up pile. Put one pile into your hand and the other into your graveyard.
// The newest Version of Fact or Fiction, instead of 5 cards you only have 4 cards and instead of seeing your choices your opponent can trick you. So my guess is to not try this card.
Rating 1/5


Tree of Perdition        3B
Creature - Plant
Defender
T: Exchange target opponent's life total with Tree of Perdition's toughness.
0/13
// The perfect combo card with Triskaidekaphobia, a good "Sideboard" card against decks with perpetual lifegain.The best use would be in a hard control deck where you switch the opponents 20 life to 13 life and then have a 0/20 defender.
Rating 1/5


Soul Separator            3
Artifact
5, t, Sacrifice Soul Separator: Exile target creature card from your graveyard. Put a token onto the battlefield that's a copy of that card except it's 1/1, it's a Spirit in addition to its other types, and it has flying. Put a black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield with power equal to that card's power and toughness equal to that card's toughness.
// What a cool and flavorfull card, it's a pity that it's drasticly overcosted.
Rating 0/5


Ishkanah, Grafwidow      4G
Legendary Creature - Spider
Reach
Delirium - When Ishkanah, Grafwidow enters the battlefield, if there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard, put three 1/2 green Spider creature tokens with reach onto the battlefield.
6B: Target opponent loses 1 life for each Spider you control.
3/5
// 5 Mana for 6 power doesn't sound too good, and you only get it if you have Delirium, that's even worse. Maybe there is a upside, so how about the 7 mana ability where your opponent loses 4 life. No? at least this a legendary Mythic, we need more of them.
Rating 0/5
Throw enough goblins at any problem and it should go away. At the very least, there'll be fewer goblins.

tonytahiti

There are cards in this set that are "literally" broken (cheating on mana is nothing less than that) and you think a silly grizzly bear that has to connect to be worth anything is the best card? I want to play in your meta if that card is good there.

My advice: prox up some of these emerge cards, play with them and forgot all about this silly grizzly bear.
Winner - Pro HL Cup, Prague 2002
Winner - Highlander Regional Masters, Phuket 2006
Winner - Sunrise Trophy Run, Hawaii 2006
Winner - North Dakota HL Championships 2007
Winner - Tahiti "One And Only"-Cup #3, 2009
Winner - Gio di Gio Seria, Florenz, 2016
Winner - Jail or be Jailed, Berlin, 2017

tonytahiti

The guys from metagame masters created a video set review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5XEYk6sfq8

enjoy.
Winner - Pro HL Cup, Prague 2002
Winner - Highlander Regional Masters, Phuket 2006
Winner - Sunrise Trophy Run, Hawaii 2006
Winner - North Dakota HL Championships 2007
Winner - Tahiti "One And Only"-Cup #3, 2009
Winner - Gio di Gio Seria, Florenz, 2016
Winner - Jail or be Jailed, Berlin, 2017