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[zen] review

Started by Mythrandir, 27-09-2009, 06:23:45 PM

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Mythrandir

Hey, despite the fact that zendikar has some nice treasures buried it also has the deadly peril of opening, yes once again, a cancel! lol, so without further delay, here's my review of the set concerning, mainly HL.

White:

- Conqueror's pledge - Might be an interesting addition to some Wstax decks, but i think you're better off with a decree.

- day of judgment - well, this makes me a little mad, no really/huge difference from the standard WOG, so why print this? i really hate functional reprints. Good card, nontheless´.

Emeria angel - Landfall seems like a great ability, but i really don't see none that we can say it's a MUST. nice cheap angel, perhaps for WW?

Iona, shield of emeria - timmy card, i believe. Oath has better options, although this can shut completely a mono colored deck.

Luminarch ascension - Very interesting vs control and since it's quite cheap, it might just see play, nice addition to enchantress, perhaps.

Pitfall trap - Well, traps cards aren't my favorite mechanic, but this one is playable. i'd prefer exile instead of destroy...

Worldqueller - very nice creature for staxx decks, IMO.

Blue:

- Archmage ascension - great effect, hard to get. Perhaps in heartbeat like decks, where u usually draw a lot, but seems a bit slow, IMO. Plausible for enchantress.

- Into the roil - not a very bad card, everybody loves cantrips.

- Mindbreak trap - interesting vs storm decks. but at 4 CMC i have somes doubts. Do you think it can replace dissipate?

- Rite of replication - another interesting card. Legendary creature removal, etc the kicker is a bit expensive, but it migh just see some play.

- spell pierce - Now that the meta (at least in the league) isnt as creature based, this is an excellent counter, i believe. Good in skies, fish and even more mid range/control decks.

- whiplash trap - if you pull this one early it's a great tempo card, but a a bit situational.

Black:

Bloodchief ascension - This set black was given very efficient and low CMC cards. This one isn't as great as a black vise, but it can easily be reached/triggered. LFTL? ouch!

- Bloodghast - Another good black creature for suicidal black, pretty though to kill (permanently) too.

- Gatekeeper of malakir - nice creature for MBC the triple B in the cost makes it a bit bad for non-mono black decks.

- Grim discovery - My favourite card from the set . This is a nice CA and with an ability rare to black, really nice card. Also, like many ppl are testing, it combos with dark depths + gifts ungiven + the new hexamage card. (casual combo, i believe ;))

- Gruul draz vampire - not that P/T efficient early, but possiblity of intimidate in mid game is nice, but probably better stuff out there (but a vampire deck is now more close to being a reality... .P)

- needlebite trap. the CMC is horrible, but the trap cost is very, very cheap, but i think it's a bit too situational for decks that could run it?

- Sorin Markov - well, great first ability, 2nd isn't really good IMO, third is also very nice. CMC is a bit hard to pull, but i can see this being played in MBC or staxx variants that run B. really wished it wasn't so hard to cast, it looks like a good PW.

- vampire hexmage . haha, here it is the ultimate combo machine for darkdepths. lol, it can also kill a PW, but too situational, IMO.

- vampire lacerator - another goodie for suicidal black.

Red:

- Chandra - Really can't figure this one out. a bit high on the CMC, 1st and 2nd abilities aren't fantastic, but the ultimate just screams to be broken, although the "only red" makes it hard.

- elemental appeal - not as great as a ball lightning, but not very bad, too for RDW

- goblin bushwhacker - very interesting grating haste plus +1/0 might see some play in gobos.

- goblin guide - seriously? did we really needed a 2/2 for R with haste? even the drawback is very situational and not that huge.

- goblin ruinblaster - what can i say? except :( a better avalanche rider, IMO. :(

- inferno trap - i'm sad this didnt turned out a instant pyroclam for the trap cost.. oh well..

- lavaball trap - another wildfire variant? in those decks, it can probably see play.

- punishing fire - seems playable, nice vs a finks.. lol

- warren instigator - it's no lackey, but might see some play in gobos. the double strike probably makes for the other R in the cost.

Green:

- lotus cobra . a lot of hype on this one, but i believe this one works best as a 4x off in a 60 card deck, specially where it can have loads of fetchs. as for HL, it's not bad, it's a 2/1 for two that can mana accel (situational) if you play bops, noble, llanowar, u can probablya add this one too. of course there might be some weird combo to make this more broken. Overall, very good card.

- Nissa revane - well, a PW for the elves. nothing fancy.

- Oracle of mul daya - this one i really wanted to play with. But it looks a bit too slow for the abilities it carries, IMO.  although it makes wonders in one of coldcrow's deck. ;)

- quest of gemblades - easily triggered, nice pump, perhaps it will see play.

- scute mob - has the potential to be very powerful. +4/+4 every turn seems great. i'd have prefered 4 tokens, since it seemed a bit more flavoured.

- scythe tiger - yeahh.. a better rogue elephant. =( why push so much 1 cmc creatures!! great card, IMO and very hard to deal with from turn 1.

- tanglesap - and then this? a worse tangle... lol... moving on.

-vinewood - interesting card. anti removal card and in mid game a pump! not very bad.

Artifacts:

Equipemnts: Alara block gave us better equipment, IMO (although colored) , and i havent yet seen them in a HL match, so these equipemnts won't see much play, i guess...

Eternity vessel - hehe, my kind of card, Full of flavour and screaming to be played, unfortunately when it hits play it's probably too late. But fantastic card design, IMO. i really wish i could pull this one turn 1 vs aggro. hehe

Lands:

wel,, for a land block or "land matters" the land seem rather bad, IMO. Yes, i know we have the enemy fetchlands, but that's nothing i went OMG, because ever since fetches were printed at least one person would say "this is the set for enemy fetches" i wished they made
more manlands and utility lands, oh well..

- Emeria the sky ruin: too slow IMO, but if it happens to trigger it's a pain in the #@@

- Magosi the waterveil - unless i'm forgetting (could happen) some combo with this, this absolutely sucks. so i give up a turn and then get wastelanded.. lol

- Valakut  the molten pinnacle - 5 mountains? not impossible with a nice effect. guess this one is playable.

Overall:

Like all sets revolving lands, WOTC seems  bit afraid to make broken cards (same with the retace mechanic) and i think this decreases the quality of the set design for me. (don't read me wrong, i'm not asking for broken cards...). I  wished they pushed the lands a a little bit
Also like most sets, this one is far from being designed for HL/casual or vintage/legacy for that matter, so only a marginal percentage of the cards will see play in HL (and other formats aswell.) Let's hope the next expansion complements this one and for my personal wishes, less based on creature decks.

As usual any comments? Any card i leftout?

Happy Little Boozer

#1
I think especially for WW there are some more mentionable cards:

Kor Aeronaut - 2/2 Flying for WW is already better than Mistral Charger or Stormfront Pegasus. In addition the type 'Soldier' got some more synergies than Pegasus ;) The possibility to pay the kicker (When Kor Aeronaut enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, target creature gains flying until end of turn.) makes him even better.

Kor Sanctifiers - There are worse creatures for 2W than this one, but with the possibility to kick it it gets much better. Kicker {W} When Kor Sanctifiers enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, destroy target artifact or enchantment.

Kazandu Blademaster - In fact it's a 2/2 Body for WW with First Strike and Vigilance.

Kor Skyfisher - Soldier, flying, 2/3 Body for 1W. Drawback (bounce a permanent you control) which may can be abused with other cards. For Example Calciderm or Knight of the White Orchid.

Depending on the number of Equipments a deck contains Kor Duelist and Kor Outfitter may fit into some decks.

Steppe Lynx - Depends on your topdeckskills ;)
Creature - Cat 0/1, W (1)
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, Steppe Lynx gets +2/+2 until end of turn.


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Welkin Tern Ux-Skies
Creature - Bird 2/1, 1U (2)
Flying
Welkin Tern can block only creatures with flying.


Mold Shambler - Probably better than Acidic Slime cause he can also destroy Planeswalker.
Kicker {1}{G} (You may pay an additional {1}{G} as you cast this spell.)
When Mold Shambler enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, destroy target noncreature permanent.


Khalni Gem - Artifact - Playable in any version of Stax?
When Khalni Gem enters the battlefield, return two lands you control to their owner's hand.
{T}: Add two mana of any one color to your mana pool.