 | Dissecting Magic 2010 by: Michael Nyberg 6/30/2009 11:39:13 AM |
So nearly all of the spoiler for Magic 2010 (M10) is out and appears to bring some much missed power back to Magic the Gathering. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the link…
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/magic-2010-m10-core-set-spoiler.html
Now that you have taken a glance, I am sure that most of you are thrilled at some of the cards they have printed. I on the other hand only have one thing to ask WotC, where is my counterspell? And I don’t mean the card. Seriously, blue gets hosed on viable counter magic for a seventh straight set. Wizards gives us control players Cryptic Command, then expects us to get by with a piece of s*** like Broken Ambitions in our number two slot for counter magic. I remember the days when Counterspell, Mana Leak, Force Spike and Forbid where all legal in the same Standard. I am not asking for that kind of power. I am merely asking for the ability to properly play my favorite color and style of deck. Anyways, here are several cards that I think are worth discussing.
Baneslayer Angel (3WW) {mythic}
Creature – Angel
Flying, First Strike, Lifelink, Protection from Demons and Dragons [5/5]
I think we can all agree this creature is under costed for what it does. But then again, you must ask yourself if we would be discussing it if it were converted mana cost 6 instead of 5. The protection from demons and dragons almost worthless since there aren’t many Broodmate Dragons being played in tournaments anymore, and this card can survive Nameless Inversion. But the other three abilities alone make this card worth playing. Anyways, this creature is a beat stick for a color lacking them. I am currently testing this in a Kithkin build in place of the Cloudgoat Rangers, but I am not sure if it will make the cut. At least not main deck. But I am certain that some time during the Standard life span of M10, this card will make waves.
Elite Vanguard (W) {Uncommon}
Creature – Human Soldier
A new Savannah Lion and it’s an uncommon. This is another white creature that will surely see some play. Just probably not right away. Yes it’s a soldier and Wizards is really pushing the soldier tribe in M10, but on the surface Kithkin looks like the stronger white weenie tribe. Also, a 2/1 without abilities, even for 1 mana, isn’t positioned well in a format of Putrid Leach and Vanquisher that cost 2, not to mention Pyroclasm effects.
Honor the Pure (1W) {Rare}
Enchantment
All white creatures you control get +1/+1.
It’s like they gave Crusade crack. This card will definitely see competitive play right away in Kithkin or white weenie builds. And with the departure of Wrath of God, Kithkin could reemerge into the top tier of decks in Standard. The downside of this card, if you can call it that, is it likely puts the last nail in the coffin of Black/White Tokens, which needed an Anthem reprint to have a fighting chance.
Silence (W) {Rare}
Instant
Your opponent can’t play spell this turn.
This was one of the first cards spoiled. And while it is a good card, a fixed Orim’s Chant I guess. If it even needed to be fixed. It will probably never see play in Standard. In extended, so long as Isochron Scepter is legal, this card could position itself well in a lock down, control style deck.
Merfolk Sovereign (1UU) {Rare}
Creature – Merfolk
Other Merfolk creatures you control get +1/+1.
Tap: Target Merfolk is unblockable this turn.
Merfolk gets another lord, but is it enough to pull it back from obscurity? Probably not. This card is not as powerful as Lord of Atlantis, and it costs an additional mana to play. And while the unblockable ability is good if you have a Wake Thrasher on the table, the fact still remains that Merfolk get hit hard by Pyroclasm effects. I’m not sure if this lord will ever make a splash in competitive play, but it’s nice to see that WotC at least hasn’t forgot about this tribe.
Time Warp (3UU) {Mythic}
Sorcery
Target player takes an extra turn after this one.
I like that wizards returned to the idea that taking an extra turn costs 5 mana. While I think it’s awesome that this card was reprinted, Time Warp saw little to no play during its first printing in Standard, and it don’t think it will have much more success now.
Doom Blade (1B) {Common}
Instant
Destroy target non-black creature.
After a decade and a half, Wizards has seen fit to upgrade Terror, but not in the strong way. I like that they were thinking of players like me when they printed this card. But destroying artifact creatures is not what I need my removal to do. Starring down a Putrid Leach while playing faeries, I will still look for an Agony Warp over a Doom Blade.
Tendrils of Corruption (3B) {Common}
Instant
Tendrils of Corruption deals X damage to target creature and you gain X life, where X is the number of Swamps you control.
Too bad Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth is no longer legal. A card like this would go well in a mono-black deck alongside Corrupt and possibly Consume Spirit, which is also being reprinted. The only problem being that you would have no way of dealing with Chameleon Colossus. Perhaps after rotation in October mono-black will be viable again.
Sign in Blood (BB) {Common}
Sorcery
Target player draws two cards and loses two life.
If Graveborn Muse has to go, at least they give black draw card in its absence. I like this card simply because it gives draw power to a color that typically lacks it. The nice part about this card is that it’s a burn spell as well, since you can target a player. Not that I am advocating playing it that way if your opponent isn’t at 2 or less life.
Ball Lightning (RRR) {Rare}
Creature – Elemental
Trample, Haste
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Ball Lightning.
Ball Lightning was a beast when it made its departure from standard 10 years ago, but I don’t think that it will have the same impact now as it did then. That is not to say that flipping Ball Lightning off a Bloodbraid Elf wouldn’t be absolutely sick. But every deck plays a large assortment of removal spells. And by large, I mean 1/6 to 1/4 of the deck. Most of those removal spells barring Maelstrom Pulse are instant and will be used to take this guy down. Also at the moment, Ball Lightning can die from Zealous Persecution and Peppersmoke. I think Ball Lightning will make a limited appearance in Standard right away, but could be a staple in Red/X decks after rotation in October.
Lightning Bolt (R) {Common}
Instant
Lightning Bolt does 3 damage to target creature of player.
Lightning Bolt will see play instantly in Standard and Extended. Some decks will play it because they play red and other decks will skew themselves just to run it. Lightning Bolt returns to Standard well positioned and in the nick of time. Red needed additional removal at the one mana spot that could take down under costed creatures like Vanquisher. Its predecessors, Shock and Incinerate have been outdated for some time now. Thanks WotC for the upgrade.
Elvish Archdruid (1GG) {Rare}
Creature – Elf Druid
Other Elf creatures you control get +1/+1.
Tap: Add one G to your mana pool for each Elf you control. [2/2]
Another lord in this set? Who would have thought? This card looks amazing, a +1/+1 effect on top of being a Priest of Titania is powerful. But I do not think this card enters Standard well positioned. It dies to Fallout and every other removal spell being played right now, and I wouldn’t expect your opponent to let it remain on the field long enough to make good use of its mana ability. Perhaps it can replace Imperious Perfect in G/B Agro decks, but not all of those run Perfect now. And as far as combo goes, Nettle Sentinel/Heritage Druid is simply more powerful since it does not care about summoning sickness.
Great Stable Stag (1GG) {Rare}
Creature – Elk
Great Stable Stag cannot be countered. Protection from black and blue. [3/3]
OH COME ON!!! As if WotC didn’t already put Faeries in its place, now this… Yes, the Fae is still strong right now, but it is a well positioned deck in a large meta-game of many well positioned decks. It is no longer the most powerful deck by any stretch and hasn’t been for a while. And now Wizards prints this… Ridiculous… Aside from a Scion and Mutavault combination, I don’t think there is anything Faeries can do about this creature. Wizards should just replace Blue cards with Purple ones and cancel the printing of future counter magic all together. Since instead of giving blue a viable counterspell, they give it an uncounterable threat. This is absolutely absurd.
Drowned Catacomb {Rare}
Land
Drowned Catacomb enters the Battlefield tapped, unless you control a Swamp or Island.
Tap: Add one U or B to your mana pool.
There is not much to say about the new lands that others have not already have said. For fast agro decks and some three color decks they are possibly a downgrade from pain lands. Two color enemy decks are hurt by this move as well since they are just printing allied lands in M10. But for everyone else, especially control players, they are an upgrade.
At first glance at the set, these currently played Standard decks will be affected;
Faeries: Drops in play and in power due only to printing of Great Stable Stag.
Black/White Tokens: If it still exists after M10 release, it will not likely be a tournament contender anymore.
Kithkin: Due to the loss of Wrath of God, the printing of a cheaper pump enchantment, as well as some quality new creatures, Kithkin will make a return to tournament contention.
Blue/White Reveillark: The loss of Wrath of God may send this deck strait out of the format.
Cascade Combo: Without the reprinting of Seismic Assault, half of the deck’s engine, this deck is gone.
Jund: Gains some powerful with Lightning Bolt, possibly Ball Lightning as well.
As always I hope this article was helpful, and I welcome any comments and criticisms. If you read my articles please let me know in the forums section, since I am not sure if anyone does, If no one is reading these, then this will be my last article for this site.
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Please email any comments or question about this article to manyber@gmail.com
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