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By: Fragoel2, Fragoel2
Feb 06 2012 11:19am
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Note: This article was originally published as a series of posts on www.carefulconsideration.net.

 

 

 Black Cat

I'll include it into my review since I've read a lot of positive comments on the card but I totally think that it is unplayable. It's rather simple, the opponent doesn't have to block it since it's just a 1/1 and does not really represent a clock. The same applies if you think to keep it on defense, the opponent isn't forced to swing into it until it is actually good (or at least acceptable) for him. And getting a two for one out of it it's quite hard, as the 1/1 body cannot trade with much.

Geralf's Messenger

The "reverse (Kitchen Finks[/mtg_card]" certainly can do good thing if you can afford it's triple black mana cost. In fact, it pretty much forces you to play monoblack, which is probably not what you want to do in standard right now. In Block things are a little better but it's mana cost is still troublesome considering that the format offers even less fixing. Still, every one of these guys that you can land it's basically a (Lava Axe[/mtg_card] for your opponent, even if you don't get even a single attack out of it so it will be a very powerful card in every aggro deck that can afford him. If Zombies will be a real deck then this card is certainly going to be one of it's centerpieces.

Gravecrawler

 

A solid cheap beater that promises a lot of pain to control decks. Even if you don't have other zombies in your deck it is a solid card, since every copy after the first allows you to return all the ones that you already played. Coupled with (Diregraf Ghoul[/mtg_card], it creates a good basis for a Zombie aggro deck. Problem is, most of the available Zombies are not exactly good beaters. Still, you don't have to rely only on zombies, as long as you have 8-12 of them the card is more than fine (even if I could definitely see the deck struggle against the other aggro decks of the format). Definitely powerful, but I'm unsure that there are enough support cards for it to make an impact in Standard or Block.

Harrowing Journey

It's expensive but, aside from Planeswalkers, it's one of the few available ways to get card advantage available to a non-blue control deck in Block Constructed. Thus, a few copies may see some play there.

Highborn Ghoul

This is exactly what Zombie decks needed, a playable two drop since, let's be honest, (Walking Corpse[/mtg_card] isn't good enough. Combined with (Gravecrawler[/mtg_card], (Diregraf Ghoul[/mtg_card], (Geralf's Messenger[/mtg_card] and, even if it isn't a Zombie, (Vampire Interloper[/mtg_card] there's now a good creature base for a black aggro deck in Block and in Standard, but if a Zombie deck wants to compete, it has to find a way to consistently beat other creature decks, not easy since most of your guys can't block or come into play tapped.

Increasing Ambition 

All the things that I said for (Harrowing Journey[/mtg_card] also apply for this card: slow and expensive but still it is a way for non-blue control decks to get card advantage, so it might see some play in Block.

Tragic Slip

A perfectly playable removal in Block, where there's a lot of 1/1 creatures around. Having the possibility of killing pretty much everything if you can trigger morbid somehow it's a nice bonus on a card that is already fine without. Still, it competes with (Dead Weight[/mtg_card] for the same slots, and choosing which one to play is not so easy. It's also going too see quite a bit of play in Standard where (Delver of Secrets[/mtg_card] and (Champion of the Parish[/mtg_card] see a lot of play and control decks already have stuff like (Virulent Wound[/mtg_card] to quickly deal with those creatures. Here the Slip is definitely better than the other black options, but (Gut Shot[/mtg_card] might still be a better choice.

Faithless Looting

Like it's predecessor, (Careful Study[/mtg_card], you need to have a way to take advantage of the discard to make this playable, otherwise you lose one card every time you play it from your hand (you get two new cards but lose two to discard and the Looting). In Block you can abuse of it with (Burning Vengeance[/mtg_card] and a lot of flashback spells, since you actually want to flash those back anyway. In Standard the same applies but it could also see some play alongside (Unburial Rites[/mtg_card]. Also to be noted that the card is common so it's going to be available in Pauper too. The card could be interesting in some sort of BR Madness brew, or it could see play in monored storm as a one or two of, in order to get rid if excess lands while you're comboing out.

 Fires of undeath

A card that could potentially see some play in Block since after all it is a removal that generates some card advantage later in the game. Nonetheless it depends on what creatures will see play in the format, since you only want this card if it deals with the majority of the threats you might face, and two damage might not be enough. In pauper it is easily overshadowed by (Staggershock[/mtg_card].

Flayer of the Hatebound

The mana cost on this guy is really really high, but I like him in block, where control decks easily reach six mana. It's obviously better with a lot of Undying creatures and stuff like Gravecrawler but I also like him on it's own, since the opponent will have to suffer a two-for-one to get rid of him, acting exactly like a reverse (Flametongue Kavu[/mtg_card]. Shooting players is also important since it allows you to shoot down planeswalkers.

Forge Devil

A very powerful common, it could see some play in pauper where,  for just one mana, deals with a lot of currently played creatures. After all, (Icatian Javelineers[/mtg_card] is a card that currently sees play in the format and this is better for the most part. The one damage shouldn't really be an issue since you can probably save more than one life by chumping an attacking creature with it. Just watch out and don't play the Devil on an empty board, as the ability is not optional and you will have to target the devil itself.

Hell Rider

A good four drop for an aggresive red deck, has definitely the chance of seeing play in Block if such deck will ever emerge. It also plays well with tokens, so it could be a fine addition to WR decks. Noteworthy that it can also shoot down planeswalker if you have enough attacking creatures. In Standard everything he does is done better by (Hero of Oxid Ridge[/mtg_card] so it will probably have to wait until the rotation to see any play.

Increasing Vengeance

A (Fork[/mtg_card] with a very powerful flashback and the unability to copy a spell casted from the opponent. The power level of this card is high but currently there's nothig that you really want to copy. Something to keep in mind for the future, all it takes to make it playable is the printing of a powerful sorcery.

Shattered Perception

A very powerful card in Burning Vengeance decks, not only it can be used to reload your hand of spells after you've already casted the ones that you needed but potentially it could also fill your graveyard with more flashback spells for the future. I definitely expect to see a couple in every format where Burning Vengeance is viable.

This completes the part two of my analysis, part three coming soon!

Thanks for reading.

Fragoel2