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By: Leviathan, Mike Morales
Jun 24 2011 2:41pm
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INTRODUCTION: WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN!

I know what you may be thinking:  Why do a Mirage Block overview?  After all, the block is almost 15 years old, everyone knows what they are getting from that block, right?  And it has been out on MTGO for over 5 years as well.  How can there be anything new or exciting about Mirage block?

I actually got the idea for this article when playing a game a while back where an opponent ran Grim Feast.

grim feast
Cool.

The card is sort of goofy and strange, typical of some of the older stuff that Magic put out at the time.  But what really struck me were the responses to the card.  The other 2 opponents had never seen the card before, and I barely remembered it at all.  As I noted, the block came out so long ago that a lot of people have no idea about the unusual or strange cards in this older set.  I think that it is worthwhile just to go through and do an overview of the block, if for no other reason than to familiarize newer players with some of the goofiness that was around back then that doesn't often get played.  I know that going through some of these oldies brought up some fond memories.

Rather than do a set by set review, I figured that I would take on the whole block.  It took a little more time, but I was able to weed through more of the chaff this way.  After going through the cards here, you may come to the same realization I did:  How the heck did we play with these horrible creatures?  Just looking at the decent stuff that I pulled out, you will definitely see the effects of the power creep that Wizards has introduced to us over the past few years.  Back then, a 5/4 trampler for 5 mana had to have a drastic and debilitating upkeep.  Nowadays, you get 6/6 creatures for 6 mana that come with benefits!

gallowbraid grave titan
Which do you think is better?

However, the goofiness of the other spells and permanents more than make up for the horrible creatures.  In addition, some of the cards that are in this block were reprinted later.  I plan on hitting cards that were first printed in this block, just to be complete.

Like I said, my hope is that you guys find some cards that you may never have thought of using, or may not have known existed.  Hopefully you guys may find this useful.  I'm sure that there are some of you out there that already know all these cards and have either dismissed them or used them in your decks.  For you guys, I just have to say "Good for you!"  But for the rest of you out there, this little overview should introduce you to some stuff that may make you smile.  Let's get on to the overview! 

LEGENDS

There were some really bad legends back then, but there were also some interesting ones.  Let's take a look.

asmira, holy avenger

Asmira, Holy Avenger - Asmira is a human cleric, but she flies.  The flying isn't bad, as it is sort of uncommon in this color combination.  And she has the ability to get larger.  Unfortunately she doesn't get bigger until the end of the turn, but if you Wrath and then play her, she can get big pretty quick.  I actually wrote an article about a deck using Asmira a while back, which you can find HERE.  The route I took was to make lots of tokens, and sacrifice them to make Asmira get bigger.  It sort of worked, but was primarily a token deck.  Rhys is likely better for that purpose.

I could not see her being a regular creature in a deck.  You would have to tune your deck specifically to use her ability in order to get the best use out of her.  But I guess you could throw her in a Rhys deck and see what happens.

gallowbraid

Gallowbraid - You can see just how much the power has crept over the years with this guy.  While trample isn't necessarily something you often see in Black, the cumulative upkeep is very steep, even in a format with the extra life like Commander.  For that same mana cost, you could run Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief or Kagemaro, First to Suffer.  I just have a hard time seeing any situation where running this guy as your Commander would be beneficial.

In addition, unless you are running a horror theme deck, I can't see him being used as a regular creature either. 

hakim, loreweaver

Hakim, Loreweaver - I talked about Hakim recently as one of my 25 Unloved Commanders, and I still haven't seen anyone play him.  He flies, which isn't bad, but also loves to be pumped with Auras.  The biggest one I can think of would be Eldrazi Conscription, but there are a couple of others in Blue that can be useful.  I assume you could run a Blue control deck with him and some auras and do just fine.

As a regular creature in your deck, I could see him going into a Bant deck that used a lot of auras to beef up its Commander, similar to the Rafiq deck I wrote about a while back.  The ability to re-use auras isn't bad, but that's a pretty specific case.

hivis of the scale

Hivis of the Scale - How many times have you joined a Commander game and found that your opponents are running Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund, Vorosh, the Hunter and Rith, the Awakener?  I know that it has happened to me several times in the past.  Can you imagine how those games would go if you were running Hivis as your Commander?  You would essentially be taking one of your opponents' main weapons out of play before the game even started!  Of course, it's not every game when an opponent is running a dragon as their Commander.  But when it happens, Hivis would come in handy.

If I was running into a bunch of dragon decks, I would probably slip Hivis in as a regular creature.  I've noticed that decks running dragons as their Commanders sort of come in waves.  Unfortunately, with the new Commander product coming out you will be seeing less of the wedge dragons used, making Hivis not as useful.  But Rith and company will never go out of style. 

maraxus of keld

Maraxus of Keld - Another guy I mentioned in my Unloved Commanders article, I would guess that he would work well in a token deck.  Also, since he is a warrior you could make him lead some warriors to battle in a theme deck.  Of course to get the maximum use out of him you wouldn't really be able to do anything during the pre-combat stage, and then if he took any combat damage you would have to worry about just how many things you tapped so that he wouldn't die.  He is sort of a reverse Copperhoof Vorrac.

I have no idea how he would do as a regular creature.  I guess he would be huge, but I would just be concerned about him biting the big one just because I didn't tap my stuff correctly. 

morinfen Morinfen - Just see what I wrote about Gallowbraid.  All that stuff applies to his brother here.  I remember when these guys came out, thinking that they would be cool.  But even back then they were poop.  Oh well. 
purraj of urborg

Purraj of Urborg - Another one of my Unloved Commanders, I think that she could actually be fairly decent.  The first strike ability isn't bad, and over time she would probably get pretty big.  Black doesn't usually have any mana problems, so paying extra for each of your spells to make Purraj bigger shouldn't be a problem.  And enough other players play Black that you will often be able to make her grow during opponent's turns as well.

I could see her being a fun creature to use in a mono-Black control deck.  She could be a decent beatstick. 

rashida scalebane

Rashida Scalebane - She basically acts in a similar capacity to Hivis, so if you run into a lot of dragons she can be very useful.  Plus, mono-White is typically more powerful than mono-Red.  However, would you rather destroy the dragon, or bend it to your will so that you can make it do your bidding?  If you prefer the latter, seems like Hivis would be your guy.  But any woman who can kill dragons deserves a shot in my book. 

Rashida is actually a soldier, so she could go into a soldier deck and be perfectly happy.  And again, if you are running into lots of dragon decks it would be a good time to add her to your deck.

shauku, endbringer

Shauku, Endbringer - Shauku is a vampire who acts in a way that is similar to Avatar of Woe and Visara the Dreadful:  Removal on a stick.  However, Shauku is better than the other two in that she doesn't just destroy creatures, she exiles them.  That's pretty sweet.  In addition, every time she uses her ability she gets a bit larger.  And she flies!  What's not to like?  Oh yeah, the mandatory life loss each turn.  3 life a turn is pretty steep and hard to get over without a bunch of life gain or and Eternity Vessel with a bunch of counters on it.  On top of that, she can't attack unless she is the only creature on the field.  That's pretty tough for a multi-player game.  I think that it's definitely possible though.

Shauku can be added to a vampire deck as added removal if necessary, but that 3 life really hurts.

sidar jabari

Sidar Jabari - Unfortunately for Sidar, he is small.  Like, really small.  This wouldn't be so much of a problem if it weren't for the fact that his main ability is combat related, requiring him to charge into battle.  Of course, by tapping a creature he should be able to get through unscathed, but that isn't always the case.  I just wish he were a little bigger.

I guess he could fit into a knight deck, or a deck that really likes combat tricks.  Even a deck that pumps all of its guys would be nice with him.  But wouldn't you rather have Gerrard Capashen in your deck?

spirit of the night

Spirit of the Night - The original Akroma, this guy is big.  Unfortunately he doesn't have nearly as many key words as Akroma, but that's all right.  I've seen him used as a Commander several times, in both demon tribal and as a beater inn mono-Black control.  Protection from White is nothing to sneeze at, as a lot of the better targeted removal in the format is White.  The casting cost is prohibitive, unfortunately, but he does have haste so at least you don't have to wait a turn to attack with the big guy.   

He isn't bad beater for mono-Black decks.  But being at the high end of the curve, he fights for space with Kozilek and Ulamog, and it's hard to beat those guys.

taniwha

Taniwha - I jokingly put this guy into my list of Unloved Commanders, since despite being a large trampler he manages to get rid of all your lands every other turn.  Even expecting that you would play with lots of artifact mana to make sure that you can cast spells without land, I thought it was a task that most sane people would pass on.  Little did I know that someone would take up the challenge.  Apparently protocol_7 put together the deck and used Worldslayer to push through for the win.  If you equip Taniwha with the Worldslayer and hit someone while your lands are phased out, they come back next turn unscathed.  Not bad at all. 

telim'tor Telim'Tor - So the list of red creatures with flanking is HERE.  As you can imagine, it isn't that impressive, and with only 6 creatures on the list, there is practically no reason to use this guy as your Commander.  If he was White and Red, it would be a different story. 
zirilan of the claw

Zirilan of the Claw - I actually had a ton of fun with the deck that I built around this guy, which you can find HERE.  As you can imagine, the deck contained some powerful and useful dragons, and had ways to get Zirilan out quick so that you could put the hurting on his opponents.  Then, the deck was able to sacrifice the dragons for useful effects, and get them back into the library to tutor them up again.  There were a lot of moving pieces in the deck, but it was pretty fun and I enjoyed playing it.

If you wanted you could make a deck that uses more of a dragon tribal theme and just have Zirilan as a back-up tutor in the deck.  Needless to say he shouldn't be forgotten if you are playing with a bunch of dragons. 

zuberi, golden feather

Zuberi, Golden Feather - Despite the spoilers making it look like there are going to be a few more griffins coming up in M12, there are just not enough to make a deck around this guy.  HERE are all the White griffins.  Well, there are actually more than a few of them, but they just aren't any good.  They are all basically 2/3 fliers that occasionally have first strike or vigilance.  That's not really going to impress anyone, and it certainly won't make me want to use Zuberi as a Commander.

I guess he could go into a Reaper King changeling deck, but there are plenty of other lords that give abilities, along with the stat bonuses.  And Zuberi just doesn't make the cut.

CREATURES

Remember, creatures back then weren't nearly as powerful as they are now.  But there are some interesting effects on these guys.

Bone Dancer Bone Dancer - Sort of a predecessor to Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni.  The best part is that the Dancer is a zombie, so goes well in those type of tribal decks as well.

Crypt Rats Crypt Rats - Great in mono-Black control decks to wipe the board and hurt everyone.  If you play Pauper, you know how good this card can be.

Dwarven Miner Dwarven Miner - Everyone knows that there are annoying lands out there to play against.  Whether it is Academy Ruins, Gaea's Cradle, Maze of Ith or Volrath's Stronghold, sometimes you just want to get rid of them.  Dwarven Miner provides another re-usable way to get rid of these annoying lands.  This should honestly be an auto-include in decks that include Red.

Ertai's Familiar Ertai's Familiar - This is a pretty narrow purpose card, but if you want to fill your graveyard, it does a decent job of it.  Obviously could do well in Sedris decks and other reanimator decks.

Femeref Enchantress Femeref Enchantress - Most of the time enchantresses draw you cards for when you play enchantments.  But the Femeref Enchantress is a little different.  You can play her in an enchantment heavy deck just as insurance in case your enchantments get blown up, or you can include her with enchantments like Rancor and Spirit Loop and sacrifice effects to draw cards.  Either way, you win. 

Goblin Recruiter Goblin Recruiter - Great for goblin decks.  Obviously an auto-include for Wort, Boggart Auntie decks, as well as other legendary goblin decks.

Guiding Spirit Guiding Spirit - The rare Blue angel, Guiding Spirit does a semi-decent impression of Volrath's Stronghold.  Unfortunately this Spirit was created back when graveyard order mattered.  And sometimes that restriction can be a problem.

liege of the hollows Liege of the Hollows - If you play with some sacrifice outlets, you can typically control when the Liege goes the graveyard.  And as Green can make large amounts of mana, you will probably be able to get the most out of its ability.

noble benefactor Noble Benefactor - Great in group hug decks.  Or, if you want to be a little bit mean, you can combine him with Aven Mindcensor to keep your opponents' options limited while you get whatever you want.

orcish settlers Orcish Settlers - This is more of a "screw you" version of land destruction, to keep opponents of colored mana, on top of specialty lands.  If you roll like that, more power to you.  But you probably won't make many friends with this card.

ophidian Ophidian - The original Ohran Viper.  Unfortunately for poor Ophidian, this snake doesn't give you a reason not to block him.  Worth mentioning just for nostalgia reasons though.

ovinomancer Ovinomancer - First of all, who doesn't want to have a wizard that turns big bad angels and dragons into sheep on their side?  Have you guys even seen the goofy sheep tokens this guy creates yet?  They are freaking sweet.  Anyways, the way to get around this 'mancers brutal "enters the battlefield" tax is to make sure that he has haste, through something like Thousand-Year Elixir.  That way you can use his ability right away and bounce him back to your hand before you have to pay his price.

peacekeeper Peacekeeper - If you really want to bring combat to a standstill, use this guy.  Better than Moat, he can keep everyone from doing much damage for a while, or until someone gets rid of him at least.  I have seen games where Magus of the Moat has lasted for over 7 turns.  If you can keep your Peacekeeper alive for that long, you should have enough time to make sure that you can set up whatever game winning combo you have in your deck

pygmy hippo Pygmy Hippo - The little hippo was much more powerful before Wizards got rid of mana burn, but he still isn't bad.  You can send him in the direction of a Blue player to make sure that they can't counter your spells after the hippo hits.  And that is always nice.

rainbow efreet Rainbow Efreet - Not a huge hitter, but can avoid almost all forms of removal with some Blue mana up.

spectral guardian Spectral Guardian - I used this guy in my Numot deck to protect my artifacts, and I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone else use it, ever.  This guy would be a great addition to Sharuum decks, or any other deck that relies upon non-creature artifacts.

stampeding wildebeests Stampeding Wildebeests - Great with "enters the battlefield" critters.  I have seen plenty of decks where almost every creature has some sort of ability when they enter the battlefield, and this card would be a great addition.

subterranean spirit Subterranean Spirit - The rare Red creature with protection from itself.  This can actually come in very handy, as Red has plenty of cards that destroy all creatures, such as Pyrohemia and Earthquake.  Plus, the extra damage this spirit can do has the ability to hurt token and elf decks.

thundermare Thundermare - The fact that he can tap all other creatures when he comes into play is pretty sweet, in that he clears the way of all blockers.  Unfortunately, he taps your creatures as well, but you can get around that by using Winding Canyons or Vedalken Orrery to flash him out at the end of the turn before yours. 

uktabi orangutan Uktabi Orangutan - I couldn't go through a Mirage block review and not mention the sex monkeys.  For a game being played by a bunch of teenage boys, I'm surprised they let this illustration get through to the printing process.  Good times.

uktabi wildcats Uktabi Wildcats - Large regenerator, great in mono-Green decks.  Obviously you are going to want to include Crucible of Worlds in your deck, but the Crucible is a pretty sweet card anyways, so that isn't a great inconvenience.

veteran explorer Veteran Explorer - Great in group hug decks, but also just good at accelerating your deck out.  I used this guy in my budget Nath deck, and was never unhappy to see him.

ARTIFACTS, ENCHANTMENTS AND LAND

While the creatures were weak, the enchantments and artifacts back then were certainly powerful. 

aether flash Aether Flash - Sometimes you want to make sure that all those little critters don't make it into play.  If you really want, combine with Death Pits of Rath to make sure that nothing except indestructible stuff survives.

aura of silence Aura of Silence - There are plenty of decks out there that rely completely upon their artifacts or enchantments.  Whether you are dealing with Sharuum or Uril, this will do a great job of slowing them down.

blanket of night Blanket of Night - Let's say you have a swampwalking Commander, like Sheoldred or Sol'Kanar.  Wouldn't you want to make sure that your Commander has every opportunity to get through and damage your opponents?  The Blanket works as a back up to your Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth.

bubble matrix Bubble Matrix - There is something to be said for an effect that prevents damage to your creatures, even if it also prevents damage to the creatures of your opponents.  Great for keeping Commanders like Marton Stromgald alive, should be considered in decks that also like Dolmen Gate.

call of the wild Call of the Wild - So this is a card that I always thought would go well into an Intet deck.  Intet really likes manipulating the top cards of the library, and Call is perfectly placed to take full advantage of that.  Heck, you don't even have to move outside of Green if you don't want to, by using Sylvan Library, Mirri's Guile, Sensei's Divining Top and Crystal Ball.  Seems like it could fit in well in a Mayael deck also.

city of solitude City of Solitude - This is an extremely powerful card that doesn't see nearly enough play.  Not only does it prevent players from playing spells when it isn't their turn, a la Dosan the Falling Leaf, but it also prevents the use of activated abilities.  Not only does this shut down counterspells, but it also keeps combat tricks from messing up your attacks.  No more Mystifying Maze or Maze of Ith, no Condemn tucking away your Commander.  This card is great, and worth the price tag.

cursed totem Cursed Totem - Plenty of Commanders out there are used primarily for their activated abilities.  Whether you like to use Arcanis the Omnipotent, Mayael the Anima or Kiki-jiki, Mirror Breaker, this Totem effectively shuts them down from being nearly as useful as they were before.  And that doesn't include all the non-Commander creatures that are used for their abilities.  Basically a card similar to Torpor Orb in that it makes a large majority of creatures not nearly as powerful.

desolation Desolation - Wow, this could really hose a lot of decks out there.  If you really wanted to play this, keep in mind that it would make you a prime target for hate.  And you would likely deserve it.

fervor Fervor - This enchantment is a great way to make sure that your creatures get in for damage the turn they are played.  Urabrask may technically be better, but Fervor is more resilient.  

forsaken wastes Forsaken Wastes - Along with Everlasting Torment and Leyline of Punishment, another good way to prevent life gain.  What the Wastes has on top of the other 2 cards is that it provides a constant, although slow, method of damage.  Could go in a Grixis colored "group hate" deck, along with other stuff that punishes like Kederekt Parasite and Underworld Dreams.

gossamer chains Gossamer Chains - Actually, this would go great in any enchantress based deck.  The ability plays great on defense, and by bouncing back it can start the card drawing all over again.  Acts as an additional Maze of Ith, which is never a bad thing.

grim feast Grim Feast - Black has plenty of ways to put creatures into graveyards.  The Feast is a great method of life gain in Savra decks, as well as Kresh decks that like to use Grave Pact.  That life gain can definitely add up.

grinning totem Grinning Totem - Before there was Praetor's Counsel, there was this Totem.  Great for removing a combo piece, or just picking up an artifact to help out with your mana situation.

hall of gemstone Hall of Gemstone - Just a great way not only to hose multi-colored decks, but Blue decks as well.  Being able to keep them from playing instants during their opponents' turns can be a beating.

helm of awakening Helm of Awakening - This is almost purely a combo enabler.  This along with Sensei's Divining Top and Future Sight means that you can draw your deck.  Typically seen in Sharuum decks.  Watch out when you see this card played.

lotus vale Lotus Vale - If you have Life from the Loam or Crucible of Worlds in your deck, it's worth taking a chance, right?

malignant growth Malignant Growth - Just a strange card.  I could see this going into Vorosh decks with a proliferate theme that would punish players for drawing cards.  Add Jin-Gitaxias for additional fun.

mana web Mana Web - Another card that can hose players from playing instants or activating abilities when it isn't their turn.  Especially harsh against mono-colored decks.

necromancy Necromancy - Versatility is always nice.  This card can be played at instant speed if necessary, and having that option greatly increases the value.  Even if you discount the ability to play as an instant, it's still good to be able to steal stuff from graveyards for a low cost.

null chamber Null Chamber - So if there is a Commander that is really wrecking the table, you can use this card to make sure that it doesn't get played again.  Ideally, the opponent you choose will be on your side and not pick your Commander as well.  However, there is definitely the possibility that your Commander will be named, so you don't want to put this into a deck that overly relies upon the Commander.

null rod Null Rod - I know that it costs an arm and a leg, but there are plenty of artifacts out there used by everyone that plays Commander.  This thing shuts down equipment, Memnarch, Mimic Vat and completely hoses Karn decks and some Sharuum decks.  Worthy of consideration.

pendrell mists Pendrell Mists - This card was the follow up to The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale.  A great method of creature control for Blue, in that people really hate having to pay this upkeep for a lot of little critters.

phyrexian furnace Phyrexian Furnace - Sort of outclassed by modern graveyard hate like Relic of Progenitus, still a decent form of graveyard removal simply because of the cantripping effect.

purgatory Purgatory - This is a card that I have been meaning to play, but just haven't gotten around to it yet.  Seems like it would be good with "enters the battlefield" creatures, or creatures that you can sacrifice for beneficial effects.  Stuff like Angel of Despair, Loxodon Hierarch and Magister Sphinx would all like this enchantment.  Sure, it's slower and costs more than something like Adarkar Valkyrie, but they would likely be played together.  Plus, since Purgatory is an enchantment, it is more resilient than the angel.

reparations Reparations - Unfortunately targeting spells aren't played as much as mass removal and damage, so you may not get as much use out of  this card as you would want.  But still has some of the best flavor text for a Magic card ever.

righteous war Righteous War - Protection is underrated, and this card protects against a ton of the most commonly played targeted removal.  You can play it in a Selenia deck, similar to the one I wrote about a while ago, or even a Doran deck, and I'm sure it would be beneficial.

rowen Rowen - I always thought this would be a good card in a mono-Green deck.  With the large number of library manipulators (Sylvan Library, Mirri's Guile, Crystal Ball, Sensei's Divining Top, etc.), it would seem that being able to put a basic Forest on top of your library wouldn't be hard, and would essentially be guaranteed to draw you 2 cards.  Unfortunately I just haven't been able to find a deck for this card.

sacred mesa Sacred Mesa - As anyone who has played with an active Luminarch Ascension knows, being able to pump out fliers for a low cost is very nice.  The pegasi made with the Mesa aren't quite as powerful, but it's a great way to fill the skies with blockers or attackers.

scorched ruins Scorched Ruins - I haven't seen anyone else play this card, but I used it in my Karn deck.  I played it several times, and each time I was worried about it getting blown up.  However, I think it was destroyed only once.  And the mana acceleration proved very worthwhile.  

strands of night Strands of Night - While Zombify is a one-shot effect, the Strands provide the same ability to put creatures from your graveyard directly into play multiple times.  As an enchantment, you can use its ability at instant speed.  Sacrificing the land can be annoying, but all you need is Crucible of Worlds or Life from the Loam to help you out with that.

teferi's puzzle box Teferi's Puzzle Box - Obviously goes great in Niv-Mizzet decks, but on top of that, it is really great at hosing control decks that like to sculpt their hand and play at their own pace.  And if you have the ability to increase your hand size through the use of cards like Thought Reflection, you will see even more cards.

tombstone stairwell Tombstone Stairwell - I have loved this card ever since I used it in my Lord of Tresserhorn deck.  This should be an auto-include in any zombie based deck, and should also go well in any sort of dredge based deck or creature heavy deck.  If you have a free sacrifice outlet, you can get good use out of the tokens because they reappear every turn.  Combine with Vicious Shadows, Deathbringer Thoctar or Goblin Sharpshooter for additional shenanigans.  

tranquil grove Tranquil Grove - There are enough other enchantments out there that are tough to play against that having a repeatable way to wipe the board of them should definitely be given a look.  Obviously you aren't going to want to play with a bunch of enchantments of your own, unless they are like Rancor in that they will bounce back to your hand, or Hatching Plans, where you get a beneficial effect from having them go to the graveyard.

vanishing Vanishing - A favorite of Zur players everywhere, phasing is one of those mechanics that people forget about a lot.  When something phases out, they keep all the auras attached to them.  And being able to phase at instant speed can help dodge removal.  Good to place on a critter that you really want to keep around.

well of knowledge Well of Knowledge - This is a way to draw that I have yet to see played.  Would obviously go well in a group hug type of deck, but I think it would also do well in any deck that can make more mana than its opponents.  So something like Omnath or Vorinclex could use it.  And if you can keep a Kismet or Loxodon Gatekeeper effect in play, it can certainly slow down your opponents from using it as much as well.

winding canyons Winding Canyons - The ability to play your creatures at instant speed when you don't have access to Blue cannot be overrated.  (And yes, I know that Vedalken Orrery does the same thing for more spells, but with the Canyons you get to put in on a mana producing land.  Not bad at all.

INSTANTS AND SORCERIES

 

argivian find Argivian Find - A great way to return an artifact from your graveyard to your hand at instant speed.  Low cost, and good utility for all those artifacts that you like to play.

argivian restoration Argivian Restoration - If you want to skip the middle-man, use the Restoration instead.  Brings high casting cost artifacts back into play for the low cost of 4 mana.  Think of all the high casting cost artifacts that you can get a second use out of, like Akroma's Memorial, Duplicant, Mind's Eye and more.  I really like this card.

ashen powder Ashen Powder - A cheaper Beacon of Unrest, I really wanted to point this card out because it features the artwork of comic book illustrator Geof Darrow, probably best known for his work on the mini-series Hard Boiled.  I wish he would have done more cards.  

buried alive Buried Alive - Great for any form of reanimation you may have.  Even if you don't have reanimation currently available, just put Genesis, Eternal Witness, and some other large creature into your yard, and you are good to go.  Not as good as Intuition, but then again Blue usually gets the better cards so it's nothing new.

debt of loyalty Debt of Loyalty - This is another card that I have been meaning to play, but haven't gotten it into any decks yet.  There are plenty of effects out there like Day of Judgment, Oblivion Stone and Nevinyrral's Disk that don't have the "does not regenerate" clause of Wrath of God.  If one of those gets played, just use Debt to make the biggest critter on the battlefield yours!

delirium Delirium - This is a card that I've seen in Sheldon Menery's deck lists every once in a while.  Sort of a one creature Fog effect, that can do some damage as well.  Most of the time creatures aren't really bigger than 10/10, but if you drop this on a large Omnath, you can take a player out. 

desertion Desertion - Just a great Counterspell, in that it acts like a Control Magic for artifacts as well as creatures.  Don't forget that it can counter any spell, but you only get the theft for non-enchantment permanents.

dissipate Dissipate - Sometimes you don't want an opponent's Duplicant to get played over and over, destroying your entire team.  Dissipate does a good job of making sure that the annoying spell doesn't come back again.

early harvest Early Harvest - Popular in mono-Green decks for abusing the amount of mana they produce, such as Azusa and Sasaya.  Needs basics, but that isn't usually a bad thing.

enlightened tutor Enlightened Tutor - Pretty much a format staple for any deck playing White that likes artifacts or enchantments.  Just a solid card.

ether well Ether Well - I found this while searching through the Mirage block cards, and was surprised that I hadn't seen it used as another tuck effect before.  Of course, Blue already has Spin into Myth, but if you want another or just want to play very defensively, it's worth a shot.  The color restriction isn't quite as restrictive as you may think, as there are plenty of Jund and Grixis Commanders out there.

illicit auction Illicit Auction - Actually a pretty fun card since it only targets one creature.  I once paid 30 of my 40 life to keep my Ulamog, then had someone drop Duplicant on it the next turn.  Good times.

miraculous recovery Miraculous Recovery - A nice little Zombify effect for White, what people forget about this card is that it works at instant speed!  The pump is just a nice little bonus. 

mystical tutor Mystical Tutor - Yes, tutors are good.  You should use them.

natural order Natural Order - Not quite as powerful as in Legacy, where you can turn a mana elf into Progenitus, can still be very good in any deck that uses Green.  Great for searching up something like Terastodon or Woodfall Primus to deal with problem permanents, or Primeval Titan so you can ramp up your lands.

nature's resurgence Nature's Resurgence - An interesting draw card that doesn't help creature light control decks nearly as much as it does creature heavy and dredge decks.

phyrexian purge Phyrexian Purge - A nice way to hit multiple targets for a low mana cost, all while keeping your team intact.  The life loss shouldn't hurt too much in this format.

phyrexian tribute Phyrexian Tribute - Who says that Black can't get rid of artifacts by itself?  This is the first in a few different color bleeding cards where Black gets to do things it normally couldn't.  Would go great in an Endrek Sahr deck, or any other token creator.

prosperity Prosperity - Who doesn't like drawing cards?  Great in group hug decks, or combine with Underworld Dreams and Psychosis Crawler to bring the pain.

reflect damage Reflect Damage - It's always nice to turn around a large amount of damage onto its controller.  Keep in mind, the original target of the damage doesn't have to be you, it can be one of your opponents.  Unfortunately the mana cost is just a little bit high, but it is still more versatile than Boros Fury-Shield.

relearn Relearn - So this was basically the initial version of Call to Mind.  But if you really want to use a specific instant or sorcery over and over, and don't like paying the steep cost of Izzet Chronarch, this is a nice option.

retribution of the meek Retribution of the Meek - A nice little piece of tech for token decks.  Not quite Hour of Reckoning, but the mana cost isn't nearly as steep either.  Plus, it has the "can't be regenerated" clause, which is always nice.

savage twister Savage Twister - Sometimes the old favorites are still good.  A card for creature control that doesn't hurt you, unlike Earthquake or Hurricane.  And there is no restriction for only hitting ground pounders or fliers.

tithe Tithe - A little pricey (in terms of tickets) for what it does, the important part is that it does not state "basic Plains" in the text.  Therefore you can search up a Tundra and a Savannah with this card.  Plus, it can be done at instant speed for a low mana cost.

urborg justice Urborg Justice - Another card I have wanted to play with, this is an instant speed Grave Pact.  Although it only targets one player, you can really hurt someone and leave them open for attacks from others.

vampiric tutor Vampiric Tutor - Tutors are good.  That is all.

withering boon Withering Boon - A sweet Counterspell for Black, imagine the surprise of your opponent when they try to bring Akroma, Angel of Wrath against you and you hit them with the Boon!  Sure, it may never happen, but a guy can dream, can't he?  Plus, it has some sweet Robert Bliss art.  This is another guy whom I wish did more cards. 

worldly tutor Worldly Tutor - A Green tutor.  Why did Red get screwed out of getting a tutor, while all the other colors got one?

CONCLUSION

Even after cutting a bunch of cards that was a pretty long list.  Here are the staples from the block, essentially the cards that everyone knows about: 

As you can see, the list is dominated by the tutors.  Tutors are always good, as they can help find answers as well as threats to put you ahead in the game.  So seeing a bunch of tutors on this list should surprised no one.  Again, all these are the cards that you can pretty much expect to see in any given game.  I'll admit that City of Solitude may not see a whole ton of play, but it is so powerful that I think it should be considered a staple.  And now for my list of underplayed cards that deserve consideration in your decks, in no particular order:

I know that there are better versions of some of these cards out there, but a lot of these have some very unique effects that you just can't find anywhere else.  There is something to be said for originality in a casual format like Commander, and it is always nice to receive a compliment on an underappreciated or unseen card.  Hopefully this overview has helped you guys consider some of these older cards that you might otherwise pass over or not give a second thought about.  Some of these cards may not be the best, but I think that if you give them a shot you will be happy with the results.

I hope you enjoyed the overview.  According to Whiffy we should be seeing the new Commander product online July 3!  That's a lot sooner than I anticipated.  So look for an overview of the new stuff soon.  Until next time!

Leviathan, aka Tarasco on MTGO
mrmorale32 at yahoo dot com

CONQUEROR & COMMANDER ARCHIVE

12 Comments

A couple notes -- Sidar by Paul Leicht at Fri, 06/24/2011 - 22:05
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5

A couple notes --

Sidar Jabari is really equivelent to a 3/3 because of the flanking. Only another flanker negates that combat advantage (one way to kill an opposing Stuffy Doll by the way for lols.)

Spirit of the Night, has pro black. Not quite as useful as Pro White. Also, with him as your commander can you run the Nightstalkers and fetch him from the command zone? (That was how people used him in old MBC.)

I consider Miraculous Recovery to be a staple as it just fits very nicely with other white/green recursion cards (Hymn of Rebirth). As an instant it can be a combat trick along with Cauldron Dance and Corpse Dance.

I remember our discussions about this block. I guess I was wrong that there wasn't enough meat in just the Mirage Cycle to make an adequate review. Good Job.

Great overview as usual. I by Kumagoro42 at Fri, 06/24/2011 - 23:36
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Great overview as usual. I use to read these articles taking notes of missed cards I should add to my collection/decks (this time the list amounts to 12!).

I didn't get the link between Grinning Totem and Praetor's Counsel though. I suspect you intended to mention some other card?

Praetor's Grasp by Paul Leicht at Sat, 06/25/2011 - 00:51
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Praetor's Grasp

Taniwha by protocol_7 at Sat, 06/25/2011 - 10:55
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In case anyone was interested, this is my decklist for Taniwha

1 Coalition Relic
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Dreamstone Hedron
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Font of Mythos
1 Howling Mine
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Sculpting Steel
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sisay's Ring
1 Sky Diamond
1 Sol Grail
1 Sol Ring
1 Teferi's Puzzle Box
1 Temple Bell
1 Ur-Golem's Eye
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Whispersilk Cloak
1 Worldslayer
1 Duplicant
1 Palladium Myr
1 Scuttlemutt
1 Silver Myr
1 Solemn Simulacrum
30 Island
1 Aether Adept
1 Aethersnipe
1 Clone
1 Kederekt Leviathan
1 Man-o'-War
1 Shimmering Efreet
1 Sphinx of Magosi
1 Vesuvan Shapeshifter
1 Land Equilibrium
1 Teferi's Curse
1 Vanishing
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Capsize
1 Evacuation
1 Jace's Ingenuity
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Opportunity
1 Quicken
1 Repulse
1 Sunder
1 Twincast
1 Maze of Ith
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Terrain Generator
1 Thawing Glaciers
1 Tolaria West
1 Vesuva
1 Sakashima the Impostor
1 Taniwha
1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Capture of Jingzhou
1 Diminishing Returns
1 Distorting Wake
1 Fabricate
1 Inundate
1 Personal Tutor
1 Rite of Replication
1 Temporal Manipulation
1 Time Stretch
1 Wash Out
1 Windfall

I basically included instant by protocol_7 at Sat, 06/25/2011 - 11:06
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I basically included instant card draw and mana producing artifact/creatures. Tons of card draw for everyone and I use evacuation or mass bounce to reset the board. You could replace howling mines with cards like time reversal but I didn't want to spend too much $ on this deck.

Since phasing happens during upkeep, the point was to use the mana from the lands during upkeep. I included extra turns but they are used to get that extra turn to compensate for the tempo lose with taniwha.

The deck is a total hit or a miss. If I get get the combo to go off, it's a win.

There are couple of combos other than Taniwha. This deck is runs somewhat similar to Patron of the Moon now that I look at it again.

I by laughinman at Sat, 06/25/2011 - 15:28
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I don't know if its different online, but phasing should happen in the untap step, right before the untapping.

right I meant that I use by protocol_7 at Sun, 06/26/2011 - 11:20
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right I meant that I use instant speed draw since you always have left over mana.

Fun article. I have very by bogtrog at Sun, 06/26/2011 - 10:57
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Fun article. I have very fond memories of this block as it is what was new when I first started playing.

Back then I had a Griffin tribal deck and Zuberi Golden Feather was like the coolest card in the world to me. I have always wanted to revisit him as a commander just for nostalgia's sake. If they keep printing new griffins perhaps someday.

I used to use Spectral Guardian in my equipment deck. The fact that it also shrouded my opponent artifacts burned my multiple times though, so I removed him. He is still pretty cool.

I was a bit sad to see that Kukemssa Pirates did not make the list. I have always cosidered them a real hidden gem with a heck of a powerful effect. Kind of a proto Thada Adel.

Other things from that block I find pretty useful for commander. I really like the CITP fetchlands, great for budget mana fixing. Bosium Strip can be quite powerful in decks running a lot of spells. Elephant Grass gives mono green a nice propaganda effect. Brood of Cockroaches is one of those pesky "never dies" black creatures that nobody ever seems to use. It is just begging to be part of some sacrifice engine.

I also just noticed Steel Golem seems like something really nasty to donate in the new Zedruu decks that are going to be built.

there are just enough by protocol_7 at Sun, 06/26/2011 - 11:35
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there are just enough griffins to make it viable. Of course Zuberi and his griffins wont be strong. I already have a decklist but I never got around to making it.

Thanks for the comments guys! by Leviathan at Sun, 06/26/2011 - 12:34
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Thanks for the comments guys! Yes there are a lot of interesting "color hosers" in the block, but even though they are occasionally useful, they aren't always so. I did completely miss the original fetchlands, which anyone on a budget should consider. Although they come into play tapped, missing the one turn isn't a big a deal in this slower format.

I like the Taniwha deck, especially the inclusion of Shimmering Efreet and Teferi's Puzzle Box. Those sort of off-set the harsher cards like Sunder and Land Equilibrium. Glad you were able to make something playable with that guy.

Feel free to mention other cards you guys liked that I may have missed. I went through an entire block, and had to cut a few cards.

Also, I meant Praetor's Grasp, and I have no idea how phasing works online.

Edit - Was talking with Elbinac online, and he noted that Morinfen and Gallowbraid could be used in conjunction with Soul Conduit, Mirror Universe and Magus of the Mirror. Add Repay in Kind, Exsanguinate and some tutors and you have the basics for a deck. Seems like it could be interesting.

Yeah Suicide black can be a by bogtrog at Mon, 06/27/2011 - 00:27
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Yeah Suicide black can be a real interesting deck with the various mirror effects. I run a Kaervek deck with all those shenanigans. Soul Conduit has become a big favorite of mine, the ability to make the switch anytime is so worth the extra mana. Nothing quite like blasting all but one of your life into a creature with covenant of fire and then using soul conduit to give that one life to some poor opponent.

I just had a chance to read by Lord Erman at Sun, 06/26/2011 - 12:39
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5

I just had a chance to read this fully, and it reminded me of a few cards I almost forgot totally. You sir, just made me wish to build a deck with Null Rod and Cursed Totem in it. Hmm... maybe also Torpor Orb as well? I think I should try something like that.

Good work overall.

LE