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By: Jyalt, Judah Alt
May 01 2012 11:23am
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Hello and welcome to another set critique.  Stating up front this is an opinion editorial, and I intend to express my opinion of the new Avacyn Restored set.   I’ve been busy, so the article is appearing before the online release, but after the paper version.

Avacyn Restored marks another bungled marketing ploy by Wizards of the Coast in terms of the Helavault, the contents of which are already available for sale on Ebay as I write this on April 24th.   Players would have liked textless ‘player rewards’ cards and promotional foils, rather than the common contents of Helavaults. 

Flash forward to after release weekend.  I heard online one Helavault in Europe somewhere had judge’s foil Demonic Tutor, and another had judge’s foil Decree of Justice, but these are (rumored) exceptions.   Local vaults had nothing which excited me.

Wizards is not planning on an online Helavault for the release experience.

The release promotional card is a copy of Moonsilver Spear, which gives first strike and generates a free 4/4 angel token whenever the equipped creature attacks.  It’s not an “attacking” angel token like Geist of Saint Traft, so not likely to see constructed play with 8 total mana (4 cast, 4 equipping) before it does anything.  The art is nice, and it’s an angel themed rare card.  Don’t expect any long term value on it, maybe $2 in paper, and 0.12 ticket online.   Not an incentive for an online release events at the extra price.

If I was in charge, the pre-release card for the set would have been Avacyn, Angel of Hope, the mythic rare angel who defines the storyline behind the set.  Tons of fun for all player demographics, even got a big picture for your viewing pleasure:

Avacyn

How does Avacyn Restored build on the storyline present in the Innistrad block?  Very well, actually.  This set is really Angels vs. Demons, with a minor sub theme of Humans vs. Zombies from previous block sets.  Avacyn Restored introduces the evocative “Miracle” mechanic, keeps “Undying” -- the best idea from Dark Ascension, and drops the double-faced card gimmick (thank you!).   Unlike Dark Ascension, where the art direction confused itself with too much gloom, the art in this set is amazing.  I have trouble narrowing down to favorite pieces.

Someone else has written an article on the spectacular art of AVR, so if you want more, here’s a link:  Art Review by Brendan Weiskotten   It goes the Vorthos route, and links back into the main storyline on Wizard's official site.

This set -- I like it.

I’ll bet readers of previous reviews weren’t expecting such an opinion, so I‘ll repeat myself:  I like this set.  I think it’s a great set!  I’m actually buying packs of this set in paper.   After recent terrible design failures regarding mechanics in both Innistrad and Dark Ascension, I think (for a change)  the design team did well, so congrats, lead designer Brian Tinsman.  Readers should know, I don’t say a set is good unless I truly believe it.

Rules Information Regarding Set Mechanics  includes “Loners” and “Flickering” are new mechanics… I don’t think so.   Cards like those have recurred throughout magic’s history.   I’m not bothering in coverage beyond mentioning I’m glad they made constructed playable flickering cards.

Now let’s talk about the real mechanics, starting with Miracle.  Love this mechanic, it’s a trade-off of a specialized condition in exchange for a powerful effect.  The reason I’m so pleased with it is I invented it back in 2004 when I was frustrated with tempo during the era of affinity.  I hated losing to Arcbound Ravager so I designed this card:

Proteus Reversal
3RR    (rare)
Sorcery
Destroy all artifacts.
Reversal (R) (If this is the first card you drew this turn, you may play it immediately for the reversal cost)

It was a cycle, one for every color, including a land which produced two colorless that ignored a drawback if played as a reversal.   None of the cards I created were X-spells, because I thought the entire purpose of a reversal was to stay alive in an uneven game, not accrue additional advantages.   Reversals were purposed for clawing your back into a game that looked lost.  They were a utility mechanic with a ‘nuts and bolts’ type tie-in for the Mirrodin storyline.

Miracles are amazing and splashy like a war between Angels and Demons.   Take an extra turn.  X damage to target player and everything they control.  X angels.  Wrath of God for W.   Before you scream power creep, look at the actual casting costs… if you hard cast these cards, they aren’t great.  Therefore, they are balanced, and balanced is good design.

Coming soon to legacy:  Temporal Manipulation + Personal Tutor for extra turns.   Better than 2 cards for 1 after you cast that Snapcaster Mage, get a second extra turn, and have a guy.  Likely plays Delver of Secrets, some swords, and well, you can fill out the rest.

Next is Undying, which falls a little flat because Wizard's Design is afraid to make good cards with the mechanic.  We need more Geralf's Messenger and Strangleroot Geist and less Nearheath Stalker and Sightless Ghoul.   Let’s list the new ones:

1B Butcher Ghoul 1/1  …  Still say Black Cat should have had Undying from Dark Ascension
fix:  make it a 2/1 can't block

2BB Demonlord of Ashmouth 5/4 … Flying, Exiles self unless you sacrifice a creature when entering battlefield
fix:  change it to 'Exile another creature you control' to fit the set's "loner" theme, meaning really good by itself

3B Evernight Shade 1/1 … It’s a shade, strong in limited in mono-black
fix:  none, shades are good in limited, and this card is fine in the desired role

BB Treacherous Pit Dweller 4/3 … after it dies the first time,  an opponent gets it
fix: none -- good use of mechanic design space

2RR Hound of Gristleband 2/2, Double strike … still overcastted for constructed
fix: 4/2 -- it doesn't have haste, and R&D is scared of good 'french vanilla' double strike

5G Howlgeist 4/2 … can’t be blocked by guys with less power
fix:  2G, 3/1, Intimidate instead... if you want constructed playability; I'd still bump it down to 4G if limited only

Any good ones?  No.  The Pit Dweller goes right into the deck with Homeward Path, but these cards with Undying won’t be making an impact on constructed magic.  I’m disappointed the designers didn’t make a good Undying card.   Is it hard to do something like

Constructed Playable Grey Ogre Cycle
1 (Color1)  (Color 2)
Relevant creature type  -- Merfolk, Zombie, Human, Wolf, Angel {respectively}
Undying
Protection from Color That is Color1‘s+Color2’s Enemy
2/2

That cycle is just obvious, useful, and would help sell a set at uncommon.   The use of Undying in this set was timid.

Soul Bond, or a riff on local enchantments, is next.  It’s a limited mechanic, as it is not often in constructed that you can rely on having two creatures in play.   When the mechanic is in effect, it helps both creatures, but without two creatures, it doesn’t work. 

Cost..........Name..................P/T        Soulbond Effect
1W........Neatheath Pilgrim..... 2/1        Lifelink
1WW....Silverblade Paladin.....2/2        Doublestrike
4W.......Spectral Gategaurds...2/5        Vigilance
4UU......Deadeye Navigator.....5/5        1U: Blink.  (Blinking other guy breaks the bond)
2U........Galvanic Alchemst.....1/4        2U: Untap this creature
3U........Elgaud Shieldmate.....2/3        Hexproof
2U........Stern Mentor.............2/2        Tap ability:  Mill 2 cards
2U........Tandem Lookout........2/1        Curiosity
U..........Wingcrafter...............1/1        Flying

2R........Hanweir Lancer.........2/2        First Strike
1R........Lightning Mauler........2/1        Haste
R.........Stonewright...............1/1        R: +1/+0

G.........Diregraf Escort..........1/1        Protection From Zombies
3G.......Druid’s Familiar..........2/2        +2/+2
3G.......Flowering Lumberknot 5/5        Cannot attack/block unless paired
4G.......Geist Trappers...........3/5        Reach
1G.......Nightshade Peddler....1/1        Deathtouch
4GG....Pathbreaker Wurm......6/4        Trample
2G......Trusted Forcemage.....2/2        +1/+1
3GG...Wolfir Silverheart.........4/4        +4/+4


For those who skipped the paper release, let’s look directly at Soul Bond:   When a creature with Soul Bond enters the battlefield, you may pair it with another unpaired creature you control. When another creature enters the battlefield under your control, if you control a creature with Soul Bond that isn't currently paired, you may pair it with the new creature.

The bolded part is key.  Soul Bond isn’t *just* another riff on local enchantments, it’s an effect that can be used *multiple* times for abuse.  It has flexibility.   So Wollfir Silver heart + Nuisance Engine + Greater Good is a combo.  Nightshade Peddler could conceivably give an entire host of 1/1 tokens deathtouch, provided they were constantly chumped blocked, one at time, over many turns, and each was generated after the previous had fallen.   And with instant flicker effects, you can re-assign Soul Bond as a combat trick by flickering the original bonder (keep in mind this would remove the original from combat if it is participating).

The interesting creature with Soul Bond is the rare blue Deadeye Navigator, which can essentially protect your entire team if you have enough mana.  Everything else is just an uncreative riff on limited mechanics, though the Protection From Zombies looks fun in the block environment.  The design team didn’t push with constructed playable Soul Bond critters.   What does one of those look like?

Angel’s Battlewarden
1W
Human
2/1
T):  Tap target non-Angel cretaure.  
Soul Bond -- As long as [card name] is paired with another creature, both creatures gain “Protection from Red”

Or even adding   “As [cardname] enters the battlefield put a 1/1 Saproling token into play.” to any of the green creatures which give +X/+X with Soul Bond, thereby assuring a player they will not lose card advantage by automatically providing a paired target.

My overall impression of the ‘Soul Bond’ mechanic was 'more under the surface'.   Design wanted a limited mechanic, and kept it simple.  But it’s an open-ended modular-type mechanic, meaning somewhere out there in magic's thousands of cards, it's got amazing synergy.

People are saying the double strike Silverblade Paladin might see play once Mirran Crusader rotates.  I disagree.   On an empty board, it’s only a 2/2 for 1WW.   It doesn’t get the double strike unless it is paired… that means if you can control your opponent’s creatures with one-for-one removal, the extra ability from the mechanic won’t be an issue.   Additional good flash creatures are needed to bump Soul Bond into constructed.  I'm talking flash at 1CC and 2CC beyond Snapcaster and the 4cc rare Angel in this set.  Casting a Snapcaster Mage just to pair with a Soul Bond in combat seems like it's wasting the other ability, but I could be wrong.  Maybe Soul Bond is the theme behind the next mid-range U/W deck with Moorland Haunt for producing a paired partner.

Now let’s look at the set itself, in terms card I personally want.  Trying something new, cards in bold are expected to increase in value and would make good speculation targets.

Avacyn Restored Stats:  (244 total)
Mythic(15)  Rare(53) Uncommon(60) Common(101)  Basic Land (20)
White(41) Blue(42) Black(41)  Red(42) Green(41)  Gold(3)  Artifact(14)  Non-Basic Land(10)

Reprints:  Angel's Mercy, Angelic Wall, Archangel, Fleeting Distraction, Peel From Reality, Barter in Blood, Bone Splinters, Crypt Creeper, Demolish, Thunderbolt, Borderland Ranger, Gloomwidow

Official Site For Avacyns Restored Images

Commons:
Cloudshift x4 -- the instant flicker spell for W
Ghostly Flicker x4 -- double Cloudshift on your stuff for 2U

Alchemist’s Apprentice x4 -- I like this one for my wizard theme deck
Outwit x4 -- maybe playable in modern?  U to counter a spell targeting a player.
Driver of the Dead x4 -- card advantage, potential in constructed
Soulcage Fiend x4 -- playable in constructed black agro
Dangerous Wager x4 -- Card Drawing in red
Kruin Striker x4 -- this + Cloudstone Curio + Memnite + Memnite = Modern Combo Finish!
Pillar of Flame x4 -- standard constructed playable burn
Abundant Growth x4-- This card is amazing mana fixing that replaces itself
Sheltering Word x4 -- instant that gives Hexproof AND extra life... will see pauper play
Terrifying Presence x4 -- I’ve wanted to play this card since I created it in 1999, a fog with one exception
Scroll of Avacyn x 4 -- card cycling that sometimes gives 5 life too, good w/ metalcraft and serra avenger
Seraph Sanctuary x2 -- doesn’t everyone have an angel deck?

Uncommons:
Banishing Stroke x4 -- miracle spell  (perm to top of library)
Emanicpation Angel x4 -- I liked Kor Skyfisher
Favorable Winds x4 -- look, a blue crusade  for 1U (flying gets +1/+1)
Nephalia Smuggler x4 -- amazing with the titans
Vanishment x4 -- miracle spell (perm to bottom of library)
Blood Artist x4 -- seems like a win condition in some combo deck
Human Frality x4 -- card for sideboards
Thunderous Wrath x4 -- miracle spell (5 damage) ... expecting pricing to be like Gut Shot, 2-3 tix eventually
Blessings of Nature x4 -- miracle spell (4 +1/+1 counters)
Eaten by Spiders x4 -- 2G instant kills a flyer AND all equipment on it
Rain of Thorns x4 -- EDH control spell

Rares:
Angel of Jubilation x4 -- better flying Crusade than Celestial Crusader
Restoration Angel x4 -- a good flash creature for Soul Bond exploitation
Terminus x4 -- the Miracle Wrath
Devastation Tide x4 -- another Miracle board reset, a sleeper value card
Stolen Goods x4 -- seems useful in both block and EDH
Dread Slaver x2 -- reminds me of a better version of The Wretched, mostly nostalgia
Treacherous Pit Dweller x4 -- playable in u/b with Vapor Snag and other bounce
Reforge the Soul x8 -- I have many decks that like Miracle Wheel of Fortune
Vexing Devil x4 -- for the latest standard vesion of “Red Deck Wins” -- price fluctuations like Goblin Guide 3-5tix final value
Somberwald Sage x4 -- seems tailor-made for Birthing Pod decks
Ulvenwald Tracker x4 -- I can see in constructed, not good estimated return if speculating (rare steady at 0.33tix, might go more)
Gallows at Willow Hill x2 -- auto-include in any ‘Humans’ themed deck
Cavern of Souls x16 -- 10 years from now, most expensive card in this set, calling it now… I want for every single creature type-themed deck I have built or will ever build... buy at 4tix or less and hold
Other rare lands x2 each -- nothing too great but playable in right builds

Mythics:
X4 Sigarda, Host of Herons, 5/5 Hexproof flying for 5 is amazing, plus she hoses Edicts.  Expected value 10-15 as Thrun
X4 Misthallow Griffin  -- because Food Chain
X4 Temportal Mastery -- because Personal Tutor
X4 Tamiyo the Moon Sage --  She’ll be the backbone of a new-turbo-fog variant during her standard tour.
X4 Bonfire of the Damned -- best red X spell ever, with Miracle  ... expected value 5 tix
X1 big legendary mythics -- for EDH and singleton reanimation targets

The most over-hyped car in the set is Archwing Dragon.  I don’t want it in my red decks.  Back in the mirage-block I played a lot of mono-red, including Viashino Sandstalker, and after hundreds of games, I’d reduced the copies of Sandstalker to a solitary one.  Why?  You never want two of them in hand because of mana resource problems.  You can’t cast two copies of Sandstalker -- you never get six mana if you red deck is efficient… games end first.  That problem gets worse with Archwing.  It’s turn four, do you want to pay 4 mana for 4 damage provided they don’t have a blocker?  I sure don’t.  I want to pop off a Shrine of Burning Rage for way more than 4, put down Koth of the Hammer and swing for 4 *anyway* plus I still have a useful permanent, or play more mana efficient burn.

Cards I believe could be changed for the better:

Photobucket

I love Cavern of Souls, but the power level is ridiculous.  It blows Thran Quarry out of the water.   Honestly, I believe the card didn’t need the “creatures of the chosen type cannot be countered” line for widespread usage.   I see Cavern being tossed in both vintage merfolk and legacy decks running aggressive creature strategies, such as goblins, bones, elves, enchantress, and even next-level blue decks which only run 4 Tarmogoyfs.   Maybe not in 4 copies, maybe only in sideboard, but it will show up.   To me, that makes the card overpowered.

Mechanically, I like the design of miracle spells, but I would have done Thunderous Wrath as an R miracle for only 4 damage and costed it like Lightning Blast at 3R, because five damage is 25% of your starting life total!  That’s a lot of damage for one mana, which is why I believe they pushed red burn too hard in this card.

On Soul Bond, I'm not messing with any of those designs.  It's a great limited mechanic with deceptively simple strategy, and given how much playtesting goes into developing, I would only feel qualified to give my opinion on it after I played about 100 games with Soul Bond cards.  Their play experience is more like 'free equipment' and I'm sure I haven't got the nuances.

Let's finish with five cards in the set I'd change.   These five each offended me personally based on other card interactions, so they are my top five "Why R&D?!?!" in the set.  Note that I'd also switch the rarities on the blue miracles, the new Time Warp can be rare, and the fixed Upheaval can be mythic.  This is because enough high dollar mythics are in the set already (two planeswalkers, many legendary angels).

1.) Marrow Bats 4B -- it’s a an uncommon 4/1 flyer with “Pay 4 life, regenerate Marrow Bats” and happens to be a Bat Skeleton.   This is unplayable in constructed, solid in limited.   I’d change it for greater casual appeal, specifically, I’d change it to “Pay 4 life -- regenerate target Skeleton” just for additional casual appeal.  And I'd put "Other Skeletons gain +1/+0" on it, just so it's viable in my skeleton deck.  Battleground Geist precedent.

2.) Vigilante Justice 3R -- “Whenever a human enters the Battlefiled under your control, Vigilante Justice deals 1 damage to target creature or player.”   Oh my, I want to play this paired with Norin The Wary so badly… but it costs way too much.   I’d bump the cost down to 1R, which isn’t broken in constructed.  For 3R, you'd figure at least 2 damage per human, but no.  

3.) Spirit Away -- for 7 mana, it’s Yavimaya's Embrace with flying instead of trample for the difference between a green mana and a colorless mana.   If you wanted something for EDH, go this way:   4UU, “Search target opponent's hand and library for a creature card and put that card onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles his or her library..”   As it stands, this is just another Control Magic that isn't interesting and my blue EDH seven slot is full.

4.) Soul of the Harvest -- honestly, why not reprint Primordial Sage instead?  It’s a 6/6, Trample and draw a card when another non-token creature enters the battlefield vs. a 4/5 draw a card when playing a creature spell.  Both are 4GG.   At 4/5 the Primordial Sage would be killable with Thunderous Wrath, where Soul of the Harvest dominates limited.   I liked the balance on the Sage, and this card feels like it should be mythic with higher power and toughness rather than rare.

5.) Cathedral Sanctifier -- 1/1 for W, gain 3 life when it enters the battlefield.    What deck wants this?     Geez, at least give me 6 life if I’m filling my deck with bad 1/1’s for W.   Martyr of Sands is laughing at this card along with me.

Before this article gets too long, time to close.  I like the set, and I believe Design did a good job with card creation and selection.  Majority of the 'junk limited' type rares look fun in EDH.  I really liked the reprinting of Bone Splinters with the Undying mechanic   Avacyn Restored should produce good sales, many new standard decks, and with Cavern of Souls out, maybe the eternal formats will see creature-type strategies with more success.  Despite timidity in core mechanics (can we have more good Undying creatures please!) and Standard power level increases with the Angels and Miracle spells, overall I believe Avacyn Restored has good design.   

In the future, can we get more sets like this one?

Thanks for reading
--Judah

Standard disclaimer -- art/article links are respective properties of their authors/artists/WotC and used to help the MTG Community.
 

2 Comments

I also think that Soul Bond by Lepongemagique at Tue, 05/01/2012 - 14:10
Lepongemagique's picture

I also think that Soul Bond has a lot to offer and flash/flicking creatures could create tricky situation in constructed. Birthing Pod looks like a good Soul Bond dealer...

To me Thunderous Wrath is not that good, and certainly not as good as Gut shot, It's barely a decent card without Miracle. And if you built deck abusing Miracle mechanism, there are better cards to play before putting Thunderous Wrath in your deck, I would sell them as fast as possible, especially for 3 tix.

Vexing Devil, I can't see any situation where I'll be happy to play it. If I play against RDW I'll be more than happy to spend 4 life in exchange to 1 card and my opp skips his 1st turn. And playing RDW, I would never consider not having a creature T1 on the board. Same is true T2, T3 and T4+ it's probably a dead card.
Any player playing against RDW dreams of having a free removal for 4 life for any early creature. How and when Vexing Devil can be good? 0.5 Tix in 1 month for me, just because people will try it and because it could be funny in casual, otherwise 0.05 tix in 2 weeks.

Archwing Dragon, even if I don't like it very much, may be to consider. Unlike during Viashino Sandstalker era, there are Plainswalker around, + that guy has flying and a bigger toughness. He is not that easily stoppable by regular "crawling" creatures and he is a re-loadable silver bullet for Plainswalkers. Probably not too bad overall, a little bit like Dragon rajhi: you don't want to have 2 in hand, but very likely 1 in mid game. Although Hellrider is playing in the same categorie...

I want to learn more about by TennieCamp at Wed, 08/21/2013 - 18:32
TennieCamp's picture

I want to learn more about this game. It is kinda hard at first. Good thing there are many guides here. - Travis Jones Rush Properties