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By: gimlicolby, Steven Colby
Jan 31 2011 10:03am
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Mirrodin Besieged is coming! This is an exciting time for me. I came back but missed spoilers for Scars of Mirrodin. After playing in SOM Block constructed events since October, I am looking forward to a shake up. Right now the meta is made up of 3 decks: Koth Red, UW Control, and Mono U Architect. After looking over the spoilers, I can see that the format is going to be in for a shake up. In part 1 of this article I will look at W, U, and B. Part 2 I will go over R, G, Multicolor, and Lands. Part 3, Artifacts, Artifacts, and more Artifacts. Part 4, DECKS, DECKS, and DECKS I will discuss the cards that I think are playable and unplayable in SOM block. Enough jibber jabber lets jump right into the meat of it all. All spoilers come from mtgsalvation.

 If you disagree with an evaluation please post in the comments. I like to hear other people’s opinions.
 
WHITE
 
Accorder Paladin: A 3/1 body for a white and a colorless. It has the keyword Battle cry. I think this card helps out the white weenie/artifact decks that were popular when SOM first dropped. This pumps up other creatures and has the chance of making monowhite a viable deck. Grade: B
 
Ardent Recruit: A creature that could drop turn one with memnite and mox opal. Turn 2 another artifact and you are already bashing. Works in the right deck. Grade: C+
 
Banishment Decree: ummmm yeah…for 5 mana I expect bigger and better things. This is just underwhelming. I really like to sit in on the R&D meeting where they assign : Ok you need to design a terrible over priced card. Grade: F
 
Choking Fumes: An instant for 3 mana that puts a -1-1 counter on each attacking creature. Could be a sideboard card for monowhite against heavy infect or aggro decks. Probably better in limited but I will not speculate since my limited skills are average at best. Grade: B-
 
Divine Offering: Since most of the past two sets have been artifacts this is in effect a great removal spell. It takes out precursor golems, Steel Hellkites, and any other artifacts that are annoying. You also gain life to boot. I like this card a lot. Especially if Tezz artifact decks become mainstays. Grade: A-
 
Frantic Salvage: An interesting card that could be great in the right situation/deck and just a cantrip in other situations. Could be great in a artifact weenie deck to reload on artifacts. Grade: C-
 
Gore Vassal: A more expensive fume spitter. Pass. Grade: D
 
Hero of Bladehold:  The first mythic to cover. I think this card is very good for block. It is aggressively costed at 4 mana. This card also pumps up other attackers. There can be a deck out there that abuses battle cry. Don’t dismiss this card. Grade: B+
 
Kemba’s Legion: For 7 mana, I am expecting something that be board defining. Myr Battlesphere is board defining. It does not even have vigilance. Not playable in any deck. Grade: F
 
Leonin Relic-Warder: Look at it as a situational oblivion ring. It can blank a defender wurmcoil engine or take out pesky tumble magnets. I think I’d rather play this in the midgame than the early game. A very decent card. Grade: B
 
Leonin Skyhunter: A 2/2 vanilla flyer for WW is underwhelming but in the right deck can be good. Glint Hawk is a 2/2 flyer for W and a minor drawback. The evasion is nice tho. Mediocre card. Grade: C
 
Loxodon Partisan: A little on the expensive side at 4W. It has a small body 3/4 but does have the battle cry mechanic. Wont see play outside of very dedicated battle cry decks. Grade: C+
 
Masters Call: W2 instant that puts 2 1/1 artifacts into play….I like this card a lot. Helps to achieve metal craft and fits into the tempered steel or battle cry decks. Grade: B+
 
Mirran Crusader: Paladin En-Vec is back…..I like this card a lot. It is highly playable in SOM Block. This set has really helped to make infect playable. If you are white you are going to need this card to battle the hordes of phyrexia. At worst it’s an awesome sideboard card. Grade: B+ (certain situations) and B (in other situations)
 
Phyrexian Rebirth: A day of judgmentthat costs WW4 and leaves an X/X creature in its wake…….I really, really like this card in block. A great board reset for white and leaves a clock on the table. This card will see play in UW control decks and mono white decks. Grade: B+
 
Priests of Norn: White infect? Eh. Not good right now and too expensive. Grade: F
 
Tine Shrike: See Priests of Norn. Same thing applies but at least it flies. Grade: D
 
Victory’s Herald: True Conviction in angel form. Awesome! This card can be an I win button. It gives your entire force evasion and life link. Could see play as a one of or two of in a mono white deck. Grade: B
 
White Suns Zenith: The first card of zenith series. Costs WWWX. Pay X and put that many 2/2 cat warriors into play. The best part is this card is an instant. You play it on your opponents end step for 3 cats and hero bladehold out…Your turn your opponent is looking at 16 damage to the dome. You can also use it as a surprise board sweeper during your opponents combat step. Great in a mono white deck. Grade: B
 
White Grade: B (Some average cards. New decks will emerge from this pool)
 
Blue
 
Blue Suns Zenith: I think this could be the weakest of the Zenith’s. UUUX. X draw that many cards. It’s only saving grace is that it is an instant. Great in the late game and in a stalled board. Sucks when you're staring down at white weenies and you rip this off the top. Wont see much constructed play. Grade: C-
 
Consecrated Sphinx: Right now Block games last to the later turns. This mythic actually has some play. It’s able to block Hoard-Smelters and live. And as long as it lives to your opponents draw step it is already netting you 2 cards. I love this card for blue. Makes me want to jump in and play with it on prerelease day. So much better than Blue Sun Zenith. Grade: A
 
Corrupted Conscience: Volition Reins is a beating. This is it’s little evil brother. Comes down a turn earlier with the only draw back or benefit being that the enchanted creature gains infect. This card is a 2 for 1 in decks that are not trying to win via infect and can absolutely be a beating in a UB infect deck (I think there is a deck there now). Very playable. Grade: A
 
Cytoplasm: Doppelganger is back. Boring and situational. You have to wait till your upkeep for it become a copy of a creature. Turn 6, your staring down at your opponents Wurmcoil Engine and you play cytoplasm….yeah awkward. Grade: C-
 
Distant Memories: An interesting card that can act as a tutor or an ancestral recall. It all depends on your opponent. Overpriced at 4 mana but still interesting. This card allows your opponent to make wrong mistakes. Probably wont see play but a card that should not be forgotten when deck building. Grade: C
 
Fuel for the Cause: A 4 mana counter that proliferates. Nope, Nope, Nope. Pack it up and ship it to the garbage bin. Grade: D+
 
Mirran Spy: U2, 1/3 flyer that has the ability to untap a creature whenever you cast an artifact spell. Interesting interactions with Grand Architect and powering out fast creatures. It’s power and toughness are underwhelming but his ability can help to power out your hand. Grade: B-
 
Mitotic Manipulation: A sorcery that looks at the top 7 cards of your library and allows you to put one of those cards onto the battlefield if it has the same name as a permanent. My initial thought was that this was terrible…Then the more I kept thinking about it. It has some interesting interactions. At worse it becomes a 3 costed rampant growth. At best you're finding a wurmcoil. Remember it also goes for your opponents permanents too. If they have a battlesphere out, you can put one out too! Grade: B
 
Neurok Commando: LOL at the CMC. Grade: D
 
Oculus: A 1/1 chump block cantrip. I had morning constitutions that were more exciting than this card. Grade: F
 
Quicksilver Geyser: Great limited potential. Poor block constructed potential. This is a little too expensive. Especially for the options blue has at the moment. Grade: C-
 
Serum Raker: Just run Argent Sphinx instead of this reject. Grade: C
 
Spire Serpent: A silly defender that loses it when you hit metalcraft. I value evasion and better abilities. Blue would just run (Precursor Golems) instead of this.Grade: C-
 
Steel Sabotage: FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. This is going to be a staple in blue decks. With the designers pushing artifacts down our throats this card will be super useful. It also acts as disperse. And you have options all for a single U. Grade: A
 
 
Treasure Mage: An interesting take on the trinket mage. This guy does not like trinkets. This is no American Picker. This is the John Medina. He searches for the biggest and baddest cards. Favorite target: Wurmcoil Engine! In an architect deck this is very playable. Grade: B
 
Turn the Tide: Instant that causes your opponents creatures to get -2-0 until end of turn. Has sideboard potential for the infect match up. Grade: C
 
Vedalken Anatomist: An expensive creature with an expensive ability (U2 for a ½ creature that puts -1-1 counters on a creature for U2 and a tap). Nothing exciting here. Grade: C-
 
Vedalken Infuser: U3, ¼, At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a charge counter on target artifact. Could Lux Cannon become constructed playable? Also helps recharge tumble magnets. Probably overcosted but again you must keep an open mind. Grade: C
 
Vivisection: U3 sacrifice a creature and draw 3 cards. Expensive. Blue has many ways to ramp. Id rather just play Consecrated Sphinx. Grade: C
 
Blue Grade: B. A good amount of average and above average cards. What drives the grade is in the back of mind, TEZZZZZZZZZZ. I will discuss it more when I get there.
 
BLACK
Black Sun Zenith: Blacks turn at the cycle. A very awesome card. Black now has it’s reset button. This is a main deck staple for black! Great card against weenie decks and troublesome creatures. Grade: A
 
Caustic Hound: B5 4/4 Creature that when it dies takes 4 life from each player. Unplayable. Just play Carnifex Demon instead, which has evasion and better ability. Grade: D-
 
Flensermite: B1 and you get a 1/1 infect lifelinker…..there are better options for infect at the 2 drop spot….This is way down on the list. Grade: D
 
Flesh-Eater Imp: B3 and you get a 2/2 flyer with infect and the ability to sacrifice a creature to pump it up by +1/+1. Like Flensermite there are better options. Hand of the Praetors and Corpse Cur come to mind. It does have evasion so can make a deck. Grade: C
 
Go for the Throat: I love this card. Kills every non artifact creature out there. If this was in a non-artifact heavy set this would be an A+….Since there are a lot of artifact creatures it drops it’s grade to A-. Awesome sauce! And the picture on the card is absolutely amazing. Grade: A-
 
Gruesome Encore: A reanimator mark of mutiny. Great at keeping Kuldotha Phoenix from coming back. Probably wont see constructed play. Grade: C-
 
Horrifying Revelation:  This is not this blocks thoughtseize or duress. This would be more playable if the discard was random. Otherwise, wont see play. Grade: D+
 
Massacre Wurm: Blacks Mythic. Has a come into play ability that gives your opponents creatures -2-2. It also has the ability that shocks your opponent whenever a creature your opponent controls hits the graveyard. I like this card a lot. This great against weenie decks and against bigger creatures decks. He can be played either main phase depending on the situation. Should see constructed play.. Grade: B+
 
Morbid Plunder: BB1 and you get to return 2 creatures from your graveyard to your hand. This would be great in a infect deck that packs cheap creatures. Works great in tandem with Hand of the Praetors. You get back 2 plague stingers and next turn your opponent is taking 2 poison counters from the praetors. Its great in the right deck otherwise just leave it at home. Grade: C+
 
Nested Ghoul: BB3 Creature 4/2 body that whenever it takes damage puts a 2/2 black zombie token. Right now there is no zombie deck in SOM. The 4/2 body is just too fragile. Grade: C
 
Phyresis: 1B enchantment that makes any creature a bringer of plague and death. Infect decks are going to be streamlined. This is just clunky and awkward. Grade: C
 
Phyrexian Crusader: BANANAS. I love this card so much. It’s evil Paladin En-Vec.  He has protection from white and more importantly red (big bane of infect). He makes red have to find other ways to deal with him, perilous myr has come up in conversation. Throw a Sword of Body and Mind on him and he has protection from 4 of the 5 colors. This is a major upgrade over contagious nim. Every black infect deck will run 4 of these. He also has first strike so he lives against any 3/3 he fights against since they -2/-2 before they deal damage. Grade: A
 
Phyrexian Rager: A reprint. Great limited card….Unless they print a horror lord, it wont see play right now. Grade: C+
 
Phyrexian Vatmother: BB2 4/5 Infect Creature. Now this is a creature. He has a healthy body and is a severe threat that needs to be blocked every turn. Does have the drawback of giving you a poison counter every upkeep. You have to keep a finger on the pulse. You don’t want to be playing this guy against other infect decks, Otherwise this is a fine card. Grade: B
 
Sangromancer: A 3/3 flyer for 4 mana with a ability of gaining life whenever a creature your opponent controls goes into the graveyard or when he discards a card. This is a vanilla flying donk that gets outclassed in the air by by U, R, and W creatures. At this moment not constructed worthy. Grade: C-
 
Scourge Servant: A 3/3 infect for 5 mana. No thank you. Grade: D
 
Septic Rats: A 2/2 infect rat for 3 mana. He becomes a 3/3 when he is attacking and the player has a poison counter. This is actually a solid creature and would be playable if the 3 spot wasn’t filled with phyrexian crusader and plague rats. Grade: B
 
Spread the Sickness: A 5 mana sorcery that destroys any creature and then proliferate. The cost is too high for what it does. Just play Go for the Throat or Grasp of Darkness. Grade: B-
 
Virulent Wound: A B instant that gives a -1-1 counter on target creature. And if that creature goes to the graveyard than your opponent gets a poison counter. I like this a lot. Helps to mana myrs or to act as a combat trick that also hurts your opponent. Grade: B
 
Black: Grade: A
The cards here really are powerful and help out the color. Infect becomes a very viable archetype with this set. Tier 1? Possibly.
 
Well that is it so far. Come back for Part 2 when we talk about Red, Green, Multi-color, and Lands.
 
Until next time this is your resident dwarf,
Gimlicolby

5 Comments

Cryptoplasm, not Cytoplasm by Rerepete at Mon, 01/31/2011 - 14:28
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Cryptoplasm, not Cytoplasm

I am in heaven with all the by lumbydan at Mon, 01/31/2011 - 15:05
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I am in heaven with all the block talk today. I can't wait to try out a U/B infect control deck. I think it has all the tools now for block with the inkmoth nexus, infect mind control, and go for the throat.

I think UB infect control by gimlicolby at Mon, 01/31/2011 - 18:32
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I think UB infect control will be awesome. Tezz can be the real deal. I already have ideas a brewing. The best part is block is going to get a shake up

I second your excitement for by Kumagoro42 at Mon, 01/31/2011 - 22:53
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4

I second your excitement for both Consecrated Sphinx and Treasure Mage. The Mage will see constructed play in a lot of formats, since it's a very versatile tutor. I can see it become a Commander staple, for instance. The Sphinx is awesome. Not being an artifact is a good thing in block constructed, yet it's a slight flaw in some other formats (no interactions with Sharuum/Open the Vaults).

I disagree about Cryptoplasm. The case you consider makes no sense: Cryptoplasm costs half the cost of a Wurmcoil, so it's fair to assume it could be already on the board when the wurm shows up. Think about that, instead: monoblue, you cast Cryptoplasm with a counterspell in hand (that's easiest to do since it's a 3cc creature). Opponent's turn. If he casts a threat, you will have the same threat as soon as your upkeep kicks in (and yours has haste). If he tries to kill it, you can protect it. Worst case, you slowed down the opponent, causing his Wurmcoil to stay in his hand. In your upkeep, the plasm can find some targets anyway, maybe another creature of yours. What about double Architect boost? Hasted Palladium Myr? Until the next big threat (yours or opponent's) hits the board. I can see some play for such a card.

I never thought about it that by gimlicolby at Tue, 02/01/2011 - 18:01
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I never thought about it that way! Thanks.

I really like consecrted sphinx in block. I may be totally wrong but it has a sizable body and a great ability.