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By: JBushEsq, Jordan Bush
Apr 16 2009 11:16am
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Hello and welcome back to Musings. This time around I'm going to be wrapping up my look at Conflux limited by looking at the final few cards from the set. This time around I'm going to be taking a look at the Colorless cards from the set - the pure brown artifacts (they are silver now arn't they?....anyways) as well as the lands.

As always, the rest of the series can be found at: 

Red http://puremtgo.com/articles/musings-look-conflux-limited-red
Green http://puremtgo.com/articles/musings-look-conflux-limited-green
White http://puremtgo.com/articles/musings-look-conflux-limited-white
Blue http://puremtgo.com/articles/musings-look-conflux-limited-blue
Black http://puremtgo.com/articles/musings-look-conflux-limited-black-black
Gold http://puremtgo.com/articles/musings-loot-conflux-limited-gold

As with last time, I'm going to continue to the same methodology for ranking the cards. Keep in mind that these are only my subjective (though hopefully learned) opinions - and personal bias can change how any given card should be viewed. Also, no draft is the same, nor is any draft deck - so there are many times when my thoughts/rankings should not be hard - fast rules, rather they should be a rough idea and a factor for considering what card might be the correct pick.



Basically, I'll be giving each card two different rankings: 1) an overall generalized "Pick Ranking" - IE 3rd -5th etc. This number serves to give a rough idea of about when any given card should be taken- though as I said above, remember no draft is the same so these numbers can change greatly based on the draft. 2) I'll also be giving each card a "Tier" rating - refer to the table below for what each different rating means.

 Tier Ranking  Rationale
 I Absolute, Windmill Slam Bombs - these are the cards that don't just help to win, but rather win the game all by themselves. They will drastically alter the current state of the game and very probably rip victory from almost assurred defeat. This are the cards that should be considered despite needing to slash/change colors for them.
 II Bombs - These are the cream of the crop, if unanswered they will likely win the game in very short order. 99% of the time, an automatic pick for anyone playing the right colors, and worth considering if only a light splash would be required.
 III  The Bread and Butter - These are the cards every decks needs to function - the bombs will win the games, but these will keep the game winable. This category includes most removal, and the better than average creatures.
 IV  Solid - a step down from Tier III, but still very playable and effective cards, unless it was a particularly crazy draft, at least a few of these will end up in your deck
 V  Questionable - not bad per se, but they tend to be lacking for one reason or another, certianly not unplayable, but think of them more as the last few cards that you play to get the right creature count or such.
 VI  Sideboard - Cards that can wreck the right deck, but will be almost unplayable against everyone else.
 VII  Unplayable - Just bad cards that will almost never have a home in a draft deck - go for the highest rarity pick when it comes down to this point...

With my usual preamble out of the way - on the cards:

Artifacts

Armillary Sphere

 Ahhh - the first of many mana fixing cards that I'm going to be talking about this article, so I'm going to be repeating myself a lot. That being said, this is one of the better options to be had in the format if you need mana fixing. However, I'd rather be set up and getting all of what I need from lands - however if your mana base is iffy or your playing 4 or 5 colors, then this is worth considering as I'd rather lose some speed and be able to play my spells than not play them at all. Plus getting two lands should be enough to put you in good shape colorwise for the game. Really, what this one comes down to is the tradeoff of good fixing, versus having a strong 2nd and 3rd turn play. So, if you need the fixing, then go for it, and pick this accordingly. I'll play these, but not be happy about it - Tier V, and depending on your deck 3rd-8th. Armillary Sphere

Bone Saw
 

 In theory, this card is fine - however I just can't justify losing a card for it - a card whose impact would be significant in of itself 99% of the time. That being said, this would have some applications for an artifact heavy Esper deck with Master Transmuter, Esperzoa or Glaze Fiends. In thinking about the Saw, I had thought that it might go OK into a hyper aggressive deck, but I really don't think that to be so either - +1/+0 is just too little of an impact to lose a card on. Unless a special Esper situation: Tier VII, 10th+ Bone Saw

Font of Mythos
 

 A supersized Howling Mine, that is not worth it for most draft decks as your opponent gets to reap the rewards before you do and without being down a card in the first place. So, for most decks, this is enough to make the Font unplayable, however - in a hyper aggressive deck, this can provide some valuable extra gas and allow the aggressive deck to be playing multiple threats a turn, every turn at a point where your opponent will still be setting up. However, thats assuming you can get this into play on turn 4 - the later you wait, the more value this card loses. So, aggressive decks may want to consider this, for everyone else might as well raredraft it late for a casual deck - Tier VII, 8th+ Font of Mythos

Kaleidostone
 

 Another mana fixer - and this one's pretty good. Playing this is effectively like playing 39 cards, and getting some help in playing that big splashed bomb. Of course this is mose significant for a 5 color player and helping them play something like Fusion Elemental, however even for a 3 or 4 color deck, this is worth considering as it can help to play larger mana intensive spells - at little net loss too since it replaces itself. Tier IV, 4th-8th.

I also want to mention that this can go from being very solid to absurd in the right Esper deck (common theme with the artifacts it would seem...) that can bounce this with various effects and effectively draw a card for 2 a turn.

Kaleidostone

Mana Cylix
 

 Yet more mana fixing options. This one though is one of the worst - if your really desperate, then do what you must, but playing this card is effectively playing a card that does nothing. Sure, being able to play your spells is better than not, but I want to find my fixing elsewhere, go to this only if your playing 4 or 5 colors with nothing else to help with the mana. Tier VII, 10th+ Mana Cylix

Manaforce Mace
 

 For nearly every deck in this format, this is a +3/+3 bonus to a creature - which while expensive to get into play and get equipped - its enough to turn any lowly creature into a threat...which if answered, will just get another friend to become scary. If playing domain, then the +5/+5 boost is just crazy - either way, being able to turn any and every creatures into a significant threat for a little mana is a good investment. Tier IV, 3rd-6th. Manaforce Mace

Obelisk of Alara
 

 I love this card. Since most decks are running 3+ colors, playing this means you get at least three choices - any of which can prove useful - and indeed even game altering over the course of a few turns. I wouldn't hesitate to pick this early no matter what deck I'm playing because of the late game power and flexibility this provides. Also, of honorable mention would be the interaction with this and the Filigree Sages, which can allow for multiple uses of the Obelisk. Tier II, 1st. Obelisk of Alara


Lands

 

Ancient Ziggurat
 

 I've had both really good experiences with this card, and really bad ones. That being said, since draft decks are usually pretty creature intensive the pluses outweigh the minuses with this card, even more so if your splashing a 4th color only for a bomb creature - then this is even better. I suppose, just a word of caution, if you have spells in your main colors and creatures from another - then this is really good. However if your splash is mostly removal, this might not be the card for you. Nonetheless, fixing is really important, and getting it in a land that can be used right away is too decent for most decks to pass up. Tier III, 3rd-5th - though earlier depending on need for fixing. Ancient Ziggurat

Exotic Orchard
 

 I really like this card - granted it can be a little iffy - but in a format where the vast majority of people play three or more colors - then at worst this is an on-color basic land with no drawbacks. However, a lot of the time more than one color will overlap, or your opponent will be play a slighly off color tri-land or the such, and this little guy will get you more than one color. Still though, while I would play it just because there is little to nothing to lose, I wouldn't take it early (aside as a semi-rare draft...) thinking that it will 100% of the time fix my mana woes. Tier IV and 4th-7th. Exotic Orchard

Reliquary Tower
 

There aren't going to be enough times when you can draw enough cards to have the cards benefit kick in to overcome the difficulty of a colorless land. Not for drafts folks. Tier VII, 10th+ Reliquary Tower

Rupture Spire
 

 Now this is a land. One of the hardest parts of this format is getting the mana base right - have a land that can go for every color is just too valuable. The drawbacks on this thing are little annoying, but ideally you can just lay it down on turn 2, and play a game of color screw free magic. Really, the importance of having the right mana are so important that I would take this 1st unless my mana was already looking really solid. Tier III, 1st-5th. Rupture Spire

Unstable Frontier
 

 I really don't like this one - its slow, and requires you to have +1 land for whatever your casting if you need to use its ability. However, I'd rather have this than Mana Cylix as it can both fix your mana, as well as be a colorless mana in good circumstances - so not too bad of a downside. Also, its good for domain and off-color activation costs on Battlemages and the such. Its a necessary evil - if your mana base looks iffy - grab this, and know its better to cast your spell a turn late than never at all. Tier V, 4th-8th. Unstable Frontier

 And that wraps up my look at Conflux - I hope that if nothing else that the series made you think about how you personally value the cards and decide why it may be similiar or different from how I do. As always, questions or comments are appreciated.

As for whats next... Come mid/late may, plan to start see my look at Alara Reborn. Until then though, I have a couple of ideas, including an overall recap of Conflux looking at my hits, but mostly my misses. Let me know if theres anything that you might be interested in seeing though. Thanks for reading.

Until next time - Cheers.

2 Comments

Pretty dead on. by Anonymous (not verified) at Thu, 04/16/2009 - 16:22
Anonymous's picture

Armillary Sphere is a definite 1st and 2nd pick in the Conflux booster if you know by that point that you're definitely going 4- or 5-color. Nothing is more vital than grabbing 1 or 2 of those for your deck, and you have to take them early because if another 5-color player is shipping packs to you, you're not going to see any Spheres.

I agree with that 100%. Just by JBushEsq at Thu, 04/16/2009 - 17:10
JBushEsq's picture

I agree with that 100%. Just a matter of knowing your deck and what it needs and how to adjust your picks accordingly. There are times when almost any card could be a 1st pick - too many factors to say otherwise for every situation.