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Hey there everyone, welcome back to the box. This week it's all about Zendikar for the Classic format with what should be making splashes and what could be trying to get into winning lists in my opinion. There is also something about a Magic Eternal Pre that we are planning on running down at the bottom of the article. I am going to start in the classic wubrg color order and see what kind of hidden treasures this set has for Classic.

                                                                                          White

The biggest baddest angel since Akroma is here to help shut the game down. Her casting cost is absolutely ridiculous and not something we will concern ourselves with, but her ability to shut down whole swaths of an opponent’s deck is not to be overlooked. Currently Iona will probably not see much play as the best way to get her into play may be in a Dredge shell, but really they have much better things to recur such as Woodfall Primus and Angel of Despair to name a few. No this will be seeing play in Oath of Druids decks come December when we get the marquee card from Exodus. From there the game plan will be to get her down asap, sometimes as early as turn 2. Once she is on the battle field she can cut off the combo color of decks like Teps, or Ad Nauseam or Dread Return and Cabal Therapy to slow down Ichorid lists. On the control side she can name to shut off removal or to make sure that all your spells resolve for the rest of the game. She can also partner up with Painter's Servant for a hard lock that ends with a 7/7 beat stick. I would suggest getting 2 for play in Oath if you really want this gal.

A finishing tool for Landstill builds, this card would probably best be served in the sideboard for its slower matchups. This thing can't get going until turn 4 at the earlyest and that's if you got it out on turn 1. However in spite of its speed it is a really interesting card that could help out the slow drawn out control on control matches. Pairing it with (Enlightned Tutor) seems like a no brainer and even might let you run it main deck if the format has slowed down long enough for you to get an activation or 2 out of it. Could this pair with my favorite Lorwyn block rare Savor the Moment?

This card is on the fringe of playability but there has been a recent increase of Phyrexian Dreadnoughts making the money recently and this could help you get there against them. Probably not, but it is a card that you should watch out for as in the early game this does what Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile do for the most part but don't leave any presents for the opponent whether it be life or basic lands. On top of all this you can still remove threats under a Chalice of the Void for

This new flavor of Savannah Lions has nothing on other traditional zoo creatures when it comes to blocking but it's Landfall ability is really interesting when you consider that this guy can swing for 4! on turn 2. If you are more patient and wait out fetchlands I could see it rumbling around for 6-8 power in the 3rd or 4th turn. This could also breathe some life into Boros deck wins letting you cut to just load up on burn and weeines and pump such as Honor of the Pure. Testing should defiantly be done to see where this guy fits into the world but I wouldn't be surprised to see him in successful Zoo decks. Smokestax this is not, but it is very close to a functional reprint for that card and it would help the Stax deck that is trying to get going in Classic immensely. This thing is a reusable Edict for any permanent and on top of all that it is a may ability. If your opponent is all out of juicy things to trash well then you skip it for a turn. The large 4/4 body also helps get things done in a deck that traditionally has been slow to kill. The 5cc is a bit high but if Baneslayer Angel can win in a deck with 147 people then I don't see why this can't try. It's the closest thing we have to Smoke Stax without dipping into for Braids, Cabal Minion.

That's it for white, we see a couple of control cards, a combo enabler, and a beater that may make it followed by an iffy removal spell. Let's see what blue is hiding?

                                                                                   BLUE

In a world of tutors and fetchlands this should cost you almost every time you play it. It will not win the game on its own unless you can draw up 4 copies in a very short time but it can still cause massive damage against decks just by removing win conditions from there deck at instant speed. This also messes with the Mirage block tutors. They play it and find a spell to rest on top of their deck and you just mill it and 12 other cards away. Pairing it with Glimpse the Unthinkable seems like a no brainer but what about Twincast? This could be the card that Classic mill was missing to become a real strategy. If there is a deck for it out there I am sure that someone will flesh it out as it seems like a wonderful rouge build. Damping Engine, are you game?

Merfolk gets yet another tool in the fight against evil. Cosi is theoretically the best non Vial 1 drop the deck could want. On the play this is pretty much a 2/2 for 1 and if the game goes mildly long with him in play, well then he could become Tarmogoyf size with no work on your part. He does have anti synergy with Stifle as you want them to look through there deck but I have a feeling that he wouldn't just be dropped into Merfolk willy nilly. I kind of think that the printing of this card will split Merfolk into two archetypes. The one we currently have and a more agro orientated version running the best win more card in Wake Thrasher. Having these in your list may also want you to switch to Ghost Quarter over Wasteland as you can either color screw them for 1 of their colors or just flat out kill a land and have them fail so that your guy doesn't get bigger.

Force of Will 2.0 this is not. It is much closer to a Stifle, the question remains as to whether this will be wanted. It is a colorless option to any deck to combat storm even if the argument survives about storm players having discard to get around it. This is a useful card because you can often just get there Dark Ritual for free and either slow them down or stop them outright when they don't have the threshold of mana they thought they would have. At it is not out of the question to actually hardcast this and the fact that it Exiles the spells is very relevant in a world with Academy Ruins and Volrath's Stronghold. I think this is a fine card and since it looks like jank picking up the 3-4 you want won't cost an arm and a leg to do so at first. Just get these before Standard and Extended show the world that it is one of the better mythic rares.

Is this card better then Daze or Spell Snare? In Classic the answer is probably no, however if the format continues to get faster and less creature orientated (which it will) then this card can and will come into its own as a choice card slot when evaluating your disruption slots. It stops counterspells, removals, and combo enablers all for the low low price of . It is already gaining steam in Vintage and honestly it should be making an impact in Classic from just about day 1. There are a lot of things this can do and do well no matter how you position your deck to run. I think it's worth cutting Daze as that card just seems so bad in Classic compared to Legacy.

That's all blue is hiding. A combo enabler sort of, a beater, and a pair of cheap disruption spells. A lot of blues cards seem lack luster in this set so I guess we will be happy with the 4 that are presented. Next up is black with what feels like a ton of playables.

                                                                                              BLACK

I really feel like this card has a lot of potential. It is kind of useless outside of the first two turns however so I am not sure what might happen. It seems like RDW splashing Badlands will want this the most but I have a feeling that Zendikar is going to give Dark Ritual a big boost and have it become more of a main stream card outside of combo decks. Drop a couple of these into a suicide black deck and all of a sudden your late game discard becomes reach and helps race. The jury is out on this one for now but it seems to me like it has the proper tools to be competitive as long as the game lasts more than 4 turns.

Hello perfect creature for Pox decks. This guy is pretty fantastic when combined with everything in the pox deck. I would not be surprised to see him help the deck make a surge in popularity as with an active Crucible of Worlds you get a guy every time you want as long as it hasn’t been Exiled. In Legacy this could make it into Dredge decks to help with the long game and general inconsistencies it has in that format. In Classic it's not going to happen as long as we have Bazaar of Baghdad. This could also help suicide black decks get there as all of a sudden their lands now produce 2/1 beaters that may or may not be hasty. Another reason to pack Dark Ritual.

Diabolic Edict it is not but for one extra black you get a guy to swing with. I am on the fence about this guy but I can see it's potential given the fact that he is always a dude and sometimes Edict is a dead card. He also has a bonus of getting rid of Bridge from Belows that the savy Dredge player thought were safe. BBB is rough and I would rather be resolving a Necropotence but again Dark Ritual shines here since you can go Duress, Ritual, Gatekeeper, sac your Goyf.

This spell's inclusion in the format hinges on whether or not Dark Depths makes any headway in Classic. For the uninitiated, Depths + Vampire Hexmage makes a 20/20 all as early as turn 2. If the combo makes it into the main stream expect a few of these to be showing up in decks as it replaces both combo parts when and if they get removed. It is also a 2 for 1 if your running Wasteland or fetchlands and a decent number of dudes.

Leyline of the Void, Tormod's Crypt, and (Relic of Progentius) all get a new friend in their never ending campaign to kill Dredge graveyards. A lot has been said about this card already and people are on both sides of the fence. It either sucks or is a godsend depending on who you ask. I think it is ridiculous though since now any color deck can run multiple hate cards without having to mulligan to oblivion to start the game. Also the fact that it is not a permanent gives it immunity from every Dredge spell besides Cabal Therapy. This card works best with a Sensei's Divining Top to get around that very card. It also works nicely with Brainstorm to hide it in response to a discard. Paired up with some of the artifact hosers I can see a rough road ahead of Dredge in Classic and as a result any decks abusing the graveyard.

We may still be a ways off from vintage but this card has so much potential even in Classic. Pairing it with ( you guessed it) Dark Ritual lets you mess with their deck and long term plans from the get go. I see this as more of a sideboard answer to other sideboard cards your opponent may be bringing in but if you can figure out a way to get extra mana, and you're at an even board state I can't possibly see how they win the game. Maybe pair this with the foundation of the mill deck from Archive Trap to get silly with decking. Keep an eye on this one.

Pairing up with Dark Depths this gives you a 20/20 flying Indestructible duder. If you think it has holes check out day 1 of Pro Tour Austin to see how it can be ridiculous. This card has applications outside of that narrow combo however. It can blank an Engineered Explosives or outright kill a planeswalker. It can also reset an Umezawa's Jitte to give you a fighting chance. The first strike isn't to be lauded but don't forget about it either.

Carnophage 2.0 is here, and it's better than the original. This card is single handily making Vampires an option in almost any format. Yes even Classic. The fact that black does have Dark Ritual makes this an option and helps give MBA the explosiveness it was missing from Urza's Block. I don't know if a full on Vampire agro deck is warranted but now there might just be a reason to try out Aether Vial in a different color deck.

 See even accounting for fringe playability black has a ton of options out of Zendikar and could help make a lasting new archetype in Suicide Black. What does red have in its hidden passions and reckless urges?

                                                                                            RED

Does this have a home in Zoo as well as Goblins? That needs to be seen what you want your deck to do in Classic. I think that this may well be good enough in both archetypes although if it's making it into Goblins decks you’re going to be seeing a different kind of deck, one that focuses on more aggression and less resiliency. The fact that it has haste makes all the difference when trying to evaluate it. It also helps to give gobbos more of an early game that is somewhat lacking in the current builds. This card also really wants you to run a full set of (Goblin Chieftan) and maybe just maybe this is the home for the black Ascension.  The down side of possibly giving them land is a down side indeed, but it is mitigated by the fact that you will have knowledge of what there attempting to do on their turn. For a way out there idea pair it with Meddling Mage to shut down their draw steps in essence.

Avalanche Riders is one of my favorite player created cards and this is almost a strict upgrade on it. For the same cc you get a guy that offs a land and swings for a hasty 2. You do not however have to pay 8 to keep him attacking. This would not fit into a goblins deck I think as there are so many ways to get it into play that do not let you kick it. I could be wrong however since it is Wasteland 6-9*((Stripmine)). I would see this doing better in a more midrange deck with the possible inclusion of Birds of Paradise or other such accelerants. Don't forget that it is a 3 cc 2/1 hasty as it will be correct to sometimes just cast him without kicker. Speaking of Darwin Castle and his alums, when can we get the Invitational back? That was bar non my favorite tournament that WotC ran. My early aspirations of magic did not contain dreams of winning a PT. No they were dreams of winning an Invitational and getting immortalized in the game I love.

This card just screams "Look at me!!!! I can do busted things! Free Spells!!! and I am easy to cast and activate!" My gut reaction is that it would be a phenomenal card in decks that care about attacking with Lorescale Coatl and Quirion Dryad or Gro decks. Those pack a lot of redundancy already and this seems like the perfect fit for the deck. You could also try this in Teps decks to get a lot more value out of the late game. And of course there is RDW which would really love for their Lightning Bolts to do and their Fireblasts to take chunk life points out of the opponent. The one down side I see with it is that if you really want to abuse this card you need to have at least 3x in your deck to draw it in a timely fashion. It does however stack so multiples will not be dead as long as they have the counters.

 

I know a lot of people are not hot on this creature but come one. He is magnificent. Yea sure maybe he isn't doing much until turn 3 but he is Goblin Lackey twice. Literally he is just the same card doubled over. Aether Vial is nuts with him as you can drop it down in there EOT and possibly get through for a Goblin Ringleader and Siege-Gang Commander on your turn 4, drawing 2-4 cards and getting 6 guys from an empty board. He is probably a natural pair with Goblin Chieftain as well since the fact that he has double strike essentially makes him hit for 4 under the lords knowing command. This is probably ridiculous in Standard and Extended sometime in the future as well so try and get them while they are cheap.

 Red gets goblins and a possible combo/tempo allstar in this set and it's not surprising that (Goblin Chieftan) was the upgrade for the tribe in M10 after seeing this set. Green kind of blows in this set with only a pair of cards that may see the money.

                                                                                                   GREEN

I know I know, this card has been hyped to death. That does not however mean that it is a bad card. Trying to evaluate the middle of the road this guy should give you access to 5 mana on turn 3 if you build the deck correctly. What you do with that is anyone's guess. I can't see this being a huge roleplayer in the format but I would also not be surprised to see something come out of his unique ability given the fact that the card pool is so large and it is a semi engine of sorts.

Another card I’m not sold on and one I mention purely on the merits of Shroud. This could find a home in Zoo sideboards but is likely better in Legacy then it is in Classic. Besides the fact that it is a pump spell in a format where almost none exist, the fact that you can save your dude from removal is a real tempo boost. Most Zoo decks can have such a crushingly fast start that stopping the turn 2 Swords to Plowshares or Lightning Bolt should give them the time they need to race. Defiantly testable in my eyes.

As I said, green is lack luster I will give an honorable mention to Summoning Trap as it could possibly find its way into Elves! or some midrangy decks if picks up it's current numbers of counterspells. The artifacts in this set do not belong in Classic decks. the two that even have an interest cost way too much to seriously consider at & mana respectively for Eldrazi Monument and Eternity Vessel. So that brings us to lands.

                                                                                                              Lands

The enemy fetch lands won't revolutionize Classic. The format has been going strong for 2 years with the originals. What this will do is allow Tarmogoyf to cement itself in the lead of best creature ever printed. Every single color combination can now run a basic Forest to play the off color game ender, and without damaging or weakening your mana base. Besides the dumb guy these will help strengthen manabases in every deck as long as they run fetch lands. It is probably now correct to run a basic Island and Forest in tempo thresh over a pair of dual lands with the inclusion of Misty Rainforest. Also of note is that Pithing Needle becomes better for those who diversify their fetch lands. For instance a base deck that runs 1's and 2's of the 4 fetch lands can use Needle to hit their opponents fetches without damaging themselves.  Hooray for these!

I am probably off on this card and am biased because it is my favorite card in the set. This is almost assuredly to slow for Classic but in Legacy it could become an archtype staple of Landstill builds. You only need one because of Crucible of Worlds and Tolaria West. In the long game, which is where Landstill hopes to be you can sit and craft a nice hand and just pop this at the end of an opponents unexciting turn. You may have just as an unexciting extra turn but you can do it again or just sit on the counter till you know you need to drop a planeswalker and untap.  I really hope this card is worth the trouble because it is just so cool.

 And that leaves only the full art basic land. These won't affect tournament play but some of them are gorgeous and these will replace my pr2 lands in all my constructed decks. Here are my favorite ones.

 

That wraps up Zendikar for Classic but I had mentioned something about a PRE didn't I? Well Clan Magic Eternal is going to try and bring the next best thing since sliced bread. It is going to be a new constructed format based on the Classic card pool and only the Classic card pool. See most of the spells we enjoy in the format are also playable in other formats. But what about Master's Edition Block constructed?? Yes thats right this is going to be a Pre event where your deck can only contain ME 1, 2, or 3 cards. It will follow the Classic Restricted list but other than that you are good to go with all of the cards.  How will this format break down? You have some of the most powerful spells in the game but are lacking quality creatures and deck manipulation. This should be a real fun idea to give a chance to those cards you know are better then they see play. Things like Serendib Efreet and Armageddon are the cards I’m looking at. This is going to take place on a Saturday in early December. I wanted to get the word out early to let people test the format and give a reward to the people that put the effort into exploring the card pool. Currently the prize pool contains a playset of Mana Drain and singletons of the 5 me3 duals and Bazaar of Baghdad. We would love for this to be a big tournament, hence the large prize pool. Please tell your friends and get them excited as we are still roughly two months away from the Pre and we would love if this became big. The more popular i.e. more people this event has, the larger the prize pool and the better a chance that this may become an ongoing thing. Next week I will go more in-depth with the format and registration; this was more to get the word out. So Start your engines and put on your thinking beanies.

See ya in 7, whiffy out.

Georgios Efelis
whiffy penguin on modo
Member of Clan Classic Eternal
 

Bonus #1 Prerelease #1. 3-1 in matches 7-2 in games, win 4 packs and a foil promo. splash Tempo deck. Copy/paste the following txt and save in notepad as a txt file and you can view this in modo.

1 Disfigure
1 Graypelt Refuge
1 Sejiri Refuge
1 Mind Sludge
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Shepherd of the Lost
2 Expedition Map
1 Khalni Gem
1 Pitfall Trap
3 Crypt Ripper
1 Kor Sanctifiers
1 Journey to Nowhere
2 Gatekeeper of Malakir
1 Caravan Hurda
1 Steppe Lynx
1 Hagra Crocodile
1 Windrider Eel
1 Surrakar Marauder
1 Jwar Isle Refuge
1 Giant Scorpion
1 Vampire Hexmage
1 Stonework Puma
5 Plains
9 Swamp

Sideboard
1 Lavaball Trap
1 Carnage Altar
1 Island
1 Forest
1 Zendikar Farguide
2 Oran-Rief Survivalist
1 Spidersilk Net
1 Kor Hookmaster
1 Pyromancer Ascension
1 Khalni Heart Expedition
1 Savage Silhouette
1 Swamp
1 Lethargy Trap
1 Archive Trap
1 Soul Stair Expedition
1 Ravenous Trap
2 Kraken Hatchling
1 Welkin Tern
1 Hellkite Charger
1 Teetering Peaks
2 Ior Ruin Expedition
2 Ondu Cleric
1 Summoning Trap
1 Whiplash Trap
1 Quest for the Holy Relic
2 Goblin War Paint
1 Nissa's Chosen
1 Goblin Bushwhacker
1 Quest for Ancient Secrets
1 Murasa Pyromancer
2 Caller of Gales
1 Mold Shambler
1 Desecrated Earth
1 Makindi Shieldmate
1 Molten Ravager
2 Guul Draz Vampire
1 Merfolk Wayfinder
1 Plated Geopede
1 Territorial Baloth
1 Turntimber Grove
1 Tuktuk Grunts
2 Spreading Seas
2 Forest
1 Mire Blight
1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
1 Æther Figment
1 Harrow
2 Narrow Escape
1 Magma Rift
1 Shatterskull Giant
1 Hedron Crab
1 Mountain
1 Seismic Shudder
 

 

Bonus #2 Prerelease #2 3-1 in matches 7-3 in games, win 4 packs and a foil promo. splash control deck. Copy/paste the following txt and save in notepad as a txt file and you can view this in modo.

1 Into the Roil
1 Merfolk Seastalkers
1 Inferno Trap
1 Cancel
1 Gomazoa
1 Adventuring Gear
2 Vampire Hexmage
1 Blood Seeker
1 Sphinx of Lost Truths
1 Paralyzing Grasp
2 Burst Lightning
1 Vampire Nighthawk
1 Soaring Seacliff
1 Hagra Crocodile
1 Heartstabber Mosquito
1 Summoner's Bane
2 Windrider Eel
1 Reckless Scholar
1 Swamp
1 Surrakar Marauder
1 Giant Scorpion
1 Mindless Null
1 Mountain
6 Island
2 Akoum Refuge
6 Swamp

Sideboard
1 Grim Discovery
1 Plains
2 Kabira Crossroads
1 Shepherd of the Lost
2 Zendikar Farguide
2 Cancel
1 Spidersilk Net
1 Kor Hookmaster
1 Seascape Aerialist
1 Shieldmate's Blessing
1 Relic Crush
1 Joraga Bard
1 Makindi Shieldmate
1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Runeflare Trap
1 Cobra Trap
1 Vines of Vastwood
1 Brave the Elements
1 Teetering Peaks
2 Ior Ruin Expedition
1 Kor Sanctifiers
2 Cliff Threader
2 Forest
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Bala Ged Thief
1 Bog Tatters
1 Mountain
1 Murasa Pyromancer
1 Noble Vestige
1 Caller of Gales
1 Hagra Crocodile
2 Mold Shambler
1 Zektar Shrine Expedition
1 Desecrated Earth
1 Bold Defense
1 Tanglesap
1 Spire Barrage
1 Quest for the Gemblades
1 Turntimber Grove
1 Piranha Marsh
1 Timbermaw Larva
1 Trailblazer's Boots
1 Vastwood Gorger
2 Demolish
1 Baloth Woodcrasher
1 Lullmage Mentor
1 Mire Blight
1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
1 Emeria Angel
2 Mountain
1 Harrow
1 Plains
1 Magma Rift
1 Nimbus Wings
1 Elemental Appeal
 

Bonus #3 Prerelease #3 1-0 in matches 3-1 in games, server crashed in rd 2. control, no splashes. Copy/paste the following txt and save in notepad as a txt file and you can view this in modo.

2 Disfigure
1 Spell Pierce
1 Hedron Scrabbler
1 Bloodchief Ascension
1 Vampire Hexmage
1 Soul Stair Expedition
2 Paralyzing Grasp
1 Ior Ruin Expedition
1 Whiplash Trap
1 Shoal Serpent
1 Hagra Crocodile
1 Summoner's Bane
1 Windrider Eel
1 Reckless Scholar
1 Tempest Owl
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Surrakar Marauder
1 Jwar Isle Refuge
1 Swamp
1 Hideous End
2 Mindless Null
1 Æther Figment
1 Stonework Puma
6 Island
1 Swamp
7 Swamp

Sideboard
1 Kazandu Refuge
1 Kor Skyfisher
2 Ruinous Minotaur
1 Kabira Crossroads
1 Celestial Mantle
1 Spreading Seas
1 Spidersilk Net
1 Murasa Pyromancer
1 Pyromancer Ascension
1 Shieldmate's Blessing
2 Khalni Heart Expedition
1 Relic Crush
1 Lethargy Trap
1 Soul Stair Expedition
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Feast of Blood
1 Vines of Vastwood
1 Hellkite Charger
1 Sunspring Expedition
1 Needlebite Trap
2 Teetering Peaks
1 Ondu Cleric
1 Trapfinder's Trick
1 Kor Duelist
1 Cliff Threader
1 Unstable Footing
1 Goblin War Paint
1 World Queller
1 Nissa's Chosen
1 Goblin Bushwhacker
1 Quest for Ancient Secrets
1 Noble Vestige
1 Caller of Gales
2 Mold Shambler
1 Island
1 Desecrated Earth
1 Makindi Shieldmate
1 Tanglesap
2 Molten Ravager
1 Plains
1 Spire Barrage
1 Merfolk Wayfinder
1 Quest for the Gemblades
1 Windborne Charge
1 Timbermaw Larva
1 Forest
1 Vastwood Gorger
1 Baloth Woodcrasher
1 Goblin Ruinblaster
1 Narrow Escape
1 Explorer's Scope
1 Magma Rift
1 Pillarfield Ox
1 Bladetusk Boar
1 Plains
1 Hedron Crab
1 Mountain
1 Nimbus Wings
1 Seismic Shudder
 

What I learned is that I favor black in this set as seems really deep as evidenced by my 3 pools. The format is pretty quick but I made sure I drew every time even when I was running the 1st list. There is little card advantage in the format it seems as though landfall is the way to get value but if that can't happen drawing more cards always works so blue is also pretty good. Red creatures are pretty terrible so just hope to get removal there, and Green seems a little hit or miss as well.  Hope you enjoyed those.