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By: iceage4life, Timothy Pskowski
Oct 13 2008 3:37am
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Shards of Alara in Classic

In a few short weeks Magic Online will see the release of Magic's newest set.  I was kinda down on this set at first and while I don't think it is perfect in limited I am enjoying it much more than I thought I would.  Below is a look at the cards from the set that I think will make an impact on Classic.

This set I think is above average for a new set in terms of Classic playables.  The Esper Shard and it's artifact theme are clearly to blame with ten of nineteen cards being artifacts.  Feel free to disagree with me in the comments if you think I'm off base on any of these cards.  Most of these cards should be pretty cheap a nice bonus for Classic fans after MED2.  I think only three of these cards will keep a decent value (Master of Etherium, Tezzeret, and Hellkite Overlord).

 

Mono white has a recent history of anti-combo creatures.  Highlights include: True Believer, Glowrider, Samurai of the Pale Curtain, and along the same lines Kataki, War's Wage.  What does the Canonist offer that these other creatures do not?

  • Hates mostly on storm, most non-storm combo decks can go off with this in play, just takes more time.
  • Artifact creature
    -Fits well in Affinity unlike the other options
    -Dies to artifact removal
    -Can find with 
    Enlightened Tutor
  • Splashable, many of the other hate cards need WW to cast.
  • Combos with Erayo, Soratami Ascendant.  This is mainly in reference to affinity decks but this does give the deck pretty much a hard lock combo maindeck.  That is if your opponent doesn't pack Engineered Explosives.

I'm not sure if Canonist will see tons of play but I do think that eternal players should pick some up, should be pretty cheap.  It is a good card to keep in mind when planing a sideboard.

 

Running Trinket Mage?  Need to kill artifacts and enchantments that Engineered Explosives has trouble with?  Run Dispeller's Capsule.

That is all.

There are two decks that jump out at me that want to run this guy.  The first is affinity.  He is a fine turn two play to get Myr Enforcers into play quickly as well as free Skullclamps and Arcbound Workers.  That said I think affinity has better options.  (Æther Vial) and Springleaf Drum get creatures out and fix mana unlike the Sculptor.

The deck I'm more excited about is Sensei-Sensei.  The deck is based around Sensei's Divining Top and Helm of Awakening followed by Brain Freeze for the kill.  I've always thought the deck to be slow and a one trick pony.  I can now see a version that has a respectable beatdown plan as a non-combo win condition.  The core of the deck would be Counterbalance, Sensei's Divining Top, Etherium Sculptor, Trinket Mage, and a broken two drop ether Dark Confidant or Tarmogoyf.  Add Umezawa's Jitte and Skullclamp to the mix and you have a potent beatdown deck that can also assemble and win with the Brain Freeze combo.  This also cuts the deck's weakest link Helm of Awakening which is too symmetrical for my tastes.

Another possible affinity add on.  I'm unsure on the power level of this card in Classic.  I expect it to see lots of Extended play and ruin many a player's day.  It basically functions as a blend of Arcbound Ravager and Cranial Plating.  I'm not sure if the Classic affinity decks will have room for a three drop.  Clamp, Vial, and Disciple all promote a lowering of the mana curve which does not mesh well with Master of Etherium.  If you want to play Affinity in Classic it is not a bad idea to pick these up but don't count on playing them.
Mindlock Orb saw a lot of hype when it was incorrectly spoiled at a casting cost of 4.  As a blue artifact it has seen less interest.  This is a card that I think will be slow to gain appeal in Classic.  I do expect that at some point it will be used.  Mono blue aggro-disruption decks are a fringe archetype in Legacy.  With Ancient Tomb and City of Traitors as well as artifact mana they can regularly cast turn one Sea Drakes.  I can see Mindlock Orb being a great sideboard option versus some combo decks reliant on tutors.

Ugh, I love this card but seeing it fills me with dread.  Why you might ask?  Well I need a foil one for my cube.  And Vintage players are VERY excited about it as among other things it is a one card combo with Time Vault.  Vintage foil mythic rare?  GL me.

I think I need to talk about him if for no other reason than the fact he is so hyped.  I personally think it is not yet his time for online eternal formats.  He costs five, this is no problem in Vintage with Black Lotus, Sol Ring, and Mana Drain.  In Classic and even more-so in Legacy your options to hit five mana quickly are limited.  When Classic gets some more tools (and Time Vault) he will have his day in the sun.

Another card hyped for eternal formats.  I feel Ad Nauseam is too expensive with too big a drawback to see play.  I'd rather ritual out Tendrils of Agony of Mind's Desire than a draw spell.  The combo with Angel's Grace does let you draw your deck but for six mana I'm not convinced this is worth it.
This is another card that has been mentioned for Classic play (was PureMTGO's preview card).  Seems worse than Hypnotic Specter for discard and worse than Magus of the Moon for locking out your opponent.  If it was "At the beginning of each player's upkeep that player discards a card." I'd consider it.

I think this card bears mentioning.  The main reason This version of Dark Banishing can make it into a set review for eternal is because it is a 1cc artifact.  This makes it work with a few key cards.

  • Trinket Mage The big one, play one of this and you can kill Tarmogoyfs off your Trinket Mage without having to Engineered Explosives x=2.
  • Thirst for Knowledge Being an artifact and somewhat narrow makes it a perfect card to discard to Thirst sometimes.
  • Auriok Salvagers This is a little more tenuous but it is worth mentioning.  Killing a Tarmogoyf and then getting this back via Salvagers can make it very hard for some decks to win.
  • Countermagic, versus the common aggro control decks if you lay this turn one you make life much harder for them.  Instead of just dropping a goyf with counter backup they have to deal with this or draw two goyfs before they can go aggro on you.

I feel compelled to talk about Salvage Titan because others have expressed interest in him.  I think he is awful.  Sure playing him turn one is not a stretch but setting your self up to exit the game to Force of Will or Swords to Plowshares seems like a bad idea.  Affinity will never hard cast him and I can think of much better ways to use three artifacts than sacing them.

When first spoiled people thought this was Bitterblossom v2.0.  Well its more like Bitterblossom v3.0.  Sorry couldn't help myself there.  I don't think that Goblin Assault will be that great.  Goblins I think has better options and other decks have Bitterblossom.  I could be underrating this like I did Bitterblossom (hey I thought it was a good card, didn't know it was broken) and time will tell.

In an unsanctioned draft last Friday we redrafted the rares and a pair of these were picked fairly late of a weak pool.

I don't see this getting Eternal play, I think it costs one too much mana for that.  I mainly included it to point it out as a great way for R&D to give green sources of card advantage/pseudo draw that are very in keeping with green's flavor and the color wheel.  Well done R&D.

It is very good in limited, I usually can find one legal target in the four cards and my opponents are about 18/20 on finding cards with it.  Think of it as the green Counsel of the Soratami.  Keep in mind that green decks also have very few ways to access this type of card advantage unlike blue.

Oh man, remember when this was spoiled at 1G?  People treated it as the second coming of his Goyfiness.  I don't think that he was in that league even at 1G but I do think it is an interesting card.  I would not be surprised to see this card broken at some point.
Kird Ape was not printed for years for being "too powerful."  Well no longer, not only is it not too powerful it also has just been one up'd. I'm not sure how viable it is but if you can make Domain Zoo work than she is your woman.  The mana base has become a good bit less painful with MED 2.  When it comes down to it, there  are worse things to do than attack with a 3/3 on turn two.

Timmy, meet Spike, Timmy and Spike meet Hellkite Overlord.  If Classic ever gets a respectable reanimator deck expect this to be the go to man.  He simply puts a faster clock on your opponent than any other reanimation target in Magic.

The main use I see for him is once we get Oath of Druids online.  He has already made some Vintage t8's in the same deck as that two mana enchantment.

A cantriping two mana counterspell is pretty far above the curve for what we've been getting recently.  That said, I don't think this card is very good.  It is so narrow it hurts me.  Some people have mentioned wanting it against discard or burn decks.  Most discard costs one or two mana so you usually won't be able to fire this off.  Versus burn its fine but I'd rather sideboard in Circle of Protection: Red.

I wish it read
"Counter target spell that targets you or a spell or permanent you control"
Being able to counter counterspells with it would be a nice bonus but as the card stands I think it is unplayable maindeck and a waste of sideboard space.

 

Oh man, this card makes me want to get Vindicate and dust off Gerrard's Verdict.  Mesmeric Fiend was always a solid card but the fact it was a 1/1 made the fact it was a creature a downside to the effect not an upside.  Getting a 2/2 is a whole diffrent picture.  Turn one Duress/Thoughtseize taking removal or a counterspell followed by a turn two Sculler will end many a game if I'm correct.

Heck I want to find room (and mana) for him in Extended Domain Zoo.

 

There has been much speculation on this card. Personally I think it is junk.  I am not sure this will end up being a dud but I think most of the combo decks people are talking about using this in will be awful.

It has also been mentioned as a card to beat burn decks.  I can see this but I'm still unimpressed.

Graveyard hate is always popular for eternal formats.  The relic is interesting but I don't think passes muster.  It costs two mana to nuke both graveyards, two more than Tormod's Crypt taking out the one that matters.  I don't think it will side widespread play but might see some.

I would use in Trinket Mage decks in two ways.  First off using it main deck in place of Crypt.  Unlike Crypt it is not a totally dead draw versus most decks due to cantriping.  I can also see it being brought in from the sideboard as part of a mix with Crypts.  This has two advantages.  First your Mages can fetch up the card best for the current situation.  Secondly you can get around Pithing Needle on one of your two hate cards.

 

2 Comments

by TheUsualSuspect(Unregistered) 75.40.211.142 (not verified) at Fri, 10/17/2008 - 22:31
TheUsualSuspect(Unregistered) 75.40.211.142's picture

when i first saw relic my only thought was this card is the anti thresh. drop it vs thresh and they will not be swinging at you whell possibly ever with anything bigger than 1/1

The Relic by eskimo(Unregistered) 76.10.155.181 (not verified) at Mon, 10/13/2008 - 18:06
eskimo(Unregistered) 76.10.155.181's picture

The only thing I really have to say, is that the relic is great Goyf hate.  Turn the 5/6 monster into a 0/1 wuss.  Crypt doesn't do that.