Friday 26 September 2014

Saving Grasp

Saving Grasp

It doesn't look like much, but a card like this can be very valuable more times than you think. Against a boardwipe, it can save your problem creature. In the late game, you can bounce one of your own creatures with an ETB trigger to get more value out of it. If this were a one-shot card, I would not rate it too high but because of its Flashback, it becomes a fairly solid card.

Pros: Bounce one of your own creatures twice
Cons: Only hits your creatures, different colour mana for Flashback
Rating: 3.5/5

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Riptide Pilferer

Riptide Pilferer

Not a bad little creature with the Specter effect. If dropped early enough, this card can become a big hassle to your opponent if it keeps connecting. As a Merfolk, there are tons of lords and specific effects that will allow it to become a problem quite quickly. Even if it only hits once or twice, it's not a bad result for a 2-drop. Still, as a 1/1, you'll probably only connect once with it before a chump blocker gets thrown in front of it.

Pros: 2-drop Specter effect
Cons: No evasion
Rating: 3.5/5

Sunday 21 September 2014

Rakdos Ickspitter

Rakdos Ickspitter

Even if this little guy can't take out a creature, it's always worth using its ability since it will cause the opponent some life loss. It's like a Prodigal Pyromancer that hits two things at once. However, the ability becomes useless if your opponent has no creatures to target. Then again, if your opponent has no creatures, this card will still turn sideways to make them lose a life but though attacking instead of though its ability. All in all, it's a pretty cool card.

Pros: Pyromancer that effectively hits two targets
Cons: Ability is useless without creatures
Rating: 4/5

Thursday 18 September 2014

Viscerid Drone

Viscerid Drone

*sigh*
Nope. A big bucket o' nope. You are two-for-one-ing every time you use this card. If it was just sacking a creature it would be much better since there are decks out there that like sack outlets, but this forces you to sack both a creature and a land. Normally, I might be a bit more lenient towards this since mono-blue creature kill is extremely rare, but since you need to toss a Swamp, it means you're running black and therefore more options for kill spells and abilities. Not worth it in any fashion, at least not on its own. Maybe with a Crucible of Worlds, but even then, there are better things to use your Crucible with.

Pros: Blue creature kill
Cons: Requires land and creature sack
Rating: 1/5 

Tuesday 16 September 2014

Task Force

Task Force

I love cards with this ability since it is absolutely broken with cards like Lancers en-Kor and anything else with a 0-mana activation cost. It's super-tanky because of this, but doesn't have any power, so it's basically a glorified wall. Average at best.

Pros: Super-tanky
Cons: 1 power
Rating:: 2.5/5

Thursday 11 September 2014

Boiling Blood

Boiling Blood

Forcing a creature can be advantageous. It can either just remove a blocker from your next combat or it can force a creature to enter combat against a much stronger opponent and therefore remove that creature entirely. I'm not so sure it should cost 3 though. The cantrip is nice and definitely adds 1 to the mana cost, but I still don't know if paying 2 to make something swing is worth it. Bloodshed Fever is an enchantment that does it for 1 and Into the Fray is an instant that also does it for 1 mana (and both are somewhat repeatable). The trip saves this from the ranks of horrendous Magic cards. It just doesn't do enough to let this sit at the mediocre cards' table.
Pros: Forces an attack, cantrip
Cons: Costs 3
Rating: 2/5 

Saturday 6 September 2014

Dragon Tyrant

Dragon Tyrant

12 flying damage for 10 isn't bad, but the upkeep cost kind of relegates this to mono-red decks. That in itself isn't a problem though (Necro-Impotence is pretty much only going to be played in mono-black decks, but that doesn't make it bad). I think card's pretty good, despite its high initial cost. It's probably going to burst through any defender that can be thrown in front of it and it'll hurt if nothing's put in front of it at all. Pretty solid for a Dragon.

Pros: Big 'n' beefy flying double striker
Cons: Costs 10, upkeep cost
Rating: 4/5

Friday 5 September 2014

Tivadar's Crusade

Tivadar's Crusade

Considering how fast Goblins can get out of control, this isn't a bad option as a boardwipe. Since it only targets one type of creature, it's pretty much relegated to the sideboard, but it still functions nicely for what it does. It comes out one turn earlier than Wrath of God and can easily be a one-sided wipe, which makes this situationally great.

Pros: Cheap Goblin wipe
Cons: Only hits Goblins
Rating: 3/5

Wednesday 3 September 2014

Shinewend

Shinewend

It's a flying Allay. It costs double to pull off, but until then you've got a flying chump blocker. If you have some sort of way to put +1/+1 counters on it, it becomes a lot more usable and less "below average". I don't think this card is terrible, but I do see that this card is both limited in scope as well as limited in uses. And being limited in uses is not the big deal here honestly. Look at Wickerbough Elder: it can also only be used once but it is much better than this. It doesn't die when used like this card does and it's also a beatstick unlike this card. However, for its cost and rarity, I can't be too harsh on this thing. 

Pros: Allay on a stick
Cons: 4 mana Allay, dies on use
Rating: 2/5