Happy Monday MTG peeps,
Oh dear do we have a lot of catching up to do with Battle for Zendikar spoilers and previews. We had been crazy busy since the middle of last week and over the weekend but are now through the worst of it. We were able to take a break from work and get out to play at Friday Night Magic at our local store, OMG! Games, here in Barrie, Ontario which was completely enjoyable. Apparently, the metagame was not expecting some of the lists (like Izzet Heroic) which at one time were popular but had fallen out of favour of late. Anywhoos, we've got to get to the new Battle for Zendikar cards now -
Creature - Eldrazi, Rare
Endless One enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.
0/0
We love us some +1/+1 counters (and some of the shenanigans it brings) as well as an Eldrazi you can scale to where the game is going. Great mana sink.
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Creature - Eldrazi, Mythic Rare
Your opponent can't cast spells with even converted mana costs. (Zero is even.)
Your opponents can't block with creatures with even converted mana costs.
11/9
This is a weird and interesting Eldrazi mythic. We suspect that if this is cast and sticks, this will we a nightmare for players (control players most definitely).
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Creature - Cat Beast
Vigilance, lifelink
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have 40 or more life, you win the game.
4/6
We personally rather liked this card in the original Zendikar. We are fans of alternate win condidtions, no matter how wonky or unrealistic.
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(RUMOUR), Counterspell(?name?) 1UU
Instant
Counter target spell.
Awaken 3 — 4UU (If you cast this spell for 4UU, also put three +1/+1 counters on target land you control and it becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste. It's still a land.)
This may be a stretch in standard given the awaken cost but would be happy to get this into one of our Commander builds. A 'Cancel' instant spedd is still damn fine too.
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Sorcery, Rare
Converge — Gain control of target creature if its power is less than or equal to the number of colors of mana spent to cast Exert Influence.
We would rather have a more unconditional 'Mind Control' card over this one.
~Prism Array, 4U
Converge — Prism Array enters the battlfield with a prism counter on it for each color of mana spent to cast it.
Remove a prism counter from Prism Array: Tap target creature.
WUBRG: Scry 3.
This does not float our boat for standard and expect this to find its way into the dollar rare bin.
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(RUMOUR) Drana (name?) 1BB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Ally
Flying, first strike
Whenever Drana (name?) deals combat damage to an opponent, put a +1/+1 counter on each attacking creature you control.
2/3
This looks pretty good. Given the evasion of flying, there is a good chance you will be able to land damage and get those counters to those surviving creatures (tokens?) which swung.
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Sorcery, Rare
Converge - Draw X cards and loose X life, where X is the number of colors of mana spent to cast Painful Truths.
MagicBlog.de preview. Why is this a rare? We would rather have 'Read the Bones' which is a common.
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Creature - Phoenix, Mythic Rare
Flying, haste
Akoum Firebird attacks each turn if able.
Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 4RR. If you do, return Akoum Firebird from your graveyard to the battlefield.
3/3
The landfall to get this bird out of your yard seems a bit steep.
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Creature — Human Shaman, Mythic Rare
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control six or more lands, put a 5/5 red Dragon creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
1/1
Another reprint. This does not seem to fit into the Zendikar storyline very well. This may be a nice pick in limited but cannot imagine this will be popular with gamers in standard.
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Enchantment, Rare
Devoid (This card has no color.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 1/1 colorless Eldrazi Scion creature token onto the battlefield. It has "Sacrifice this creature: Add 1 to your mana pool."
1G, Sacrifice From Beyond: Search your library for an Eldrazi card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
We suspect that this will see play in standard - never underestimate the power of being able to tutor an Eldrazi out of your deck.
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Creature - Elemental, Mythic Rare
When Greenwarden of Murasa enters the battlefield, you may return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
When Greenwarden of Murasa dies, you may exile it. If you do, you may return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
5/4
We love enters / exits the battlefield effects. We can see synergies with this as a sacrifice outlet as well.
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Instant
Devoid (This card has no color.)
Choose one or both —
• Return target spell or creature to its owner's hand.
• Brutal Expulsion deals 2 damage to target creature or planeswalker. If that permanent would be put into a graveyard this turn, exile it instead.
This is pretty cool - being able to bounce a spell while on the stack while being able to also bump 2 pain is decent.
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Creature - Eldrazi, rare
Devoid (This card has no color.)
Haste
At the beginning of each end step, if you control no other colorless creatures, return Dust Stalker to its owner's hand.
5/3
That is a pretty sweet hasty creature with a pseudo dash ability. Don't expect this to stick on long to the board. Suggested pairing with Titan's Presence.
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Sorcery, Rare
Return any number of target Ally creature cards with total converted mana cost 8 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
If there is an Ally decklist to be played, chances are, you will likely see this somewhere in the list.
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Legendary Creature - Merfolk Ally, Rare
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may put three +1/+1 counters on target land you control If you do, that land becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste that's still a land.
4/4
Love the design on this card. Animating lands is nice, doing this for free when you cast an instant or sorcery is pretty much awesome-sauce.
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Artifact, Rare
When Circle of Hedrons enters the battlefield, exile all creatures with power 5 or greater until Circle of Hedrons leaves the battlefield.
Whether or not Eldrazi will be a big thing, we will definitely want a few of these in our stack to shut down fatties. Love it!
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Land, Rare
Shambling Vent enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add W or B to your mana pool.
1WB: Shambling Vent becomes a 2/3 white and black elemental creature with lifelink until end of turn. It's still a land.
Man land pretty much as expected for white / black - good surprise chump block or option to push through late-game damage.
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Land, Rare
t: Add 1 to your mana pool.
t: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast an Ally spell.
1, t, Sacrifice Ally Encampment: Return an Ally you control to its owner's hand.
Channel Fireball preview. If you are thinking of running a decklist with a number of Ally cards, then including this is a straightforward decision. If you are running 5-colour Allies in Modern (you have our respect), then this is certainly a shoo-in.
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Land, Rare
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Whenever you cast a colorless spell with converted mana cost 7 or greater, you may sacrifice Sanctum of Ugin. If you do, search your library for a colorless creature card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
The Command Zone preview - and certainly Commander fans would be rather happy to get this into their fat stacks. Again, any card allowing you to tutor out an answer or threat is good tech.
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