The usual deal: if I don't talk about a card, I don't think it sees play anywhere. I'll respond to any thoughts people have in the thread.

Admonition Angel
3WWW
Creature - Angel
6/6
Flying
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may exile target nonland permanent other than Admonition Angel.
When Admonition Angel leaves the battlefield, return all cards exiled with it to the battlefield under their owners' control.

There's a lot of competition in the Big White Creature slot. I actually kind of doubt that Admonition Angel measures up-- the body is fine and the ability is obviously powerful, but you need to have a lot go right for the ability to work out for you. Your fatty has to live and you have to have more lands and it has to be relevant that you're taking opposing permanents off the table.


Archon of Redemption
3WW
Creature - Archon
3/4
Flying
Whenver Archon Of Redemption or another creature with flying enters the battlefield under your control, you may gain life equal to that creature's power.

You're not playing this over Baneslayer ever but it might see some play in block.

Hada Freeblade
W
Creature - Human Soldier Ally
0/1
Whenever Hada Freeblade or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Hada Freeblade.

Freeblade is good enough to consider in block and maybe in standard-- you'd really like to have 12-16 allies in your deck to make it sing, though, and it's not clear that the other allies are good enough to justify playing that many. Getting two with Ranger is only really exciting if you have other allies already.

Join the Ranks
3W
Instant
Put two 1/1 white Soldier Ally creature tokens onto the battlefield.

You're paying such a huge premium over Raise the Alarm that you better have some amazing ally interactions going.

Kor Firewalker
WW
Creature - Kor Soldier
2/2
Protection from red
Whenever a player casts a red spell, you may gain 1 life.

Obviously amazing. There are deck archetypes that just fold to this, and you can justify running it MD in the current environment.

Lightkeeper of Emeria
3W
Creature - Angel
2/4
Multikicker {W} (You may pay an additional {W} any number of times as you cast this spell.)
Flying
When Lightkeeper of Emeria enters the battlefield you gain 2 life for each time it was kicked.

I like this a lot. You can play it on 4 and it's a mediocre but acceptable body; later on it can put your life total far out of reach. I think the format needs to be a little clunky for this to be good, but block may shape up that way.

Loam Lion
W
Creature - Cat
1/1
Loam Lion gets +1/+2 as long as you control a Forest.

Right now the lands do not favor Loam Lion anywhere but extended. Maybe that'll change in the future.

Marshal's Anthem
2WW
Enchantment
Multikicker {1}{W} (You may pay an additional {1}{W} any number of times as you cast this spell.)
Creatures you control get +1+1.
When Marshal's Anthem enters the battlefield, return up to X target creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield, where X is equal to the number of times Marshal's Anthem was kicked.

You're overpaying for the Anthem effect, but in return your Anthem isn't blanked if they already killed your dorks. A lot of the time you don't mind overpaying for Anthem anyway. I think this makes a lot of sense as a 2 or 3-of.

Perimeter Captain
W
Creature - Human Soldier
0/4
Defender
Whenever a creature you control with defender blocks, you may gain 2 life.
"We stand between the jaws of chaos and the mantle of order"

The good Captain is nontrivially annoying to anyone who is trying to kill you with small dudes on the ground. Alone, it'll hold off two dorks, and in multiples they might as well not bother. I'm not sure that there are enough decks that are actually trying to kill you in that way to put this in the MD of anything, but it's a great SB option. This could be a pretty good target for a more controlling Ranger-based deck.

Refraction Trap
3W
Instant - Trap
If an opponent cast a red instant or sorcery spell this turn, you may pay {W} rather than pay Refraction Trap's mana cost.
Prevent the next 3 damage that a source of your choice would deal to you and/or permanents you control. Refraction Trap deals that much damage to target creature or player.

I think you just want to play Harm's Way instead.

Rest for the Weary
1W
Instant
You gain 4 life.
Landfall - If you had a land enter the battlefield under your control this turn, you gain 8 life instead.

8 life for 2 mana is great, if you want to gain life. You don't always, but sometimes you do.

Stoneforge Mystic
1W
Creature - Kor Artificer
1/2
When Stoneforge Mystic enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an Equipment card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you do, shuffle your library.
{1}{W}, {T}: You may put an Equipment card from your hand onto the battlefield.

The tools aren't really there for the Mystic to get right now. I guess Behemoth Sledge is okay and you might reasonably put one copy of it and a couple of Mystics in your deck, but it's no Jitte or SoFI. That said, the power level on this is very high and eventually they'll print an equipment that makes this sing.


Terra Eternal
2W
Enchantment
All lands are indestructible.

At some point somewhere this will matter. That time is not now.


Calcite Snapper
1UU
Creature - Turtle
1/4
Shroud
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you
may switch Calcite Snapper’s power and toughness until end of turn.

Shroud is a great ability right now, and a 3cc creature that can swing for four when it isn't holding down the home front is worth consideration on its own. I think the Snapper sees widespread play in standard and block.

Dispel
U
Instant
Counter target instant spell.

You can't maindeck Dispel in most formats-- although there have been a couple where it would work-- but it's hard to imagine a better tool for the job out of the board.

Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2UU
Planeswalker - Jace
3
[+2]: Look at the top card of target player’s library. You may put that card on the bottom of that player’s library.
[0]: Draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.
[-1]: Return target creature to its owner’s hand.
[-12]: Exile all cards from target player’s library, then that player shuffles his or her hand into his or her library.

I think that the unsummon ability is actually going to wind up being the one you use most of the time here, at least when Jace hits the board-- he comes down, bounces their last creature drop, and then hopefully you get to untap with him and can start digging for other ways to play D. I guess it's nice to have the ultimate in the back pocket since it means that Jace is a WC-- it's not that hard to imagine a very controlling deck where Jace is the only WC. Mostly, though, you're going to be bouncing dudes and drawing cards and that's totally fine.

Jwari Shapeshifter
1U
Creature - Shapeshifter Ally
0/0
You may have Jwari Shapeshifter enter the battlefield as a copy of any Ally creature on the battlefield.

Cheap enough that it might matter down the road, although I don't see a viable ally deck right now.

Mysteries of the Deep
4U
Instant
Draw two cards.
Landfall - If you had a land enter the battlefield under your control this turn, draw three cards instead.

I think you wind up casting this as a sorcery for three more than it looks like you do.

Permafrost Trap
2UU
Instant - Trap
If an opponent had a green creature enter the battlefield under his or her control this turn, you may pay {U} rather than pay Permafrost Trap's mana cost.
Tap up to two target creatures. Those creatures don't untap during their controller's next untap step.

You'd obviously rather pay one mana for your Blinding Beam, but paying retail for this is going to be acceptable a lot of the time. You need a way to capitalize on the tempo it's buying you. Planeswalkers are a fine way to do that.

Selective Memory
3U
Sorcery
Search your library for any number of nonland cards and exile them.
Then shuffle your library.

If there is a use for this, it is an abusive use. I don't see one at the moment, though.

Thada Adel, Acquisitor
1UU
Legendary Creature - Merfolk Rogue
2/2
Islandwalk
Whenever Thada Adel, Acquisitor deals combat damage to a player, search that player's library for an artifact card and exile it. Then that player shuffles his or her library. Until end of turn, you may play that card.

I can see matchups where you'd want Thada, mostly in extended where TFK-driven decks are squaring off.

Treasure Hunt
1U
Sorcery
Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a nonland card, then put all cards revealed this way into your hand.

Treasure Hunt is good enough as a hardcast that it makes a lot of sense to try to combo around it. In extended, there are good ways to do this; in standard, not so much.

Abyssal Persecutor
2BB
Creature - Demon
6/6
Flying, trample
You can’t win the game and your opponents can’t lose the game.

In the right deck, against the right opponent, sure. My problem with this guy is that he's terrible if your opponent doesn't need to get through him to kill you, and Baneslayer has pro:him. I still think Persecutor sees play, but you'll board him out more than you think.

Agadeem Occultist
2B
Creature - Human Shaman Ally
0/2
{T}: Put target creature card from an opponent's graveyard onto the battlefield under your control if its converted mana cost is less than or equal to the number of Allies you control.

Man this guy would have been cool if he could work out of your yard.

Anowon, the Ruin Sage
3BB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Shaman
4/3
At the beginning of your upkeep, each player sacrifices a non-Vampire creature.

Big meh. Lots of people have army-in-a-box type cards and Anowon is a 5-drop that dies to a wide range of removal. He's a crappy blocker, so basically he's not doing anything until you untap with him.

Mire's Toll
B
Sorcery
Target player reveals a card from his or her hand for each Swamp you control. Choose one of those cards. That player discards that card.

I think the appeal here is that you can hit lands with Toll, and late land drops are becoming more important.

Nemesis Trap
4BB
Instant - Trap
If a white creature is attacking you, you may pay {B}{B} rather than pay Nemesis Trap's mana cost.
Exile target creature, then put a token that is a copy of that creature onto the battlefield. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.

Too expensive unless you're paying the trap cost. Pretty good if you are. I think there might be enough good traps now to reconsider Trapmaker's Snare.

Smother
1B
Instant
Destroy target creature with converted mana cost 3 or less. It can't be regenerated.

I don't think this is the right standard environment for Smother, but I guess it's nice to have it back in extended.

Urge to Feed
BB
Instant
Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. You may tap any number of untapped Vampire creatures you control. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on each of those Vampires.

This is a borderline acceptable removal spell even if the vampire ability doesn't matter, which makes me think that it will probably see some play.

Chain Reaction
2RR
Sorcery
Chain Reaction deals X damage to each creature, where X is the number of creatures on the battlefield.

This is not Wrath. Stop saying that.

Comet Storm
XRR
Instant
Multikicker {1} (You may pay an additional {1} any number of times as you cast this spell.)
Choose target creature or player, then choose another target creature or player for each time Comet Storm was kicked. Comet Storm then deals X damage to each of them.

I think instant speed makes Comet Storm a contender, although it's very expensive to make it do anything useful.

Cunning Sparkmage
2R
Creature - Human Shaman
0/1
Haste
{T}: Cunning Sparkmage deals 1 damage to target creature or player.

If there are lots of guys with 1 toughness, Sparkmage sees play. This is not rocket science.

Dragonmaster Outcast
R
Creature - Human Shaman
1/1
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.

Great one-of for Ranger. Don't see it getting much play outside that.

Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
3RR
Legendary Creature - Ogre Warrior
5/4
Whenever a creature under an opponent's control attacks you, put a 3/3 red Ogre creature token onto the battlefield unless that creature's controller pays {3}.

Now we're talking. Kazuul does a good fraction of what you want from a fatty-- he plays great D, not so much on the offense. I think he's got a pretty good shot at things.

Ricochet Trap
3R
Instant - Trap
If an opponent cast a blue spell this turn, you may pay {R} rather than pay Ricochet Trap’s mana cost.
Change the target of target spell with a single target.

I think that you're commonly going to play this over Guttural Response. The hardcast option is a big deal here, since it might make the Trap MDable in some metagames.

Roiling Terrain
2RR
Sorcery
Destroy target land, then Roiling Terrain deals damage to that land's controller equal to the number of land cards in that player's graveyard.

Love this. The LD options are terrible right now, but in a world where opponents are regularly putting lands in their yard-- fetches, Edge, the entire Valakut deck-- you're going to get multiple damage out of Terrain regularly. People are getting greedy with their manabases and this puts the hurt on that plan.

Searing Blaze
RR
Instant
Searing Blaze deals 1 damage to target player and 1 damage to target creature that player controls.
Landfall - If you had a land enter the battlefield under your control this turn, Searing Blaze deals 3 damage to that player and 3 damage to that creature instead.

It will frequently be frustrating when you can't burn an opponent out because he doesn't have a creature, but you can't get much more efficient than a dead dude and 3 to the head for two mana.

Stone Idol Trap
5R
Instant - Trap
Stone Idol Trap costs {1} less to cast for each attacking creature.
Put a 6/12 colorless Construct artifact creature token with trample onto the battlefield. Exile it at the beginning of your next end step.

As a hardcast, you're getting a 6-power trampling attacker for 6 mana. That's not terrible. You can reasonably expect to cast Idol Trap for 3-4 mana during the course of a game; that's not terrible either. I think this sees block and standard play.

Arbor Elf
G
Creature - Elf Druid
1/1
{T}: Untap target Forest.

Sure, whatever.

Avenger of Zendikar
5GG
Creature - Elemental
5/5
When Avenger of Zendikar enters the battlefield, put a 0/1 green Plant creature token onto the battlefield for each land you control.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a +1/+1 counter on each Plant creature you control.

I like that you can gum up the ground significantly even if they zap your Avenger. Combos expensively with Oran-Rief. I think Avenger has a reasonable shot at seeing play.

Explore
1G
Sorcery
You may play an additional land this turn.
Draw a card.

Not sure where it goes but I bet it goes somewhere.

Harabaz Druid
1G
Creature - Human Druid Ally
0/1
{T}: Add X mana of any one color to your mana pool, where X is the number of Allies you control.

If allies do work, this guy is the reason why.

Joraga Warcaller
G
Creature - Elf Warrior
1/1
Multikicker {1}{G} (You may pay an additional {1}{G} any number of times as you cast this spell.)
Joraga Warcaller enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each time it was kicked.
Other Elf creatures you control get +1/+1 for each +1/+1 counter on Joraga Warcaller.

The synergy with Archdruid-- first you get the elves, then you get the mana, then you get the bitches-- makes Warcaller worth a look.

Leatherback Baloth
GGG
Creature - Beast
4/5

A great reason to play monogreen or close to it. Brawls with everything that costs the same or less and some things that cost more.

Nature's Claim
G
Instant
Destroy target artifact or enchantment. Its controller gains 4 life.

I'm told this matters a lot in the older formats.

Omnath, Locus of Mana
2G
Legendary Creature - Elemental
1/1
Green mana doesn’t empty from your mana pool as phases and steps end.
Omnath, Locus of Mana gets +1/+1 for each green mana in your mana pool.

Needs some kind of evasion.

Quest for Renewal
1G
Enchantment
Whenever a creature under your control taps, you may put a quest counter on Quest for Renewal.
As long as Quest for Renewal has four or more quest counters on it, untap all creatures you control during each other player's untap step.

Fairly easy to trigger but I'm not sure the tools for it are there.

Terastodon
6GG
Creature - Elephant
9/9
When Terastodon enters the battlefield, destroy up to three target noncreature permanents. For each permanent put into a graveyard this way, it's controller puts a 3/3 green Elephant creature token onto the battlefield.

The versatility here is attractive. Sometimes you're going to kill three of your own lands and put 18 power on the table. Sometimes you're going to take them off a color. I think Terastodon has a reasonable shot in standard and block.

Wolfbriar Elemental
2GG
Creature - Elemental
4/4
Multikicker {G}
When Wolfbriar Elemental enters the battlefield, put a 2/2 green Wolf creature token onto the battlefield for each time it was kicked.

Acceptable at any price point.

Novablast Wurm
3GGWW
Creature - Wurm
7/7
Whenever Novablast Wurm attacks, destroy all other creatures.

I guess that's one way to be an evasive fatty. Obviously you're in good shape if you get to swing with Novablast, but I think it doesn't quite make the cut because of the risk of getting it removed after it wipes everyone's board.

Amulet of Vigor
1
Artifact
Whenever a permanent enters the battlefield tapped and under your control, untap it.

There are some pretty sweet combo possibilities here; you need to have combo interactions to make this attractive.

Everflowing Chalice
0
Artifact
Multikicker {2}
Everflowing Chalice enters the battlefield with a charge counter on it for each time it was kicked.
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool for each charge counter on Everflowing Chalice.

Versatile. Mostly you'll cast this for 2, but sometimes you'll cast it for 4. Suffers a bit from the fact that several of the really good expensive spells right now can't be powered with colorless mana-- you have to be playing into Sphinxes or Martial Coup or whatever instead of Cruel Ultimatum.

Lodestone Golem
4
Artifact Creature - Golem
5/3
Nonartifact spells cost {1} more to cast.

I feel pretty strongly that people are underrating the Golem. Making spells cost more mana is a very powerful effect, and he even swings to the face while he's doing it. There are a nontrivial number of decks and hands that just fold to a t3 Golem on the play and it'll take them a full turn's worth of mana to remove in the early going. Sure, there's awesome point removal available right now, but it won't all be there forever.

Pilgrim's Eye
3
Artifact Creature - Thopter
1/1
Flying
When Pilgrim's Eye enters the battlefield, search your library for a basic land, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

Borderland Ranger is good enough; this will be too, sometimes. You'd like to be able to take advantage of its artifact status in some way, or take advantage of the fact that it's a creature to recur it.


Bojuka Bog
Land
Bojuka Bog enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {B} to your mana pool.
When Bojuka Bog enters the battlefield, exile all cards from target player’s graveyard.

The effect is weak but the price is right, so it'll see play somewhere.

Celestial Colonnade
Land
Celestial Colonnade enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {W} or {U} to your mana pool.
{3}{W}{U}: Until end of turn, Celestial Colonnade becomes a 4/4 white and blue Elemental creature with flying and vigilance. It’s still a land.

For all of these manlands, you're playing them first and foremost as CIPT duals. CIPT duals are ok. You're not wild about them, but they're fine to have in your deck. The creature mode is all upside from there. Colonnade is evasive (good), non-Boltable (good), and very expensive to use (bad.)

Creeping Tar Pits
Land
Creeping Tar Pits enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {U} or {B} to your mana pool.
{1}{U}{B}: Until end of turn, Creeping Tar Pits becomes a 3/2 blue and black Elemental creature and is unblockable. It's still a land.

Relatively cheap and evasive, I like Creeping Tar Pits the best of the new manlands. It *will* connect for three unless the other guy shows you instant-speed removal.

Dread Statuary
Land
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool
{4}: Dread Statuary becomes a 4/2 Golem artifact creature until end of turn. It’s still a land.

Of course, if you want your land to come down untapped, you have to accept colorless mana. I think that 4/2 is probably too fragile to be worth the large mana cost, but for some decks the cost of running colorless-producing lands is very low and in that context Statuary is attractive.

Halimar Depths
Land
Halimar Depths enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {U} to your mana pool.
When Halimar Depths enters the battlefield, look at top three cards of your library and put them back in any order.

Here's my problem with Depths: You want to play your CIPT lands early so that you can cast your more expensive spells. An early Depths isn't going to do much for you; you were drawing all those cards anyway. Sure, maybe it lets you hit a land drop a turn earlier, but if you needed that land to be on top of your deck then you're probably still manascrewed. I think you need to have useful interactions to play Depths profitably.

Khalni Garden
Land
Khalni Garden enters the battlefield tapped.
When Khalni Garden enters the battlefield, put a 0/1 green Plant creature token onto the battlefield.
{T}: Add {G} to your mana pool.

I can't think offhand of who would want this, but eventually somebody will.

Lavaclaw Reaches
Land
Lavaclaw Reaches enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {B} or {R} to your mana pool.
{1}{B}{R}: Until end of turn, Lavaclaw Reaches becomes a 2/2 black and red Elemental creature with "{X}: This creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn." It’s still a land.

The upside here is that on a clear board in the lategame Reaches can end games in a hurry. This is a lot like a fragile Genju of the Fens, and Genju of the Fens was powerful but super clunky. This is even clunkier.

Quicksand
Land
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.
{T}, Sacrifice Quicksand: Target attacking creature without flying gets -1/-2 until end of turn.

-1/-2 isn't what it used to be. I'm sure Quicksand will still see some amount of play, but it just doesn't kill that many creatures on its own.

Raging Ravine
Land
Raging Ravine enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {R} or {G} to your mana pool.
{2}{R}{G}: Until end of turn, Raging Ravine becomes a 3/3 red and green Elemental creature with "Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it." It’s still a land.

Expensive, chumpable, and boltable: not a great combination.

Stirring Wildwood
Land
Stirring Wildwood enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {G} or {W} to your mana pool.
{1}{G}{W}: Until end of turn, Stirring Wildwood becomes a 3/4 green and white Elemental creature with reach. It's still a land.

At least it survives Bolt. 3/4 isn't really bigger than that much anymore, though.

Tectonic Edge
Land
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.
{1}, {T}: Sacrifice Tectonic Edge: Destroy target nonbasic land. Activate this ability only if an opponent controls four or more landi

I think that Edge is the most important card in the set, and that it is going to be a 4-of in an awful lot of decks. Its application seems pretty straightforward: if you need the mana, you might not want to pop it, but if you see vulnerability in their manabase then you probably do. Virtually everybody has nonbasic lands, and I think that if your curve goes long you may need to consider adding more lands to your deck to address the fact that a good portion of the field now has the ability to pressure your mana.

thumbs up

:pmowub:

As usual, we love you NJ. Never stop doing these.

Good list, but I think that you might be missing out on Bloodhusk Ritualist.

Bloodhust Ritualist - 2B
Creature - Vampire Shaman
Multikicker - B
When Bloodhusk Ritualist enters the battlefield, target opponent discards a card for each time it was kicked.
2/2

While it's a little underwhelming in the early stages, being a 2BB 2/2 "discard a card" isn't horrible, and it gets much better as it scales up. I think it has a chance of seeing play in a Vampires deck.

Yeah, I wrote something about it and then thought again. I don't think it's good enough. The body is weak and it takes too much mana to flush somebody's hand.

2B for a gray ogre is obviously not something you're excited about in any way.

2BB 2/2 discard a card actually is horrible. I can't think of any deck ever in which I'd want that card-- it's at least one mana too expensive.

2BBB for 2/2 discard two cards is getting to respectable, but it isn't going to flush anyone's hand whereas other discard spells might.

I do like scaling discard that still does something when they have no hand, but I don't think Bloodhusk is the right guy. The body is just completely unexciting and it's too expensive.

edit: and the tribal interactions for vamps aren't good enough.

Isn't the ability to run 8 blue fetchlands enough of a profitable interaction? That's a great deal of selection for essentially one mana and no card loss.

Maybe I'm underrating that, but I don't think that you can assume that you get to break your fetches exactly when you want to accomodate Depths.

It isn't free to play fetchlands, either, in terms of health or in terms of deck construction. Let's say you're playing 8 fetches, 4 Depths, and 4 islands to support those fetches-- that's already 16 slots out of your ~24-26 slot manabase accounted for and you haven't done anything yet that allows you to play a second color.

That said, what I wrote is probably too critical. I do think that Depths is going to see widespread play. It's a fine card. I just don't think you automatically put four in every deck.

"Stone Idol Trap
5R
Instant - Trap
Stone Idol Trap costs {1} less to cast for each attacking creature.
Put a 6/12 colorless Construct artifact creature token with trample onto the battlefield. Exile it at the beginning of your next end step."

This guy seems awesome in limited.

pitfall trap for more mana that also cracks back for 6 or another guy. Seems like ideally a pick 1-4.

Defensively, it's like one of the white "kill an attacker" cards. It's expensive and can be played around, which means it's not always easy to hold up mana. As a 6-mana Ball Lightning? Well, that isn't horrible, but it's not something I go out of my way for.

Also, NJ is really only looking at constructed applications.

Yeah, I don't look at limited at all in the context of these reviews. I do think Idol Trap will see constructed play in decks that want to go to the dome but also care about not dying to creatures.

One of the major differences between it and a Second Thoughts type card is that even if they don't swing into it, you can hardcast it and go to the dome. That's a lot better than the usual backup plan for when they don't swing into Second Thoughts, which is to waste your turn.

With all the token producers hanging around, I think you'll be able to cast it on the cheap with some regularity-- maybe not for one mana, but cheap.

At some point, somebody is going to cast a Conqueror's Pledge, swing with the team, and get blown out by three giant idols on the crackback.

That will be awesome.

This is a good set review.

Stone Idols keep on rollin'

It's also probably worth pointing out specifically that Idol Trap can kill pro:red creatures.

Oh, huh. Look at that. And there's a new pro-red dude that threatens to be a huge problem for red decks.

Also, when I saw the creature type I thought briefly that it was "Contraption", not "Construct".

Very few people probably realize this:

204.3f Artifacts have their own unique set of subtypes; these subtypes are called artifact types. The artifact types are Contraption, Equipment (see rule 301.7), and Fortification (see rule 301.8).

Contraption was listed as an official subtype. I guess they had to list it officially to explain why it's capitalized on the Steamflogger card.

Worth noting that they forgot to print the Artifact type on the construct in the set. Silly WotC.

i just assumed it was a plant for colorless-but-not-artifact creatures but nnnnnnnope :pmosad:

I'll finish going through a little later, but observations so far:

- Permafrost Trap also takes out Hell's Thunder and Hellspark Elemental whether they're hardcast or Unearthed (and stops another attacker into the bargain)
- Treasure Hunt is most obviously combo'd around with Halimar Depths
- You realise Stone Idol trap only gives you the creature for 1 attack, right?
- I think you're underestimating how much of a disadvantage Terastodon's casting cost is. Possibly playable in Elves with Archdruid, but I think there are better options if you're doing that.
- It's worth noting that Dread Statuary lets mono-colour decks not fold to protection-from-colour creatures
- I've made my opinion on Edge known already; I think it'll definitely see play and in some cases sideboard play (not as much as NJ thinks though), but I don't think it'll be format defining or anything.

NJ, it must be said that I love how you talk about Magic cards. "The crackback" reminds me of some stupid shit my friends and I would say to each other in English class instead of paying attention to the teacher.

Permafrost Trap also looks pretty good against Bloodbraid, since it is a green creature that you cast before the attack.

I honestly don't think that Halimar/Treasure Hunt is all that great, although it does secure you an extra card or two. Playing a CIPT land and a 2CC spell is like paying three mana. Three mana draws you two cards straight up with a non-Treasure Hunt draw spell, and isn't that amazing when you're doing that.

Of course I realize Idol Trap only gives you the guy for one attack.

Terastodon needs to go in a deck that can ramp up rapidly. Fortunately it's green. 8-mana spells do get cast if they're game winning, and the option of 18 power out of a single card or messing with the other guy's permanents fits that description. You can also cheat it out and it's a pretty good candidate for that.

Dread Statuary is a pretty terrible way to handle pro-from creatures, but you're right that it's a way. That said, what does it handle that Quicksand doesn't?

We already had the Edge conversation. We'll know pretty soon who's right.

Thanks! I miss this game, sometimes.

Great review, as always.
I'm glad we share the same thoughts on Permafrost and Stone Idol Traps, and I also wanted to know what do you think about some cards you left out:

Kalastria Highborn BB
Creature - Vampire Shaman Rare
Whenever Kalastria Highborn or another Vampire you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you may pay B. If you do, target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
2/2

I think this could see play in vampires (in block quite for sure), maybe making it a solid Type 2 choice, but I'm not fully convinced.

Slavering Nulls 1R
Creature - Goblin Zombie Uncommon
Whenever Slavering Nulls deals combat damage to a player, if you control a Swamp, you may have that player discard a card.
2/1

I remember [CARD]Headhunter[/CARD] being very good at his times, these guys are better most of the time and have also a relevant creature type, but maybe in this environment they're too fragile (and have no real deck to go).

Wrexial, the Risen Deep 3UUB
Legendary Creature - Kraken Mythic Rare
Islandwalk, swampwalk
Whenever Wrexial, the Risen Deep deals combat damage to a player, you may cast target instant or sorcery card from that player's graveyard without paying its mana cost. If that card would be put into a graveyard this turn, exile it instead.
5/8

Is [CARD]Sphinx of Jwar Isle[/CARD] always better than this? Probably yes, but this huge fatty maybe wants just some love.

It's worth noting that the next block is Mirrodin 2 so I think the chances are non trivial that they'll print some decent equipment

THIS GUY IS RAZOR BOOMERANG'S BEST FRIEND

I considered mentioning all three of those cards; they were all near misses.

The Highborn's mana cost on the effect hurts it considerably. It isn't like Rotlung, where you're getting that effect no matter what. Unless you plan for it by controlling when your guys die, you need to keep mana up to drain people. Sometimes it'll seal a game if you have guys that are beating down and you just need to guarantee those last six points or whatever through a potential Wrath effect, but I don't think that's enough to justify running it over other better dorks.

If there were more sac outlets hanging around I'd like it better.

Null's creature type doesn't do much for you because you don't have swamps if you care about your guys being goblins. You might be able to make black mana, but you don't have swamps. I think that's generally true of any deck you'd want to put Null in: you can't guarantee the swamp. There are just too many nonbasics that you want to run. Plus, everybody has creatures that can kill Null.

I really wanted to argue that Wrexial is good enough and it might be. The stats are fine. The expensive drops that are good in standard right now are-- with the exception of Baneslayer-- resilient to removal because they have shroud or are multiple creatures. If you're paying lots of mana for an guy right now, it needs to be able to do better than trade for a removal spell because the removal spells are very strong and they're everywhere. I think that may continue until the removal quality gets worse.

Also, he stops on a dime against too many decks, including those decks that are best able to crank out chumps.

See, that would be cool.

NJ, as always, the reviews are great.

But I really wish you'd stop saying things like "Maybe, in block." Block hasn't been a relevant format for 99.99% of Magic players in a long time.

wow, have they seriously stopped running block events/people stopped queueuing for them since i dropped modo?

nope i think tristal is just wrong

I think tristal's point is, most people on MODO don't play block.

more importantly, there are no major offline block events.

Hamilar + Treasure Hunt worked very well in testing because the deck I was testing it in had very few 4- and 5-drops and could afford to play the CIPT land on turn 5 quite easily.

Terastadon does require a ramp oriented deck, I agree, but those decks are using Valakut at the moment and this seems to clash rather strongly with that. The other ones are running Elves and have better things to do with lots of mana. I'm not saying that it's a bad card, just that its cost is a huge drawback that the decks which can run it would appear to not want at the moment.

Dread Statuary vs Quicksand: Great Sable Stag.

Dread Statuary vs. Quicksand: blockers.

Is 2008 that long ago?

Yes.

wasn't the shards block PT like, six months ago?

So, how 'bout [card]Jace the Mind Sculptor[/card] and [card]Lorescale Coatl[/card] in standard?

Heirarch, coatl, Jace means a 7/7 attacking on turn 3.

perimeter captain seems completely insane to me. like, not just in-a-certain-deck-in-some-matchups-good, i mean extended playable good.