In the past (WAAAAAAY in the past), I was sort of averse to spoilers. I liked being surprised by the new cards and I wanted to experience a set in a face to face kind of way. Things change (I’m still not using a freaking playmat!), though, and I really dig the way the MTG community uses the weeks before a set’s release to generate interest, speculate and brew on S#1T THAT’S NOT EVEN REAL YET! It’s genius, really. So, I’ll back it up. I’d like to talk about my favorite 5 cards from the RTR and their various applications. 5 for Contructed and 5 for Limited. Here goes nothing…
Constructed
5 Epic Experiment
Right, I know what you’re thinking. JOHNNY! Calm down I’m not brewing with this yet, I’m simply saying this: someone will break this. It might not be until the next set or maybe the set after, but it’ll get some play. You’ll groan like you do now when you loose to infect, it’ll be second tier likely, but man when this card gets cast you’ll be sorry. It’s a real good thing Overload won’t work with this. I expect this to be a set-up for Grixis tap-out or a one of in a Delver variant (which will need a mid and late game strategy with a lack of free spells). I don’t know, I think it’ll be important eventually. Mark my words (I shake my cane in the air).
4 Cyclonic Rift
I remember Boomerang… man I loved Boomerang. So many great applications. Turn 2 bounce a land and TIME WALK. All sorts of cool stuff… You could save your Air Elemental from dying. You could bounce a potential blocker, and you could bounce an attacker. Nothing was safe from, well, bouncing. Cyclonic Rift can’t target your stuff to save it, but it does have another application… AND THE BOARD IS CLEAR! and by “THE”, I mean “YOUR”. OH, I don’t not look forward to being on the business end of a C-Rift. It’s got the early game thing down, the mid game thing it’s still very important, and the late game it just wins games. Mizzium Mortars doesn’t do this as well. Sure it kills things dead but if your deck is built right, you shouldn’t have a problem making the next untap count.
3 Rakdos Return
Can you say late game Combos. C-rift End of Turn… Rakdos Return during my main phase… RESPONSES?! Mike Flores said it first, but I’ll repeat. DON’T C- Rift a Snapcaster with open counter mana and a dissipate or syncopate or other counters without PATE in them, … (You will be laughed at). But like C-Rift (yea I’m gonna keep calling it C-Rift), it deals with Planeswalkers. It’s a mid-game phase 2 kinda card and it doesn’t affect the board, so stop crying and build around it, you baby.
2 Angel of Serenity
Did you read the part about when your opponent inevitably deals with this creature (ala Ultimate Price) the things you chose go to hands, AND NOT BACK INTO PLAY? SHEEEIT! wait you can target things in Graveyards? And ANGELS? Jus sayin’ bro. She’s even easy on the eyes without making me feel all pervy (I’m looking at you Liliana of the Veil).
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
The Magic: The Gathering version of Batman, Jace is in full Dark Knight Returns mode here (He’s not the Planeswalker this city wants, but he’ll be the Planeswalker this city needs). Plus look at that sweet cape flair. I bet he conjured a large fan to blow that breeze. He’s got a defense, and a sweet ass -2. You’ll be card advantaging the willies out of you opponent. I’m not really thinking the Ultimate will see much action (You’ll be too busy drawing to want to build him up) but if that goes off I bet you’ll figure out a way to make it good.
Limited
5 Lyev Skyknight
It’s an uncommon so i bet you can find this guy in the draft. NO I don’t know what f^*king pick. But he’s good. I remember nigh unto a day when (I get up from my rocking chair) 3/1 blue fliers for 3 CMC couldn’t block non-fliers. AND WE LIKED THEM JUST FINE! This guy can block if you need him to. And he’s a Twiddle (for all intended purposes) at his least effective. You won’t always wanna throw him down the second you draw him.
4 Dramatic Rescue
I like tempo strategies in draft. This card helps. It saves your guy, it stops his, it buys you a turn, it gains you 2 life. It has a sexual joke between a man and a fat Hawkman in the flavor text. Did you know that in Ravnica they use the American system of measurement? TONS. 4000lbs of Pure HAWKMAN LOVE!
3 The Charms
A duh. Options are good – taste the rainbow. I think Izzet is the best in Limited then Selesnya, Azorius and then Gogari and Rakdos are tied.
2 The Guildmages
Mid and late game mana sinks, expect to loose if your opponet gets to play 3/3 centaurs each turn while you draw another land.
1 Mercurial Chemister
The John Wayne Gacy of the set, in that hes goofy looking but deadly. Pogo the Clown here draws two cards then he kills things. Untapping with this guy twice should win you games. With a 3 toughness though he’s a lightning rod. Mostly he’ll trade 1 for 1. When he gets going, look out! I’m playing Izzet at the prerelease based on the Hypersonic Dragon, and maybe maybe getting this guy.
So that’s my take on the RTR scene. What’s your favorite card for Limited/Constructed? Disagree with me? You’re probably not correct but I’ll read your rants in the comment section.