Time Spiral review
By Frédéric Meurin on Sunday 24 September 2006, 22:15 - Reviews - Permalink
Here we are. The long rumoured new block is out... well almost. What is to be noticed for PEZ deckbuilding in Time Spiral ?
[Edit] from IdfTrotter's comments of this review on Yahoo groups, and from Chris Morling's comments on this site.
White
Amrou Scout - 1WCreature - Kithkin Rebel Scout (C)
{4}, {T}: Search your library for a Rebel card with converted mana cost 3 or less and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
The people of Amrou were scattered by war and driven into hiding. Scouts maintain the beacon fires that signal "return" and "home."
2/1
Illus. Quinton Hoover
#1/301
Return of the rebels. Not likely to make a come back as a WW deck. Or as a full rebel optic.
Amrou Seekers - 2W
Creature - Kithkin Rebel (C)
Amrou Seekers can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or white creatures.
The paradise of Amrou Haven had become a field of cinders. Its people struggled to survive, hoping to see visions of its past in the strange storms that quickly passed.
2/2
Illus. Quinton Hoover
#2/301
An unblockable 2/2 for 3, not enough to make it in WW.
Benalish Cavalry - 1W
Creature - Human Knight (C)
Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.)
"My people swore to protect Benalia to the end. It is battered, but yet stands, as do we."
2/2
Illus. Parente
#4/301
Here is a strong candidate for WW. A 2/2 for 2, with only one colored mana, that can handle any creature with a toughness of 3 : this cavalry should make it in some WW build.
Castle Raptors - 4W
Creature - Bird Soldier (C)
Flying
As long as Castle Raptors is untapped, it gets +0/+2.
"Each place we see is as ruined and lifeless as the last. So here we stay, because this ruin is ours."
3/3
Illus. Christopher Moeller
#5/301
A heavy mana cost, for a flying wall. Shoe box filler.
Children of Korlis - W
Creature - Human Rebel Cleric (C)
Sacrifice Children of Korlis: You gain life equal to the life you've lost this turn. (Damage causes loss of life.)
"We have a proud history of self-sacrifice. But it is easy, in these bleak times, to find one among us who is eager to die for any cause." -Tavalus, acolyte of Korlis
1/1
Illus. Quinton Hoover
#8/301
[Edit] I do need some sleep. As IdfTrotter said, Children of Korlis might become the new must have side card against any Storm/Duplicate deck. I copy and paste his comment from Yahoo groups :
"Tendrils puts 10 copy of the same effect in the stack; you let 9 resolve; lose 18 life; sacrifice Children; gain 18; let the last resolve; lose 2."
Cloudchaser Kestrel - 1WW
Creature - Bird (C)
Flying
When Cloudchaser Kestrel comes into play, destroy target enchantment.
{W}: Target permanent becomes white until end of turn.
2/2
Illus. Daren Bader
#10/301
This bird is better than Cloudchaser Eagle, which wasn't played a lot. He's not that bad, but that good enough : you should prefer Ronom unicorn (Coldsnap) or Kami of the ancient law. Unless you need its color shifting to avoid color protection, but that would be weird. Something to be remembered, since weird concepts can make good decks or surprising victories.
D'Avenant Healer - 1WW
Creature - Human Cleric Archer (C)
{T}: D'Avenant Healer deals 1 damage to target attacking or blocking creature.
{T}: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.
"One arrow keenly fired might prevent more battlefield wounds than I could treat."
1/2
Illus. Michael Sutfin
#11/301
D'Avenant Archer + Samite Healer. Well. No.
Detainment Spell - W
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature's activated abilities can't be played.
{1}{W}: Attach Detainment Spell to target creature.
Bind the mind rather than the wrist, and you stop the intent to harm before it starts.
Illus. Darrell Riche
#12/301
Another version of pacifism. You should prefer the recent Gelid shackles to this, even if the jumping attachment thing could be fun (a bit expensive, although).
Divine Congregation - 3W
Sorcery (C)
You gain 2 life for each creature target player controls.
Suspend 5 - {1}{W} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {1}{W} and remove it from the game with five time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost.)
Illus. Jeremy Jarvis
#13/301
If you need this kind of spell, you'd better play Peach Garden Oath, for only one white mana, without suspend. If you need this kind of spell...
Errant Doomsayers - 1W
Creature - Human Rebel (C)
{T}: Tap target creature with toughness 2 or less.
"Heed my words, traveler. Plagues, war, desolation . . . all mere hints of what is yet to come from Dominaria's vault of horrors."
1/1
Illus. Liz Danforth
#15/301
Master decoy and benalish trapper are better, for the same cost. The rebel trait doesn't justify the lesser ability. Why bother ?
Flickering Spirit - 3W
Creature - Spirit (C)
Flying
{3}{W}: Remove Flickering Spirit from the game, then return it to play under its owner's control.
It disappears each time with the hope that it will not return to the same desolation it left behind.
2/2
Illus. Alex Horley-Orlandelli
#17/301
A common sort of Blinking spirit. Could be very intersting, were it its ability activation cost (you don't become common without losing something...)
Foriysian Interceptor - 3W
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.)
Defender
Foriysian Interceptor can block an additional creature.
A focal point for time rifts, Foriys contends simultaneously with foes both new and old.
0/5
Illus. Anson Maddocks
#18/301
A flash wall, with a toughness of 5 and able to block 2 creatures ? Hell yeah ... oh... 4 cc. Too bad.
Fortify - 2W
Instant (C)
Choose one - Creatures you control get +2/+0 until end of turn; or creatures you control get +0/+2 until end of turn.
"Where metal is tainted and wood is scarce, we are best armed by faith." -Tavalus, acolyte of Korlis
Illus. Christopher Moeller
#19/301
[Edit] IdfTrotter made me notice this a more polyvalent, easier to cast Army of allah. It's not that bad, actually.
Gaze of Justice - W
Sorcery (C)
As an additional cost to play Gaze of Justice, tap three untapped white creatures you control.
Remove target creature from the game.
Flashback {5}{W} (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost and any additional costs. Then remove it from the game.)
Illus. John Avon
#20/301
One mana + tapping 3 white creatures is a lot for a removal. But white hasn't any at all in common. So it might be good. But you can't insert it anywhere else than in WW, where you shouldn't have that much of untapped creatures... unless you have a lot of Vigilance able creature. Hard to say, but heavy to cast. I don't believe in this much, since if you have a vigilance able creature, you would use it to block this 20/21 atog...
Icatian Crier - 2W
Creature - Human Spellshaper (C)
{1}{W}, {T}, Discard a card: Put two 1/1 white Citizen creature tokens into play.
A thousand years removed from her home, her news of war had lost its context, but not its relevance.
1/1
Illus. Michael Phillippi
#23/301
I don't think WW can afford to discard to gain some creature. There's not enough white madness or white flashback able card to make it better, and the activation cost makes it definitely bad.
Ivory Giant - 5WW
Creature - Giant (C)
When Ivory Giant comes into play, tap all nonwhite creatures.
Suspend 5 - {W} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {W} and remove it from the game with five time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost. It has haste.)
3/4
Illus. Jeff Miracola
#24/301
Once again, this Giant couldn't see play anywhere else than in WW, or Life. Both should have win or lost by turn 6 when this guy could come in. So don't use Ivory, it kills elephant.
Jedit's Dragoons - 5W
Creature - Cat Soldier (C)
Vigilance
When Jedit's Dragoons comes into play, you gain 4 life.
After Efrava was destroyed, the cat warriors scattered across Dominaria. Those who followed Jedit's example were strong enough to survive the ravages of apocalypse.
2/5
Illus. John Matson
#25/301
Another Life-gaining Dragoons. There are some betters card than this one with same abilities. And you don't use them.
Momentary Blink - 1W
Instant (C)
Remove target creature you control from the game, then return it to play under its owner's control.
Flashback {3}{U} (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)
Illus. Anthony S. Waters
#29/301
That's nice. I don't know what to do with it, but I see an Isochron scepter imprinted with this, some man'o'war and alikes...
Pentarch Ward - 2W
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
As Pentarch Ward comes into play, choose a color.
When Pentarch Ward comes into play, draw a card.
Enchanted creature has protection from the chosen color. This effect doesn't remove Pentarch Ward.
Illus. Dany Orizio
#33/301
Another ward. Enchant creatures need to be way much stronger than this to be useful in PEZ : you can't afford to loose 2 cards on a terror.
Sidewinder Sliver - W
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have flanking. (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks a Sliver, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.)
"They encircled our patrol with the stealth of snakes, corralling us like livestock." -Merrik Aidar, Benalish patrol
1/1
Illus. Ron Spencer
#41/301
Come back of the Slivers ! They are the ultimate dream of a viable 5 colors decks, but PEZ hasn't enough mana fixing cards to make it worth (or may be it has, see further down). Anyway, if you need some slivers, this one has a good quality/price ratio.
Temporal Isolation - 1W
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has shadow. (It can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
Prevent all damage that would be dealt by enchanted creature.
Illus. Stephen Tappin
#43/301
WW and MBA are both decks to use shadow. Will WW need this trick, with all its soltari boys ? I don't think so.
Watcher Sliver - 3W
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers get +0/+2.
"I have spied them, wandering and watching-but for what? I fear they watch for us." -Yonat of Amrou
2/2
Illus. Liz Danforth
#45/301
Erk. Plated sliver, please !
Zealot il-Vec - 2W
Creature - Human Rebel (C)
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
Whenever Zealot il-Vec attacks and isn't blocked, you may have it deal 1 damage to target creature. If you do, prevent all combat damage Zealot il-Vec would deal this turn.
1/1
Illus. Chippy
#47/301
A Shadow rebel, with a "tricky" ability. Not enough.
[Edit] IdfTrotter have some pros for this guy : he's an unblockable elves (and goblins) killer. I have some cons : it's 3 mana to cast. So you can have it doing its job by turn 3 at best (with a petal). I don't think it will change things if you have to rely on Zealot il-vec.
Blue
Bewilder - 2UInstant (C)
Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn.
Draw a card.
"Teferi snapped his fingers, and the viashino started clucking like a chicken. Silly, yes, but exactly the thing we needed to break the stifling tension." -Jhoira, master artificer
Illus. Ralph Horsley
#49/301
You thought that WoTC couldn't make worse than Dizzy spell ? You were wrong : Dizzy spell can tutor a lot of cards in ProsTides.
Cancel - 1UU
Instant (C)
Counter target spell.
Fendros gasped as he watched the spell drip from the ends of his fingers. He moved his foot, afraid to disturb the spot where it lay slain.
Illus. Mark Poole
#51/301
Repeat after me : Counterspell.
[Edit] I've been a bit hard here. Cancel remains a common hard counter, and thus is far better than most of the counterspell-likes we've been offered lastly. It deserves a slot in MUC, even if it can't be imprinted on a Isochron Scepter.
Clockspinning - U
Instant (C)
Buyback {3} (You may pay an additional {3} as you play this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Choose a counter on target permanent or suspended card. Remove that counter from that permanent or card or put another of those counters on it.
Illus. Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
#53/301
Clockspinning is a nice trick to use with Suspend cards. If you (or your opponent) use some. Which is, to the least, unlikely so far.
Coral Trickster - 1U
Creature - Merfolk Rogue (C)
Morph {U} (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
When Coral Trickster is turned face up, you may tap or untap target permanent.
They wait in darkened depths, laughing eagerly.
2/1
Illus. D. Alexander Gregory
#54/301
3U is a lot to tap or untap something. Twiddle remains better, or Cloud of faeries.
Crookclaw Transmuter - 3U
Creature - Bird Wizard (C)
Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.)
Flying
When Crookclaw Transmuter comes into play, switch target creature's power and toughness until end of turn.
3/1
Illus. Ron Spencer
#55/301
Another switcher. This one is common. But its color and its cc make it worse than About face or Transmutation. Its pumping power (3/1 flying with flash) doesn't help enough.
[Edit] IdfTrotter kindly reminds me that Crookclaw transmuter is also a creature, and then can be reached with commune with nature, and thus, deserves a slot in Life with nature.
Dream Stalker - 1U
Creature - Illusion (C)
When Dream Stalker comes into play, return a permanent you control to its owner's hand.
What happens when it is the dream that wakes and the sleeper that fades into memory?
1/5
Illus. Brian Despain
#58/301
It's a bigger shrieking drake. You could use this with momentary blink, in a WU tempo deck. Or not. Let's test !
Drifter il-Dal - U
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Drifter il-Dal unless you pay {U}.
They study the deeds of their traitorous ancestors, hoping the stories may reveal a way back to the physical world.
2/1
Illus. Justin Sweet
#59/301
WoTC favors aggro decks. Reprints of Unstable mutation and Psionic blast in Timeshifted Cards show that blue isn't kept away from this. Does it make a viable deck for PEZ. I don't think so...
Errant Ephemeron - 6U
Creature - Illusion (C)
Flying
Suspend 4 - {1}{U} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {1}{U} and remove it from the game with four time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost. It has haste.)
4/4
Illus. Luca Zontini
#60/301
MUC, and Iso MUC, are not bad options for PEZ (an Iso MUC deck made it third in mid-September 2006 in Paris). If Spire golem didn't exist, this kind of decks could use Errant ephemeron as a kill. But Spire golem does exist.
Eternity Snare - 5U
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
When Eternity Snare comes into play, draw a card.
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
Illus. Drew Tucker
#61/301
Nice in drafts, horrible in PEZ.
Fathom Seer - 1U
Creature - Illusion (C)
Morph - Return two Islands you control to their owner's hand. (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
When Fathom Seer is turned face up, draw two cards.
1/3
Illus. Ralph Horsley
#62/301
I call him Gush boy. Since Gush isn't banned in PEZ, use Gush. And your deck needs more cards in hand, use this guy. But show your decklist first :)
Looter il-Kor - 1U
Creature - Kor Rogue (C)
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
Whenever Looter il-Kor deals damage to an opponent, draw a card, then discard a card.
Unable to touch items of value, he goes forth to steal secrets instead.
1/1
Illus. Mike Dringenberg
#66/301
Another guy for Aggro blue. He has shadow, and a worse Curiosity built in. I think I prefer Ninja of the deep hours.
Mystical Teachings - 3U
Instant (C)
Search your library for an instant card or a card with flash, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
Flashback {5}{B} (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)
Illus. Ron Spears
#69/301
Dough. Too expensive.
[Edit] It's, anyway, the only instant tutor. Even if it's restricted to tutor flash or instant cards only, it is something to remember. It could find a very nice place in Tog or in UB Control, as Chris Morling points out.
Ophidian Eye - 2U
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.)
Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card.
Illus. Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
#70/301
Curiosty with flash. Ninja of deep hours, again, is better.
Sage of Epityr - U
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
When Sage of Epityr comes into play, look at the top four cards of your library, then put them back in any order.
Clairvoyants across Dominaria were driven mad by the overload from the widening time rifts, while other random folk gained the gift of future sight.
1/1
Illus. Randy Gallegos
#74/301
Sage owl effect on a wizard body. PEZ won't use this, since it has Brainstorm. Unless you try an Aggro blue (just kidding).
Screeching Sliver - U
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have "{T}: Target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard."
"What wears down my people most, I think, is not the danger, but the endless screeching outside our camp." -Merrik Aidar, Benalish patrol
1/1
Illus. Stuart Griffin
#75/301
A Millstone Sliver. Why not ? Because you don't play Millstone decks or Sliver decks in PEZ ?
[Edit] Chris Morling points out this a 1cc sliver, with a not so bad ability. Since the best slivers are Winged and Muscle slivers, a viable sliver (ie, a non 5 colors one) could use this as another 1cc creature.
Shadow Sliver - 2U
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have shadow. (They can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
These slivers, trapped between worlds since the Rathi overlay, are among the last to claim direct lineage from the lost Sliver Queen.
1/1
Illus. Warren Mahy
#76/301
Just take Winged sliver.
Slipstream Serpent - 7U
Creature - Serpent (C)
Slipstream Serpent can't attack unless defending player controls an Island.
When you control no Islands, sacrifice Slipstream Serpent.
Morph {5}{U} (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
6/6
Illus. Darrell Riche
#77/301
Errr. Nothing to say. This is bad.
Snapback - 1U
Instant (C)
You may remove a blue card in your hand from the game rather than pay Snapback's mana cost.
Return target creature to its owner's hand.
"If it returns years hence, our knowledge of how to combat it will be that much greater." -Andorel, Tolarian sentinel
Illus. Alan Pollack
#78/301
Kind of Unsummon. Only worse.
Spiketail Drakeling - 1UU
Creature - Drake (C)
Flying
Sacrifice Spiketail Drakeling: Counter target spell unless its controller pays {2}.
Drakelings fish with their tails, angling to snare succulent thoughts and memories on their psychic hooks.
2/2
Illus. Dave Dorman
#80/301
A smaller Spiketail Drake. I'm note you will use this, since it would fit in a very unlikely Blue Aggro Control deck. Way too hybrid for PEZ.
Temporal Eddy - 2UU
Sorcery (C)
Put target creature or land on top of its owner's library.
As the temporal fractures spread and time itself slowly fell apart, visitors started to appear from across the past and future, and those native to the present began to disappear.
Illus. Wayne England
#85/301
This could be use in UG Tempo, if Temporal spring wasn't cheaper.
Think Twice - 1U
Instant (C)
Draw a card.
Flashback {2}{U} (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)
"Great books are meant to be read, then read again backwards or upside down!" -Ettovard, Tolarian archivist
Illus. Jim Nelson
#86/301
Draw 2 for 3UU ? Deep analysis remains better.
Tolarian Sentinel - 3U
Creature - Human Spellshaper (C)
Flying
{U}, {T}, Discard a card: Return target permanent you control to its owner's hand.
"It is not just our people I try to rescue. It is our culture, and our hope that we can return to greatness."
1/3
Illus. Thomas M. Baxa
#87/301
This is expensive for a Bounce/discard engine. Even on 1/3 flying body.
Viscerid Deepwalker - 4U
Creature - Homarid Warrior (C)
{U}: Viscerid Deepwalker gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Suspend 4 - {U} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {U} and remove it from the game with four time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost. It has haste.)
2/3
Illus. Heather Hudson
#91/301
Players hated Homarids in Fallen empires and Alliances. This feeling shouldn't change.
Black
Assassinate - 2BSorcery (C)
Destroy target tapped creature.
The rulers of old Dominaria kept assassins on retainer. However, the true loyalty of these master killers was always to their peers. This elite brotherhood survived the fall of the old royal order.
Illus. Kev Walker
#95/301
At sorcery speed, this removal doesn't stand comparison with Diabolic edict. It's nicer though than Cruel edict, even if it targets.
Basal Sliver - 2B
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have "Sacrifice this creature: Add {B}{B} to your mana pool."
"Fascinating . . . These creatures display the paradox of tenacity and purposed self-destruction I have sought to breed into my thrulls." -Endrek Sahr, master breeder
2/2
Illus. Drew Tucker
#96/301
It needs a lot of slivers to make this worth, since it costs 3 to cast and brings 2 black manas.
[Edit] Chris Morling thinks there's a combo thing out there. Does it ?
Call to the Netherworld - B
Sorcery (C)
Return target black creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
Madness {0} (If you discard this card, you may play it for its madness cost instead of putting it into your graveyard.)
The ritual was normally performed only by horrors and pit spawn. Lesser mages had but one sanity to crack in the casting.
Illus. Vance Kovacs
#97/301
It's one of the two spells with a 0 madness cost (the other one being Basking rootwalla). It seems that this limited Raise dead is way less useful.
Corpulent Corpse - 5B
Creature - Zombie (C)
Fear
Suspend 5 - {B} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {B} and remove it from the game with five time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost. It has haste.)
3/3
Illus. Doug Chaffee
#98/301
MBC could use this instead of Mishra's factory, but the Mishra's thing is colorless and doesn't fear color hate. Unlikely to see play.
Cyclopean Giant - 2BB
Creature - Zombie Giant (C)
When Cyclopean Giant is put into a graveyard from play, target land becomes a Swamp. Remove Cyclopean Giant from the game.
A tomb-eye may remain shut for centuries. It opens when it sees a world as twisted and hollow as the wretch beneath its lid.
4/2
Illus. Mark Tedin
#100/301
This cyclopean tomb on legs might be a combo thing if you didn't have to remove it from the game to activate its landshift abilty. So it's garbage.
Dark Withering - 4BB
Instant (C)
Destroy target nonblack creature.
Madness {B} (If you discard this card, you may play it for its madness cost instead of putting it into your graveyard.)
Illus. Wayne Reynolds
#101/301
Here's a real good removal. Too bad you can't only play for its madness cost. It should see play in BU and BR decks, if any exists...
Deathspore Thallid - 1B
Creature - Zombie Fungus (C)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a spore counter on Deathspore Thallid.
Remove three spore counters from Deathspore Thallid: Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play.
Sacrifice a Saproling: Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
1/1
Illus. Randy Elliott
#102/301
Oh my. Return of thallids. Return of the "three turns to wait before doing somethin'" guys. Well.. this one might be useful with its sacrifice ability, but I think the Nantuko Husk / Festering Goblin association is WAAAAAAYYYY better.
Drudge Reavers - 3B
Creature - Skeleton (C)
Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.)
{B}: Regenerate Drudge Reavers.
"The surface of the land is blanched with salt, but the soil beneath is reddened with death-a fertile ground for necromancy." -Lim-Dûl the Necromancer
2/1
Illus. Greg Staples
#105/301
Flash drudge skeletons. With better power. Well, yeah. No big deal.
Feebleness - 1B
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Flash
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature gets -2/-1.
Illus. Kev Walker
#110/301
For the same cost, I will use Terror.
Gorgon Recluse - 3BB
Creature - Gorgon (C)
Whenever Gorgon Recluse blocks or becomes blocked by a nonblack creature, destroy that creature at end of combat.
Madness {B}{B}
2/4
Illus. Darrell Riche
#111/301
Another madness creature, with a nice ability. Rakdos might become a good aggro deck. But since aggro decks aren't the best you can do in PEZ, I don't think this will see play anywhere else than in casual PEZ.
Mana Skimmer - 3B
Creature - Leech (C)
Flying
Whenever Mana Skimmer deals damage to a player, tap target land that player controls. That land doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
They traverse the mana-starved wastes in search of richer lands.
2/2
Illus. Daniel Gelon
#117/301
Well well well. A flying land leeches like. I'm short of stupid things to say.
Mindlash Sliver - B
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have "{1}, Sacrifice this creature: Each player discards a card."
Though Dominaria's queenless slivers lack a single purpose, in some the instinct for self-sacrifice remains extremely strong.
1/1
Illus. Jeff Miracola
#118/301
This guy, plus madness ? Hum. Well ? Why not. It will need 2 mana and a 0 CC madness card to be still worse than an Hymn to Tourach. Hard luck.
Mindstab - 5B
Sorcery (C)
Target player discards three cards.
Suspend 4 - {B} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {B} and remove it from the game with four time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost.)
Illus. Mark Tedin
#119/301
Discard 3 cards for 1 black mana is a lot. But by Turn 5, in PEZ, most people doesn't have that many card in hand. I don't think this will go over Duress, Hymn or Funeral charm. But I might be wrong, since it is so far the strongest suspend card.
Pit Keeper - 1B
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
When Pit Keeper comes into play, if you have four or more creature cards in your graveyard, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
"The undead are not â..awakened.' They are evicted when there is no room left in the pit for more bodies."
2/1
Illus. Anthony S. Waters
#123/301
It could be useful in a Tortured existence deck, if Tortured existence wasn't a common. Hardly to see play, but might be worth testing.
Psychotic Episode - 1BB
Sorcery (C)
Target player reveals his or her hand and the top card of his or her library. You choose a card revealed this way. That player puts the chosen card on the bottom of his or her library.
Madness {1}{B} (If you discard this card, you may play it for its madness cost instead of putting it into your graveyard.)
Illus. Drew Tucker
#126/301
There aren't that many discard spells that let you choose the card you want to trash. This one does. Unfortunately, it doesn't make hard discard, and it's a bit expensive, when you can find better or bigger discard spells (see above).
Sangrophage - BB
Creature - Zombie (C)
At the beginning of your upkeep, tap Sangrophage unless you pay 2 life.
The living is all it eats.
3/3
Illus. Pete Venters
#127/301
The new, bigger, more dangerous Creophage. Black suicide was out of fashion, it could make a come back. Or not.
Skulking Knight - 2B
Creature - Zombie Knight (C)
Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.)
When Skulking Knight becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.
3/3
Illus. rk post
#130/301
A 3/3 that can handle a 4/4, by turn 3 (or turn 1 with a Dark ritual)... but dies at the first "booh !" I'd rather summon an Hypnotic specter.
Strangling Soot - 2B
Instant (C)
Destroy target creature with toughness 3 or less.
Flashback {5}{R} (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)
"What good is your blade without your breath?" -Greht, Gathan warlord
Illus. Jim Murray
#132/301
Another removal. But not good enough. Flashback could make it better if it wasn't red splashed, and so expensive.
Tendrils of Corruption - 3B
Instant (C)
Tendrils of Corruption deals X damage to target creature and you gain X life, where X is the number of Swamps you control.
"Even swamps need sustenance. We will give it to them, and in turn, they will sustain us." -Ezrith, druid of the Dark Hours
Illus. Mike Dringenberg
#136/301
It targets only creatures. It needs a lot of swamps (read : "a lot of turns"). It's worse than Drain life.
Traitor's Clutch - 4B
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +1/+0, becomes black, and gains shadow until end of turn. (It can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
Flashback {1}{B} (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)
Illus. Dave Allsop
#137/301
5 mana to give +1/+0, and shadow... this is horrible. Play Dauthi slayer and forget this.
Tresspasser il-vec - 2B
Creature - Human Rogue (C)
Discard a card: Trespasser il-Vec gains shadow until end of turn. (It can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
3/1
Illus. Jim Murray
#138/301
Copy and paste : Play Dauthi slayer and forget this. You can't afford to discard that many cards, when you have better solutions. Even with madness.
Urborg Syphon-Mage - 2B
Creature - Human Spellshaper (C)
{2}{B},{T}, Discard a card: Each other player lose 2 life. You gain life equal to the life lost this way.
2/2
Illus. Greg Staples
#139/301
Very powerful in multiplayers PEZ. IE, quite never.
Viscid Lemures - 4B
Creature - Spirit (C)
{0}: Viscid Lemures gets -1/-0 and gains swampwalk until end of turn.
"Lemurs? Is that all? Finally, something harmless . . ." -Norin the Wary
4/3
Illus. Drew Tucker
#141/301
Like said Bart Simpson : "This is horrible".
Red
AEtherflame Wall - 1RCreature - Wall (C)
Defender
AEtherflame Wall may block creatures with shadow as though they didn't have shadow.
{R}: AEtherflame Wall gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
AE before Æ but not after C...
0/4
Illus. Justin Sweet
#142/301
"AEtherflame Wall may block creatures with shadow as though they didn't have shadow." So does Fireball.
Ancient Grudge - 1R
Instant (C)
Destroy target artifact.
Flashback {G}
Illus. Jim Nelson
#143/301
Another card for Gruul aggro. Which is another Tier 2 deck.
Blazing Blade Askari - 2R
Creature - Human Knight (C)
Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.)
{2}: Blazing Blade Askari becomes colorless until end of turn.
"This can't be Jamuraa. We could not have failed her this badly...."
2/2
Illus. Dan Frazier
#146/301
A nice ability (bye bye Protection from Red), on a nice body. Too bad Red hasn't any significant creature based deck. Oh well, wait. This might be a nice side card in Song of blood deck, and in Gruul or Rakdos like decks.
Bogardan Rager - 5R
Creature - Elemental (C)
Flash
When Bogardan Rager comes into play, target creature gets +4/+0 until end of turn.
3/4
#148/301
Isn't Reckless charge just better ?
Bonesplitter Sliver - 3R
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers get +2/+0.
2/2
#149/301
Muscle sliver is cheaper and stronger. Period.
[Edit] Chris Morling suggests this as a top-of-the-curve/finisher in the sliver deck. I wonder if this is better than horned sliver in the same role.
Pros Bonesplitter : Pumps sliver
Cons Bonesplitter : 4 mana is a lot in PEZ and can only be a finish off (Tendrils of Agony being the perfect example)
Pros Horned : Gives trample, cost "only" 3.
Cons Horned : If you play Slivers, you'll play Winged. Do you need Flying AND Trample ?
Seems Bonesplitter makes it over its ancestor.
Coal Stoker - 3R
Creature - Elemental (C)
When Coal Stoker comes into play, if you played it from your hand, add {R}{R}{R} to your mana pool.
"The day is mine! I sent three such creatures against my foe, then watched as my magefire popped her soldiers like overripe spleenfruits." -Dobruk the Unstable, pyromancer
3/3
#150/301
3/3 for R. Not combo enough.
Empty the Warrens - 3R
Sorcery (C)
Put two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens into play.
Storm (When you play this spell, copy it for each spell played before it this turn.)
"They'd pour out of the warrens to make war (and to make room for the littering matrons)." -Sarpadian Empires, vol. IV
#152/301
Oh my. A red strom spell. Bringing lots of goblins. Too bad it's a sorcery. Too bad it has a 3R cc. Nice try, though.
[Edit] Where's my bed ? Tendrils of agony is a 4cc spell, and there's a helluva deck built around it. What about a red version of a Storm deck, with a Empty the warrens / Goblin war strike duet as a double kill condition. Undoubtedly needs testing.
Flamecore Elemental - 2RR
Creature - Elemental (C)
Echo {2}{R}{R} (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
5/4
#154/301
Expensive, echo needing, no ability but being a 5/4... nothing more to say.
Flowstone Channeler - 2R
Creature - Human Spellshaper (C)
{1}{R}, {T}, Discard a card: Target creature gets +1/-1 and gains haste until end of turn.
2/2
#155/301
Another spellshaper. Its bonus giving ability is very weak, and it can't be turn into a removal ability. No use, even as a discard engine.
Ghitu Firebreathing - 1R
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.)
Enchant creature
{R}: Enchanted creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
{R}: Return Ghitu Firebreathing to its owner's hand.
#158/301
A flash, recurring firebreathing. You don't use its ancestor, you won't use this one.
Goblin Skycutter - 1R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (C)
Sacrifice Goblin Skycutter: Goblin Skycutter deals 2 damage to target creature with flying. That creature loses flying until end of turn.
He takes out his fear of heights on anything above his head.
2/1
#159/301
This one goblin is fun. It's an hybrid between any 2/2 and a Mogg fanatic. Only targeting flyers. Yeah. It's quite poor. Better use a goblin cohort and forget this 1/2 flying thing, that you can handle with a shock.
Grapeshot - 1R
Sorcery (C)
Grapeshot deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Storm (When you play this spell, copy it for each spell played before it this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Mages often seek to emulate the powerful relics lost to time and apocalypse.
Illus. Pete Venters
#160/301
Remember Scattershot ? Ever wish it was 1 mana less, and able to target players ? Here is Grapeshot, a serious challenger for Tendrils of Agony. Or a finish for Iso Burn (against ProsTides or Tendrils). Too bad it's still a Sorcery.
Ground Rift - R
Sorcery (C)
Target creature without flying can't block this turn.
Storm
#162/301
It's amazing, when you make a review, how many times a very lame card - such as this one - follows a very good one, such as Grapeshot.
Ironclaw Buzzardiers - 2R
Creature - Orc Scout (C)
Ironclaw Buzzardiers can't block creatures with power 2 or greater.
{R}: Ironclaw Buzzardiers gains flying until end of turn.
2/2
Illus. Carl Critchlow
#165/301
They are 2/2 for 3. They are Orcs - not even goblins. They can't block creature with power 2 or greater. They are useless.
Keldon Halberdier - 4R
Creature - Human Warrior (C)
First strike
Suspend 4 - {R} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {R} and remove it from the game with four time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost. It has haste.)
4/1
Illus. Parente
#167/301
A 4/1 first strike at turn 5 ? I can't think of it.
Lightning Axe - R
Instant (C)
As an additional cost to play Lightning Axe, discard a card or pay {5}.
Lightning Axe deals 5 damage to target creature.
"A gargoyle's meat can be carved with an ordinary cleaver, but for its petrous hide . . ." -Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar, The Underworld Cookbook
Illus. Dan Scott
#168/301
When I rode this in partial spoiler, I thought : "Fiery temper". Association of both could make a real control thing for Burn, very cheap in terms of mana cost and very efficient in terms of damages. It is, once again, the kind of card that could definitely fit in a Wee dragonauts deck : massive counter burn strategy to kick heads with a 20/3 flying.
It could also pump a Rakdos / Madness deck : Achieve Hellbent through madness would be tremendous.
Mogg War Marshal - 1R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (C)
Echo {1}{R} (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
When Mogg War Marshal comes into play or is put into a graveyard from play, put a 1/1 red Goblin creature token into play.
1/1
Illus. Wayne England
#170/301
A common siege gang commander, this goblin feeds Goblin Grenade without making any card disadvantage. Might be a nice contribution for a Goblin sligh.
Orcish Cannonade - 1RR
Instant (C)
Orcish Cannonade deals 2 damage to target creature or player and 3 damage to you.
Draw a card.
"Crispy! Scarback! Load another volcano-ball." -Stumphobbler Thuj, Orcish captain
#172/301
Burn + draw. Only Browbeat provided such a combination. Is Orcish cannonade good enough to make it into Burn or Goblin Sligh ? Not sure : at 3cc plus the self damaging default, it still a bit expensive.
Plunder - 4R
Sorcery (C)
Destroy target artifact or land.
Suspend 4 - {1}{R} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {1}{R} and remove it from the game with four time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost.)
#174/301
A delayed Pillage. Do you have time to wait turn 5 ? I don't think so.
Rift Bolt - 2R
Sorcery (C)
Rift Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
Suspend 1 - {R} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {R} and remove it from the game with a time counter on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost.)
#176/301
A delayed Lightning bolt, Rift bolt could be a nice replacement to Incinerate : same amout of damage, lower casting cost.
Subterranean Shambler - 3R
Creature - Elemental (C)
Echo {3}{R} (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
When Subterranean Shambler comes into play or leaves play, it deals 1 damage to each creature without flying.
2/3
Illus. Kev Walker
#178/301
Do you need this to cast Tremor ? Neither do I.
Two-Headed Sliver - 1R
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have "This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures."
"That which would be a fatal mutation in any other species is merely a source of new powers. I am intrigued, yet too fearful to examine it more closely." -Rukarumel, field journal
1/1
#183/301
Nice addition to a sliver deck, this is not the strongest of red common slivers. Fun anyway, but not agressive enough.
Viashino Bladescout - 1RR
Creature - Viashino Scout (C)
Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.)
When Viashino Bladescout comes into play, target creature gains first strike until end of turn.
2/1
#185/301
First strike is not the better combat ability, this viashino just has a 2/1 body, and it doesn't auto bounce like some of its cousins does. Very under the curve.
Green
AEther Web - 1GEnchantment - Aura (C)
Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1, can block as though it had flying, and can block creatures with shadow as though they didn't have shadow.
AE is still before Æ...
#189/301
Once again a defense trick in a color that should promote sheer agressivity. Rancor and Armadillo cloak can sleep quiet.
Ashcoat Bear - 1G
Creature - Bear (C)
Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.)
2/2
#190/301
A flash Grizzly Bear. It still needs something more to be played, but then, why not in a twisted form of UG Tempo ?
Chameleon Blur - 3G
Instant (C)
Prevent all damage that creatures would deal to players this turn.
"Sometimes the best plan is neither fighting nor running." -Freyalise
#192/301
Fog. Only worse than worse. Period.
Durkwood Baloth - 4GG
Creature - Beast (C)
Suspend 5 - {G} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {G} and remove it from the game with five time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost. It has haste.)
5/5
#193/301
The only beast you can play is Krosan Tusker, it seems. And yet, for its cycle abilities. This one is just useless.
Gemhide Sliver - 1G
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have "{T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool."
"The land is weary. Even Skyshroud is depleted. We must find another source of mana-one that is growing despite our withering world." -Freyalise
1/1
#196/301
Oh. My. God. They made common
Glass Asp - 1GG
Creature - Snake (C)
Whenever Glass Asp deals combat damage to a player, that player loses 2 life at the beginning of his or her next draw step unless he or she pays {2} before that step.
Its venom induces a fever that causes its victims to relive the attack in recurring, haunting visions.
2/1
#197/301
With a cc of G, it would be a real threat. With a cc of 1G, it would remain something serious to deal with. At 1GG (not even 2G), it's another shoebox filler.
Greenseeker - G
Creature - Elf Spellshaper (C)
{G}, {T}, Discard a card: Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
"A rumor passes among the snakes, whispered by the rushes, inspiring the seekers: the goddess Freyalise is alive in Skyshroud."
1/1
Illus. Rebecca Guay
#198/301
Oh Boy ! Silverglade Pathfinder, on a common elf body ! Isn't it nice ? Just imagine what you can do of this in a 9 land stompy, along with Basking rootwallas ? Or in a Tortured existence deck ? Or in a RG Madness deck ? Definitely worth the try.
Havenwood Wurm - 6G
Creature - Wurm (C)
Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.)
Trample
Time rifts bring tunneling beasts of old into the hard, dry earth of the present. Most die there, trapped, but the mightiest burst through the surface.
5/6
#199/301
It has Flash, but you won't use before turn... oh, man, why should I bother. It's just a crap thing.
Herd Gnarr - 3G
Creature - Beast (C)
Whenever another creature comes into play under your control, Herd Gnarr gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Long ago, the solitary gnarr was a sign of good luck. Now they have become wild pack hunters, a sign of impending danger.
2/2
#200/301
If only it had been a +1/+1 token instead of a "until end of turn" +2/+2. But no.
Molder - XG
Instant (C)
Destroy target artifact or enchantment with converted mana cost X. It can't be regenerated. You gain X life.
"The forests have succumbed to ruin, but the spirit of Krosa remains alive and vital in these devouring spores." -Zyd, Kamahlite druid
#206/301
Since Mirrodin, Green has taken a great part of the "disenchant" job. This one confirms this turn of things, in an intersting way. Most of the times, PEZ artifacts have 0, 1 or 2 cc... except the affinity ones. You can't handle a Myr enforcer with Molder : it just needs too much mana. Too bad, sounded fun.
Mwonvuli Acid-Moss - 2GG
Sorcery (C)
Destroy target land. Search your library for a Forest card and put that card into play tapped. Then shuffle your library.
"Life gives way to death, and death to new life. Nature feeds upon her own decay." -Ezrith, druid of the Dark Hours
#207/301
If you want to be honest, this spell is very good : your opponent loose a land, and you gain a Forest. It's quite good for 2GG. But competitive PEZ decks can't afford to be honest. You need Land grant. You need Sinkhole. And if you want both effect merge in a single card, you would want to pay only 1GB. No more.
Nantuko Shaman - 2G
Creature - Insect Shaman (C)
When Nantuko Shaman comes into play, if you control no tapped lands, draw a card.
Suspend 1 - {2}{G}{G} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {2}{G}{G} and remove it from the game with a time counter on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost. It has haste.)
3/2
Illus. Daren Bader
#208/301
Green has never shone for its card drawing abilities - except with Silvan Library. This shaman doesn't change this state of fact. Pay four mana to draw a card and have 3/2 creature, one turn later you pay for it, is something you can't do in Peasant : the format is just too fast.
Penumbra Spider - 2GG
Creature - Spider (C)
Penumbra Spider can block as though it had flying.
When Penumbra Spider is put into a graveyard from play, put a 2/4 black Spider creature token into play that can block as though it had flying.
When it snared a passing cockatrice, its own soul darkly doubled.
2/4
Illus. Jeff Easley
#210/301
The classic non-flying spider, with the classic flyer-blocking ability. The penumbra thing makes it slightly more interesting, but it comes with an increased mana cost. Moreover, the whole creature is another defender in a color - and a format - that prevails raw aggression in any form.
Savage Thallid - 3GG
Creature - Fungus (C)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a spore counter on Savage Thallid.
Remove three spore counters from Savage Thallid: Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play.
Sacrifice a Saproling: Regenerate target Fungus.
5/2
#213/301
Words are failing me. Terrible.
Scarwood Treefolk - 3G
Creature - Treefolk (C)
Scarwood Treefolk comes into play tapped.
To treefolk's sense of time, ages pass as hours. They stood as witnesses to the apocalypse, the years of which they saw as one cacophonous, ultra-destructive moment.
3/5
#214/301
It's been a hard day's night, and scarwood treefolk is a log.
Search for Tomorrow - 2G
Sorcery (C)
Search your library for a basic land card and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
Suspend 2 - {G} (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {G} and remove it from the game with two time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When you remove the last, play it without paying its mana cost.)
#216/301
Mana acceleration has to speed up things. Not suspend them.
Spinneret Sliver - 1G
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have "This creature can block as though it had flying."
Each new generation of slivers evolves to assimilate the strengths of the prey upon which their progenitors fed.
2/2
#219/301
Not the best green sliver, from far. Just play Winged sliver and Muscle sliver, and forget this one.
[Edit] Same point from Chris Morling that for the Screeching sliver : it's a 2/2 sliver for 2. It might be something to be included in your Sliver list.
Sprout - G
Instant (C)
Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play.
Centuries of temporal strife had stripped Dominaria of its natural defenses, but nature fought back with armies constructed of little more than grime and sunlight.
#221/301
Sounds stupid if not vulgar in french, useless in PEZ.
Strength in Numbers - 1G
Instant (C)
Until end of turn, target creature gains trample and gets +X/+X, where X is the number of attacking creatures.
"The hermit dies. The outcast dies. The lone wolf dies. Only those who stick together survive this world." -Uros, Pendelhaven elder
Illus. Ron Spencer
#224/301
If only it rode : "Creatures you control" and not "target creature"... I guess you'll just play Wirewood Pride.
Thallid Germinator - 2G
Creature - Fungus (C)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a spore counter on Thallid Germinator.
Remove three spore counters from Thallid Germinator: Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play.
Sacrifice a Saproling: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
2/2
Illus. Tom Wänerstrand
#225/301
Please ! Enough ! Stop ! We don't need no $%@#* Thallids !
Thallid Shell-Dweller - 1G
Creature - Fungus (C)
Defender
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a spore counter on Thallid Shell-Dweller.
Remove three spore counters from Thallid Shell-Dweller: Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play.
0/5
Illus. Carl Critchlow
#226/301
Wall of roots is reprinted, did you know ?
Thrill of the Hunt - G
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +1/+2 until end of turn.
Flashback {W} (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)
Illus. Stephen Tappin
#229/301
Instant green Holy Strength with white flashback. Won't be played : for WG, you can cast Seeds of strength which targets 3 times and gives 3 times +1/+1.
Wormwood Dryad - 2G
Creature - Dryad (C)
{G}: Wormwood Dryad gains forestwalk until end of turn and it deals 1 damage to you.
{B}: Wormwood Dryad gains swampwalk until end of turn and it deals 1 damage to you.
3/1
Illus. Warren Mahy
#233/301
Oh. Another golgari thing, escaped from Ravnica. Too bad it's not as good as Dryad sophisticate or even Elves of deep shadow...
Artifacts
Brass Gnat - 1Artifact Creature - Insect (C)
Flying
Brass Gnat doesn't untap during your untap step.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay {1}. If you do, untap Brass Gnat.
1/1
Illus. Martina Pilcerova
#249/301
It flies, it's an artefact, it has Brass man default. May be it could fit in Affinity, as a lesser Ornithopter. But it is a serious challenge for this gnat.
Chromatic Star - 1
Artifact (C)
{1}, {T}, Sacrifice Chromatic Star: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
When Chromatic Star is put into a graveyard from play, draw a card.
"This item is not from . . . now. It reflects a sky no longer ours and gleams with hope that does not exist." -Tavalus, acolyte of Korlis
Illus. Alex Horley-Orlandelli
#251/301
Forget Barbed sextant.
Previous top artifacts for mana fixing in PEZ was :
1) Chromatic Sphere
2) Barbed sextant
3) Terrarion
I don't count Lotus petal here, which truly is the PEZ mox - or Black Lotus. Chromatic Star being better than Chromatic sphere - since its card drawing ability isn't linked to its mana fixing ability, Barbed sextant should be replaced with Sphere, and Sphere with Star.
Jhoira's Timebug - 2
Artifact Creature - Insect (C)
{T}: Choose target permanent you control or suspended card you own. If that permanent or card has a time counter on it, you may remove a time counter from it or put another time counter on it.
1/2
Illus. Dan Frazier
#257/301
The only Suspend cards you may play have so many time counters that this artifact is quite useless. Other are way too slow to be played : you can't be sure to draw this Timebug, and can't spend a tutor on it.
Prismatic Lens - 2
Artifact (C)
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.
{1}, {T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
It bends not light but mana, aligning its chaotic currents into the sharp angles necessary for the mystic's purposes.
Illus. Alan Pollack
#262/301
Prismatic lens is another good mana fixing / acceleration, on paper at least. It needs testing to say if it's worth including in a list, or if its just a lost card (I'd rather think the second way).
Lands
Terramorphic ExpanseLand (C)
{T}, Sacrifice Terramorphic Expanse: Search your library for a basic land card and put it into play tapped. Then shuffle your library.
Take two steps north into the unsettled future, south into the unquiet past, east into the present day, or west into the great unknown.
Illus. Dan Scott
#279/301
This one is HUGE. It's a fetchland, common, without neither life drawback, nor land type restriction but to be common. Its only default is to bring the land into play tapped. No big deal if you truly need to play 2 colors.
Combined with a lotus petal, it's both tempo and library cleaning. And color fixing. A must have.
In summary
Red is the great winner of this extension, with 2 cards with a real potential.White follows with new additions to WW, and a possible combo engine.
Green may find some useful cards for lesser tier decks and may bring a really competitive sliver deck to life, altought it will be tough deckbuilding.
Black gains quite nothing, and blue even less.
The colorless cards might be the best of this extension, as they bring some of the best mana fixing to the format from long, which is a paradox. Ravnica should have provided these, and it's actually a mono-colored oriented block that offers solutions.
[Edit] Blue does have good cards, but not so obvious one, and the deck(s) they fit in are to be built : Aggro blue ? A really good Tog deck ? Black feels the same with a lot of madness cards. A BR Madness/Hellbent deck might see play with some strong deckbuilding. But then again, these options are aggro decks, which are not PEZ masters.
In any case, we can already see that Time spiral brings a lot of new options to explore, and that is something we haven't met since... well, since a while ;-)
Testing in the next few weeks and month should clarify the new metagame and decklists.[/Edit]
Pretty much definitely see play in an already tier 1 deck :
Children of Korlis (as a side against any storm/duplication deck)
Grapeshot
Rift bolt
Chromatic Star
Likely to see play, or definitely good but in a deck that’s not quite as well established or lesser tier deck :
Momentary Blink (with cards like Dream stalker, Shrieking drake, Man'o'war... needs testing)
Mystical teachings
Empty the warrens
Mogg War marshall
Gemhide slivers (and its sliver sibling along : Sidewinder sliver, Screeching sliver and Spinerret sliver)
Greenseeker
Terramorphic expense
Likely to see play, but unlikely to be a major player :
Benalish Cavalry
Fortify
Assassinate
Dark withering (with Lightning axe :)
Creophage
Blazing blade askari
You don't agree with this review ? Please comment and criticise, betterment comes from discussion :)
Last reviewed : 17 July 2007
Last reviewed : 21 January 2007
Last reviewed : 25 September 2006
Last reviewed : 16 August 2006
Affinity
Goblin Sligh
White winnie
Stompy
Phantom Cloak
Goblin storm
Elf-ball / Elf-Clamp
Mono black
Psychatog
Tortured existence / Reanimator
Ritual agony
Life
ProsTides
Kobold-Clamp
IsoBurn/Burn
Satin doll
IsoMUC
UG Tempo
Comments
thanks for the great review. I'm just getting in to PEZ and this is my 1st visit to your sight. I have to say that i'm impressed by your card analysis and how punctual your article for TS is. I was scouring for a TS PEZ review and a PEZ sight like this, and bookmarked the sight immediately. thanks again for your in depth work,
Hi there,
it's great to see your review. Thanks for writing it, and so much of your site, in English.
Here's a few cards where I disagree with you:
Amrou Scout:
I think this is pretty good. There are now 12 2 cc, 2 power, common Rebels. I don't think a "Rebel Chain" is very good in PEZ, but Sergeant into 2/x's might be useful in some matchups, and after boarding Amrou Scout can find Thermal and Nightwind Gliders. I grant that it's not great against the best decks, but it's pretty powerful in a "raw" way, and worth thinking about in midrange/control decks.
Benalish Cavalry:
Having just praised a 2 drop, I will now contradict myself: white 2 drops have to be really, really good to be worth playing. Order of Leitbur, Ronom Unicorn, Kami of Ancient Law, Soltari Trooper, and potentially Crimson and Obsidian Acolyte and Coalition Flag Bearer (plus Mesa Chicken wherever Un- is allowed) all clog up the 2 slot while serving some useful role -- evasion, removal, or hosing important matchups. I don't think Benalish Cavalry does enough.
Momentary Blink:
I think you're going to be disappointed with Momentary Blink.dec.
Cancel:
This is the best 3 mana common counterspell, I think. I believe it's good enough to play (after 4 x Counterspell, of course).
Mystical Teachings:
This is very expensive, but it's very, very powerful. Instant speed tutoring for two cards is a great effect. Even at 4 mana (and then 6 mana) you can wait until the end of an opponent's turn and only use the mana if it's available. In certain metagames I think this might be a useful addition to Tog or UB control.
Screeching Sliver:
The best slivers are Muscle and Winged. I think that a 1 mana blue sliver is worth considering, even without text. The ability will occasionally be useful -- frequently be useful against Life, in rare situations against ProsTides or mono U control, and potentially in a deck looking for Threshold or Flashback (although I doubt such a deck would want slivers.)
Spiketail Drakeling:
A smaller Spiketail Drake or a bigger Spiketail Hatchling? I'm not sure whether this is common or uncommon, but as a common I think it's okay in monoU Aggro-Control.
Assassinate:
I think the best comparison for this is Rend Flesh, which destroys almost any creature in the format as an Instant. Rend Flesh is almost always superior to Assassinate.
Basal Sliver:
I think there's some Sliver combo waiting to be discovered and that Basal Sliver is the key card to making it work. I think it's likely to be a worse version of KoboldClamp rather than the next KoboldClamp, but there you go.
Bonesplitter Sliver:
Muscle Sliver is better, but +2/+0 is a pretty good top of the curve. Red also provides a Haste-granting Sliver, so G/U/r or G/R/u might be the best (non-combo) Sliver deck in PEZ.
Grapeshot:
Let me go out on a limb here and be the first to say it: Grapeshot won't be very good in PEZ. I'm either going to look prescient or stupid in a few month's time, and I'm betting prescient.
1) The uncommon slot that you're freeing up isn't very useful, unless you want to run Prosperity as well as "fake Tendrils", in which case you don't really need the win condition.
2) Reaching a Storm count of 20 is much harder than reaching a Storm count of 10.
3) Running black for Tendrils gives Tides Dark Ritual (and its clones) and post-board Duress. Running red for Grapeshot gives Tides the crummy Desperate Ritual and post-board Shattering Pulse.
That's not to say it's impossible, but I'm betting that Tendril Tides and ProsTides will both be better than GrapeshotTides.
Orcish Cannonade:
I think that there are decks that are happy with 3 mana, but they won't be happy with 3 damage. I think there are decks that are happy with 3 damage but they won't be happy with 3 mana.
Spinneret Sliver:
This is a text-less 2/2 Sliver for 2 in the same color as Muscle Sliver. I think it's playable in the Sliver deck.
Thalid Shell-Dweller:
This does a pretty good job of gumming up the ground. It does a pretty good job of blocking, which makes the game go long, which gives it time to make Saprolings.
Incidentally, Sakura Tribe Elder is better than Wall of Roots in PEZ nine times out of ten.
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Thanks for maintaining such a great site and place for conversation about PEZ. :-)
Cheers,
Chris
Thanks for the good words, discussion and light brought on this review. BTW, let me apologize publicly for my lame english, it's been a long time since my New-York times.
Some of your critics have been added to the main review (with credits of course). "Some", meaning these I agree with.Here are some answers about the others cards you pointed out :
Amrou Scout / Benalish Cavalry : Both creatures can't stand together in the same deck, obviously. As I said in the Yahoo groups, I'm not fond of Rebels : their tutoring ability prevents you from doing anything else, such as charge the opponent and stomp his head ;-) WW is an aggro deck with strong defense ability (hate colors, mainly). Tutoring the right creature at the right moment is a defense stance, which doesn't fit in "my" WW. For Benalish Cavalry, let me make it clear, it doesn't block from playing Order of leitbur ;)
Momentary Blink: A deck built around this can only be a Control one. May be it's a FBI (french pun : FBI stands for Fausse Bonne Idée, False Good Idea ;-). But as I am a specialist of these, I'll give it a try.
Spiketail Drakeling: IMHO, Mono U can't afford to meddle with both Aggro and Control. It has to be fully aggro (a challenge WoTC want to confront us with, as it seems) or fully control (much more classical)
Basal Sliver: You have to sacrifice the Sliver, not to put it in a graveyard to trigger its mana ability. But maybe something can be done out of this with Tortured existence, Unearth or the like...
Grapeshot: I think this shouldn't be seen as Tendrils or Prosperity replacement is the eponym decks, but rather as a new victory condition, or even, as a new finisher for a to be built deck, such as a Wee Dragonauts one (even if the Storm won't trigger the WD ability).
Thalid Shell-Dweller: If I were to use a green wall, I'd take Wall of roots. But as you pointed out, Sakura-tribe Elder is a great "wall".
It appears my last post didn't make it!
By the way, excellent website.
I wanted to comment on a few things - I agree on some cards and disagree on others. For the sake of brevity, I'll only tap on those cards that are worthwhile.
Grapeshot: I'm not certain why people aren't jumping all over this card. While storm-count twenty is hard to reach for a KoboldClamp deck, which relies almost entirely on its combo to win, within an ElfClamp build (with Tinder Wall) splashing red, it might be a great sideboard choice.
Flickering Spirit: Isn't this basically the same card as Rainbow Efreet, except with a slightly more expensive, yet splashable, activation cost?
Gaze of Justice: The only decks using Swords to Plowshares in PEZ are White Weenie builds. While Plowshares is entirely superior to Gaze, it occurs to me that Gaze, as a common, is probably the best creature removal for white in the format. Even so, it's no Plowshares.
Clockspinning: Doesn't this interact with Cumulative Upkeep?
Snapback: It's better than Unsummon, in my opinion. Hardcasted, it's only one colorless mana more in cost.
Mindstab: Do any of the Suspend effects work with Arcane Laboratory? If so, there's a deck idea, right there. If not, it's still a neat effect combined with the Lab.
Empty the Warrens: Combined with Rite of Flame, Skirk Prospector and Brightstone Ritual (as mentioned earlier) and the other red-colored acceleration effects, you've got a goblin bomb. Combined with Skullclamp, there's a deck idea. Producing the mana might be an issue - so what about splashing another color into the mix? Terramorphic Expanse? Blue for draw? Black for additional acceleration effects?
Mogg War Marshal: It seems to me that this is the perfect choice for a Goblin-Clamp deck. Produces three 'clampable bodies for 1R. Or, if 'clamped, this draws six in exchange for a card and five mana. Pretty good.
So far, it looks like we're going to see some pretty outstanding changes to the PEZ format. It's looking good!
Thanks again for the good word !
Grapeshot: There's another deck to use this in : Goblin Storm. I know this not official yet, but it can be a first part of the kill, along with empty the warrens and Goblin war strike.
Flickering Spirit: way too expensive to active just for a 2/2. It will need a lot of mana to get this useful AND control board in the same time.
Gaze of Justice: It IS the best creature removal for white in the format - after Plowshares. But it is so below the curve of WW, that it can't make it.
Clockspinning: Cumulative upkeep generates age counter, not time ones. :(
Snapback: For the same cost, you will use Snap, I guess, even outside ProsTides.
Mindstab: Arcane Laboratory prevents you from playing more than one spell. Ie you can play one spell + as many suspend abilities you want, but they're better not resolve on the same turn, since a no counter suspended card can be played without paying its mana cost. But played.
Empty the Warrens / Mogg War Marshal:As you might know I'm currently working a Goblin Storm deck.Empty the warrens seems more like an engine than a kill, but is definetily good. Mogg War Marshal is good but a little too expensive when you can have for 2 mana and 1 card, 2 cards with Akki Rockspeaker. More over this one Goblin can be used to cast the killing War strike, to be sacrified to Skirk Prospector or 'clamped. May be both should be used, actually.
I'd love to see the Goblin deck you're working up. Do you think going with Skullclamp is the best option? What about splashing blue for draw?
What I'd like to see most is a Goblin combo-aggro deck. There's probably a single combo-aggro deck in the format: ElfClamp.
Akki Rockspeaker: How is this card different from a 1 cc goblin?
Clockspinning: I think this card effects all counters, unless I read it wrong.
About "Goblin Storm" : it should be out very soon ;)
Akki Rockspeaker is a 2cc Goblin with 1/1, and it provides you with one red mana. I guess a Raging goblin is the same, only more agressive, but Rockspeaker is a little trickier.
About Clockspinning, my, you were right, and I was wrong... It doesn't target any kind of counter, just "counter". Nice, but expensive... (buyback included, I mean).
Hey, am I crazy to think that Penumbra Spider might be good in some green deck against Affinity? Control green could really use an answer for Somber Hoverguard and Penumbra Spider is good against everything else in Affinity except Myr Enforcer and Disciple of the Vault. It's a little expensive, but it probably comes out on turn 3 and the game isn't over at that point.