MGR: I agree with QSP. I think it makes for a more fun disenchant, and is great in multiplayer. Or maybe with Eon hub. Otherwise, there are better cards out there.
QSP: I do sometimes feel that EDH has become too inundated with ETB effects that make running certain sorceries and instants not as important but I admit they're quite fun to use and abuse. This card has a couple things going for me: great utility against graveyard abuse on a solid 3/4 flying body at reasonable cost (if it had flash I'd have Restoration Angel nightmares) and it uses nice female angel art that isn't sexed up. This will probably replace Stonecloaker in my Daxos deck. While I'll miss the combo potential of instant speed bounce and pinpoint graveyard removal to stop a critical recursion effect, the finality of exile all cards probably makes up for it.
MGR:I do like angel of finality, especially in a blink type of deck. One thing I loved about cards like Bojuka bog was that it exiled only one person's graveyard, but it was a one shot use unless you were doing something like using a karoo land. This allows for me easily keeping one person's graveyard empty while keeping yours full. Will definitely try to fit this into my Bant ETB EDH.
MGR: The curses, while nice in multiplayer EDH, I feel aren't really that good. It is more of a political move, to put on the person with highest life total so others can gain life by swinging at them. I like that it's a curse so it can be disenchanted when needed. But overall, I think the effect is pretty weak.
QSP: I agree that these curses aren't the best card. They're a homerun as far as political cards go and I think on par with the Vow cycle from the first Commander decks but this effect seems too weak to spend a slot on. Great for those life gain effect matters decks such as Oloro I'm sure. But I imagine this scenario will be common:
Me: Hey! Attack that guy and you'll gain 1-5 life! H-hey what why are you attacking me? You'll gain 0 life! Net loss! ~grumble~
MGR: I think this could be pretty interesting in the way the new EDH commanders work. They want to die and come back over and over, and this helps prevent that from happening by making them indestructible. However, it also gives your opponent an indestructible blocker as well. Overall, I'd rather play something like arrest over this.
QSP: This card does nicely deal with the pesky Derevi in a way that normal destroy and exile removal wouldn't and the fact that it's a mini Humility is great but white wasn't lacking in these effects whereas Lignify is great for green because of their lack of removal. And I haven't put Lignify in a deck in a long time. White's tuck cards would probably be better but if your playgroup is anti-tuck, then this serves a useful substitute.
QSP: Hey! It's an enchantment enforcing the attack left/defend right multiplayer format. Although fun to spring on a group, unfortunately I think it may too costly to put into any of my current decks. I could see this appearing as a plane or phenomena in a new Planechase product and would enjoy it there. And maybe it'll finally get me started on a deck that utilizes multiplayer more. That'd be fun.
MGR: Another one of those cards that is fun in a big multiplayer game but otherwise not very good. Could be good if everyone is always wanting to attack you, as only one person can.
QSP: When I saw this guy at first I thought it was Shape Stealer, a creature whose power and toughness changes into whatever it's blocking or blocked by it. Yes, I can thank my many Momir Basic games for running into such a random creature. And thus I thought this was a weaker version who copied only power. It would make a decent Loyal Sentry impression I thought? Then I re-read it and noticed it exchanged it's power with the blocked creature. That's a much better Loyal Sentry effect! I'm not sure if I have a deck that wants the effect yet but I'm glad it's around.
MGR:I really like the flavor of this guy, as the small guy defeats the giant guy by using gideon's words. I think he is a great blocker and I could see myself playing him with some type of provoke ability. I just wish he had higher defense as he is so easily burned. I guess you can't ask for everything on such a small CMC though.
MGR: I like the Tempting offer keyword and think it's much better than Join Forces keyword from last commander product. I like this as you can potentially gain a giant army in a big multiplayer game, but I think something like gavony township or steel overseer are just much much better.
QSP: Yeah Tempting offer is a much better and fun mechanic and I hope they continue it in the next product. This card, however, just seems over costed for what it does. The only scenario that I imagine this glorious offer would be tempting is if an opponent had more creatures than you and would thus benefit more than you. I suppose this does mean in multiplayer if you and a temporary ally need to build an army to take one player down, it'll work well. Just like the infamous 5-0 Fact or Fiction piles! But yes, most of the time, a normal one sided pump is probably better.
MGR: I think this is one of the few new cards that might have actual legacy play. I like that for 2 white mana you put target card on top of your opponent's library. It's a cheaper griptide in that sense!
QSP: Yep I'll be watching this card carefully. With all the shuffle effects out there, WW for a tuck effect is super powerful. And in a pinch, casting it for a low x cost can still steal you the game. I like it and will probably replace Oblation with it.
QSP: The blue curse in this new cycle looks like it has potential but the fact that it only triggers once no matter how many creatures attack limits its potential. It does mean your "ally" opponents won't be able to abuse it too so at least it won't backfire and it does mean if you have a powerful tap ability that they may ally with you to continually untap it. So potential, yes, but power level maybe lacking. I like it more in 1v1. Just need to find an awesome tapping permanent to use it on. I love me some Hidden Strings after all.
MGR: I did a short review of this in a past post, but basically: Love the flavor text of it referencing hidden strings. Overall, think it's quite a bad card though.
QSP: I like this card but for such a symmetrical effect, I would hope it'd cost less mana. I guess it does have built in evasion in the sense that your opponent would want to take the hit but I still think it could have used it for the decks that want to force your opponent to draw cards.
MGR: I think this card is funny with cards like Consecrated Sphinx. Overall, it costs too much for what it is trying to do.
MGR: This djinn is another one of those cards that is fun in big multiplayer format. However, in smaller games, it is very overcosted. Might work nice with Venser the planeswalker though.
QSP: I'm the kind of player that sees this card and wants to troll as much as possible, switching creatures between players without any real rhyme or reason. But it does cost 6 mana and has no protections so I'm sure those shenanigans would end pretty quickly. And in 1v1 it really does cost just too much. How many times do you need a control switching effect to realistically be ahead? It's nice that it flies and has a big defense though for times where you don't need to troll.
MGR: This is a funny fog, and only really good in multiplayer games. Can force your opponent to attack another opponent. But overall, as just a redirect type of fog, it costs too much mana for what it tries to do.
QSP: In multiplayer this seems really fun to hold on to if you can break an alliance with it. Imagine two guys working together and one had just cast Tempt with Glory giving his team two +1/+1 counters. He swings at you and, BAM, you cast this and send him straight to his "ally" for an awkward battle. I like cards like this for the stories they can create but Reins of Power would probably be better most of the time both for the fog effect and in this exact scenario where I would just take the allied army and force the bad blocks.
QSP: While I didn't think the white version of this cycle was playable, I do like the blue version. And unlike something like Switcheroo, you don't need a creature to give up in return to get one. Makes for a better top deck. And this looks quite fun to use in multiplayer when you want to play "let's switch generals mid game!"
MGR: A fun card in multiplayer, you might as well play control magic, treachery, or something of the like in a smaller EDH game.
QSP: This looks like a far more fair and fun version of Rite of Replication. It's too bad you can only target one of your creatures but I can see this being playable still. And as a bonus you can set up your very own Oprah moment: "You get a Sun Titan, you get a Sun Titan, well you don't want one, but most of us get Sun Titaaaaaans!" Then proceed to win the game because your opponents foolishly gave you three Sun Titans. Just like Oprah, we'll all OWN*.
*(Bad Oprah Winfrey network pun. Apologies).
MGR: I think this might be playable in EDH, but really, as QSP said, why wouldnt you just play Rite of Replication instead?
MGR: One of the weaker forces. How does this compare to a bolt or a phrexian arena every turn?
QSP: I believe my co-blogger friend here doesn't realize the awesome power of Hidden Strings! Combine this with Arcanis the Omnipotent and you'll have surpassed any of the Force creatures. Or let it do a mini Seedborn Muse impression. Unfortunately, it really is kinda weak. Twiddle yourself away, poor force.
MGR: One of the legacy playable cards. This will be a potential house in legacy fish as you can equip a jitte or something on it and let it get through, putting your opponent on a 2 or 3 turn clock. In EDH, it can be equally as good, moreso in a smaller game.
QSP: As a Progenitus player, I'm pretty saddened by this card and the fact that it's protection may be better than protection from EVERYTHING. Too good! It's like a buffed up Invisible Stalker. I'm hoping to put one into the Daxos deck. As I don't play Legacy beyond a high tide brain freeze deck, I don't have anything to add there. Maybe it can go in the deck still. :D
QSP: The Force cycle finishes! This looks like a less threatening Consecrated Sphinx. I like it and a 7/7 beater can be pretty potent.
MGR: Nice in a big multiplayer EDH, where you draw a lot of cards and lose life. Seems like it works really well with Oloro. Never underestimate card draw, with a big 7/7 body to back it up. One of the top forces in my opinion.
QSP: I like this card. It fits the art and flavor perfectly when you choose the biggest threat and people keep piling on and putting more and more pressure on the board till that player is overwhelmed. And it's slow paced just like the zombies it produces!
MGR: Probably one of the better curses, still it doesn't seem that great overall. Great in a big multiplayer EDH game though.
MGR: I think this is playable, in a mono black EDH deck that features something like bitterblossom tokens, enter the battlefield effects, and cheap creatures in general. By the time you can cast this guy, you should be able to keep recasting and reusing this ability every turn keeping the board clean and in your favor.
QSP: This reminds me of Gleancrawler, my awesome promo card from the Ravnica prerelease. For one more mana, you lose trample and gain a nice sacrifice ability. Might end up being too costly for its effect but it does look powerful.
MGR: I think this creature is just unplayable. When would this ability actually matter? Wouldn't just a smaller creature that is always unblockable just be better? And it's a 4/4 for 5 mana that is only sometimes unblockable.
QSP: I actually thought a creature like this already existed. Well, I guess the pseudo unblockablity could be good for something like Vela... Or in a mono black voltron deck. Unfortunately, I think MGR is right and you could probably get something better for 5 mana.
QSP: With a sacrifice engine in place this becomes a mini and possibly better Verdant Force! Deters attacks very well and combos with things like Mortar Pod. I think it's a subtly powerful effect that I'll think about in future decks.
MGR: I can see this working well with dark prophecy and/or fercundity, as a token maker every turn.
QSP: I'm not usually a fan of the type of decks cards like this produce: decks which involve having your opponent have big hands and punishing them for it but at least this can be used to punish the greedy card drawing blue player without providing them a Howling Mine effect ala Spiteful Visions. I think it's a bit too costly and not as powerful as other bomb 7 drop enchantment, Vicious Shadows, but in EDH, this drawback means it might be able to be kept around longer and possibly deal more damage.
MGR: This costs way too much at 7 mana, otherwise you would be able to build a nice deck around it if it was cheaper.
MGR: I think this is a good card, and will make your EDH opponent's think in a big multiplayer game, especially if you are playing a reanimator deck.
QSP: I really like this card and with the power levels of creatures in EDH, everyone will be very tempted to get good value from this. Since I think you don't need to reveal your choice till it resolves, it even gets around some pinpoint graveyard removal.... maybe? Well, it's a fun card either way. Into the secret EDH deck it goes!
MGR: This card I think is also legacy playable. It is essentially going to be a cheaper damnation that lets you kill anything indestructible as well. In EDH, it's even better as you start with double the life total.
QSP: I really like this card. Easier to use than Mutilate and so easy to splash to boot. Great card. These type of toughness reducing effects are very powerful in a format where indestructibility (take that gods!) regeneration are found (you too Thrun!).
And that's all for part 1. Join us next time when we cover Red, Green, Artifacts, and the cool Command Tower common of the set, Opal Palace.
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