EDITOR'S NOTE: Apologies on the lateness of this series.  While the first impressions are meant to be posted right after a set comes out, circumstances didn't work out that way -- even despite cpn's article being written quickly after the release of Future Sight.  ~Streetz~

I discovered, almost by accident that I have a solution to my problem at hand. You see, I am only one person, and as long as I give my First Impressions, you can say things like, “Yea, but what about in Vintage?! What about in Eternal! That card rocks in Eternal.”

What I have done is enlisted a couple of fellow writers to help out with this series. While you can tell me that my Impressions suck, I offer other peoples Impressions as well into the mix.

What we will be doing is taking turns, breaking the set into again six parts, writing an article covering a portion of the cards in the set. This author shift should provide a broad spectrum of perspectives into this series, mind it a late First Impression series, but late is better than never, right?

Anyways, I am losing time here, so without further ado, I bring you the First Impressions of Future Sight: Artifacts, Lands, Multi-Color.

Akroma's Memorial 7 Legendary Artifact
Creatures you control have flying, first strike, vigilance, trample, haste, protection from black, and protection from red.

Um, wooo.. if I wanted to dump seven mana into a card that gets Naturalized at the end of my turn, I will certainly look this bad boy up.

Oh, and I would believe that this would net you a win or two in Limited.

Grade: B-

Cloud Key 3 Artifact
As Cloud Key comes into play, choose artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, or sorcery.
Spells you play of the chosen type cost 1 less to play.

This is an interesting artifact. I think it could see some play in a select few Control decks, especially a Mono Black Control (MBC), as most of their spells are sorcery. An example might be to play this on turn three, naming sorcery, then follow it up on turn four with a Persecute and then with that extra mana not used (since Persecute is now BB1) I cast Extirpate and suck a freshly discarded card from existence.

Grade: B+

Coalition Relic 3 Artifact
T Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
T Put a charge counter on Coalition Relic.
At the beginning of your pre-combat main phase, remove all charge counters from Coalition Relic. Add one mana of any color to your mana pool for each counter removed this way.

If you really day dream about this card, you can see yourself blasting into outer space with the power that this thing could generate.

Think about it. An aggro deck plays this card, more likely than not, on turn two. They end the opponents turn by tapping it and adding a charge counter to it. During their upkeep, they tap it again, adding another charge counter. They then enter their pre-combat main phase, and add two mana of their choice to their pool, then play a land, which gives them five mana on turn three at their disposal. Not bad..

Blue could play Teferi on turn three.. does that suck?

Grade: B+

Darksteel Garrison 2 Artifact - Fortification
Fortified land is indestructible.
Whenever fortified land becomes tapped, target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Fortify 3 (3: Attach to target land you control. Fortify only as a sorcery. This card comes into play unattached and stays in play if the land leaves play.)

I dunno, it could be used for weenie decks to get a quick boost, but why would any other deck use it? Seems very eh.. to me.

Grade: C- Limited use.

Epochrasite 2 Artifact Creature – Construct 1/1
Epochrasite comes into play with three +1/+1 counters on it if you didn't play it from your hand.
When Epochrasite is put into a graveyard from play, remove it from the game with three time counters on it and it gains suspend.

This is a nice card. I would envision a control style deck getting a hold of this and tossing it into play early and chump blocking. By the time this thing would pop back into existence, they would have Wrathed the board clear and he comes back into play as a 4/4 with haste. Plus the fact that each time they come back, they are free and are 4/4’s.

Grade: A

Sarcomite Myr 2U Artifact Creature – Myr 2/1
2: Sarcomite Myr gains flying until end of turn.
2, Sacrifice Sarcomite Myr: Draw a card.

This card tests your “I have read the rule book.” Have you? If you had, you’d know that nothing about the card matters, except the color of mana used to play the spell, in determining the color of the spell. So while this is an artifact, it is a blue spell and blue permanent.

“203.2. An object is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of its frame.”

I noticed a few cards in this set that really say, “This is an advanced players set.”

Not much to say about the card. It is ‘aight’ I guess.

Grade: C

Sliversmith 2 Artifact Creature – Spellshaper 1/1
1, T, Discard a card: Put a 1/1 Sliver artifact creature token named Metallic Sliver into play.

An artifact creature that makes artifact creatures... interesting.

I must admit, each time I see an artifact creature, I instantly start thinking about how I can abuse that creature with Academy Ruins... Does that tell you about the quality of a card? I am not sure if that means this is a bad card because I need Academy Ruins to be good, or that Academy Ruins is really good because it makes a lot of other cards good. I’ll keep thinking about it.

Grade: C I never said that this one is really good.

Soultether Golem 2 Artifact Creature – Golem 3/3
Vanishing 1 (This permanent comes into play with a time counter on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter from it. When the last is removed, sacrifice it.)
Whenever another creature comes into play under your control, put a time counter on Soultether Golem.

Grade: D- Waste of Time, in more than one sense.

Sword of the Meek 2 Artifact – Equipment
Equipped creature gets +1/+2.
Equip 2
Whenever a 1/1 creature comes into play under your control, you may return Sword of the Meek from your graveyard to play, then attach it to that creature.

More Weenie crap cards that might be left out of a Sealed deck.

Grade: D

Veilstone Amulet 3 Artifact
Whenever you play a spell, creatures you control can't be the targets of spells or abilities your opponents control this turn.

I am getting really tired of Wizards making crappy artifacts. I mean seriously, does a freaking card have to have a color to be any good? I wish I could just play an artifact that would instill fear or at least drag a countering spell out of my opponent’s hand. This is not your cue to make Mindslaver v2 or even to do an entire block out of artifact spells, but for the love of God, give me a decent artifact or seven during each block. Off of the top of my head, I can’t name more than four artifacts created brand spanking new in the Time Spiral block. As a matter of fact, I can’t even remember the name of the artifact I am complaining about. ... Oh yea, Veilstone Amulet.

This card might be an alright sideboard card, or maybe a decent evasion card for Limited.

GIVE ME MORE JESTER’S CAPS AND LESS JESTER’S MASKS!

Grade: I don’t know, it’s another dumb artifact. C for kicks and giggles

Whetwheel 4 Artifact XX, T Target player puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Morph 3 (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)

Ahh.. Another card that has a use but doesn’t get me excited. I am just not feeling it. Two mana to mill one card. Four mana to mill two cards. Six mana to mill three cards. All of this with the added bonus of possibly being a creature. Its cute, I’ll give them that.

Grade: B

Dakmor Salvage Land
Dakmor Salvage comes into play tapped.
T Add B to your mana pool.
Dredge 2 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly two cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)

A land with Dredge. Some sick guy is probably wetting his pants over this card somewhere, but I don’t like it. I don’t think it is all that in Limited, which could come back to bite me, but in Constructed... it is just another slow land that has another ability. I probably will see some play, but for the most part, I don’t place it any higher than Barren Moor (Sub out Dredge for Cycling and you know what it is.)

Grade: B- I can’t give Barren Moor a C. Sorry.

Dryad Arbor Land Creature - Forest Dryad 1/1
(Dryad Arbor isn't a spell, it's affected by summoning sickness, and it has "T Add G to your mana pool.")
Dryad Arbor is green.

Hrmm.. It has pluses and minuses. It can be Shocked, and Land Destruction decks will lick their chops at seeing this come into play. Not to mention that it might as well come into play tapped. Except it can block. It also does not have the protection that other lands have by being colorless.

On the other hand, it can attack and being a turn two attacker at that.

Grade: B+ It is interesting, and I think it will see play.

Graven Cairns Land
T Add 1 to your mana pool.
b/r), T Add BB, BR, or RR to your mana pool.

I like this lands concept. It acts like a special Signet. Moreover, I can tap this and a Swamp and get RR! Very nice as a mana fixer… too bad that Black-Red decks don’t get much play anymore.

Grade: A Hopefully someone finds a really good use for this, as it is deserving.

Grove of the Burnwillows Land
T Add 1 to your mana pool.
T Add R or G to your mana pool. Each opponent gains 1 life.

Nice! A fixed Painland. This really is nice because I am guessing that a deck with Red in it can deal damage, so being able to get that G for the Bird or Elf doesn’t bring you down to 19 or 18 anymore. Well, let’s be honest, this would just be Karplusion Forest numbers five through eight, but I can ignore that fact and give this a good grade anyways right?

Grade: A

Horizon Canopy Land
T, Pay 1 life: Add G or W to your mana pool.
1, T, Sacrifice Horizon Canopy: Draw a card.

I like this land too! This is starting to sound like a skipping record, but I certainly hope this gets some play time. Yes, it sucks to pay one life to get the mana, but it would be taking the place of a City of Brass in your deck anyways, plus once you start to get mana intensity (too many lands in play – like how I just create terms on the fly?) you just pay 1 and draw yourself a card at this one’s expense.

Grade: B A useful land draw after turn ten!

Keldon Megaliths Land
Keldon Megaliths comes into play tapped.
T Add R to your mana pool.
Hellbent - 1R, T Keldon Megaliths deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Play this ability only if you have no cards in hand.

Yikes… this one might be too good. I am surprised that they didn’t make it do a point to you as well.

Grade: A Yea, because Red has issues with getting rid of its hand.

Llanowar Reborn Land
Llanowar Reborn comes into play tapped.
T Add G to your mana pool.
Graft 1 (This land comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it. Whenever a creature comes into play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this land onto it.)

Interesting concept. They put graft on a land, which allows you to pump up an initial creature for free. Not too bad considering that your Kird Ape could be a 3/4 on turn two.

Grade: A

New Benalia Land
New Benalia comes into play tapped.
When New Benalia comes into play, scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
T Add W to your mana pool.

Why do these lands come into play tapped? It’s not like they do anything extra, super-duper special. It allows you to dump a bad card to the bottom of your library.. might be semi-useless, considering there shouldn’t be any bad cards in your deck to dump.

Grade: B+ It’s still good at getting rid of a late non-needed land draw

Nimbus Maze Land
T Add 1 to your mana pool.
T Add W to your mana pool. Play this ability only if you control an Island.
T Add U to your mana pool. Play this ability only if you control a Plains.

Stupid land!

I’m offended! How can you call a land a Maze, then not have it do anything like the Maze of Ith? I read it and was thinking, “Yes! … NO!”

Bah, it is just Hallowed Fountain five through eight which don’t hurt coming into play.

Grade: B- Because it got my hopes up!

River of Tears Land
T Add U to your mana pool. If you played a land this turn, add B to your mana pool instead.

How’s come this land doesn’t come into play tapped?

It is a cool idea though. I can play my Hypnotic Specter on my turn, since I played a land. Then, since I can’t play a land during your turn, I might as well tap this land for Blue and counter your spell.

Grade: B+

Tolaria West Land
Tolaria West comes into play tapped.
T Add U to your mana pool.
Transmute 1UU (1UU, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with converted mana cost 0, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

Tutoring for a zero casting cost spell. What has the world come to? I need my Tormod’s Crypt, and I need it now!

Grade: B I’ve seen worse lands see play time.

Zoetic Cavern Land
T Add 1 to your mana pool.
Morph 2 (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)

I like it. Althought I am biased since I am a fan of Morph. I would like to point out how much I like the idea of putting Morph on a non-creature card. This should have been done back in the Onslaught days. I would loved to have seen the guys face when he tried to Smother my face-down Exalted Angel, and instead just made me flip over my land. Ha.

Grade: A

Glittering Wish GW Sorcery
You may choose a multicolored card you own from outside the game, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Remove Glittering Wish from the game.

Yea, welcome back Wake decks. Don’t think so? We have Mirari, we have Wake (Gauntlets of Power) and now we have Burning Wish, as this Wish can fetch the copy that is sitting in your Sideboard. I love Wishes!

Grade: A+

Jhoira of the Ghitu 1UR Legendary Creature - Human Wizard 2/2
2, Remove a nonland card in your hand from the game: Put four time counters on the removed card. If it doesn't have suspend, it gains suspend. (At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter from that card. When the last is removed, play it without paying its mana cost. If it's a creature, it has haste.)

Wow.. this could be detrimental to someone’s health. Imagine if someone suspended a card like say… Darksteel Colossus. Turn seven with Haste is not a very nice way to make friends. He also has good synergy with the Planar Chaos Suspend creatures (the ones with actions that happen when counters are removed). For only two mana, I can put four counters an Aeon Chronicler. Think about this… I can pay four mana, and put two Chroniclers aside, with four counters each, and net three cards a turn for four turns. If I can protect Jhoira enough, playing the entire cycle of those creatures becomes pretty nuts. With those Chronicles dumping cards into my hand, I suddenly can start paying four and six mana to put two Roiling Horrors aside (two life siphoned) and then Detritivore can destroy a ton of lands in the process. Not to mention the Commander making two tokens a turn. Once all of these creatures begin to resolve, they becomes a tough army (with haste) to deal with. I might be talking myself into a deck here…

Grade: A

Sliver Legion WUBRG Legendary Creature – Sliver 7/7
All Sliver creatures get +1/+1 for each other Sliver in play.

A…..ah! Another dog-gone Sliver! Well this one is good though. Why do I like this one? Because I can add it to my Coalition Victory deck.

Grade: B

That about wraps it up for me with these groups of Future Sight cards. Tune in throughout the next week to get the other First Impressions of Future Sight as brought to you by myself and other members of the guild.

cpn

You can discuss this article in the MDV forums here.
Find other articles by this author here.
Find other articles from this series here.

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Articles Spotlights from 2007:
Lorwyn Theme Week Intro & Schedule of Events
Blink And Bounce: Timing is Key
Going Blind: XCB Metagaming - A Prolonged Conclusion.
The Science of Magic: Genetic Engineering, Part Two.
Shifting Lineaments: Casual Metagaming (Pt. 2).
The Dungeon Of Malefict: Pure Evil!
Land Week Introduction & Schedule.
Combofusion: Legends Timeshifted.
One Card to Rule Them All: Coastal Piracy
Irrational Love: Chimeras. The Lego's of Magic.