Magic Deck Vortex: First Impressions - 10th Edition

Tenth Edition brings us black borders, legendary creatures, new art, old cards that are back with vengeance, and all the while I'm asking myself, “Why is this card in this set when the other card was perfectly good to begin with?” I’ve asked many such questions while running though the new Tenth Edition, in comparison with Ninth. Interested? Read on!

Once again another First Impressions Series where you either love or hate what I have to say, but so be it. Now here's the problem doing a First Impressions on a Core Set – we've seen this all before – not a single new card. So we writers are taking a different approach to the article series this time. My little spin is about the cards lost from 9th edition and those gained in 10th edition. I expected only a few cards to change out – about 10 cards per color, give or take – but as I started to compile these lists I soon realized that almost half of the set was completely revamped in comparison to the last core set. I even ended up saying to myself, “What? No, that can't be right, they didn't just cut....” Maybe you’ll agree, maybe you won’t, but these lists don't lie.

~White's Gains~

~White's Losses~

Ancestor’s Chosen
Angelic Chorus
Angelic Wall
Aura of Silence
Bandage
Beacon of Immortality
Benalish Knight
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary
Condemn
Field Marshal
Ghost Warden
Hail of Arrows
Heart of Light
High Ground
Icatian Priest
Kjeldoran Royal Guard
Loxodon Mystic
Loyal Sentry
Luminesce
Mobilization
Nomad Mythmaker
Pariah
Reviving Dose
Reya Dawnbringer
Rule of Law
Serra’s Embrace
Skyhunter Patrol
Skyhunter Skirmisher
Spirit Weaver
Starlight Invoker
Steadfast Guard
Treasure Hunter
True Believer
Tundra Wolves
Voice of All
Wall of Swords
Wild Griffin
Windborn Muse
Youthful Knight

Aven Flock
Blessed Orator
Blinding Angel
Blinking Spirit
Chastise
Circle of Protection: Black
Circle of Protection: Red
Crossbow Infantry
Foot Soldiers
Gift of Estates
Glory Seeker
Infantry Veteran
Inspirit
Ivory Mask
Kami of Old Stone
Leonin Skyhunter
Marble Titan
Master Decoy
Master Healer
Mending Hands
Oracle’s Attendants
Peace of Mind
Pegasus Charger
Reverse Damage
Sacred Ground
Sacred Nectar
Sanctum Guardian
Savannah Lions
Seasoned Marshal
Serra’s Blessing
Veteran Cavalier
Weathered Wayfarer
Worship
Zealous Inquisitor

The first thing that struck me when I looked through these listings is the lack of Circles of Protection in the new core set (which my group lovingly calls COPs). The next thing is the few cards from Ravnica that made their way in like Condemn and Ghost Warden. They swapped Serra's Blessing for Serra's Embrace yet again. They dropped more of the Cleric Tribal cards for the Muse and the Believer, and dropped Reverse Damage for Beacon of Immortality, to say instead of damage redirection it's now HUGE life gain.

Blinding Angel is going to be missed for its powerful effect – but I'm sure we can live with Voice of All. The most subtle change in this color to me is the swap of Savannah Lions for Tundra Wolf. One of the other switches they made is Worship for Pariah – in my opinion a nice move since I'm a fan of Pariah over Worship.

Rule of Law also seems to have made a return in a way replacing Ivory Mask – but I think we'll see more power with this in Standard for WU Control.

~Blue's Gains~

~Blue's Losses~

Academy Researchers
Ambassador Laquatus
Arcanis the Omnipotent
Aura Graft
Cancel
Cephalid Constable
Cloud Elemental
Cloud Sprite
Deluge
Denizen of the Deep
Discombobulate
Dreamborn Muse
Flashfreeze
Fog Elemental
Horseshoe Crab
Hurkyl’s Recall
March of the Machines
Merfolk Looter
Peek
Persuasion
Robe of Mirrors
Rootwater Commando
Rootwater Matriarch
Sage Owl
Scalpelexis
Shimmering Wings
Sky Weaver
Snapping Drake
Spiketail Hatchling
Sunken Hope
Telling Time
Time Stop
Time Stretch
Twincast
Twitch
Unsummon
Vedalken Mastermind
Wall of Air

Annex
Archivist
Azure Drake
Baleful Stare
Battle of Wits
Confiscate
Cowardice
Daring Apprentice
Dream Prowler
Fishliver Oil
Fleeting Image
Flight
Horned Turtle
Imaginary Pet
Levitation
Mana Leak
Polymorph
Rewind
Sage Aven
Sea’s Claim
Sleight of Hand
Storm Crow
Temporal Adept
Thought Courier
Tidal Kraken
Time Ebb
Trade Routes
Treasure Trove
Wanderguard Sentry
Wind Drake
Withering Gaze
Zur’s Weirding

Time out. Wizards – what are you doing to Blue? It was fine with what it had; it was fun with what it had – and you go and take some of my favorites out – Mana Leak, Rewind, Temporal Adept, the combo of Sea's Claim and Fishliver Oil, Tidal Kraken, and Archivist! ARCHIVST!

Oh well you gave us the Merfolk Legend and the Greatest Wizard Legend printed – I can forgive the loss of Archivist. Giving us Discombobulate over Rewind was a cheap deal and giving us Cancel over Mana Leak is just as bad. Cutting Temporal Adept altogether was a bad move.

Tidal Kraken, the Mono Blue Beast is cut for Denizen of the Deep which has both it's ups and downs – you give us a bigger creature but you force out Unblockability. Granted, I can't wait to see the face of my opponent when I combo Sky Swallower with Denizen of the Deep and then add on Brooding Saurian from Coldsnap to get it all back in a brand like fashion. 12/12 Beast + friends + Sky Swallower again next turn = UG Aggro that can easily use Graft until Ravnica moves out of Standard at the end of the year.

~Black's Gains~

~Black's Losses~

Afflict
Agonizing Memories
Ascendant Evincar
Assassinate
Beacon of Unrest
Contaminated Bond
Cruel Edict
Deathmark
Distress
Doomed Necromancer
Dross Crocodile
Dusk Imp
Essence Drain
Graveborn Muse
Hate Weaver
Head Games
Hidden Horror
Knight of Dusk
Lord of the Pit
Mass of Ghouls
Midnight Ritual
Mortal Combat
No Rest for the Wicked
Phage the Untouchable
Phyrexian Rager
Rain of Tears
Recover
Relentless Rats
Severed Legion
Sleeper Agent
Stronghold Discipline
Terror
Thrull Surgeon
Vampire Bats

Blackmail
Bog Imp
Coercion
Contaminated Bond
Cruel Edict
Dark Banishing
Death Pits of Rath
Deathgazer
Enfeeblement
Execute
Final Punishment
Foul Imp
Giant Cockroach
Gluttonous Zombie
Hell’s Caretaker
Hollow Dogs
Horror of Horrors
Mindslicer
Persecute
Phyrexian Arena
Phyrexian Gargantua
Raise Dead
Razortooth Rats
Serpent Warrior
Slay
Swarm of Rats
Will-o’-the-Wisp
Yawgmoth Demon
Zombify

I am shocked and appealed, Wizards, and that isn't something I normally say, but I must say you have now made me lose my mind. No more Black Mail? No more Mindslicer? No more Arena? WHY?!

I mean, sure, you gave us Crovax and Phage, but you had to go and cut the top two tier recursion cards? For what, No Rest of the Wicked? And Hell's Caretaker – you killing off Caretaker – what did he ever do then be a launching pad for the Kami Spirit Dragons who are out of Standard now and in Extended?

Ok, ok, so besides the Legends what did you give us... Stronghold Discipline, Phyrexian Rager over the Arena, more creature destruction via Death Mark, Assassinate, and Essence Drain, while giving us back Doomed Necromancer which is nice, but only better with, well, No Rest for the Wicked. Knight of the Dusk and Lord of the Pit are nice comebacks but I'm not sure how it'll feel without the classic Zombify tricks.

Originally Posted by Ask Wizards – Aug 8th 2007

Q: Mass of Ghouls was printed in Future Sight as a "timeshifted" card from the future of Magic. Core sets only add cards from previous expansions. So how did this get into Tenth without creating a self-referential paradox?
–Roberto, Ontario, Canada

A: From Mark Rosewater, Magic Head Designer:
Roberto,
Many temporal historians are attempting to explain this anomaly. Unfortunately, each time they get close, they've fallen victim of a strangely bizarre accident. It's almost as if time itself... Um. Never mind. I guess some questions just aren't meant to be answered. I mean, I have no idea. No idea! Just a mystery I guess.

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~Red's Gains~

~Red's Losses~

Anaba Bodyguard
Arcane Teachings
Beacon of Destruction
Bloodrock Cyclops
Bogardan Firefiend
Cone of Flame
Cryoclasm
Dragon Roost
Duct Crawler
Earth Elemental
Fists of the Anvil
Flamewave Invoker
Furnace Whelp
Goblin Elite Infantry
Goblin King
Goblin Lore
Incinerate
Kamahl, Pit Fighter
Lavaborn Muse
Manabarbs
Mogg Fanatic
Orcish Artillery
Prodigal Pyromancer
Rage Weaver
Rock Badger
Scoria Wurm
Seismic Assault
Shatterstorm
Shivan Hellkite
Shunt
Siege-Gang Commander
Smash
Soulblast
Spark Elemental
Spitting Earth
Squee, Goblin Nabob
Stun
Thundering Giant
Uncontrollable Anger
Viashino Runner
Viashino Sandscout
Wall of Fire
Warp World

Anaba Shaman
Anarchist
Balduvian Barbarians
Blood Moon
Boiling Seas
Enrage
Flame Wave
Flashfires
Flowstone Crusher
Flowstone Shambler
Form of the Dragon
Goblin Balloon Brigade
Goblin Brigand
Goblin Chariot
Goblin Mountaineer
Karplusan Yeti
Kird Ape
Magnivore
Mana Clash
Mogg Sentry
Ogre Taskmaster
Panic Attack
Rathi Dragon
Reflexes
Rogue Kavu
Rukh Egg
Sandstone Warrior
Seething Song
Shard Phoenix
Shatter
Stone Rain
Thundermare
Viashino Sandstalker
Volcanic Hammer
Whip Sergeant
Wildfire

Red comes out swinging with more blasting power than blasting powder, with plenty of new spells to help Mono Red Sligh to come back with a vengeance. The most important of which is Incinerate -- oh how red mages have missed you since Fifth Edition, the last time you same action in a Core Set.

The only major losses I can see is that of Stone Rain, a staple in the game since its conception, and Seething Song, which renders Dragonstorm decks near useless without their all-powerful energy engine unless they make the risky chance of splashing Green.

There really isn't anything in the Gains section that I don't mind or I quite enjoy, and in the Losses there isn't anything that I see is a major loss with the exception of the two mentioned and a few good cards like Wildfire, Flashfires, and Form of Dragon.

If only they reprinted Ball Lightning to go with my playset of Groundbreakers.

~Green's Gains~

~Green's Losses~

Abundance
Aggressive Urge
Avatar of Might
Birds of Paradise
Canopy Spider
Civic Wayfinder
Commune with Nature
Enormous Baloth
Femeref Archers
Gaea’s Herald
Hurricane
Joiner Adept
Karplusan Strider
Llanowar Sentinel
Lure
Might Weaver
Mirri, Cat Warrior
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer
Overrun
Pincher Beetles
Primal Rage
Quirion Dryad
Recollect
Rhox
Root Maze
Rushwood Dryad
Scion of the Wild
Skyshroud Ranger
Spined Wurm
Stalking Tiger
Stampeding Wildebeests
Sylvan Basilisk
Sylvan Scrying
Tangle Spider
Troll Ascetic
Upwelling
Wall of Wood

Anaconda
Ancient Silverback
Biorhythm
Early Harvest
Elvish Bard
Emperor Crocodile
Force of Nature
Greater Good
Groundskeeper
King Cheetah
Ley Druid
Llanowar Behemoth
Maro
Natural Affinity
Needle Storm
Norwood Ranger
Order of the Sacred Bell
Rampant Growth
Reclaim
River Bear
Rootbreaker Wurm
Scaled Wurm
Silklash Spider
Stream of Life
Summer Bloom
Trained Armodon
Tree Monkey
Utopia Tree
Verduran Enchantress
Web
Weird Harvest
Wood Elves
Zodiac Monkey

As I look at it, Green got the biggest overhaul, but it's only on the up and up.

Using the Maro-Sorcerer over Maro himself is just fine, plus trample is a good perk. Recollect over Reclaim is good so it doesn't hurt your card advantage (and so you can get back one of those Harmonizes you played earlier).

The only real downside I see is we lost a lot of “middle power” creatures for the bigger badder bunch. Thorn Elemental isn't back but we get the next closest thing in Rhox, which has the Promotional Nemesis art. There are more mana accelerating elves and mana fixing elves.

Lost the Wood Elves, but gained Llanowar Sentinel which is beautiful for a late game / mid game play to get his duplicate from the deck.

~Artifact's Gains~	~Artifact's Losses~
Chimeric Staff Chromatic Star Citanul Flute Colossus of Sardia Composite Golem Crucible of Worlds Doubling Cube Fountain of Youth Jayemdae Tome Juggernaut Legacy Weapon Leonin Scimitar Mantis Engine Mind Stone Phyrexian Vault Pithing Needle Platinum Angel Razormane Masticore Sculpting Steel Steel Golem The Hive Whispersilk Cloak	Aladdin's Ring Beast of Burden Booby Trap Dancing Scimitar Defense Grid Disrupting Scepter Fellwar Stone Jade Statue Jester's Cap Phyrexian Hulk Slate of Ancestry Storage Matrix Tanglebloom Teferi's Puzzle Box Thran Golem Ur-Golem's Eye Vulshok Morningstar

Nice haul for the artifacts as well. The Needle, the Doubling Cube, the Legacy Weapon, and Composite Golem to power the Weapon come back. Juggernaut returns with the loss of Mishra's Booby Trap. The only major loss is the Artifacts aren't doing mill and discard much now in this new Edition. The worst move personally is Tanglebloom for Fountain of Youth. I'm going to miss the Puzzle Box, but I'll have fun with Whispersilk Cloak.

Why, Wizards, why? What did Urza's Lands ever do to you? Did the Factory bite you? And you cut them for what? The Man-Lands? Oh, and Terramorphic Expanse, which is the only worthwhile card in my mind. I don't know, I liked Urza's Lands. Maybe if they brought back Cloudpost I could see where they were going, but I don't see that happening anytime soon... maybe these new sets will have more Locus Lands?

So those are the changes. I'm quite surprised at some of the choices, but side by side I can kind of see where they are going with this. I'm not sure if we’re going to be doing Legendary Permanents in Core Sets now or not, or even the idea of multicolor which I know has entered R&D on more than one thought for Core Sets.

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