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Hi there, my name is Luthervamplord and welcome to the fourth edition of First Impressions: Casually Alternate. This series strives to bring the news and value of the new cards to those players who enjoy Casual, 2HG, Tribal and Highlander games. This review is rather long so my advice is either to tackle it in bite-sized junks or to settle down with a large cup of coffee and something to snack on. All set? Ok then, let’s plunge headlong in! (Since I’m from England the cards will be graded from ‘A’ through to ‘E’; I hope that the American readers weren’t too put out by this in my earlier editions.)
2HG: He doesn’t help your partner out much, but he does
allow you to build up a creature base quickly and soak up the damage for a
combo. For a Control player he’s of some use, but don’t expect him to win games
for you. Tribal: He’s built for it. He can work in either tribe
easily and makes your deck run smoother and quicker. If that isn’t enough, he
enters play fairly quickly making him ideal – grab a play set if you play either
tribe. Highlander: This format imposes an interesting question
upon the card; beyond its ability, is it of any use? He’s easy to play and has a
respectable body so he’s not a bad choice, but without backing him up with other
Soldiers he’s not a solid choice.
Casual: Clerics were always up to dirty tricks in the past
and this lady just adds more power to those tricks. Her ability is both
universal and optional, which opens up a wide variety of combo avenues to
explore; topped off with a solid body at a reasonably high cost, she’s a fair
card at best. 2HG: Her ability is made for 2HG as a perfect answer to
burn decks and ping effects – on her own she invalidates most pinging creatures.
But she’s slow for 2HG at five mana; by this time you’ve probably taken a
sizable chunk of damage. Tribal: Kithkin have proven to be a solid combatant in
Lorwyn and the existing aid for Clerics in the older sets is some of the best
out there – but again that mana cost seems to hold me back from praising this
card; it’s reasonable for the card but hard to work around. Highlander: Two words for you: too dependant. In Highlander
this gal is pure junk; she takes too long to play and requires a huge commitment
to Clerics to make her worth playing. Skip this one, guys.
Casual: Solid frame at 2/2 for just three mana, and without
being too intensive color-wise to play. The fact I can use him to pump another
creature doesn’t hurt either, making him a reasonable common; a nice little
utility spell and a fair beatstick. 2HG: Since reinforce doesn’t care who owns the target
creature, you can play off of one another’s abilities and strengths to suit the
situation – should you get masses of little creatures or concentrate the attack
on the evasive beasts? Tribal: A flying 2/2 beatstick for Soldiers isn’t something
to sniff at, especially with the reprint of Mobilization. He’ll see play
alright, but I feel he’ll become somewhat of an afterthought to fill space as a
blocker. Highlander: A cheap, self-reliant creature that could
function as a beatstick, blocker or a replacement to Giant Growth at a push –
ideal for Highlander!
2HG: Well, you do attack as a group and your ally might be
running creatures with low toughness, so it has some uses but nothing really to
build upon. Tribal: As far as I can find, there is no direct benefit to
either Kithkin or Soldiers in having an increased toughness beyond staying
alive, and even then the ability triggers before blockers are declared so it’s a
fairly weak defense in truth. Highlander: Highlander is a game of effects and triggers
which generally entail a weaker trend in toughness; but that still doesn’t make
this card that important.
Casual: Early +1/+1 counters have their benefits, and they
don’t get much quicker than this guy. But it is a creature, making it easier for
your opponent(s) to deal with compared to equipment and artifacts. The counters
stay around after he dies, though, so it’s not all bad news. 2HG: Unless you’re both going to be running Soldier decks,
it doesn’t really benefit you any more than a Casual player; but you have twice
as many chances to lose him. There are better ways to get this effect for you.
Tribal: Quick, effective pumper that fits nicely into the
Tribal scene, so we can ignore the restriction within the ability. But he still
is a little bit on the soft side so you’d best pack a good protective suite of
cards if you intend to use this guy a lot. Highlander: Far too soft, dependant and restrictive in
nature to even consider. However, Highlander doesn’t generally have that many
direct damage effects running around, so he might last awhile if you do use him.
Casual: Vigilance backed up by such a body is worth a look
at for a deck, and the fact he’s sporting changeling does open up some
interesting combo and synergy aspects as well; shame he can be Shocked though.
2HG: He has no real benefit in 2HG save if someone is
playing Slivers, but even then it’s not that big of a deal. He’s a solid
creature for blocking and attacking, but beyond that there’s not much to this
guy. Tribal: Shapeshifters as a tribe aren’t too bad, but they
don’t have that much support out there. Though as an added flavor to your main
tribe they can be rather helpful, and the changeling mechanic on this card does
make it a good support creature to any tribe that lacks in the combat
department. Highlander: Type is fairly negligible in Highlander, so
changeling loses much of its panache. As a base creature, he’s a solid
investment but not incredibly useful in a format that relies on effects and
tutoring.
Casual: Whilst this forces you to build up on one creature
type, there are ways around that in Casual – a lot of ways in fact. Sure, it’s
not Swords to Plowshares, but it is a common and it’s got some potential. 2HG: If your partner, or even your opponents are doing
better at pulling creatures, then you can make use of their good fortune to your
advantage. Whilst not as powerful as it will be in Tribal, it’s not uncommon to
see a blending of creature types across opponents and allies in a 2HG game. Tribal: White Tribal just stepped up a gear; this is
something it’s been desperate for some time now – dependable removal spells. It
covers the combat weakness of Clerics, gives Kithkin a solution to the bigger
beasts of Magic and allows Soldiers to really start taking down the Dragons of
legend. Highlander: This card stinks for Highlander; it’s too
dependent upon something the format really doesn’t support – multiple cards of
the same type. It might happen, as the format does promote the use of weaker but
more creative creatures and it will handle shadow creatures, so it might be
helpful now and then.
2HG: Help your mate pull off that beastly creature punch
with this bad boy; add benefits to those newfangled abilities based upon +1/+1
counters and let the beats begin. The only issue is that the creature now has
twice as many people targeting it. Tribal: Beyond the functions it fills in a casual game,
this card brings nothing extra to the table here. But chances are it will see a
fair amount of play. Highlander: In a game that has little burn and a large
number of small creatures it could yield some uses, but having only one copy and
not much enchantment-tutoring it’s a 50/50 thing here.
2HG: There’s a bigger chance of a swing in health here as
10 life means a lot less in 2HG than a straight match. Then again, you might be
playing a stall deck so it could just work; provided your ally isn’t playing
Black suicide, that is. Tribal: I haven’t really felt much love for Giants and in
truth this card doesn’t do much for them either – it’s far too ponderous and
slow like the Giants themselves to make much of an impact in this format. Highlander: In my experience, life goes very slowly in
Highlander but life gain hardly ever shows up because in truth it’s not needed.
Sure a 5/5 token is a nice freebie if you can pull it off, but there are better
uses of the space out there.
Casual: I’m glad to see they finally broke the pattern and
made a reasonable anti-burn spell. It’s more costly then Holy Day but that’s to
be expected. Nothing flashy, but a reasonable card nonetheless. 2HG: Alright, 1W to save two people's creatures is alright,
but 1W to save four people’s creatures can be a bad thing as well as a good
thing. The thought that needs to go behind the use of this card is more
extensive here, but it now potentially can yield better results when used right.
Tribal: In a format predicated by creatures, this card
makes itself fairly useful but no more than any other of its ilk would. Highlander: Quick question – why pay more for an added
ability that you won’t need? Burn is rare and Holy Day is cheaper.
Casual: Warning, warning – mass combo alert, mass combo
alert! “Comes Into Play” (CIP) creatures, the Legendary Dragons of Kamigawa and
even mana creatures will love this card – never be without your Birds of
Paradise again! It even gets around the “cannot be regenerated” clause on cards
such as Wrath of God. 2HG: If success hangs on just one creature in your allies’
army, this card is your new best friend. It is the perfect card against Ponza,
Solar Flare and just plain old Burn Decks, so run a few, even if only in the
sideboard. Tribal: Creatures are your bread and butter here, so
anything that can save them from the “sin bin” is a blessing in true form. It’s
cheap, easy to cast and universal to all creatures, so what’s not to like here?
Highlander: The chance to get back your biggest, meanest
creature in this format is an excellent reason to grab this card for your deck.
Sure, you only get the one copy, but that still equates to having two copies of
every creature in your library!
2HG: Slow, ponderous and somewhat pointless in this format;
chances are you’ll have a better way of getting that enchantment card and are
running it anyway. Tribal: Same here really; why have milk when you can have
cream? Highlander: Whilst the speed is still an issue here, we
need to consider that this would allows us to field another card to do the same
job, and if you really need that enchantment it’s worth a second glance; barely.
Casual: Take a moment and think here; sure he’s got a huge
defensive capability and he combos with Doran, but there’s more scope for spells
that will kill this guy in this format. He’s impressive, but he’s not got enough
style to consider seriously. 2HG: If you’ve got a way to make him block more creatures,
great – else give this guy a miss. Tribal: Now here’s where you take notice of this guy. He
and Doran were built in one happy union somewhere in the twisted labs of R&D.
Treefolk decks will run this guy main deck; at least two copies would be my
guess. Highlander: Potentially this format's greatest blocker;
he’s cheap and effective as he’ll stop pretty much anything. He’s also a good
card to fish out one of the few destruction spells your opponent is probably
running.
2HG: Afraid it gets no better here, but it’s still a solid
card built to function as a wall or curtain for your fellow player. Tribal: Kithkin like numbers and this guy will certainly
give them to you. He’s cheap and is sporting the Soldier type which seems to be
running hand in hand with Kithkin right now. I already see some nice
interactions for this guy. Highlander: Dependency is a weakness in Highlander, but
this guy still has potential as there are other ways to get +1/+1 counters on
him. All the same, it’s a lot of work for subpar results in truth.
Casual: Type abilities aren’t that big of a deal in this
format, but the interaction between changeling and such abilities is a route of
exploration. 2HG: Double strike is a nice ability to have in this
format, but it’s a pretty selfish card here. Tribal: Pre-Lorwyn there are 93 White Knight cards and this
guy is potentially the deciding factor in building such a deck. Knights have
some great abilities which could make them better at combat than Soldiers. Just
take a look sometime and you’ll soon see what I mean. Highlander: I’ve said it plenty of times, but, “Here comes
dependency to ruin the day!” Skip past him and look for a creature with double
strike just for itself.
Casual: A respectable body and an interesting ability, but
not one that I’d really consider building a deck around – more of a nicety,
really. 2HG: Again, he’s a once in awhile nice pitch that could win
the occasional game or save you from a sticky situation, but nothing amazing.
Tribal: This guy now gets a chance to shine as in a well
constructed deck I can’t see why this guy won’t be swinging across the field for
four every turn, essentially making him a five turn clock. Highlander: Do I really need to say much here? It’s
restricted out of this format before it’s even considered.
2HG: Why save all the love for yourself? This guy will let
you help out your ally for not that big of an outlay. He’ll feature in quite a
few decks I’m sure. Tribal: Elementals have some nice, solid creatures, but no
real flavor, so it’s rare to see them as the mainstream creature in a deck; but
as a support card goes he’s not bad. I won’t be surprised to see a copy or two
of him in a Soldier or Kithkin deck every now and then. Highlander: Low-powered creatures are the bread and butter
of this format, so the ability has potential. He’s also got a respectable body
on him so he might become somewhat of a staple here.
Casual: A nice first drop and a useful utility creature,
he’s got just enough character and versatility to make him worth playing
consistently. 2HG: The first strike part helps in this format, but the
counter ability is far more helpful here. Spells that can serve for two purposes
are always worth a bit more consideration in this format. Tribal: Whilst he’s small now, the Kithkin decks I’ve seen
being played won’t let that stand for very long, so the first strike aspect
becomes more important here. He’s likely to become the Kithkin player’s first
drop of choice. Highlander: The format is riddled with one toughness
creatures, so first strike is gold here. Add the fact that he’s so quick to play
and then you come to realize he’s ideal for this format.
2HG: It’s a solid creature but it feels like a waste when a
better version exists within this set in the form of Burrenton Bombardier. Tribal: Pretty much the same issue, only this time there
are even more cards that would be better use of this space; this feels like a
padding card to me. Highlander: A slightly different aspect to consider here as
for a one-of he’s a reasonable play, but there are better creatures to fill the
two drop spot in your mana curve, both within this set and outside it.
Casual: This guy is a bomb; he’s essentially the Soldiers’
version of Goblin Lackey, and all the older players know how nasty that little
guy was. Granted it’s slower but for the two turn wait you get a creature that
can actually fight well, and he isn’t required to damage the opponent. 2HG: Whether you are the defensive or combat-driven side of
your tag-team this guy helps you pull out all the works – and he’s not even
Legendary! Tribal: This guy is the new auto choice for Soldiers, I
promise you; if you got one of these at the Pre-Release, you should hold on to
this guy because he will shoot up in value. Highlander: Here’s where he loses some of that shiny aspect
he has elsewhere; dependency abilities are not all that helpful in Highlander.
However with the string of decent Soldiers out there you might just find a home
for him.
Casual: Clash has its pros and cons, but luckily Casual has
plenty of options with which to skirt around these issues. Having said all of
that; there are better options than this in the vast number of protection cards,
so it comes down to an issue of deck construction. 2HG: Clash actually gets better in this format as chances
are you have seen some form of deck manipulation carried out by one of your
opponents, so it’s possible to gauge when it’s safe to rely on it, though I
prefer a dead certainty to chance. Tribal: Depending upon what race or class you are using,
this card can either be really good or incredibly poor – and based upon Kithkin
and Soldier converted mana costs (CMC’s) I’m leaning towards the latter event.
Highlander: The chance to get something back in Highlander
is an appealing one as it’s a game of one-shots, but unless the deck is
particularly well constructed with a balanced mana curve it’s not worth the
space.
Casual: He got potential with a great body at 4/3 with
flying and the ability to score back those BoP’s and Elves you lost earlier, but
that mana cost is steep to reach and the evoke almost seems pointless, as if you
need to grab creatures that badly you must be in end game. 2HG: These games as a rule last longer and when grouped
with the right deck(s) this guy could be of some help, but I feel prevention is
always better than a cure. Tribal: If you look at the Elemental creatures there are
some nice, key creatures with power two or less, but the fact that most of them
are Red and this guy is White pushes you towards a type of deck you might not
wish to play. Highlander: “Regain creatures? Sure, I’ll take that. But
wait, why so late in the game?” It will see play in Highlander but most people
won’t put much stock in it and it will be replaced long before it rotates out.
Casual: I can think of at least seven decks right now that
would be able to benefit and abuse this card. It’s an interesting twist to an
old concept and has some real potential. Guaranteed it will turn up in plenty of
GW decks over the coming months. 2HG: A quick means to fill the two functions of blocking
and killing off pesky enchantments, it will be interesting to see how many
people will be willing to take the +1/+1 aspect of this card. Tribal: An interesting turn two drop for the Elementals, it
has some potential but I feel it’s more likely to be relegated to the sideboard
in favor of more aggressive cards. Highlander: I can, hand on my heart, say that this guy will
not see much play if any in this format. You need easily repeatable effects in
Highlander and not one-shots such as this guy.
2HG: Too slow to be taken seriously here; he’ll be burnt
out, rendered or even removed before he considers moving. However some people
might realize the advantage of this and use him as a “fish” card – though an
expensive one at that. Tribal: I’m not a fan of Giants as a whole; they take too
long to get going and their effects don’t really match up amazingly well.
However in a Warrior deck he might actually prove to be quite useful as they all
seem to like equipment. Highlander: In the many games I have played of Highlander
I’ve seen maybe two or three equipment cards played, but this guy could change
that. He’s a great fighter and gets you through your deck to find the key
creatures you need through thinning; sounds like a good trade to me.
Casual: I love this style of ability; it basically adds its
effect onto any other effect that you can use to tap the creature, and in Casual
there are a few. Married up in a WU deck this guy will do sick things, I promise
you. 2HG: Extra creatures always helps when you have two
opponents to contend with, and when you consider the power/toughness values to
cost ratio this is a nice card with great potential. It's a shame that he’s
still within the range of Shock. Tribal: Three words for you: “I’ll take four.” Merfolk ask
to be tapped, scream for you to do it and then reward you for it. To top it all
off, the little devils have their own enchantment to untap all of them and do it
all again in the form of Merrow Commerce. Highlander: Now this one's a tough call. Tokens are helpful
and he’s got a respectable power/toughness rating but I honestly can’t see him
being that helpful in this format unless you intend to run many Wizard and/or
Merfolk cards.
2HG: Way too slow, better to invest in solid creatures and
Wrath of Gods over this. Granted with the new under-current of “+1/+1 matters”
Morningtide brings to the table it could be helpful, but there are better
options out there. Tribal: Kithkin don’t need it, they play in numbers and
they do it well; Soldiers don’t need it, they deal with skilled combat and this
doesn’t help; Clerics just work around damage through prevention and life gain.
Who else will need it? Granted the heavy end reinforce is nice, but it’s a
little off-color for the Elementals to make much use of it. Highlander: Whilst this might see more play here, it’s not
really going to be that big of a deal to these guys as they're playing with
style not power.
Casual: Looking at the top card of your library is a
helpful ability in a format that sees many a player calling for a “top-deck
miracle” and the life gain is a respectable amount, but it’s a little ponderous.
The 4/4 body is a nice bonus as well. 2HG: In a game where damage is regularly in the double
figures, a life gain of this value is a nice idea, but in practicality this guy
will be a weak choice since he’ll draw fire, and by the time he comes out it’s
probably too late. Tribal: He’s a Giant so there is some bias here on my
behalf, but he’s also a Wizard and they may be able to pull some use out of him
thanks to the controlling nature of the class. Highlander: You’ve heard me say this many times now, but to
clarify: type dependency in Highlander is bad and should be steered clear of.
Casual: A weak card, easily bested by such cards as Cage of
Hands and Arrest. The only thing going for this card is it’s cheap and easy to
play; beyond that it’s not especially useful. 2HG: Helps to stock up on the number of anti-attack cards
you can run, but in fairness you’re better off with many other cards over this.
Tribal: Usable and relevant to this format, it will see
play but I’d still prefer to run such cards as Coordinated Barrage over this.
Highlander: Do I really need to say it again? Alright, just
for you – dependency is bad, bad, bad.
2HG – Average Grade: C- Tribal – Average Grade: C Highlander – Average Grade: D Alright then guys, I’ll be back tomorrow with another review. I hope that this article has entertained you but if you have any thoughts, questions or queries please don’t hesitate to contact me – I like a good, healthy debate and am more than willing to hear your views regardless of how long you’ve been playing or which formats you play; everyone’s view is valid and worth a listen to in my book. A few questions I’d also like to throw your way: “Are these formats you play in your own gaming group?” Feel free to contact me through any of the following methods:
All comments and opinions expressed would be greatly appreciated and I will always answer any questions you have for me. So until next time friends this is Luthervamplord, signing off.
You can discuss this article in the MDV forums
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Casual:
When I see this card, I can’t help but think back to the days of such cards as
Dragonspeaker Shaman. Comparatively, I prefer this card more; he’s cheaper, but
still has a respectable ability to attack. He also affects two types of
creatures, to both of which he belongs, and he’s a common. I can see him seeing
play, but he’s a chancy card with only one toughness. 
Casual:
I’ve never been able to get behind the thinking on such an ability; sure it
keeps weak toughness creatures in play during combat, but why not just settle
for a regenerating creature or something not so weak to damage itself? Having
said that, a 3/3 creature for 4W is bad, but a 3/6 creature for 4W is very good.
Casual:
Weenie, Beatdown and Combo players around the world rejoice; we have a new way
to abuse +1/+1 counters. The best part of all - even if the aura dies the
counters stay around, meaning we don’t lose out quite so badly. 
Casual:
10 life and a shot at a 5/5 beatstick is nothing to sniff at. With all the land
searching and mana accelerating cards open in Casual, he’ll crop up for quite
awhile until people lose interest in life gain decks. 
Casual:
We have a better version in Enlightened Tutor, but enchantments aren’t the
easiest things to get a hold of. Nevertheless, we can’t really praise this card
– it’s slow in all respects and it costs more than most other options out there.
Casual:
This has combo and abuse written all over it; not to mention token factory. He
has the potential to be a great beatstick and in the unlikely event someone
kills him off, you are given a fair number of token creatures for your loss. 
Casual:
Thanks to the wide-spread knowledge of the blink trick involving the evoke
mechanic, I expect to see this guy turning up from time to time. A respectable
creature with an abusable ability – the stuff of Casual. 
Casual:
Well it’s alright I guess; I mean a 2/2 body for two mana is great but I think
I’d rather pay 2W and get my 2/2 flier instead. 
Casual:
Many of you forum members will already know what I feel this guy means for
Casual - a return to the dark ages of Jitte! Some people will field it with the
Kaldra tools; but in truth, fear the guys running the swords (Fire/Ice,
Light/Shadow). 
Casual:
On the one hand it’s very slow, but on the other it can be useful in dumping
those counters onto a key creature. Combo players will love it, Aggro players
will hate it and Vorthos will probably try to run it for comedic value. 
Casual
– Average Grade: C