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If you missed the other First Impressions from last week, give me a moment to talk about how we are changing this First Impression format up a bit. If you have checked out the other First Impressions from last week, you can probably skip right to the card review. Like normal we’ll be taking each card and giving you our gut, first impression on the cards and what we feel they will do for the game as a whole. However, we’ve trying something a bit more “flavorsome” this time round. For starters, we’ve broken the cards down into the separate Shards instead of colors; this seemed the best way to organize things. Next, we have teamed up writers to review the cards in each Shard. For instance, today Streetz and I will be talking about the cards in the Bant Shard. We noticed last time that the readers were crying out for us to be "more fair and diverse" in our analysis of the cards. It was suggested that this singular approach was unfair and counter-productive. And thus, to work towards bettering this situation we are trying a tag-team approach to reviewing the cards. Anyway, I feel this Prince of the Night has been twittering on for long enough – it’s time to let my partner get a word in edge-wise. Alright Streetz; why don’t you get the ball rolling with the first card.
Think of old-type weenie decks that played a lot of efficient beats in the beginning and swept the game with a late game Serra Angel. If Akrasan Squire was in play when that Serra Angel started attacking, suddenly your Angel does a little more damage. If you have several Squires and/or other creatures with Exalted, that Serra Angel could take the game away from your opponent with one hit. Remember that Exalted is cumulative. I am especially excited about combining this card and Exalted in general with unblockable creatures. Tidal Kraken, anyone? Or hows about an Escape Artist? Mmmmmmm. Grade: A - Its no Swords to Plowshares, but its still a great use of one white mana.
Luther: The Herald cycle seems like an attempt to meet the market requirements of a Spike-Timmy and in fairness it does an alright job; as long as you can get the other three creatures out quick enough it works very well but to me it feels far too conditional and far to weak to ever make a real play on the game. Grade: D+ - It will probably work every game in twenty but let’s be honest, there are way better ways to get creatures for cheap.
Streetz: WHAT! What is this?!? They put Exalted on an enchantment! Luther, am I seeing things? Is this right? Luther: Let me check…*Looks at spoiler*... Yeah, it’s real…*takes another look at the spoiler* Streetz: Wow. Now that's cool. But, its way overcosted. True, it’s a creature tapper, but its only capable of tapping one creature at a time. Is it really worth four mana? Does it even fit into the mana curve your deck? Grade: C - Maybe in an Exalted theme deck... This just costs too much. I'd rather have a creature over this. Cool name, though.
Luther: As a Spike-Johnny I love Cycling and I’ve seen the value of cards like Holy Day and Ethereal Haze. Right cost for both abilities, easy to use in two-three color decks – a good card all-round. Grade: B+ - It’s never going to win you a game but it’s so useful it could turn the tide.
Grade: B - Did I mention the art is absolutely amazing?! Beautiful.
Luther: Who remembers the original charm cycle? Luther remembers the original cycle and Luther loved the original cycle. And guess why; any spell with this much versatility is always going to be a winner in my book. Admittedly it’s harder to cast then the single versions of this spell would take but it’s the fact you get three effects on one card that more then makes up for it. Grade: A+ - The Charms are Luther’s top pick for Uncommons in Shards; Period.
Streetz: Let's walk through the progression of Fetchlands. At first I thought this card was not that good, but maybe maybe my first impression's impression was wrong...
We first get the Mirage generation of fetch lands, which came into play tapped, couldn't tap for mana by themselves, and had to sacrifice themselves and tap to search out a land (out of two choices) which then came into play untapped. Then we get the amazing fetchlands from Onslaught, which came into play untapped, couldn't tap for mana by themselves, and had to sacrifice themselves and pay a life to tap and search out a land (out of two) which then came into play untapped. Much better. Then we get the common Terramorphic Expanse which didn't take long to go from expansion to core set in under twelve months. The Expanse comes into play untapped, couldn't tap for mana by itself, and had to sacrifice itself to search out a land (out of five) which then came into play tapped. The whole comes into play tapped thing really hurts the fetchlands as you can see in the original strain from Mirage and in the Expanse. However, being able to respond to land destruction spell or any instant or ability with sacrificing the land and generating a new untapped land is priceless. Still, none of these lands can generate their own mana. Now enter our new, mind you COMMON, fetchland that had not two but three options to choose from and it can tap to add a colorless to your mana pool. Suddenly, I think this card is pretty good. Sure, it costs a mana to activate the search ability, but that's a fine trade off for a potentially endless stream of mana from it until I decide to sac it for a Bant related basic land. Grade: B+ - I can't wait until the four color block...
Luther: 5 CMC 4/4 Flying Beast in itself is beyond the curve but to then give it Exalted and an Exalted flavor Lifelink ability seems to me like they’re pushing for power cards again. It’s good; almost too good and will almost certainly draw a lot of the opponent’s fire-power in an attempt to remove this beast. Grade: B+ - There are bigger beasts out there (Check out some of the other Shards for proof) but it’s still King in this Shard.
Streetz: I think one thing I like about getting to cover a shard and not a specific color of cards is that I get to comment on, well, several different mono-color cards and some gold cards all at the same time. That's a nice change from all one color. Perhaps I favor one color over the other... On the surface; Call to Heel is Unsummon with a bad side effect. But the reality of the matter is, you almost will never be casting this on your opponent's creature. Pretend for a moment that this card is a modified version of Momentary Blink. In exchange for having to recast your creature, you get to draw a card. Grade: B - I like it. Even though you always want to play it on your own side of the board, you still have the option to return one of your opponent's creatures back to their hand.
Grade: D- - Sideboard material; pray the other guy isn’t running Kithkin or Merfolk.
Streetz: I am partial to Archers. Combine that with Reach and Exalted (which really makes sense flavorfully on an Archer card) and I am a happy Magic player. Grade: B
Luther: Great, a good creature to put Exalted on; one you will never, ever attack with. A great Exalted booster/utility creature and can be great for killing off those annoying blockers. Nicely priced, buts still requires an secondary color to be used so it pulls it down ever so slightly. Grade: C+ - Nice, basic filler creature with added functionality.
Streetz: Assuming my rules knowledge is correct, Exalted will work on this guy. Since Exalted doesn't actually target a creature, you can attack alone with the Deft Duelist and get all of the Exalted bonuses from the rest of your army. Grade: A - Two mana for a 2/1 Shrouding, First Striking weenie. Sign me up. Oh, and they need to make a card that can generate creature tokens with Exalted. That would be fun.
Luther: I’m liking this Planeswalker – I know it’s not got amazing abilities beyond the last one but it’s a strong contender for the long game; she essentially ensures a blocker every turn and more over, if you do find yourself in a position where you have enough numbers to shift your game-plan, she helps you with that, all the time pushing herself towards the very sweet last ability – and then when you consider that this effect is based upon the player and not what’s already in play, if by some quirk of luck she survives the activation of that last ability then her first ability reads “+1: Put a 1/1 White Soldier token creature with Indestructible into play.” And who can argue with that? Grade: B – Probably not the strongest Planeswalker but definitely should not be discounted.
Streetz: Now I'm a Johnny at heart, but I don't like this card. It feels like a very cut and paste kind of creature that gets its ability from white, shroud from green and flying from blue. Together with an awkward mana cost, its a 5/8 beater. It's great for reanimation decks, and can certainly either win your the game or prolong a game long enough to watch your opponent deck themselves. Grade: C - Not a fan. Should I be happy that's it Mythic and thus I won't get as many of them? Maybe I'm off my rocker here. Let me know if the forum.
Streetz: No Luther, you’re reading the card right... Luther: Then Wizards reduced the curve again; ensuring control players have excellent tools at their disposal – This please us greatly. You see, until recently, this kind of ability would have run at a CMC of four or would have been harder to cast but this is cheaper, faster and COMMON; pauper rejoice! Sure it’s a sorcery but removal is still worth while if the opponent doesn’t have Haste. Grade: B+ - Grab four copies, then start playing Pauper; Luther commands it!
Streetz: Filler. Good filler with exalted, but still filler. I'm not a fan of the artwork either, which surprises me because I normally like Alan Pollack's work. Grade: C-
Luther: Another Pauper bomb; hell it’s a great card in any format. It’s small and lightweight with a cantrip tacked on but dear Satan do I love it; sure it doesn’t do anything to half the spells out there but it ruins Burn, removal, LD and even hand manipulation; and it does all for this two mana? Sure, I’ll buy some of that. Grade: A- - Best Counterspell I have seen in a long time; well worth tracking down; if you could grab me a play set whilst you’re at it; that would be great!
Streetz: Sigh. This is great in a Battle of Wits deck. But, if I am going to spend eight mana on a sorcery, it should be like a one sided wrath of god or Armageddon. Not, gain 45 life. Grade: F - Correction... by the time you have enough mana to play this, you will gain about 35 life in a normal 60 card deck.
Luther: Ah look, it’s the new replacement for the Ledgewalker we loved to use and loved to hate. Best form of evasion in the game, yet it I’m feeling the lose of the enemy protection that the Walker has. Having said all that, it is probably the best use for all those Exalted bonuses flying around and it is a 2/2 for two mana; can’t really complain. Grade: B+ - I’m still going to though; give me back my selective Shroud!
Wait! I've finally figured it out. One blue mana is equivalent to two toughness! In all seriousness, it’s good to see a 2/1 instead of a 1/2, but still I'll save this card for my Scout Tribal deck. Grade: C - ...or my U/G Petroglyphs deck. Maybe I'll turn that into a Bant Petroglyphs deck... WUG for the win?
Luther: It’s slow but not too mana intensive so still playable and more over, the effects are actually worth playing at that time in the game; you are usually run low on card and life by the end quarter of the game and let’s face it; seven life and two cards should cost more then six mana to obtain – maybe if we had more mana intensity but then again it would be unplayable if they did that so they went for a card slightly on the powerful side. I also now notice that this card becomes even better in multi-player formats such as 2HG; groovy! Grade: B+ - Luther approves of overpowering in this case; nice card with great potential.
Streetz: This card is amazing and automatically in every white weenie deck with or without White Knights next to it. Remember that in weenie decks, your land count is usually on the minimal side. And thus, it is very likely your opponent will always have more land than you. Grade: A+ - Even if you only pull one land out of your deck with this Knight, it's still well worth the two mana investment.
Luther: I’m not sure what effect this guy will have on T2; and in all honesty I don’t care too much but I can say on thing; Soldier’s finally go the tool they needed to beat Elves in Tribal. Seriously; why have we had to wait so long for something like this? Soldier’s were made for the battlefield; it only stands to reason that they should have the ability to dominate it – finally they do. Grade: C+ - Pretty limited in T2; but in Tribal this bad boy will rock the scene.
Grade: B - Needed for this block and actually not a bad card.
Luther: A 3/3 creature in Blue, provided it attacks alone; or more likely it’s another Exalted filler creature but it’s quite nice actually – easy to cast and with a solid body I have no real complaints or compliments. Grade: C – See what I mean
Streetz: Am I getting all of the good cards in this run? I just might. I like the card art. I like that it really supports and backs up the Exalted mechanic with both of its abilities. I like that it's a Knight. Grade: B - For a Mythic Rare, this could have been a 4/4 instead of a 3/3.
Luther: No Streetz; you aren’t getting all the great creatures. This guy has so much potential; what should we grab with him? Birds of Paradise (bop)? Llanowar? How about on of those new fangled Herald cards they’re all buzzing about? Alright; let’s just ignore that ability for one minute (I promise, just one) and consider it’s a 3/2 for four mana and it isn’t even that difficult to cast! Grade: B+ - WOTC Be praised!
But then I remember that this is common card and that it is instant speed removal. I would say this is a great early game spell that doubles for an amazing late game spell... Grade: D - but it isn't and it doesn't.
Luther: Surely you meant to include sacrifice in this ability WOTC; you always do that with anti-air cards. You didn’t? Alright then; it’s your call. The ability is pretty steep and might even be unplayable but it’s repeatable; there aren’t that many repeatable anti-air techniques out there and I’m pretty sure this is the first to appear on such a large beast of a creature. Grade: B – Bye, bye birdie; birdie bye, bye!
Streetz: Now I like this. But again, I am partial to seeing the Rhino/Rhox creature type making a comeback. Who'd of thought that Rhox would get more than one card?! Anyway, this is efficiently costed, has my new favorite mechanic Exalted and an old favorite of mine as well: Trample. Grade: B - And it's a 3/3 for four with two
abilities. It's a bargain.
Luther: It’s official; Luther’s next Tribal deck will be Rhino’s. Sure the mana cost is very intensive but the truth is they have pumped out so many ways to filter your mana or to produce numerous types from one source that we really don’t care that must until the cost goes above six without a colorless mana in sight. Grade: A- - Potentially a Beat-stick, definitely worth grabbing a few when you can.
Streetz: It's a cheap tri-land dual-land. But it worries me that old Invasion dual lands are now obsolete. Grade: B- - Its good. Slow but good. And needed for this block.
Luther: I would have preferred the Shroud had been an innate ability but oh well; can’t have it your own way all the time. An early Exalted booster and I suppose the Shroud, even in this weakened form makes for a nice means to keep him in play. Grade: C+ - Would have scored a lot better at WU with Shroud innate.
Streetz: So let me get this right. For one green and one white mana, I get an amazing combat trick where suddenly all of my creatures get a really quick Glorious Anthem, the condensed version, and the directer of it all gets a little extra? This card is good and is almost an automatic inclusion in any GW aligned deck. Grade: A - It's cheap. It's effective. It deserves this grade.
Grade: B – It’s not a Jiitu (Thank god) but it has some amazing potential in many existing decks and those we’ll likely see in the coming months.
Streetz: I said earlier that Akrasan Squire was an excellent first turn drop that would help you out later in the game. This here is an excellent two mana drop that will do the same thing for your game winning creature later in the game. Only this one is a little more aggressive with first strike. Is this better than the Knight the Crazy Pale Orchids, or whatever it’s called...? Not really... in block anyway. Grade: B+ - I can't give it an A while Crazy Orchid Knight is trotting around...
Luther: Alright; *Reads card* so there’s the Rare status, but where did they put the Legendary part? *Flips card over*…. Alright; let me get this straight – I pay four mana and I get Smoke on a 3/4 Flying Vigilant beatstick that cripples the opponent’s ability to attack or activate abilities on creature?! Sure WOTC; that seems really balanced. Grade: A+ - Grab two or three before WOTC wakes up and bans them.
Streetz: Why is this uncommon? Oh wait, I take that back. This can attack alone with a variety of other Exalted permanents in play and then tap all of them to get an even bigger bonus. Grade: B - Tricky Magic Designers -- I almost thought this was a bad card...
Luther: Ah, now that’s more like the cards I’ve come to expect of the R&D guys; cards we’ll never want to play. I mean honestly; what possible use has mass Shroud for one turn? It does nothing against Wrath, is useless against mass burn and even worst it’s more expensive then some counterspells out there that would stop most of what it’s designed to protect against. Grade: D- - Good old R&D; for a minute there I thought you’d stopped producing silly cards.
Streetz: Filler. Filler. Filler. At least it has Exalted. Grade: C - What more would you expect from a three color common card?
Luther: Hmmm; it has potential and indeed I can see it being used but in fairness I would have preferred the coffered ability to be on an instant and simply to be provided with a cheap, 2/2 White flyer for blocking material. Grade: C – Neither good or bad; just not amazing in any way.
Luther: It’s the new standard in counterspells and whilst long-standing fans of Extended/Casual such as I might not like it; most T2 players have adapted to the change in pace and gone with it. Grade: C+ - It works; it’s that enough? Streetz: One of the benefits of being owner of Magic Deck Vortex and the person that publishes things is that I can still add a few last comments before an article goes live. I think I'll do that here.
Cancel is a hard counter and the only good hard counter Magic players have in Standard. As a casual player I want to rate this card in comparison to the original Counterspell but I won't even though I have more copies of Counterspell than I do on Cancel. Grade: B - It's a hard counter, an instant and the best way to say "NO!" without having some balancing effect like making your opponent draw four cards at the same time or having to pay three hundred mana during your next upkeep... You understand what I mean.
Grade: E – Give me Lionheart Maverick over this guy any day of the week. Streetz: Luther, the funny thing about this card is that it probably changes 100 times during development into what it is now. And, while I agree with you that it is a bad card, its not that bad. It's a Bear for 1W that has the potential to become 5/5 at instant speed. In limited, I'm sure its an asset more than it is a bad card. Grade: C - However, Lionheart Maverick is still better.
Luther: Hey look Tynion; your Chinese Water-Torture tactic got a face-lift! It’s true, it’s Llanowar Elves for the next generation and in truth it’s far better for your money then Llanowar – harder to kill, usable as an attacker, defender and mana source and best of all, a common. Grade: A - I stand corrected – This is my pick of the entire Shard of Bant; I’m more then willing to talk trade for a play set of these bad boys. Streetz: I agree on all accounts. And I have about 50 of these if you want to trade. Grade: A+ - this is a solid common, a great creature and great for any aggro deck that wants to increase your mana availability and have a good attacker/blocker.
Anyway, the Shard offers players some quite interesting effects in nice packages and I feel that Steward of Valeron could very well be one of the best cards in the entire set both for T2 players and those of us in the casual scene. I'm also looking forward to how much the Exalted Mechanic will change the face of combat across the hobby and I'm very happy to see the release of a new cycle of charms. For MDV First Impressions, this was Luthervamplord and Streetz.
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Luther: Alright people, it’s come upon us again – the
release of a new set and with it we observe that most ritualistic of article
series;
the First Impressions! Today we will be covering the Bant Shard. 
Streetz: Thanks for the intro, Luther. Let me start off by
saying I love this card, this shard and especially this mechanic called Exalted.
Exalted makes a first turn card a better asset in the late game when you attack
with your evasive game winner by itself. 
Streetz: I like this card. While I can't
compare it to the other battlemages, because I haven't looked at them yet,
having the ability to grant trample OR flying is a very, very good thing. Flying
is a fantastic form of evasion and trample is a great way to break a stalemate.
Luther: Urgh – That was my initial take on the Ultimatum
cycle and in truth, it really hasn’t changed that much. Yes, they are great
spells; yes the set allows you to get the required mana out sooner then normal
means and yes, they even have some great effects but for the “death of Mark
Rosewater” (I can dream can’t I?); they cost seven mana, none of which is
colorless or even Hybrid! I’ve built decks that win before you even see seven
lands and no doubt with all the spells from Lorwyn still in rotation there will
still be decks that do so in T2.
Luther: Excuse me; did I just read that right? Streetz,
come check this for me – does the Vamp finally need to buy glasses like so many
males in his bloodline before him?
Streetz: Blind Phantasm, a vanilla blue
creature from Future Sight, gave us 2/3 for 2U. Jhessian Lookout, who cannot see
Russia from her window (nice one, MTGS), is only a 2/1 for 1U. 
Streetz: Again, I can't wait until the
four-color-themed block.
Streetz: Ugh. I'm so torn. I like and hate
this card all at the same time. I hate this card because of the unweildy Cycling
Cost and the meager ability you get from. Eight mana to draw a card and remove
two target attacking creatures from the game... That's It!?
Luther: Hey look; Modular has returned! Honestly; look up
the old Archbound creatures and tell me how this equipment differs from their
effects. The thing I really like about this card is that it can be played on any
turn and I do mean any turn; it works well with existing artifact cog-engines
and works very well with nearly any beat stick.
Luther: WTF!? Seriously; I know I said you produce bad
cards R&D but that wasn’t a free license to go “one-up” on the existing level of
bad – Stop doing this right now.
Luther: As a whole, I like the flavor and style of the Bant shard.
It's military overtones with the two pillars of pride and honor playing central
roles in both the style and nature of the shard really appeals to something
relatively human in me (I'll have to remove that later).