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Huh, what? Oh right, Grixis. Yeah... I like Grixis. It's got zombies, and graveyard mechanics... both of which I'm a big fan of. This meant that before Shards of Alara was launched, I was excited about Grixis on principle. Alas having played some casual games with Grixis themed decks, I found I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. So why the hang-ups? I came to realize that the main problem I have is with Shards in general, and the three-colour system itself. On a personal level I don't much care for three-colour decks; two is enough for me! As a result, even some of the better cards in these sets fail to excite me, purely on the basis that I don't see myself ever getting much use out of them outside of a specific "Shard Deck". But hark, for soothe, what's this?? Alara Reborn is going to be full of 2-colour goodies? Hhhmmmm... touché, WotC, you might just win me over yet! After all, this is the shard responsible for one of my new favourite cards, "Rotting Rats", so let's see what else it has in store for us!
Grade: B final_press: I want to like it, but it’s sssooo expensive. Of course, drawing seven fresh cards is good, but I agree with HS that the random side of it is really off-putting for me. If you’re weighing up the discard against the fact that many black decks want their cards in the graveyard anyway, it starts to make more sense. Grade: C+
final_press: It's not good when you hard cast it. It's not good when you cycle it. A bad body and some seriously underpowered graveyard hate. What's to like? At least it's a Zombie. I like Zombies. But even a groovy creature type isn't enough to stop me being angry that this is yet another creature that has little to no business being multicoloured. Grade: E HS: It needs an unearth cost. What's an "E"? Grade: F
HS: As you know, this was one of my picks for top multi-player cards. However, I have one issue with it. I don't buy the idea of a "Zombie Assassin." They are mindless. They should act like it. An indiscriminate killer does not an Assassin make. Grade: B final_press: Indeed, Zombie Assassin = Flavour Fail. Not only are Zombies mindless killers, but so is this guy. He doesn’t have control over what gets killed off when he attacks. He’s as much of an Assassin as Brain Gorgers is. For shame, WotC At least he can compensate by being utterly terrifying when he hits the battlefield. Grade: B
Well, let's forget my own irrational dislikes and consider the impact of the card. It'll be played a lot in casual games, and hilarity and Zombie-tokens will ensue, but for all it's flashy effects, I don't see it finding the same success as something like Loxodon Warhammer or Sword of Fire and Ice, mostly because of the highly specific mana-cost. Grade: C- HS: I have to agree with most of this. It’s not the kind of table turning artifact I want to be dropping turn three or four. Seems like a fun casual card, great for your zombie deck, but even then, the cost will prove prohibitive. Grade: C-
HS: Awesome Limited card. In fact, I like this whole cycle. Unfortunately, it doesn't have that wow factor it needs to make it any better. Grade: B I'd draft it in color. Otherwise, meh. final_press: Not just great Limited, but pretty solid common for Pauper as well. The only problem I have is that I never see much point in making something bigger AND giving it deathtouch. Two toughness isn’t enough to make him survive most combat situations. Still, for two mana, you get quite a lot. Grade: B-
final_press: Where to start... okay, it's pretty weak. Playable, but weak. Now that they are both out of the way, I must say I really have a personal dislike of these gold/hybrid casting cost cards. They look so ugly on the card. I also don't like this new (and rather odd) mesh of colours in the casting cost, resulting in this rather unremarkable creature. Grade: D HS: I will disagree with its weakness, as in the Limited format this will be acceptable filler. I agree on the costs, not only does it give me a headache trying to figure out what goes with what, it is rather ugly. Grade: C It has haste.
HS: Word of Seizing, anyone? Split Second is out the door, but that doesn't make this card any worse. Well, maybe, but this card can be a backbreaker. Grade: A. Good art as well. final_press: Aah, so often have I used abilities like Blind with Anger or Word of Seizing, then set off a Thoughtpicker Witch or Phyrexian Tower. Now I get the whole package rolled in to one. Nick their creature, hit them in the face with it, then sacrifice it so they can’t have it back. And yes, the art is lovely. Grade: A- (I refuse to give it a proper “A” because it’s one of these horrible hybrid/gold things!)
Grade: C HS: Mirror Sheen is much more playable and should have a better impact. This card costs too much. I agree that it will find its love at the kitchen table. Grade: C
HS: This spell was made to stop cascade. Awesome in multi-player, a definite sideboard card in color against Bloodbraid Elf. Grade: B I always try to play some kind of control in multiplayer, and I almost always get my silly head kicked in. Now at least you get a little more for three mana than a Cancel. Not just a good sideboard card against cascade cards, but any card or combo that starts firing out copies or multiple spells. Why haven’t we seen this card before? Grade: B+
final_press: Yeah, not bad actually. Sticks evasion and some extra muscle on a creature for a very reasonable cost. A good way to turn a mid-level beater into a finisher. And how about that artwork? Freakin' sweet, is what it is! Grade: B- HS: I regretted not adding this to my deck at the fatpack challenge. I don't know about the "finisher" business, but this would certainly make your Grixis Grimblade a bit more formidable. Grade: C. Limited filler in color. Otherwise, auras are dangerous.
Grade: F - Now I'm upset. final_press: Indeed! Flying and pumping are effects you want to be able to be in control of. Coin-flips should be for fun things, not deciding success or failure in combat. Grade: F
final_press: I likes me this one, even though the artwork bothers me. Seriously, am I the only one that thinks it looks a little like a giant flying... well, you know? Okay, maybe it's just me. *cough* Moving swiftly along. The ability is good. It digs through your deck, and pumps your creature at the same time. Draw/discard effects can be a life-saver in tough match-ups, especially when so nicely combined into an aggressive strategy like the one this guy affords you. Plus, it's yet another card that Squee, Goblin Nabob works great with! Grade: A- HS: I. Love. This. Card. I am building a deck with three of them in it, and I am not telling anyone about it until it is done. I like the artwork, I don't care what Press thinks it looks like. This card is possibly my favorite of the set. Grade: A+
Grade: B The artwork is... well, its a hammer. final_press: Sort of like an Armadillo Cloak on a stick. It’s a little pricier to stick on to a creature, but like all equipment, it has the advantage of surviving after the creature wielding it has died. Definitely a card you should expect to have to tech against. Grade: B+
final_press: Now that's a crying shame. Personally, I think
that cascade is one of the most interesting mechanics to come along for a while,
but that doesn't mean it can't be put on a very uninteresting card. Let's look
at the mechanic itself for a minute. In a best-case scenario, cascade lets you
dig for just the right spell and play it for free, whilst also getting the
original spell's effect. Imagine paying 2GW and fishing out that Oblivion Ring
that just wasn't coming fast enough, with 4 life as the icing on the cake!
However, in a worst-case scenario, cascade can really let you down. The spell
you dig out with this has to cost 3 or less, and has to be right for the
situation (you wouldn't want to be casting Holy Day or something for no reason). Grade: D+ HS: Agreed. I love the mechanic, but the spell needs to be at least semi-worth its casting cost. To the shoebox with you! Grade: D
HS: Okay, I'm just gonna say it: I am not a fan of all these Rhinos. What I do like here is that you don't have to pay mana for his ability. Efficiently costed soldier, kinda wishing he was a Knight, but then I am also wishing he wasn't a big, dumb Rhino. Grade: B. I really can't argue with the playability of this card. final_press: Yeah, Rhinos & Monks everywhere... why? I reckon the Loxodon's invitation shouldn't have said "Bring a friend". That aside, this is a really solid card. Good costing for a 3/3 body, and being G/W makes him play really well with Knight of New Alara. who he can protect with his excellent ability. Grade: B+
The other bonus with this guy's cost is that he's more expensive than Bloodbraid Elf, Violent Outburst and Captured Sunlight (suddenly making me like it a little more), all of which have cascade themselves. I think I can see myself making a WGR deck with four each of these guys, just to see it happen at least once! Grade: B- HS: I agree with this card at the casual level. A bit expensive, but often attainable at the kitchen table. Note to Press: Include the Fires of Yavimaya in this deck. Grade: B
HS: A big cat. Hooray. I might play this. In a cat deck. If I'm really bored. Grade: B/C for Big Cat. final_press: This creature is dumb. I hate it. Good defensive body on him for the cost, but I just hate it. Grade: C
final_press: This guy's just waiting to be added to the ranks of Gaea's Anthem, Glorious Anthem, Tolsimir Wolfblood, Mirari's Wake... aah, I could go on, I'm sure. Either you stick this guy in a G/W deck and he boosts your multicoloured guys by +2/+2, or you can be a bit ambitious and pop him in a deck with more colours, along with such staples as Transguild Courier, Might of the Nephilim, Psychotic Fury.... aah, I could go on. Grade: B HS: This will see play in Standard. He will be as effective, if not more effective, than the liege cycle. Combine them and you have some nasty multi-color madness. I got the foily promo version. I like that he's a Knight. Grade: B
HS: Wait. What? So, you're saying I should build an exalted deck around this guy? That's freakin' ridiculous. Turn three he can swing for 6 to 8 damage? Green-White loves this guy. Grade: A. Someone point out the downside. Please. final_press: Definitely the new must-have creature for exalted. Grade: A
final_press: It's not bad, it's just a little bit... boring, really. It's costed well enough. It's a stable body and a universal buff in one. Great for weenie aggro, but I can't see myself ever picking him outside of that. You can increase your body-count on the board while giving the weenies you've previously played a little boost for keeping up the assault. Grade: C HS: Nice boost. Play him if you can't afford the Knight of New Alara. Otherwise, this guy's junk. Grade: D
HS: Okay, I pulled two of these at the fatpack challenge and I hated them. I still don't like them and I don't think I ever will. What is a fungus doing gaining you life? Meh, it's certainly playable, but not by me. Grade: C final_press: God I hate fungus creatures... but I won't let that effect my judging. He certainly gives you a big fat life-gain, but when it comes to Constructed play, will I find room for this dude with all the Spellbreakers and Spearbreakers around? Probably not. Grade: C-
final_press: I've been generally very displeased with this latest generation of cycling cards. For most of them, neither the hard-cast nor the cycling ability seem to be worth it. This guy is a continuation on this theme. I want to like him, but neither his body nor tutoring is worth choosing him outside of sealed deck gaming. G/W doesn't need his help fetching lands and his body, while usable, is pretty uninspiring for its cost. Grade: D+ HS: Only in Limited, and only if I'm desperate. The Borderpost cycle works wonders in mana fixing. I don't need a giant Spider. Well, maybe in a Spider deck. Grade: D
Grade: A. Extremely efficient. final_press: Fantastically versatile card. Normally with creatures like this, I find them seriously lacking on the creature side of things... so I back Disenchant or Naturalize instead. This guy is flat-out better than both if you ask me. Grade: A. I'll be putting this in every G/W deck I build. What's that if it's not an "A"?
final_press: Pretty solid card. I tend to run these sorts of cards more in Highlander and Limited formats, but that's more of a personal preference. Having this in your hand gives you a shot at reusing any of the multicoloured cards you've already used or lost. Knowing that you have that option in your hand/deck can help you trade off and make sacrifices when necessary, knowing that you don't just have to wait to pull another copy of the same card. Versatile and well-costed, this guy is a valid option even when White and Green already have some decent recursion spells on offer. Grade: B HS: Meh, I am not as impressed. It's versatile for Highlander and good for a two-of in your casual deck when you absolutely need it. I will definitely keep a couple of these in the wings for budget builds, but it's nothing terribly special. Grade: C
HS: Maybe pair him with the Godhead of Awe? I don't know, he makes tokens bigger, but Maelstrom Pulse wipes them off the board. He's a Rhino. I'm sure people will like him, but I'm trading my copy. Grade: C final_press: Well, with Solider tokens and Saproling tokens so easy to come by in large numbers, this guy could find a place in the right deck. Definitely a build-around card. I too would trade my copy, but mostly because I don't like token decks. Plenty of people do, and they'll use this guy to smash my face in, I'm sure. Grade: B-. Because I think he should've been 1GGW. This dude is so much Greener than White.
final_press: Pretty decent aura. I remember using Bravado back in the day, and this version, although pricier, comes with cycling built-in. While this can provide you with some pretty solid beating in the right situation, I'm always a little wary of an aura that doesn't offer either evasion or some added protection such as shroud... hence the fairly average rating. Grade: C HS: I'll bump it up. If you don't have the right creature to put it on you can dump it for something better. Grade: B
Grade: B. Because I like the pretty picture and the flavor text. final_press: 6 mana is far too much to pay, if you ask me. He's pretty clunky even for Limited, and I'd be genuinely shocked to see him in even casual constructed. Yes it's a pretty card... but this set has some great production values, so I don't really find myself wanting to give him too good a grade for that alone. Grade: D
final_press: Wow, do border posts ever suck! The coloured mana makes them more expensive to cast than the Obelisks, which are also more powerful. The option of this alternative cost isn't one I'd ever advise someone to take. Even in Standard, you should be putting 8 Obelisks, 8 Panoramas and 4 Terramorphic Expanse in your deck before even look sideways at these, at which point your mana-base is already beyond fixed, and they finally cross over in to "utterly useless". Whatever use they may have in Limited isn't enough to make up for any of their short-comings outside of it. Grade: F(ail) HS: I will disagree. Their usefulness in Limited is undeniably huge. I can see them in Standard fixing two color decks. I like the fact that they are non-land permanents and that they are multi-colored. In the Limited format, some tournaments will be determined almost entirely on who pulls the most of these in the correct colors. Grade: A
HS: Excellent multi-player card. A casual bomb that will see use for years to come. I covered it in my multi-player article, and I will reiterate my love for it here: Offering the mechanic to the entire world of Magic: The Gathering is a wonderful gift. Grade: A+ final_press: Don't need to say anything that Mr Sammich hasn't already said. Four please! Grade: A
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final_press:
MMMmmmm, sandwich press!
HS:
I don't know why, but I do love discarding my hand. On the other side, I hate
discarding cards at random, but something tells me you can make this work. A bit
expensive, but it's one heck of a Compulsive Research. 
final_press:
Why don't I like this card?! Seriously, I'm actually asking. I have no idea... I
just don't. It's a massive scythe, which is great. It's equipment, which are
more stable than auras, so that's good. You can have it equipped by turn five
and make something into a massive first-striker... good! It's got graveyard
denial and makes Zombies at the same time. What's that, if it's not super-freakin'
sweet?! And yet, I still just don't like this card. *shrugs*
final_press:
I liked the Mirari better. Not much else to say here. Wait... I have to say
more? *sigh* Fine... It gives you a fairly fun opportunity to twin-cast stuff
like Cruel Ultimatum, but only if you've got quite a bit of time and mana on
your hands. Once spells start costing seven mana, there's a lot more stiff
competition for power, competition that doesn't require additional spells to be
played before they have an impact on the game. Kitchen tables will see it for
sure, as it increases mileage out of your instants and sorceries late-game (and
who wouldn't love to twin-cast Cruel Ultimatum?!), and I can certainly see
myself squeezing this into a Highlander deck as a secondary Mirari-type effect.
HS:
No. Flipping a coin is just plain stupid. I have always felt this way. Yes, I
have seen a "coin flipping" deck. No, it was not awesome. Coin flips have no
place in the game of magic.
HS:
Another card I regretted not using at the fatpack challenge. It came back to
haunt me. I think Standard will definitely be seeing more artifact destruction.
final_press:
Now this is a little more like it. Okay, so 4GW is a expensive for a 5/5, but at
least if Cascade lets you down, you're still left with a fairly formidable
creature. But why am I so up on this guy, when I was so down on Captured
Sunlight? They both have the same inherent flaw in their keyworded mechanic
right? Wrong! Whereas Captured Sunlight cost four mana, this guy costs six!
Suddenly, your chances of really getting your money's worth have increased.
There is still the chance that you'll dig out something cheap, or something that
isn't of any help, but as the spell you dig out can cost up to five mana, you
could get a lot of bang for your buck. This guy will never be tournament level,
as it's still a random effect, but what kitchen table doesn't like random
effects? Casual games are where Clash, Ripple and coin-tosses come in to their
own, and this little fella can't wait to join in the fun.
HS:
Yes. Well worth the investment. This guy may even see some Standard play. He's
going to fit right in with the Knotvine Paladin deck.
HS:
I like the art on this card and have a foily I'm going to keep. He may see
casual play in an exalted deck, but otherwise I'm steering clear. Anyone use
this guy in Limited, yet? Six mana is an awful lot to pay.
HS:
This is one of my favorite sets in a while. Not a whole lot of junk to go along
with the multi-colored goodness. Being a mostly casual player, I am buying into
this set big time. I rarely build mono-colored decks for the kitchen table, and
the variety here leaves me with more options than I need. Well done, Wizards.
Hope you guys enjoyed this little rant. Sound off in the forums and let us know
what you think.