Hello faithful readers, and welcome to MDV's M10 First Impressions! On today's menu, we have 17 brand spanking new cards for you, and guess what, they're all Black. Some of them are great, some are pathetic, some are totally new, and some are modern updates of old classics that will hopefully tickle your happy bones as much as they tickled ours.

I must say, Wizards' idea of putting new cards in a core set really makes us happy campers, especially since many of the new cards are tip top quality. So prepare yourselves for something old, something new, something borrowed, and something that looks like the beginnings of a Vampire tribe!

Oh, and check out the M10 article by AlasterEisaroh and final_press for something blue coming sometime next week.

Acolyte of Xathrid B
Creature - Human Cleric
{1}{B}, {T}: Target player loses 1 life.
0/1

potatobrain: D
Hmmm, for one mana more, I can get Blightspeaker, which has one more power, taps without mana to make the opponent lose one life, has the same creature types of Human Cleric, and has the additional ability of fetching other copies of itself, because it's also a Rebel. Yeah, there is no reason to play this Acolyte over Blightspeaker unless you have a big flavor thing going on with Xathrid.

final_press: D
Quite an aesthetically pleasing card, but there its charms end. As P-brain said, it’s straight-up worse than Blightspeaker, but it’s also just pretty lame in general. It’ll be okay to chip away at life totals in Limited formats, but in Constructed there’s far better ways to be spending that two mana each turn.

Cemetery Reaper 1BB
Creature - Zombie
Other Zombie creatures you control get +1/+1.
{2}{B}, {T}: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield.
2/2

final_press: A
Did Zombies need another lord? A rational man might say no; a Black mage like myself would say "heck yeah!!." A 2/2 body for three mana is right on the curve for Black, but he’s a "Zombie anthem" and a token generator in one. All my poor copies of Midnight Ritual will shortly find themselves exiled from my Zombie deck in favour of this guy. Discard and sacrifice effects mean that Black is never left wanting for graveyard targets, and even in the worst-case scenario, this guy can just be splashed as graveyard hate. And great work from Dave Allsop on the artwork!

potatobrain: B+
I totally agree with final_press, you can never have enough Zombie lords. Also, in this case it's logical, because he's Lord of the Undead's replacement once Lord of the Undead rotates out! It has the same stats: 2/2 for three mana that gives other zombies a boost. The difference is his ability: you're spending three mana, tapping him, and removing a creature card from someone's graveyard to give you a 2/2 zombie. The thing is, your new zombie is actually a 3/3 because of the Reaper's boost ability, so that's pretty good. Unfortunately, if you can't somehow get some creatures into a graveyard, he's pretty useless except as a Bad Moon replacement. Play him with discard to ensure success.

Child of Night 1B
Creature - Vampire
Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
2/1

potatobrain: A-
Yes, FINALLY! A two mana Vampire! For a long time, the cheapest Vampire around was Moroii, hailing from Ravnica in the four mana slot. That's pretty good, but definitely not good enough for some kind of tribal deck. Then along came the big creature type overhaul that turned Vampire Hounds into a Vampire, making it the cheapest one at three mana (and yet they reprinted Vampire Bat in Tenth Edition as a Bat - go figure), but still not good enough for Tribal Magic. Now though, we have a two mana guy that has decent stats at 2/1, but more importantly has a groovy Vampire ability in the form of Lifelink! Drop an Unholy Strength on him and you're gold (And guess what? Unholy Strength is reprinted in 2010! What a lucky coincidence!).

final_press: A
That’s quite an efficient creature for Black Common! 2/1 lifelink for two mana is good any way you look at it, but with all the great new Vampire cards in the set, this little lady is going to easily find a home in many players' collections. Sorry Mourning Thrull, my old friend, I think it’s time to step aside.

Disentomb B
Sorcery
Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

final_press: D
Disentomb is a silly name. They should’ve just stuck with Raise Dead and been done with it. As far as the card goes, it’s still pretty “meh”. Great choice in Limited, pretty weak choice in Constructed. I would’ve given it a C for how vital recursion can be in Limited games, but the fact that this card is a “reprint” ticks me off... so it’s getting a D.

potatobrain: D
Meh indeed, good sir. I've seen this card before in a million different forms, and I've never had the urge to use any of them. If your creature is three mana or less, use Unearth and put it directly into play. If it's four mana or more, well, you'll probably have enough lands to play Zombify and put it directly into play. In other words, this is probably only useful in Limited and Draft.

Doom Blade 1B
Instant
Destroy target nonblack creature.

potatobrain: B-
Well, it's slightly better than Terror because you can kill artifact creatures, but also slightly worse because it allows for regeneration. Still, a kill spell is a kill spell, and this one is a huge sight better than most of the Common Black removal spells that have been appearing as of late.

final_press: C-
Maybe it’s just me, and the people I play against, but I rarely find the “non-artifact” clause in Terror to be that problematic, while at the same time do find the “cannot regenerate” clause to be a life-saver at times. As P-brain said, it’s a kill spell, so it’s not useless.

Dread Warlock 1BB
Creature - Human Wizard
Dread Warlock can't be blocked except by black creatures.
2/2

final_press: D
What the heck is this?! Black just got a great new Zombie lord, and instead of Severed Legion being reprinted for the new players we have this guy? The super-fear ability and cool warlock flavour won't be enough to tempt me away from the card that was already filling this slot, which gets much more support from its tribe than this guy. Use this guy in Limited… shun him like the adopted cousin he is in Constructed.

potatobrain: D
Seriously? A three mana guy with super-fear? Lame. I'm just as outraged as final_press is. C'mon people, for three mana you can get a Hypnotic Specter, also available in 2010. This card makes me sad, because no one is ever going to play it.

Howling Banshee 2BB
Creature - Spirit
Flying
When Howling Banshee enters the battlefield, each player loses 3 life.
3/3

potatobrain: B
As usual for a Black creature with no drawback, it's a 3/3 for four mana. On top of that, it has a mini Drain Life tacked on, and although it affects both you and your opponents (that's right, notice that it affects everyone, sure sign of all great multiplayer cards), it's still a pretty darn good way to finish the game. If your opponent doesn't have any fliers or removal, it's a guaranteed SIX DAMAGE! And three of them happen the turn it comes into play, haste-style. Also, it's a Spirit: combine with Thief of Hope for more damage, less of a drawback, and some Soulshift shenanigans.

final_press: B
What he said. It’s a solid creature stats-wise, and a lovely little surprise for people in multiplayer. Also it’s a Banshee. That’s cool.

Kelinore Bat 2B
Creature - Bat
Flying
2/1

final_press: E
Weak. We’ve gone from reviewing a 3/3 flier for 4, to a 2/1 flier for 3? NEXT!!

potatobrain: C
If it was any creature type other than a Bat, I would also give it an automatic E, but this fills the crucial three mana slot in a Bat deck, thus bringing the grand total of Bat creatures in Magic up to a whopping SIX cards! Still not a very good card though...

Rise from the Grave 4B
Sorcery
Put target creature card in a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. That creature is a black Zombie in addition to its other colors and types.

potatobrain: B-
Well, it's an upgraded Zombify that makes your creature a Zombie. It costs one extra mana, but it makes your creature Black too, thus avoiding any Terror effects. Most importantly, it can fetch a creature out of ANY graveyard, and so it deserves extra points for that. Perhaps it has a place in multiplayer or discard decks, but at five mana, you should really be playing something that wins you the game.

final_press: C
I agree with P-brain that the mana cost is unfortunate, but when it plucks from any graveyard, makes the creature Black AND a Zombie (has anyone noticed that I really like Zombies?), something has to drive the cost up over the likes of Dread Return and Ashen Powder. I may not be able to find a good place for this card, but I’m certainly going to try!

Sanguine Bond 3BB
Enchantment
Whenever you gain life, target opponent loses that much life.

final_press: B+
Hmmm, five-mana enchantments can be a little tricky to fit into a deck. Once you can manage to play it though, this can potentially create huge swings in life totals. A definite build-around card, as well as a solid addition to any life-gain decks out there (my Orzhov senses are tingling!).

potatobrain: A
I agree, five mana enchantments are tricky... unless they're your win condition! Basically, if you built your deck correctly, Sanguine Bond actually reads "on your next turn after playing Sanguine Bond, untap and win the game". Play this in a deck with lifelinkers, Martyr of Sands, or even a bunch of instants that gain you lots of life, like Life Burst/Heroes' Reunion/Nourish, and as soon as you untap with Sanguine Bond in play, you kill your opponent. I can't see anyone losing with this card in play and five mana.

Sign in Blood BB
Sorcery
Target player draws two cards and loses 2 life.

potatobrain: A
Night's Whisper was a powerhouse card, and made tons of my decks spectacular. Sign in Blood is no different, and even one-ups its predecessor with a slight word change that makes all the difference. For two Black mana instead of one Black and one colorless, you get the added bonus of using it as a two life finisher on your opponent, thanks to its "Target player" wording. Sweet deal, I accept your offer, here's my contract. Would you like some fries with that?

final_press: A
What more needs to be said? It’s Night’s Whisper, but a little better.

Soul Bleed 2B
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, that player loses 1 life.

final_press: F
A stunning piece of artwork wasted on a truly pathetic card.

potatobrain: F
Agreed. This is ridiculous. There are a million better spells to put in the three mana slot than this one. I would never play it in any format, including Limited.

Vampire Aristocrat 2B
Creature - Vampire Rogue
Sacrifice a creature: Vampire Aristocrat gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
2/2

potatobrain: A+
Let's see now... First came the word, then came the word processor, then came a whole bunch of useless inventions until Phyrexian Ghoul, then came Nantuko Husk, and now finally we have Vampire Aristocrat. Its predecessors were both Zombies, both amazing, and the Husk was also a tournament staple for years. With the new rotation happening, Husk will be handing over his title to this new king of the castle. Oh, and he's a Vampire, which also makes him extra cool. I wonder if Wizards is planning on making Vampires a real tribe now?

final_press: C+
I was torn on this one. I wanted to have a strict policy on knocking points off of these “reprints”… but as this card is part of the newly reformed Vampire Tribe I find it difficult to hate him for it. Nantuko Husk really made a name for itself as a scary beast of a card, but I have to disagree with P-brain on this one. With the new rule changes removing damage stack shenanigans, this card no longer has the impact it once did. It’s still a fairly solid card, but I doubt it will be tournament worthy any more.

Vampire Nocturnus 1BBB
Creature - Vampire
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
As long as the top card of your library is black, Vampire Nocturnus and other Vampire creatures you control get +2/+1 and have flying.
3/3

final_press: A-
In a mono-black deck, this guy is essentially a 5/4 flier that gives flying and Unholy Strength to all your Vampires, for four mana?!?! Pure Tribal gold. No, scrap that, even as a solo creature this guy makes the cut. There will be times when there’s a non-Black card on top of your library, but some simple cantrips or library manipulation will makes those times a rarity.

potatobrain: A-
Well, if you're playing this card, you have three Black mana, which means you're probably playing lots of Black creatures and Vampires in your deck, which means that final_press has basically said it all. With some Sensei's Divining Top shenanigans, he's going to be a 5/4 flying and "Unholy Strength Anthem" at all times. He gets an A- only for the rare occasions he's a 4 mana 3/3 nothing.

Warpath Ghoul 2B
Creature - Zombie
Rules Text:
3/2

potatobrain: F
Really guys? I mean c'mon, you print this and Vampire Aristocrat in the same set, at the same rarity level (Common)? NO. Unacceptable. There is no reason to ever play this card. If you want a three mana Zombie, I suggest you pop open Gatherer and run a search, because I guarantee you there are at least 10 cards that are better than this one for the same mana and monetary cost.

final_press: D-
Meh, I guess I might throw him in with some Limited matches. Three power for three mana isn’t a total bust (also… Zombie!).

Xathrid Demon 3BBB
Creature - Demon
Flying, trample
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a creature other than Xathrid Demon, then each opponent loses life equal to the sacrificed creature's power. If you can't sacrifice a creature, tap Xathrid Demon and you lose 7 life.
7/7

final_press: A+
If I need to explain to you why this card is amazing, I hate you. I’m even running this guy over Kokusho, the Evening Star. P-brain, tell it to the boys and girls...

potatobrain: A
Lord of the Pit on crack! Spectacular, amazing, beautiful. Even the art is pretty cool. This is what a demon should be like. Not only does he attack for 7 flying, he tramples over whatever blocker your opponent has. Heck, he can go head to head with Akroma and still hit your opponent for one. In addition to these amazing stats, he costs only six mana, and when he sacrifices a creature, he makes EACH opponent lose life. What a great creature, and with no drawbacks too. Excuse me? What's that you say? He deals seven damage to you if you can't sacrifice another creature? Don't make a deal with the devil if you can't handle the horns sonny boy...

Zombie Goliath 4B
Creature - Zombie Giant
Rules Text:
4/3

potatobrain: F
Sigh, again with the underwhelming vanilla guys. Like I said before, five mana spells should win you the game, and this guy doesn't even come close.

final_press: F-
Another set, another Black Common that isn’t worth the card it’s printed on. Go and sit over in the corner with Bog Hoodlums and Ashenmoor Cohort. I'll be over in a minute to give you all a good kicking!

We now come to the end of this magnificent series of new cards. The overall level seems appropriate this time around: we saw some exciting new rares, an incredible remake of Lord of the Pit, the beginnings of an old/new tribe, and the usual vanilla guys for new players (because c'mon now, they're a large part of the core set's audience). Just in case that didn't satisfy you enough, keep in mind that there are also 24 other Black cards that are reprints of some pretty good oldies, which should be more than enough to fix any Black mage's cravings. And on that note, faithful readers, we bid you good night, and remember, there are worse things you can do than sell your soul to Xathrid Demon! At least he'll make sure to take down your opponents...

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

[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ]

Articles Spotlights from 2009:
Magus of the Bazaar – Merchant Magic
Parasitism: The Devolution of Magic Players. - by Kozy
Mechanic Week: Kicking a Bad Habit - by Streetz
MTG Theory: Card Design 101 . - by Cashew
Potatobrain's Guide to Token Decks. - by Potatobrain
The Magic of Friday Night. - by hamsandwich
Memories of an Old Magic Player: Recrossing the River Jordan. - by Chris Newton
Mechanic Week: Offering Up Mechanic Week. - by Dan Wright (Drathro)