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M13 Set Review: Blue, Artifacts, and Lands!
Conley Woods
7/6/2012 11:04:00 AM M13 Set Review: Black and Green White and Red Blue, Artifact and Lands Welcome back to the final day of our M13 set review. We have been going over the new cards from M13, even if some of them may actually just be a reprint with a new name! Thus far, we have covered all things from the Woods, to the Mountain tops, to the Flatlands, down to the Bog, but today we're stranded on the Island together. We will be covering all of the Blue cards from M13, as well as the new artifacts and lands. Then, to top it all off, we will be going over the top 8 constructed cards from M13, and that includes the entire set, not just the new stuff.  But, before we get to all of that... If you have read one of my set reviews before, you know that we use the following two scales to rate everything for both constructed and limited: Constructed 5: These cards are all-stars and their greatness spans multiple formats usually. Generally the chase cards of a set such as Tarmogoyf or Jace, the Mind Sculptor. 5's should not be given out lightly as the really have to have a big impact across formats. 4: These cards are going to be seen in decks of their color more often than not but may be less universal than 5's. These will usually be dominant in certain formats but not so much in others much like Bloodbraid Elf or Baneslayer Angel. Note that with a shift to how Extended is, 4's tend to see both Extended and Standard play, but have not made the jump to eternal. 3: These are the backbone of Standard and usually serve some utility but are more restrictive in archetype, like a Makeshift Mannequin or Mind Spring. 2: These cards are generally much more restrictive in use and application. Occasional sideboard appearances or cameos in some combo deck are the most frequent uses here such as Splinter Twin or Acidic Slime 1: These are basically unplayable and only see use in the most rare of occasions such as bad card poster boy One with Nothing Limited 5.0: I will always play this card. Period. 4.5: I will almost always play this card, regardless of what else I get. 4.0: I will strongly consider playing this as the only card of its color. 3.5: I feel a strong pull into this card's color. 3.0: This card makes me want to play this color. (Given that I'm playing that color, I will play this card 100% of the time.) 2.5: Several cards of this power level start to pull me into this color. If playing that color, I essentially always play these. (Given that I'm playing that color, I will play this card 90% of the time.) 2.0: If I'm playing this color, I usually play these. (70%) 1.5: This card will make the cut into the main deck about half the times I play this color. (50%) 1.0: I feel bad when this card is in my main deck. (30%) 0.5: There are situations where I might sideboard this into my deck, but I'll never start it. (10%) 0.0: I will never put this card into my deck (main deck or after sideboarding). (0%) And with that, let's move on to the cards! Blue
Archaeomancer Constructed: 2 Scrivener never really saw much constructed play, but 4 mana is so much less than 5 mana in terms of this design that I think this might. Clearly Snapcaster Mage makes this look like a joke, but it could be a Birthing Pod target or part of a combo that eventually surfaces Limited: 2.5 This is generally going to be worse than Gravedigger is due to consistency issues, but getting back your best removal spells is still awesome. This allows you to be a little more aggressive with your removal and still have access to one when they finally play out their bomb.
Arctic Aven Constructed: 1 This one misses the boat for constructed playable as UW decks get this card for a single Blue mana with no restrictions on having a Plains in play. Limited: 2.0-3.0 But! The Aven more than makes up for that poor constructed showing by probably being the best of the cycle in limited. A 2/1 flier for 3 mana is already playable, and once that gets boosted to a 3/2 with lifelink, the opponent is put under an immense amount of pressure to find a removal spell asap or let the game slip away from them. The Blue Vampire Nighthawk (but not quite).
Augur of Bolas Constructed: 2 Another card that I am pretty excited to try out. I loved Court Hussar when he came out and I loved Sea Gate Oracle as well. This is much less likely to actually hit, but you do save a mana on your investment and either dig a card deeper than the Oracle, or do not have to play White like the Hussar. Again, Snapcaster sort of walks on this guys space, but hopefully those two can work out their differences and team up! Limited: 1.5 This is way more unlikely to hit in limited, but the 2 mana 1/3 body is something you may be interested in regardless. This will make spell heavy decks and decks that need early defense, but will also be a card people board in a reasonable amount of the time.
Courtly Provocateur Constructed: 1 While I like this design space much better than the previous Alluring Siren, adding a mana to it actually hurt its constructed chances, which were at about 0% before, so... Limited: 2.0 Alluring Siren was one of those cards that you usually picked up late and then was surprised by the result when you actually drew it. This adds a new dimension where you get to force blocks, which is quite powerful. As a result, I expect this to be quite strong for the Blue mage, who tends to lack removal as is.
Downpour Constructed: 1 Using this as a Fog is unexciting, and using this as a Falter is unexciting, so I really do not see an application for this that is worthy of including in your deck. Limited: 1.5 In limited, I expect this will play out like a Falter most of the time that also gains you a couple of life. That actually makes this main deckable, even if it is not the most exciting thing you can be doing. The fact that this has defensive and offensive applications makes it versatile enough to include though.
Encrust Constructed: 1 If this actually tapped the creature when it entered play, it would be a fringe playable card, but having to wait until they have used their artifact, or attacked with their creature, really makes this lose a lot of appeal. Limited: 3.0 In limited, you are much more likely to be ok with taking a hit before shutting down their evasive creature or bomb. Blue lacks removal anyway, so having access to something like this really helps round out the color for M13.
Faerie Invaders Constructed: 1 I know it has become a recurring theme during this set review, but in case you missed the previous 30 mentions, I invite you to read the card: Restoration Angel. Limited: 3.0 While this card did exist a mere year ago, it did so in a very fast format where Infect was present. In a Core set, this effect, both as a Neck Snap effect and as an efficient flier, the value of this increases dramatically. Over time this will drop by half a point or so as people learn to play around it, but it is still a great offensive threat in that scenario.
Hydrosurge Constructed: 1 Removal that does not actual render the unit useless or dead, is rarely a good bet in constructed. If this cantripped, then there would be plenty of upside, but as is, you cost the opponent essentially nothing in terms of tempo, mana, or card advantage, dreams of blocking in your Blue deck aside. Limited: 1.0 A decent combat trick, but one that you will probably only play every once in while due to the opportunity cost of running better cards in your deck. Never pick this over anything good as you will likely have the chance to pick up one of these before the draft ends.
Jace's Phantasm Constructed: 2.5 I actually think this card is pretty disgusting and could very easily end up either forming its own archetype, or being a very cheap and fast win condition for control decks. Hitting 10 cards is not a lot. You might not even have to do any work to get to that point. Then, you get the chance to play 1 or 2 of these in a turn with a million mana up for countermagic and removal and the game ends quickly afterward. I really like this. Limited: 2.5 Even as a Flying Man, this is perfectly reasonable. And again, 10 cards is not that much. That could occur in most normal games through removal and trades alone in the mid to late game. If you add anything to help this along though, you have a Dragon that costs 1... wow. Unfortunately, I don't think you can rate it much higher than a 2.5 though due to inconsistency issues.
Master of the Pearl Trident Constructed: 3 This is just a better Lord of Atlantis now that it no longer buffs opposing Merfolk. The scary place for this is in Legacy where they now have a deck full of lords and Islandwalkers. Maybe Merfolk makes a push in Modern as well, but this is mostly harmless for Standard as of right now. Limited: 1.0-2.0 As a difficult to cast Grizzly Bear, this is playable, but you really want to try to pick up at least a few Merfolk to go with it. If you have 3 to 4 Merfolk in your deck, this guy becomes a real card and at 8-10 Merfolk, this jumps up to a pretty high pick
Mind Sculpt Constructed: 1.5 Mill is always so far from being playable that it is difficult to view this as playable. That said, this is efficient enough that if Mill becomes a thing, this is almost a lock to make the deck. Limited: 0.5-3.5 Clearly some context is needed when you pick this. If you are moving in on the mill deck, this is almost a first pick quality card. 4 of these and the opponent just dies. Oh yea, and its common. In a non-mill deck, this is mostly unplayable, but with enough Jace's Phantasms in my deck, I would definitely get busy milling 7!
Omniscience Constructed: 1 This is just a little too expensive to really look to cast it. I mean, yes, there are a lot of neat things to do with this, but getting a 10 mana enchantment to stick is tough. Enduring Ideal won't let you play spells, so that doesn't work. Maybe Show and Tell in Legacy will try this, but I doubt it. It is scary knowing that if this does end up seeing play, it will be in some broken way. Limited: 0.0 If you have to ask...
Spelltwine Constructed: 1 This just requires too many things to go right for it to work properly, let alone be good. Limited: 2.0 This is a bit of a gamble to run in the main deck, but the pay off is huge. Basically, if you get to copy both yours and your opponent's best played removal spell and lump them into one card, this thing is amazing. Now most people are going to have a few instants or sorceries that you want to steal. But, if you run into the GW guy with Pacifism, all of us a sudden you have a dead card and have to prey for Giant Growth. If you don't main deck this, which I think I would, you should bring it in often.
Switcheroo Constructed: 1 I am sure some of you have flashbacks to Illusions Donate, but the issue with this card, is that the opponent must have a creature for it to work. That is beyond just noting that creatures are much more prone to removal, should there even be a creature beneficial on your opponent's side of the table. Limited: 3.5 This might be worth a full 4.0, but because the effect is so unique, I erred on the side of caution. You will still be getting their best creature like Mind Control, but you have to give them your worst. A hidden upside is that there is no chance for Naturalize to ruin your day here, which is nice. Probably still an awesome early pick.
Talrand, Sky Summoner Constructed: 2 I don't know where this goes, but I think this is very good. Inherent card advantage for doing things you already want to do is awesome. Don't be tripped up on the merfolk creature type and think it has to go into a tribal deck though. Limited: 4.0 If you make 1 flier off of this, it is very good. Once you hit 2 and up though, you are talking about a certified bomb. Once you have this in your pool, your focus on instants and sorceries needs to change. He is just that good.
Talrand's Invocation Constructed: 2 This card seems like it could be really powerful, but that may just be because of the comparisons. For example, compared to Lingering Souls or Midnight Haunting, you are paying 1 more mana for +1/+1 each. That is pretty good, especially with Snapcaster in the format. And this is an additional sorcery for Delver of Secrets, should you be into that sort of thing. Limited: 3.5 This could almost warrant a 4.0, but I wanted to reserve that for this same power level of card but more easily splashed. Producing card advantage and evasion is always good. Nuff said.
Tricks of the Trade Constructed: 1 Checks card type. Checks mana cost. Moving on. Limited: 2.5 I actually think this is quite powerful. Turning your 3/3 hexproof creature into a 5/3 unblockable is literally just game. Even if the creature doesn't have hexproof, you are likely to get at least one attack through out of surprise, and then they are forced to find an answer immediately.
Void Stalker Constructed: 2 This is a super unique card, so it is tough to get a feel for it. Its stats suggest that it is on par in that department (see: Snapcaster Mage). And its ability is removal. But are those upsides worth the 3 mana activation cost and the fragile body? I have no idea. Limited: 3.0 This guy is a sort of unreliable removal spell, but has the upside of getting in damage, blocking and activating, and potentially being drawn again. Still, putting your hopes to deal with some bomb on a 1 toughness creature untapping is kind of scary.
Watercourser Constructed: 5 I see this fitting right into all of those Delver decks. Finally they have a way to kill Restoration Angel in combat! Limited: 1.5-2.0 You will probably rarely cut this, as its body is fine and it can morph into a 3/2 or 4/1 to trade up. That said, how playable this is heavily depends on the type of game plan the Blue mage is looking to execute. Artifact
Chronomaton Constructed: 1 These should work great! ...if you are really desperate for some Steel Overseer proxies. Limited: 1.0 This guy actually seems kind of decent to me. He puts you off curve to grow each turn, but left unchecked, you have a monster on your hands quickly. Even if he only grows once or twice you have a card. Unfortunately for the Chronomaton though, he is a terrible late game top deck.
Gem of Becoming Constructed: 1 Even though this can search for Ravnica style Shocklands, 6 mana is just too much to spend on that result. Limited: 1.5 You will play this sometimes when you have only 2 of the colors, all of the time when you are 5 color or 3 color, and never any other times. That means this should go late when you do want it.
Ring of Evos Isle Constructed: 1 The next 5 cards are all of the Ring cycle from M13, and while each one is different in limited, they are all constructed unplayable. So, to save time, and keep you from falling asleep, I will only be ranking the limited value of the next 4 cards, the constructed value is always 1. Limited: 1.5 The ability of placing +1/+1 counters on creatures of a certain color is a bit difficult to wrap your head around without playing with it. Essentially, how powerful is that ability? Hexproof is powerful, but this requires you leave up 2 mana at all times to get that effect. Playable, but likely only in Blue decks.
Ring of Kalonia Constructed: 1 Limited: 1.5 While this one does not require any maintenance after the initial equip cost, trample is way less exiting than hexproof, which is where this card falls off a bit. Granted trample and growing your creature is a nice synergy, so this is still probably solid in Green decks but not elsewhere.
Ring of Thune Constructed: 1 Limited: 1.0 Again, Vigilance is less exciting than hexproof, but there is no cost associated with it. The big difference here though, is that Vigilance neither protects your creature nor grants it evasion, which makes this one potentially the worst.
Ring of Valkas Constructed: 1 Limited: 1.0 This one has some serious identity issues. While all of the other rings you could let sit and grow your creature, this is the first one that actively wants to me moved around each turn. That means if you are playing RG for example, you want to move this to every freshly played creature, but when that creature is Green or whatever, you are losing the second bonus. Haste is great, but not worth 2 mana and then an additional upkeep of 1.
Ring of Xathrid Constructed: 1 Limited: 2.0 And I find this one to the best of the bunch because the ability protects the creature from removal and combat, and does so a reasonable price. The counter granted ability is still not that exciting as you have to be playing Black, but I can see running this in your Green deck just to have a creature be able to turn sideways turn after turn without Repercussion.
Sands of Delirium Constructed: 1 I am giving this a one because it seems like an obvious 1, but at the same time, hard to kill win conditions that allow you to sink your excess mana into it are pretty neat, so maybe someone tries this down the line. Limited: 5.0 Slightly inflated number here because it is an artifact, but I really can't imagine passing this in limited. 3 to 4 turns after playing this, the game is over, and again, you don't have to tap out for it every turn. Nickel and diming them while you protect yourself will set this up nicely for the tap out turns where you are going for the kill.
Staff of Nin Constructed: 1 This is a very strange card in that, while both abilities are neat, they don't seem like the same card to me. 6 mana is too much for a pinging artifact, and the self-howling mine is nice, but again, slow. I don't think combining them makes this that much more appealing, even though this technically is both a win condition and card advantage tool for control, it is just too clunky to be good at that job. Limited: 5.0 Another card that gets inflated due to colorlessness. You should first pick this every single time and be quite happy. Both abilities are insane in limited, and this is just going to pull you so far ahead in any game you play it that it will be difficult to lose.
Trading Post Constructed: 1 What? I could properly rate this better if I had any idea of what it did. This is complex, a ton of work, and not that exciting, so while it may see some play somewhere, I don't see when that is. Limited: 5.0 Another card you should always take. You get to turn extra lands into life. Life into Goats, which is probably the best limited portion of this. Getting another artifact to go with this might be tough, but if you do, you have a little combo on your hands. Confusing card, but a Swiss Army knife in limited. Land
Cathedral of War Constructed: 2 This is a tough one to rate because on the one hand, the effect is awesome. But on the other hand, the land only produces colorless, and comes into play tapped, and you have to wonder how many decks can take advantage of this still. Perhaps Mono Red and Mono White will elect to run this, but it can't just be jammed into aggressive decks with worse mana, like Zombies or RG. Limited: 4.0 Inflation again occurs here, but I rated it lower than the other must haves because you will certainly take other cards over this. That said, if you draft this, you are almost certainly going to play it and enjoy it, even if that means it takes up a spell slot.
Hellion Crucible Constructed: 2 This card seems pretty neat for the Mono Red decks, or Primeval Titan decks. Mono Red gets to use this to help make sure they do not flood out in the late game, while Primeval Titan, well, finds this himself. I am sure other decks like RG Aggro could run it, but unless Kessig Wolf Run rotates, I can't see them choosing this over that. Limited: 3.5 Clearly you will not draft this unless you are Red, so it is essentially a Red card, but it is a land that produces a 4/4 haste, which is big. I would take this highly and just think of myself as Red once I do. Top 8 Constructed Cards That's the last of em! Alright, now we get to move on to the Top 8 constructed cards from M13. Now remember, thus far we have only gone over brand new cards, but for this Top 8, anything goes. So long as the card is in M13, it is eligible for the Top 8. 8- Duress 7- Thragtusk 6- Rancor 5- Vampire Nocturnus 4- M10 Dual Lands 3- Ajani, Caller of the Pride 2- Oblivion Ring 1- Thundermaw Hellkite There are a couple of cards on this list that I am quite happy with seeing reprinted. Duress has been much missed these days. We were spoiled by Inquisition of Kozilek last time Duress was legal, but now that our only option is Despise, I think we all will go running back into our baby's arms. Oblivion Ring and the M10 duals are both crucial to the state of Standard and Rancor is just an exciting card all around. Thundermaw Hellkite is the big winner though, as the new chase Mythic and what I suspect will be a long and amazing career. Once you compare this to Demigod of Revenge or Rorix, you see just how pushy this rare is, and I would not be surprised to see him popping up in all kinds of decks right out of the gate. Wrap Up Whew, that was a long 3 days eh? M13 might not have all of the wow factor that other core sets have recently, but it also adds a lot of new elements to Standard that we can't really know about until we begin playing and learning the format more. I like a ton of the reprints, from Mutilate, which might bring back Mono Black, to Battle of Wits, because who doesn't love Battle of Wits? Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker is also back, but I suspect he will be more of a presence in the Commander circle than Standard. The limited format looks pretty solid and Exalted is a great mechanic to see come back as it is awesome in limited. Most colors have solid answers to bombs in one form or another and the internal interactions look pretty fun. So go enjoy your Prerelease tomorrow and be sure to fit in a draft or two if you have the time! Thanks for reading! --Conley Woods-- |
 Tarmogoyf - as low as $96.00Dark Confidant - as low as $53.28Vendilion Clique - as low as $35.75Sword of Fire and Ice - as low as $23.99Sword of Light and Sh. - as low as $20.25Elspeth, Knight Errant - as low as $20.00Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker - as low as $17.69Cryptic Command - as low as $17.49Doubling Season - as low as $14.00Arcbound Ravager - as low as $13.27
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