Hello everyone. Here is the Fate Reforged Quick 'n Dirty review from the Standard Pauper Clan!
This an overview of the new cards. We are going to just comment a few words about each card without much detail. Mouse over the card names to view the card images.
I think the set is not bad and it's nice that Wizards allowed a bit more complexity than the previous recent sets. Most of the creatures will probably stay in the shadows of the more effective ones from Theros, so I expect these cards to become better after rotation.
White
Abzan Advantage - Interesting card. An enchantment edict. Not many reasons to play it in Standard Pauper right now.
Abzan Runemark - Lifelink, Wizards. We wanted lifelink!
Abzan Skycaptain - Not bad. But I don't expect to see too much of this, while Theros is around at least.
Arashin Cleric - Good against Red, but not that good.
Aven Skirmisher - Not that good right now. But cards like this can be useful.
Dragon Bell Monk - Again, not bad. But competition is harsh.
Great-Horn Krushok - No.
Pressure Point - I'm not sure. Looks weak. But surprise effect with cantrip is nice. If you plan to put this in your heroic deck, use Defiant Strike instead.
Sandblast - Kill Shot is better, but this one can also get blockers.
Sandsteppe Outcast - This one is good. Mardu Hordechief grandpa!
Soul Summons - One of the weakest manifest cards.
Blue
Aven Surveyor - Worst in the cycle. Costs too much.
Enhanced Awareness - Costs too much, but great value at instant speed.
Jeskai Runemark - Not sure, but this one is almost making the cut. I like it. Surely the best of the cycle.
Jeskai Sage - Not every card that is good in limited will be good in Standard Pauper.
Lotus Path Djinn - If you make a Prowess deck you probably want this one. But I don't see it earning a place in the current decks.
Rakshasa's Disdain - The one colored mana might help it. But it's Cancel with downside.
Refocus - It's like Pressure Point, but maybe a little more useful.
Sultai Skullkeeper - Blue self mill creature. Similar to Necromancer's Assistant. If this one ever sees play, it's because it's blue (Simic Delve?).
Whisk Away - Costs less than Griptide. I like this one. The downside is not very important.
Will of the Naga - Nice effect and can be cheap. But do you want to Delve for this?
Write into Being - Interesting Manifest card. I'm not sure if this will see play, but I like it a lot.
Black
Alesha's Vanguard - Not as good as the Red one.
Ancestral Vengeance - I wish this had a bigger effect, even if it costed more.
Douse in Gloom - Play Pharika's Cure. I'm not sure the single black mana requirement will save this one.
Gurmag Angler - If you want to play a dumb black fattie for cheap, play Marshmist Titan.
Hooded Assassin - Nice effect, but hard to profit.
Reach of Shadows - Costs too much. But it's a bit easier to cast than Flesh to Dust.
Sibsig Host - Everybody mills! Good blocker, but hard to fit in any deck.
Sultai Emissary - I like this one. It's like it had Undying.
Sultai Runemark - Deathtouch is good to put in your Nimbus Naiad;
Tasigur's Cruelty - Not cruel enough. Again, it's a fair card, but you want a really good effect to compete against the other Delve cards.
Typhoid Rats - You know them, you hate them, you love them.
Red
Bathe in Dragonfire - 3 mana Flame Slash may inhabit some sideboards.
Collateral Damage - Lightning Bolt with downside. Sac the Black Cat!
Defiant Ogre - Why does this cost so much? Why is it so big?
Fierce Invocation - One cute interaction would be manifest one of the Outlast anthem creatures and then unmorph it. But it costs too much and sorcery speed makes it compete with creatures. You would rather play a goblin.
Goblin Heelcutter - This one has potential because you can repeat the effect. Best Dash common.
Gore Swine - It's so bad that it may work.
Lightning Shrieker - Oh this is cool! Oh this is bad!
Mardu Runemark - Please, reprint Madcap Skills. Not terrible, but competition will not be easy.
Mardu Scout - You probably won't dash this one. RDW likes it.
Smoldering Efreet - No, thanks.
Temur Battle Rage - Seriously, I'm afraid of this one. That Boros Heroic deck will beat you so fast you won't even notice.
Green
Ainok Guide - I want to play this, but putting the land in the top of the library can be so bad.
Anbush Krotiq - Good body, good effect, bad cost.
Archers of Qarsi - Nooooooooooooo.
Feral Krushok - Better than the white one.
Formless Nurturing - See Fierce invocation.
Frontier Mastodon - Needs the right deck to shine. Not reliable.
Hunt the Weak - You again?
Map the Wastes - Not good for the cost.
Return to the Earth - 4cmc is bad. But flexibility is good. It's almost a 4 mana charm. This will be played, but I'm almost sure it won't be good.
Temur Runemark - Green likes this, specially on a Nessian Asp. But may not be strong enough to make the cut.
Whisperer of the Wilds - Green likes this too. But it can be clunky.
Multicolor
Cunning Strike - The coolest card in the set costs too much to be played in any current deck. But you want to find a way to have it.
Ethereal Ambush - Cool Manifest card. Makes me want to create a Manifest deck.
Grim Contest - 3 mana instant removal is good for black. I expect this one to find a place.
Harsh Sustenance - Probably the best card of the cycle. The effect is just too strong to be ignored.
War Flare - It is good, but also is the competition.
This is all for now. Clan member DrChirsBakerDC has made a nice, detailed video review of the set. You also want to watch the first part of the video review being made by the Standard Pauper Show. And of course, we may expect another complete review by gwyned at PureMTGO.
After that, go brew some cruel decks to take over MPDC and SPDC.
Take care and have a good one!
No comments:
Post a Comment