Worldwake
Review By Slatron I'm adding some notes to the page after playing a Worldwake prerelease draft. I drafted red and green.
Greetings. Worldwake prerelease events are going on this weekend. All the spoilers for the cars are out. I thought it would be a good exercise to rate the commons of the collection based on the descriptions alone. Then be able to go back and see how my ideas worked out in actual game play.
I want to rate commons, because of their... well, common nature. The few good rares aren't gonna make or break the set. The commons are what we'll have hundreds of - the biggest representatives of the set. When drafting, we'll have a couple picks to think about the Rares and Uncommons, then a bunch of common picks. The commons will make or break the set's viability - and therefore must be dissected and analyzed card-by-card. Fun.
As with everything I review, I'll be rating each card by color on a scale of 0 to 5 donuts.
- Five Donuts
- This card will be in all my decks of that color (Legendary Donut)
- Four Donuts
- Good Solid Card with many uses (Creme filled Donut)
- Three Donuts
- Might be good/great in the right theme deck (Glazed Donut)
- Two Donuts
- Another card does this better (Blueberry Donut)
- One Donut
- Useless card (Custard Donut)
- No Donuts
- Worst card of the set (Absence of Donut)
On to the commons!
Red
Akoum Battlesinger - Nice ally potential. First sharing ally power I've seen that isn't counter-based. I can see replacing a couple highland berzerkers with these in my red ally decks, since multiple berzerkers do nothing other than add more allies to the battlefield.
And they live up nicely! Berzerkers are also nice with this set as Worldwake adds a couple of tapping ability allies - like the loremaster
Bull Rush - Can't really see using this anywhere. Instant peed for red is good - but I'd rather just pull another haste weenie in most instances.
Yup, waste of paper
Claws of Valakut - Nice all around red creature enchantment. This will probably replace goblin war paint in a couple red decks. The first strike keeps a weenie relevent in to the late game. Especially as it grows during a race.
Cosi's Ravager - Definitely too expensive to justify itself as a basher for a 4 cost 2 power. The special ability might help in red landfall decks. But I just can't see this card proving itself worthwhile to add anywhere.
I actualy used this a couple times. I'd like to get my current red / green Worldwake Landfall deck utilizing four of these.
Crusher Zendikon - As I've mentioned before, I really like ths class of Zendicon Auras. Always having a target for the spell is a plus, in addition to getting your land back. A 4/2 basher with trample swinging on the third turn is really an eye opener. Plus, you get the land back - though putting yourself a turn behind on drops. At worst I see this as a potential great trade off for an opponent's strong blocker, with any trample damage to boot.
Goblin Roughrider - Goblin pikemaster with extra 1/1 for one more mana. Sounds reasonable for goblin decks needed more mid-game boost.
Grotag Goblin Thrasher - Not sure if the drawback will be worth it on this one. That being a 5 cost for 3 power. Would work well if opponent is counting on one big blocker. But won't pull it's weight in most situations.
Roiling Terrain - One more red than standard land destruction for variable damage. I've given up on my land destruction decks. Without a lot of new options for LD, I can't see myself giving this any play.
Searing Blaze - So I get two bolts in one card? I like this new economy. I'll be putting four of these in my burn ascension maindeck.
Yes, this card is sicker than it sounds. I have two in burn ascension. I will be moving that number up to four shortly. New bolt. I'm putting this up for common of the set.
Skitter of Lizards - This is the first multikicker I saw in the spoilers. I'm really torn as to how multikicker is going to play out. It sounds great to have that late top-deck help out in a race as much as it does in the opening hand. Just not sure how good it will be on turn 7 to be able to cast a 4/4 for all my mana, given that I've made each drop.
So multikicker turned out to be better than I had expected. The extra mana cost was offset by the power or useful abilities.
Green
Arbor Elf - When four Llanowar Elves just aren't enough...
I was so wrong about this one. With the new land powers, untapping a forest can mean an extra blocker, extra activated ability or extra mana.
Explore - hmm... better than Rampant Growth in some circumstances. Was going to pass this by quickly before noticing the draw a card in the text. Great with 3+ lands in hand on turn 2 for the card replacement. This will probably get a trial run in my landfall deck.
Wrong about this one as well. Since it replaces itself, it's not a heartbreaker in the late game. Allows for both extra mana and hand acceleration. Throw in a bonus landfall trigger, you've got a beautiful spell in competition with Searing Balze for common of the set.
Feral Contest - More predictable removal than giant growth family, but loses a lot of ground for lack of instant status. Will have to see how this one plays out before using it anywhere. Seems like there's a lot of other cards I'd rather have for a draw - at any point in the game.
Gnarlid Pack - Green's multikicker common. Bears with multikick growth. I think this ability will fare better for green than the other colors with all the mana acceleration.
Grappler Spider - Bah, just give me the Deadly Recluses instead and call it a day. The 2/1 exchange just doesn't make up for deathtouch. Another WTF card that will be nice as proxy fodder and not much else.
Graypelt Hunter - The first Ally card I'm disappointed in. If running a green ally deck, you should already have four Survivalists in the deck. Two more mana for the same ability, with only an extra 1/1 to show for it? Only need to run this card in 2-color ally decks with green. And how long did any of our ally decks stay at 2 colors?
I failed to notice that this ally also has trample. That's better. Still not a game-breaking card. But I might put this in as opposed to a Jorga Bard.
Groundswell - Unlike Feral Contest, actually useful to replace growths in landfall decks. All the surprise of the growth with possible more damage. Very useful.
Nature's Claim - sooo... why not just naturalize it and spare the life gain?
Snapping Creeper - Trading off a point of power for possible block and attack. I'd rather have something with the three power.
Vastwood Zendikon - Last of the Zendikon auras and the common list. We have here a cheaper Craw Wurm. One turn sooner to get my big guy swinging.
White
Apex Hawks - Looks like a solid turn three play for two offense. Flies so it'll hit more. The multikicking will definitely make this a power topdeck in a long race. Although by turn 7, you'll only get a 4/4 flier for 7 - making this card pretty weak in the mid-game.
Battle Hurda - A more expensive Rhox Pikemaster that doesn't share power?
Fledgling Griffen - Two offense on turn two. More powerful pegasus for landfall decks. Still - won't replace lynx in my white landfall deck
Guardian Zendikon - This could work if the man-lands mixed with landfall decks make a big hit. Unlike creature enchantments, you're likely to always have a target. This will be good at slowing down a fast aggro while saving a key dual. I'll see how this does in landfall.
Iona's Judgment - A more expensive but less fragile oblivion. This is good for me since I'm only playing Zendikar block and up. I'll be sideboarding this in a couple white decks.
Join the Ranks - What's that Slatron? You have a White Soldier Weenie Deck? 4 mana for an instant that pulls 2 5/5 first strikers. Mmmm... cake!
Kitesail Apprentice - Meh... Another Kor.
I have a blue/white Kor deck started. For a 1cc 1/1 that can grow, this is a decent card.
Marsh Threader -Meh.
Rest for the Weary - This is another version of the White life gain cards available. Not terrible, but nothing new.
Veteran's Reflexes - I see this card as being a different take on Righteousness. A little more surprising by allowing a tapped creature to block.
Blue
AEther Tradewinds - I like this one and think it might even be an improvement over into the roil. I pick up a cheap merfolk and have opponent take back land on second/third turn. I'll probably test this out with the funky bunch.
Calcite Snapper - Score another one for blue. I like the offense /defensive split of this card. Heading for a test in landfall.
Dispel - Good against early creature removal spells. Although this one seems like a poor man's spell pierce
Enclave Elite - It'll get a try in the Funky Bunch. The multikicker will be the deciding factor - if it proves to work in a control deck. It's a three mana 3/3 if I have a Sea Monkey on the table. Another Possibility for the deck.
Halimar Excavator - Carin was excited about a milling ally. Although without any help from a large ally deck, it would mean a maximum of 10 milled cards - and to do that, all four would have to be on the battlefield. This will be better off used as a cheap blue ally. Could replace Umara Raptor as blue's default small ally.
Mysteries of the Deep - I could see this replacing my divinations in landfall decks. The extra 2 mana are almost offset by the instant status. I can wait until my opponents turn before sacking a fetch land and taking three extra draws. Without any way to drop during an opponents turn, I'll be better off sticking with Divination.
Surrakar Banisher - Kind of expensive for a blue non-flier. The drawback of only bouncing tapped creatures puts this in the unusable category.
Treasure Hunt - This is more like it. I can use this in many of my Zendikar blue decks that allow me to see the top card. Thereby making this potentially a better draw card than Divination. I like seeing blue doing what it does well : card advantage.
Twitch - The Twitch Utility is back. It's good and useful in many situations. Already a combo between this and the crappy banisher. Not to mention untapping a man-land for the unexpected block. Not for every situation but I can see using it in some blue decks
Wind Zendikon - Blue's Zendikon land aura. Like white's guardian zen, I like the land saving trick. Plus the chance to kill off an early aggressive flier and keep the land is always a nice trick.
Black
Bojuka Brigand - So we have 2 CC ally for each color now. I like how Worldwake is expanding on each color's ally options. In my experience, they have completely dominated casual play - and been totally ineffective for tournaments with all the creature removal. Having early options for each color should make a difference in their usefulness
Brink of Disaster - Might be of more use in this set for extra utility and man-land removal. I think time on the meta-game will be the ultimate judge on this one.
Corrupted Zendikon - Another good addition to the Zendikon Auras. attack with a 3/3 on turn 2. Definately hoping to pick some of these up during prereleases
Dead Reckoning - Meh. I could see using this if it were an instant to save a creature. But as a sorcery that rewinds your draw, I would only want this for a U/B deck with some draw power.
Jagwasp Swarm - Flying creatures will always be useful for black. Not outstanding but solid.
Mire's Toll - First overall amazing common for this set. Starts as a first turn exchange for a card of opponents choice, and only gets stronger through the game. By turn four of most games, acts as a duress without the nonland/noncreature disadvantage. I might be tempted to go black tonight at the midnight booster draft on the basis of this card.
Didn't see one of these all night.
Pulse Tracker - I like the Zendikar 1cc vamps better. Although it could be good to help trigger Bloodchief Ascension
Quag Vampires -Also won't replace the Zen vamps. Unless multikicker proves to be worth it
Ruthless Cullblade - Sorry WW - your vampires displease me. Ghoul-Draz without the intimidate 10 life bonus. Black's official "Why this" creature.
Tomb Hex - With a 2cc, I could see using this. With the 3cc listed, it's not good for those turn one and two kills like disfigure. The ability to take out a bigger creature with a skeleton after turn 3 doesn't quite make up for it in most matches. Possibly in the sideboard to replace disfigures if needed against larger hitters. Otherwise, I'd just stick with disfigure in this slot.
From Wizards of the Coast
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