City of Guilds Commons Review

All cards are from http://mtgsalvation.com/spoiler/. Thanks to the moderators, contributors, and owners of mtgsalvation for their work.

I apologize for any formatting errors in this post. I had to make a series of conversions to get this posted. I'm also not putting links in to the cards I mention. You'll have to live with it, as there are too many.

Because these are from the spoiler, there are bound to be errors. Sorry. Hopefully, there’ll be very few and they won’t matter.

There are some solid uncommons in Ravnica, but nothing that’s strong enough to spawn a new deck or replace a currently used uncommon. I’ll just be talking about the commons.

WHITE

Benevolent Ancestor #3
2W, Creature - Spirit 0/4, Common
Defender {T}: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.

This is a reprint of an unplayed card: Alabaster wall. It has a better creature type in Spirit, but that’s not enough of a difference to matter.



Boros Fury-Shield
2W, Instant, Common
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by target attacking or blocking creature this turn. If {R} was spent to play Boros Fury-Shield, it deals damage to that creature's controller equal to the creature's power.

A combat trick for limited. It wins the game in a handful of positions (if your opponent attacks with a giant Wild Mongrel or Atog, for example, but you’re likely to win in those positions with any damage prevention.



Caregiver
W, Creature - Human Cleric 1/1, Common
{W} ,Sacrifice a creature: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.

It’s really, really terrible.



Conclave Equenaut
4WW, Creature - Human Soldier 3/3, Common
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.)
Flying

This is okay at 4 mana and good – but not amazing – at 3. There’s not much in PEZ to punish overcommitting (except Pestilence) so the Convoke deck isn’t a crazy idea, but I think it’s underpowered.



Conclave's Blessing
3W, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.) Enchanted creature gets +0/+2 for each other creature you control.

It’s possible to conceive of situations in which this is good. Enchant your Coalition Honor Guard with it, for example, and your opponent’s Serrated Arrows and Burn will be useless. It’s not totally ridiculous that this might be worth testing as part of a sideboard suite in White Weenie that will devastate IsoBurn, but given that decks’ other shortcomings I doubt that this will actually see play.



Courier Hawk
1W, Creature - Bird 1/2, Common
Flying, vigilance

The two slot in White Weenie is really cramped. Soltari Trooper, Mesa Chicken, the Acolytes, and Order of Leitbur are all worth considering. Courier Hawk does something none of these cards do, playing defense against 1/1’s as well as offence, but I don’t think it’s enough.



Dromad Purebred
4W, Creature - Beast 1/5, Common
Whenever Dromad Purebred is dealt damage, you gain 1 life.

Compare this to Teroh’s Faithful. Teroh’s Faithful costs 1 less mana and gains four life immediately. It’s marginally smaller, but I don’t think there’s a huge difference between 4 and 5 toughness. I think Dromad Purebred compares poorly with Teroh’s Faithful, and is not playable.



Faith's Fetters
3W, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant permanent When Faith's Fetters comes into play, you gain 4 life.
Enchanted permanent's activated abilities can't be played unless they're mana abilities. If enchanted permanent is a creature, it can't attack or block.

4 mana is a lot, but the effect here is pretty close to “destroy target permanent, gain 4 life.” It can’t deal with lands or mana creatures, and some local enchantments (or, rather, Auras) are unaffected (Paralyze, for example), but it’s an extremely powerful effect for 4 mana, and should be playable. It might not be great in White Weenie, but in any other deck with white it seems great.



Gate Hound
2W, Creature - Hound 1/1, Common
Creatures you control have vigilance as long as Gate Hound is enchanted.

Vigilance just isn’t good enough in the environment to invest a card in.



Leave No Trace
1W, Instant, Common
Radiance - Destroy target enchantment and each other enchantment that shares a color with it.

Compare this to Aura Blast. This will destroy two enchantments only very rarely, mainly in the mirror or against Blue Skies, while whenever Aura Blast is useful it will give card advantage. Aura Blast isn’t playable, so this won’t be either, unless there’s a deck out there that uses far more enchantments than we’ve seen before.



Nightguard Patrol
2W, Creature - Human Soldier 2/1, Common
First strike, Vigilance

Three mana is a lot in White Weenie, and this creature doesn’t have any evasion and doesn’t hose an existing archetype. It seems like it might be solid against Goblins, but I think that have 1 toughness is enough of a vulnerability to rule it out.



Screeching Griffin
3W, Creature - Griffin 2/2, Common
Flying {R}: Target creature can't block Screeching Griffin this turn.

The whole point of flyers in PEZ is that they can’t be blocked. This is just too expensive.



Veteran Armorer
1W, Creature - Human Soldier 2/2, Common
Other creatures you control get +0/+1.

This does something really cool that no other card does, but I don’t think it’s enough to make it playable. It’s competing for slots with some really strong two drops, and I don’t see how it can come out on top.



Votary of the Conclave
W, Creature - Human Soldier 1/1, Common
{2}{G}: Regenerate Votary of the Conclave.

Maybe in W/g Tallowisp – Wordmail.dec.



Wojek Siren
W, Instant, Common
Radiance - Target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it get +1/+1 until end of turn.

+1/+1 is a pretty small effect, but with enough creatures this is an interesting finisher. I generally build White Weenie with this intention of enchanting one creature with Empyrial Armor and protecting it, but this lends itself pretty well to builds with Army of Allah, Righteous Charge, and lots of creatures.

BLUE

Compulsive Research
2U, Sorcery, Common
Target player draws three cards. Then that player discards two cards unless he or she discards a land card.

If this were an instant it would be amazing. As is, it’s definitely strong, but it might be lacking a deck. It’s worth thinking about in Tog, especially with Drift of Phantasms.



Convolute
2U, Instant, Common
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {4}.

I can’t see playing this over Mana Leak.



Dizzy Spell
U, Instant, Common
Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn.
Transmute {1}{U}{U} ({1}{U}{U}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana
cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

This is a really tough call. Firstly, this card has no text outside of Transmute. It’s significantly worse than Shrink, which is already awful. It’s more useful to think of this as an uncounterable sorcery-speed tutor, which for 3 mana will fetch a spell costing 1 mana.

Two cards that spring to mind immediately are High Tide and Prosperity. One thing that ProsTides lacks is a way to find Prosperity outside of the uncommon Mystic Tutor. Dizzy Spell provides that. It also fetches High Tide. In Dizzy Spell, then, ProsTides gets a tutor that finds mana (if you need mana) or a card that’s essentially a win condition if you have a significant amount of mana. What’s not to like, eh?

But it’s really expensive! Three mana is so much, particularly the turn you’re going off but before the first Prosperity.

I think overall, Dizzy Spell will be most useful on turn 3 to set you up for going off on turn 4, or after casting a small Prosperity (for 8-12 cards, say) and missing a second Prosperity. I’d guess that it’s good enough to be played as a 3-4 of in ProsTides, and I’m almost certain that it at least belongs as a 1 of to fetch with Merchant Scroll.

Outside of ProsTides, it’s still almost really good, fetching Skullclamp or Duress or Brainstorm, but I don’t think it’s going to be played outside of decks where it can fetch Prosperity.



Drake Familiar
1U, Creature - Drake 2/1, Common
Flying When Drake Familiar comes into play, sacrifice it unless you return an enchantment in play to its owner's hand.

There just aren’t enough enchantments being played to justify this unless you have several of your own that you might want to bounce. Unstable Mutation is reasonable (especially if you’re rescuing it from a creature that will be dying next turn) but other than that the options are very thin.



Drift of Phantasms
2U, Creature - Spirit, Common
Defender (This creature can't attack.), Flying
Transmute {1}{U}{U} ({1}{U}{U}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

This is a more “solid” card than Dizzy Spell, in that both effects are useful. It’s a strong wall against an assortment of decks, and when it’s not useful as a wall it’s a tutor, or it’s a tutor when you’ve got some time and a strong wall when you’re very tight. Drift of Phantasms suffers in that there aren’t a lot of good cards to fetch at three mana in monoblue. It’s probably best for fetching Psychatog with a handful of other 3 mana one-of’s (Man-o-War for example) and the option of being a wall.



Flight of Fancy
3U, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature
When Flight of Fancy comes into play, draw two cards.
Enchanted creature has flying.

I think there are better options. If I don’t want my ‘Tog to be blocked, I’d rather play Shadow Rift. If I want to draw cards, I’d rather play Deep Analysis.

Grayscaled Gharial

U, Creature - Crocodile 1/1, Common
Islandwalk

Allegedly, this has a flavor text quote from the Gharial
Hunter. I’ll believe it when I see it.



Induce Paranoia
2UU, Instant, Common
Counter target spell.
If {B} was spent to play Induce Paranoia, that spell's controller puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, where X is the spell's converted mana cost.

Milling is only good when you’re doing a lot of it, and 4 mana is a lot for countering a spell with no real effect.



Muddle the Mixture
UU, Instant, Common
Counter target instant or sorcery spell.
Transmute {1}{U}{U} ({1}{U}{U}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with converted mana cost equal to this card's, reveal it,
and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.)

Isochron Scepter Blue has a lot of instants that cost 2 mana that you want to Imprint, and Isochron Scepter itself costs 2. This seems like a great fit in a solid deck. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s good enough to shift that decks place in the metagame.



Peel from Reality
1U, Instant, Common
Return target creature you control and target creature you don't control to their owners' hands.

It’s too much work to make this good, and when it’s good it’s just okay.



Quickchange
1U, Instant, Common
Target creature's color becomes the color or colors of your choice until end of turn. Draw a card.

This is only good if you’re planning on abusing it somehow. Note that in PEZ, since Unhinged is legal, Pink is a valid choice for Quickchange.



Snapping Drake
3U, Creature - Drake 3/2, Common
Flying

It’s okay, but I think it’s significantly worse than Illusionary Forces.



Stasis Cell
4U, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step. {3}{U}: Attach Stasis Cell to target creature.

This is just too expensive.



Surveilling Sprite
1U, Creature - Faerie Rogue 1/1, Common
Flying When Surveilling Sprite is put into a graveyard from play, you may draw a card.

Again, this is okay but it’s worse than the other options for the same cost.



Tattered Drake
4U, Creature - Zombie Drake 2/2, Common
Flying {B}: Regenerate Tattered Drake.

This is way too much mana.



Terraformer
2U, Creature - Human Wizard 2/2, Common
{1}: Choose a basic land type. The land type of each land you control becomes that type until end of turn.

Hooray for color fixing! This also hoses Islandwalkers.
I think this is a very good card that isn’t quite good enough to build a deck
around and doesn’t fit into existing decks.



Tidewater Minion
4UU, Creature - Elemental 4/4, Common
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
{4}: Tidewater Minion loses defender until end of turn.
{T}: Untap target permanent.

Six mana is too much to make this a reasonable wall, and there are better finishers.



Vedalken Dismisser

5U, Creature - Vedalken Wizard 2/2, Common
When Vedalken Dismisser comes into play, put target creature on top of its owner's library.

Once in a tournament I cast the same Hunting Drake on three consecutive turns. I cast it on one turn, bounced it with Silver Drake and recast it the next, and then returned it to my hand from my graveyard in my next upkeep with Reya, Dawnbreaker. I was just incredibly happy about doing this, and started laughing, which was not very appropriate.

I’m therefore very sorry to say that Vedalken Dismisser is not playable in PEZ. It’s just too much mana.



Vedalken Entrancer

3U, Creature - Vedalken Wizard 1/4, Common
{U}, {T}: Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his
or her graveyard.

I don’t think this is at all good, but I believe it’s the only common
“Millstone” except for the awful Reef Pirates.



Zephyr Spirit
4U, Creature - Spirit 0/6, Common
When Zephyr Spirit blocks, return it to its owner's hand.

For five mana, you should
basically win the game. Maybe that’s a little too much, but you should be
producing a threat that will single-handedly win the game. Zephyr Spirit is not
that threat.

BLACK

Brainspoil
3BB, Sorcery, Common
Destroy target creature that isn't enchanted. It can't be regenerated.
Transmute {1}{B}{B} ({1}{B}{B}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

There’s nothing worth Transmuting for at this cost, and the spell seems overpriced by about 1B.



Clinging Darkness
1B, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets -4/-1.

There’s better removal than this.



Dimir House Guard
3B, Creature - Skeleton 2/3, Common
Fear
Sacrifice a creature: Regenerate Dimir House Guard.
Transmute {1}{B}{B} ({1}{B}{B}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

The regeneration ability makes it work best in a deck with lots of creatures, and the Fear ability is most useful against decks with lots of creatures. So this is good in limited, but not necessarily in PEZ. It’s a bad – but not awful – finisher, but I think if it’s going to see play in PEZ it’ll be as a Tutor that’s occasionally a creature. At four mana, it fetches Pestilence, Blastoderm, Deep Analysis, Coalition Honor Guard, or Serrated Arrows, but not much else in this format.



Disembowel
XB, Instant, Common
Destroy target creature with converted mana cost X.

I think I’d rather play Rend Flesh.



Infectious Host
2B, Creature - Zombie 1/1, Common
When Infectious Host is put into a graveyard from play, target player loses 2 life.

This is way too expensive for the effect.



Last Gasp
1B, Instant, Common
Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.

First, there was Diabolic Edict, unquestionably the best common removal spell for black control decks. Then Rend Flesh opened the debate, dealing with big creatures even when an opponent had weenies available, but not dealing with Blastoderm. Now Last Gasp makes the decision even harder. It deals with most of the creatures in the format for less mana than Rend Flesh, but there are a handful more creatures that Rend Flesh destroys than Last Gasp: Myr Enforcer, Atog, Psychatog, and Wild Mongrel being the most common. It’s also worth noting that the 2 slot is more crowded in MBC than the 3 slot. I think that, overall, Last Gasp is not quite good enough, but it’s certainly close.



Mortipede
3B, Creature - Insect 4/1, Common
{2}{G}: All creatures able to block Mortipede this turn do so.

There aren’t many situations where this is a useful effect, and it requires playing BG.



Necromantic Thirst
2BB, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

It’s too hard to make this useful. Compare to Death Denied.



Roofstalker Wight
1B, Creature - Zombie 2/1, Common
{1}{U}: Roofstalker Wight gains flying until end of turn.

This is a strong aggro creature in a black deck with access to U but not enough to run Vodalian Zombie.



Sadistic Augermage
2B, Creature - Human Wizard 3/1, Common When Sadistic Augermage is put into a graveyard from play, each player puts a card from his or her hand on top of his or her library.

This is really strong when you’re ahead, or if you have no cards in hand, but I don’t think it’s generally good enough to see play.



Sewerdreg
3BB, Creature - Spirit 3/3, Common
Swampwalk Sacrifice Sewerdreg:
Remove target card in a graveyard from the game.

This is too expensive for a 3/3 with an extremely marginal ability.



Shred Memory
1B, Instant, Common
Remove up to four target cards in a single graveyard from the game.
Transmute {1}{B}{B} ({1}{B}{B}, Discard this card: Search
your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

This spell will only be useful in extremely rare situations. This is going to be a 3 mana tutor for a 2 mana card. It could fetch Hymn to Tourach or Demonic Tutor (to chain this spell to anything) or Diabolic Edict or even Isochron Scepter, but I think it’s too expensive to be played.



Stinkweed Imp
2B, Creature - Imp 1/2, Common
Flying Whenever Stinkweed Imp deals combat damage to a creature, destroy that creature. Dredge 5 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly 5 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)

Without a way to use the graveyard (say, more Dredge cards) this is okay at a Flying blocker that kills anything that it blocks and that you can draw turn after turn. It’s great against Blastoderm, for example. I don’t think there are enough ways to really abuse the graveyard in PEZ to make this ultimately good.



Strands of Undeath
3B, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature When Strands of Undeath comes into play, target player discards two cards. {B}: Regenerate enchanted creature.

As a discard spell, it’s too expensive, and as an Aura it’s very, very narrow.



Thoughtpicker Witch
B, Creature - Human Wizard 1/1, Common
{1}, Sacrifice a creature: Look at the top two cards of target opponent's library, then remove one of them from the game.

This effect isn’t awful, but the cost and the body it’s attached to make it unplayable.

RED

Barbarian Riftcutter
4R, Creature - Human Barbarian 3/3, Common
{R}, Sacrifice Barbarian Riftcutter: Destroy target land.

If land destruction worked in PEZ, this would be a really useful card. It’s a reasonable finisher when your opponent has no mana or when he has too much of it to destroy, and a passable land destruction spell when he has a couple of lands. Unfortunately for the Riftcutter, I think there are too many weenie decks to make land destruction playable.



Coalhauler Swine
4RR, Creature - Beast 4/4, Common
Whenever Coalhauler Swine is dealt damage, it deals that much damage to each player.

It’s a good creature, but it’s just too much mana.



Dogpile
3R, Instant, Common
Dogpile deals damage to target creature or player equal to the number of attacking creatures you control.

You’d need a lot of attacking creatures before this became good, at least 5, and if you have 5 attacking creatures you shouldn’t need this.



Fiery Conclusion
1R, Instant, Common
As an additional cost to play Fiery Conclusion, sacrifice a creature.
Fiery Conclusion deals 5 damage to target creature.

If this were “target creature or player,” it would be amazing. The restriction to just targeting creatures makes this pretty bad in PEZ.



Galvanic Arc
2R, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature When Galvanic Arc comes into play, it deals 3 damage to target creature or player. Enchanted creature has first strike.

This is okay, but much, much worse than Lightning Bolt and Incinerate.



Goblin Fire Fiend
3R, Creature - Goblin Berserker 1/1, Common
Haste Defending player blocks Goblin Fire Fiend if able. {R}: Goblin Fire Fiend gets +1/+0 until end of turn.

Too much mana.



Goblin Spelunkers
2R, Creature - Goblin Warrior 2/2, Common
Mountainwalk

Reprint.



Incite Hysteria
2R, Sorcery, Common
Radiance - Creatures that share a color with target creature can't block this turn.

This would be unplayable if it said, “creatures can’t block this turn.” It’s worse than that.



Ordruun Commando
3R, Creature - Minotaur Soldier 4/1, Common
{W}: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to Ordruun Commando this turn.

This is too much mana for too little an effect. On turn 4, ProsTides is winning the game and ElfClamp and Affinity are both thinking about ending things. IsoBurn and CofferKing are locking up the board. You can’t play a mediocre creature in that position.



Rain of Embers
1R, Sorcery, Common
Rain of Embers deals 1 damage to each creature and each player.

There are too many other effects that do this better. Bloodfire Dwarf, for example.



Sabertooth Alley Cat
1RR, Creature - Cat 2/1, Common
Sabertooth Alley Cat attacks each turn if able.
{2}{R}: Sabertooth Alley Cat can't be blocked this turn except by creatures with defender.

Affecting blocking isn’t very useful in PEZ. There are too many decks that don’t care.



Seismic Spike
2RR, Sorcery, Common
Destroy target land. Add {R}{R} to your mana pool.

Again, if you were playing land destruction, this seems like a good card to use, but I don’t think you should be playing that deck.



Sell-Sword Brute
1R, Creature - Human Mercenary 2/2, Common
When Sell-Sword Brute is put into a graveyard from play, it deals 2 damage to you.

As a Goblin, I might play it, but it just isn’t broken enough for this format without the synergy.



Smash
2R, Instant, Common
Destroy target artifact. Draw a card.

Reprint



Sparkmage Apprentice
1R, Creature - Human Wizard 1/1, Common
When Sparkmage Apprentice comes into play, it deals 1 damage to target creature or player.

This is the smallest Flametongue Kavu ever. I’d definitely test this if it were a goblin, but I don’t think there’s a deck that wants this little effect on a little body.



Surge of Zeal
R, Instant, Common
Radiance - Target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it gain haste until end of turn.

One mana and a card just seems like too much to pay for haste.



Torpid Moloch
R, Creature - Lizard 3/2, Common
Defender Sacrifice three lands: Torpid Moloch loses defender until end of turn.

Torpid Moloch is a creature for a red deck that needs to block and can’t otherwise deal with creatures. No such deck exists in PEZ.



Viashino Fangtail

2RR, Creature - Viashino Warrior 3/3, Common
{T}: Viashino Fangtail deals 1 damage to target creature or player.

At 2 mana you have Sparksmith which is okay by itself but becomes Visara with a couple more Goblins. At 3 mana you have Vulshok Sorcerer, a 1/1 with Haste. Now, at 4 mana,
you have Viashino Fangtail, which is better for blocking, occasionally better for attacking, and harder to kill. It’s just 2 turns slower. I think Vulshok Sorcerer is better because of those 2 turns.



Viashino Slasher

1R, Creature - Viashino Warrior 1/2, Common
{R}: Viashino Slasher gets +1/-1 until end of turn.

Not if the effect cost 0 mana.



War-Torch Goblin
R, Creature - Goblin Warrior 1/1, Common
{R}, Sacrifice War-Torch Goblin: War-Torch Goblin deals 2 damage to target blocking creature.

This isn’t versatile enough to replace Mogg Fanatic, but could supplement it in Goblins. I think Akki Avalanchers is better in Aggro Goblins, though, and I think Goblin Vandal might be better in control.

GREEN

Bramble Elemental
3GG, Creature - Elemental 4/4, Common
Whenever an Aura becomes attached to Bramble Elemental, put two 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens into play.

The first aura in green is “free”: Rancor is good enough to play without enabling anything else. The second is hard to find unless you’re playing multiple colors, but Armadillo Cloak, Wordmail, and Empyrial Armor in are all playable in W/G.

I think there’s a deck here, but it’s not a very good one.



Civic Wayfinder
2G, Creature - Elf Warrior Druid 2/2, Common
When Civic Wayfinder comes into play, you may search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you do, shuffle your library.

This seems to me to be significantly worse than Sakura Tribe Elder. If you need a creature, there are better ones than this. If you need mana fixing, there are better spells than this.



Dryad's Caress
4GG, Instant, Common
You gain 1 life for each creature in play. If any {W} was spent to play Dryad's Caress, untap all creatures you control.

This is very, very bad.



Elves of Deep Shadow
G, Creature - Elf Druid 1/1, Common
{T}: Add {B} to your mana pool. Elves of Deep Shadow deals 1 damage to you.

Reprint.



Elvish Skysweeper

G, Creature - Elf Warrior 1/1, Common
{4}{G}, Sacrifice a creature: Destroy target creature with flying.

Affinity’s flying creatures are the only thing that keep ElfClamp from having inevitability in that matchup, and White Weenie’s fliers are also an issue, so this might actually be reasonable as a one of in ElfClamp’s sideboard.



Farseek
1G, Sorcery, Common
Search your library for a Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain card and put it into play tapped. Then shuffle your library.

This is strictly worse than Rampant Growth in PEZ.



Fists of Ironwood
1G, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature When Fists of Ironwood comes into play, put two 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens into play. Enchanted creature has trample.

I think this is a reasonable card for the Convoke deck, as a Sorcery speed Raise the Alarm. I don’t think the Convoke deck will be good.



Gather Courage
G, Instant, Common
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.)

This might be better than Invigorate, but only marginally. I don’t think this is green’s answer to IsoBurn.



Golgari Brownscale

1GG, Creature - Lizard 2/3, Common
When Golgari Brownscale is put into your hand from your graveyard, you gain 2 life.
Dredge 2 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly 2 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)

To make this worthwhile, you’ve got to abuse the Dredge. There seem to be a few ways to do this: Threshold, Flashback, and Black “reanimation” or “Raise Dead” effects. The best combo might be Tortured Existance, which can net you one life per Black mana every turn, or more if you have two of these. Ultimately, I think other decks are just doing much more broken things, and this won’t prove useful.



Greater Mossdog
3G, Creature - Hound 3/3, Common
Dredge 3 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly 3 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)

Again, you have to abuse the Dredge. I don’t think the benefits are worth it.



Scatter the Seeds
3GG, Instant, Common
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.) Put three 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens into play.

If the Convoke deck works, it’ll be because of this, but I still don’t see that happening.



Siege Wurm
5GG, Creature - Wurm 5/5, Common
Trample Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.)

This is a pretty decent body to work up to, but it’s just too much work.



Stone-Seeder Hierophant
2GG, Creature - Human Druid 1/1, Common
Whenever a land comes into play under your control, untap Stone-Seeder Hierophant. {T}: Untap target land.

If you play a land, this guy (sort of) taps for two mana.
That’s not enough to warrant playing a 4 mana 1/1.



Sundering Vitae
2G, Instant, Common
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.)
Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

When this is better than Naturalize, it’s a little better. When it’s worse, it’s a lot worse. You’re unlikely to have more creatures you can spare for a turn than mana when you’ve got 1-3 lands, and so it’ll be rare that you can cast this but not another, cheaper Naturalize effect.



Transluminant
1G, Creature - Dryad Shaman 2/2, Common
{W}, Sacrifice Transluminant: Put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying into play at end of turn.

In G/W it takes two removal spells, but I think you’ve got more important things to be doing.

MULTICOLOR (52/52)

Consult the Necrosages
1UB, Sorcery, Common
Choose one - Target player draws two cards; or target player discards two cards.

Both of these effects are good, and the cost is okay. In the early game, ‘Tog can use this as disruption and then if it’s drawn in the late game it’s card drawing. I think it’s reasonable, but not significantly more powerful than existing options.



Dimir Infiltrator
UB, Creature - Spirit 1/3, Common
Dimir Infiltrator is unblockable.
Transmute {1}{U}{B} ({1}{U}{B}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

This little guy does it all, but not very well. He is an unblockable clock, but at 20 turns and easily removed. He’s a wall, but only a small one and doesn’t deal with evasion creatures. He’s a tutor, but a Sorcery speed one for three mana. I don’t think the Infiltrator does anything quite well enough.



Golgari Rotwurm

3BG, Creature - Zombie Wurm 5/4, Common
{B}, Sacrifice a creature: Target player loses 1 life.

Five mana for a 5/4 is reasonable, and the ability makes it a pretty good finisher.



Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi #212
6GW, Creature - Elemental 4/7, Common
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.)
Vigilance

This is a nice reward for playing the Convoke deck. 4/7 Vigilance is gigantic in creature matchups and the cost becomes reasonable at about three creatures in play. I still don’t think the investment is worth it.



Perplex
1UB, Instant, Common
Counter target spell unless its controller discards his or her hand.
Transmute {1}{U}{B} ({1}{U}{B}, Discard this card: Search
your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

This is almost a hard counter in the early game, but even then it’s significantly worse than Counterspell. In the late game it’s a tutor, but a slow expensive one.



Rally the Righteous
1RW, Instant, Common
Radiance - Untap target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it. Those creatures get +2/+0 until end of turn.

This is a strong finisher for WW/r, and occasionally a nice defensive surprise.



Seeds of Strength
GW, Instant, Common
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

As an aggressive card, it’s significantly worse than Giant Growth, which doesn’t see play. To be useful, you need to wreck your opponent’s carefully chosen blocks, and there isn’t enough blocking in PEZ to choose to use this card.



Selesnya Evangel
GW, Creature - Elf Shaman 1/2, Common
{1}, {T}, Tap an untapped creature you control: Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play.

It’s too slow for ElfClamp. It needs the Convoke deck, I think, to both have extra creatures lying around and then to use the Saprolings.



Shambling Shell
1BG, Creature - Plant Zombie 3/1, Common
Sacrifice Shambling Shell: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Dredge 3 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly 3 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)

This is nice in creature matchups, blocking a 2/2 and then saving and permanently improving one of your 2/2’s, but I don’t think that sort of matchup is universal enough to run this.



Skyknight Legionnaire
1RW, Creature - Human Knight 2/2, Common
Flying, haste

This is very solid, and should see play if the WW/r deck consistently sees Red mana on turn 3.



Thundersong Trumpeter
RW, Creature - Human Soldier 2/1, Common
{T}: Target creature can't attack or block this turn.

Someone compared this effect to half a Master Decoy, and that seems about right. Master Decoy incapacitates a creature for two players’ turns, this for one. I think the mana requirements will prevent this from seeing play.



Woodwraith Strangler
2BG, Creature - Plant Zombie 2/2, Common
Remove a creature card in your graveyard from the game: Regenerate Woodwraith Strangler.

Blastoderm costs 4 mana. This is no Blastoderm.

GUILD MANA

Boros Recruit
(r/w), Creature - Goblin Soldier 1/1, Common
({RW} can be paid with either {W} or {R}) First strike

Nah. Definitely not in White Weenie, and almost definitely not in Goblins, where it's okay but not special enough.



Centaur Safeguard
2(g/w), Creature - Centaur Warrior 3/1, Common
({GW} can be paid with {G} or {W}.)
When Centaur Safeguard is put into a graveyard from play, target player gains 3 life.

I could see running this in G/W, as it’s 3 power for a flexible cost with a leaves play ability.



Gaze of the Gorgon
3(b/g), Instant, Common
({BG} can be paid with either {G} or {B}.)
Regenerate target creature.
At end of combat, destroy all creatures that blocked or were blocked by that creature this turn.

It looks promising, but I think the effect is actually very similar to Giant Growth, which usually keeps your creature from dying and usually causes it to destroy the creatures that block it.



Lurking Informant #249
1(u/b), Creature - Human Rogue 1/2, Common
({UB} can be paid with either {U} or {B}.)
{2}, {T}: Look at the top card of target player's library. You may put that card into that player's graveyard.

In multiples, or with something to untap creatures, this is a pretty powerful effect. You can cause your opponent to draw land almost every turn with two of these. With counterspells backing it up, it seems very strong. Unfortunately, it's on a 1/2, and it's too easy for too many decks to deal with.

ARTIFACTS (21/21)

Boros Signet
2, Artifact, Common
{1}, {T}: Add {R}{W} to your mana pool.

Dimir Signet
2, Artifact, Common
{1}, {T}: Add {U}{B} to your mana pool.

Golgari Signet
2, Artifact, Common
{1}, {T}: Add {B}{G} to your mana pool.

Selesnya Signet
2, Artifact, Common
{1}, {T}: Add {G}{W} to your mana pool.

The Signets each provide some acceleration, to 4 mana on turn 3, and some mana
fixing. They’re not cheap at two mana, and because they provide two mana of two different colors, there are several spells they don’t help with. Most notably, they don’t interact well with Counterspell, Hymn, Duress, or Lightning Bolt. They also have the downside of turning on your opponent’s artifact removal if you’ve built your deck to avoid it. I think they’re worth it in control decks with plenty of other artifacts, but otherwise they’re not great.



Terrarion
1, Artifact, Common
Terrarion comes into play tapped. {2}, {T}, Sacrifice Terrarion: Add two mana of any combination of colors to your mana pool. When Terrarion is put into a graveyard from play, draw a card.

This is obviously a lot like Chromatic Sphere, and I doubt that you’re going to run both. The question is, in what situations is this better than Sphere, and in what situations is it worse?

It’s better when you have two spells you want to cast and don’t have the color to cast either. This happens in Affinity quite frequently. It’s also better when you want to cast a spell with two colored mana in its cost, like Hymn to Tourach
or Counterspell. It’s worse when you miss your second land drop, or when you didn’t get to play it on turn 1 and you only have 2 lands. These things also happen in Affinity, especially missing a third land.

In the good situation, you get to use a card that would otherwise be stranded. In the bad situation, you’re slowed down by a turn. I think that’s okay, and I think this is good enough to replace Chromatic Sphere in 3 color Affinity.

LANDS

Boros Garrison
Land, Common
Boros Garrison comes into play tapped. When Boros Garrison comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {R}{W} to your mana pool.

Dimir Aqueduct
Land, Common
Dimir Aqueduct comes into play tapped. When Dimir Aqueduct comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {U}{B} to your mana pool.

Golgari
Rot Farm

Land, Common
Golgari Rot Farm comes into play tapped. When Golgari Rot Farm comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {B}{G} to your mana pool.

Selesnya Sanctuary
Land, Common
Selesnya Sanctuary comes into play tapped. When Selesnya Sanctuary comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {G}{W} to your mana pool.

These are the best common mana fixing lands, but that isn’t saying too much. They slow you down significantly on the second turn, but you regain parity on turn 3 and then, since they produce two mana, they’re card advantage (since they’re kind of like two lands.) They’re also phenomenally bad without a basic land. If you draw two of these and no basic lands, you’re in a significantly bad place. I don’t think these enable three color decks (since you don’t want to risk opening hands with just these) and I don’t think they belong in aggro decks (since they slow you down) but they’re very good in control decks, especially in Psychatog.

Summary (21/21)

Overall, I think the set does a good job of enabling some two color control decks and includes a handful of narrow tutors, but offers very little for aggro. As the subsequent sets come out, I expect even more goodies for two color control. I think Dizzy Spell will be the most played card in the set, making ProsTides better, but I imagine that Dimir Aqueduct will make U/B Control easier to play, which should hurt ProsTide significantly in the metagame. The common lands and the two decent land destruction spells might make land destruction a viable choice to compete with both 'Tog and ProsTides. Mudle the Mix is fantastic in Mono Blue Scepter and will improve that deck, but probably not by enough.

Radiance is a strong effect in PEZ, but the cards just aren't there to support it. Convoke produces some powerful creatures, but not quickly enough to deal with the best decks in the format. Dredge is very interesting and has some cool interactions, but isn't "explosive" enough. Transmute is most powerful mechanic improving both combo and control decks, but as a 3 mana Sorcery I imagine its overall impact will be subtle, rather than format shifting.

Ravnica is likely to be a Champions of Kamigawa, rather than a Mirrodin.