by Dan Kramer
Today, our resident Limited expert, Dan Kramer, takes a look at the White and Blue cards of the set. Got a Sealed event or a draft coming up? Then this definitely something you should put at the top of your reading list!
Drafting with D.K. #6: Scars Review – White
Blue (26)
Name: Argent Sphinx
Cost: 2UU
Type: Creature – Sphinx
Pow/Tgh: 4/3
Rules Text: Flying
Metalcraft – {U}: Exile Argent Sphnx. Return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step. Activate this ability only if you control three or more artifacts.
Rarity: Rare
One of many cards that make you think “… if only damage still stacked…” Like Indomitable Archangel, a really good card based on its basic stats alone, the Sphinx’s ability makes it hard to deal with in the format and thus a rare you are pleased to crack. 1st pick.
Name: Bonds of Quicksilver
Cost: 3U
Type: Enchantment-Aura
Rules Text: Flash
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
Rarity: Common
Dehydration was playable but unexciting. Adding Flash to such a card doesn’t really change either of those facts. Will make the cut when you need an extra meh-y removal spell. 7th – 9th pick.
Name: Darkslick Drake
Cost: 2UU
Type: Creature – Drake
Pow/Tgh: 2/4
Rules Text: Flying
When Darkslick Drake is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, draw a card.
Rarity: Uncommon
Azure Drake was a great card in M11 limited, and the card if it dies is sufficient compensation for the extra blue in the cost. Again, flyers are at a premium in the format. 3rd – 5th pick.
Name: Disperse
Cost: 1U
Type: Instant
Rules Text: Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.
Rarity: Common
Unexciting Reprint is Unexciting. Get the picture yet? So many bland, generic cards in this set, so few words to describe my feelings towards them. Will be played when you’re short on tricks; otherwise a sideboard card. 7th – 9th pick.
Name: Dissipation Field
Cost: 2UU
Type: Enchantment
Rules Text: Whenever a permanent deals damage to you, return it to its owner's hand.
Rarity: Rare
I’m pretty unsure about this card as I have yet to see it in action, but because the ability is not a “may”, it seems like it can get you in trouble as often as it would help. Yes, it provides tempo, but not when you allow your opponent to bounce Skinrenders or Scrapmelters. 10th – 14th pick.
Name: Grand Architect
Cost: 1UU
Type: Creature – Vedalken Artificer
Pow/Tgh: 1/3
Rules Text: Other blue creatures you control get +1/+1.
{U}: Target artifact creature becomes blue until end of turn.
Tap an untapped blue creature you control: Add {2} to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast artifact spells or activate abilities of artifacts.
Rarity: Rare
Grand Architect will always be good in every blue deck, as its abilities work just as nicely with artifacts as blue guys. Still a little difficult for me to gauge how high he should be taken, as I’m not sure he’s ahead of the power card advantage / removal uncommon. Let’s say 2nd to 4th for the time being.
Name: Halt Order
Cost: 2U
Type: Instant
Rules Text: Counter target artifact spell
Draw a card.
Rarity: Uncommon
As much as you want it to be, this card is not Exclude (cause I mean come on… who didn’t love Exclude?!). It still should most often be a maindecked counterspell (and always maindeck in sealed for certain) as it will get you a 2-for-1 at some point. 5th – 7th pick.
Name: Inexorable Tide
Cost: 3UU
Type: Enchantment
Rules Text: Whenever you cast a spell, proliferate.
Rarity: Rare
Another rare I’ve yet to have a chance to try, the Tide seems quite abuseable in the right deck. Wizards was careful not to break it by upping the cost to 5, this card will either be a star in your deck or a coaster for your soda. 6th – 10th pick.
Name: Lumengrid Drake
Cost: 3U
Type: Creature – Drake
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: Flying
Metalcraft – When Lumengrid Drake enters the battlefield, if you control three or more artifacts, return target creature to its owner's hand.
Rarity: Common
The conditionalness of the ability means it’s not quite AEther Adept, but a 2/2 flyer in the 4 spot has long been considered playable. Of course, when he bounces something, he’s a star. 4th – 6th pick.
Name: Neurok Invisimancer
Cost: 1UU
Type: Creature – Human Wizard
Pow/Tgh: 2/1
Rules Text: Neurok Invisimancer is unblockable.
When Neurok Invisimancer enters the battlefield, target creature is unblockable until end of turn.
Rarity: Common
While 2 points of unblockable power is usually strong enough in limited, the 1 on the butt is a big weakness in a format full of -1/-1 counters. That and the double blue requirement reduce this guy to “playable” status. 6th – 10th pick.
Name: Plated Seastrider
Cost: UU
Type: Creature – Beast
Pow/Tgh: 1/4
Rarity: Common
The only time such cards are good is to stem an early rush. Double blue means it’s harder to consistently drop this guy early in lots of decks, so usually a no thanks. 12th – 14th pick.
Name: Quicksilver Gargantuan
Cost: 5UU
Type: Creature – Shapeshifter
Pow/Tgh: 7/7
Rules Text: You may have Quicksilver Gargantuan enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it's still 7/7.
Rarity: Mythic Rare
A 7/7 for 7 is rare fat in blue to begin with, and the ability makes this guy a force to be reckoned with. The prohibitively high mana cost means he’s better in sealed than draft, but you’ll be quite content with ol’ Quickie in either case. 1st to 3rd pick.
Name: Riddlesmith
Cost: 1U
Type: Creature – Human Artificer
Pow/Tgh: 2/1
Rules Text: Whenever you cast an artifact spell, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
Rarity: Uncommon
Again, this whole cycle is real strong, and the the blue Looter entry doesn’t disappoint. 3rd – 5th pick.
Name: Scrapdiver Serpent
Cost: 5UU
Type: Creature – Serpent
Pow/Tgh: 5/5
Rules Text: Scrapdiver Serpent is unblockable as long as defending player controls an artifact.
Rarity: Common
A fancy way of saying 5/5 unblockable for 7, the Serpent is good in sealed but a little slow in draft. Still a more-than-decent finisher if that is what the doctor ordered. 6th – 10th pick.
Name: Screeching Silcaw
Cost: 1U
Type: Creature-Bird
Pow/Tgh: 1/2
Rules Text: Flying
Metalcraft -When Screeching Silcaw deals combat damage to a player, if you control three or more artifacts, that player puts the top four cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Rarity: Common
Storm Crow is as Storm Crow does. Not much support for a realistic mill plan so the bird is a reservist unless, perhaps, you have some power pumping equips and need a few good men. 10th – 14th pick.
Name: Shape Anew
Cost: 3U
Type: Sorcery
Rules Text: The controller of target artifact sacrifices it, then reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals an artifact card. That player puts that card onto the battlefield, then shuffles all other cards revealed this way into his or her library.
Rarity: Rare
Really, this card could have been uncommon. It isn’t even close to Polymorph as it’s not so easy to create artifacts with other cards. There’s definitely no real use in limited, outside of a crappy answer to opposing artifact bombs. 10th – 14th pick.
Name: Sky-Eel School
Cost: 3UU
Type: Creature-Fish
Pow/Tgh: 3/3
Rules Text: Flying
When Sky-Eel School enters the battlefield, draw a card, then discard a card.
Rarity: Common
Flying Fish are funny things. But don’t take my word for it, see here:
http://fishschooled.blogspot.com/2010/04/fish-of-day-flying-fish.html
This is a whole school though, so it must be good. And in fact, it is better than you might give it credit for with its filtertrip. One of the better common creatures in the set. Just watch your curve. 3rd – 5th pick.
Name: Steady Progress
Cost: 2U
Type: Instant
Rules Text: Proliferate.
Draw a card.
Rarity: Common
Simple but effective, and replacing itself at worst. Some decks will want one, others will scoff. 7th – 10th pick.
Name: Stoic Rebuttal
Cost: 1UU
Type: Instant
Rules Text: Metalcraft – Stoic rebuttal costs {1} less to cast if you control three or more artifacts.
Counter target spell.
Rarity: Common
Cancel and Counterspell met one night at a party and got a little too drunk. Nine months later, this little guy popped out. Counterspell says it has nothing to do with it… insulted to even be mentioned in the same sentence. We may need to bring out Jerry Springer with a paternity test. I’m looking to you, Assert Authority. 6th – 9th pick, in the spirit of lovemaking.
Name: Thrummingbird
Cost: 1U
Type: Creature – Bird Horror
Pow/Tgh: 1/1
Rules Text: Flying
Whenever Thrummingbird deals combat damage to a player, proliferate.
Rarity: Uncommon
Again very dependent on how many counter-based effects your deck contains, Thrum Thrum has sick synergy with Tumble Magnet which can continuously help force it through. 6th – 9th pick.
Name: Trinket Mage
Cost: 2U
Type: Creature – Human Wizard
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: When Trinket Mage enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an artifact card with converted mana cost 1 or less, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. If you do, shuffle your library.
Rarity: Uncommon
I’m more excited to see what effects this dude’s return will have on constructed formats than limited, but you’ll happily run him so long as you have a reasonable target (wanted: 1 Darksteel Axe). 4th – 6th pick.
Name: Turn Aside
Cost: U
Type: Instant
Rules Text: Counter target spell that targets a permanent you control.
Rarity: Common
Not so excited about playing this card maindeck, but it can make it as a 22nd or 23rd. I always prefer general threats to reactive situational cards. 10th – 12th pick.
Name: Twisted Image
Cost: U
Type: Instant
Rules Text: Switch target creature's power and toughness until end of turn.
Draw a card.
Rarity: Uncommon
There are actually a lot of critters in the set that have uneven powers and toughness, so I like the trickiness of this cantrip. Call it a pet card, but I am eager to pick it up later on in drafts and school some unexpecting victims with it. 7th – 9th pick.
Name: Vault Skyward
Cost: U
Type: Instant
Rules Text: Target creature gains flying until end of turn. Untap it.
Rarity: Common
A trick it is, a good one it is not. 12th – 14th pick.
Name: Vedalken Certarch
Cost: U
Type: Creature – Vedalken Wizard
Pow/Tgh: 1/1
Rules Text: Metalcraft – {T}: Tap target artifact, creature, or land. Activate this ability only if you control three or more artifacts.
Rarity: Common
Being situational and having 1 toughness makes this guy below Blinding Mage calibre, but the no mana activation cost make him an important part of blue decks in the format. 3rd – 5th pick.
Name: Volition Reins
Cost: 3UUU
Type: Enchantment – Aura
Rules Text: Enchant Permanent
When Volition Reins enters the battlefield, if enchanted permanent is tapped, untap it.
You control enchanted permanent.
Rarity: Uncommon
If Confiscate / Mind Control and their ilk had one “drawback”, it was their weakness / lost turn when stealing a tapped man who then couldn’t block that turn. A snap first pick over most rares in the set. 1st pick.
Kar Yung Tom (KYT) is the Digital Content Manager for Face to Face Games. He oversees the F2FTour.com and Magic F2F websites. He is also the lead host of the First Strike podcast.