Standard

Lanthier of Insight: M12 Review

A week or so ago KYT requested that I do another set review, I would like to think that’s because my picks for constructed seemed to pan out and that my opinions brought in a lot of new readers, but it’s probably just because he needed some more people to write articles for him.

As far as Core Sets typically go, M12 goes a long way in the right direction. However, I’m actually a little surprised we’re still seeing as many of the same cards from previous expansions keep popping up.

The vast majority of the cards that are being released in this set are either the same or very similar to the cards released two years ago in M10. Some of my predictions for this set have come true (the reprinting of Grim Lavamancer and Solemn Simulacrum) but everything else was a bust.

I honestly did not see the Titans coming back, and I figured since M10 and M11 were so similar that this would be another large leap in evolution in the same way that Tenth Edition gave way to the new breeds of Core Sets just like this.

But, predictions aside, the set is what it is. There are certainly a bunch of spicy new tools for every type of player; one of the things the Core Set is always so good at providing. It will certainly have its own effect on the game, though in a much less dramatic way than what M11 did last year.

So let’s get into it, I’m not going to go into detail for the limited portion this time since not a whole lot (besides the rares being ridiculous) has changed since last year. It’s still a really aggressive set, tempo plays a huge factor, Planeswalkers and Titans are unbeatable, and playing more than two colors is ludicrous.

I am a huge fan of drafting blue, and after doing a few drafts with this set my stance on colors hasn’t really changed a whole lot, though I certainly don’t like Black very much this time around. Each color gets some cool cards to play with in the uncommon slot and there are a few new archetypes that have been made possible, but Core Sets are Core Sets and I don’t see anything overly new or exciting busting out.

Constructed is a different animal, but the set has much of the same effect, there are a lot of cool new things going on, but most of them will be relegated to placeholders and cute tricks, until Zendikar block rotates from the format, there won’t be a whole lot of shake ups. Red decks get a little better, and as a result, traditional control decks get a little worse. But for the most part, be prepared for much of the same metagame as we’ve been forced to play since the banning of [Card]Stoneforge Mystic[/Card] and [Card]Jace, the Mind Sculptor[/Card].

All that being said, for this article I’m just going to go through the cards that interest me the most out of this set rather than a top 10 list or whatever. There are too many exciting reprints and not enough interesting new cards to write reasonable list.

[Card]Grand Abolisher[/Card]

The newest and most recent hate bear, these cards get printed all the time and never see a whole lot of play. I’m not overly optimistic for this guy, given the history that cards like this have. I have a strange feeling about this guy though. He seems like a cute trick coming off of an Aether Vial, and shuts down a lot of important effects and strategies, the times may be difficult in Legacy right now, but Grand Abolisher is certainly something worth considering if you are playing a White aggressive deck.

[Card]Oblivion Ring[/Card]

Probably the most important reprint to come out of this set. If this card was around when Jace and Stoneforge were at their peak, I don’t think the ban hammer would have come down quite so hard if at all. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since this card was in the format, feels like it’s been a lot more. Oblivion Ring is likely Whites best all around answer of all time, and I look forward to its return to the format. There might be too many Into the Roils flying around for this to become the ‘go to’ answer of the format right now, but look for this to rise in popularity post rotation.

[Card]Timely Reinforcements[/Card]

One of the cards I’m most excited about from this set. It took a while for me to warm up to this card but I’ve come around. It’s very easy to dismiss ‘3 dudes’ as something of a joke, but if we’ve learned anything over the years about three mana sorceries that make three guys, it’s that they are not to be overlooked.

The life is also extremely relevant considering this card will be boarded in 90% of the time to battle Red decks. Imagine for a second how hard it will be for the Red mage to play and protect a Koth the turn after you cast this, not only have you just gained six life, possibly putting you back over twenty, but you now have more men than them. One copy of this card and the game becomes tough for them to win, two copies and it’s practically unwinnable. If one card balances the scales in Whites favur over Red this summer, it’s this one.

[Card]Azure Mage[/Card]

Most people I have talked to about this card have mixed feelings, and to be very honest, if any cards in this article have question marks, it’s likely this one. Nothing seems more powerful in control mirrors though than a card exactly like this. It feels bad to compare this to something like Dark Confidant, but it provides an identical body and a pretty solid amount of card draw for a simple mana investment. It’s tough to counter late in the game and must be answered by creature removal. Can’t say with certainty that this will be a role player, but I will be giving it a try both this summer and over the course of the whole year.

[Card]Jace, Memory Adept[/Card]

The biggest question mark of the set as far as I’m concerned, it’s not really possible to give opinions of the card considering how much his power level will change once Innistrad is released. My guess for Jace is that he is not going to end up being very good.

Throughout Scars of Mirrodin block we learned that Wizards has learned from previous mistakes with the original Mirrodin, and tones down the overall power level of the set to something that was more reasonable. I think that speaks to the strengths of their design team, the block was interesting as a whole and nothing overly powerful took over the format, in fact, the two cards that were banned this year are from the previous block.

If they are actually designing a graveyard themed block then I think they are going to be very careful in doing so, and not take the risks that they might otherwise make in a ‘normal’ block. If it’s not secret to me that graveyard themes get out of control very quickly then I’m sure Wizards as a company and as a design team can figure that out.

[Card]Phantasmal Image[/Card]

A two mana Clone, that’s pretty cheap. I don’t think the drawback on this card is going to keep it from seeing play. Makeshift Mannequin saw a lot of play in its time and it had the same restriction. If there are any decks that need a clone and that don’t just make better use of Phyrexian Metamorph, this is your man. Another thing worth noting is that this card plays very nicely with Sun Titan, which may or may not be important.

[Card]Ponder[/Card]

It’s no surprise that this is coming back this year, though it wish it were somehow possible to have brought back [Card]Preordain[/Card]. Ponder is a fine card and its effect is nice to have around, but Preordain it is not. This leaves us with an interesting crossroads this summer as it looks as though Pyromancer’s Ascension is a viable deck which makes me pretty sad. I don’t think Standard is the right platform for non-interactive combo decks like that, but that’s a discussion for another day. Ponder will see a lot of play, less than Preordain, but we were spoiled to have that card to begin with.

[Card]Rune-Scarred Demon[/Card]

This guy is a long shot, so I won’t talk a whole lot about it, and considering Grave Titan is in the format he likely won’t see a whole lot of play. But one thing to notice about this guy is that he can find other copies of himself, so in a way you can just get a never ending chain of Rune-Scarred Demons. Maybe it’s good enough, maybe not. But consider this guy when you’re building your black decks.

[Card]Chandra’s Phoenix[/Card]

However annoying you thought [Card]Bloodghast[/Card] was against controls decks this one seems to be just as or more so. It’s worth noting that it does not return the copies to the battlefield, but that is a minor issue seeing as this gives Red decks a lot of reach against control strategies. I’m not the world’s most competent Red mage, but this is the kind of card that I would want to be casting against slower decks.

[Card]Grim Lavamancer[/Card]

I include this guy because I have to if I want my review to be considered credible. And don’t get me wrong, I do think Grim Lavamancer is a really good card, and he will help make Red decks what they are this summer, but post rotation I don’t see him starting many fires. That is to say, once we lose [Card]Scalding Tarn[/Card] and [Card]Arid Mesa[/Card] it will be a lot more difficult to repeatedly activate this guy, which will hurt his chances of being the all-star he is supposed to be. If Innistrad turns out to be the Graveyard based expansion we all believe it to be, then he certainly starts to look a whole lot better, but I wouldn’t count on him being the same Grim Lavamancer we’re used to seeing.

[Card]ManaBarbs[/Card]

Certainly one of the worst cards to be put on my list, but it’s likely going to have a pretty big impact on the way that decks are constructed this summer and for the rest of the year. It seems hard to contest that a deck like UB control is unable to beat a ManaBarbs. There’s not a whole lot more to say about the card, it is what it is. I’m not entirely thrilled it’s back considering the amount of reach it gives the already insane Red decks this summer, but the other decks will find a way to survive.

[Card]Stormblood Berserker[/Card]

It’s weird for me to say how big of a fan I am of this card, because I typically can’t stand Red dorks. But I’m always a supporter of powerful cards that take effort to make good. Very reminiscent of [Card]Scab-Clan Mauler[/Card], but less cost restrictive and has a, possibly, better ability. This guy is very good, and I would be a little shocked if Red decks don’t end up playing this guy.

[Card]Garruk, Primal Hunter[/Card]

First impression, not very excited. Everyone seems to love this guy, which is a good thing; he’s certainly a good card. He churns out 3/3’s every turn while gaining Loyalty in the process which is very reminiscent of Elspeth, Knight Errant. Though he doesn’t do much else, his ‘draw cards’ ability is neat, not something Green gets very often, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t do a whole lot. I don’t expect to see this guy in a lot of Constructed decks but he’s certainly interesting. I would hold off on acquiring this guy until his price drops.

[Card]Solemn Simulacrum[/Card]

My favourite card from this set by far. I remember Solemn Simulacrum from when I first started playing. Though back then he couldn’t see the play he deserved because of Affinity. This year, hopefully is his time to truly shine. The format this summer might be a tad too hostile with Red, Splinter Twin, and Valakut running around, but I expect him to pick up stock post rotation. It seems a little farfetched to suggest that every deck should be playing this guy round that time. But he does so many amazing things that that might not be too far off from the truth. Get a playset of this guy…please.

[Card]Swiftfoot Boots[/Card]

Lastly, there is Swiftfoot Boots. Lightning Greaves this is not, as it costs mana to move around from creature to creature, but that is probably a good thing. I have dreams of casting Kuldotha Forgemaster, equipping the boots to use him right away, getting a Blightsteel Colossus and attacking right away. Might be a reach, but it sounds pretty sweet to me. I’m sure the applications for this card don’t just end there, but that’s to be figured out down the road. At the very least, this is yet another Commander staple and that is sure to drive card sales.

So that about wraps up another review, I hope I didn’t miss anything. I look forward to hear back from some of you in the comments, let me know if I should continue doing these things, they are a lot of fun to do and allow me to share some of my opinions, right or wrong, to more people than I would normally get a chance talk to.

Thanks for reading!

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