Friday, June 4, 2010

M11 Possible reprints and omissions (green)

My take on green. For the record, I've read Tom LaPille's column. This post is written with that article in mind.

Acidic Slime, Ant Queen - I'm a little bit more sure with Acidic Slime but not with Ant Queen. Considering Ant Queen was a little bit promoted as the Launch Party giveaway, I'd say it would be a slap to Wizards' face that they wouldn't bring back Ant Queen. Acidic Slime, meanwhile, showed a bit of promise with its utility ability. They'll both be back.

Awakener Druid - I'll go out on a limb with my claim that Awakener Druid won't be back. I consider the ability to be a little bit confusing. It's also too difficult to remember the said Forest without any other markers or counters. I'd expect Wizards to print something else that would give out the same ability but up to until the beginning of the end step only.

Birds of Paradise - already rumored to be the Buy-a-box giveaway.

Borderland Ranger, Bountiful Harvest - Borderland Ranger go a little use. Bountiful Harvest is not used. For Borderland Ranger, it's a functional reprint of an old card but is reverted back to a human. As for Bountiful Harvest, it's a nice introduction to green's limited ability to gain life. They'll both be back.

Bramble Creeper - a questionably designed card. An experienced player certainly wouldn't play this card. An advanced player might just ponder at the question on why play the card itself. In any case, this should not be back.

Centaur Courser - centaurs for green as to minotaurs for red. Since it's a new card, this should be back.

Craw Wurm - ah... Big and costly Craw Wurm. Some would say that there's a sentimentality to having the Craw Wurm back. As of the moment, I think it will be out.

Cudgel Troll - a new card to show another creature type available to green as well as to show the Regenerate ability. I think green will still have regeneration as an ability. This will be back.

Deadly Recluse, Elvish Archdruid - both should be back.

Elvish Piper - scrap this card already. It's not being used. I might say that a sorcery spell might be created to replace the Elvish Piper.

Elvish Visionary - the subtle Elvish Visionary shows how green is able to occasionally draw cards. I believe this will be back.

Emerald Onyx - I'll go out on a limb again to say that this card won't be back. I think the landwalk ability is too clunky.

Enormous Baloth - if Craw Wurm will be removed, it seems that Enormous Baloth could be too. This is in the uncommon slot though and it possesses better stats than the Craw Wurm. This will probably be back.

Entangling Vines - with a card like Plummet getting printed, this might remove Entangling Vines as the color's "creature kill".

Fog - an old favorite, it has returned since 7th Ed. It should be back for one more year.

Garruk Wildspeaker - only 2 green planeswalkers have been printed. Of the 2, Garruk is much simpler and unlike Nissa Revane, which requires one extra card to be printed (Nissa's Chosen), Garruk has the basic rules of a planeswalker. I expect Garruk to come back.

Giant Growth - the token power/toughness modifying spell for green. It should be back.

Giant Spider - I have doubts regarding Giant Spider. Wizards might want to print a new spider with reach just to give a fresh paint for the Core Set.

Great Sable Stag - great creature. At the rare slot, it does not provide too much confusion with its cannot be countered and protection text. It should be back.

Howl of the Night Pack - like red and black with their land interactions, green also has a few up its sleeve. I think this card will be back. It's quite over costed but with an ability like that, it's bound to be a bomb.

Kalonian Behemoth - the 7 to cast 9/9 is not that attractive to players. I expect another big fattie to be (re)printed here.

Llanowar Elves - I'll say that this card won't be back. Considering that there are 2 different other cards with (almost) the same ability, it would be too redundant. With that said, I expect though that the Llanowar Elves (or a functional reprint) would be printed in SOM.

Lurking Predators - a painful card. I wonder why they even printed it. It has its use in Limited. Other than that, nobody would bother. I say it won't be back.

Master of the Wild Hunt - a new card and at mythic slot. This should be back.

Might of Oaks - Wizards love 7. Here at the rare slot, the p/t modifier spell increases each stat by 7. Quite appropriate. This card should be back.

Mist Leopard - 4 to cast 3/2 Shroud. Pretty straightforward. Nothing else. It should be back.

Mold Adder - Wizards wanted this to complement the other hoser cards. Already declared as not coming back.

Naturalize - the Core Set will always need a basic enchantment and artifact removal spell. I expect this to be back.

Nature's Spiral - I'm amused at how Wizards always attempts to print cards that return something. In this case, Nature's Spiral has not yet shown any use but I think it will be back.

Oakenform - it should be back as an example of p/t modifier in an enchantment.

Overrun - after seeing one of the card names of the M11 Intro Packs, I will say that Overrun is on its way out.

Prized Unicorn - a unique card on its own. The ability makes it quite a bomb in Limited. It should be back.

Protean Hydra - Wizards love to do this sort of stuff. The card is able to portray how a hydra should be. But then, nobody uses the card. Just too bad. It won't be back.

Rampant Growth - a veteran card that should be back. It clearly shows how green is able to accelerate in terms of lands.

Regenerate, Runeclaw Bear, Stampeding Rhino - all are new cards which I expect to be back. Regarding Runeclaw Bear, this is now the new bear for green. Rather than sticking with Grizzly Bears which lacks any fantasy aspect, Runeclaw Bear adds something else to the name. Regenerate should be back as it is printed. It tries to illustrate the regenerate ability without being a useless clunky enchantment.

Windstorm - Hurricane, which was a better card, didn't get reprinted because of Windstorm. With the existence of Plummet, I'm betting that this card won't be back. Besides, it's not being used in Standard.

On my count: I reached 14 which is not bad. I'm bound to be mistaken in several of the cards.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

M11 Possible reprints and omissions (Red)

Time to do Red:

Act of Treason - Red always gets a pseudo-Control Magic type of spells. This is the new spell from M10. It's sure to be back.

Ball Lightning - before M10, Ball Lightning last appeared in 5th Ed. One more year!

Berserkers of Blood Ridge - I wonder why Wizards continue to print 5 casting cost cards at 4/4 plus with a drawback and no evasion. If they wanted to show that a Berserker is supposed to attack every turn then there should be a specific reason as to why a player would. In Limited, it's 4/4 (Beast) body is quite good enough but it's still a common filler. I would want to say that this card would be back considering it's first printing is in M10 but I will be bold to say that it will not.

Bogardan Hellkite - from rare slot in Time Spiral to mythic rare in M10. It didn't see much use in Constructed but would still illicit "Oohs" and "Aahs" (in my opinion). Won't hurt to be back.

Burning Inquiry, Burst of Speed - new cards showcasing red's abilities. Both should be back.

Canyon Minotaur - it seems that red will always be the color of unfair creatures. Canyon Minotaur is another example (4 casting cost with 3/3 body). This card should be back. Wizards loves minotaurs.

Capricious Efreet - the thing about red is that it is very random and unstable. Capricious Efreet is yet another example of that randomness. It is a wonderfully designed card so I would say that it will be back.

Chandra Nalaar - only 2 real red planeswalkers have been printed and they're both Chandras. The 2nd Chandra never found a place in Constructed although I would love to make a deck around it just for the heck of it. The original Chandra is much simpler and doesn't need a lot of shenanigans. I expect this version to be back.

Dragon Whelp - Wizards wanted to illustrate having a small dragon. I say this card is a candidate for not coming back.

Earthquake - returned after 7th Ed. Provides enough for the rare slot. I say it'll be back.

Fiery Hellhound - yet another clunky creature. Thank goodness there's an ability. As such, it wouldn't hurt for it to be back.

Fireball - with all the x damage spells that's available in Standard right now, Fireball would be a candidate to not return. But a Core Set would need to have its x damage spell. Earthquake is already there though. It would have been fun to see Banefire return since it's rotating out soon. I was quite surprised to see that M10 had Earthquake, Fireball, and even Pyroclasm. Wizards surely pushed for red to be fiery in M10.

Firebreathing - it's an essential Aura Enchantment for red. But it's one of the least used cards despite its ability. Wizards can survive not having it printed.

Goblin Artillery, Goblin Chieftain - updated cards from previous sets. Sure to be back.

Goblin Piker - red's bear is a 2/1. I'll say it won't be back. A better card can be printed instead.

Ignite Disorder - this card should be back like its brothers in the other colors.

Inferno Elemental, Jackal Familiar - new cards that should be back.

Kindled Fury - I'll say that this can be scrapped.

Lava Axe - always a staple in Core Sets. Not used in Constructed and a bit questionable in Limited. I'll say that it can be scrapped.

Lightning Bolt - ignited a lot of old players' excitement. It was last printed in 4th Ed. I say, Lightning Bolt will be here for years to come.

Lightning Elemental - Ball Lightning's smaller brother can be replaced easily. It won't be missed.

Magma Phoenix - if there's a new card that can be scrapped, this is it. Useless for being too costly yet it still has a use in Limited. It's still quite a bomb. This seems to be the requisite Phoenix in the Core Set. Okay, you can come back...

Manabarbs - a recent sideboard card. I think this can be a candidate for a non return.

Panic Attack - a common bomb. It has its uses in Limited and showcases red's evasion ability. It will be back.

Prodigal Pyromancer - the token "pinger" in the Core Set. I'll say it will be back.

Pyroclasm - each release seems to have its own version of Pyroclasm. I think Pyroclasm is a key card in the Core Set and should return.

Raging Goblin - should not be back. Here is an opportunity for Wizards to print a spiffy new Goblin for M11.

Seismic Strike - red's version of Tendrils of Corruption. It should be back since it's also a new card.

Shatter - red can only destroy artifacts and this is the token artifact destroyer in the Core Set. It should be back.

Shivan Dragon - I think nobody plays Shivan Dragon anymore. It has been printed so many times that nobody looks for it anymore. This overexposed Dragon should take a rest for at least a year and provide a rare slot for a new card - and most likely a new Dragon to boot.

Siege-Gang Commander - a nifty Goblin creature that is well-loved. I think it will be back for 1 more go.

Sparkmage Apprentice - reprinted after Ravnica, it's a candidate for a non return. I say so.

Stone Giant - Wizards must have a specific reason as to why they got this creature back from 5th Ed. It's actually a fun card to have despite its non-use in Constructed. I expect this card to be back for M11.

Trumpet Blast - red can increase the power of creatures. Unlike green, red cannot increase the toughness. Trumpet Blast should be here to stay as the token power modifier for red.

Viashino Spearhunter - new card in M10 will be back again. Curious that the Viashinos no longer die after they attack or at the end of turn.

Wall of Fire - red's wall is likely to return.

Warp World - a most confusing spell in M10. This won't be back. I expect a similar spell.

Yawning Fissure - back. Wizards do not want land destruction spells anymore. This card ensures that both players are slowed down rather than just one player.

On my count, I have it at 11 or 12. Again, I got the correct number.

Some red cards that could probably be worthy of a Core Set reprinting would be Banefire and Volcanic Fallout. I doubt that they'd reprint both.