Amonkhet Survey

The link is here if you want it.

If you're new to the blog, these posts are ones that allow me to talk a little more about the surveyed cards so I can explain a little bit about why I like or dislike the card, instead of just giving WotC number data (or as they have it, Very Poor to Excellent). I feel as though there's a grain of salt element to all of this, because I haven't had a chance to play with the cards yet but these reviews are still fun for me. Let's get to it!

Hazoret's Favor: While my overall rating is Fair-this card needs a deck to be built with it in mind for it to be useful-the artwork and the flavor text were excellent, I thought. Although red-tinted art in a red border card.....sigh.

I should really ask about why they do that.

Because they even do it on (both parts of the artwork of!)-

Failure/Comply: The artwork on these cards is...just so cramped and difficult to see. I can't even really make out if it's good or bad; Comply being especially hindered by this card layout. However, F/C is cheap and useful, so it still gets a Good rating.

Scribe of the Mindful: A challenging card to rate, I felt. 2/2 for 3 mana is pretty standard and the ability is a useful one. Is it Excellent? No but Good, I think, yes. 

Oketra the True: Ah, one of the marquee cards! The art on this feels weird; I don't know why the head is turned away from the body. It's like a statue pose, instead of a living one. However, let's not mess about: the ability and stats on this card are really good and the drawback is minimal, especially in White. Excellent card is Excellent.

Shadow of the Grave: So, here's the thing about Shadow of the Grave: it's terrible. This isn't a good card for Limited formats-your ROI is too small for that to be relevant-and what deck wants it in Constructed?

A combo deck. Something very specific needs this card and will break it in half. Or at least make something interesting! So I'm rating this Fair, despite it being a Poor card, because I want to encourage these kinds of designs.

There is a nice piece of flavor text to help build the world and that helps push the card up, too.

Final Reward: UGH. I get that Black shouldn't have exile level removal at the same level as White. But THIS? Too expensive and only useful in Limited formats because you need removal.  Play value Very Poor, value Poor, because the name and flavor text were nice. The art is Fair, because in a picture that shows so much depth, having so little contrast makes it all look washed out.

Winged Shepherd: White art on a white card...but, the flavor text does some good worldbuilding, the abilities don't suck and while six mana is pricey, being able to cycle it away for W means I'm rating the card Fair, overall. In Limited, this puppy is probably even better.

Hapatra, Vizer of Poisons: Now we're talking about something interesting: a card that wants to highlight one of the mechanics of the set. I think she's Excellent, quite frankly and it's an easy decision. Her first ability boosts her second, which still operates independently and is great regardless, while her base stats are very good. Hard to do better, I think.

Protection of the Hekma: Sphere of Safety this isn't. Heck, it's not even Urza's Armor. But the artwork is great, the flavor text does good by the plane, and the ability is a static one will stack with other Protections. It's fairly costed for what it does, I think, so a Fair card it shall be.

Brute Strength: This is the kind of card that needs to be produced because that sort of combat trick can be a hell of a thing in Limited. However, that doesn't mean that this is good. Just that it's necessary. Poor rating.

Benefaction of Rhonas: Green has been getting a few cards like this since Zendikar and I think they are good cards to add to most any Green deck. Sometimes you can only get creatures, sometimes it's lands or enchantments, sometimes a combo but I think these are always useful. Good rating-and I may have underrated it, neglecting the 'put the rest of the cards into the graveyard' part, which is relevant in Standard.

Hazoret's Monument: The Monuments are all interesting designs! Part Medallion effect, part color-specific effect, wrapped in a Legendary artifact so they can't stack. Nicely balanced. Also, I think Hazoret's ability, allowing players to filter through their deck for every creature spell they cast is a great one, so I'm rating this Excellent. Probably higher than I should, but I think this card makes a strong case for being in any deck of the appropriate color.

Hyena Pack: as with Brute Strength, this is a necessary card but not a good one. The art is solid and the flavor text helps boost the card a bit but a 3/4 for four mana is a Poor card. That doesn't mean it's bad so much as it means that the only real spot for this card is in a theme deck or a Limited one.

Faith of the Devoted: When I was writing my Amonkhet Overview, I said

'Now that WotC has given us reminders that cycling triggers discard effects, I wonder if some novel or previously overlooked interactions will bubble up?'

which Faith of the Devoted could be the poster child for. There is a lot of versatility in this card and I think it's going to be a plausible addition to a few decks. Excellent stuff.

Zenith Seeker: and this is the opposite of Faith of the Devoted. Expensive, easy to kill, with an ability that's pretty meh. In Limited, this is a Fair card-which was my overall rating-but Poor for playability.

All in all, I haven't changed my opinion about the set, yet. It's OK. That's all-for now. I'm hopeful that the format will develop and show me some cool tricks. How deep those tricks go, the interactions with previous sets: that I can't say. But I'm looking at it and I'm pretty hopeful that I'll see (and maybe even discover) some cool things.

Aether Revolt Survey

Survey is here, if you're interested.

I love this stuff...

Spire Patrol: I found the art on this marginal. Too busy, with not nearly enough contrast between the flying mechanism and the weapon. Ugh. But for play value, I rated it fair. I'd play it in Draft or Sealed for sure.

Ridgescale Tusker: Once again, the overwhelming greenness of art on a green card. But I like the pose and the name is solid. However, a 5/5 for five mana that boosts every creature you have? That's an excellent card.

Take Into Custody: I rated everything about this card as Good. The art isn't overwhelmingly blue, the name and flavor text work nicely, and the ability is a really solid one because it's an instant. It's got some nice strategic value.

Aethertide Whale: Once again, the overwhelming blueness of art on a blue card. I guess that can't be helped, given the subject and at least the whale is purple but...I don't know. It's trying for some dynamic stuff but looks a little weird, especially that curling eddy in the lower right. I do like the flavor text's addition to the world, and the card itself I'm rating as good. Bouncing for only energy and allowing you to gain as you go seems like something that could be broke in the right circumstances, but at least good in the right deck.

Sly Requisitioner: I really feel like the art conveys the non-chalant manner of the subject, so I dig that and the name as well. I rated the play value as Fair but the overall value as Good, because I think that in the right deck-and it shouldn't be hard to engineer that deck-this card could really be a house.

Shock: Ah, the old classic. Could...someone tell me why the back walls are tinted red? Uh-huh... That said, the subject looks like a sneaky fellow so I'll give it a Fair. Everything else I thought was Good: the flavor text contributes to the overall story and Shock as a value card has proved itself since Tempest.

Hinterland Drake: It's a little weird, looking at a dragon butt, isn't it? No? Just me? OK. In the end, I rated the card Fair: 2/3 fliers don't suck and the drawback isn't a problem. But there are better choices. Limited stuff that I'd play if I had to.

Dawnfeather Eagle: Once again, the overwhelming whiteness of art on a white card. Make up your mind, Wizards, either they sky is blue, or the sky is white. That bird also looks like it's attacking but the hand in the picture looks extended to let the bird rest. Maybe I'm just unfamiliar with avian expressions... I do think the flavor text is Excellent though as well as the play value. Vigilance and +1 can mess up a lot of combat math.

Glint-Sleeve Siphoner: I'm a little lenient on the art, because of the obvious setting of dusk and purple hues. The name is pretty meh though and the card overall I'm just calling Good, because you need to do a lot of work to make it viable.

Defiant Salvager: I like the name and the art and the flavor text, even, although I'm not sure they are harmonious, but the ability is fair at best.

Exquisite Archangel: The art is pretty imposing but the rest of the card is just fair. Seven mana is a LOT, even for a 5/5 flier that has a great ability. It's got its uses but the cost makes it a bit prohibitive.

Welder Automaton: I think this card is pretty good! Not excellent, but the value it provides as a 2 drop both early and late in the game have merit. It's not going to blow the lid off of a format, but it can give you something to do if the board state locks up.

Lightning Runner: I really want to like this card...but I don't. Getting the ability to work (an ability I like!) just costs too much. Marginal.

Greenwheel Liberator: I am rating this a little higher, perhaps, than I ought to because the sum is greater than the parts. The art doesn't really track unless you read the flavor text, for example, but once I did things made sense. However, as card, this puppy is excellent. There are an arbitrarily large number of ways to make this a 4/3 for two mana and that's good stuff.

Ornithoper: another classic, like Shock, that has proven its worth in the right place. And Aether Revolt is a good place for the card. But let's not lie to each other: the card is marginal.