M10 is here! In the words of Sirus the Ganglord from The Warriors "Can you dig it!?
M10 is a great core set; it’s a fun set for limited, a powerful set for constructed and a good financial investment. Today I will give my thoughts and opinions on the cards that peeked my interest, take it for what it's worth. I am no expert, just a dude who spends too much time playing and reading about this silly card game. I probably won’t comment too much on the reprints, so just because I don’t mention things like Pithing Needle or Birds of Paradise doesn’t mean that they are not awesome in their own right.
Let's kick this off with the Mythics!
---Mythic Rare---
Baneslayer Angel
This card is solid, the price is slowly creeping and we may see it hit the $20 mark. At the moment it doesn’t fit into any tier one decks but I think it's only a matter of time before this card is rocking the tournament scene.
Format Playability: Limited, EDH, Standard, Extended
Darksteel Colossus
The return of DSC has me pretty excited, between DSC, Inkwell Leviathan, Tezzeret, Master Transmuter and Fabricate I expect to see robots rockin’ standard.
Format Playability: EDH, Standard, Extended, Legacy, Vintage
Bogardan Hellkite
Our friendly neighborhood dragon has returned to revive an archetype that has been long forgotten- WARP WORLD baby! Ok, besides the hilarity of Warp World – I expect the dragon to find his way into Control and Ramp decks alike.
Format Playability: EDH, Standard, Extended
---Rare---
The New Duals
Hot Dog! These things are cool. They are a HOT trade commodity at the moment; everyone is scrambling to get the sets that they need before Nationals. They will be standard staples and they may see extended play to supplement the loss of fetchlands.
Format Playability: Limited, EDH, Standard, Extended, Legacy
Silence
This card is not Orim's Chant, simply because it cannot stop an attack. I expect this card to see play in these applications:
1) Standard: Silence to set up polymorph into a Progenitus.
2) Standard: Sideboard Tech against cascade.
3) Extended: Sideboard against Storm.
4) Extended: Scepter Chant- LOL
All in all I think the card is over hyped. I expect the price on these to eventually fall into the 6-7 range.
Format Playability: EDH, Standard, Extended
Honor of the Pure
One word- Scary. I can see this card fueling hyper-aggro white decks for years to come. I think the price on this will continue to climb maybe into the Bitterblossom range.
Format Playability: Standard, Extended, Legacy?
Great Sable Stag
Also known as “Big Daddy Pimp of All Things Fae”- This guy is a really good sideboard card but nothing more. He will be THE weapon against fae and MBC, so try to setup your playset now.
Format Playability: Limited, Standard, Extended
Guardian Seraph
This card is pretty awesome! It makes an army of 1/1s into an army of 0/1s. I can see this being really strong against red decks and Bloodbraid Elf decks (Hey that sounds like the future standard Metagame). It does not die to Lightning Bolt (at least to Lightning Bolt Alone) it’s also a 3/4 flyer for four mana. Nothing will ever replace our beloved Kitchen Finks, but I think this guy is a decent stand-in.
Format Playability: Limited, Standard, Extended ?
Captain of the Watch
Nine power in dudes for 6 mana- that’s no joke, combine this guy with Honor of the Pure, Elite Vanguard, Elspeth and even Preeminent Captain and you have a pretty nasty soldier brew.
Format Playability: Limited, Standard
Elvish Archdruid
Elf ball welcomes this new addition; this guy will probably be the most expensive of all the lords. Don’t trade him lightly.
Format Playability: Standard, Extended
Gargoyle Castle
Who needs a 3/3 trampling ape when you can have a 3/4 flying gargoyle! This card is crazy underrated at the moment. Feel free to pick up your playset for as low as $7 dollars! With manabases simplifying (the eventual loss of Reflecting Pool and Vivid Lands) and the loss of manlands, I predict this card seeing play in virtually every standard deck.
Format Playability: Limited, EDH, Standard
Magma Phoenix
Wow – This guy is a freaking house! Three damage to everything (including players) and if it dies (say to your own Lightning Bolt) then you can put him back in play and do it all over again! Recursion, Board Sweep and Damage- Watch out for this guy in the post-Lorwyn standard as the new archetypes start to form.
Format Playability: Limited, EDH, Standard
Mesa Enchantress
I’ve got a whole deck list for this chick. It would start with 4 Sigil of the Empty Throne, 4 O-Rings, 4 Runed Halo, 4 Hoofprints of the Stag – round it out with, 4 Path to Exile and 4 Windbrisk Heights (for some help against control) and throw in an Open the Vaults or two. This type of deck loves Planeswalkers and effects like Martial Coup.
Format Playability: Who are we kidding; Mesa Enchantress is not actually playable! LOL
Planar Cleansing
R.I.P Wrath of God. I expect this card to see play in ones and twos. The loss of Wrath in standard will change the clocks of control decks and the architecture of many other decks. I see Planar Cleansing as a playable card in standard but defiantly not a Wrath replacement.
Format Playability: Limited, EDH, Standard
---Uncommon---
Elite Vanguard
The replacement Savannah Lions, I guess Lions are not mystical enough for the magic core set. If you pack this guy, be happy he could fetch up to a dollar!
Format Playability: Limited, Standard, Extended
Harm's Way
Crazy good, the power has yet been explored. Especially with all the “Wrath” effects being damage related – like Pyroclasm, Earthquake and Volcanic Fallout - I expect this to be a standard staple.
Format Playability: Limited, Standard
Levitation
FLYING ELVES! Laugh if you want but this deck is going to rock face. Let it sink in a little and you will taste brutality.
Format Playability: Standard
Mold Adder
This might be good in vintage, just a thought.
Format Playability: Limited, Vintage?
Rise from the Grave
This card is monstrous in sealed but it also would be pretty sweet in a standard zombie deck or sweet sideboard tech in a control deck against Doomblade. Picture this: Blightning, Merfolk Looter, Oona’s Prowler, Makeshift Maniquin, B-Hellkites, Magma Phoenix, Burning Inquiry and Couterspells. Sound like a fun stack of card to carve into a deck.
Format Playability: Limited, Standard
Sleep
The verdict is still out, but I will be testing this card. I have my eye on it.
Format Playability: Umm I really don’t know.
---Common---
Burning Inquiry
Could see play in vintage where effects that trash your opponents hand are pretty good. On the other side of the coin you could set up their Yawgmoth’s Will.
Format Playability: Limited, Standard
Burst of Speed
Elfball ? Who knows where this card could see some play.
Format Playability: LOL – Probably not too playable.
Doom Blade
Upgrade Terror – It now deals with the impeding rise or Esper.
Format Playability: Limited, Standard, Extended
Duress
Welcome back, Duress. This is a good common to pick up a playset of. We are happy to have our buddy back in Extended.
Format Playability: Standard, Extended
Lightning Bolt
Changing the face of standard, I have a love hate relationship with the little one drop.
Format Playability: Limited, Standard, Extended, Legacy, Vintage
Sign in Blood
This will see play in MBC and can be used as a Shock in the right circumstances.
Format Playability: Limited, Standard
Tendrils of Corruption
This card may bring back the MBC decks of the past, when joined with cards like Sign in Blood, Duress, and Nyxilid.
Format Playability: Limited, Standard
Jonathan’s EDH Picks- I picked some cards that I think would be fun and useful in EDH. If you don’t know what EDH is you are totally missing out! Thankfully you can read about it here.
Master of the Wild Hunt: Tokens are good in EDH not to mention the fact that he can sick his wolf pack on dudes. Oh yeah, and his wolf pack increase by one every upkeep, so he doesn’t stay a lone wolf pack for ever - LOL
Sphinx Ambassador: This guy seems insane in EDH. Since it’s a singleton format it will be harder for them to guess what creature that you took.
Djinn of Wishes: The Djinn is crazy good with “to the top” tutors such as Vampiric Tutor and Lilliana Vess,
Hive Mind: ROFL
Indestructibility: This could be good. I would put it on my Crucible.
Open the Vaults: This card is insane in the Sharum deck.
Lurking Predators: Repeat after me, “Broken”.
Acidic Slime: The extra value meal of slimes. You get a creeping mold and a 2/2 death toucher!
Planar Cleansing: This is Akroma’s Vengeance plus planeswalkers, a solid choice for sweepers.
Howling Banshee: Ouch! Imagine this with recursion, like Oversold Cemetery!
That’s all for now folks! I will soon be selling various M10 Singles. Keep tuned in to get the dealz!
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