Set Evaluation – Page 2

Virgin Pie – M10 Edition – Commons

M10 - Common By now M10 has been released and hopefully you’ve been playing with it for a few weeks now. This will be a different type of set review as I won’t look at cards that you should be playing, but cards that should be printed due to the Color Pie. Sometimes they’ll be a little over-costed or not powerful enough to see serious play, but they’re great examples of what the colors should be.

As you know by now, Wizards printed new cards in a Core Set since Alpha. This, by very definition, are virgin cards. I am not going to look at functional reprints of cards (Runeclaw Bears, Essence Scatter) nor am I looking at Mythics (every color got at least 1 new Mythic card and we may save it for next year).

Today we look at the commons from M10. There are some very good first timers here as Wizards wanted to get back to more of a fantasy route. I believe they hit it out of the park. Without further ado, let’s look at the cards.

Black

Black is the color for getting whatever it wants for a price. As various cards in the past have shown, Black is always comfortable with paying life to draw cards. While I was campaigning to have Night’s Whisper in a Core Set, this is not good if not better in various situations. Not only can you draw a card, but you have a teammate draw or even an opponent if you want them to lose life or deck themselves. I am really surprised this card is common, but it is really that good and fits black perfectly.

Also Ran –
Soul Bleed for making a creature deal damage to its controller (very Black), and Child of Night for getting the Vampire flavor just right (sucking someone’s life blood and taking it as your own). Continue reading “Virgin Pie – M10 Edition – Commons”

Virgin Pie – Xth Edition Rares

Sigh. Anyway, we’ve got rares to look at today. Remember, these are not the best rare in the set in terms of power, but the ones that are the best designed for the color. This is the first time they have been printed in the Core Set, so that limits our options. Some of these, no doubt are powerful, but stick with the color’s philosophy.

Same deal. Hopefully you were able to predict that this is what I was going to do. The logical step from common to uncommon to, what’s that? Oh, yeah, rare. Rare just like the buffalo steak I had a couple of weeks ago. Well, it was medium rare but there is no medium rare in Magic now, is there? Also, I do recommend trying buffalo; it’s better for you, and it’s pretty tasty. I’ve also had ostrich before as well. It’s a red meat (which surprised me for a bird).

What, you thought that I would be talking about Magic this entire introduction? I’ve got the girls from American Pie to the right here? Do they have anything to do with Magic? Most likely not. Though, it does match up with the title of this section: Virgin Pie. See, in the movie, the guys were trying to lose their virginity (kids, situations like that are only good in movie comedies. MTG Color Pie does not recommend actually losing one’s virginity to a pie). Hence, this is not only a play on the meaning virginity, (like it being printed for the first time somewhere), but a play on the movie American Pie (which my mad photoshop skills got rid of the word American). See how that all ties in together like an episode of Arrested Development? Plus, kids today wouldn’t get it if I did a Don McLean reference. Now they will.

Continue reading “Virgin Pie – Xth Edition Rares”

Virgin Pie – Xth Edition Uncommons

I was going to repost the first several paragraphs from my previous post to provide some kinda of consistency. Then I realized that you were going to skip it and just look at the girls to the right. Or the cards. I guess that’s why some people come here, to read cards and to learn from me. Or the girls from American Pie. But Shannon Elizabeth isn’t on the cover, shouldn’t she be? Don’t ask me, ask Paramount (Yes, that’s a SFWish image).

Today, we’ve got the uncommons to look at. Remember, these are not the best uncommons in the set in terms of power, but the ones that are the best designed for the color. There’s a smaller pool now, since we’re still sticking to cards where this is their first time being printed in a Core Set (again, with the virgin remark).

I think that this is an interesting exercise since it forces you to look at other cards. I mean, Cruel Edict would win for black, but it was reprinted in 9th (and as a player rewards card). By taking a look at the new cards, it tells us in what way R&D are going with each color.

Continue reading “Virgin Pie – Xth Edition Uncommons”

Virgin Pie – Xth Edition Commons

But right now, we’re looking at the best designed cards to be printed in the Core Set for the first time (hence the virgin remark. I’m not calling you a virgin, or am I?).

Today, we’ve the got commons to look at. Remember, these are not the best commons in the set in terms of power, but the ones that are the best designed for the flavor and function of the color.

I love well designed cards. They make me feel all tingly when Wizards throws them in core sets. Core Sets are all about showing new players what a color is all about and not about sales (Remember that the next time you crack a black boarded Birds of Paradise, Painland or Wrath of God). But, R&D (or in this case: Aaron Forsythe, Matt Place and Mike Turian put together 10th) wised up and thought “hey, we better design the set for people who want to play standard too.” Which they did when they put together this set and is quite possibly the best designed core set in years.

But right now, we’re looking at the best designed cards to be printed in the Core Set for the first time (hence the virgin remark. I’m not calling you a virgin, or am I?).

Today, we’ve the got commons to look at. Remember, these are not the best commons in the set in terms of power, but the ones that are the best designed for the flavor and function of the color. Confused about some of the terms I’ve used? Click here.

Continue reading “Virgin Pie – Xth Edition Commons”