Review the Pulls, Ep. 1

Happy New Years Everyone! I hope you all had a good holiday season. Today I am going to be starting a little series called Review the Pulls. I'm going to open some packs and then review random cards from the packs. Today I opened some Journey Into Nyx packs. Lets see what I got!

Eagle of the Watch is my first card. Eagle of the Watch is a 2/1 bird with flying and vigilance that casts for two colorless and one white. Eagle of the Watch in a basic flyer with some cool abilities. Any flyer that has vigilance is good in my book. You can swing from the sky but also have a blocker just in case. One problem with eagle of the watch is that he only has one toughness, so if you do end up blocking with him he will probably trade. Eagle of the Watch is good but vigilance is much more suited for creatures with a bit higher toughness.

image courtesy of  Magic The Gathering

The next card is Nyx-Fleece Ram. Nyx-Fleece Ram is a 0/5 sheep with "at the beginning of your upkeep, you gain 1 life." that casts for one colorless and one white. Nyx-Fleece ram is just a big defender. Like all defenders, Nyx-Fleece Ram just sits there and prevents a lot of early game agro. Unlike other defenders, Nyx-Fleece Ram gains you as he blocks those ealry game creatures. Another bonus is that he does not have defender, so if you buff him he has the option to attack.

Next up we have Nature's Panoply. Nature's Panoply is an instant that casts for one green and has strive for two colorless and one green. Nature's Panoply puts a +1/+1 counter on any number of target creatures. Natures Panoply is a great way to buff up all of your creatures. Even if you don't have a lot of mana for the strive cost, you can still buff up one creature for only one mana. This card also works very well with heroic and outlast.

image courtesy of  Magic The Gathering

For our fourth card we have Returned Reveler. Returned Reveler is a 1/3 zombie satyr with "When Returned Reveler dies, each player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyards." that casts for one colorless and one black. This is card is... meh. Although a 1/3 for two is decent, its ability really brings its power level down, One upside is you could use this card to your advantage if your playing Sultai or a graveyard oriented strategy but other than that, not the best card.

And last but not least we have Triton Shorestalker. Triton Shorestalker is a 1/1 merfolk rouge that can't be blocked and casts for one blue. Triton Shorestalker is an amazing one drop, especially for blue. Any creature that can't be blocked is already amazing, especially if you can get it out early. Triton Shorestalker is one of the best one drops in Journey into Nyx by far. GO MERFOLK!

Well that was our first episode of Review the Pulls. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you guys next time!

Best 10 Mythics and Rares in Theros - Part 2

Its time to finish up the best 10 Mythics and Rares of Theros block!

5. At number five we have Xenagos, the Reveler. Xenagos is a planeswalker that casts for two colorless, one red and one green. His +1 ability is Add X mana in any combination of red and/or green to your mana pool, where X is the number of creatures you control. His +0 ability is put a 2/2 red and green satyr creature token with haste onto the battlefield. His -6 is Exile thetop seven cards of your library. You may put any number of creature and/or land cards from among them onto the battlefield. Xenagos is a fairly decent planeswalker. He is able to generate a whole bunch of mana if you have a whole bunch of creatures. Luckily, he is able to generate creatures for absolutely free and get creatures from your deck onto the battlefield fast. You can make your board presence huge once Xenagos hits the table.

image courtesy of  Magic: The Gathering

4. At number four we have Brimaz, King of Oreskos. Brimaz is a 3/4 legendary cat soldier that casts for one colorless and two white. He has vigilance, whenever Brimaz attacks put a 1/1 white Cat soldier creature token with vigilance onto the battlefield attacking, and whenever Brimaz blocks a creature, put a 1/1 white cat soldier creature token with vigilance onto the battlefield blocking that creature. Brimaz is a very good card. A 3/4 for four is already good, especially when he generates another power and toughness whenever he attacks or blocks. Another pro is that he can attack AND block since he has vigilance, creating maximum kitties! (which also have vigilance)

3. At number three we have Hero's Downfall. Hero's Downf
all is an instant that casts for one colorless and two black and destroys target creature and planeswalker. Hero's Downfall is just a really good removal spell. You can kill a big creature or annoying planeswalker for just three mana! Hero's Downfall should definitely be on your list of good removal.

2. At number two we have Courser of Kruphix. Courser is a 2/4  centaur that casts for one colorless and two green. His abilities are, play with the top card of your deck revealed, you may play the top card of your deck if it's a land card, and whenever a land enter the battlefield, you gain one life. Courser is one of the most stroggest cards in standard right now and there is a reason for it. Being able to take lands off the top of your deck is awesome. It ensures that you are probasbly going to draw a spell instead of getting bricking and getting a land later in the game. Also, Courser is only three mana, so if you get this bad boy out early you'll get loads of life from playing all your lands.

image courtesy of magiccards

1. At number one we have Elspeth, Sun's Champioin. Elspeth is a planeswalker that casts for 4 colorless and two white. Her +1 is put three 1/1 white soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield, her -3 is destroy all creatures with power 4 or greater, and her -7 is you get an emblem with "creatures you control get +2/+2 and have flying." Elpseth is one of the better planeswalkers in this set. Since her +1 gives you a bunch of tokens, she is very easy to defend and keep alive. Her -3 as just a board wipe so her 1/1 can get through and deal some damage. Last but not least, her ult just makes able to spawn three 3/3 fliers every turn, SO annoying!

Well, that's it for the best ten Mythics and Rares for Theros block! Get ready for our first episode of Review the Pulls and most importantly... FATE REFORGED SPOILERS!!!

Best 10 Mythics and Rares in Theros - Part 1

Theros! The legendary plane of heroes and monsters. This block is filled with awesome cards, but which ones are the best? I am going to review the 10 best mythic and rare cards in Theros block!

10. At number ten we have Sylvan Caryatid. Sylvan Caryatid is a 0/3 plant that casts for one colorless and one green. The Caryatid has Defender, Hexproof, and tap add one mana of any color to your mana pool. A lot of people might not think that this card should not be in a top tens list but I think it should. for only two mana you can get out a blocker that blocks most early game creatures. It can help you get out a big creature fast. Hexproof also gives it a immunity to those early game lightning strikes.

image courtesy of  Wizards of the Coast

9. At number nine we have Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver. Ashiok is a planeswalker that casts for one colorless, one blue, and one black. Her +2 is Exile the top three cards of target oppenents library. Her -X is put a creature card with converted mana cost X or less exiled with Ashiok onto the battlefield under your control. That creature is a nightmare in addition to its other types. Her -10 is exile all cards from all opponents' hand and graveyard. Ashiok is a very unique planeswalker that is very good. She is best placed in a pure control deck. Since most of the deck will be filled with spells, you can take your opponents creatures without having to put creatures into your own deck. Although Ashiok does not see much play, she can be an awesome card for those terrifying control decks.

8. At number eight we have Prognostic Sphinx. Prognostic Sphinx is a 3/5 Sphinx that casts for three colorless and two blue. Its abilities are flying, discard a card: Prognostic Sphinx gains Hexproof until end of turn. Tap it and Whenever Prognostic Sphinx attacks, scry 3. Just like Ashiok, Prognostic Sphinx is very good in control decks. Its high toughness makes it a good blocker for creatures on the ground and in the air. The scry three can really help you dig for the cards you need to take down your opponent and the hexproof is just to make sure that he stays alive.

image courtesy of Wizards of the Coast

7. At number seven we have Polukranos, World Eater. Polukranos is a 5/5 Hydra that casts for two colorless and two green. His abilities are Monstrosity X for XX and one green, and whenever Polukranos becomes monstrous, it deals X damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures your opponents control. Each of those creatures deals damage equal to its power to Polukranos. Polukranos is your basic fatty. He casts for a very low cost and has a way to get even bigger. He can deal with small creatures so he can get in for a ton of damage!

6. At number six we have Stormbreath Dragon. Stormbreath Dragon is a 4/4 dragon that casts for three colorless and two red. His abilities are flying, haste, protection from white, monstrosity three and when Stormbreath Dragon becomes monstrous, it deals damage to each opponent equal to the number of cards in that player's hand. Just like Polukranos, Stormbreath Dragon is a big creature that can punch in for a lot of damage. He has all of the tools to finish off your opponent. Haste allows him to attack instantly in the air, and he even has a way to deal direct damage to a player.

Well that is the first part of out best 10 cards in Theros. Come back to read part 2! Happy Holidays!

Khans of Tarkir, Mardu and Jeskai Khans

Its time to finish up the Khans of Tarkir review, so I am going to be reviewing the Mardu and the Jeskai Khans. I know I haven't done a lot of posts recently, so I am going to try and pump out as many blog posts for the holiday season. Onto the review!

Image courtesy of  Wizards of the Coast

Our first khan is Zurgo Helmsmasher, the khan of the Mardu clan. Zurgo is a 7/2 Orc Warrior that casts for 2 colorless, one red, one white, and one black. His abilities are haste, has to attack each turn, industructible if it is your turn, and whenever a creature dealt damage by Zurgo dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Zurgo.

Zurgo is probably one of my favorite khans. When this bad boy hits the table, you know that shit is going down. If you don't have an answer for him, he is going to be a huge problem for the rest of the game.

Zurgo Helmsmaher has a lot of upsides. Seven power is huge and since he has haste you can send him into battle right as he hits the board, putting on massive pressure. Another upside is that he benefits from your opponent chump blocking. Once they chump block Zurgo, he just gets bigger. The best part is that he has indestructible on your turn! You can send him into any board state expecting him to get bigger or get in a ton of damage.

Although Zurgo is is really good card, he does have some downsides. His major downside is that he only has indestructible on your turn. Since he has low toughness, he is easily killed by most removal. Zurgo also has to attack each turn, so you don't even have the choice to block with him.

If you haven't already noticed, Zurgo Helmsmasher is very good. He can fit in a lot of different strategies, but goes best in agro decks. As long as you have ways to protect Zurgo until he gets bigger, he can be a game finishing card.

Our second Khan is Narset, Enlightened Master, the khan of the Jeskai clan. Narset is a 3/2 Human Monk that cast for 3 colorless, a blue, a red, and a white. She has first strike, hexproof, and whenever Narset attacks, exile the top four cards of your library. Until end of turn, you may cast noncreature cards exiled this way without paying their mana costs.

I'm definitely not the biggest fan of Narset, but she is still pretty good. Anyone with first strike is very good, especially in this format. Hexproof is also nice just to make sure she can't be targeted by those pesky kill shots. Her last ability... is very circumstantial and involves a  lot of luck. Narset has to be in a tempo deck, else she is not at all worth to play. Also, you could brick and end up exiling a bunch of creatures or lands and not getting any spells!

Narset, Enlighten Master is a card that has to be put into the right deck. If you find the right home for Narset she will lead you to victory!

That's all I have to say about the Khans of Tarkir set, now we have to wait... FOR FATE REFORGED!!! I'll see you guys next time for some more reviews on Magic.

Khans of Takir: Sultai Khan

Image Courtesy of  reddit.com

It's time for another Khan Review! Lets see who do we have here... oh... its Sidisi... Well. I'm just going to skip this review, so, see you next time!

But seriously though, I don't like Sidisi, Brood Tyrant. She's just so... eh. I just don't like her, like at all.

Sidisi is a 3/3 for one, a black, a green, a blue, and her abilities are, "When Sidisi, Brood Tyrant enters the battlefield or attacks, put the top three cards of your library into your graveyard." and, "Whenever one or more creature cards are put into your graveyard from your library, put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield.

If you haven't already noticed, Sidisi is aimed towards delve decks and decks that use their graveyard. This is why I think she is bad, well bad in general. Unless she is put into a delve/graveyard deck, she's absolutely useless. If milling all of your great cards isn't enough, a 3/3 for four is not that good especially if you relate it to the Abzan or Temer Khan.

Although she is very bad in most decks, if she is put into a delve deck, she is amazing. If you can get out cards like Dead Drop for a very low mana cost, it can be a game winning blow. Sidisi definitely helps with all of those different delve cards and gets you 2/2 zombies along the way. Sidisi is the best way to mill your self to cast those delve cards.

Sidisi brings a lot of new deck types to the table of standard. There have been a lot of different strategies to mill yourself of all your cards then cast everything in your hand for free. Sidisi is a key card to use in any of these types of decks. She would also be an amazing commander to use in a graveyard related deck. The only problem with Sidisi is that she is absolutly horrible in limited. Unless you get the right pulls and make the right deck, she is not going to be a card you include in your deck.

Sidisi, Brood Tyrant is a very specific card. She only works well with a specific type of deck. This is why she is not the greatest Khan. If you can find a home for Sidisi in your pile of dead cards, I hope that she leads you to victory. I hope you enjoyed the read, and check in next time to hear about more card reviews.

Khans of Tarkir Set Review

Image Courtesy of  Magic Spoiler

Was Khans of Tarkir a good set? Did it turn out how everyone thought it would be? I'm here to answer all your questions about Khans of Tarkir.

Does Khans of Tarkir have good cards? Well the community has very mixed feelings. Some people think that it is just an awesome set with awesome cards, pretty simple. Others think that its a pile of trash with a bunch of fetch lands shoved in, which could be the case. In my eyes, I think that its a fairly decent set. Sure it may not have the best cards overall but it has a few really good cards. The planeswalkers are amazing, the fetches are good, cards such as Bloodsoaked Champion, Utter End, and Hooded Hydra are really good. It really does have some decent rares. Some of the rares aren't very good, unless you're playing limited. A lot of rares are only aimed toward their respective clan, making them horrible unless they are played with the tactics of their clan. Another problem is a lot of rares are three colors which is hard to draft and to make constructed decks with. Khans is definitely not a World Wake, but it still has some good cards.

Is Khans of Tarkir fun to play? Oh yeah it is. I went to the pre-release of Khans of Tarkir and man was it a blast. I chose the Abzan clan and went 3-2. I got a seeded pack with cards that were aimed towards the tactics of the Abzan clan. It was a really fun experience and I would do it every weekend if I could! It's really fun to make a deck around the different clans, but it's still possible to make decks that aren't aimed towards one clan. Khans of Tarkir is a super fun set to play in both limited and constructed.

Is Khans of Tarkir good for Standard? Well, yes and no. Khans of Tarkir has brought out a lot of different deck types for people to test and play around with. Some people have made very successful decks using cards mostly from Khans of Tarkir. Although these cards add different deck types, a lot of the cards can only be used for their respective clan. They are definitely still playable in different types of decks, but they might not be used to their full potential. Khans definitely forces people to be creative with how they use the cards in their decks.

Does Khans of Tarkir impact modern and commander (EDH)? It's a huge impact on these formats. First off, the Khans can be used as commanders which is totally awesome. Second, Khans adds Fetch lands which is pretty much saying that they care for all of those modern players. Fetch lands are so important for modern decks, so bringing them back really helps them keep their wallets filled with cash. Last but not least, there are a lot of cards that were made to be used for both commander and modern such as Ugin's Nexus. This shows that Wizards really does care about modern and commander formats.

Khans of Tarkir is a fun set that has some pretty decent cards. I hope you are all enjoying Khans! Thanks for reading!

Khans of Tarkir: Temur Khan

image courtesy of  Mythic Spoilers

Khans of Tarkir is finally out! After long days of looking at spoilers it's finally here! Today I am going to be talking about another awesome Khan: Surrak Dragonclaw. Surrak Dragonclaw is the khan of the Temur clan. Surrak Dragonclaw is a 6/6 legendary creature for 2, a green, a blue, and a red. His abilities are "Flash,"  "Surrak Dragonclaw can't be countered," "Creatures you control can't be countered," and "Other creatures you control have trample." This card is amazing, its just so good that everyone should play it.  He is a bear punching machine thats all about throwing your fatties at your opponent's face. I honestly can't name a single reason why this card would be bad. It is an especially amazing card in a Temur deck. With a Temur deck your going to be running a lot of fatties, and giving them trample is vitally important if your going to be throwing them into the Mardu horde. If you have ever been against a blue deck you know the feeling of your best creatures being countered by stupid cancels. That's where Surrak comes into play. With him on the battlefield, you can cast your big creatures with ease. Surrak can also be a great combat trick! With flash you can play him out when your opponent is attacking with one of their little goblins and squash it like a bug. Even if you don't like his abilities, a 6/6 for five mana is amazing. He is a great way to make sure all of your ferocious abilities trigger. Even though Surrark Dragonclaw is a bomb, he does have some downsides. Surrak is three colors, which could mess up your mana balance. The main reason is that Surrak Dragonclaw gives trample to OTHER creatures, which is kinda sad but I still wouldn't want to send him into an oncoming killshot. Even though Surrak Dragonclaw has some very small downfalls, He is still an awesome card that will be played for years to come.

Well that's the Khan of the ferocious Temur clan. I'll be talking about one of the other Khans next time, thanks for reading!