Thursday, January 30, 2014

Born of the Gods - Black Review

58 Archetype of Finality

So far all of the Archetypes at first glance seem very limited playable.  Deathtouch is a powerful keyword that actively discourages blocking.  This is a card that UB or GB decks will be very interested in.  The other decks might play the gorgon but it will be less impactful.  Not very much application for this in constructed I am afraid.

Standard – 1.0
Limited -2.5

59 Ashiok's Adept

A three mana 1/3 is slightly overcosted but still acceptable especially if it is able to generate some card advantage from combat tricks and getting a nice 2 for 1. 

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 2.0

60 Asphyxiate

Decent enough removal spell.  Not premium removal in most environments but looks to be one of the best available outside of Rares.  Be wary to not try and target a creature that has been enchanted with one of the many Inspire enablers in the set; if you do you might end up choking on a brutal misplay.

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 3.0

61 Bile Blight

This will most assuredly be a blight on standard for the next couple of years.  While a bit on the difficult side to cast, it is very good at what it does.  It is most likely to almost completely replace Pharika’s Cure in decks that run it.  A solid answer to Pack Rat in the color that did not need that much help slaying the vermin of standard.  In limited, this will rarely net you a 2 for 1, but is still worth picking highly.

Standard – 3.5
Limited – 3.0
62 Black Oak of Odunos

Most likely relegated to being a sideboard card in limited.  Has the ability to make attacking awkward but I just think that there will be better cards to put in your deck most of the time.

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 1.5

63 Champion of Stray souls

Champion will be right at home in the land of 100 card decks.  Too slow and clunky to see constructed play.  Not entirely sure how I feel about this guy in Limited.  It’s return creature ability is an instant which can just lead to some massive blow outs.  I think in B/G you could build a pretty synergistic deck that could make him a huge bomb.  In other decks I think that he will be less effective. 

Standard – 1.5
Limited – 3.0+

64 Claim of Erebos



I think that this card will see block play, but probably not make the cut for standard.  It gives some reach to the Agent of Fates decks in block.  In Limited the R/B deck will really appreciate this card, allows your Deathbellow Raider (2/3 Minotaur that has to attack each turn) to continue pushing damage through.

Standard – 1.5 (Higher in block)
Limited – 2.5

65 Drown in Sorrow

And we have a winner, a winner of the strictly better game.  I can not think of any reason this is not a strictly better version of Infest.  This promptly goes into the sideboard of Mono Black decks to help shore up its weak matchups with the aggro decks of the format.  It will be slightly worse in Theros limited than people expect it to be, monsters and creatures rapidly grow out of its range.  Still playable.

Standard – 2.5
Limited – 2.5

66 Eater of Hope

Too expensive and costly to be more than just ok in limited.  Seven mana is just too much to spend on a creature that does nothing when it comes into play for constructed.

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 2.0

67 Eye Gouge

Great flavor.  Kills Mutavault.  Not much else to say about this. 

Standard – 1.0
Limited – 1.5

68 Fate Unraveler

There is a possibility that this Hag sees some sideboard play during its run in Standard.  Underworld Dream effects are popular this guy will make the cut in many EDH decks.  Solid enough stats for black at four mana in limited.

Standard – 2.0
Limited – 2.5

69 Fated Return

Fated to be a sweet Commander card. 

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 1.5

70 Felhide Brawler

IF there is to be a constructed ‘Taur deck this guy will have to be a part of it.  Brawler will help fill out the curve in the R/B aggro deck in limited.  Wins my vote for worst art in the set.

Standard – 2.0
Limited – 2.5

71 Forlorn Pseudamma

To note that of the inspired token producers this is the only one with evasion.  But it is a four mana 2/1.  I have a feeling that this and it’s tokens might just get outclassed too quickly to be much more than a nice evasion dude that occasionally makes a chump blocker.

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 2.5

72 Forsaken Drifters

I feel like there is a pretty sweet fringe B/G  graveyard recursion deck slowly taking shape in this limited format.  If you are in that direction this will be a sweet card for your deck, if not then it probably should not make the cut.

Standard – 1.0 (Maybe the Jarad deck might want this)
Limited – 1.5 -2.5

73 Gild

Gild is pretty sweet.  While it is not Sever the Bloodlines, it is still a sideboard worthy removal spell.  This allows Black to deal with indestructible threats, you know like Gods.  Four mana kill anything spell for limited is basically all you ever want.

Standard – 2.5
Limited – 3.5

74 Grisly Transformation

This is a playable 23rd card but not much more than that.  Intimidate is ok but not the greatest of evasion abilities.

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 2.0

75 Herald of Torment

This demon will surely torment the block constructed ranks.  It has the chance to be a player in standard if an Agent of Fates aggressive deck takes flight.  This guy is obviously very good in limited.

Standard – 2.5
Limited – 3.5

76 Marshmist Titan

Having just three or four devotion gives you quite the rate of return on this titan, if you have any more he becomes a steal.  All that being said you are just getting a vanilla 4/5 for your troubles. 

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 1.5

77 Necrobite

Somewhat clunky removal spell that is secretly an Inspired enabler.  When a creature regenerates you tap it. 

Standard -0.0
Limited – 2.0

78 Nyxborn Eidolon

Black was pretty skimpy on two drops in Theros, this is better than Fleshmad Steed.  The bestow cost and bonuses are pretty bad.  +1 toughness isn’t all that great in Theros.

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 2.0

79 Odunos River Trawler

Another piece of the graveyard recursion deck.  Even if you are not in that deck you can almost always get back a Baleful Eidolon which is a pretty good play.

Standard – 1.0
Limited – 2.5

80 Pain Seer

Ok, here we go there is no better way to do it than just rip the Band-Aid off.  Pain Seer is not good.  It is not Dark Confidant revisted.  Outside of some combo that does not exist in Standard this will likely never draw you a card.  On turn two you cast him.  Your opponent has a turn to do something about it.  Turn three you attack, your opponent has the opportunity to block it.  Now your opponent has another turn to do something about it.  If your opponent in the course of three chances has not killed this, then you get to draw a card a full two turns after you cast it.  I suspect that this card might draw you 1.5 cards a game in a limited game, but it could cost you quite a bit of life as mana costs vary wildly in limited decks.

Standard – 1.5
Limited – 2.0

81 Sanguimancy

This will prove to be better in decks that have lower black devotion than decks where devotion to black is high.  Drawing 3-4 cards off this is quite a fair bargain.  Sure you can draw more if you’re a heavy black deck.  But there will be times in those decks that you draw this and it will simply kill you.  Cast with care.

Standard – 1.0
Limited – 2.5

82 Servant of Tymaret

Putting Claim of Erebos on this Zombie seems to be good times.

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 1.5

83 Shrike Harpy

Most likely this will just turn out to be five mana get a 2/2 flyer and your opponent sacs their worst creature.  Which is not terrible, nor is a five mana 4/4 flyer in black terrible.  Just be aware that you likely will never get the mode of this card that you desire the most.

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 2.5

84 Spiteful Returned

I think that this guy is slightly worse than Baleful Eidolon, but this is still no chump.  Bestowing this will almost always cost your opponent four life.  Baleful encourages your opponent to not block, while this very much makes them want to block. 

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 2.5

85 Warchanter of Mogis

In some formats this would be a nightmare to deal with.  However I think that it gets quite outclassed in Theros.  Will be fine in the Minotaur deck, but fairly lackluster in most other decks.

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 2.0

86 Weight of the Underworld

Playable while not quite being spectacular. 

Standard – 0.0
Limited – 1.5

No comments:

Post a Comment