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A First Glance at Guildpact LimitedBy Daniel Rezendes on January 20th, 2006 · Filed in Limited · 22 CommentsThis is a special Friday-night article for all you Prerelease-goers out there Sealed and Draft are of course two different animals, perhaps more so with Ravnica block than usual. Where in other formats, the second set built largely upon old archetypes, Guildpact adds little to the archetypes of Ravnica while creating completely new ones. For draft, with only the third pack being Guildpact, most of Ravnica's archetypes should still be draftable, with the biggest hit likely going to Dimir Mill -- obviously, it needs mill related cards to work, and loses a pack worth of them. If you happen to get two Psychic Drains and three Vedalken Entrancers in the first two packs, great, but Guildpact doesn't do the decks any favors except about a million cantrips. Boros and Selesnya that choose to splash Red have a lot to gain from the Gruul, and likely will end up fighting over them at the draft table, while Boros Control can gain some from Orzhov. In all, Selesnya gains two more allied guilds, and reaps the most benefit, and as it was already a powerful guild to start with, could be the archetype people fight over. Finally, I'm eager to see what happens to the "Izzet Synergy" decks that abused the previously underdrafted Red and Blue cards, particularly Viashino Fangtail and Tidewater Minion. This archetype could take unsuspecting draft tables completely by surprise, and for the first while with Guildpact thrown in at the end, it'll have its own gold cards to work with. For Sealed, the formula is almost reversed. Instead of 2/3 of the cards being from Ravnica, only half are, and more importantly, none of them are repeats, while the three packs of Guildpact are almost guaranteed to give you multiples of some of the (hopefully good) commons. Here, you'll have to focus more on what Guildpact has to offer. Now, as I'm sure you all know, the gold cards are some of the most powerful each guild has to offer. Therefore, any strategy that maximizes the number of gold cards you can play without straining your mana base is great. When Ravnica and Guildpact's guilds are combined, there are two three-guild groups that allow three guild's gold cards to be used with relative ease -- Selesnya-Gruul-Boros, and Selesnya-Golgari-Orzhov. This isn't to say that these are the only trios of guilds you can play, but they are the most theoretically powerful. Which means, in draft, that you might have to fight extra hard over those Selesnya cards, as that guild is in both trios. GRW is the ultimate aggressive combination of the three sets, with early Selesnya and Boros drops transitioning through Selesnya into Gruul monsters and a few convoking fatties. GWB, however, is a far more controlling strategy, using Selesnya to help take control of the board, Golgari for consistancy and removal, and Orzhov to slowly pick away at even a deeply entrenched opponent. If the cards don't allow you to do either of these, do something else certainly, but be aware of them. And now, without further stalling, card evaluations. All card texts may be found in the Guildpact Spoiler Common White: Absolver Thrull – Sideboard material. There are a lot of enchantments running around, so being able to kill them is something you want to be able to do, but note there is no "may" in this effect (Haunt, as I understand it, is automatic as well). If your opponent has a Glare of Subdual or a ton of other annoying enchantments, board him in, but otherwise I’d keep him benched. Benediction of Moons -- Just... don't. I'm surprised as hell this is common, and saddened. Ghost Warden -- A solid critter all around. It's no Kabuto Moth, but certainly something good for your main deck most of the time. Guardian’s Magemark – not a high pick, but combat tricks that leave a bonus behind aren’t bad things. By itself, it’s an overcosted White Battlegrowth, but if you have at least two or three other encha… that is, AURAs in your deck (besides Faith’s Fetters and Pillory of the Sleepless, etc.), this is worth experimenting with. Multiple Magemarks would be very interesting, though it would usually be wisest to spread them among multiple targets. Lionheart Maverick - Um... huh? I mean, it's nice to have something to do with mana late game, but... Eew. Turn your 1/1 into a 2/3 for a mere   ? Ooh, and it has Vigilance too... that makes ALL the difference. Give me Caregiver, please. Shrieking Grotesque – I like this. A lot. Assuming you can pay the  , of course. Last I checked, Ravenous Rats was some good; adding to give it +1/+0 and flight makes this one of the most aggressive Orzhov commons I’ve seen. And if needed, it can trade for Skyknight Legionnaires and Snapping Drake. Skyrider Trainee - I'm wondering, are Auras a Ravnica block subtheme, or plants for the next block? Anyway, five for a 3/3 is obviously sub-par, and I wouldn't play this unless I had at least three or four aggressive auras, and even then would rather be doing something else. However, this should be a fairly late pick, and someone crazy enough to draft every Magemark in sight could do something fun with it. I can't predict how well it will work. To Arms! – I hate this card. Mostly because of the exclamation point. I mean, Kaboom! was sad enough, but at least that was a goblin card. It was allowed to be stupid. *Sigh*. Anyway, the effect itself is a nice surprise, comparable to Rally the Righteous. It doesn’t boost your creatures’ power, but it is cheaper and more splashable, it won’t ever boost your opponent’s creatures, and it draws you a card. I wouldn’t play many of these, but it is something to be aware of when attacking someone with  open. Withstand – A cantrip Healing Salve. Oh joyous day. I would play it for the simple reason it lacks any punctuation marks in the name. Still, it’s not an awful thing to have, but try to use it to save a creature and not just spare you a few points life loss, unless you really have to. Still, not a high pick, and I’d be just as happy to leave this one sitting out. Izzet Likes the Mana Crystal Seer -- My that's... expensive. If it gave you some way to dump some of the cards, maybe, but as it is, ouch. I'm almost more interested in the really bad Blinking Spirit ability it has, since you can block something big and bounce it, but still, even an Izzet manabase would be overworked by the strain doing that would give a deck. Do try to have something better in your deck. Infiltrator’s Magemark – That’s some mighty evasion there. There aren’t too many Walls around here, and fewer that would kill what they block. Like the other mage marks, best used with other Auras, but don’t underestimate evasion in Limited. Just try to keep the target protected. Gigadrowse – A very good card for Limited. This card is so amazingly versatile, it’s ridiculous. It can prevent their alpha strike, or allow your own. It can stunt a player’s turn to the point of being useless. The cheap cost to cast and replicate means that the utility of the card scales with your manabase. However, unlike other Replicate cards that have colorless in the costs, this requires 100% blue, meaning half or more of your mana is useless for replicating. Anyway, if you’re playing more than a splash of Blue, play this. But don’t go crazy – Izzet and Dimir are both creature-light as it is. Repeal – Another very good card for limited, but be wary of holding this back against big threats. Bounce with a set cost is often best used that way, but that’s because of the mana advantage it gives you. This always gives you mana DISadvantage, but card advantage. This is usually more of an “end of their turn” card than a combat trick, though if you have the mana and the need, don’t be afraid to use it as such. Good against cheap Bloodthirst stuff if you think you can protect yourself from damage nest time they try to cast it. Runeboggle – Mental Magic loves this. Otherwise… perhaps playable against tempo-driven decks that try to curve out, like Boros and Gruul, and will likely counter a lot more than it has rights to in limited, but I still wouldn’t play too terribly many of these, if any. Exclude it ain’t. Steamcore Weird -- Odd, that one of Izzet's best removal cards is a creature. Someone compared this to River Kaijin, and that is actually a fair assessment despite costing one more and being a 1/3 instead of a 1/4. The Kaijin was in the land of 2/2s with Bushido, where 4 toughness was the minimum a defensive creature needed to be useful. Here, there's lots of 2 power, lots of one power, and a lot of 3 power things have 1 toughness, and can be killed when this comes into play, or even blocking it. Very good card, and just what Izzet needs to stem an aggro hoard. Torch Drake - It flies, it pumps a bit... if you have a lot of red, it can be better than Snapping Drake, but it still dies to almost anything that can block it. Quite playable in Limited, kinda a step down from Furnace Whelp, which was pretty good (though in an environment with fewer fliers running around). Train of Thought – I’d play one or two of these if I was heavy Blue, and probably play them as soon as there’s nothing else worth playing in my hand, no matter how many more cards I could draw “later.” Draw spells only help if you use them, after all. Yes, it’s a sorcery, and  for each card is hardly a premium, but drawing into more threats/answers is a very powerful ability to have in Limited, and as with the rest of the replicate cards, this card’s usefulness increases over the course of the game. Black: Cremate – A good card to have, and not just against Golgari. If a card with haunt goes to the graveyard, you have a short window after the haunt triggers but before it resolves to remove the card from the game and stop the effect from happening. Something you definitely want to have a few to board in, and might even maindeck one of if you have a very shallow cardpool, since it cycles cheaply. Cry of Contrition – long-game card advantage, eventually. I don’t like this card much, unless you have a lot of them and a lot of creatures dying during, say, their draw phase to deny them their fresh card. Probably better than it looks, but not an auto-include in my mind, unless you have lots of ways to trigger the haunt on command, or just plain a lot of these. I'd rather have creatures and removal. Douse in Gloom – It tastes like removal. I play this, 100%. It kills early problem creatures like Selesnya Evangel, Snapping Drake, Skyknight Legionnaire, and all the Guildmages, and gains a little life to help against aggro that makes Orzhov so very sad. I know it isn’t Lightning Helix, but it’s also common and splashable. Necromancer’s Magemark – my favorite of the Magemarks, because it offsets the card disadvantage of being an Aura, possibly for multiple creatures. I mean, seeing a Moldervine Cloak come back again and again is bad enough, but the creature it’s on, too? I would be happy maindecking this. Ostiary Thrull -- Sure, it's expensive for a Master Decoy, but the ability is that good, and Orzhov needs it. Definately something you play if you can use the ability. Poisonbelly Ogre – Against Selesnya maybe? Not terrible, but seems Orzhov really doesn’t like symmetrical effects. Probably a plant Rakdos card, and not very good without its clanmates, unless your deck has a lot more removal than most and a low proportion of creatures. Restless Bones – Ouch, that cost hurts. Only play this if you have several fatties and the opponent is playing a lot of swamps… and even then you use 4 mana a turn to get one creature unblockable. I’d call it a benchwarmer, but undead don’t warm benches very well… hrum. Red: Bloodscale Prowler -- Quite a few 3/1s for 3 in this environment, so this is about par with that. Nice with bloodthirst, though a 4/2 is nearly as easy to kill in Ravnica as a 3/1. As with all the other such creatures, he loves first strike. Good for filling out Grull decks. Fencer’s Magemark – I’d rather be using Galvanic Arc to give my critters first strike, but this isn’t terrible by itself. Boros likes it for its high power/low toughness creatures. I wouldn’t want to play it as my only enchant creature, but if I’m already playing two or three others, I could see myself including it. First Strike is generally undervalued, I’ve found. Ogre Savant – A decently sized body combined with bounce is a good thing, nice for reversing the tide of creatures against you. I can see myself casting him turn four with a signet, then casting Vedalken Dismisser turn five… the body/cost ratio isn’t great, but the tempo gain is wonderful. Pyromatic – Auto-include in any red-heavy deck. Early game, it kills annoying x/1s. Mid game, it kills two of those, or x/2s. As the game goes on, so does its reach. It isn’t the wrecking ball Rolling Thunder was, but that’s probably a good thing. And remember, this is an INSTANT. I can see Gruul happier using this than Izzet. Tin-street Hooligan – this card has been errated to also say “Anyone whose artifact is destroyed by this must also do an impression of an irate old man.” Solid body without the extra cost, but great when you can take out an opponent’s Signet or something, even better when taking out something scary. Just be careful not to kill your own. Green: Beastmaster’s Magemark – A fun little trick wit the “Can’t be blocked by stuff with less power” creatures, I suppose. Perhaps more than any of the other Magemarks, only if you have several other Auras. Ghor-Clan Savage – Obviously only to be played with Bloodthirst, save under direst need. 5/6 for five is pretty damned solid, but don’t forget that it’s conditional. Note that, bloodthirsted, it can survive Selesnya’s biggest hitters Siege Wurm and Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi, where other Grull cards at this mana slot cannot. Gruul Nodorog – semi-evasive Fat. At least kills two tokens when you use him. About equal to the Savage, and you don’t want too many of either. Judge which is better for you by how easily you think you can punch damage through to your opponent. Grull Scraper - it's Vulshok Berserker come again, if you can pay the  . Not terrible, like other enhanced spells only really something you want to play if you're pretty sure you can get the added effect. Not exciting, but can be effective. Silhana Ledgewalker – He may not look like it, but this is the card that make Gruul go. He is hard to block early, immune to spot kill, and does that pivotal one damage to make your creatures Bloodthirst. Watch out for Courier Hawks, but otherwise, if you’re Gruul, I’d play two or three of these. Silhana Starfletcher – Very solid all around. A high enough toughness to block early creatures, and helps accelerate out bigger creatures, while fixing your mana a little too. Very playable. Skarrgan Pit-Skulk – Meh. Mostly filler – if you can get him down turn 2 as a 2/2, it’s only a boost if you can cast something else that turn as well. Maybe turn 3 as an extra 2/2 along with a two drop… after that, he becomes a lot less useful. Still, assuming he’s bloodthirsted, he’ll probably trade with whatever blocks him, save a few 2/3s and first strikers, and his evasion (if bloodthirsted) could make him helpful in triggering more bloodthirst. Lots of ifs in there, tho. Not entirely unplayable, probably better than the green Ruskala at least, but I’d rather have another Ledgewalker. Wildsize – A very solid combat trick that gives you even more card advantage? I’d always be happy playing this. Won’t be hard to save your creature and/or kill an opponent's, get a little extra damage over, draw a card, AND then be able to cast a bloodthirsted critter afterward. Multicolor: Blind Hunter – at one more mana than a 2/2 flier should be, he’s not too terribly overcosted and trades with a lot of other problem fliers. And he gives an eight point life swing over the course of the game, which is hardly insubstantial. He’ll probably start out underappreciated. Burning-Tree Bloodscale – this guy is expensive to use, but potentially powerful, letting you get damage through, pick off smaller creatures, or sacrificing himself so the rest of your army can get across. He’s not usually what you want to play turn four, and really a better later-game card to kill their blockers. Potentially very good, but mind your mana. Castigate – comparable to Distress in limited. If you know your opponent has one or two cards that WRECK you, maybe, but usually you’d be better served by something else. Izzet Chronarch – This guild has very few creatures, and they are all fairly inefficient. Izzet lives or dies off of its sorceries, particularly its cantrips that let you draw into what few creatures you have. This is a critter that lets you get back some spell to reuse, maybe something nice with Replicate to use a lot. Highly playable in Izzet – I know he is expensive, but Izzet is the most mana-intensive guild anyway, so your deck should be able to handle it. Leap of Flame – Very versatile card with a very limiting mana cost. You have to be dedicated Izzet to play this, but it could be your win condition, or just a nice combat trick that keeps you alive long enough to try to win later. I’d play one, maybe two if my mana could handle it, but I’d rather have one and an extra Chronarch to get it back. Pillory of the Sleepless – The Faith’s Fetters of the set. Play it and be happy with it. Splash for it if you’re playing either of the colors. It’s good. Worst that’s likely to happen, they sacrifice the target to something or other – oh well, it’s still dead. Scab-Clan Mauler – You won’t bloodthirst him out on turn two terribly often, though it’s not impossible. Casting him bloodthirsted turn 3 or four is still not a bad thing, and still leaves you some mana to do something else, and later on a creature with trample is important to get a little more damage through for further bloodthirsting. Don't draft a million and assume he'll be an easy 3/3 all the time, but he's still the bread and butter of Gruul decks. Streetbreaker Wurm – It’s fat, it’s cheap, and it’s not conditional. I’d rather have him than Ghor-Clan Savage most of the time, but splitting between both is okay. Wee Dragonauts – aww, wook at the cute widdle dwagons. Izzet needs these, and it needs a lot of them. Enough stringed cantrips can make these win the game really fast… or not. Even so, this is the workhorse of Izzet decks. Hybrid: Mourning Thrull – Cute. But mostly stupid. Can be good if they have no fliers at all, starts the bleeding early, but I don’t see this surviving too terribly long. Not unplayable by any means, and Orzhov seems to lack many early plays. I would usually rather have a Lurking Informant for disruption, but you take what you can get in limited, and every little bit of life matters to Orzhov. Really wants higher power though. Petrahydrox – A solid cost/body ratio, not something I’d be sad playing in any deck with the colors. The ability makes it hard to keep dead, and if you have any instants to target it with (and let me think, which guild has a lot of instants…), you can save it from combat yourself. Consider how solid Greater Mossdog is for its recursive abilities; Petrahydrox is more spastic about it, but hey, it’s Izzet. What do you want except spastic? Wild Cantor – Not bad. Can speed out something big a turn faster, and if you need to, throw it at your opponent with a bunch of other cheap stuff to just get through the one damage you need to make Bloodthirst work. Still, Sakura-Tribe Elder he ain’t, and if you’re that concerned about your mana base, it’s often smarter just to play an extra land or a land tutor. Consider this in the same vein as Terrarion, only it gives you a slight tempo boost with your mana fixing instead of a slight card advantage boost. How often does Terrarion make your deck? More important as a mana fixer than a bana boost, I think. Artifacts/Lands: Signets – I hope you know how these work by now. Solid mana fixing and acceleration. Good things to play. Not as cute as Myr. Bouncelands – There have been and likely still are raging debates about these. The opinion most people are finally accepting is that they are good and playable, somewhat more so perhaps for slower guilds. Playing two of these is a great thing to do. Uncommon White: Belfry Spirit -- neat! 3 power of fliers for  , not unlike Battle Screech in its own, harder to use way. Definately playable in limited, at worst gives 5 chump blockers, if not all at once. Droning Bureaucrats – a good defensive creature that single-handedly disables token armies. Occasionally acts as an expensive multiple Thundersong Trumpeter, but should be a mainly defensive As you can see, this guy is just itching to be tapped. Harrier Griffin – expensive for its size and utility. Its ability doesn’t work at all for defense, and its cost/size ratio isn’t very good for aggro. Still, it flies and helps your other creatures get past their best defender. I’d play it, but its not something I’d be ecstatic about. Martyred Ruskala – I’d probably prefer to have Caregiver most of the time, but this isn’t terrible. It does several things. For one, like Caregiver, it helps decks with Selesnya convoke, in events mixing the two sets. Two, it helps defend against gigantic tramplers or evasive creatures – for a mere , your Saproling can chump that Siege Wurm. Finally, this is a haunt enabler, which I can see being very important in some decks. Order of the Stars -- Kinda cute, I suppose... Obviously a defensive card, a nice infinite-chump blocker against Gruul and the like. Shadow Lance -- Very strong for Orzhov, especially on something with evasion. The pump is efficiently costed, and as I've said before, first strike is often undervalued. Sinstriker's Will -- expensive, but it can be recurring removal. The ability is always powerful when it deals more than one damage, perhaps even enough to be worth risking the extra card if the target dies. More of a Boros card than an Orzhov, with all of Boros' big X/1s and X/2s... but removal is removal. Just be wary of the opponent's when using this. Blue: Ætherplasm – Cute. Very Simic. Very casual. Not something you want to play, unless over half your creatures cost more than four. Which should be never. Drowned Ruskala – Quite good, allows you to pitch dead cards late game, and even draw without discarding if your hand is empty. Be aware, though – usually, you like these cards so you can pitch lands, but Replicate LOVES a big mana base. Stratozeppilid -- It's big and it flies. 5 mana for a 4/4 flier is always playable in limited, barring some ridiculous disadvantage. This is good to splash even. Thunderheads – I really like this card for limited. Your opponent attacks your pathetic Izzet-based defenses, only to watch half their creatures die to a bunch of funny cloud things. A great defensive trick in a color that doesn’t usually get them, thus making it quite unexpected. Vacuumelt -- Limited goodness, especially if you can get a few replicates out of it to slow down an offensive. 3 mana for a sorcery speed unsummon is kinda steep, but the benefit you can get out of this late game is supreme -- if you can get two replicates out of this, your opponent might have to spend the next two or even three turns replaying their big threats. Vedalken Plotter – What, is that a Vitu-Ghazi, the City Tree over there? Here, have a Nivix, Aerie of the Firemand. Haha! Sideboard uncommon lands mostly, but not a bad thing to trade your basic land for their guild land, hurting their mana development substantially. Sadly, you do not get to keep any dual lands taken with this card. Vertigo Spawn – Useful ability, but would be better on a larger body. Usually, it’s the monsters you want to keep tapped down, and this is taken down by 3/xs. Still, a playabe defensive card in the color that needs it most. Black: Caustic Rain – Sideboard against power-lands. Otherwise, leave it in the sideboard with the rest of the landkill. Cryptwailing -- You've spent five mana by the time you've made them discard once, and even then its situational. Could be a useful late game card if you can keep your graveyard full, but even so... this should stay in your 'board. Daggerclaw Imp – Crazy aggressive evasion is good, and I’d definitely play him, but I don’t expect he’d survive too long. One toughness is just incredibly fragile in Guildpact. But still, when this guy hits, he hits card, and he trades with Conclave Equenaut and other, more expensive troublesome fliers. Exhumer Thrull – But but… you’re supposed to SACRIFICE Thrulls! Make them go squish, like any good loyal minion should… Who cares, Thrulls are back and that still makes me happy. This is Gravedigger for  more with +1/+1, and triggers twice. I would play this, certainly, as its easily splashable and almost always card advantage. And remember, if the creature it’s haunting dies, you can bring back that same creature. Hissing Miasma -- good for Orzhov's bleeding strategy and perhaps as a deterrant for a controllish style Dimir deck, but I don't know how effective it would be in a Golgari style build. Good against Selesnya in any case, but the double mana and situational effect makes this not an auto-include, though something you might board in often. Plagued Ruskala – kills weenies and helps kill other things. Very good when a lot of your creatures are dying in some nasty combat, can take most of enemy army with them. And let’s not forget, it triggers Haunt on command. Play it if it’s in color, simple as that. Reverant Patriarch -- Good sized body to cost, and its ability is pretty nice if you can see an alpha strike coming, or (though Orzhov wouldn't do this often) if you want to do a full swing and not be in danger of counterattack next turn. Still, it can't block, and Orzhov is more of a hold-the-ground style strategy than aggro. Could perhaps work as a good haunt target, just sending it on suicide attacks now and again. Its a defensive comes-into-play ability on an offensive creature... odd. Probably playable, probably dissapointing. Smogsteed Rider – an Orzhov win condition right there. Orzhov wants to slowly bleed you to death, flavorwise, but seems to me bleeding you into alpha strike range is a lot more effective. Two of these attacking against someone without black makes for fun times. Just don’t waste him – he will die if he attacks. Could be very annoying with recursion, such as the Necromancer’s Magemark and Exhumer Thrull. Red: Hypervolt Grasp – The unholy bastard child of Viridian Longbow and Lavamancer’s Skill. Both were some good in their day. If you are Izzet, play this. I shouldn’t need to tell you that. If you are not Izzet, this is still playable, but with enough blue and red to bounce and recast it several times in a turn, it can turn quite stupid quite quickly. Rabble-Rouser - Cute idea, and can do spectacular things from time to time I'm sure, though expensive to cast. If I could guarantee it would be Bloodthirsted, or have some other reliable way to enhance its power (Grull is half Green, after all), perhaps, but another one of those cards you need to really look at your deck and decide how often the ability would be useful. Scorched Ruskala – He turns dying creatures into damage, which is never a bad thing. More importantly, he allows you to sacrifice early game critters to Bloodthirst up late game ones. One damage is all it takes to make your Bloodthirsty critters happy and large. Shattering Spree – Wait… does Primitive Justice have Replicate now? Anyway, sideboard against artifacts. I doubt you’ll be replicating it much, but if you happen to be able to kill a Signet or two while taking out their Sword of the Paruns, go for it. I’d rather use the Hooligan though. Green: Battering Wurm – I would soooo much rather play Siege Wurm, it isn’t even funny. Still, he’s fairly big, with an interesting and powerful evasion ability… MAYBE as a one of. Seven is still a lot of mana. This really needs to be Bloodthirsted to work. Crash Landing – Do I even have to tell you this is a sideboard card? I hope you are at least that intelligent. Anyway, ground-pounding green decks adore this card for limited, though I’d still rather have Trophy Hunter, but that’s natural. Only board this in if they are playing a lot of fliers, or one or two you REALLY have no other way to deal with. And only if you play a lot of forests, of course. Dryad Sophisticate – An auto-include for green. The body is solid enough for the cost so you don’t feel bad playing it anyway, and with all the bouncelands running around, not to mention guildhalls, this guy will be merrily swinging for two a good amount of the time. Gatherer of Graces – Maybe, if you are, say, drafting triple Guildpact and can get something like 7 magemarks and 3 other enchant creatures… That would still not work. But it would be really funny. Gristleback – I really didn’t expect lifegain on a Gruul card. I’ll take it, though. He’s playable without the Bloodthirst and quite good with. Solid. Predatory Focus – Finisher, all the way. Only use it as a finisher, because all your best creatures will be killed in the attack. Still, as a finisher, it is quite a powerful one. Primeval Light – a fine thing to have in your sideboard in case someone tries to do some major Magemark multiplicity madness. Otherwise, there’s usually an easier way to kill enchantments. Starved Ruskala – Green really needs to learn to do something besides crappy lifegain. I mean, eew. I might play him, just because being able to sacrifice your own creatures is a very useful thing in this format, but seriously, chaff. Multicolored: Agent of Masks – This is really more of a multiplayer card than a limited one, but it isn’t bad, per se. Expensive for its size, but very Orzhov. I can see this working rather well in a well constructed Orzhov deck. Conjurer’s Ban – more of a constructed mini-Meddling Mage, I don’t see it being too useful in limited unless you know what is in your opponent’s hand. It does at least draw you a card, but… I’d rather just use Castigate in limited most of the time, if I want to be disruptive. OR, Shrieking Grotesque for that matter. Electrolyze – Fire + Cantrip = happy! Yes, you can occasionally get 3-for-1 card advantage with this, but there aren’t terribly many X/1s running around in Ravnica (that aren’t tokens, at least). Even so, killing an X/2 and drawing a card is still a good ability, and Izzet really likes drawing its cards. Feral Animist – He looks impressive, but is only really playable if you can give him First Strike or Trample. And even then, there’s plenty of ways to kill an X/1, do matter how many times you’ve paid . Without higher toughness, First Strike, Trample, he’s actually better on defense, threatening to kill whatever attacks into it. That’s not what Gruul wants to be doing. Gelectrode – Tims are always playable in Limited. Repeating Tims all the more so. With all the instants Izzet has, this can destroy all sorts of stuff. I shudder to think of this untapping off of Electrolyze. No, Replicate doesn’t untap him, thank Yawgmoth. Goblin Flectromancer – That’s a tough mana cost to wrap your lands around. The ability is useful to have in play, certainly, and I’d probably play him in any deck I thought could handle the cost, but don’t expect crazy shenanigans out of him – all he’ll do is keep the opponent from playing instants and sorceries until he can deal with it, which itself is good. Savage Twister – It was crazy good back in the day, and it’s crazy good in Limited now. Perhaps more Gruul should have just about the biggest creatures around, so killing half of yours and all of theirs is always good. Kills evasive creatures without complaint, sweeps away weenie hoards with glee. Schismotivate – Consume Strength it ain’t. It can save a creature and tip the balance to kill another; it can push through 4 more damage or save you the same amount… in other words is a nice versatile trick, and playable certainly, but Izzet has a lot to do at 3 mana and precious few creatures to do combat tricks with. Skarrgan Skybreaker – a 6/6 for 7 isn’t too bad, but the fact you can pay to deal his power to anything makes this Limited bliss. This thing will either kill chump blockers all day, or take out several of the opposing team and hit for 6 anyway. Definitely play this if you’re Gruul. Souls of the Faultless – Very Orzhov, tough to cast turn 3. Very good wall though, and just the sort of thing an Orzhov bleeder style deck wants to play. Wreak Havoc [Notice, everyone, how it's not "Wreck" Havoc -Ed] – I know we’re all sad it costs 4. Cry me a river, you still can’t counter it. That wasn’t supposed to make sense, it’s just supposed to take up space because I’ve not much to say here. Board it in if your opponent has some game-wrecking land or artifact, leave it at home otherwise. Hybrid: Gruul Guildmage – It’s a guildmage. Play it if you can. The Red ability may seem expensive, but it can deal that few extra damage after a defensive deck has stalemated your army, it uses up extra lands you’ve drawn, and it just might let you cast something bloodthirsted. The second ability is the one you’ll want to use more often tho, and this is a fine card to play without the red at all. Izzet Guildmage – It’s a guildmage. Play it if you can. That said, I simply don’t see that many targets you’d want to replicate in limited with this thing. Most of the cheap Red and Blue instants and sorceries in this set have replicate anyway. But hey, 2/2 for two is better than either Red or Blue normally gets. Orzhov Guildmage – It’s a guildmage. Play it if you can. And remember not to use its abilities until the end of your opponent’s turn if you absolutely need to. Use the life gain to keep out of alpha-strike range, then alternate the two abilities to slowly win. Just don’t get carried away with either ability. Lands: Nivix, Aerie of the Firemind – Ha-ha ha-ha haha, Izzet’s land is stupid. Just don’t. Orzhova, the Church of Deals – Not cheap to activate, but Orzhov plays long games. If you’ve nothing better to do with the mana, two point life swing is a good thing. Skargg, the Rage Pits – Very very solid. Can save your creatures, help kill theirs, but perhaps just as importantly, helps you get some trample damage over to make your creatures all bloodthirsty this turn. Definitely playable. Well anyway, I hope you all found this (lengthy) overview useful. I don't pretend to be infallible or anything, but it should at least help get you thinking of what you should be aware of this weekend. Good luck all (well, unless I happen to play against you in Pomona  ).
By Daniel Rezendes on January 20th, 2006 · Filed in Limited · 22 Comments
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