Review(Innistrad Review) - Red

Hello again!

This week I'm going to finish up the review of my inital impressions of cards from the midway through the Innistrad spoiler, looking at them again in the context of the full set having been used for the last ever world championships.

I've already looked at white, blue and black. Today I've reached the red cards, which were pretty thin on the ground at this point; just a couple of potential tournament cards and some limited fodder:

Bloodcrazed Neonate
	Review:	Not what red is looking for. Could have a chance in a slow format with no one mana removal, but still worse than Stormblood Berserker.
	Reality:	Shock is good enough to see play as a Lightning Bolt replacement (although often in the form of Galvanic Blast). The printing of Geistflame and the emergence of Gut Shot as a playable card ensure that Bloodcrazed Neonate will not be seeing constructed play.
	Accuracy:	5
	Future:	Even a dedicated vampire deck would struggle to want this card. Possibly if there was a three mana lord that gave +1/+1 and flying, and no other two mana vampires are printed.

Devil's Play
Review:	On the edge of playability, will hinge on how useful the flashback ability is.
Reality:	I'm calling this a hit after seeing Devil's Play performing almost exactly the function predicted in Chapin's Grixis deck from Worlds. Early on it is removal that you don't mind pitching to Desperate Ravings. Late game it is a finisher that the UB control decks might even set up for you if they are trying to win with Nephalia Drownyard.
Accuracy:	5
Future:	It will certainly see an increase in play along with Olivia Voldaren and Desperate Ravings from the same Grixis deck. I think that a one-of in a second tier deck will be the extent of it's adoption though.

Kruin Outlaw
	Review:	A key card if RG Werewolves happens, competing with Chandra's Phoenix in Mono Red.
	Reality:	I think I got this spot on, even down to the support for the human creature type in white being stronger than the werewolf support. Chandra's Phoenix is indeed keeping it out of the straight red decks.
	Accuracy:	5
	Future:	Watch for this to become a player (in block at least) if the next set delivers more werewolf support.

Village Ironsmith
Review:	Unimpressive in each form and quickly outclassed.
Reality:	This has seen no play.
Accuracy:	5
Future:	This will continue to see zero constructed play (and sees far too much limited play in my experience).

A clean sweep of the red card reviews!

Well, pending the future performance of Kruin Outlaw. That score is more of a 4.8, but I'm not doing decimal places...

Next time I finish up with the green cards, and a healthy five card haul.

Steve