Dark Ascension Spoiler Review - Part 3

Welcome back to part three of my Dark Ascension spoiler review. We've already covered a lot of new cards, but they keep on coming!

I want to start by picking up on Falkenrath Aristocrat, which was the subject of most feedback from part two...

Falkenrath Aristocrat
	This card is not good enough to see play in the current environment for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is weak to a lot of the removal spells that are seeing play; Vapor Snag, Wring Flesh and Virulent Wound are all fine answers to it, and Gut Shot will also kill it unless they have a creature to sacrifice (and even then the Gut Shot has still traded for a creature). Next we can look at the body; a four power creature with haste for four mana seems exactly what a red and black deck would want, right? Except that the lack of play for Koth of the Hammer and Hero of Oxid ridge show that this is not the case (and don't even require compromising a mono-red mana base to support). So is the addition of flying enough to put Aristocrat into the picture? Well, no. Right now Standard is dominated by Moorland Haunt and equipment, and there are plenty of first striking spirit tokens that will require a Human sacrifice to even allow an attack with Falkenrath Aristocrat to be a trade (albeit for the human). Avacyn forbid the spirits have a sword, as Aristocrat can't attack (or block) at all then! The cards on the spoiler indicate that the number of flying tokens in the format is not going to drop, and will likely increase as black gets in on the token supporting theme. Then there is the previously mentioned competition from Olivia Voldaren, who outclasses the Aristocrat on pretty much every front for decks that plan to have red and black mana, but not a large supply of creatures they are willing to sacrifice. So, terribly positioned and unplayable in Standard then. But my rating was wrong, because it is meant to be a rating of the card in general, not just this particular season. So what would Standard need to look like for Falkenrath Aristocrat to be good? I think we're waiting for rotation at the very least, as there are too many good answers seeing play in large numbers right now, and the competition from Koth and Hero is too strong. There also needs to be a decrease in swarm decks that play a lot of flyers, so Falkenrath Aristocrat can reliably connect, or at least be threatening to trade for a whole card. At this point the Aristocrat could see play as the top of the curve in an aggressive red black deck, aiming to deal a hasty final blow before midrange strategies can deploy their more expensive trumps. The deck would need a number of cheap (preferably human) creatures to provide early damage and protect the Aristocrat. Thus, the new rating.
	Constructed:	Marginal

So what is this rating system I'm using? Let me remind you:

Limited
Bomb:	This is a card that will single-handedly win games. A clear first pick in draft.
Staple:	A good card that you will always run in your colour, and would consider splashing.
Playable:	A card that will normally be played when in that colour, a possible splash on occasion.
Marginal:	A situational card that will usually be left on the sidelines. May have an important role in fringe archetypes.
Unplayable:	This card should basically never be played.

Constructed
All-star:	A format-defining card that is a key piece in one or more top level decks.
Linchpin:	A unique or highly specialised effect that will demand a new deck, or elevate an existing deck to new heights.
Staple:	This is a card that will play an important role in multiple decks, or as an effective sideboard card.
Playable:	A solid card that will perform well without drawing particular attention to itself.
Marginal:	This is a narrow card that might one day be "tech" against a similarly narrow strategy.
Unplayable:	Not scientifically proven to cause cancer, but there is an awful lot of anecdotal evidence pointing to a link. Avoid just in case.

Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Constructed:	Playable
The latest in a long line of "hate bears"; random creatures for most of the time, but which completely shut down certain strategies (see Gaddock Teeg, Ethersworn Canonist, Meddling Mage, etc). The first strike is a nice secondary ability to have that adds a decent bit of value for when the Thorn of Amethyst effect isn't relevant. The fact that your own non-creature spells are also affected does need to be kept in mind, especially in Standard where the obvious deck to include Thalia (blue white Moorland Haunt strategies) would definitely notice their own Vapor Snag, Gut Shot, Mana Leak, Runechanter's Pike et al costing one more mana. In larger formats where the storm mechanic lurks this may see more play, where the better quality body might prompt main deck inclusion where Ethersworn Canonist is usually reserved for the sideboard.
Limited:	Playable
There are lot of creatures that Thalia can attack through early and then hold off once she starts to become outclassed. She will be at her best against the flashback decks, but most white decks will want to run at least a couple of flashback spells themselves and Thalia does not work well with the plan of two-drop, three-drop, Travel Preparations plus flashback.

Beguiler of Wills
	Constructed:	Marginal
	If you can play out at least a couple of creatures in your first few turns, and your opponent does too, and you can afford to spend a whole turn adding a 1/1 to this creature battle, and you are playing blue, and your 1/1 survives a turn cycle, then you can maybe steal a creature. That's a lot of ifs. The good news is that if you can meet all these conditions, the effect will continue to get larger as you gain control of more creatures. Even better, killing Beguiler of Wills doesn't end the control effect, so you won't be getting blown out by a mid-combat Gut Shot. This would have been a sweet card during the Squadron Hawk battles of last season, but I think the format is just too hostile to X/1 creatures to justify spending this much mana on one.
	Limited:	Bomb
	It's going to die a lot, sure, but look back at the list of criteria from the constructed review... looks a lot like a description of limited games, doesn't it? This is going to ruin a lot of games, so I'm glad it's a mythic rare, but that won't stop me from slamming it when I get the opportunity.

Fiend of the Shadows
Constructed:	Marginal
The whole "sacrifice a human" thing seems like a strictly limited mechanic. At the point that you have the mana base to both cast this and generate the number of Humans you would want to support the ability, there are just so many better options (mainly named Sorin, it appears). So what we're usually going to have access to is a 3/3 specter (a creature that makes the opponent discard in some way when it damages them), with an upside in mirror (or near mirror) matches. This is likely going to be a card for control decks, or a sideboard option for a black aggro decks against control, but ultimately is not that exciting.
Limited:	Staple
A very respectable body; any way to gain repeated card advantage is a high draft pick. This is the kind of card that will quickly take over a game by reducing your opponent's options dramatically if you can get through with it.

Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
	Constructed:	Playable
	There are a number of six mana cards ahead of Mikaeus for inclusion in a black deck, but that is not to say there is no hope of him shambling onto the Standard scene. I'm intrigued by the thought of playing him in a black infect deck, where he makes Inkmoth Nexus into a 2/2 with undying (it will return to the battlefield as a land with a +1/+1 counter on it if it dies). He also does good work with Phyrexian Crusader (Zombie Knight) and amusingly with the Germ tokens often found in these kinds of decks. The counters also work well with the proliferate effects that these decks often run. The No Mercy effect for Humans is also more relevant than you might think, hitting Snapcaster Mage, Delver of Secrets (and Insectile Abberation), and basically all of the blue white Humans deck (duh!) among others. You still need a very good reason to be playing anything over Grave Titan or Wurmcoil Engine, but there are enough facets to Mikaeus that he might make an appearance.
	Limited:	Bomb
	It's difficult to find anything interesting to say about Mikaeus other than point out that there do seem to be a lot of insane bomb rares in this set. Hopefully the fact that most of them are at mythic rarity so far means they won't be consistently ruining otherwise enjoyable games.

Flayer of the Hatebound
Constructed:	Marginal
I'm struggling to be impressed by the undying creatures for constructed so far. This might be because it is as near as makes no difference a rerun of persist, but so far lacking the character of a Kitchen Finks or Murderous Redcap. Flayer of the Hatebound comes closest so far, offering to smack a creature or player for five (or more!) when it returns from the graveyard, then repeat the trick for any other creatures that come back. This could lead to board states where you are dead to attackers, but can't kill them either or the Flayer triggers will get you, but that is definitely the best case scenario. The main problem with Flayer of the Hatebound is that the 4/2 body is too small for the mana investment, even if it does mean it is more likely to die in combat and trigger. Is a 5/3 plus Lava Axe good enough for six mana? Compare with Inferno Titan, which provides a 6/6 body, three damage to distribute as you wish, and another three each time it attacks. And firebreathing. The most likely play for Flayer is in a Birthing Pod deck, which seems to be the strategy that benefits most from the undying mechanic. Here again, it must compete with Titans for the spot and also have a seven to find with the Birthing Pod trigger.
Limited:	Staple
Flayer of the Hatebound is comparable with Rage Thrower, with the same body and mana cost, but with a substantially better ability. Hitting creatures is usually going to be more profitable, and you'll be hoping for a three for one in most situations.

Hellrider
	Constructed:	Marginal
	If you can craft situations where Hellrider is dealing five or more damage on an attack it's probably worth talking about, as just adding haste to Hill Giant is nowhere near the level we want to be at in constructed. Some sort of token strategy with Rally the Peasants is the most likely, although those decks are more likely to want blue or black support than red. If you're just attacking with the usual array of mediocre red guys Hero of Oxid Ridge probably gets the nod over Hellrider.
	Limited:	Playable
	Unlike Flayer of the Hatebound this cannot target creatures, which otherwise have put it straight up into bomb territory. The aggressive red black deck has proved strong in triple Innistrad draft, with a ton of tiny men and all of the removal. Hellrider is exactly the kind of card this strategy wants to follow up with as it's creatures start to get outclassed in combat to force through that last bit of damage.

Pyreheart Wolf
Constructed:	Unplayable
No matter how crazy the board situation you dream up to maximise the ability, the fact that Pyreheart Wolf doesn't have haste means that your opponent has a full turn to respond to it. Undying suggests that maybe killing it is not an answer, since it will come back and still be able to attack, but any opponent who knows what they are doing will just kill it at the beginning of your combat step. The red creatures that are seeing play already have some form of evasion, so Pyreheart Wolf is an unnecessary inclusion.
Limited:	Playable
Anything that grants all your creatures a form of evasion is worth playing, and especially when the effect is on a creature itself. This effect looks like it will work with flyers very effectively, since they are so tough to block in the first place. Undying means that even if your opponent concentrates on blocking the Wolf you will still get two evasive attacks in. Just be aware that playing this will start a race, so there may be times when your opponent is being overly defensive (in a manner that is beneficial to your plan) where you may not want to play out the Wolf.

Feed the Pack
	Constructed:	Marginal
	This is the kind of card that requires a deck built around it, and at least it is templated to not shoot you in the foot if your opponent tries to interfere (it is a may ability, you choose and sacrifice the creature as the ability resolves). There are a couple of outstanding candidates to feed to the pack, most notably Tree of Redemption and Ghoultree will provide food for a lethal number of (apparently vegetarian) wolves. The trick will be in making the deck work in those games where it doesn't draw the six mana enchantment.
	Limited:	Staple
	I wouldn't be terribly upset to be first picking this, and if I'm in green or already have a couple of larger creatures in another colour it will always merit serious consideration. You will get a use out of it the turn it is played, so there is nothing like the problem with Back from the Brink where you have to skip a turn of action to gain access to card advantage later. In green we can realistically hope for Villagers of Estwald to go with this, and it also combines well with Fortress Crab in blue and Thraben Purebloods (!) in white.

Lambholt Elder / Silverpelt Werewolf
Constructed:	As attractive as Silverpelt Werewolf is, Lambholt Elder is so weak that it is a real stretch to justify playing it. If you could guarantee that it transforms immediately a 4/5 that draws a card is a great deal for three mana, but I think we need at least eight Moonmists before this is tempting enough.
Marginal
Limited:	The 1/2 side is well below par, and is unlikely to be useful in combat without some sort of enhancement. The massive shift in power between the two sides is frustrating from a consistency point of view, but Hanweir Watchkeep has shown that the strong transformation is often worth coping with a weak initial version for.
Staple

Vorapede
Constructed:	Playable
This has too many abilities to have no constructed application, although I think the power is just below the level where people actually become overly excited about it. The amount of green in the mana cost is a concern, but this is another undying creature that looks fantastic with Birthing Pod. Being a five that you want to sacrifice is a great quality as the goal is usually to chain up to a Titan, and being left with a 6/5 with vigilance and trample is something a lot of people are going to be interested in.
Limited:	Staple
This is a very generously costed creature that will always make a base green deck. The combination of abilities mean that it can dominate creature combat on both attack and defence.

Wolfbitten Captive / Krallenhorde Killer
Constructed:	The 1/1 for one mana is usually Wizards's way of trying to push an aggressive archetype for constructed playability (witness Glistener Elf, Goldmeadow Stalwart, Steppe Lynx and so on). Now that Reckless Waif has a partner at one mana there could well be the critical mass of good Werewolves. The key is that Wolfbitten Captive itself is a decent card before flipping; unlike the Waif, which really needs to transform to reliably get damage in. Bounce is obviously a pain when you go to the trouble of transforming your creatures, and the proliferation of Vapor Snag alone may be enough to keep RG Werewolves out of the meta game. An even bigger obstacle than this, though, is that Ratchet Bomb for zero is going to Plaguewind you from potentially every other deck in the tournament. This is the limitation that must be overcome to make this deck work, and may just be too large a hurdle before Standard rotates.
Playable
Limited:	Wolfbitten Captive is a strong first turn play but, unlike Darkthicket Wolf (or even Krallenhorde Killer), every time it tangles in combat the ability has to be used to save it. The risk with this is that you end up funneling too much mana into the Captive and neglect your board position. The transformed Krallenhorde Killer is still likely to trade with whichever two or three drop your opponent plays, so using turn two to pump and flip it is probably not the best use of your time when you have the option of playing a "real" two drop. Far better to play a second creature on turn two and attack with both, on turn three with the option to pump depending on their blocks. Still, later in the game the ability of Krallenhorde Killer will cause real problems for your opponent, and combine fantastically with other combat tricks in hand which they may fail to consider.
Playable

Today's cards are a pretty solid bunch for limited, but largely narrow constructed cards with very specific uses. It does appear that Birthing Pod is one of the main decks to gain from this set so far, as undying fits very well into a deck that is primarily focused on gaining lots of incremental value.

Steve

Dark Ascension Spoiler Review - Part 2

Hello again!

Following on from part one, this is my review of the cards spoiled for Dark Ascension so far. I'm only using the officially spoiled cards from the Image Gallery.

We're about halfway through the first batch of spoilers. I've rated each card for limited play (specifically draft) and constructed (based mainly on Standard). Each card is rated on the following scales:

Limited
Bomb:	This is a card that will single-handedly win games. A clear first pick in draft.
Staple:	A good card that you will always run in your colour, and would consider splashing.
Playable:	A card that will normally be played when in that colour, a possible splash on occasion.
Marginal:	A situational card that will usually be left on the sidelines. May have an important role in fringe archetypes.
Unplayable:	This card should basically never be played.

Constructed
All-star:	A format-defining card that is a key piece in one or more top level decks.
Linchpin:	A unique or highly specialised effect that will demand a new deck, or elevate an existing deck to new heights.
Staple:	This is a card that will play an important role in multiple decks, or as an effective sideboard card.
Playable:	A solid card that will perform well without drawing particular attention to itself.
Marginal:	This is a narrow card that might one day be "tech" against a similarly narrow strategy.
Unplayable:	I mean, sure, you could put it in a deck, but then people might laugh at you and make you feel bad about yourself.

Faithless Looting
Constructed:	Playable
There are two main times when looting effects (now officially in red!) come into play in constructed decks; when your main focus is in finding one specific card, and when you want to place specific cards into your graveyard. Sure, this will also improve the quality of your hand, but Desperate Ravings is almost always going to be the better option and will never be a bad draw with an empty hand. Faithless Looting is the kind of card that doesn't just go into any deck, but will be irreplacable in the decks it does fit into. There is no combo in Standard to benefit from this effect yet, but it could do some good work in the U/R Delver decks to fuel Snapcaster Mage and maybe enable Runechanter's Pike. In Modern this seems like a perfect fit for U/R Storm with Past in Flames, where it becomes a "draw 2" and even benefits from the Past in Flames later on.
Limited:	Playable
As long as you have a bomb in your deck this will draw you closer to it. This is also another cheap spell to help control Werewolves, and looks particularly useful for red decks. The quality of red cards in this format tends to be either very high or very low, with few of the middling quality cards that other colours can lean on. Faithless Looting will provide a way to even out the quality of your draws and work around this.

Mondronen Shaman / Tovolar's Magehunter
Constructed:	This follows the now-classic Werewolf formula for constructed: the front side is too weak to play, while the back side is worth the initial mana cost but not the trouble to cause it to flip or the risk of it changing back.
Unplayable
Limited:	Mondronen Shaman is not quite as big as you would like, particularly that two toughness, but flip it and you are very happy. The damage ability is very nice, your opponent will be taking four damage if they want to play the two spells to transform Tovolar's Magehunter. With only a single red in the mana cost, this is a fairly safe card to pick and you'll be happy to splash it along with any Geistflames and Brimstone Volleys if red doesn't pan out.
Staple

Moonveil Dragon
	Constructed:	Unplayable
	One day red will get a playable mythic Dragon, but we're still waiting. At six mana this doesn't impact the battlefield or protect itself, and isn't even that exciting if it does live to attack.
	Limited:	Bomb
	You're heavy in red if this is in your deck, which would not be a great situation in triple Innistrad and remains to be seen in Dark Ascension. If you can play it, it will threaten to end the game immediately as all your terrible one and two toughness creatures gain (at least) +3 power. Even on a clear board a 5/5 firebreather is going to end things quickly. It's not always going to be a windmill-slam first pick, but I can see myself taking this the majority of times.

Nearheath Stalker
Constructed:	Unplayable
Theoretically this could be okay, since it will almost always trade with anything blocking it to provide you with a two-for-one. Unfortunately it lacks the haste required to really have an impact, and will be too slow and expensive for the decks that might want this. Aggressive red decks tend to top out at four mana (and then with only a couple of cards at that cost). Bigger red decks will want to push on to six for Inferno Titan.
Limited:	Staple
This is a fine card to pick up, and will threaten a lot of damage very quickly. Only Fortress Crab is going to be stopping Nearheath Stalker from getting the two-for-one in combat, and Rotting Fensnake has shown that these kind of stats can work in Innistrad when paired with Spectral Flight, Sharpened Pitchfork, etc.

Ghoultree
	Constructed:	Playable
	It's odd that a 10/10 for (maybe) one green mana isn't particularly exciting, but it doesn't evade or protect itself at all. This could make an impact though, as the mill yourself draft archetype has started popping up in Standard recently. Having a massive creature on the cheap (because you are trying to fill your graveyard with creatures anyway) that will still benefit your plan if it dies could be enough. The question is what it would replace in that deck; I, for one, would rather be attacking with Kessig Cagebreakers.
	Limited:	Staple
	There are plenty of answers to this, although as the first (non-black) green zombie at least Victim of Night isn't one of them. This is ridiculously big and splashable, so there isn't much reason to pass it ever.

Hunger of the Howlpack
Constructed:	Playable
This is a permanent effect, and there are enough hexproof creatures to think that this could be useful, particularly as you can build sacrifice effects into your deck to enable it.
Limited:	Staple
Combat tricks that stick around are always playable. This will be in direct competition with Ranger's Guile for a spot in your deck, and should probably be picked as highly. We've seen with morbid in Innistrad that it is difficult to reliably turn on the effects, especially before combat, so draft this accordingly.

Scorned Villager / Moonscarred Werewolf
Constructed:	There is a massive difference between a turn one and turn two accelerator, especially when there are so many alternatives in the format. The only reason we would be playing Scorned Villager then, is if we care about the Werewolf type and in that respect it is outclassed by both Mayor of Avabruck and Gatstaf Shepherd. In a deck that plays 12 two-drops, is hitting four mana on turn three the normal plan?
Marginal
Limited:	Avacyn's Pilgrim is already a high pick, and Scorned Villager will follow suit. The vigilance on Moonscarred Werewolf is perfect for enabling combat tricks like Spidery Grasp, but you will have to think carefully before attacking if you're relying on that mana for your second main phase.
Staple

Strangleroot Geist
	Constructed:	Marginal
	I'm not overly excited by Strangleroot Geist, although I guess that could change depending on what other undying creatures and support spells there are. The main problem is the mana cost, since any deck that can make GG on turn two does not seem great in this period of UW aggro.
	Limited:	Playable
	The Geist will quickly become outclassed, but the haste means that it should be able to get one or two hits in before they can deal with it. If you continue to hit your creature drops they will have to choose between blocking Strangleroot Geist or whatever you followed it up with, and so on up the curve. It looks like the value of a 2/3 creature will remain high in this format.

Drogskol Reaver
Constructed:	Playable
When a new card comes out, we will try to compare it to existing cards to work out how good it is. Obviously this becomes more difficult as the complexity of the card increases, and Drogskol Reaver is certainly using up a lot of the complexity of the cards we've seen so far. Straight away we can say that this is creature for a control deck, since the aggressive U/W decks are planning to win long before they hit seven mana. In U/W control the choice of (creature) finisher has previously come down to Sun Titan, Consecrated Sphinx, Wurmcoil Engine and Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, and decks usually have two or more from that list dictated by the expected meta game. Drogskol Reaver definitely enters into consideration, sitting at the nexus of Wurmcoil Engine and Consecrated Sphinx and at the price point of Elesh Norn. My thoughts right now are that Elesh Norn has more impact againt Vapor Snag decks, and Karn Liberated is better as the alternative seven drop. If Vapor Snag wanes in popularity then Reaver might move up the order. Note that dying to Dismember is only a factor in choosing your finishers if anyone is actually playing it...
Limited:	Bomb
This is as straight a pick as you can have, a legitimate bomb across arguably the two strongest colours in the format.

Falkenrath Aristocrat
	Constructed:	Unplayable
	Compare this to Olivia Voldaren, which allows you to kill or steal opposing creatures instead of having to eat your own, and doesn't die to Gut Shot on an empty board.
	Limited:	Bomb
	Evasion and haste, plus a way to protect itself, make this a very strong card. If you can pick up some random on-colour Humans, or possibly if red or black is your splash colour, the Aristocrat becomes even more scary.

Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
Constructed:	All-star
It looks clear that a black-white tokens deck is going to be playable with the release of this set (see my spoiler review of Mikaeus, the Lunarch), and Sorin will play the Bitterblossom/Ajani Goldmane role. Of course being black and white, and a planeswalker, also naturally leads to consideration in a control deck, and Sorin looks like he would also excel in this role. Increasing his loyalty to produce tokens to block and gain life is exactly what a control deck is looking for, and the ultimate is built to be good against aggro and control decks alike. It looks like Tumble Magnet and Contagion Clasp are becoming good again, and they are the perfect way to protect Sorin and ramp him up to the ultimate.
Limited:	Bomb
There isn't much to say about the limited rating for Sorin: the only reason to ever pass a Planeswalker in limited is if you open two in one pack.

Altar of the Lost
	Constructed:	Unplayable
	If you need mana acceleration, Pristine Talisman helps you play all your big spells and gives you time to get to them. If you need mana fixing, sort out your lands before adding dross like this to your deck.
	Limited:	Unplayable
	For this to be good you will need a lot of flashback cards with expensive, off-colour costs. You will also need a gamestate that allows you spend three mana for an artifact that doesn't affect the board and can't even be used that turn. Would it be useful to splash that Devil's Play? Certainly. Would it be entirely dead in your deck other than that one card? Likely. Will you have Devil's Play at any point you have the option to pick this card? Never.

Chalice of Life / Chalice of Death
Constructed:	In "normal" decks this is Pristine Talisman without the mana acceleration (that's not good, by the way). When you're set up to gain a lot of life quickly, Chalice of Death is a very fast clock that some decks will be unable to answer. I think we have to look further than Standard for the current applications of this card, such as Martyr of Sands in Modern, which is otherwise leaning on Serra Ascendant to get the job done.
Marginal
Limited:	As with constructed, this isn't a card that "normal" decks want. Where this could shine is with Gnaw to the Bone, which can quickly raise your life total above thirty with a few enablers. Chalice of Life gives you an actual reason to want to do this now, although you shouldn't pick it unless you are already in green and blue and looking towards that archetype.
Marginal

Jar of Eyeballs
Constructed:	Unplayable
I'm not sure which deck would want to spend three mana to do nothing, then have some creatures die, then spend ANOTHER three mana to draw a card. Just play the good cards instead of this rubbish.
Limited:	Unplayable
I started writing that I wouldn't say "never" with Jar of Eyeballs, but it is just so much work for the effect, and requires you to spend an early turn not playing a creature in order to use it effectively, that I can't imagine it ever being worth it.

Well, we're through the first batch of cards. The next review will start to catch up on the new spoiled cards to emerge. See you then!

Steve

Dark Ascension Spoiler Review - Part 1

The Dark Ascension spoilers have begun, and so, following a suitably timed delay, have my spoiler reviews!

I'm going to hit each card on the official spoiler with a view to how I expect them to perform in limited and constructed (with the focus on Standard), using the following scales:

Limited
Bomb:	This is a card that will single-handedly win games. A clear first pick in draft.
Staple:	A good card that you will always run in your colour, and would consider splashing.
Playable:	A card that will normally be played when in that colour, a possible splash on occasion.
Marginal:	A situational card that will usually be left on the sidelines. May have an important role in fringe archetypes.
Unplayable:	This card should basically never be played.

Constructed
All-star:	A format-defining card that is a key piece in one or more top level decks.
Linchpin:	A unique or highly specialised effect that will demand a new deck, or elevate an existing deck to new heights.
Staple:	This is a card that will play an important role in multiple decks, or as an effective sideboard card.
Playable:	A solid card that will perform well without drawing particular attention to itself.
Marginal:	This is a narrow card that might one day be "tech" against a similarly narrow strategy.
Unplayable:	Can be torn up for use as counters if no dice or glass beads are available. Remember that Magic cards should not be used as creature tokens though!

Gather the Townsfolk
Constructed:	Playable
There has already been a successful GW tokens deck in Innistrad Standard, and the new Sorin seems certain to push people into trying WB strategies. In UW this works well with Snapcaster Mage, although less so with Moorland Haunt. More notably, this is very strong following a turn one Champion of the Parish. The fateful hour upgrade is nice, but barring any phyrexian mana oddness the card should be evaluated at the base effect; any bonus when it is cast is just that.
Limited:	Playable
Interacts well with a number of cards in Innistrad, such as the equipment that gives a bonus to humans. Despite previous comments to the contrary, "sacrifice a Human" is now "a thing" (see Ravenous Demon and Falkenrath Aristocrat so far), so the value of this card will rise if you have any of these requirements.

Increasing Devotion
	Constructed:	Marginal
	This card occupies an odd position that will likely prevent it seeing Standard play at least until rotation. Token decks would like the effect, but any that can cast this spell could be casting Elspeth Tirel instead. The bigger mana decks that could also afford the flashback cost have access to White Sun's Zenith, which is instant speed and provides more value at every point save for X=2.
	Limited:	Staple
	The board state will determine how effective this card is, swinging from game-winning bomb to completely ineffective (when they have a scarecrow and crab holding the ground while attacking with flyers). I'd still pick this card highly, but not feel too bad if I have to abandon it.

Loyal Cathar / Unhallowed Cathar
Constructed:	It seems strange to print this card when one of new mechanics is pretty much the same effect - why not just make the undying creatures transform like this in that case? What we get is a fair, if unexciting, creature for the WW cost, plus a massive bonus on top. If we're playing Loyal Cathar in a deck a two power creature is obviously worth a card to us, so the trigger on dying is the same as drawing a card *and* getting the mana to play it. Providing some protection against Day of Judgment is definitely of value to aggressive strategies, and the creature type switch could potentially help by letting us recast any Gravecrawlers caught in the blast.
Playable
Limited:	On the high end of my playable scale, but the mana requirements are tough to extract maximum value from the card. The vigilance ensures that you will have a good chance to trade the front half for a card, just watch out for the potential Moonmist blowout...
Playable

Ray of Revelation
Constructed:	Staple
This is the very definition of a staple effect, although there aren't too many targets in Standard right now. In Modern it will provide plenty of protection again Splinter Twin and Pyromancer Ascension.
Limited:	Playable
A great sideboard card to have, but I'm not sure you ever want to be starting it. I like Naturalise in this format because most decks will have an artifact or enchantment worth removing, but Ray of Revelation is just slightly too narrow.

Seance
	Constructed:	Marginal
	It has an unusual effect, which stops me from labelling it as straight unplayable, but it seems too restrictive and "fixed" to see play. The tokens don't gain haste, so we would be looking to take advantage of having a temporary blocker (unlikely) or reusing "enters the battlefield" abilities. Another option would be to pair this card with a milling strategy to cheat a big creature token into play, then use Phyrexian Metamorph or another clone effect to copy it - but this seems over the top in a format that already include Unburial Rites.
	Limited:	Marginal
	This card pretty much spawns its own marginal archetype, although the fact that the creature token is exiled and not sacrificed means that even more work is required if you dream of recycling Doomed Travellers and Mausoleum Guards. It might be fun to experiment with, but I expect to be passing on this the majority of the time.

Thraben Doomsayer
Constructed:	Marginal
Deliberately reducing your life total to five or less in a format with Brimstone Volley is not something I would endorse. Producing 1/1 tokens will sometimes be what you want to be doing, but Timely Reinforcements approaches both of these subjects in a superior way for an easier cost. The only spot where Timely Reinforcements performs less well is against a control deck with no creatures in play, but are you seriously going to rely on Thraben Doomsayer surviving to produce creature tokens in this spot?
Limited:	Bomb
Unlike the Doomsayer, I'm going to look on the bright side and award my first "bomb" rating of the review. Producing a stream of tokens will help you to stay ahead on board, and if you do fall behind the pump effect will turn on to help you take back control of the game. Sure he's fragile, but at three mana you won't lose too much if your opponent has the Dead Weight - and there's a reason they call creatures like this "must kills".

Increasing Confusion
	Constructed:	Marginal
	Unlike Forbidden Alchemy or Desperate Ravings, this isn't filling your hand at the same time as your graveyard, and being sorcery speed really limits how much you want to tap out for this effect. Doubling the power on the flashback is interesting, and trying to enable Visions of Beyond is tempting - but if this hasn't happened with Jace, Memory Adept I think it unlikely that Increasing Confusion will be the answer. Trying to mill out an opponent with sorcery speed cards that don't affect the board doesn't seem like a realistic goal either.
	Limited:	Staple
	This is exactly the kind of effect that blue decks in this format want, enabling all number of strategies. It is also an incredibly potent weapon against other mill decks to punish them for letting their library get too slim. The cost is perfect for splashing, so I don't see myself passing too many of these.

Secrets of the Dead
Constructed:	Playable
With flashback cards already effectively drawing a card, Secrets of the Dead can add to that by literally drawing a card on top. With most flashback costs being quite expensive, this isn't a card we need to play on turn three, so saving it for turn five to play with Mana Leak or Doom Blade to back it up seems reasonable. Once it is in play, all your Think Twices and Desperate Ravings become super charged, and the less glamorous Silent Departure types begin to look appealing. Obviously Snapcaster Mage works as well with this card as with anything else, but it is worth noting that this works with all spells cast from the graveyard, not just flashback. Gravecrawler becomes Silvergill Adept, for example. It looks like a UB Zombie deck could have one of the best late games in the format unless some playable graveyard hate turns up.
Limited:	Playable
This is a tricky card to pick, because you will never know how many flashback cards you'll have in your finished deck. This is a problem that a lot of enabler cards will have in this format, and being careful not to get trapped into forcing an archetype that is not open will be a key skill. Just remember that Burning Vengeance will pull you back into a the game after you've spent a turn playing an enchangement instead of developing the board; Secrets of the Dead is much more a card for the long game.

Soul Seizer / Ghastly Haunting
Constructed:	Even unconditional Control Magics aren't seeing play right now, so having to work for the two for one is unlikely to appeal to anyone.
Unplayable
Limited:	Not quite a bomb, as you can be stymied by a Chapel Geist or similar, but still a card that is going to be picked over all but the biggest bombs. It's interesting that the position "uncommon Control Magic effects are too strong in limited" has lasted for all of one set.
Staple

Curse of Thirst
	Constructed:	Unplayable
	Curse of the Pierced Heart, copies 5-8? At five mana this seems far too expensive even for the potentially expanded effect.
	Limited:	Marginal
	It's possible that there are enough good curses printed in this set to make it a deck, but with so few pieces in the second two boosters they would have to be pretty amazing and almost guaranteed to table before it is worth trying.

Gravecrawler
Constructed:	Linchpin
This is one of the most exciting cards spoiled so far. Most of the debate over it has centred on the similarity to Bloodghast, and how lacking haste makes Gravecrawler far worse, but I think that is to overlook the many upsides this card has. First of all, you can now have eight one-drop Zombies with two power, giving us a great base for a tribal deck. Gravecrawler obviously wants to be played alongside other Zombie creatures, and as the game goes on it provides repeated card advantage. The combination with Secrets of the Dead was already mentioned above, and Grimgrin, Corpse-Born is another blue card that was almost good enough before and just needs a little help to push him over the edge. Any other Zombies that can sacrifice creatures for benefit would also like Gravecrawler. If we charge blindly into the realms of jank Rooftop Storm let's us play Gravecrawler from the graveyard for free, leading to an arbitrarily large number of creatures to sacrifice.
Limited:	Playable
Not being able to block is much more of a hindrance in limited, and coming back is what Zombies do anyway with Ghoulraiser and Ghoulcaller's Chant. I wouldn't rate this too much higher than Diregraf Ghoul, for instance, but I would definitely want it if I had any sacrifice effects to abuse.

Ravenous Demon / Archdemon of Greed
Constructed:	Bloodgift Demon doesn't see play at this cost, and I am doubtful that you would want Ravenous Demon instead. The Human sacrifices required to fuel the Archdemon of Greed side don't fit into the game plans of any current black decks. There is the possibility that this could be a sideboard for WB Tokens decks, in the vein of Demon of Death's Gate, but I'm not sure what this would be good against.
Marginal
Limited:	A 4/4 for five mana is a decent size; Morkrut Banshee doesn't usually get cut. Also like the Banshee, this is another creature that looks like it should fly but doesn't, so watch out for that at the pre-release. Transforming it is risky, because nine damage is a lot if things go wrong, but your opponent will have to be very careful not to give you an opening to strike from nowhere.
Staple

Zombie Apocalypse
	Constructed:	Marginal
	This has fairly narrow applications - you can't really rely on it killing any opposing creatures, but you can build for the mass zombify effect. It is one-sided, which does protect against it backfiring in a mirror-match. The main question is whether this would be more effective than just casting Grave Titan.
	Limited:	Playable
	This will sometimes be a ridiculous one-sided Wrath of God/Patriarch's Bidding, more normally I would expect to get back a couple of decent creatures and maybe kill one of theirs (but note that it will also kill your Humans). Annoyingly, the blue Zombies are far better to get back this way, but they interact badly by removing other creatures this could return and putting pressure on your mana base. This will be a mid to late pick, and I would want to have three or four decent Zombies before taking this over other playables.

Thirteen cards seems to be a suitably flavoursome point to finish for today. The second part of the review will catch up on the first red, green, gold and artifact cards.

Steve