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Editor: Rebecca Mitchell. Sunday 2 February 2003.
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Legions Limited Review - White
By Dan Turner & Nik Smith Well we have reached another set and it’s review time. My good friend Nik Smith will be going through the cards with me so you can get a different perspective on some of the cards. White was not a popular colour in Onslaught as the commons were too weak and the combat tricks few and far between. Legions gives White some decent commons including a flying healer and a Morph which gives a creature First Strike when it is turned face up. Never mind the fact it is also a 2/1 flyer! White also receives one of the best cycle creatures in the shape of Gempalm Avenger, some decent soldiers, a couple of playable clerics and a legend with more abilities than you can poke a stick at. As usual I have looked at the cards from a booster draft perspective, bearing in mind that Legions will be the last booster opened and assigned them a draft pick accordingly. Some of the picks may be a little off as I wrote this before the pre-release but I don’t think there are many real surprises in this set. Keep playing them cards Dan Hi all. This is your friendly guest reviewer, Nik Smith. I have written a couple of articles here on the Paradise, so check the archives if you like. Anyway, I’m spending a few days here with me’ old china Dan, and thought I would add my two cents to his usually excellent review of the cards. So... Akroma's Devoted Dan: The Akroma's Devoted fits nicely into the B/W archetype as this deck tends to lack good 4 drops. It makes Daunting Defenders and Fallen Clerics more of a beating and 4 toughness can handle most of the common morph creatures. Not a powerhouse by any means but a good mid range pick, 5th to 7th. Nik: Yeah, it’s OK I guess. Clerics were goodish in Onslaught anyway, so this guy fits in. 4 toughness is important, and at 4cc, this guy is fine. 5th to 7th is about right. Akroma, Angel of Wrath Dan: Could Akroma have any more special abilities? I can’t think of any other creature in Magic that has this many, but I won’t be complaining if I open this in my Legions booster. Because Legions is opened last, most players will be settled in their colours and you may be faced with the situation of having to hate draft the angel. Personally I am not a fan of hate
drafting but I also don’t think you should be handing your would be opponents this sort of card quality when 75% of your deck has already been built. So what if it costs eight mana? This is a first draft pick. Nik: Sure, Akroma is good. Duh. Seeing as red and black are the removal colours, what else is going to get rid of this? If you are White, take it. If you aren’t take it anyway, laugh at the White player, and then sell it to some kid who likes big creatures. Aven Redeemer Dan: Remember Sanctum Custodian from Urza’s Saga? Well, he was pretty good but not exactly a beatdown machine. For 1 more mana, Aven Redeemer has flying and 2 power! In addition the dual creature type is a huge plus and makes Dive Bomber look pretty crappy. An early pick, 2nd to 4th. Nik: Yeah, I like this guy. 4cc White fliers seem to be the norm these days, and this ability is nice. It’s also a cleric, which can be handy too, if you get things like Whipgrass Entangler. An early pick for the clever white mage. Aven Warhawk Dan: Amplify looks to be really strong with dual creature types making the Aven Warhawk quite good in theory. Screaming Seahawk is the same casting cost but thins your deck out, whereas this guy is only good if you are holding on to bird/soldiers. I have come to the conclusion that I don’t really like this as the casting cost is a little too high but I could be wrong and I’m sure many players will be able to cast this as a 5/5 flyer every time. A mid to late pick, 5th to 8th. Nik: This guy can easily be 3/3 or 4/4, but only if you haven’t already cast all your fliers early, and only in the early game. Late game, it may just be a 5cc 2/2 flier, which generally is ok as you will have 12 land on the table anyway (if you draw the way I seem to). It’s ok, but not great. Take the other fliers first. Beacon of Destiny Dan: If this were damage to creatures this little guy would be very good. He is a 1/3 for 2 mana making him a good morph blocker but I think I would rather have a more aggressive creature instead. Handy for taking a Searing Flesh for the team Beacon of Destiny is a mid to late range pick, 9th to 12th. Nik: Remember the guy who tries to catch the feral kid’s boomerang in Mad Max 2? This is him. Celestial Gatekeeper Dan: Another good bird/cleric the Gatekeeper is best suited to B/W rather than R/W because of Nantuko Husk. Screeching Buzzard and Aven Redeemer look like good candidates but there are plenty of other decent B/W clerics to choose from. The Gatekeeper looks pretty average in any other archetype so if you not B/W by the time Legions is opened, forget about him. If you are this looks like a mid range pick to me, 5th to 7th. Nik: I just drafted this guy, and decided he didn’t even make the cut. I don’t think White is that good, so double White in the casting cost may be a problem if you are splashing. It’s conditional on having guys in the graveyard too, but you should have a few clerics. He’s ok if you do have a lot of birds and clerics, but not a first pick by any means. Cloudreach Cavalry Dan: Second turn Cavalry, third turn Gustcloak Harrier is the optimal draw and if your opponent has no removal then they are going to be in a whole lot of trouble. As if that is ever going to happen. I just don’t like cards that are dependent on others so my opinion of this card is pretty low and a late pick as a result, 9th to 12th. Nik: It’s good that this will be your third pack in draft. If you have a lot of birds, take this guy. Otherwise, it may well come around again, so pass it on and see how many birds you pick up in Legions. If it doesn’t come back, don’t cry, it’s not that bad. Daru Mender Dan: Nice, cheap creature with a good combat trick, the Daru Mender should always see play. The tempo advantage gained with this guy can often be enough to swing the game around making him a good pick in my books. A mid range pick depending on how highly you value him, 5th to 8th. Nik: Any 1/1 with Morph is fine with me. I like the option of the Grey Ogre in the mid-late game. The ability is good too. Take it if there is nothing else. Maybe 6th to 8th. Daru Sanctifier Dan: The Sanctifier is a good replacement for Demystify and can be maindecked easily as he has a high toughness to boot. Most White decks should be able to get their hands on one of these in Legions as there are still some powerful Onslaught enchantments which warrant main deck removal. A later pick but make sure you get some enchantment removal, 9th to 12th. Nik: Pretty good. Another cleric, and tough, with a good ability. Unfortunately, this guy is never going to get aggro. Defensive, but better than a Demystify. Take it lateish. Daru Stinger Dan: Legions has 11 soldiers for white (5 of which are common) so chances are this guy will get at least 2 counters when he comes into play. It is not the sort of creature you want if you are in topdeck mode as 4 mana for a vanilla 1/1 is terrible. So, how good is the Stinger? It is obviously suited to a soldier intensive deck (R/W) but you don’t want to rely on this guy as your only removal. A mid to late range pick, 7th to 9th. Nik: Even if you get to amplify for 1, this thing is still worse than Gravel Slinger. It should have cost 3, and even then is only OK if you have a pile of soldiers. And then some little Sparksmith is going to kill it. Crud. Defender of the Order Dan: The Defender is too reactive for my tastes and is only really good against mass removal damage (i.e. Starstorm, Slice and Dice) and/or an alpha strike. R/W and B/W tend to play with lots of fragile utility creatures anyway so the +0/+2 bonus may not help against big beasties. A 2/4 for 4 mana isn’t terrible though and may make the cut of some decks as an extra body. A mid to late range pick, 7th to 9th. Nik: Another blah 2/4. The ability is mostly useless, but may come in handy. You feel a bit ripped-off if this is in your rare slot though. Take a flyer, it may actually attack sometime. Deftblade Elite Dan: A first turn elite will stop your opponent playing their Sparksmith so this guy has to be good right? In fact he is the only creature with Provoke in Legions that has an activated ability therefore has to be dealt with quickly otherwise you will be faced with some unattractive blocks in the late game. Deftblade Elite is good both in attack and defense and would suit any deck archetype. A late pick as these guys should come around, 9th to 12th. Nik: Most stuff seems to have 2 toughness, so this guy is kind of lame, but it can block forever (although it will tie up your mana). It probably will sit in your sideboard, and you can side it in if your opponent does have a problem 1 toughness creature, like Sparksmith. If there is one in your last 3 to 4 cards, take it, otherwise don’t bother. Essence Sliver Dan: Essence Sliver is nicely costed with an useful ability which can give your opponent headaches, especially if you have multiple slivers. Being a 3/3 for 4 mana, it is playable by itself and worthy of an early draft pick, 4th to 6th (maybe higher if you have a lot of slivers). Nik: Take this, and then take Crypt Slivers and splash black. I’d take this really early, maybe even first, depending on what is in the pack. But I like slivers. Gempalm Avenger Dan: There is a Gempalm creature for each colour and the Avenger and Polluter are the only common ones. Bearing in mind it is easier to get multiples of these cards the ability of the Avenger is second only to the Gempalm Incinerator. There are a lot more soldiers in Legions too so this guy will see a lot of action and massive card advantage. An early pick if you are drafting soldiers, 3rd to 5th. Nik: Maybe handy, and finally a 3 power guy in White. It should get passed around a bit so there’s no rush, so I'd say about 5th to 8th. Dan just said he thinks this guy is good, but I think he’s wrong. You have to remember this set is all creatures, so there are always a lot of good early picks. You can afford to pass stuff like this early for a flier with some evasion. It’s ok to pump your guys, but if they are stalled on the ground facing regenerating slivers or big Green things, or even a whole crowd of 4 toughness White guys, then cycling this guy means little. Glowrider Dan: This is really good if you are drafting just Legions but otherwise steer away from this card. Both players will usually have at least 5 spells in their deck and lets face it, a 2/1 for 3 mana is nothing to get excited about. A late pick, 12th to 15th. Nik: Another White rare that will find a permanent home in your binder. You can do better than this. If you get it really late, take it, but otherwise, hate-draft something instead. It’s funnier. Liege of the Axe Dan: This looks like just another boring Morph creature to me. His ability is only useful in defense and usually your opponent will have a combat trick or shock horror, a bigger creature. Not my style but it is another body... A late pick 7th to 10th. Nik: Not bad. It’s a soldier and it doesn’t tap, but this set seems to be a bit tougher, with lots of 3/3 and x/4 creatures. It may sneak through early, but not later. Average. Lowland Tracker Dan: Deftblade Elite are better than the Tracker as 5 mana for a 2/2 First Striker is a bit rich. So it has Provoke, so what? I’d rather have a bigger creature or a flyer any day of the week. A late pick, 9th to 12th. Nik: Hmm... I’ll Provoke your little thing, and you can block with your 3/3 as well anyway. Again, White gets a guy who is too weak to make any impact on the game. Overcosted, but you may be tempted later when there is nothing else. Try to resist. 9th to never. Planar Guide Dan: I can see this guy giving some players headaches at the pre-release as he makes your whole team immune to removal for a turn. The guide is good for getting rid of Lavamancer's Skills and the like. He is a 1/1 though and very susceptible to removal but if you play him with enough mana spare you shouldn’t have a problem. Interesting, but not enthralling. A mid-range pick, 7th to 9th. Nik: I like this guy too. He also gets rid of Amplify tokens, making some problems just go away. He can also unmorph some big guy, or give an opponents creature summoning sickness so you can kill it. A good 1/1, and some good potential for tricks. I'd say 5th to 7th. Plated Sliver Dan: Each colour has a rare, uncommon and common sliver. The green and black slivers seem to be the best common ones as instant slivers and regeneration seems pretty good. Plated Sliver is average in comparison and you are better off trying to draft a soldier heavy deck instead with lots of Gempalm Avengers for tricks. A late pick, 12th to 15th. Nik: Take this if you already have some slivers, and need a 1 drop. Otherwise don’t bother, it’ll be back. Starlight Invoker Dan: Each colour has an Invoker with an expensive activated ability and it is no surprise that White has life gain. The cheapest in the cycle, Starlight Invoker does not put your opponent on a clock like the Flamewave Invoker does, or threaten creatures like Smokespew Invoker. Another cheap White cleric with a special ability that doesn’t cut it. A late pick, 10th to 12th. Nik: Notice a pattern here? Another non-aggressive White guy. I'd rather have the 2/2 Red one, or the 3/1 Black. Even the elf can take down an attacker, and the Blue has evasion. If you have this much mana, and can afford to use this guy, you are playing too slow and are going to time out. This guy bites. Stoic Champion Dan: I prefer this guy to White Knight as there are many tribal effects (in addition to the cycling) which you can take advantage of. Cycle a Gempalm Avenger to give him +3/+3 first strike and draw a card - how good is that! Like Lightning Rift and Astral Slide, Stoic Champion can own the red zone very quickly and forces your opponent to cycle out of step. A good card, 3rd to 5th. Nik: 2/2 is ok, but it will just run into something big in the long run. If you can take a flyer, do, otherwise this guy is OK at best. 6th to 9th, if there are no flyers and you have a few cycling cards. Sunstrike Legionnaire Dan: I’ll say it now, I don’t like the Legionnaire. He doesn’t keep creatures tapped and his untapping is conditional - blah! I’m sure he combos well with Aphetto Alchemist but if you are drafting those colours you are in big trouble anyway. This is definitely not a rare you want to open. A late pick, 12th to 15th. Nik: What Dan said. If the creature he tapped stayed that way too, he’d be ok. As it is, he is junk. Waste of a rare slot. Swooping Talon Dan: At a glance I didn’t really like this thing but a 2/6 Provoker is nothing to be sneezed at. By losing flying it can target whatever the hell it wants and turns even nastier if you have a Daru Stinger in play. A good card for any white deck, an early pick, 3rd to 5th. Nik: I lost a game to this at the pre-release, and just won a game with it tonight. 6cc is a lot, but it stops EVERYTHING, and can take out a lot of problem critters, by making it lose flying and then Provoking. It can wipe out your opponents team of flyers, or just draw one off so your others can get through. This is a very good card. If you are White and you see it, take it. 1st to 8th pick, because it won’t come around again. Wall of Hope Dan: This is possibly one of the best anti-beatdown walls ever printed. Okay, maybe not but it is still good in a set where creatures are king. There are a lot of flyers in Legions for Blue and White (in comparison to Onslaught) so I don’t think I would be hoping to draft this wall early. Nonetheless, it pretty much stops anything played on the first 3 turns, a mid range pick, 5th to 8th. Nik: This blocks all the Morphs, and even if they kill it, you get some life out of the deal. A nice card. Would have been better at 2cc and 4 toughness, but this is fine. 5th to 8th. Ward Sliver Dan: As I said before I don’t really rate the White slivers (Essence Sliver is the exception) and 5 mana for a 2/2 is just too expensive. I’m not sure how big slivers will be in Onslaught/Legions drafts as you only have 1 pack to draft them from, but hey I could be wrong. A late pick, 9th to 12th. Nik: I have to disagree with Dan here. I really like this guy a lot. A big problem in the format seems to be Crypt Sliver. If you play this guy, and say protection black, the Crypt Sliver can no longer regenerate itself (it’s an illegal target). It’s also generally good just blocking half your opponent’s deck. Not bad at all. 5th to 7th. Whipgrass Entangler Dan: Finally a 1/3 cleric with a decent ability! Obviously suited to a B/W cleric deck, Whipgrass Entangler can get ridiculous the longer the game draws on. Because he can target multiple creatures you can pick and choose attackers & blockers as you wish. I wouldn’t play this guy without a lot of clerics though so B/W it is and a good mid range draft pick for that deck, 4th to 6th. Nik: Not bad at all. This fellow can stall out the game, or provide the opening for your creatures to get through (particularly fliers). Being able to use the ability multiple times is nice too. 4th to 7th, depending on how many clerics you have. White Knight Dan: This guy is pure efficiency for what it does (compare this to Glory Seeker) but it does fall down in the tribal department. First Strike on the second turn is huge as it stops any Morph creature but its lack of a tribe will punish you. Good beatdown though and worthy of a mid range pick, 6th to 9th. Nik: Well, well, well... the old White Knight is back again. A 2/2 for 2 is ok, but double White may be a problem, as it can’t be splashed easily. But First Strike just isn’t enough. 2/2 too small. 8th to 11th. Windborn Muse
3W Dan: This is very strong. A 2/3 flyer for 4 mana is a good deal but it has a special ability that can really change the tempo of the game. Shall I attack this turn or cast a creature? Forcing your opponent into these sorts of decisions early in the game means they have to deal with the Muse immediately or be on the receiving end of a whole lot of beatings. A first pick. Nik: Propaganda was good. A 2/3 flying Propaganda is better. Nothing wrong with this at all. First pick. Wingbeat Warrior Dan: This is the staple Morph to watch out for and perhaps White’s best common Morph yet. If your opponent is playing White and has a Morph on the table factor in this guy otherwise you will be on the losing end of some card advantage. The fact it is a 2/1 flyer is amazing and worthy of a high draft pick, 1st to 3rd. Nik: It flies, it has a good ability, it can be card advantage and the casting cost is right. You should be able to use this to good advantage no matter what. A great card, 1st to 3rd.
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