You are: Home -> Articles -> Columns -> State of Play |
Editor: Rebecca Mitchell. Monday 17 February 2003.
|
Legions Limited Review - Black
By Dan Turner & Nik Smith You can read earlier reviews in this series: White and Blue I always look forward to reviewing black as you can pretty much guarantee there will be some decent removal, efficient creatures with a nasty drawback and overcosted creatures that look good but are in fact, really bad. Legions delivers all of this and more, making it one of the better colours in the set (along with Green). Removal is the item on top of the black agenda with no less than 10 creatures that are focused on creature kill. There are also some decent slivers, a mini Phyrexian Negator and a slightly less powerful Hypnotic Specter. This is the final review for Nik as he is now back in New Zealand so I will be finishing off the last two colours all by myself. So until next time Aphetto Exterminator Nik: For a set with only creatures, black got a few really nice bits of removal. This is one of them. It’s a tough call if this or a Skinthinner is better and it'll come down to personal preference and how your deck is built. Either way, this guy is great. With only 1 black in both the casting cost and the morph cost, he can be splashed too. A nice card, and a first pick. Dan: Well hello removal! The Exterminator has the added bonus of being able to nail black creatures (unlike the Skinthinner) and is pretty good beatdown if your opponent has no creatures. It is also a wizard which makes it an unlikely target for Lavamancer's Skill but I would be quite happy with just him. A first pick which fits into any black deck. Bane of the Living Nik: My favourite card in the set, and I guess I’m not alone. I loved Mutilate, and this is even better in some ways. A 4cc 4/3 is great value anyway, but the morph ability is spectacular. First pick every single time. Dan: This is possibly the best rare for black as it is one of the few creature sweepers in Legions. A 4/3 for 4 mana is great anyway but you should always play this thing face down. If you see this take it, giggle inanely and don't even look at the other cards. Blood Celebrant Nik: Black’s answer to Fugitive Wizard. This is crap. Dan: Ben Seck really likes this card so it has to be good. I may consider playing this if I have cards with heavy casting commitments (like , etc) but otherwise would steer well clear. A late pick, 12th to 15th. Corpse Harvester Nik: This is ok if your deck is stuffed with zombies, particularly if you have a Skinthinner or two. It nets you a card if you chump block, and mana in this format is a very good thing indeed. 5cc is a bit steep, but it is a 3/3, so I can let that go. You’d take removal over this, so I’d say 4th to 5th pick. Dan: To put it simply, this guy rocks. You can sacrifice a creature already on it's way to the graveyard to go get another one and an extra land. How much card advantage do you want?? This is especially good for fetching out annoying zombies like Skinthinner, Noxious Ghoul and the like, a high pick as a result, 3rd to 5th. Crypt Sliver Nik: I don’t know how many of you have had someone play 2nd turn Crypt Sliver, 3rd turn Spectral Sliver, but I see it a lot. Crypt Sliver is fantastic, either alone or with friends, capable of holding the fort against some big guys until you can stabilise. I pick these really high now, 3rd to 5th. Dan: I know Nik really likes this card and I have to agree. In straight Legions booster draft this guys dominate but even in ON/ON/LE one of these can hold off the biggest of fatties. Unlike its older counterpart Clot Sliver, Crypt Sliver does not have an activation cost and works extremely well with mistform creatures. If you are going black, draft one of these as you won't regret it. An early to midrange pick, 3rd to 6th. Dark Supplicant Nik: Unless you already have the Scion of Darkness, keep it moving. Even if you do, this may be crud if you don’t draw your clerics, or if they keep dying. A late pick, because even if you get the Scion, these will go around the table. 12th and on. Dan: Hmmm, looks a bit rum to me but I would still probably draft it if I had the Scion. Don't draft this guy by himself though, 12th to 15th. Deathmark Prelate Nik: Removal on a stick. Sorcery speed lets it down a bit, but it makes your Skinthinner amazing, taking down 2 guys. It can also kill black creatures. A high pick, as even if you only have a couple of zombies, they become great removal. 2nd to 5th. Dan: I initially thought this guy's ability was an instant, which would be very silly indeed. Deathmark Prelate is still good as any removal in Legions is highly coveted so take this early and make sure to draft enough zombie fodder in the rest of the pack. I would even go as far to say this is a first pick, barring a broken rare. Drinker of Sorrow Nik: Ahh... reminiscing. Phyrexian Negator is my favourite card of all time. This guy seems like its cousin. Unfortunately, this card can kind of suck in limited because early in the game you don’t want to sac land, and late it only has 3 toughness, no trample and can’t block. This is a constructed card, but it can be a big threat if you can get it through. A later pick, 8th to 10th. Dan: The new negator is really more of a constructed card as you often need blockers in limited. Sure 5/3 for 3 mana is great but chances are it will be mowing down crappy 1/1's instead of your opponents life total. A late pick as a result, 12th to 15th. Dripping Dead Nik: I have never seen anyone play this. It can’t block, and dies to anything. It costs 6. If it had Provoke, it’d be ok. As it is, you might as well rip it up. If it makes it into your deck, your deck is bad. 15th and on. Dan: I have seen kids at their first pre-release open this and not run it. It is that bad. I can't believe I even considered playing this at the prerelease. After about .05 seconds of consideration it was in the chaff pile. Yuck, 15th. Earthblighter Nik: This can have it’s uses. I wouldn’t rely on it to be great general LD, but if you know you may have a problem with non-basic lands, like Contested Cliffs, Riptide Laboratory, etc... then it may make it in. There are a couple of black goblins, so it is not exclusively for R/B decks. Probably a sideboard card though, so take it at the appropriate time. 9th to 13th. Dan: Like the Cabal Slaver, Earthblighter relies on goblins to do their dirty work. I say cut out the middle man and just play the goblins by themselves. Not even worth thinking about, unless your opponent has a Contested Cliffs. A late pick, 12th to 15th. Embalmed Brawler Nik: I think this card has caused more discussion than any other in the set so far. The consensus so far is, it’s great at 3/3 or 5/5, and bad at 4/4 or 2/2. This seems strange, but at 5/5 it is such a beating, and can block pretty much anything, but at 4/4, it seems to get chumped, and dies in blocking contests. 3/3 is just right, as it fits the curve and doesn’t cost too much life. Good if you have a couple of zombies, but don’t automatically try to make it as big as possible. A mid-range pick, 6th to 9th. Dan: I can already see this being a contentious card in draft circles. Usually this guy gets at least 1 counter sometimes 2, 3 if you are lucky. Early in the game this is great beatdown but if played late you will have to watch your life as a single Deftblade Elite can keep Provoking it. These guys will come around in the middle of draft and that is when they should be drafted. A mid range pick, 5th to 8th. Gempalm Polluter Nik: If you end up with a few zombies, this can be a really quick kill, especially if teamed with Shepherd of Rot. You almost never cast this, it just cycles. A mid range pick though, 5th to 8th. Dan: I had this going with an Oversold Cemetary at the pre-release and let me tell you it was not pretty. Much like the Shepherd of Rot the Gempalm Polluter is a great finisher and unlike the Shepherd targets only your opponent. It can also be hard cast if you really need another body on the board and is black's most prevalent creature type to boot. A good card which works well in any black deck with enough zombies. A mid range pick, 6th to 9th. Ghastly Remains Nik: I had a deck with about 10-12 zombies and I tried to play this. It was a mistake. This sucks. 15th. Dan: Ghastly, that about sums it up. Don't take this card under any circumstances, 15th. Goblin Turncoat Nik: Not too bad to make up the numbers, but far from a first pick. Fits the curve nicely, but I’ve never seen the ability used, it’s just a tempo creature. A later pick, 10th or so. Dan: The turncoat is a handy little beater and works well if you have another goblin on the table by the second turn. This is obviously suited to a B/R deck but is still good in any other archetype. A mid to late range pick, 7th to 10th. Graveborn Muse Nik: This card will win you games. A first pick. I have nothing bad to say about this card. Dan: This is the second best rare for black and the most powerful muse. Anything with card drawing is always going to be good and this is also a beatstick, making it a strong first pick. Remember that the Graveborn only counts your zombies, not your opponents. Havoc Demon Nik: It’s 5/5, it flies and it can sweep the board clean. Obviously a first pick. Dan: I have been beaten senseless more times with the Havoc Demon than I care to remember and if you don't think this is a first pick then you shouldn't be playing magic. Hollow Specter Nik: People seem to like this, but I’m not sold. I don’t like tying up my mana in the early game, and it dies to pretty much any other flyer in the mid-lategame. It is a black flyer, but I wouldn’t count on the ability too much. Not bad, but not a first pick either, 4th to 7th. Dan: Evasion is golden in this format and the Specter is one of the more interesting flyers in the set. Cheaper than his silent cousin, hollow can really put your opponent on the back foot early if they can't deal with it. However, it can tie up your mana quite easily and suffer loss of tempo as a result. I still consider this a first pick, but don’t expect it to win games all by itself. Infernal Caretaker Nik: This is obviously great if you have a lot of zombies. Otherwise, it is a morph, so it’s not too bad. It can backfire if your opponent has a lot of zombies too, but then there is no need to morph it. Not bad, but not an early pick, you can do better than this. 8th to 11th. Dan: Skinthinner in the graveyard? Festering Goblin perhaps? Don't worry this guy will take care of it for you. This guy is always handy and if you can hold out until your good zombies are in the graveyard then you should be in a winning position. A good mid to late range pick, 7th to 10th. Noxious Ghoul Nik: Not too shabby, as it can wipe out an annoying Sparksmith, elf, or Crypt Sliver on the way in. I take these quite high, even if I don’t have too many more zombies. 4th to 6th. Dan: I have seen the ghoul in action a few times and was very impressed. There are so many irritating 1/1's out there and this guy throws a real spanner in the works, especially before combat. I would still take a Skinthinner over this as it can also affect your own creatures, but it is still worthy of an early pick, 2nd to 4th. Phage the Untouchable Nik: Looks impressive doesn’t it? So you lose if they have Astral Slide or Planar Guide, but what are the chances? Team this with Wave of Indifference or Dirge of Dread, and just win. Not a first pick, but not far off. If there is removal, I’d take that first, but this would be right behind. Dan: Hands up if you like overcosted creatures, with quadruple mana casting costs that may lose you the game if your opponent has some way of removing it from play for a turn. Mmmmm, Phage is interesting but over the top for my liking, sure it is good with Dirge of Dread and Wave of Indifference but it does nothing if you are getting beaten down in the air and have enough chumps on the ground. Good against decks with a lot of fat, but thats about it. A mid range pick, 5th or 6th. Scion of Darkness Nik: Anything over 6/6 should pretty much trample. I mean a 6/6 vs a squirrel... what happens? It trips or something? I mean, come on... Anyway, this does trample. It also has a cool abilty. It cycles. It costs 8. 8 is a lot, but not too horrible if you deck isn’t too expensive, so you can hold off for a while. This will get first picked a lot... maybe rightly, but again, I prefer Skinthinner or Aphetto Exterminator. 2nd, but only if there is removal, otherwise it’s a first pick. Dan: I prefer this to Phage just because it has cycling. It also tramples so even if they block it they will need a 6 toughness creature otherwise you can go grave-digging. An early pick, but like Nik said I would still take removal over this, 3rd to 5th. Skinthinner Nik: Obviously fantastic. And it’s a zombie. First pick. Dan: This is the best black common in Legions even though it is a little slow. If you are playing against a black/X deck and they lay a morph assume the worst and try to nail the sucker early, because if you don't you will be losing your best creature. I would only take a broken black rare over this but don't underestimate him, a first pick most of the time. Smokespew Invoker Nik: My favourite of the invokers. Often I just play it as an early 3/1, to do some beating, but later if you get 8 mana, you start to take whole teams apart. This can break the deadlock, and is the only invoker capable of killing the other colour invokers. A mid to high pick, 4th to 7th. Dan: If you reach 8 mana the Smokespewer is nuts. In fact if you have 8 mana on the table all of the Invokers are nuts. The Smokespewer is particularly frustrating as it wipes out permanents and the beauty of these guys is that they come around late in draft, 7th to 10th. Sootfeather Flock Nik: I like 3 power flyers. It can do a lot of damage fast, and kill most other flyers if you need to, something black can have trouble with. It’s most often morphed too, so it’s usually only 4cc. Not bad. 6th to 8th. Dan: There are plenty of better black commons than this but it should still be drafted quite highly. The fact it has morph is also a bonus and is a nice complement to Screeching Buzzard in Onslaught. A mid range pick 5th to 7th. Spectral Sliver Nik: Teamed up with Crypt Sliver, this can be absolutely devastating. Even on its own it can be pretty impressive. An early to mid-pick. 5th to 7th. Dan: The spectral is a good uncommon sliver and is especially useful with red's Hunter Sliver (the Provoke one). It is good by itself too for a 3 drop and works well with all the mistform creatures. An early to midrange pick, 4th to 6th. Toxin Sliver Nik: If you get this and Crypt Sliver, try and get Hunter Sliver too. Provoke and regenerate on this is just silly. Fine by itself, a 4cc 3/3 that can kill anything. First pick. Dan: This is definitely first pick material. Played on the 4th turn your opponent will most probably let this through before they can find an answer for it. Combined with the Hunter Sliver it is east to decimate your opponent's board. A very good card which could even be splashed. A first pick. Vile Deacon Nik: If you have B/W or know you may face a white drafter, take this, but not too highly. It only pumps to attack, so if you are on defence, it’s a vanilla 2/2. A later pick, 8th to 12th. Dan: I can only see this being used in B/W as it is pretty crappy otherwise. There are plenty of Hill Giants in Legions and this is one of the least attractive ones. Even if I was B/W it still may not make the cut. Don't draft this guy early, 10th to 12th. Withered Wretch Nik: This will be a constructed powerhouse. 2cc 2/2 is fine, and can remove graveyard problems. This would have been great if it had been printed in the last block, and would have gone a long way to balancing the format by limiting those damn U/G and Tog decks. Not too bad, but there are not too many cards you need to remove from the graveyard in this block. Worth taking for it’s place in the curve, and just in case, I’d say 5th or so. Dan: For starters, this is a zombie cleric so has a lot of tribal potential. Its ability can really hamper decks which like to use graveyard manipulation (i.e Aphetto Dredging, Cruel Revival, etc) and it is a little beatstick in its own right. Suited to B/W, Withered Wretch is great with stuff like Dauting Defenders, Cabal Archon and Shepherd of Rot). It is only an uncommon so I wouldn't draft it that highly. Not a bad card by any means, 5th to 7th seems about right. Zombie Brute Nik: A bit pricey. If you amplify it, it’s ok, and it Tramples, but it is slow, and you may not want too much at this end of your curve. Also, by the time you cast it, there is often nothing left in your hand to amplify it with. A later pick, unless you really need a big fat guy. 10th. Dan: When are you ever going to cast this thing? I just don't like it and I won't play with it. Ever. But hey that's just my opinion, a late pick, 12th to 15th.
|
