You are: Home -> Articles -> Columns -> State of Play |
Editor: Audrey Chin Quan. Saturday 29 June 2002.
|
Judgment Limited Review - Blue
Read the first parts of this series:
Card Name: Aven Fogbringer
The fogbringer is a great tempo card and good at sniping opposing Squirrel Nests, Chambers of Manipulation, etc. Works well in a U/B or U/W style deck that has a lot of flying beatdown. A high range pick you would often want to take Aven Fogbringer around 3rd or 4th.
Card Name: Cephalid Constable
I think the constable is just what blue needs, and requires a bit of thought to use properly. He needs evasion or beefy enchantments, (ie. Ghostly Wings, Shade's Form etc) so he can really go to town, returning permanents left, right and centre. Ideally suited to a U/B deck, (as you will often need removal to clear a path for him), Cephalid Constable is a mid range pick (around 5th or 6th).
Card Name: Cephalid Inkshrouder
While the inkshrouder is not as good as the constable it will still find it's way into most blue based draft decks. Although he is quite fragile if you enchant him with Elephant Pants, Arcane Beatings etc he soon becomes an unblockable, untargetable monstrosity. He is a mid range pick but make it worth your while by drafting some nasty creature enchantments.
Card Name: Cunning Wish
The main problem with Cunning Wish is that you need good instants in the board. For example, if you are playing U/W with no removal but grabbed a Waste Away in Torment you would consider splashing it, right? Maybe, but with Cunning Wish you could leave it in the board until you needed it along with your enchantment removal, situational counterspells (Grip of Amnesia, Laquatus' Disdain, etc) and sub par combat tricks (Defy Gravity, Pay No Heed, etc). If you are thinking of doing this make sure you draft some sac lands as you will need them and draft the Cunning Wish around 5th to 8th. Otherwise a late pick.
Card Name: Defy Gravity
Defy Gravity is a good example of sideboard fodder that will often see some action. The fact it has flashback makes it more attractive and is best used in a U/G deck where you have big creatures. A late pick and nothing to get excited about.
Card Name: Envelop
This gets the award for worst counterspell in Judgement, although there are several contenders. Envelop is too narrow in limited and will end up in the sideboard. It is only useful against bomb sorceries such as Upheaval, Kirtars Wrath and Overrun. If you think your opponent will play with bombs first pick it or alternatively take the bomb and get the Envelop when it comes back to you.
Card Name: Flash of Insight
Hey it's the new impulse but it costs...six mana! Card drawers have been dumbed down over the years but Flash of Insight is not too bad. These sorts of cards are only good in limited if you have drafted gamebreakers like Aboshan, Cabal Patriarch and the like otherwise they become cantrips. I can't really see the flashback cost having any impact on the game unless your opponent has advocates. The flash is a mid range pick if you need to go find your bombs otherwise a late pick.
Card Name: Grip of Amnesia
This is better than Envelop for two reasons:-
1. you draw a card no matter what
I'm not sure if this is maindeck material but a lot of decks do rely on threshold and graveyard interaction so this could get the nod. Make sure you have enough creatures before you play this sort of card. A late pick.
Card Name: Hapless Researcher
The researcher is the best 1/1 for blue in Judgement, in fact he is the only 1/1! He digs further into your library, combos with madness and is always willing to sacrifice himself in combat. These guys will come around late and that's when to pick them (9th upwards).
Card Name: Keep Watch
Keep Watch falls into the love or hate category of magic cards whose denizens include Spirit Flare, Shade's Form and Cabal Surgeon to name but a few. I must say that I'm not a fan of this card as you really need to play defensively to make it work effectively. It is also a late game card in the respect that you need a lot of mana open to play Keep Watch then respond with what you've drawn from it - a bit too shaky non? Then again I'm sure I will be proved wrong. Against a R/G player with squirrels and firecats this is great but still a late pick in my opinion.
Card Name: Laquatus's Disdain
Ah the power counterspells keep on coming. Laquatus's Disdain is a sideboard card at best that may see some use in this draft block. Handy for stopping Firebolts, Prismatic Strands and the like but I won't be wetting my pants over it. A late pick.
Card Name: Lost in Thought
I played against this at the prerelease and was quite impressed. The graveyard is an important resource now and Lost in Thought can severely deplete it. This is especially good on creatures with threshold abilities (like Werebears, Fledgling Dragons) as it can shut them down completely. This card suits an aggressive or defensive style deck and is a mid to high range pick.
Card Name: Mental Note
A cheap cantrip that nets you three cards in the graveyard and one in the hand. This is good for threshold but that's it - play Obsessive Search instead. This is definitely a late pick and I wouldn't be worried if I didn't get one.
Card Name: Mirror Wall
For U/W mages the Mirror Wall is very solid. It can hold off the ground indefinitely then turn to attack when the game is under control. Draft this reasonably early if you are going U/W (ie. 2nd to 4th pick) otherwise a mid to late pick.
Card Name: Mist of Stagnation
This seems to combo nicely with Grip of Amnesia... That being said the mist is not really a great rare in limited. It is playable but your deck will need to be built around it and threshold intensive. If your opponent's deck abuses threshold too you could be in trouble so this may become a sideboard card. Mist of Stagnation is a late pick but if you can build a deck that abuses this take it higher.
Card Name: Quiet Speculation
This card has already taken off in constructed but it is not the case in limited play. There are far too few flashback cards in an average draft deck making Quiet Speculation useless.
Card Name: Scalpelexis
The thing to note about is Scalpelexis the fact the cards are removed from the game when it deals combat damage. This has a big impact in limited as you are denying your opponent threshold and the ability to play flashback cards. The chances are you won't be double milling your opponent much but if you are unopposed in the air they are losing 10% of their deck a turn. The key to using Scalpelexis well is in good creature enchantments. Make sure you draft cards like Seton's Desire, Arcane Beatings, Shade's Form and Floating Shield to maximize Scalpelexis's ability. A high pick and one of the better rares for blue in Judgement.
Card Name: Spelljack
Spelljack is good because of its surprise value - hey I even enjoy having it played on me! Once you know your opponent has it you can try and bait it out whilst holding on to your trump card. Six mana is expensive for a counterspell and the game may be over before you can use it but it is still a good draft pick so don't underestimate it. I'm not sure if this is first pick material but definitely a 2nd or 3rd.
Card Name: Telekinetic Bonds
So let me get this straight - if I have a Cephalid Looter in play I can use it, then pay U1 to untap it, then keep doing it until I run out of mana. Sounds like dodgy combo territory to me and too reliant on discard effect cards - a late pick unless you are a combo freak.
Card Name: Web of Inertia
As this affects both players you need to have a deck that is not reliant on threshold. Web of Inertia works well with Lost in Thought and other graveyard manipulators such as Gravegouger, Nantuko Tracer and the advocates and is best suited to a slow U/W or U/B deck. There are better uncommons to take over this but it is a card that could be interesting to experiment with. A mid to late range pick.
Card Name: Wonder
Wonder is the best uncommon incarnation in Judgement and can be a potential game winner if you can get it into the graveyard. It suits a deck that has a lot of fat creatures and/or discard, making U/G an attractive option. The best blue uncommon and a strong first pick. Remember if you want to splash blue just for Wonder you will need a few islands in your deck (this may seem obvious but a lot of players don't realize you need the basic land in play).
Card Name: Wormfang Behemoth
The Wormfang creatures all have a redundancy mechanic that can sometimes be very frustrating. The Behemoth is only good when your hand is depleted and/or if you only have lands in your hand. The way to use this guy is to have three or four lands in your hand, play him and then recklessly attack hoping your opponent won't block/kill it so you don't get those cards back. This card is an early pick (3rd to 5th) if you are good at Jedi Mind Tricks or a mid range to late pick if you aren't.
Card Name: Wormfang Crab
Four mana for a 3/6 unblockable critter is pretty good despite its drawback. If the crab is played out early chances are you will lose a land but avoid casting late in the game (if you can) when you have really good creatures on the table. An early pick, the crab is the second best uncommon for blue. Teach your opponent a lesson by drafting some nasty creature enhancers to put on it.
Card Name: Wormfang Drake
The Wormfang Drake is the most efficient flyer in the set so it must warrant some attention. The fact you get to choose the creature it removes is a big plus as there are several creatures that have come into play effects. For example - if you choose to remove Teroh's Faithful from the game you will gain the four life if/when it comes back into play. This is also true for phantom creatures as it resets their counters. Bearing this in mind it is a tempo creature and you will not always have the right creatures to use with the drake. If you have the right sort of deck take it early otherwise it is a mid range pick.
Card Name: Wormfang Manta
The Wormfang Mantra is quite expensive for a 6/1 flyer and I don't really like the prospect of giving my opponent an additional turn. It's one toughness makes it extremely fragile and most decks should have some way of dealing with this. I can't really see this being played in limited unless you are desperate for another warm body. A late pick.
Card Name: Wormfang Newt
The problem with the newt is you want to play it on the second turn but by removing a land you lose too much tempo. Unfortunately this has sealed it's fate in limited play and is not even worthy of a pick at all.
Card Name: Wormfang Turtle
Unlike Wormfang Newt the turtle may see some action as it can tie up a lot of ground creatures. Four toughness is a lot nowadays and the removal of a land should not hurt too much since the turtle is a mid game creature. Not a high pick for an uncommon but if you are lacking defence on the ground by all means draft him. A mid to late range pick as a result. [ Email the Author | Discuss this Article ]
|
