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Editor: Audrey C Quan. Saturday 24 May 2003.
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Scourge Draft Review Part 1 - White
Scourge is upon us and it is time once again for my draft round up. I have decided to change my approach with this set (and for the future) by ranking and reviewing just the commons in each colour rather than on a card by card basis. I will be looking at some of the more interesting uncommons and rares but I won't be going through each card. I may also be collaborating with other magic players so it will give everyone a fair idea of the power level of the cards.
On the whole, white has done pretty well in Scourge with 4 strong commons and a handful of other playables. Wingshards and Karona's Zealot lead the charge in the uncommon department and a pro-red knight finally gets printed. Eternal Dragon, Ageless Sentinels and Decree of Justice make up the power rare count in a set where each colour gets their fair share of bombs. It is also nice to see some instants and enchantments again!
Here is my ranking of the commons: -
Zealous Inquisitor - 2W
The reason this guys gets the no. 1 slot for me is simple - versatility. Zealous Inquisitor is great in attack or defense and in the late game becomes a super blocker on the ground. Sure he doesn't have evasion but your opponent won't be blocking him in a hurry so stick a Dragon Scales on him and go to town! Obviously best suited to the B/W cleric archetype this is one of those cards that white players can play in any deck without worrying about tribal interactions. Kor Chant was a first pick back in the day and so is Zealous Inquisitor now.
Aven Liberator - 2WW
It was actually a tough call between the liberator and Zealous Inquisitor, but the Inquisitor won out on versatility. Aven Liberator is a fine card and no one will argue with a 2/3 flyer for 4 mana. Its morph ability is handy to take down opposing flyers or even save one of your utility creatures. White is long overdue for a common flyer with 3 toughness and this guy works well in any archetype. A first pick.
Dragon Scales - 1W
All I can say is wow! I had 2 of these at the prerelease and they were such a beating it wasn't funny! In the late game the scales will be hitting Twisting Abominations, Noble Templars and all other sorts of godly targets to really put the hurt on your opponent. The fact Dragon Scales does 3 things for 2 mana puts it this high on the list and in my opinion is the strongest of the common dragon enchantments. I would even say this is bordering on a first pick but I could be wrong.....
Noble Templar - 5W
To have a land cycler 4th on this list is definitely saying something. Noble Templar may not have the raw power of Twisted Abomination or the fatness of Wirewood Guardian but it still does a good job of blocking almost any ground creature in the set. Combine that with a creature that can get you out of a mana stall on the 2nd turn and you have a card that most white decks will run. He is also a Cleric Soldier to boot, making him easily playable in both B/W clerics and R/W soldiers. A solid midrange pick, 4th to 6th..
Guilty Conscience - W
This is possibly the most debatable common in white as it has the ability to shut down a lot of creatures...at a price. The conscience is very cheap and is good tempo in the early game to put the pressure on your opponent, but bear in mind that the creature will get in one last swing (or take down a creature) before it deals its damage to itself. A mid range pick at this stage, 5th to 8th.
Frontline Strategist - W
The strategist has the potential to create good card advantage in the right deck; unfortunately the narrowness of his use relegates him to 6th place. He is not too bad by himself as you can put damage on then morph (dealing 2) and he can also be used as a one shot fog in a pinch. However, like the Daru Stinger you need to play A LOT of soldiers for these sorts of cards to really shine, making this a late draft pick, but if you are drafting R/W soldiers, consider it a gift, 8th to 12th.
Astral Steel - 2W
Once in a blue moon a creature will get +3/+6 and the rest of the time it is either going to be an instant Holy Strength or a weak Inspirit. Hey I know that it can be a good combat trick but it is too situational for my tastes and I would rather have a Dragon Scales over this. A mid to late range pick, 8th to 12th.
Aven Farseer - 1W
The farseer seems good if it is played on the second or third turn otherwise it is a rather expensive Suntail Hawk. On the other hand there are plenty of creatures in Legions that have good face up abilities so it should at least have 1 counter on it before it gets Echo Traced, Skirk Maraudered or Skinthinned off the table. Aven Farseer will be one of those cards that some players will either love or hate. At this stage I am not a big fan, awarding it a late range pick, 10th to 12th.
Wipe Clean - 1W
This is possibly the best piece of white enchantment removal in the set. The fact it cycles puts it leagues ahead of Demystify and Daru Sanctifier and is even worth maindecking due to the proliferation of powerful creature enchantments in Scourge - Dragon Scales, Dragon Shadow, Lingering Death and Pemmin's Aura to name but a few. Enchantment removal just got a hell of a lot better. A late pick, 12th to 15th.
Daru Spiritualist - 1W
I was undecided if Daru Spiritualist was actually the worst common but after rereading Reward the Faithful and Recuperate I made up my mind. There is no way you would play this card either but Reward the Faithful and Recuperate are so much worse in my opinion.
Recuperate - 3W
C'mon wizards, why bother printing this? Renewed Faith is sooo much better and it can even be cycled! As for this, it makes Healing Salve look like a real powerhouse. A very late pick.
Reward the Faithful - W
Just reward yourself by not playing this card.
So there is my overview of the commons, I really think Dragon Scales is very strong but I couldn't justify a creature enchantment taking the top slot when Zealous Inquisitor and Aven Liberator are both solid picks. Guilty Conscience I am really unsure about but gave it the benefit of the doubt anyway as I believe it should see a lot of limited play. Frontline Strategist and Aven Farseer were both equal in my mind at first, but the strategist has more synergy and can be used immediately whereas the Farseer needs a couple of turns to kick in. Astral Steel was the most problematic card on the list mainly because of Storm but I believe you will always have a removal spell you would want to run over this, or even Dragon Scales. Next week I will be taking a look at blue but to conclude here is my pick of the interesting rares and uncommons.
Until next time
Dan
Ageless Sentinels - 3W
Do you remember Rukh Egg from Arabian Nights? Well, boys and girls this is the closest we are going to get and let me tell you this is an absolute beating. Sooner or later your opponent is going to attack you and when he does he will have an angry giant bird to deal with. 4/4 flyers for 4 mana were a thing of the past so please, if you are playing white don't pass this.
Trap Digger - 3W
I was going to review Eternal Dragon but it is a bit boring and a no brainer first pick in anyone's books. Trap Digger on the other hand is a little trickier and requires some thought. He won't come online to the 5th turn at the earliest but if your opponent has a trick then you have just wasted a turn and a land. I would play him early and try to load up the lands later on in the game so if your opponent tries to alpha you out, there is a backup plan. It is better to blast a big threat with 2 or 3 lands than pick off creatures separately as you don't want to lose a lot of mana. Also, if your deck has a lot of high end creatures you may not be able to run the digger effectively and if that is the case - drop him. An interesting creature that fits tight R/W decks with a good curve and plenty of evasion. An early to mid range pick, 3rd to 5th.
Karona's Zealot - 4W
The zealot is a more robust version of Zealous Inquisitor; although its morph cost is high it is well worth it, as you will always gain card advantage. It is worth noting it redirects all damage, not just combat damage , so if your opponent Solar Blasts it remember to say "thank you very much" after they place their Undorak in the graveyard. I still prefer Wingshards over this but it is still an early pick for the white player, 2nd to 4th.
Wing Shards - 1WW
For me this is the best white uncommon in Scourge. Even without Storm it is still playable but now it will teach players to cast creatures after their combat phases. Good, cheap removal for white and a first pick in draft.
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