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Editor: Audrey C Quan. Thursday 3 October 2002.
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Onslaught Limited Review - Black
The last couple of months have been very busy for me, between my job, the World Championships side events and my girlfriend I could barely fit in 3 drafts a night on Magic Online! I can honestly say I did not watch much of the main event as I was far too busy flushing my points down the toilets in the side events but I did hear that Psychatog was popular.
After the Worlds I had left my job, kept the girlfriend and was seriously considering taking a break from Magic (like that was ever going to happen!). I soon found out about Chris and Kieran's Sydney Games Centre in Burwood (where all Sydney players should go to by the way!) and started Thursday night drafting again. The rest is history as I am now back on the bandwagon, eagerly awaiting the Onslaught prerelease (although I have cut down my Magic Online intake).
So sit back and make yourself comfortable because this may take a while.
Well here you have it, another set and another limited review by yours truly. All of the cards have been reviewed with booster/rochester draft in mind and are by no means definitive. You always have to take into account what other players are drafting, specific colour combinations and card distribution.
A high range pick denotes the first 5 cards in the booster, a mid range pick the middle 5 and a late pick the last 5 cards. I'm sure that over the coming months some of these cards will change as I may have overlooked or underestimated certain cards so no hate mail please.
Black is back to full strength in Onslaught with no less than 20 zombies in the set and some very powerful rares like Visara the Dreadful and Cover of Darkness. There is finally a banishing spell that can target black creatures, a new "Oath of Ghouls" and a 6/6 demon for 4 mana.
Next week I will be dissecting the blue cards in Onslaught so until then keep playing them cards.
Dan
Accursed Centaur B
Will this be the new Carnophage? I doubt it. Beatdown in limited needs to be efficient and this isn't. Did you ever play Wormfang Newt in Judgement? I didn't think so. If you see this card, do not take it.
Anurid Murkdiver 4BB
Now that black has an even playing field again it will be interesting to see how heavy it will be drafted in Onslaught. A 4/3 for 6 mana is a little expensive in my opinion even though it has Swampwalk. This guy is also a Zombie Beast so make use of your tribal tricks if you draft him - but don't take it that highly.
Aphetto Dredging 3B
Bearing in mind that black has lots of zombies in this set (21 in total) this card may warrant playing. These sorts of cards should generally be taken over bombs, removal and creatures (in that order) so it should come around the table.
Aphetto Vulture 4BB
The vulture is also a zombie therefore it can target itself if it is the only creature in the graveyard, so if you are able to destroy it each turn (e.g Nantuko Husk) you won't run out of cards! Personally I wouldn't rely on this plan so draft this card appropriately (around 4th or so).
Blackmail B
This seems a bit hit and miss in limited but you should always be able to get a reasonable creature if you are lucky. There are better uncommons than this so pass it up.
Boneknitter 1B
This is definitely a decoy morph and should be played as such protecting your nastier morph creatures. Once revealed the Boneknitter's ability is quite handy as there are a lot of zombies out there. He is also a cleric so Profane Prayers, Cabal Archon and Misery Charm will all work too. A mid range pick.
Cabal Archon 2B
Cabal Archon would be so much better if you replaced sacrifice with tap but you can't always get what you want. In limited this guy is another gray ogre with an ability that will occasionally be useful so expect these to go around the table.
Cabal Executioner 2BB
The executioner is a good example of a morph creature that has some strategic value. Do you let this guy through when you only have one creature on the table or do you risk blocking and drawing out a combat trick? This card should always be played face down for that reason so your opponent will waste removal spells early in the game.
A decent black uncommon the Cabal Executioner will always net you card advantage if you use him wisely so pick it early.
Cabal Slaver 2B
While the slaver fits nicely in a R/B deck he is pretty crappy anywhere else (especially if your opponent is playing goblins!). Therefore he is relegated to the junk pile.
Chain of Smog 1B
There doesn't seem to be a "punisher effect" for this making me wonder if it is worth playing at all. Onslaught is not that graveyard reliant so losing 2 cards is not ideal. A late pick unless I am missing something here.
Cover of Darkness 1B
Ah the return of the power enchantments! This is one of the bombs for black in my opinion for the following reasons:-
· Because it is cheap
This card suits an archetype that packs a lot of removal (i.e. B/R) so you can blast opposing black creatures if/when you come against them. Pick this first and build up a strong creature base.
Crown of Suspicion 1B
The black removal in Onslaught can be a bit iffy (Swat, Profane Prayers, etc) but this card is actually quite good. Imagine this against a R/X deck with goblins. Enchant a 2 toughness goblin, then sacrifice it to decimate a whole bunch of the little buggers!
In a pinch it can be used on your own evasive creatures to put the added hurt on your opponent. A mid to late pick but definitely not chaff worthy.
Cruel Revival 4B
It is good to see that 5 casting cost removal spells are back in force in limited again! Seriously, I think this card is OK as there are plenty of big creatures in this set that can be hard to deal with. The fact that the revival can target black creatures is a good thing since you don't want cards like Grinning Demon or Visara staying on the table for too long.
Watch out for spells that can change creature types (like Trickery Charm) so you don't get caught off guard and cheap counters like cycled Complicates etc. A mid range pick but may change depending upon the amount of removal in your deck.
Death Match 3B
Death Match joins a long list of pain in the arse enchantments that you have to deal with early or suffer the consequences. In limited Death Match can decimate decks with low toughness creatures (i.e. U/W) and can even be a headache for the controller if you are not careful. This card obviously suits a B/G build chock full of fatties so draft with that archetype in mind. I would say Death Match is a mid range pick because it does require the right kind of deck.
Death Pulse 2BB
This is one of the best all purpose black removal spells in the set and a pretty decent uncommon. Most creatures have a toughness of 4 or lower and the fact it can be cycled as an Afflict is an added bonus. A first pick unless there is a broken rare in the booster.
Dirge of Dread 2B
Another good cycling card the dirge will often find itself being the 23rd card because it is good filler. This card is especially useful in B/G decks that utilize fat creatures and even if your opponent is playing black they will most probably have to chump block! A late pick but handy chaff.
Disciple of Malice 1B
Why doesn't black have a creature that has "pay 1, target creature gains protection from white until end of turn"?. Don't take this unless you have a penchant for clerics or really need creatures. Situational chaff.
Doomed Necromancer 2B
There always seems to be one of these in every set. Combo's nicely with any "come into play" critter but will more often than not get back a fattie or evasive creature. As far as rares go this is pretty average but I'm sure we will hear stories of players bringing out their Krosan Colossus on turn 4 with this. A mid to late range pick for sure.
Ebonblade Reaper 2B
The reaper is possibly the most trickiest morph creature in the set. His morph cost is high but the ability is insane. Let me say that again - the ability is insane. You should always play him face down and wait out until he can be sneaked through, then bam! Watch out for other spells that can reveal his true self like Break Open or Spy Network. A first pick.
Endemic Plague 3B
The 3 main creature types for black are zombie, cleric and beast. Beast is shared with 2 other colours making it the plague of choice. I'm not convinced this is a first pick as it is quite situational, but don't expect it to go around the table. If you end up drafting this be on the look out for Wretched Anurids and Spined Bashers (both common beasts).
Entrails Feaster B
What a lovely card name (I'm sure the artwork is equally attractive!). Most limited decks will struggle with the upkeep on this so don't even bother with it. A dud.
Fade from Memory B
Cremate and Coffin Purge were both similar to this and never saw much action in limited. Expect Fade from Memory to live up to its name.
Fallen Cleric 4B
Giant Cockroach from 7th edition was better than this and that only cost 4 mana. True this guy has protection from clerics and morph but it is nothing to write home about. Play this if you have lots of decent morph creatures so your opponent has to keep guessing, otherwise pass him on.
False Cure BB
If only this card was in Judgement! I can't remember the amount of times I have faced down Phantom Nishoba thinking about a card like this. However False Cure is in Onslaught where the only life gainers are Exalted Angel, Convalescent Care and Renewed Faith so don't expect much use for this cure.
Feeding Frenzy 2B
You should always be able to get at least -2/-2 with this making it quite a handy piece of instant removal (bearing in mind it counts your opponents zombies too). It is still a mid range card as it does require some good draft picks to play correctly.
Festering Goblin B
This is my favourite common for black as he is so cheap and the idea of a zombie goblin is actually pretty disgusting really. This little guy can take down 2/2's with ease and is handy for picking off annoying creatures like Embermage Goblin and Battlefield Medics.
He will always come around late in the pack so don't be afraid to pass him up the first time around.
Frightshroud Courier 2B
The zombie courier is possibly the most useful as there are more zombies than any other creature and the fact it gains fear should give most decks fits. All of the couriers are fragile making them mid range draft picks. Still, you could do a lot worse for an uncommon.
Gangrenous Goliath 3BB
There are only 3 common clerics for black in the set (Fallen Cleric, Shepherd of Rot and Disciple of Malice) which are all quite bad so that should give you some idea of the playability of this card.
There are better 5 casting cost black creatures out there - Prawling Pangolin and Thrashing Mudspawn for instance.
Gluttonous Zombie 4B
This guy reminds me of the Phyrexian Reaper from Invasion - solid creatures with a good ability weighing in at 5 mana. There are better uncommons out there but this guy is still good, try to take him around 4th or so.
Gravespawn Sovereign 4BB
So we have had Zombie Master and Lord of the Undead and now we got this guy. Is he better? Yes. Is he that good? You betcha. For six mana you either want dragon in the title or a damn good special ability. The sovereign has that and by the time you play this guy you should have 4 other zombies in play (remember he counts as one too) and get ready to do some gravedigging.
A first pick and can be used/abused with all the tribal tricks to boot!
What can I say about this guy that hasn't been said already? If you see him, take him and don't let anybody know you got him. The second best rare for black in my opinion.
Haunted Cadaver 3B
Another interesting morph creature that is cheap to reveal. Try to use this guy pretty quickly to grab tricks from your opponent's hand. As the cadaver is common you should have no problem getting hold of these. Don't play more than 2 of these guys as you will clog up the 4 casting cost slot (they are only 2/2 afterall). A mid range pick.
Head Games 3BB
This card looks broken to me. Assuming this is played around the 5th-8th turn of the game your opponent should still have a few business cards in hand. Take a look, give him 5 lands, a quick shuffle then proceed to smash his face in. Nice work, an early pick.
Headhunter 1B
More crazy clerics! Nearly all of the uncommon clerics in Onslaught are better than their common counterparts, and most of them have morph too. The Headhunter is cheap to reveal and should always be played at its morph cost. Another good decoy he is suited to a U/B deck that can utilise his ability effectively (through Crown of Ascension, Crafty Pathmage, etc). A mid range pick.
Infest 1BB
Onslaught has it's own mini Mutilate in the shape of Infest. Still a Mutilate it isn't and is only really effective at offing premorphed creatures and other fragile 1/1's. If you are the kind of player who believes your creatures are expendable then take this highly otherwise a mid range to late pick.
Misery Charm B
This seems to be one of the weaker charms in the set as its uses are too focused. Sure there are plenty of annoying clerics out there (most of them are rare) but it is a sideboard card at best. Although I could be proven wrong...a late pick.
Ssshh! Don't tell anyone, but this is one of the best commons for black. A gray ogre with a good ability the Husk will always see play. The fact you can sacrifice any of your creatures to it at any time is great for combat tricks and even better against creature theft spells and curveballs like Insurrection (in fact it combos well with that if you play it!).
This is a high pick for a common creature and should not be underestimated. I would draft this around 5th or so depending what else is in the booster.
Oversold Cemetery 1B
Looks like an Oath of Ghouls to me.this enchantment is good but you can expect the cemetery's ability to kick in towards the end of the game so it will often be a dead card.
I can see some nice combos with creatures such as Blistering Firecat and Riptide Chronologist (a creature a turn sounds pretty good!) but there are plenty of other rares you want over this. Not a high pick in my book but that is just me.
Patriarch's Bidding 3BB
Funky graveyard tricks are back but this time both players get to join in the fun. This card is obviously a double-edged sword as it is reliant on cards in both players' graveyards. It seems to be more of a sideboard card to be brought in against 3 colour decks and/or decks without a heavy commitment to a particular creature type. A mid to late pick.
Profane Prayers 2BB
Go cleric deck! Black only has 11 clerics (3 of which are common) so this is really only effective against white decks (they have 15 clerics - 6 of which are common!), netting an average of 3 damage/life each time it is cast. Prayers might work well in a U/B deck with Imagecrafters and Mistform creatures to maximise the cleric count but even then you would be hard pushed to deal 4 or 5 damage. A late pick unless your deck is full of clerics..
Prowling Pangolin 3BB
This is so much better than Accursed Centaur it is not funny. 5 mana seems just about right for this beastie and even if your opponent does sacrifice 2 crappy creatures you still have card advantage!
The Pangolin is similar to Carrion Wurm in Torment because you want it in your deck even though it has a drawback. It should be drafted quite highly but always take a quality removal spell over this.
Rotlung Reanimator 2B
Rotlung fits into the same category as the Doomed Necromancer I discussed earlier but this guy would be better as an enchantment I think. Black does not have enough really good clerics to make this guy worthwhile, although he does combo nicely with Cabal Archon - sacrifice a cleric, drain life for 2, create a zombie, yada, yada, yada.
You want a better rare in your booster than this guy because afterall he is just a Penumbra Bobcat. A mid range pick as a result.
Screeching Buzzard 3B
Black has a whopping 4 fliers in Onslaught (with the buzzard being the only common!) to compensate for the abundance of fear related creatures/spells. This is similar to Aven Fisher from Odyssey, as it should always net you some card advantage. This will be the staple flier of black drafts and should be drafted accordingly.
If you see this in a pack with 7 other cards you should consider playing black.
Severed Legion 1BB
This is the other decent 3-drop in Onslaught, although I still think Nantuko Husk is better. Fear is not to be sneezed at and these guys will often end up doing a lot of the dirty work for you, especially if drafted in multiples.
I would take the buzzard over the legion (depending on your curve) but like the Husk you want as many of these as possible due to the fact there are no decent 2 drops for black in Onslaught. A mid range pick as a result.
Shade's Breath 1B
A nice combat trick for black as most instants seem to be bury this, destroy that, target creature gets -1/-1, draw a card, blah, blah, blah. There is potential for massive card advantage here if played at the right time, which should be in the late game when there is a lot of black mana floating around.
I think you would still want a quality creature over this but it is definitely worth considering, as it won't go around the table. A mid to high range pick.
Shepherd of Rot 1B
Rot - that just about sums this card up. This guy is really crap in every sense of the word as there are like, 20 something zombies in this set. What were you thinking Wizards? - classic chaff.
Silent Specter 4BB
I like the specter a lot as there are so few fliers in this set! The fact it can morph makes things difficult for your opponent, and it's morph cost is actually cheaper than it's casting cost. Two cards a turn is a lot and if this guy stays on the board the game should be in the bag.
When drafting bomb creatures try to be aware of the removal floating around and take some graveyard recursion to compensate (Pacifism really bites though!). A first pick in anybody's book - it flies for god's sake!
Smother 1B
I'm sure this will go down a storm in constructed play and it is not too shabby in limited either. Ideal for picking off morph creatures, Smother is doubly good as it can hit irritating black creatures like the Severed Legion and Nantuko Husk. A first class quality black removal spell with Death Pulse being the only other contender.
Soulless One 3B
Each colour has an avatar of a certain creature type and the Souless One is possibly the strongest because unlike the others it counts creatures in the graveyard towards it's power/toughness. This is the sort of card you want in the black on black matchup as there are very few ways to get rid of this once it hits the table. Probably not first pick material, but should be drafted early nonetheless.
Spined Basher 2B
The basher falls behind the Husk and Legion for pure efficiency but it does have morph making it excellent removal fodder. Other than that it is another zombie in the ranks and will often get in one hit before being sent to the graveyard to await future service. A mid to late pick, handy if you are lacking creatures.
Strongarm Tactics 1B
Discard a creature or lose 4 life? No thanks. I'm not playing with this piece of junk, maybe I'm missing something here.
Swat 1BB
If I remember rightly this was printed in Urza's Legacy a few years ago. This is still quite good and handles most of the weenies out there, but I wouldn't rely on this as your only removal. I would draft this over Crown of Suspicion just because it cycles but other than that it is just a situational removal spell. A late pick which can come in handy.
Syphon Mind 3B
Mmmm, this looks good for multiplayer but sucks in limited - next!
Syphon Soul 2B
What is it with cards with Syphon in the title? - and this has been reprinted from Legends! Remind me to stack my multiplayer deck full of these babies - next!
Thrashing Mudspawn 3BB
Filthy Cur's big brother is lucky to have morph otherwise it would be bordering on unplayable. A 4/4 for 5 mana is not too bad as long as you have tempo advantage as this guy does not do the blocking thing very well. A mid range pick.
Undead Gladiator 1BB
The gladiator is definitely the Nether Spirit/Ashen Ghoul of Onslaught and joins a long line of black creatures whose sole purpose is to give control players headaches. But I am digressing here..he is definitely playable in limited but not a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination. Being 3/1 he is quite fragile and will either need a creature enchantment or evasion ability to make him really shine.
Saying that he is one to watch for and at this stage a mid range pick.
Welcome to the best rare in black (and possibly the whole set). This is the card you want to see when you open the booster, as there are no other creatures that come close. Destroy my opponent's best creature or smash them in the face for 5? - such a hard decision.
Walking Desecration 2B
Nettling Imp makes a long awaited return in Onslaught. This is better than the imp because it can force multiple creatures to attack, although it doesn't say on the spoiler what happens if the creatures don't attack - I assume they are destroyed.
This guy fits nicely into a control build (U/B, B/W) where creatures are lured to their impending doom over several turns. It is hard to say when this should be drafted, maybe in the first 5 or 6 cards.
Withering Hex B
This looks like bottom of the barrel creature removal to me - and I don't want to rely on cycling cards to kill creatures, although I could be proven wrong here, as there are a lot of cycling cards in the set. This is a midrange pick at best.
Words of Waste 2B
All of the words enchantments have an interesting impact on the game as cycling is a big factor in Onslaught. Words of Waste is good at thinning out land from your opponent's hand and may even catch a creature or two if you are lucky.
I think this has more potential in constructed than limited so it is not worthy of a high pick in draft.
Wretched Anurid 1B
Black is lacking in the 2-drop department and this guy more than makes up for it. The life loss is neglible compared to the beating this guy will dish out. Again the Nantuko Husk is good here as you can sacrifice the Anurid when your opponent has stabilized. A solid mid range pick for black and should be drafted with the curve in mind.
Dan Turner
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