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Editor: Audrey C Quan. Monday 7 October 2002.
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Onslaught Limited Review - Blue
Another week and another colour. Blue has historically been gifted with strong cards in every major set since its inception and Onslaught is no exception with bombs such as Read the Runes and Trade Secrets.
Blue gets a boost in the creature department in Onslaught with no less than 19 wizards ranging from the powerful Supreme Inquisitor to the lowly Disruptive Pitmage reinforcing the tribal mechanics which are so prevalent in this set.
Interestingly enough there are no pingers (or similar cards) which is ironic considering blue has always had this and also because there are more wizards than ever in Onslaught. Is this another attempt by R & D to dumb down blue or will these cards make an appearance in Legion? We will just have to wait and see...
Airborne Aid 3U
With only 12 birds in the set (5 of which are common) split between blue and white, chances are you won't be drawing too many cards from this. I could see this working well with Riptide Replicator but that is about it. Don't rely on this Airborne Aid, a late pick.
Annex 2UU
I read this as you can control lands that are enchanted, am I right here? If this is the case I think it is a bit situational in Onslaught limited as there are no decent enchant lands in the set. This has much more use in constructed as a sideboard card. A late pick as a result.
Aphetto Alchemist 1U
The alchemist is a slightly weaker version of the Puppeteer from Odyssey but he is cheaper and has the morph ability. Defensive in nature, he is best suited to a U/G deck that plays a lot of fat. He can also be used in the early game to lay down some beats before he morphs into a Jandor's Saddlebags. A good uncommon that should be taken around 4th or so.
Aphetto Grifter 2U
The grifter is similar to white's Whipcorder (except you can target lands and artifacts) but requires another wizard to use effectively. He does not tap to use his ability, so if you have 4 wizards you can tap 2 permanents, 6 wizards, 3 permanents etc. Blue has a total of 19 wizards in Onslaught (many common) so his ability will always be useful. 1 toughness makes him susceptible to the usual red pinger effects so don't expect him to stay around for too long. The grifter fits into every deck archetype, justifying an early pick (around 3rd or 4th).
Arcanis the Omnipotent 3UUU
Each colour in Onslaught has a Legend which costs 6 mana with powerful abilities. Arcanis is no exception but don't let his special ability deceive you. Remember this guy costs 6 mana (including 3 blue) so he won't be hitting the table till late in the game and his ability is not as good as some of the other legends. Sure drawing 3 cards is good but you should be able to win without this, furthermore you will probably only want to activate this guy once or twice as you could deck yourself.
Strangely enough if you could target your opponent Arcanis would be a lot better. His other ability is marginal and his stats don't really cut it for something which costs 6 mana.
Artificial Evolution U
The token Sleight of Mind/Alter Reality blue rare that will probably never see the light of day...
As creature type is so important in Onslaught this may see some use as a sideboard card to fizzle a Cruel Revival or better still change a Cover of Darkness to suit your creatures! These sorts of cards should never be overlooked and will often go around the table so if it comes back to you consider taking it if there is nothing else of interest.
Ascending Aven 2UU
Ascending Aven is a good solid evasive creature that you will always want in your draft deck. If you are on the back foot and need chump blockers in the late game then it can be played as a generic 2/2.
There are not too many fliers in Onslaught so I would draft this a little higher than usual, a 3-4th pick.
Aven Fateshaper 6U
Looks like an overcosted Sage Owl to me. 7 mana is a lot for a creature as the game may well be over before you even get to use this guy so don't draft him too highly. When you play this bear in mind that you don't want many spells in the 5 mana (and higher) slot as they will clog up your hand while you opponent is beating the tar out of you with a gray ogre.
Draft a dragon instead, a mid range pick.
Backslide 1U
Backslide is pretty good in this format as there are a lot of broken morph creatures. Play this after blockers have been declared, before damage is on the stack and wipe out their best creature, just make sure they don't have mana open to "re-morph" their creature.
It cycles so you can probably play this main deck without too much hassle making Backslide a mid range pick in my book.
Blatant Thievery 4UUU
7 mana for a control magic is way too expensive despite the fact you can target any permanent your opponent controls. I would only play this if I had no other way of dealing with a broken creature and even then you still have to draw it. Give me decent creature removal any day of the week, a mid to late pick.
Callous Oppressor 1UU
Callous Oppressor is the sole cephaild representative in Onslaught which is ironic considering the proliferation of squid dudes in previous sets. His ability is strong as most decks will play a combination of two creature types (or even more), giving him a lot of targets to choose from. 3 mana for a 1/2 creature with a good ability is fine so don't be afraid to first pick him.
Chain of Vapor U
Chain of Vapour is similar to Unsummon with the added benefit of being able to bounce artifacts and enchantments. The "punisher" cost is reasonable and should always net you card advantage if used wisely. There are better uncommons out there for blue (Riptide Chronologist, Dispersing Orb and Aphetto Grifter) but if you see this late consider it a gift.
Choking Tethers 3U
If you compare this to Turnabout, Choking Tethers pales in comparison. Tapping four creatures is only really good if you are going for an alpha strike and there are better commons out there for doing that (although they are not blue cards). The fact it cycles (and taps a creature) will make it marginally playable and is best suited to a U/G deck where you can finish them off with one attack.
So when do you draft this sort of card? I think this will get more popular once everyone understands the format so try drafting it around 7th to 10th.
Well, it has been a long time! Clone was originally printed in the Alpha edition and joins a long line of old school reprinted cards that have seen the light of day again (even the artwork is similar!).
This is definitely one of the better rares for blue as you can basically copy anything that isn't a legend. Need an Exalted Angel? No problem, how about a Snapping Thragg? Done, and for a much cheaper casting cost. It doesn't copy colour, which means it is still susceptible to banish like effects but at the end of the day Clone is still very good and a first pick in my book.
Complicate 2U
Complicate is a more expensive version of Mana Leak with a nifty cycling ability. As far as counterspells go this is quite good and should often make the cut in your draft deck. Its cycling ability will always come in handy and will net you a card in the late game if you are patient.
You will generally want to pick this in the first 5 cards of the booster but these sorts of cards often lap the table.
Crafty Pathmage 2U
It's a shame there are no "Frozen Shade pump" creatures in the set, as this would make the Pathmage incredibly good. The best trick I can see with this is on an Ebonblade Reaper - make it unblockable, attack then pay it's morph cost and your opponent has just lost half of their life!
This works well with any morph and will force your opponent to deal with the Pathmage early. He is quite fragile at 3 mana and is worthy of a mid range pick as a result.
Crown of Ascension 1U
These sorts of cards have always seen play in the past and Crown of Ascension is no exception. Ideally suited to a U/G deck with lots of beasts that can fly over for that one lethal attack, this is worth having one of in your deck, as there are no fog effects cards in Onslaught. To ensure you get at least one of these, draft it in the middle of the pack.
Discombobulate 2UU
This card gets the "hardest word to pronounce" award in Onslaught and I still have no idea what it means. Bob looks a lot better than 4 casting cost counterspells of yore like Rewind and Dismiss as you can stack your next couple of draws. This is important in limited because the right card at the right time can often swing the game in your favour.
Still a four-mana counterspell is a four-mana counterspell and should not be drafted too highly. Expect to see this in the middle of the pack.
Dispersing Orb 3UU
Dispersing Orb is the sort of card that fits well into any deck that lacks removal (U/W or U/G). It is a mid to late game card and can also be used to return your own creatures (or any other permanent if necessary) if they are targeted with removal spells. It is especially useful on morph creatures to stop any nasty surprises your opponent has in store and you may want to consider running a slightly higher land count if you play Dispersing Orb (i.e. 18 lands instead of 17). Not first pick material but do draft it early (2nd to 4th).
Disruptive Pitmage 2U
Another 3 mana 1/1 for blue with an interesting ability, the Pitmage is good if you are playing first but sucks a bit if you are not. I think this is a good sideboard card if you are playing against a deck with a great curve (if you are going first) and can always be played as a 2/2 if you draw it late. A late pick as his ability is situational.
Essence Fracture 3UU
If I remember rightly Undo returned 2 creatures and was 2 mana cheaper than this (it did not have cycling however) making Essence Fracture an expensive sorcery in comparison. However, 2 creatures back in the hand can often swing the tempo advantage in your favour warranting some deliberation about when to draft Essence Fracture. In my opinion this is a early to mid range pick (around 5th I think) as you would always want a quality creature over it.
Fleeting Aven 1UU
3 mana for a 2/2 flyer is a good deal even with it's drawback. Most players will only pack a maximum of 5 cycling cards in their deck (including lands) so you should always play this guy because he is so efficient. Look at for tribal tricks that utilize wizards and/or birds as Fleeting Aven counts as both. A solid uncommon and worthy of a reasonably high draft pick.
Future Sight 2UUU
I have to say the jury is out on this one, as whilst I can see the long-term benefits of this card your opponent knows what is coming and can play around your spells. The fact you can play land from the top of your library is great but is it worth sacrificing the surprise value of the deck??
Future Sight is the kind of rare that players will either love or hate so I would draft this according to your style of play.
Ghosthelm Courier 2U
Yeah bring on all the power wizard cards! Judging by the amount of wizards in this set he will have his work cut out for him. A 2/1 for 3 mana is pretty fragile so watch out for those Fever Charms. Saying that he is a pretty good blocker but that is hardly a reason to draft him highly.
Take this guy if you have a lot of wizards and/or you really need creatures otherwise don't bother.
Graxiplon 5U
How dodgy is this? Most decks will be able to play "3 of a kind" by the sixth turn making the Graxiplon very, very bad. This will be drafted by bad players and passed by the good ones. Take my advice and don't take it.
Imagecrafter U
This is the most useful common wizard for blue and it only costs 1 blue mana! The Imagecrafter's ability will always come in useful whatever deck you draft so make sure to take advantage of cards like Cruel Revival, the crown enchantments, Tribal Unity and the like. I think the Imagecrafter will be overlooked initially so you should always be able to pick up a couple of these.
Information Dealer 1U
This wizard has the potential to be amazing but can also be quite crap if played on the second turn. He is really the sort of card you would play if you drafted Aphetto Grifter and/or Supreme Inquisitor to make up the wizard numbers. I would always draft Imagecrafter over the Information Dealer making this guy a very late pick.
Ixidor is interesting because he is one of the few cards in Onslaught that can reveal face down creatures. Granted you may not want to do this on your opponent's creatures (unless you know they have Blistering Firecat of course!) but you will often win many combats with this guy on the table. Even if you don't reveal your morph creatures they still get +1/+1 anyway making this guy pretty good.
If you like your morphlings then pick this guy early in the booster.
Ixidor's Will 2U
So this is the common counterspell for blue in Onslaught? It is right up there with Dissipate and Forbid in the power ratings don't you think? Terrible rubbish which will only see play very occasionally I am not a fan of this at all. The text should be rewritten "Some cards should not come to be".
Mage's Guile 1U
This is similar to Confound but not as good because you can't get the effect and the cantrip - it's either one or the other. This is marginally useful if you have a few valuable creatures that don't want to go to the graveyard but otherwise you are better playing with graveyard recursion spells. The cycling keeps this card out of the total chaff division.
Meddle 1U
How often do spells target creatures in limited? This is the best card to have in a combat situation as you will always get card advantage (unless your opponent counters it of course) and the "truckie slump" from your opponent. Meddle is another reprint of Magic lore and is still as good as ever and the best blue uncommon in Onslaught. A first pick.
Mistform Dreamer 2U
The dreamer is a fine flyer for 3 mana (compare this to Aven Fogbringer from Judgement) and has a handy ability to boot. There is really not much else to say about this except it should be drafted in the first 7 cards of the booster (around 5th or 6th to be exact).
Mistform Mask 1U
Imagecrafter is better and cheaper than this so I can't see the mask getting much play. A late pick.
Mistform Mutant 4UU
The mutant is the only mistform that can change other creature's types around but is it that useful? Again, I think the Imagecrafter is better as the mutant costs 6 mana despite the fact it can target multiple creatures. The mutant is a good foil for cards like Cover of Darkness, Infest, Tribal Unity and Thunder of Hooves but does require a heavy mana investment. Not a high pick but certainly worth looking at if you see it late in the draft.
Mistform Shrieker 3UU
The Shrieker is the Aven Windreader of Onslaught (except it is uncommon) plus it has morph to boot! This is a top quality flyer that you expect from blue nowadays and should be drafted within the first 4 cards of the booster.
Mistform Skyreaver 5UU
The skyreaver is identical to the Amugaba in Odyssey but not as strong as it can't be returned to its owner's hand. It is still pretty beefy and should dominate the skies if it hits the table. Is it first pick quality? - I'm not so sure as I started passing Amugaba for cheaper, efficient cards in Odyssey block. Initially this will be a first pick, but expect players to pass it up in favour of other spells ( a 2nd or 3rd draft pick).
Mistform Stalker 1U
Fragile in the early game but strong in the late, Mistform Stalker gives blue it's first "pump" creature in a very long time. With 8 mana on the table this will be able to handle just about anything in the air and is best suited to a slow control deck, i.e. U/W. The fact it is only a 1/1 does not warrant a high pick, but it is a solid mid range pick for the blue mage.
Blue and White creatures will fly over this, black has fear and most of the common green beasts are bigger than the Mistform Wall making it rather redundant. It is good for slowing down the early beats but Onslaught limited is all about the mid to late game and by then it will become a chump blocker or just sit there like a stunned muppet. Good against goblin decks though. A late pick.
Nameless One 3U
To give you an idea of how powerful the blue avatar is think about these statistics. There are 19 wizards in Onslaught (6 common, 8 uncommon and 5 rare) and most of them are realistically playable making the Nameless One quite good in draft. His morph ability can be used to spring him at the right time for a lethal attack or to smash an opposing creature into the graveyard and don't forget your opponent's wizards count too (including the Nameless One himself). Still not first pick material but an early draft nonetheless.
Peer Pressure 3U
Peer Pressure seems too situational for my liking as you are relying on your opponent to play the same creature types as you. It may well see use as a sideboard card against decks with similar creatures but I can't see it being maindecked all that often. A mid to late pick.
Psychic Trance 2UU
The trance is actually a decent counterspell for limited play due to the sheer number of wizards in the set. This is much superior to Ixidor's Will as you only need a single wizard in play to make this effective (unless they get rid of it in response to casting Psychic Trance).
Psychic Trance can be used to stop an opponent's combat trick or during their upkeep so they are unable to cast any spells that turn making it a very versatile spell. Take this early.
The Quicksilver Dragon is similar to the Silver Wyvern from Stronghold because they are both extremely hard to kill.
It can be played a turn earlier with it's morph cost, making it extremely efficient at just 5 mana. This is a strong first pick for blue, so don't pass this if you open it.
Read the Runes XU
Read the Runes is pure card drawing and is the best blue rare in Onslaught. It can be used at any time of the game to generate massive card advantage and there will always be spare lands in your hand and/or in play to feed it. If you have enough lands it combos with Words of Wind forcing your opponent to return a permanent to their hand for each mana you pay.
I'm sure there are other tricky combos with this but at the end of the day it is good old-fashioned card drawing. I don't know about you but I'll be picking this first.
Reminisce 2U
This is going to have a big impact on Extended and all of those other constructed formats that no-one plays anymore but it will only have a minor effect on limited. If you are going through your deck quickly (Read the Runes, Hystradon,etc) this could be a reasonable choice otherwise it is a dead card. Reminisce should have been printed in Odyssey so it could counteract Threshold and Flashback but it seems out of place in Onslaught. A late pick.
Riptide Biologist 1U
With green and red receiving a fair share of beasts in Onslaught (around 25 in total) the biologist will see a fair share of play. It would have been better if he was 2/2 for 3 mana but he does have morph so it is quite good if you deck is lacking creatures. If you deck is chock full of critters then make sure to side him in against red and/or green decks. A mid to late pick.
Riptide Chronologist 3UU
5 mana for a 1/3 creature with an ability that can potentially help your opponent? I don't like the sound of this guy and I'm wondering why it is an uncommon. This may be great in a deck that uses lots of fat so you can continually attack with no fear of a counterattack but you would be much better off with another decent creature instead. A late pick.
Riptide Entrancer 1UU
The Entrancer is similar to a shadow guy printed in Tempest block (can't remember the name) but he has morph making the surprise value great. If your opponent knows you have this guy he will want to block anything that is played face down, and if he doesn't he can say goodbye to his best creature. A good creature with a decent ability, the Riptide Entrancer is an early pick (3rd or so).
Riptide Shapeshifter 3UU
Riptide Shapeshifter is my favourite of the shapeshifters because it is big (for blue standards) and will always give you card advantage if played correctly. Remember to use his ability once damage is on the stack and then go hunting for another creature. The only downside is that morph creatures come into play as they are, reducing their strategic value considerably.
He is best suited to a deck with a lot of fat creatures that don't have tricky abilities (U/G). A high pick, the Riptide Shapeshifter is one of the better uncommons for blue in Onslaught.
Rummaging Wizard 3U
Rummaging Wizard is basically a Think Tank on legs that gets better as the game wears on. If you can get to 6 mana with this guy out then you should be drawing good cards every turn. He works well with any library reliant card like the Riptide Chronologist and Animal Magnetism.
Ideally suited to a U/W build, Rummaging Wizard is a mid range pick, as he is still a 2/2 creature for 4 mana.
Sage Aven 3U
The Sage Aven can handle most of the common flyers in the set (with the exception of Ascending Aven) and has the added bonus of being a wizard. It is still very defensive in nature and I would take the Ascending Aven over this every time. Beggars can't be choosers however and I would still draft this if it came around late in the draft. If your deck lacks flyers take this higher than you would normally.
Screaming Seahawk 4U
I can really see myself getting multiple Screaming Seahawks from my library with this card. 5 mana is too much for a 2/2 flyer and you would have to be really desperate to play with this piece of jank. A very late pick.
Sea's Claim U
Stop press! Stop press! I can't believe the raw power of this card. Sea's Claim will end up on the next banned and restricted list for sure. Pure crap and it doesn't even have cycling.
Slipstream Eel 5UU
Well at least this has cycling! Every set has a Slipstream Eel type card which punishes blue mages for playing their damned islands. Good for decks that lack fat and also a card in the late game if he is not needed. A solid mid range pick for anyone playing blue.
Spy Network U
Spy Network is actually quite useful as you get a lot of information from just one card. Sure it is not a cantrip but it will stop you from walking into nasty morph creatures and irritating combat tricks like Primal Boost and Wirewood Pride. It is still a filler card and will be competing against cycling cards for the 23rd slot in the deck. A good sideboard option against decks packing a lot of morph creatures. A late pick.
Standardize UU
Standardize only seems to work well with other cards and doesn't do a lot by itself making it a poor card for limited play. Sure it would be fun to turn all of your creatures into wizards so you can cast a Psychic Trance, or into goblins to power up your Skirk Commando but you won't win the game because of it. A late pick.
Supreme Inquisitor 3UU
I keep looking at the Supreme Inquisitor and think "5 cards from my opponent's library a turn - that has to be good!" Having 5 wizards in play should not be a problem, keeping this guy alive longer than a turn is. Draft him in a U/W or a U/B deck where he can be protected/reanimated so you can attack your opponent's library and after a few interrogations the game will be over. Try to draft him in those colour combinations and early.
Trade Secrets 1UU
This is definitely a constructed card that may see some use in Onslaught limited. The fact it is a sorcery is bad for limited play as your opponent will often reap the rewards of the card drawing before you do (unless you wait until really late in the game of course) and no you can't deck something with this as the number of cards you draw can be zero. It is hard to say how effective this is in limited at the moment so I will reserve assigning a draft rating on it and let you make up your own minds!
Trickery Charm U
The charm mechanic was first introduced in the Mirage block many moons ago where one-mana instants could do a variety of different things. The Trickery Charm is a lot better than it's older cousin, the Vision Charm as you can look at the top four cards of you library rather than mill yourself for four (and seriously when would you have to phase out an artifact anyway?).
Giving flying to a creature is always handy for combat tricks and changing creature types around will be useful in this set as there are a lot of zombie, goblin and elf related cards. The charm will come around late and that is when to draft it.
Voidmage Prodigy UU
So this is the card Kai Budde had designed for winning the invitational. I don't know about you but I won't be rushing out to trade for four of these guys. The name may sound mildly enticing but the card does not deliver. A situational counterspell on a stick that has the morph ability? - please!, I'm sure Kai could of thought of something better than this.
The Voidmage is actually better for beatdown than it's special ability, but I guess you could do both, as it does not have a tap symbol. A mid to late range pick unless your deck is full of wizards.
Wheel and Deal 3U
Wheel and Deal reminds me of Windfall except that this targets opponents not all players. The only way I can see this being played in limited is to deck your opponent as drawing another seven cards in the late game could lead to a very quick decking.
Other than that I cannot think of any other use for this card in limited making it a late pick in my opinion.
Words of Wind 2U
I mentioned the combo with Read the Runes earlier and I can't seem to think of any other great uses for this card. Dispersing Orb does the same thing and it is uncommon and you don't have to skip your draw phase to use it. I'm sure this card will be broken somehow but I can't see it yet... a late pick.
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