Dragons of Tarkir Spoiler Limited Review for March 5
Welcome back to Dragons of Tarkir spoilers Limited discussion! Today should be quick since we only have seven spoilers to cover, so I'll try to pack as much detail as possible into these few that we have. Review the grading scale below if you need to before we get started.
Grading Scale
A: This card will often be the best card in one's deck. I'd consider splashing it where possible. (Duneblast, Citadel Siege)
B: This card is rarely cut from a deck that can cast it. In draft, it signals that a color or archetype is open. (Icefeather Aven, Abzan Beastmaster)
C: Cards like this make up the majority of limited decks. You're neither excited nor embarrassed to have them in your deck. (Sagu Archer, Soul Summons)
D: I'm not putting this in my main deck unless I have a specific reason or I'm low on playables. (Firehoof Cavalry, Abzan Advantage)
F: This card will have little or no impact on the game if I draw it or is strictly sideboard-material. If I cast this card, please stage an intervention for me. (Lens of Clarity, Crucible of the Spirit Dragon)
Commons and Uncommons
C
Impulse is a good card. Good enough to earn a spot in the Magic Online Holiday Cube. Anticipate is a strictly worse version of it but is still passable. I'd prefer a Divination reprint to actually generate card advantage, but filtering through cards to find what you need still helps lessen mana screw and mana flood. Like Defiant Strike, this is a cantrip that replaces itself but won't often have a direct effect on the game unless you pick up some Prowess creatures in the single Fate Reforged pack of the draft.
Rares and Mythics
B
I mentioned last article that they may not have any Warrior tribal cards this set, but it appears that my guess was wrong. However, like the Fate Reforged cards that care about Warriors, this creature does not need other Warriors to be strong (though of course it does help). Arashin Foremost has all the strength of a non-flying Aven Sunstriker without having to invest eight total mana to morph and unmorph it. This creature stops opponent's morphs in their tracks while on defense and is a force to be reckoned with on offense. It's like Alpine Grizzly, but a lot better when in combat with smaller creatures, while not turning on Ferocious or helping as much to build up to Formidable.
B+
These Monks are not messing around. A 4/4 for four mana is already a good card, but this card's honorary Prowess ability makes it leagues better. The tap option can help you swing for lethal if your opponent doesn't have enough blockers. The second option is the most obviously powerful and will likely be the most used since four first striking power kills most creatures and the life gain provides a nice cushion. The third option helps Ojutai Exemplars dodge removal spells and will probably be the least used option since your opponent should know to not try to remove the creature unless you're tapped out.
B-
Aggressive one mana creatures have repeatedly been shown to not be as good in Limited decks as in Constructed. This new timeline version of Zurgo Helmsmasher won't be an exception, but it will still be a good card. Although I'm giving this a B- just like Lightning Berserker, I prefer the Berserker for not having a ceiling on how high its power can go. Zurgo not being allowed to block larger creatures is a problem, but if you need to block while piloting an aggressive red deck, you were likely going to lose that game anyway.
A
Dragonlord Dromoka is large and in charge. Think of how difficult it is to race an opposing Abzan Guide in Khans of Tarkir and multiply that by five. This Elder Dragon will make it virtually impossible to lose a damage race if she stays on the battlefield, and removing her from the battlefield will take serious effort. Damage based removal isn't likely to do the trick against her humongous seven toughness, and the Grand Abolisher ability makes Kill Shot and Whisk Away useless. If unconditional removal isn't available in Dragons of Tarkir, then we're all going to be fighting over Return to the Earth in the Fate Reforged pack and crying about the good ol' days of Doom Blade at common.
A
If any creature can help you go from an empty board to beating your opponent, it's Dragonlord Kolaghan. By virtue of having haste, it provides an opportunity to surprise your opponent and eliminate a third of their life total in one attack. By granting your other creatures haste, she forces your opponent to leave back extra blockers or risk taking even more damage than is threatened by the Elder Dragon herself. If Kolaghan must stay back on defense, her five toughness lets her block most creatures and survive. The final clause will rarely come up but has the potential to generate card advantage by leaving cards stranded in your opponent's hand.
C
This is only the second Command revealed so far, but I have a feeling this is the worst one we'll get. The first option is a poor way to deal with an opponent's creature with lifelink, the second option doesn't affect the board, and the third option is a fairly weak way to ramp. The fourth option is the redeeming factor since the effect pumps your entire team and could lead to favorable outcomes while you're attacking or blocking. For a card that has six combined modes, this card isn't that versatile or powerful, and I could easily see this not making my main deck even if I'm already playing Red-Green.
Conclusion
There's only one day left in this week's weekday spoilers, and then we'll be halfway done with spoiler season (by time and not by card count). I'm really enjoying it so far and am looking forward to drafting the set. Please reach out to me in the comments below or on Twitter @JakeStilesMTG if you have any comments on the cards I've discussed.
Note: I am waiting on official English language spoilers of cards before reviewing them so that the exact wording is known. If something is missing, this is probably why.
