During this past weekend's festivities, we at Gathering Magic were able to secret away one glorious 'test' pack.  This was done in order to supply us for the mildly interesting Let's Open a Booster in which the contents of said pack are opened and snap judgments are passed.  The purpose of this column is threefold.  First, to give an idea how to handle Zendikar in sealed formats.  Second, provide a final preview for those who may not have been lucky enough to attend a pre-release event.  And third, to highlight some cards that would not otherwise get enough attention to value them properly in any format.  This is an actual booster pack of Zendikar, and these are initial reactions to each card as they are pulled.

[caption id="attachment_4982" align="alignright" width="223" caption="an educated man, especially in limited"][/caption]

Reckless Scholar -  Basically a Merfolk Looter on the juice.  A card that is always good in limited and even better now that it can be used as an effective attacker in a pinch.  Also, that extra power makes the Scholar not altogether useless outside sealed and draft formats.  Landfall is a combo mechanic, and Reckless Scholar fixes your hand with combo cards.

Teetering Peaks - The common tapped land cycle is like mini-landfall events each wholly contained within the card.  In the case of the peaks the +2/+0 bonus could be enough to finish someone off in a close game.  However, these lands don't fail to impress, mostly due to one thing: duelists want to play tapped lands as early as possible to set mana for later, bigger turns.  These encourage holding mana in your hand.  Hardly ideal.

Kabira Crossroads - Unlike Teetering Peaks, the Crossroads can be played to full benefit on turn one or two, leaving the later turns for untapped lands to enter play.  Gaining two life is a great boost in limited formats, especially when small evasive creatures are prevalent.  Not a tournament card, but a must include for any Felidar Sovereign casual build.

Hagra Crocodile - Not a good card at all here.  Best case scenario you are playing with a 7/5 non-trampler for a single turn.  After that it is a 3/1 that dies to a chump block and can't protect you.  If this card were green it might see play somewhere, but shouldn't be drafted unless a last resort.  Don't agree?  Remember it can't block!

[caption id="attachment_4983" align="alignleft" width="223" caption="the aggro red build continues to fill out"][/caption]

Plated Geopede - This is simply a great card.  For the first few offensive turns of the game it provides you with 3/3 first strike.  Could very easily fit the Putrid Leech slot in Jund aggro decks, or better yet, along side the leech for a serious rush.  This is second or third pick material in a draft, especially when splashing green (or if you are building green it is a good reason to splash red since Zendikar green is a touch slow).  Combine Geopede with Teetering Peaks for a 5/3 firststriker on turn three.

Turntimber Grove - This makes three of the five common tapped lands in one booster.  Is there someone I can contact about this?  I mean, for a formal complaint or something?  Grove does have two things working for it.  First, creature buffing effects are always more effective in green, and second, because it's green, the landfall/mini-landfall combo has a good chance of triggering.

[caption id="attachment_4986" align="alignright" width="223" caption="use only if you really want to be hated"][/caption]

Desecrated Earth - Take an informal poll of the three things player hate most in Magic and the list will probably be discard, land destruction, and counter-magic in some order or another.  For the first time ever (unless The Gatherer is lying to us) we have a card that captures both discard and land destruction.  In one swoop WotC made a card unplayable on the tournament level and sure to be hated in casual.  Nice work gentlemen.

Makindi Shieldmate - Allies were an underrated force at the pre-release and may continue to be in draft formats.   Therein lies the only useful aspect of the Shieldmate- creature types.  Its packing  three valuable ones: Kor, Soldier and Ally.  Otherwise it is simply a wall that costs too much to stop an early rush, and isn't big enough to stop a late game threat.

Caller of Gales - It is common knowledge that players who shun aggro-stompy builds in limited formats tend to build around smaller evasive creatures with a few bombs.   Here is a perfect way to make any creature evasive enough to get a few hits in and maybe swing a match.  Of course it would be nice if the Caller herself wasn't so puny.  There is little point of a one-drop if they don't become useful until turn three or four.

Gomazoa - A long awaited and much appreciated shout out to Man-o-War.  We don't get a two-for-one like the Visions common, but we do get an effective solution to any creature problems you might be having.  The beauty here isn't that the ability goes on the stack before combat damage resolves, meaning this unsung little blue guy can get his hooks on to an enemy, first strike or not (that means you Baneslayer Angel).

[caption id="attachment_4987" align="alignleft" width="223" caption="hope they're playing mono-colored"][/caption]

Brave the Elements - This card very nearly made our top five list from last week.  Being able to protect your Baneslayer from an untimely Doom Blade or Path to Exile is great.  Even better to protect your band of merry little men from a Pyroclasm type effect.  However, the real excitement comes from what this card can do on the offensive side of your game.  Suddenly your army of Kor seem a little more menacing, especially against a mono-colored theme.

Trapmakers Snare - Against what many would claim better judgment, this card seems really cool.  The idea of waiting until some sort of trap clause was met then instantly tutoring the proper response should tickle any blue wizard's fancy.  This also means that, when necessary, you can run basically eight copies of Mindbreak Trap in your deck.  And because the trap cost is always so low (or free) the two mana tutor commitment should rarely make an impact on the ability to cast anything.  The best part?  Traps work in any format.

Misty Rainforest - Fetch land ahoy!  This cycle of pseudo-dual lands in fact did make it onto our Zendikar preview top five. They ranked number two actually and with good reason.  Not only do they fix your mana, and trigger landfall effects, and thin your deck of excess land, they also leave you with a mile-wide grin after pulling them in a booster.

Wizards of the Coast recently announced a new product debuting in 2010.  An all-foil booster pack of cards from Shards of Alara and the two expansions Conflux and Alara Reborn.  The details are here.  Strange timing because Worldwake will be preparing for release around that time, but when aren't foil cards cool?  The rhetorical answer is never.