Before we begin I want to mention what a great time I had over the weekend at the Grand Prix Seattle/Tacoma.  Also I would like to thank Mike Turian, the Gunslingers, and all those random duelists for allowing the opportunity to indulge my MTG fantasy: playing awesome random decks for an entire day!  Finally, to those loyal readers who still remember my red/black Unearthed deck it will  (avoiding the obvious pun) resurface somewhere.

Now it is time to get down to business.  Magic 2010 is only a month and a half away, and already the steam is building under the kettle lid.  We are due, nay overdue, for a spoiler wrap-up of the newest WotC has to offer.  For those foreign to the idea, allow us to explain.  You will get a first glimpse of some new cards and a pretty good idea of how they work and how we feel about them (without seeming like we're applying for a PR job in Renton).  So please bear with us, and remember to bookmark the Magic 2010 Spoiler page for further updates and details.

[caption id="attachment_2704" align="alignright" width="180" caption="An easy solution to the Shivan dilemma. Make it uncommon like they did to Serra Angel. Sure I love my Angel, but I can face the truth, its not a rare level card anymore. Neither really is Nightmare or Shivan Dragon."][/caption]

Before we begin, the new cards (as half of M10 is comprised of entirely new cards) let's take a look at some of the standbys that have been confirmed.  Of course, the Planeswalkers from Lorwyn will be included, much to the delight of most everyone.  Conversely, there will be some choices deemed 'less exciting'.  Shivan Dragon and Nightmare are both set to fill a spot in the M10 rares rotation.  That decision by WotC has been more divisive than it need be.  Magic core sets have always been about bringing new players in, and everyone of us were new at one point.  When new players open a booster with a Nightmare or Shivan Dragon they get excited.  That's a fact. So enough with the hoots of derision from the competitive crowd.  These cards aren't for you.  Not really.  They're for the good of Magic in general.

Enough of that, we have arrived at the meat, so to speak.  The real spoilers, so prepare yourself for another:

Silence - The best of the bunch, a true control spell for a color that seems to have a monopoly on them recently.  Silence offers a slew of uses, but the best would be protection for 'going off'.  Silence your opponent before a big turn and they better hope for not one but two counterspells and enough mana to use them both.  A perfect fit for those token decks supported by hideaway lands.  The best part?  Only one mana.

Wall of Frost - Classic Dungeons & Dragons at work here.  Giant wall made of ice, 'freezes' those creatures it interacts with.  Pretty standard fair, so why the uncommon rarity?  Blue walls are abundant so it does not fill a void.  In fact, Alara Reborn offers Wall of Denial for basically the same casting cost.  Wall of Frost is perfectly average, but there is nothing uncommon about it.

Capricious Efreet - A nasty 6/4 creature with an even nastier ability.  Basically a repeatable version of Wild Swing.  Good enough to win you a game or two.  The drawback?  Each Wild Swing needs to involve one of your permanents as well.  To avoid being decimated by your own creature, include the Efreet in each round.  That way you can let it ride on your foe, or stop it before it really starts on you.  Also, red can destroy enchantments now!

Vampire Nocturnus - Vampires are cool.  That is the way of things, and WotC knows this as well as anyone.  Thus we have here our long overdue replacement for Sengir Vampire (uncommon in M10 if included at all).  Our new vampire deck practically makes itself.  Imagine those otherwise harmless Vampire Bats are now 2/2 flyers for one mana.  Not to mention Nocturnus himself becomes a Demigod clone if that top card is black.  Very, very nice.

Golden Lotus - There is not a lot to say about Golden Lotus other than, "wow!".  Sure that additional cost of sacrificing three land is pretty steep, but we don't care about that.  What we care about is the ability, on turn four (or three with Rampant Growth) to score mana enough to empty our hands or execute our game-winning combo.  Was this card made for Progenitus?  Maybe, but far be it for us to assign a partner to Golden Lotus.  This card will be abused for years.  Playing green?  How about Tooth and Nail on turn three?  The imagination can wander from there.

Queen of Ants - Maybe not the most exciting card of the group, but worthy of a second look from more than just Timmys.  Paying five mana for a 5/5 green creature is old hat, however the ability is quite impressive.  In fact, there may not be another creature in MTG history with such prolific token generating ability.  Package the Queen with Coat of Arms and some spare mana and an impressive army simply materializes.  Each new insect adding to the horde like slivers.  Garruk makes another fitting partner here.  Untap lands to produce more insects, then use the ultimate ability to finish off who ever was foolish enough to stand in the way.

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In related spoiler news, Wizards just announced the Garruk vs Liliana Duel Decks.  Not quite certain how Liliana's deck will be any different from the Demonic Duel Deck we just saw, but who knows.  For any and all information on this product, we offer our Duel Decks: Garruk vs Liliana spoiler page.