It is that time again.  The time when each of us takes our new found cards and attempts to fit them in our already made decks.  Every new set of Magic the Gathering brings a slew of complex decisions.  Alara Reborn maybe more than most. There are 145 new cards in the expansion to Shards of Alara, and that means 145 possible replacements for current deck slots.  Making choices between two similar cards, or cards that do similar things, can be agonizing.  There are many variables to consider.  Mana cost, color, and versatility all come into play when selecting what stays and what goes.  The following are three comparison’s between cards that upgrade some of our current deck favorites and what they replace.

1. Meddling Mage over Thoughseize - The perfect sideboard card is here.  Blue/white control has always been a staple in casual and competitive MTG, but lately has really hit a stride.  In fact this re-discovered color combo is slowly overtaking the standard blue/black faerie color scheme.  The control elements are similar, lots of countermagic and some handy spot removal.  However, with most control your strategy leaves you sitting and waiting to react or setting up mana the first few turns.  Thoughtseize solved that problem for blue/black by simply removing the most pressing threat from you opponent's hand on the first (and/or sometimes second) turn.  It was a perfect way to buy time before your true control elements set in.  Enter Meddling Mage.  Obviously this is a specialized card, useful in tournament sideboards and casual duels between longtime rivals.  Also it is not an end-game card, but instead it allows you time and time is all you need in control.  By the time MM is dealt with, and it will be dealt with, your position should be unassailable.

2. Dauntless Escort over Loxodon Hierarch - Perhaps a stretch to compare these two, but they do serve a similar purpose.  For those who missed Ravnica, or simply play Standard Format their is no argument.  These guys prevent board sweeping effects by your foe.  Sure Loxodon Hierarch is a 4/4 for four mana and gains you life when it comes into play and DE is a measly 3/3 for three mana with no secondary abilities.  Hardly a fair fight I know.  But the gap closes once you take a closer look at the wording of each's rescue ability.  The Hierarch only allows you to regenerate each of your creatures, while the Escort makes your army Wrath proof.  Big difference there.  Not to mention there is no mana cost involved with DE.  A nice bonus if something unexpected occurs.  Seemingly everyone has a Naya or Bant aggro deck these days and your armies should not go un-Escorted.

3. Mind Funeral over Glimpse the Unthinkable - Thanks to Jace Beleren and a nice blue card named Sanity Grinding milling decks are back in a big way.  The basic premise of these decks is simple: hold out with mono-blue countermagic until your opponent has twenty or so cards left in their library and hit them with Jace's ultimate ability or a serious Sanity Grinding.  Short and simple.  Actually it is anything but short and much of that has to do with the utter lack of effective decking spells that you can play early and mid game.  All while saving enough mana for that Cancel.  Mind Funeral is perfect for that deck slot and has the clear advantage of being Standard Legal, where Sanity Grinding decks are really taking foothold.  At three mana Mind Funeral is more expensive to play than Glimpse and much more sporadic, but there is potential here to mill twelve to fifteen with some luck (don't forget the havoc this card causes against those landless Storm decks in Extended or casual play).  Actually, this card is less a replacement than a addition to the other milling options.

Honorable mentions go to the following:

Maelstrom Pulse over Oblivion Ring, Nulltread Gargantuan over Woolly Thoctar, and Wall of Denial over Plumeveil.

On an almost totally unrelated note, our friend Tommy sent this link today.  If you don't mind a little foul language then I recommend checking it out.  Escpecially if you've ever defended your Magic playing to peers.