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Worldwake Black Card Review

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Hello and welcome to part 4 of our Worldwake set review. The review and notes you see here are a collection of feedback from a number of players, ranging in skill level from FNM to Semi-Pro players and up to the World of Warcraft TCG World Champion. My thanks go to: Billy Postlethwait, John Dean, Glenn Jones, Jason Brown, Ricky Calarco, Andres Garcia, David Sharfman and the random other people who helped collect thoughts and discuss this set.

Be sure to see the other reviews:

Ratings Explanation:

Constructed

  1. Unplayable
  2. Might see play, not likely
  3. Sideboard card
  4. Main deck staple
  5. Archetype defining
Limited

  1. Horrible pick
  2. Very weak pick
  3. Fine pick, might make deck
  4. High pick
  5. First pick in pack

Casual

  1. Not going to be played
  2. Kind of fun
  3. Fun
  4. Really fun
  5. Awesome casual card

Abyssal Persecutor

As much hype as this guy got, it's an excellent card but I may have over estimated his awesomeness. Just a little. He's strong, efficient, black. Some of the guys I talked with considered him to be the Lotus Cobra of the set. He's not quite as good as Vampire Nocturnus for the same CC, and he will most definitely be present in constructed as players try to find EffecientBlack.dec.

Constructed: 4

Limited: 5

Casual: 5

Agadeem Occultist

This guy will probably be relegated to the casual bin, with perhaps some love in limited for his ability to graveyard cycle. He might find some love in a constructed ally deck, but most likely not.

Constructed: 2

Limited: 3

Casual: 3

Anowon, the Ruin Sage

He's got a home in Vampires in extended though he may be at the top of the mana curve. His ability to help with controlling the board can prove quite strong in a deck without non-vampire creatures. He's going to be the General in my new vampires EDH deck. He's going to be weaker in limited, unless you have a strong vampire draft deck.

Constructed: 4

Limited: 3

Casual: 5

Bloodhusk Ritualist

This guy is going to be big in limited, a 2/2 for 3 and the multikick to empty your opponent's hand is going to find some love. He's not going to be big in the constructed vampires deck because he's just too slow. Three mana to make your opponent drop a card and give yourself a 2/2.

Constructed: 2

Limited: 4

Casual: 4

Bojuka Brigand

He'll be another strong black ally in limited, and if you're building a casual ally deck this guy is a must have, but he has no real home in constructed.

Constructed: 2

Limited: 3

Casual: 3

Brink of Disaster

This one is just terrible. It's 'maybe' removal. There is no guarantee that it will be true removal, one argument was made that the player would then just not use the spell until they had to, and another person pointed out that stopping them from using it was akin to removal when it came to a land. Overall - it's just bad.

Constructed: 1

Limited: 2

Casual: 1

Butcher of Malakir

This guy is a Casual card through and through, he's big, he's flashy and... he's expensive. Too expensive to work in constructed, and not a big enough bomb for limited. Don't get me wrong, he's still good, but nothing amazing.

Constructed: 2

Limited: 4

Casual: 5

Caustic Crawler

This guy will only have a home in limited. He's a 4/3 for 5, and his landfall is just not that flashy. If it gave -1/-1 counters then it would be awesome, but alas it is not to be. In limited he's an alright filler for your curve, but he is not a strong pick.

Constructed: 1

Limited: 3

Casual: 3

Corrupted Zendikon

The third Zendikon I've talked about so far, this one is fairly strong and might make a showing in constructed. He's good in limited, for a 3/3 for 2 without any real drawback. Otherwise though nothing outstanding.

Constructed: 3

Limited: 3

Casual: 2

Dead Reckoning

This is a very strong pick for limited for its recursion and the possibility of it being used as a removal spell. When discussing it I asked the other guys if they thought a 4 mana instant version would be better than its current 3 mana sorcery, to which I got an emphatic no. The increased cost would have it break the curve and lose the EV of the spell. It could possibly see a home in constructed with one of the mono-black decks but is in no way definite.

Constructed: 2

Limited: 3

Casual: 3

Death's Shadow

Overall it's just a horrible card. It's so tempting for the possibility of a 12/12 for black, but in truth it's just a horrible trap of a card. Pass it all day long. It might see some life in casual as Johnnys try to make it work but don't expect anything amazing.

Constructed: 1

Limited: 1

Casual: 2

Jagwasp Swarm

It's a limited staple, a black Snapping Drake. Solid there, but won't see anything in constructed or casual.

Constructed: 1

Limited: 3

Casual: 1

Kalastria Highborn

This one has a bright future in Vampire constructed, it's a bit worse in limited as you are again required to have the vampires to support it.

Constructed: 4

Limited: 3

Casual: 4

Mire's Toll

This is like a possibly weaker Blackmail and a definitely weaker Duress but it does have the plus of possibly forcing your opponent to discard a creature. As a common, and in a heavy black deck, it will prove a decent pick in limited but won't see any love in constructed or casual.

Constructed: 1

Limited: 3

Casual: 2

Nemesis Trap

While on the expensive end of the scale this one has the possibility of leading to many blow outs but it's too expensive to be ridic.

Constructed: 2

Limited: 3

Casual: 2

Pulse Tracker

No one had anything nice to say about the card, it's just too week for any constructed deck, even Vampires. It will be a decent 1 drop for Black though there are better options in ZZW draft. I think it has possibilities in casual decks, the ability to deal 1 to all opponents will prove useful in group games, but otherwise it's nothing flashy. And with all due respect to Andrew Worthington, the art on this card is perhaps my least favorite of the set.

Constructed: 2

Limited: 2

Casual: 3

Quag Vampires

Look at these guys this way, it's a 3 mana Bog Raiders.

Constructed: 2

Limited: 3

Casual: 2

Quest for the Nihil Stone

This is one card I want to be good, the problem is that it is just too unreliable. If they keep one card in hand then the spell does nothing as opposed to the less effective damages of Black Vise and The Rack. This one will probably be better left in the casual tables or the discard rich limited deck.

Constructed: 2

Limited: 3

Casual: 3

Ruthless Cullblade

It's alright in limited but easily outshown in constructed by the other two drop vampires (Bloodghast for example.) It can't even really find a home in my Vampire EDH deck since I need to get my opponent down to 10 before it buffs up.

Constructed: 1

Limited: 3

Casual: 3

Scrib Nibblers

Not really that good. Can help with a mill deck but it's very inefficient. Just meh all around.

Constructed: 1

Limited: 2

Casual: 2

Shoreline Salvager

My notes from the group discussion simply say, "Fine in Limited." That really does sum up this card. It's a fine card, 4 mana for a 3/3 with the potential to do more when it deals damage to the opponent. No real reason to run it in constructed as there are better 4 drops for black.

Constructed: 1

Limited: 3

Casual: 2

Smother

It's a very happy return to Extended for Smother since it rotated out not too long ago. Removal is always playable in limited, and it would be living the dream if it killed that Death's Shadow when it was maxed out at 12/12 or something. Otherwise a strong card, will see play in constructed and limited.

Constructed: 4

Limited: 4

Casual: 4

Tomb Hex

This is a definite first pick in draft as it is removal according to the group. -4/-4 kills just about every reasonable creature in ZZW and it is splashable. I don't see it going big in constructed or casual, but it is removal and one cannot ever underestimate it.

Constructed: 2

Limited: 5

Casual: 3

Urge to Feed

This card has a room reserved in the penthouse suite for the Vamps in standard, removal that also buffs their creatures is a big plus to any deck. It's strictly better than Disfigure in limited though it is slightly harder to cast. So it'll be a strong pick for removal and Black decks, the {B}{B} makes it tough to splash though.

Constructed: 4

Limited: 4

Casual: 5

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