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After the new year Magic fans huddled around their computer screens waiting anxiously for what we all thought was going to be a barrage of new Worldwake spoilers. Turns out WotC isn't quite ready to begin revealing much more than tidbits regarding its latest set. Given that fact, now is a great time to take a look back all the way to last week and take a closer look at a few new cards we do know are in Worldwake. The flood gates are opening soon, and these four will be swept away by the rush of 'new stuff'. However this 'new stuff' doesn't promise to be quite as telling as these four cards.
[caption id="attachment_6339" align="alignright" width="241" caption="overrun, elf style"]
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Joraga Warcaller - Two things immediately come to mind at first glance of this powerful new elf. First, we have a multi-kicker card at last and can see how WotC intends to separate the mechanic from the simpler 'kicker' now prevalent in Zendikar. Warcaller rewards players the more times they pay the kicker cost. When we ask how multi-kicker is different than replicate, this is the answer. These kicker rewards are a difference that is meaningful. That isn't to say there won't be pointless multi-kicker cards in Worldwake, but at least WotC is trying something new. Second, this is
[caption id="attachment_6335" align="alignleft" width="245" caption="yet another dual land"]
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Celestial Colonnade - Not sure where to begin with Celestial Colonnade. Our initial reaction is to reach towards the heavens and scream "Aaaaalllllllaaaaaarrrraaaa!" Why? Because this will be the fifth cycle of allied dual lands to enter the standard rotation. Zendikar alone has no need for all three + dual land cycles, but Alara sure does. If you have read almost anything Gathering Magic has written this past year you should know how we feel about gold cards. But if this is your first visit, to put it simply: we are not fans. Much of that has to do with how easy it is to play three or four colors in the modern game. Jund is already an easy mana-base to produce, and now there are possibly more red/green and black/red duals coming. Oh, and like everything else in Jund, these are two-for-ones. There is a point to this rant, and that point is another cycle of dual lands exists only to keep the Alara block viable after Lorwyn. Worldwake's mana is just another of Alara's babysitters. Enough is enough WotC, why not do away with basic lands entirely!? Of course as a standalone card (not a harbinger of things to come) Celestial Colonnade is pretty cool. Five mana rents you a Serra Angel for your trouble. Clearly this is what is meant by Worldwake and the other lands will be similar. Pretty cool in a vacuum, but a little sad for the lost art of mana-fixing.
[caption id="attachment_6336" align="alignright" width="235" caption="incentivet to play mono-color?"]
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Leatherback Baloth - Remember Woolly Thoctar and how amazing it was to see a 5/4 with no drawback at 3 CMC? Now remember the idea that three separate colors represented a challenge in playing this beastie, making the lovable Thoctar not too overpowered. Snap back to the present and take a look at our new friend the Leatherback Baloth. A 4/5 with no drawbacks for three measly mana, and all one color!? Sounds pretty crazy. But maybe not as crazy as you might think. If MTG showed us anything in 2009 is was that powerful creatures alone don't win games. Card advantage wins games, versatility places in the Top 8, and removal takes home trophies. In a year that saw the most competitive fatty ever (Baneslayer Angel) fall easily to a build (Jund) without a single creature better than 4/4 a theory was confirmed: powerful creatures are not nearly as useful as we might have thought. With that in consideration, is Leatherback Baloth so unreasonable? Is it really any better than Vampire Nighthawk? The answer to both is a mild, 'not really'. One last Ponder before we move on, is LB part of a cycle? If so, what can we expect from the other colors, especially red who already has Ball Lightning? Looks like we'll have to wait and see.
[caption id="attachment_6340" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="better than fireball?"]
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Comet Storm - Finally, the card that allows you to 'do as much damage to as many different targets as you want' is here. That was the description on the back of the Red Worldwake Intro Pack. Sounds fantastic, if that were all the description included. Added, almost laughably so, after the initial line is this caveat 'with your only limit being the amount of mana you have.' Oh, well then! This isn't exactly the second coming of Fireblast, but that doesn't mean Comet Storm can't be fun. Fun being the key word here because despite its instant speed and mythic status Comet Storm won't be touching tournament MTG with a ten foot pole. Spending five mana to deal two damage to two different targets isn't winning any Grand Prix. However, in formats more friendly to larger effects and bigger mana pools CS can be quite the deal. For ten mana you can deal seven damage twice, and for fourteen mana you could deal a total of 22 damage at instant speed. EDH fans take note because my Timmy side is excited for sure. The Johnny side is not so enthusiastic and would like to point out that Comet Storm is Mythic for some unknown reason, a title even a tournament friendly card like Banefire didn't earn. A parting thought - why does red have so many giant spells in each set? Red is the fast color, looking to burn an opponent before they react. Why then are cards like Chandra Ablaze, Warp World, and Bogardan Hellkite dominating Red's arsenal?
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For these and every other Worldwake update be sure to keep it locked to the Gathering Magic spoiler page.
