Saturday, September 17, 2016

Kaladesh Set Review: White

I have been eagerly awaiting an artifacts-matter block for a while. Here we are!


Acrobatic Maneuver: Two more mana than Cloudshift from Avacyn Restored and the difference is "Draw a card" which is by far my favorite phrase on a Magic card. I would have preferred Cloudshift and two draw a card by some other means.
Aetherstorm Roc: We shall see how Energy management turns out. Minus the text, it is just a 3/3 for 4, which is what you get on an artifact creature. You will need a creature to come in after you cast it to at least get the counter+tapping benefit. It reads like a junk rare with all that setting up for the bonus.


Aerial Responder: Vampire Nighthawk has a new friend. A triple ability weenie is very good indeed.
Angel of Invention: This card does not seem that strong at first sight until you realize it buffs ALL other creatures you control. That unlimited clause alone is very powerful. This card can go into any deck and be with any tribal crew and it buffs them all. Definitely Mythic Rare, and a great card in the tradition of Kongming, "Sleeping Dragon" (2WW 2/2 Other creatures you control get +1/+1). And it is not Legendary, which Kongming is. I really really like this card.


Authority of the Consuls: A great tempo buster, in the tradition of Blind Obedience  (1W) Enchantment, Extort (Artifacts and creatures your opponents control enter the battlefield tapped.) and at a lower cost. A solid rare for Constructed.
Built to Last: great battle trick fitting of an artifact-heavy environment. It can help you avoid target removal and/or your opponent's battle trick buffer.


Aviary Mechanic: Bear with a benefit. I like it, and it's a common. In an Enters the Battlefield deck, this card can gain you something extra.
Cataclysmic Gearhulk: Balance on a stick. Properly hyped already. A solid Mythic Rare that can be a build-around. Very strong card. Blends really well with Delirium. This set has a cycle of Mythic Rare Titans like the ones in M11 and M12. They are not direct descendants, more like creative twists. So far so good. This first one is very strong and also very different to Sun Titan.


Captured by the Consulate: Too much setting up. Reads like a junk rare. For starters, if you cast this turn 4 and your opponent doesn't have any target removal, you played half of Pacifism, which would have only cost you two mana. And it's a rare.... I am missing something here.
Consul's Shieldguard: Borderline limited jank and constructed useful. You will probably be getting Energy from other sources before you cast this. It gives you two more Energy, and the clause can help you attack with something weak. It reads weak unless.... well, I can't think of a good unless. I still think it takes too much setting up and that it reads weak.


Consulte Surveillance: You get at least two Fog effects and you may even get additional ones from other Energy you got. It's a four drop, and that means it will be good in battlecruiser Standard constructed.
Eddytrail Hawk: A solid common for Limited. It can even be good in Constructed if you need to make something a flyer. It's a two drop, and that's great. I read versatility here.


Fairgrounds Warden: It would have been much better at one less mana on a smaller body. Still, these effects at three are very good. I will take it in any format.
Master Trinketeer: The token creation feature is a bit too heavy, and it will likely end up a junk rare, but I have a soft place in my heart for tribal lords, and this guy is a double lord. That's just a ton of fun and I can't wait to build a casual deck around this guy. Create a bunch of tokens, drop one or two of this guy, and have a ton of fun. I am all in.


Fragmentize: Solid limited trick. A new version of it's old school grandparent, Disenchant, which does not have a mana cost limitation, even if it costs one more mana.
Ninth Bridge Patrol: Lots of fun in a Flicker deck. You bring back stuff and then cast your stuff again for ETB effects. Cast a creature, Flicker it, get a counter on this, cast it again, Flicker it again later.


Fumigate: Too late in play for a Soul Sisters deck. Maybe there will be a battlecruiser version in this or the next Standard. We don't have Ajani's Pridemate, and that is the only card that clearly benefits from this effect.
Glint-Sleeve Artisan: Versatile in Limited. You can go wide, or buff it with a counter.


Gearshift Ace: It reads great until you come across "end of turn," the phrase that turns most great cards into good cards. A Limited uncommon?
Herald of the Fair: I read "end of turn." Limited Jank.


Impeccable Timing: Limited battle trick, properly named.
Pressure Point: A really great battle trick. "Draw a card" Enough said.


Inspired Charge: Limited battle trick.
Propeller Pioneer: Limited versatility.


Refurbish: Much better than it seems. In the great tradition of Unburial Rites. Remember, it's ANY artifact. It can be a gigantic artifact creature you dumped in your graveyard. I love this card. Love it!
Servo Exhibition: Solid. Dropping a few tokens early game is great.


Revoke Privileges: Pacifism for this block. It costs one more mana, yet it does one more thing: no crewing clause. I like it a lot for this block, even if it is a little too heavy. It's a Swiss army knife Pacifism.
Skyswirl Harrier: Limited jank. I need to make a cube one day only with limited jank and maybe a few rules like 'each turn you draw an extra card' and shake two mana off the cost of every card.


Skywhaler's Shot: Useful. I like that we get Scry as an evergreen mechanic.
Wispweaver Angel: A little too heavy for anything other than Standard, still, the Flicker ability is great.


Tasseled Dromedary: Limited jank.
Trusty Companion: Useful, and in white weenies you should be able to attack with multiple creatures most of the time. It's borderline Limited jank, though.


Thriving Ibex: Limited jank. It looks like Energy for White is mostly for limited tricks.
Visionary Augmenter: Another borderline Limited jank uncommons. The go wide versatility is nice, but it is still a 4/3 for four mana, which is underwhelming.


Toolcraft Exemplar: Very good indeed. One of the better rares so far. There are many zero drop artifacts in Modern.