Saturday, July 9, 2016

Eldritch Moon Set Review - Green

Saw some sweet Red mid-range cards. Now, let's look at Green.


Backwoods Survivalists: Limited.
Bloodbriar: Limited, for Green/Black.


Clear Shot: I am not sure the +1/+1 bonus is worth it. The 'your creature fights another creature' instants need to always be one or two drops because you are using them with left over mana.
Crop Sigil: Another great graveyard feeder, either for Delirium, or for other strategies.


Crossroads Consecrator: Limited.
Gnarlwood Dryad: Will see lots of play. Green one drop Deathtouch creatures always do.


Eldritch Evolution: Curious artwork, looks like a stuffed puppy. Compare with Birthing Pod from New Phyrexia (an artifact with 3+Phyrexian Green Mana casting cost, activation: 1+Phyrexian Green Mana, Tap, Sacrifice a creature: Search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost equal to 1 plus the sacrificed creature's converted mana cost, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.) Should be a runaway hit, and will likely keep it's value for as long as it is in Standard. Given that Birthing Pod is banned in Modern, it could even form part of a tier 2 deck in that format.
Emrakul's Influence: Nice bonus. I should build a Green Eldrazi deck to see how good this can be.


Emrakul's Evangel: Pretty good. It requires a lot of setting up, which is usually the hallmark of a junk rare. Still pretty good. Drop a bunch of 1/1 tokens and then replace then with 3/2 tokens. I can see that strategy ending a game in your favor.
Foul Emissary: Another 3/2 token bonus card. I like all of them. Putting the cards back into your library works well for a non-graveyard strategy.


Grapple with the Past: Really good, and not just for limited. A variant of Mulch, a two-drop Sorcery (Reveal the top four cards of your library. Put all land cards revealed this way into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.) Actually, it even goes well alongside Mulch.
Ishkanah, Grafwidow: Great game ender in battlecruiser Standard, and likely a great fir in many EDH decks.


Hamlet Captain: Nice bear. The boost is a one-time deal, and if you have many creatures, it should be a good one.
Permeating Mass: Very interesting. Another card for a deck with creatures no one wants to block. If you splash Green, you could even include it in the Standard Spirits deck coming up.


Noose Constrictor: If it did not read "until end of turn" I would have expected it to be an uncommon, even a rare. It's a good bear.
Prey Upon: Nice reprint, much needed in all formats.


Springsage Ritual: Limited. Overcosted. Lifegain is usually not a good strategy except to enable something else.
Swift Spinner: Limited. Nice that it has Flash.


Primal Druid: Getting a land early is a big help. I still miss one drop mana dorks. Limited.
Spirit of the Hunt: Nice boost for a big swing. Flash is always very useful, yet you need to have three unused mana. As a late game battle trick, it can win games.


Somberwald Stag: Nice Enters the Battlefield (ETB) bonus. Interesting, but only in battlecruiser Standard.
Splendid Reclamation: Now, that is a nice effect. I want to play it!


Ulvenwald Observer: Junk rare. There are many better ways to draw a card, even in this coming Standard. If you take that clause out, you have a limited card.
Wolfkin Bond: Limited.


Woodcutter's Grit: Limited.
Waxing Moon: Limited, and great in this Standard format and in Block Constructed, even if we no longer have this format online.


Wooldland Patrol: Limited.