Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Aether Revolt Review: Red

Blue and Black looked great, and I am still absorbing how good White can be.


Aether Chaser: part of the 'token for Energy' cycle. I like this cycle a lot.
Chandra's Revolution: good in Limited.


Destructive Tampering: very good options in Limited.
Freejam Regent: Free Jam Regent? Is that Dragon about to distribute all that free Jam in that building? I won't be laughing if my opponent casts this for RR, and I am the one who wants to do that. All the cool zero casting cost artifacts are in Vintage.


Embraal Gear-Smasher: solid in Limited.
Enraged Giant: seems reasonable for an uncommon in an artifacts-matter block.


Frontline Rebel: Limited.
Hungry Flames: battlecruiser Lightning Bolt variant.


Gremlin Infestation: The name would have fit better if the card did something that generated a bunch of Gremlins, and not just one. It reads more like a common, but that's just me.
Invigorating Rampage: very useful in combat. This is a great uncommon. Red usually doesn't get uncommons this good.


Indomitable Creativity: Wall of Text red rare or Mythic. I love these. It reminds me of Warp World, my favorite Wall of Text red rare (5RRR Each player shuffles all permanents he or she owns into his or her library, then reveals that many cards from the top of his or her library. Each player puts all artifact, creature, and land cards revealed this way onto the battlefield, then does the same for enchantment cards, then puts all cards revealed this way that weren't put onto the battlefield on the bottom of his or her library.) Reads like a junk Mythic. The exiled card can be a one drop common artifact. If the number of cards that each player can cast was, say, five, then this card would be a ton of fun. All that for one card? OK, if you Scry and you know what you will be casting, then you only destroy X to the card you want.... OK, that can work.
Kari Zev's Expertise: this is an awesome variant of Act of Treason, and definitely worth being a rare. I want to play this.


Kari Zev, Skyship Raider: seems all right, but in the weaker category with the black one.
Lathmu Sailback: Limited.


Lightning Runner: Strong in battlecruiser. Similar to Aurelia, the Warleader from Gatecrash, although easier to cast because it's all Red mana (2RRWW Flying, vigilance, haste Whenever Aurelia, the Warleader attacks for the first time each turn, untap all creatures you control. After this phase, there is an additional combat phase.)
Precise Strike: Limited.


Pia's Revolution: I like it a lot. Outside of Standard, you will take the hit for three and move on because the chosen artifact can be a real pain to deal with.
Quicksmith Rebel: fun junk rare. It comes in too late to be a build-around. Still fun.


Scrapper Champion: Comes in a little too late to be really impactful, still a reasonable uncommon in battlecruiser.
Ravenous Intruder: Reads like a Limited common unless I am missing something. You are sacrificing an artifact for all of that, right?


Reckless Racer: seems reasonable. The key is that you discard before you draw. I can see uses for this in Blue/Red.
Release the Gremlins: Destroy three artifacts for a seven mana cast and you get three 2/2 tokens.... junk rare I say. If you have that much mana laying around to get three 2/2 tokens, there are many better ways of winning that game. The title is great. This should have been an epic card for such an awesome title, but it isn't, and that's a missed opportunity.


Sweatworks Brawler: very good common. Minus Improvise, it's a good Limited card with Menace. Plus Improvise I like it even more.
Shock: Hello, old friend. Wizards, please bring the core set back!


Siege Modification: On a regular creature it's not that great, especially with a double Red casting, but when you factor in the Vehicle benefit, then you have a really good card for this block.
Wrangle: faster variant of Act of Treason. A great addition to the Red toolbox. I can't find a card like this one issued to date!