Zendikar Spoilers: Article 3

Hi readers! I'm going to be analyzing another bunch of Zendikar cards today. We should be back to regular articles for the next couple of days after this, until spoilers reach critical mass again. Let's go!

Goblin Guide
Creature - Goblin Scout
Haste Whenever Goblin Guide attacks, defending player reveals the top card of his or her library. If it's a land card, that player puts it into his or her hand.
"I've been all over this world. I even remember some of those places."
Illus. Warren Mahy	2/2

Wow. A 2/2 for R? With HASTE!? Of course, you're also giving your opponent land. However, think of it this way. 40% of the time, you're giving them a land. The other 60%, you get to SEE WHAT CARD THEY WILL DRAW NEXT. So this is a 2/2 haste for 1 mana, with a drawback that's active less than half of the time.

Can anyone say "chase rare"?

Chandra Ablaze
Planeswalker - Chandra
[+1]: Discard a card. If a red card is discarded this way, Chandra Ablaze deals 4 damage to target creature or player. [-2]: Each player discards his or her hand, then draws three cards. [-7]: Cast any number of target red instant and/or sorcery cards from your graveyard without paying their mana cost.
Illus. Steve Argyle #120/249	5

Impressive. I could see this appearing in a burn deck as a finisher. After you throw your Bolts and other burn spells, play Chandra, ramp her up, and play them all again in an almost certain death barrage.


This could also be used in Warp World, since you can recur Warp World with her ultimate. Pretty sweet. Also, it goes without saying that this will own you in draft and Sealed.

Vampire Lacerator
Creature - Vampire Warrior
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life unless an opponent has 10 or less life.
The lacerators cut themselves before each hunt. They must feed before the sun rises or bleed to death.
Illus. Steve Argyle #115/249	2/2

Holy crap. Wizards really is pushing the Vampire mechanic. And is that a COMMON? I can see black being a fast color in Zendikar. If you've got a slow draft deck, you could get overwhelmed pretty fast here.

Halo Hunter
Creature - Demon
Intimidate (This creature can be blocked only by artifact creatures or creatures that share a color with it.) When Halo Hunter enters the battlefield, destroy target Angel.
Illus. Chris Rahn #96/249	6/3

The thing I like about this card is also the most obvious. They fixed Fear, like they always meant to do! For those of you thinking this might see play to kill Baneslayer Angel, think again. Everyone always thinks of her as a 5/5 flying, first strike lifelink creature, but she has protection from demons (and dragons) as well. So no Baneslayer-blowing-up for this Demon.


That being said, a 6/3 Fea...Intimidate is a pretty good deal, especially if your opponent's playing White in Limited, because they might just have an Angel.

Iona, Shield of Emeria
Legendary Creature - Angel
Flying As Iona, Shield of Emeria enters the battlefield, choose a color. Your opponents can't play spells of the chosen color.
	7/7

This is a card I could see playing in EDH, and multiplayer, and Sealed / Draft. However, unless there's a =< 4 CMC reanimator in Zen, this won't see much competitive play.

Arid Mesa
Land
, Pay 1 Life, Sacrifice Arid Mesa: Search your library for a Mountain or Plains card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
#221/249

I don't even know where to BEGIN. Arid Mesa and it's friends (especially, ESPECIALLY the B/G one) will command $15-20 price tags, I reckon. Extended and Standard will love them, and it's an extra dual for EDH too. With this, the tri-lands, and Expanses, enemy-color decks are viable again, and I like that. Of course, what Wizards are really pushing with these in T2 is shard decks. Note to self: try and use my Maelstrom Pulse skills to open B/G fetchlands this time! (As a little aside, I once opened 3 Maelstrom Pulses in a dozen packs of Alara Reborn. That was a big part of my decision to go Jund.)

Windrider Eel
Creature - Fish
Flying Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, Windrider Eel gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
	2/2

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a great Limited common. An evasive guy that's a 4/4 for 4 as often as not? (And combined with Harrow, is just sick.) If you open one of these in your Sealed pool (easily splashable too!) there's a good chance you'll play it. I like this card for Limited. It's the kind of staple you always try to pick up a couple of fourth to seventh pick for your deck.

Quest for Ancient Secrets
Enchantment
Whenever a card is put into a graveyard, you may put a quest counter on Quest for Ancient Secrets. Remove five quest counters from Quest for Ancient Secrets and sacrifice it: Shuffle your graveyard into your library.

Why, WHY couldn't this have been "target player's graveyard into their library."? That would have made the card, I dunno, PLAYABLE. This is jank, unless milling makes a huge comeback. It won't.

Scythe Tiger
Creature - Cat
Shroud When Scythe Tiger enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice a Forest.
	3/2

Another awesome common? I swear, Wizards is printing a cycle: Totally Bitchin' 1-mana Common Dudes. I don't know if this'll see play, but Shroud makes it hard to 2-for-1. Only time will tell.

Murasa Pyromancer
Creature - Human Warrior Ally
Whenever Murasa Pyromancer or another ally you control enters the battlefield under your control, you may have Murasa Pyromancer deal damage to target creature equal to the number of allies you control.
	3/2

This is the kind of card that you won't play in Sealed, but if you open it in a draft, will be rewarded for first-picking it later on. Unless you have half a dozen allies in your deck, I wouldn't play this in Sealed. I also doubt it will impact Constructed.




Well, thanks for listening to my opinions on Zendikar. See you tomorrow!