Zendikar Spoilers Mega-Article!

Hi guys! I've got about  40 50 cards to catch up on, so prepare yourself for a mammoth article! For some reason, cards are being spoiled madly today. So tune in for a super-long spoiler analysis!

Lotus Cobra
Creature - Snake
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Its scales contain the essence of thousands of lotus blooms.
Illus. Chippy #168/249	2/1

I think everything I have to say about this card is featured here.

Pyromancer Ascension
Enchantment
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell that has the same name as a card in your graveyard, you may put a quest counter on Pyromancer Ascension. Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell while Pyromancer Ascension has two or more quest counters on it, you may copy that spell. You may choose new targets for that copy.
Illus. Kev Walker

I don't see this card seeing much play: it's too slow for burn decks, and I don't really see it having other effects beyond that.

Hellkite Charger
Creature - Dragon
Flying, haste Whenever Hellkite Charger attacks, you may pay . If you do, untap all creatures you control and after this phase, there is an additional combat phase.
	5/5

Whoa. When this bad boy hits in Sealed / Draft, you will KNOW ABOUT IT. Aided by a couple of other creatures, this guy is a 2-turn clock. Smash, bam, kapow!

Burst Lightning
Instant
Kicker  (You may pay an additional  as you cast this spell.) Burst Lightning deals 2 damage to target creature or player. If Burst Lightning was kicked, it deals 4 damage to that creature or player instead.

Now this, this is Constructed quality. Early-game Shock (which is respectable) and late-game Flame Javelin. Totally awesome, all in one card. Watch out for it in Limited, too.

Æther Figment
Creature - Illusion
Kicker  Æther Figment is unblockable. If Æther Figment was kicked, it enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it.
	1/1

Sweet. For five mana, you get an immediate seven or less turn clock. This is great in Sealed or Draft, but I doubt will find a Constructed home with BetterThanEveryOtherFiveDrop Angel out there.

Rite Of Replication
Sorcery
Kicker  (You may pay an additional  as you cast this spell.) Put a token that is a copy of target creature onto the battlefield. If Rite Of Replication was kicked, instead put five of those tokens onto the battlefield.
Illus. Matt Cavotta #61/249

Wow. WOW. Freaking WOW. This will see play in both Standard and multiplayer. A handy blocker for 4 mana or a win-the-damn-game spell at 9? Sign me up. This, copying just about any good creature is insane at 9.


Did I mention that this is BLOODY CRAZY in EDH? Because it is.

Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
Land
Oran-Rief, the Vastwood enters the battlefield tapped. : Add  to your mana pool. : Put a +1/+1 counter on each green creature that entered the battlefield this turn.
Illus. Mike Bierek #221/249

*Drool* Get me a towel. This. Card. Rules. For the low-low price of a comes-into-play-tapped monocolor land, you too can have 4/3 Bloodbraid Elves, and potentially, 3/3 Putrid Leeches or whatever other green dude gets cascaded into. This will be a 2-of in my Jund list. I virtually guarantee it.

Sadistic Sacrament
Sorcery
Kicker  (You may pay an additional  as you cast this spell.) Search target player's library for up to three cards, exile them, then that player shuffles his or her library. If Sadistic Sacrament was kicked, instead search that player's library for up to fifteen cards, exile them, then that player shuffles his of her library.

Not really that playable. Friggin hilarious if you get it off in Sealed though. Or any format. But, you won't.

Trapfinder's Trick
Sorcery
Target player reveals his or her hand and discards all trap cards.
#73/249

A niche card, but I guarantee paranoid players will be packing this at the Prerelease. I mean, you get a look at their hand anyway.

Vampire Hexmage
Creature - Vampire Shaman
First strike Sacrifice Vampire Hexmage: Remove all counters from target permanent.
#114/249	2/1

This is one of those cards that you play with for weeks, and then say "OH! It can do THAT!" This card has enormous depth and is an awesome skill-tester, and has the potential for "I CAN DO THAT!" moments, which are rare for soulless Spikes like us. This card is brilliant. And it'll see play too. Probably in most formats.


EDIT: Case in point: About 20 cards down this article, I suddenly realised this can set a quest back to 0! Epic.

Also, this plus Dark Depths in Extended is FREAKING EVIL.

Emeria Angel
Creature - Angel
Flying Landfall—Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying into the battlefield.
	3/3

Hmm. Pretty cool. This may just see play in Standard. I don't know if it will, but it's possible.

Disfigure
Instant
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.

This is a great piece of common removal / combat trick for black, and at one mana too! This may even see Constructed play in MBC. If you're playing Black, grab these at the Prerelease, and if you're not, be wary of it.

Cobra Trap
Instant - Trap
If an opponent countered a noncreature spell this turn, you may pay  rather than pay Cobra Trap's casting cost. Put four 1/1 green Snake creature tokens onto the battlefield.

This card could see play in sideboards. Four 1/1's for 1 is awesome. It all depends on how many counterspells control decks run. This is good vs. Spell Pierce of course.

Kor Cartographer
Creature - Kor Scout
When Kor Cartographer enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a Plains card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.
	2/2

A new Cartographer, this card is more Limited than Constructed, but good nonetheless. I expect it to see play in the Prerelease.

Piranha Marsh
Land
Piranha Marsh enters the battlefield tapped. When Piranha marsh enters the battlefield, target player loses 1 life. : Add  to your mana pool.

This won't see play. 1 life is NOT worth entering the battlefield tapped. I wouldn't play this over a regular Swamp in a mono-black deck. Sorry Piranha Marsh.

Ravenous Trap
Instant - Trap
If an opponent had three or more cards put into his or her graveyard from anywhere this turn, you may pay  rather than pay Ravenous Trap's mana cost. Exile all cards from target player's graveyard.

DIE DREDGE! THIS IS A STAKE AND WE'RE DRIVING IT THROUGH YOUR F***ING HEART! This card WILL be played in Extended and Legacy, and Dredge will have to adapt (with, say, Pact of Negation) or die. Straight out, die.

Punishing Fire
Instant
Punishing Fire deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Whenever an opponent gains life, you may pay . If you do, return Punishing Fire from your graveyard to your hand.

Hmm. I don't know how good this card is yet. I think I'm going to reserve judgement.

Tempest Owl
Creature - Bird
Kicker  (You may pay an additional  as you cast this spell.) Flying When Tempest Owl enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, tap up to three target permanents.
	1/2

Not really seeing this. 7 mana for a 1/2 and tap three? 2 mana for a 1/2 flier? Neither are exciting. I wouldn't play this if I could help it.

Brave the Elements
Instant
Choose a color. White creatures you control gain protection from the chosen color until end if turn.

Now THIS is an AMAZING card. This can and will be played in Soldiers. Removal spell or one-sided Holy Day, this will decimate your opponents who are unprepared. Fear the power!

Kor Skyfisher
Creature - Kor Soldier
Flying When Kor Skyfisher enters the battlefield, return a permanent you control to its owner's hand.
	2/3

I think this card could work. It has decent interactions, is a 2-power flier for 2...is that COMMON!? This is a good Limited card. Recycle a land for Landfall, or get a comes-into-play card back.


Alternatively, take a creature that wasn't kicked, and kick it next turn to make it stronger. This card has great interactions, and I expect to see some 'Wow, cool!' moments at the Prerelease. This is a card that will reward playtesting, since you'll discover all sorts of cool synergies. As good as you think it is, I think it's better.

Merfolk Wayfinder
Creature - Merfolk Scout
Flying When Merfolk Wayfinder enters the battlefield, reveal the top three cards of your library. Put all Island cards revealed this way into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
	1/2

First of all, why does a Merfolk fly? Second of all, this isn't that great a card unless you're basically playing mono-blue. So I don't expect it to be played often.

Living Tsunami
Creature - Elemental
Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Living Tsunami unless you return a land you control to its owner's hand.
	4/4

This could be one of the best blue cards for Limited in the set. First-pick, easily, barring some other bomb. The drawback can be pretty handy with the right cards. And a 4/4 flier? For 4? Sign me UP.

Blazing Torch
Artifact - Equipment
Equipped creature can't be blocked by Vampires or Zombies. Equipped creature has: ", Sacrifice Blazing Torch: Blazing Torch deals 2 damage to target creature or player." Equip

Hmm. Interesting flavour: but I don't see it being played, except...ah. That sac effect is the real part of this card. The first line is just gravy. Remember this.

Zektar Shrine Expedition
Enchantment
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a quest counter on Zektar Shrine Expedition. Remove three quest counters from Zektar Shrine Expedition and sacrifice it: Put a 7/1 red Elemental creature token with haste and trample onto the battlefield. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the end step.

Now this is a good card. It basically reads:


Remove three quest counters from it and sac: Choose one - Destroy target attacking creature that's attacking you, or deal 5-7 damage to target player.


I will play this, and draft this, and love it to death in Limited.

Narrow Escape
Instant
Return target permanent you control to its owner's hand. You gain 4 life.
"Let's get out of here"
#27/249

Not quite good enough in Sealed or Draft. If you need playables, it's possible however. This is a 23rd card.

Stonework Puma
Artifact Creature - Cat Ally
These PUMAs would never settle for being third in line.
#207/249	2/2

NEXT! Gray Ogre not good. NEXT! Don't care that it's an ally.

Zendikar Farguide
Creature - Elemental
Forestwalk
	3/3

More chaff. Maybe from the sideboard, but I don't really see it.

Goblin War-Paint
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has haste.
"Survival rule 223: Don't eat the paint." - Zurdi, goblin shortcutter
#129/249

Now THIS is something to dump on Warren Instigator at 4 mana! Hit you for 6, drop two goblins! BAM!


Other than that, this is also useful for an aggressive deck. You should be able to pick it up late though: I'd say eighth to twelfth pick.

Vampire's Bite
Instant
Kicker  (You may pay an additional  as you cast this spell.) Target creature gets +3/+0 until end of turn. If Vampire's Bite was kicked, that creature gains lifelink until end of turn.
#117/249

+3/+0 is basically a Lava Spike, and for 2BB, it's a Lightning Helix that gains more life. Yeah, I could see this being a good combat trick / damage-dealer. Welcome to the land of fifth pick, Vampire's Bite.

Shepherd of the Lost
Creature - Angel
Flying, first strike, vigilance
#34/249

WOW. Is this GOOD in Limited, or what? An awesome attacker and blocker, and a decent body too. This will be excellent in Limited. Second pick. Easy.

Tuktuk Grunts
Creature - Goblin Warrior Ally
Haste Whenever Tuktuk Grunts or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Tuktuk Grunts.
#152/249	2/2

A 3/3 haste for 5 that could get bigger? This falls under the 'If Allies, play, if not, don't' category.

Trailblazer's Boots
Artifact - Equipment
Equipped creature has nonbasic landwalk. Equip
#208/249

Too expensive for it's effect. I don't see this seeing play, unfortunately.

Hedron Scrabbler
Artifact Creature - Construct
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, Hedron Scrabbler gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
#204/249	1/1

Wow. A Grizzly Bear SOMETIMES, and only very rarely any better. This fails to impress me. At all. Bye bye Hedron Scrabbler!

Grazing Gladehart
Creature - Antelope
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may gain 2 life.
#163/249	2/2

Yeah, this could see play in Sealed. 2 life per land is a good race-alterer. It will also be played by new players who think it's better than it is. It's no Kitchen Finks, but it's Limited-worthy.

Reckless Scholar
Creature - Human Wizard
: Target player draws a card, then discards a card.
#60/249	2/1

Worse than Merfolk Looter, but still playable. I expect this to be a sixth to eighth pick, but it should be higher. Take note. This effect WINS LIMITED GAMES ALMOST BY ITSELF.

Kraken Hatchling
Creature - Kraken
"Below the thunders of the upper deep; Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea, His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep The Kraken sleepeth."
#50/249	0/4

Nice wall for one mana! I still don't think this'll see play though. Still, it pushes power a tiny bit, always worth noting.

Desecrated Earth
Sorcery
Destroy target land. Its controller discards a card.
#86/249

More fourteenth pick material. Not good enough for it's cost, unfortunately. One mana less, and sure. Of course, if you want to sideboard this in against, say, Valakut, or Oren-Rief, I wouldn't fault you.

Hedron Crab
Creature - Crab
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, target player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
	0/2

Combine with Archive Trap, Glimpse the Unthinkable, Tome Scour, and any other 4-card-per-mana-plus mill card, and we have a Philosophy of Fire dedicated to milling and not burn. I wonder if the cards exist for this?


Look into it if you know older cards more than me.

Magosi, the Waterveil
Land
Magosi, the Waterveil enters the battlefield tapped. : Add  to your mana pool. , : Put an eon counter on Magosi, the Waterveil. Skip your next turn. , Remove an eon counter from Magosi, the Waterveil and return it to its owners hand: Take an extra turn after this one.

Unfortunately, I can't think of a way to abuse this card. Stifle and Rings of Brighthearth both don't work. Good luck trying to break it though!

Summoning Trap
Instant - Trap
If a creature you cast this turn was countered by a spell or ability an opponent controlled, you may pay  rather then pay Summoning Trap's casting cost. Look at the top 7 cards of your library. You may put a creature card from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

Not good enough in the meta at the moment, but things may eventually change.

Beastmaster Ascension
Enchantment
Whenever a creature you control attacks, you may put a quest counter on Beastmaster Ascension. As long as Beastmaster Ascension has seven or more quest counters on it, creatures you control get +5/+5

All I can say is: THANK GOD this was not in Standard with Spectral Procession. If more token cards see print, this will see play as a finisher. If it does, god help us all...

Bloodchief Ascension
Enchantment
At the beginning of each players' end step, if an opponent lost 2 or more life this turn, you may put a quest counter on Bloodchief Ascension. Whenever a card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, if Bloodchief Ascension has three or more quest counters on it, you may have that player lose 2 life. If you do, you gain 2 life.

Now this I can get behind. Turn 1 Vampire Lacerator, turn 2 this, swing, opponent's Turn 2, Lightning Bolt, next turn, hit them again, and then you basically have the game. This will probably see some play in B/R aggro. Especially since, once this turns on, Blightning deals 7 damage and gains you 4 life. How epic is that?

Conqueror's Pledge
Sorcery
Kicker  Put six 1/1 white Kor Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield. If Conqueror's Pledge was kicked, put twelve onto the battlefield instead.

Good in Limited, not much else. I want more for 11 mana than twelve 1/1's that can be Wrathed away. I mean, ELEVEN MANA should win me the game. At 5 mana, this is decent for Limited though. Maybe even Constructed with Beastmaster Ascension. Keep an eye on this, just in case.

Primal Bellow
Instant
Target Creature gets +1+1 until end of turn for each Forest you control.

WOW. WOW. This card is an amazing late-game topdeck, and should certainly be sandbagged for the killing blow. Great combat trick in mono-Green or mainly Green Limited as well. I like this card a lot.

Baloth Cage Trap
Instant - Trap
If an opponent had an artifact enter the battlefield under his or her control this turn, you may pay  rather then pay Baloth Cage Trap's mana cost. Put a 4/4 green Beast Creature onto the battlefield.

I can't see the mechanical connection here. The two are basically totally unrelated. And it's not too great in play either. Not the greatest trap.

Ruinous Minotaur
Creature - Minotaur
Whenever Ruminous Minotaur deals damage to an opponent, sacrifice a land.
	5/2

Hmm. This is a card I'll have to reserve judgment on til I have it in my grubby little hands.

Runeflare Trap
Instant - Trap
If an opponent drew three or more cards this turn, you may pay  rather then pay Runeflare Trap's mana cost. Runeflare Trap deals damage to target player equal to the number of cards in that players hand.

This is a Legacy card, right here. 

Turn 1: R/X dual, go.

Turn 1: Island, Brainstorm.

In response to the discard trigger, hit you for 10.

"Shit."

I guarantee you this will happen at least once against Counterbalance. And let's see them Counterbalance a 6-mana card! HA HA suckers!

I do like the Trap mechanic being able to print Legacy cards without killing Standard, simply by putting Traps in that trigger for 0 mana if you do something often seen in Extended or Legacy but not in Standard. Very clever, Wizards. Very, very clever indeed.

Adventuring Gear
Artifact - Equipment
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, equipped creature gets +2+2 until end of turn. Equip
#195/249

The flavour text better mention that this card is made from geopede scales. It is a PERFECT FIT.

Will it see play? Maybe.

Mold Shambler
Creature - Fungus Beast
Kicker  When Mold Shambler enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, destroy target noncreature permanent.
#169/249	3/3

This is common? Mean. A green deck will probably pick up a couple of these, and if a Hill Giant is the worst-case scenario, I think this is damn good in Limited. This card is a third to fifth pick, so if you're in Green, take it.

Quest for Pure Flame
Enchantment
Whenever a source you control deals damage to an opponent. you may put a quest counter on Quest for Pure Flame. Remove four quest counters from Quest for Pure Flame and sacrifice it: Until end of turn, if any source you control would deal damage to a creature of player, it deals double that damage to that creature or player instead.
#144/249

Too much work for too little payoff, really. It's also an obvious finisher since it's ON THE BOARD.

Trusty Machete
Artifact - Equipment
Equipped creature gets +2/+1. Equip
"Until the expedition is done, that blade is your guardian, your liberation and your best friend all rolled into one" - Yon Basrel, Oran-Rief survivalist
#209/249

Yeah, this is fairly middle-of-the-road. I'll play this, but I won't be too excited about it.

Feast of Blood
Sorcery
Cast Feast of Blood only if you control two or more vampires. Destroy target creature. You gain 4 life.
#88/249

Nice. Another addition to the Vampire deck! Crappy topdeck though...

Greenweaver Druid
Creature - Elf
: Add  to your mana pool.
#164/249	1/1

Oh, hi Farhaven Elf Fyndhorn Elder! I mean, Greenweaver Druid! Yes, I do think you'd do well in a green mana-ramp deck. Now, Wizards, give us a GIANT FRIGGIN' HUGE GREEN MONSTER to summon with all this mana.


EDIT: As a helpful commenter pointed out, the card I was thinking of was in fact, Fyndhorn Elder, NOT Farhaven Elf, which is a Wood Elves reprint. Thank you!

Terra Stomper
Creature - Beast
Terra Stomper can't be countered. Trample
Sometimes violent earthquakes, hurtling boulders, and unseasonable dust storms are wrongly attributed to the Roil.
Illus. Goran Josic #187/249	8/8

Oh. Right. Okay, so you have. But still, I want to see Green's part of the Uber-Kicker cycle. I have just christened the cycle. MY WORD IS LAW.

Okay, not really. But it's a cool name. Honest.

Turntimber Basilisk
Creature - Basilisk
Deathtouch Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have target target creature block Turntimber Basilisk this turn if able.
#190/249	2/1

A bit too unwieldy for a combat trick. I wouldn't play this guy except as a deterrent to attacking.

WOW. That took a long time to write! Thanks for everyone who read until the end!

See you tomorrow!