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By: cRUMMYdUMMY,
Oct 01 2008 3:46am
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NOTE:  While this review specifically covers Standard PDC, you can still glean a bit of information from the review as a Future Extended, Classic, or Block player. 

 

What is PDC?

PDC stands for Pauper Deck Challenge.  PDC is a Magic format that limits decks to commons only.  This means uncommons and rares are not allowed in the format.  Timeshifted cards are also illegal. 

 

What are popular decks in PDC?

Due to the set rotation leaving the Timespiral and Coldsnap sets in the dust, the entire metagame will change.  Popular decks like Grimdrifter, Storm Control, Illusions, and White Weenie will lose many of the tools necessary to keep their deck functional.  Rest assured though, there will be new and popular decks that become staples of the format.  For now, you can briefly look at Block PDC to see which decks dominate.  As a reminder, Block and Standard will still differ slightly since Standard has access to the core set giving it a couple of important additions like Incinerate, Remove Soul, and Terramorphic Expanse.

 

Dominus Deck Wins (Aggro) – Unlike the other decks mentioned already, DDW would not lose enough core components.  Only Rift Bolt and Keldon Marauders will rotate out.  While important, these cards are replaceable.  The deck is strong enough to live on into Shards. 

 

Rating System

My ratings are based on the sets in the current format, including this set.  I will not rate a card higher because of its future potential (ie: a runner up replacement to a popular card currently in the format).  It is possible a better card than the runner up may come in future sets or the metagame may change entirely where that card is no longer any good.  Because I don’t know what cards will be released in the future, all cards are rated according how good they are NOW. 

1/5 = This is almost always a bad card and there are better alternatives.

2/5 = This is a fringe card and might have potential in one or two very specific decks.

3/5 = This may be an average card, but requires a deck built around it to truly shine.

4/5 = This is a strong card and will see play in decks of its main colors.

5/5 = This is a powerful card due to its efficiency and may often be splashed for. 

 

WHITE (Reprints: Oblivion Ring) 

Akrasan Squire

2/5

It has potential as a one-drop in new white weenie decks as he will always be a 2/2 on the offensive. 

 

Angelsong

2/5

There are few decks that actually need to run Fog.  Generally, it is only useful in a race or if a control deck that needs to buy turns.  Angelsong may be seen as a one-of or two-of as it is sometimes a nice trick.  As a bonus, it cycles when you don’t need it. 

 

Dispeller’s Capsule

2/5

Definitely a sideboard card.  How often it will be boarded in will be determined by the metagame.  Penalty points for being extra expensive to use.  Bonus points for being retrievable through Sanctum Gargoyle. 

 

Exocommunicate

1/5

The first problem with this card is that it is a Sorcery.  The second and more glaring problem is that for three mana, you can actually get a removal spell like Unmake or Oblivion Ring.  Why let them redraw the creature that you’re trying to get rid of when you can kill it? 

 

Guardians of Akrasa

1/5

Sure the Exalted ability is nice, but this pales in comparison to even Angelic Wall due Guardians costing an additional mana and not even bloking fliers.  Walls are generally bad by design since they can never go on the offensive. 

 

Gustrider Exuberant

1/5

If you can stick a creature with a power of 5 or greater on the board, rest assured you won’t need to give them flying to finish off your opponent with it.  Gustrider is also way overcosted for its tiny body.  Suntail Hawk has comparable stats and costs two mana less. 

 

Knight of the Skyward Eye

1/5

This may be a decent two drop for white weenie as he pumps into a monstrous 5/5 late game.  On the other hand, the instability and tempo loss in White Weenie’s mana base that splashing one Forest and Terramorphic Expanses will cause will probably not be worth it.  If some sort of three-color Naya aggro is viable, this card will have a place in it. 

 

Marble Chalice

1/5

This will probably be a “too little, too late” card.  Free life gain is nice, but as your three drop, it will generally be too slow to stop the onslaught of burn and evasive men from DDW. 

 

Resounding Silence

2/5

There are cheaper and more efficient ways of destroying creatures with white.  While the cycling ability is really powerful, 8 mana sure is a lot to pay.  This might be great in some sort of control deck along with Angelsong. 

 

Sanctum Gargoyle

4/5

There are plenty of artifacts in this set, like Executioner’s Capsule, that you want to get back.  Having a body that can block Mulldrifter and other 2 powered fliers is great as well.  I should also mention that Sanctum Gargoyle can retrieve almost all Esper cards from the graveyard, including other Sanctum Gargoyles.  Gargoyle is so versatile, I wouldn’t be surprised to find it in both aggro and control decks, just like Mulldrifter.  While this is close to being as broken as Mulldrifter, it is just shy of being broken since you benefit the most from already having artifact cards in your graveyard.  Mulldrifter benefits you so long as you have cards remaining in your library.

 

Sighted-Caste Sorcerer

1/5

While this guy pumps your attacking creature with Exalted, he will never actually attack alone.  While he is difficult to kill, he will still be a mana sink and provides a really minor ability for your two-drop slot. 

 

Soul’s Grace

1/5

With Aven Riftwatcher and Martyr of Sands gone, you may have to rely on effects like Soul’s Grace to put the distance between you and DDW.  However, if you’re playing against DDW, you’re probably scrambling to put down creatures with your mana.  You won’t have two extra mana sitting around to cast this while on the defensive.  If you do have the mana, casting Angelsong will probably buy you more time than Soul’s Grace. 

 

Welkin Guide

1/5

While being an unexpected finisher, Welkin Guide is just too costly to use reliably.  Maybe White Weenie can use it to break through a ground stall and force those last points of damage through. 

 

Yoked Plowbeast

1/5

By the time it hits play, White Weenie will have won or lost the game already.  Other colors have cheaper or larger creatures. 

 

BLUE (Reprints: Cancel) 

Call to Heel

2/5

Unsummoning your own creature to prevent him from dying and providing you card advantage seems like a good idea.  Give the huge tempo loss, there are probably be few decks that aren’t better served by Hindering Light, Negate, or Turn to Mist.  The best use of this card is to Unearth a creature and then Call to Heel it, giving it a second life.  This combo may not be powerful enough to built around though. 

 

Cathartic Adept

1/1

Unfortunately, decking will never be a great pauper deck. 

 

Cloudheath Drake

1/5

Overcosted.  While the Vigilance is nice, it often won’t matter. 

 

Coma Veil

1/5

Curse of Chains or even Glimmerdust Nap will almost always be a better blue removal spell than this.  While it hits non-creature artifacts, there aren’t any dangerous artifacts that aren’t already creatures.  I may have to up this to a sideboard card if Onyx Goblet becomes popular. 

 

Courier’s Capsule

2/5

While being a great draw engine with Sanctum Gargoyle, it is clearly inferior to Mulldrifter or even Counsel of the Soratami. 

 

Etherium Sculptor

3/5

This guy is an artifact banneret and will be necessary to accelerate any decks running heavy artifacts. 

 

Jhessian Lookout

1/5

Worse than every single mimic out there. 

 

Kathari Screecher

2/5

While he’s nothing special, you can Unearth him later to fly through for two extra damage. 

 

Outrider of Jhess

1/5

For four mana, she is not even as large as a Hill Giant.  Why ever play her over something like Noggle Bridgebreaker? 

 

Resounding Wave

1/5

Boomerang effects see no play at the moment. 

 

Spell Snip

1/5

For three mana, you can get a hard counter.  Why would you settle for this even if it cycles? 

 

Steelclad Serpent

2/5

While the casting cost is huge, you can accelerate into this guy with Etherium Sculptor and bring him back with Sanctum Gargoyle.  Serpent can be a good finisher in an artifact deck with no drawback. 

 

Tortoise Formation

1/5

While all your creatures gaining Shroud is nice, there are few or no spells that target multiple creatures that you control.  Any counterspell would probably work better. 

 

Vectis Silencers

1/5

Being an artifact is nice, but Moonglove Changeling is better in almost every way.  Especially since you already have to splash black to give this guy Deathtouch. 

 

BLACK 

Banewasp Affliction

1/5

There is no deck that this card is truly playable in.  You want to play this on a large creature your opponent controls, but there is no way to guarantee that they are playing large creatures.  In addition, you must have a removal spell to kill said large creature.  This aura is simply too conditional to be useful. 

 

Blister Beetle

2/5

You can’t drop this as your two drop if you’re on the play and the opponent missed his one drop.  The Beetle’s ability is not optional and he will end up killing himself with his CIP ability.  While best functioning as a post-combat trick to ensure a 1:1 exchange or pre-combat to deter blocks, black can already flat out kill a larger creature with less conditional removal than this.  This is a good sideboard card against weenie decks though. 

 

Bone Splitters

1/5

Being a Sorcery instead of an Instant and providing card disadvantage, there are few if any decks that I can imagine this card in. 

 

Deathgreeter

1/5

Not as useful as Essence Warden since it is more difficult to put creatures into the graveyard than to put them in play.  Also, life gain in general is pretty bad except against DDW. 

 

Dreg Reaver

1/5

Similar to Smoldering Butcher, this five drop is going to exchange with your opponent’s three or four drop. 

 

Dregscape Zombie

2/5

In a mono-black aggro deck, this guy will come back for another swing, allowing you to overwhelm your opponent.  Not very good as a defensive creature though. 

 

Executioner’s Capsule

4/5

Being retrievable by Sanctum Gargoyle and a very powerful turn one play make this pretty awesome in any deck capable of playing it. 

 

Glaze Fiend

3/5

In an artifact deck, almost every card will pump this guy.  With flying, he will be a threat that must quickly be dealt with. 

 

Onyx Goblet

2/5

This card screams, “BUILD A CONTROL DECK AROUND ME.”  While not exactly a combo, having multiple Onyx Goblets and masses of removal and defense is a pretty sure-fire way of winning a game. 

 

Resounding Scream

1/5

This card’s powerful effect comes from its cycling ability.  How likely is your opponent to have cards in their hand after the 8th turn?  In an aggro matchup, not likely.  Maybe a sideboard card for a control matchup.  Even then, Mournwelk is a better card as well as providing a body if you hard cast it. 

 

Shadowfeed

1/5

This is decent graveyard removal.  The life gain will probably only be relevant against DDW.  The only card you would want to remove from their graveyard is Flame Jab.  Otherwise Relic, and Faerie Macabre are flat out better at graveyard removal. 

 

Shore Snapper

1/5

The Islandwalk ability is nice, but even then it is hard to imagine it being relevant.  Severed Legion is probably better. 

 

Skeletal Kathari

1/5

While being very difficult to remove, thus making it a good finisher for a control deck, black would be hard pressed to come up with expendable creatures.  Maybe  Dragon Fodder or Cenn’s Enlistment provide the solution.  Incinerate also doesn’t help the situation. 

 

Undead Leotau

1/5

Six mana is a lot for a creature without Trample and no card advantage.  Look to Carrion Trasher for a better creature. 

 

Viscera Dragger

2/5

You can cycle this guy early for a card and later bring him back to swing for 3 damage.  While Hill Giant variants are normally not played, maybe this one will be. 

 

RED 

Bloodpyre Elemental

1/5

This guy makes a terrible attacker.  While you can cast him and use him as removal, five mana is just far too much. 

 

Bloodthorn Taunter

1/5

This is even worse than Sootstoke Kindler since it only gives creatures with power 5 or greater haste.  As you’re playing red, these creatures will most likely be red as well. 

 

Dragon Fodder

3/5

Mono-Red probably won’t need two 1/1 tokens, but they certainly combo well this Devour abilities in addition to providing bodies for the early game. 

 

Goblin Mountaineer

1/5

He’s probably even bad against Mono-Red. 

 

Hissing Iguanar

2/5

It would be great if there was a combo deck that could create a bunch of tokens to sacrifice with Devour to instantly kill the opponent.  Though unlikely, I’m hoping there’s someone clever enough to make a combo out of him.  At worse, he might have a chance in DDW since they already burn away all your creatures to begin with.  Now the additional damage goes to your head as well. 

 

Incurable Ogre

1/5

My bad.  This guy is even worse than Goblin Mountaineer. 

 

Lightning Talons

1/5

This aura pales in comparison to the hybrid auras available. 

 

Magma Spray

2/5

With all the Unearth and graveyard retrieval, the best place for dead creatures to be is removed from the game.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t hit players like Shock does. 

 

Resounding Thunder

2/5

Resouding Thunder is overcosted.  While it would be exciting to see this card cycled, I don’t think ramping up to the 8 multi-colored mana is worth it.  Though, I definitely want to see a control deck that wins by cycling all four copies of this card. 

 

Ridge Rannet

1/5

Loamdragger Giant. 

 

Soul’s Fire

2/5

I would love to see this card get some play.  The problem is that there are very few playable creatures with a high enough power to make this two card combo worth it. 

 

Thorn-Thrash Viashino

2/5

Sacrificing a single Dragon Fodder token makes this guy a 4/4 when it comes into play.  You can sacrifice even more creatures to make this guy a turn four MONSTER.  Additionally, you only have to sacrifice tokens if the spell resolves, which protects you from counterspells as it is not part of the casting cost. 

 

Viashino Skeleton

1/5

With all the Madness cards gone in Timespiral, this card becomes even more non-viable.  Unlike Skeletal Kathari, this creature doesn’t have built-in evasion. 

 

Vithian Stinger

1/5

Cinder Pyromancer is better than this. 

 

Volcanic Submersion

1/5

This card costs even more than Demolish, which is a huge mistake.  The point of land destruction is to play it early enough to give your deck tempo by denying the opponent of mana.  This costs so much, there is a small chance it will be relevant by the time you play it. 

 

GREEN (Reprints: Naturalize) 

Cavern Thoctar

1/5

Unfortunately, appropriately costed large creatures simply take too long to get into play. 

 

Court Archers

2/5

Being unable to kill Mulldrifter is bad.  On the other hand, being able to kill faeries is good.  Possible sideboard card for anti-air. 

 

Cylian Elf

1/5

Why reprint Grizzy Bears?  At least it counts as an elf? 

 

Druid of the Anima

2/5

While providing mana acceleration and fixing good, being a two drop is often too late.  However, it does provide a superior alternative to the obelisks. 

 

Elvish Visionary

2/5

A cantripping 1/1.  While it replaces itself, its body is so small it probably won’t matter.  Decent in a control deck that needs a chump blocker, but otherwise you will need more aggressive two drops in your aggro decks. 

 

Gift of the Gargantuan

1/5

While this provides card advantage by allow you to pull both a creature and a land, it only digs four cards deep.  This is probably not enough.  In addition, it costs three mana!  In a color ripe with mana fixing, just splash for Mulldrifter. 

 

Godtoucher

1/5

Your gigantic creature won’t need much in the ways of protection.  Your opponent will need protection from it.  In addition, it doesn’t even regenerate the creature, meaning it is still just as vulnerable to destroy effects like Executioner’s Capsule and Eyeblight’s Ending. 

 

Jungle Weaver

1/5

Too costly for its Reach ability.  There are other critters that stop fliers better. 

 

Lush Growth

2/5

Growing Wild Nacatl to a 3/3 with one enchantment is amazing.  In addition, it fixes your mana.  This two card combo is going to be very powerful, but very specific. 

 

Mosstodon

1/5

For his mana cost, he should have trample built in already. 

 

Resounding Roar

1/5

While green can definitely cycle this earlier than turn eight with mana accelerators, it certainly is underpowered in comparison to the other cards of this type. 

 

Savage Hunter

1/5

This aura costs way too much and is clearly inferior to the hybrid auras. 

 

Soul’s Might

1/5

If this were an instant, it would be great.  As a Sorcery, it lacks the ability of being a combat trick.  Not to mention you can throw down a really large creature for the same casting cost, diversifying your threats. 

 

Wild Nacatl

3/5

My gosh, this card is massive.  With any sort of mana fixing, she becomes a 3/3 for only one green mana!  The only reason this card isn’t rated higher is that she requires a very specific build to function well in. 

 

GOLD

 Agony Warp

4/5

This card puts Nameless Inversion to shame.  It is much better since it lets you trade two for one during the combat phase by outright killing one creature then shrinking the other and blocking.  At worst, it kills their best creature.  At best, it becomes a fantastic card advantage combat trick. 

 

Blightning

3/5

Mind Rot + Lava Spike.  Talk about efficiency.  This card gives card advantage and provides reach, meaning it is good in both the early and late game.  Not all decks will want to play this, but many decks should consider it. 

 

Branching Bolt

2/5

Similar to Agony Warp, this has the potential to be a huge hit.  Unlike Agony Warp, it is far more conditional in hitting both one creature with flying and one without.  There is no way to guarantee that they have one creature of each.  Best as a sideboard card. 

 

Carrion Trash

2/5

Since Auroch’s Herd will rotate out, I expect this will be the replacement.  Costing 5 mana to cast and 2 mana to retrieve brings up the cost up from six mana to seven total.  However, unlike Auroch’s Herd, Carrion Trash won’t find you multiple Carrion Trashes to bring back.  You would already need another Carrion Trash in the graveyard to continue the chain.  Additionally, it doesn’t have trample and requires a riskier mana base.  If a deck wants to run this, it would require a specified build. 

 

Deft Duelist

4/5

Being hard to best in combat and being almost impossible to remove make this card fantastic for both early offense and defense.  However, sideboard cards like Hurly-Burly and Festercreep are likely to wreck it. 

 

Goblin Deathraiders

2/5

In a hyper aggressive deck, Deathraiders is definitely the way to go.  It must be blocked early or it will kill quickly.  With red backed burns, it will probably swing through several times if they have no removal.  When it does die, it will usually trade one for one and still get some damage through.  Problem is that red decks don’t need the black splash to get damage through. 

 

Hindering Light

3/5

A conditional counter that nets you card advantage.  Certainly good in decks expecting their creatures to be hit by removal.  In most conditions, it is better than Negate, with the except of board effects like Hurly-Burly. 

 

Kederekt Creeper

2/5

Ideally, it will trade for card advantage on the offensive.  However, it shouldn’t be difficult to race if you’re only taking two damage a turn.  Given the difficulty of finding all three colors to cast this guy, he might come down on turn 4 instead of the expected turn 3.  On the defense, he is not spectacular either. 

 

Rakeclaw Gargantuan

1/5

Having your three colored five drop instantly die to all the common forms of removal is not a good thing.  If you’re casting a 5 CC creature, he better have a toughness of 4. 

 

Rip-Clan Crasher

2/5

Probably not better than Mudbrawler Cohort since it requires a splash of green.  However, it could exist in a some sort of red/green aggro deck with Wild Nacatl and burns. 

 

Sigil Blessing

3/5

This card has potential to be bomby by being a combined Giant Growth and a Surge of Thoughtweft.  I can’t envision what kind of deck would run this, just that it has the potential to be great. 

 

Steward of Valeron

3/5

A 2/2 body that provides both offense and mana acceleration is good.  While it doesn’t fix your mana, it can simultaneously swing for two and let you hit your late game drops more quickly. 

 

Tidehollow Strix

4/5

If I could run 30 of these I would.  2 powered fliers with evasion for two mana don’t come along often.  In addition, this one has Deathtouch, so you can “trade up” when your creature gets outclassed.  This guy also gets retrieved by Sanctum Gargoyle. 

 

Waveskimmer Aven

1/5

For five mana, other colors get 4/4 creatures that fetch your best creature from the yard.  This guy can barely best Sanctum Gargoyle in combat and is far more difficult to cast. 

 

Windwright Mage

2/5

While still playing with the artifact theme, this creature needs to be larger than a 2/2 considering how difficult it is to cast her.  The lifelink is nice, but it may be hard early on to enable flying to cash in on it.  By the time you can use safely get through the red zone with her, she will be outclassed. 

 

ARTIFACTS

Obelisk of Bant/Esper/Grixis/Jund/Naya

2/5

Unlike the other mana accelerators that come down as two drops, these are three drops.  That means your third turn play is to drop a mana producing artifact instead of a creature.  While this fixes mana for your fourth turn play, if you are facing an aggro deck, you’ve already been attacked for two turns before your first creature hits the board.  With such a huge hit in tempo, I wouldn’t run these unless I was desperate for the acceleration. 

 

Relic of Progenitus

2/5

This is an obvious sideboard card that will likely be used against the artifact recurring Espers and possibly Carrion Trash decks. 

 

LANDS 

Bant/Esper/Grixis/Jund/Naya Panorama

1/5

These lands will likely be inferior to Terramorphic Expanse.  Most decks won’t need the one colorless provided by the Panorama.  Especially with the tri-color theme going on, fixing your mana one turn slower is going to be a problem against mono or dual-colored aggro decks. 

 

How Might These Cards Affect Standard PDC? 

Shards brings lots of wonderful gold colored goodies to Standard, but most importantly signals the rotation of Timespiral and Coldsnap.  Gone are the troubled cards with Suspend, Flashback, Storm, and Recover.  A refreshing winds of change will revitalize creative energies to jump start an entirely different metagame. 

 

While this set is not expressively powerful, it does give us several new cards to play with.  The cards most worthy of note are Agony Warp, Sanctum Gargoyle, Tidehollow Strix, and Executioner’s Capsule.  These are all in the Esper territory.  Due to the built in synergy of cost reduction, recursion, and card advantage theme, no doubt the espers will spawn an entirely new deck.  The Naya give some impressive aggro tools like Wild Nacatl that may need some help to be built around.  With Lush Growth, Rip-Clan Clasher, Mudbrawler Cohort, and Intimidator Initiate backed with burns, it can hit hard and fast.  Onyx Goblet wants to see a control deck use it as a kill condition.  Carrion Trash may also be a finisher in a control deck or a mana ramp deck. 

 

With plenty of new cards to play around with and the powerful cards of Timespiral and Coldsnap rotating out, there will be new decks that emerge as the best of standard.

3 Comments

by theemessiah(Unregistered) 203.184.58.185 (not verified) at Tue, 10/21/2008 - 02:28
theemessiah(Unregistered) 203.184.58.185's picture

i realy am enjoying shards, its more of a set thats fun to play just within shards therefore cards like vithian stinger are not underpowered (still not great though),heres just a few comments

u realise that u cant return an unearthed creature to your hand as it will be removed from play and therefore removed from the game, elvish visionary is a great card, devourable and card draw and also cloudheath drake is far better then steelclad serpent id also personaly rather have a akrasan squire then a wild nacatl have a great day!

by andymc1(Unregistered) 81.157.253.189 (not verified) at Sat, 10/11/2008 - 16:22
andymc1(Unregistered) 81.157.253.189's picture

Good review crummy. Enjoyed looking at the new cards and reading your comments :)

Great Breakdown by kenwakooo(Unregistered) 24.10.183.164 (not verified) at Fri, 10/10/2008 - 16:13
kenwakooo(Unregistered) 24.10.183.164's picture

Thanks for this great card-by-card breakdown. I'm not too impressed with Shards, but there are some ok additions for pauper and peasant players alike. I play peasant magic, and here's a deck I'm messing around with:

 

Land:
 16 Swamp
  8 Island

2 drop:
  4 Agony Warp
  4 Tidehollow Strix
  4 Ravenous Rats
  4 Shriekmaw (uncommon)

3 drop:
  4 Mulldrifter
  4 Phyrexian Rager

4 drop:
  4 Gravedigger
  4 Mournwhelk

5 drop:
  4 Warren Pilferers