Let's have a quick look at Worldwake's anticipated cards to see what I mean by that. If I remember correctly, I saw 5 out of the 10 cards played at our peasant tournaments since Worldwake hit the market. Clearly not all that I anticipate is actually playable, or slots into a deck easily! The cards I did see were Æther Tradewinds (nr 10), Groundswell (nr 9), Rest for the Weary (nr 6), Halimar Depths (nr 5) and Searing Blaze (nr 2). It's a shame I didn't see Treasure Hunt and Calcite Snapper yet, I'll have to do something about that in the near future!
But, enough about that, let's see what Rise of the Eldrazi has in store!
For reference, you can find the full Visual Spoiler for Rise of the Eldrazi here!
Psychic Venom and Evil Presence had a baby! Hooray! Ok, you're probably wondering why this gets the honorary mention, well... Two different players piloted Psychic Venom decks to an abysmal result this season, and one of them piloted a list concocted by me. It was great fun drawing up the deck (on request), and it's a blast to play, even if you can't win. Hearing your opponent groan in dismay as another of his lands becomes a liability is one of the more satisfying sensations magic has to offer :) What about this card then? I think this might be the additional punch this deck needs to be a real contender! Ok, I lied there, but I still squeeled with glee when I saw this in the spoiler!
We start of with a functional reprint. Why does this make the list? Because some decks, like landfall and 3-or-more-color strategies, desperately wanted more than just the four.
I haven't seen this card in action yet, but it brims with possibilities. Finding artifact, Eldrazi and lands, this can either fix your mana in the early game, or dig for something relevant in the mid to late game. I'm sure we'll see more of it!
This seems like any X/U Aggro's wet dream. Punch through a high-powered attacker, not once, but twice! Excellent with both Kiln Fiend and Wee Dragonauts for maximum carnage.
Sometimes simple is the best. I've been a fan of Temple Acolyte for ages, and depending on your deck, this might be miles better. While not as good on defense, it has the power to actually kill something, and it gains 4 life instead of 3. Keep this card in mind when you're looking for a way to beat burn in your white decks.
It's Vine Trellis, but better. That's good too, because Trellis wasn't played in peasant. Together with Wall of Roots though, Overgrown Battlement quickly produces enough mana to put some serious beats on the table, all the while taking the hit on edict effects to save the men that really matter. Tasty!
Oh wow, this one's a doozy! I don't think it's the best card in the set, but it's seriously good! Gravedigger already was quite a decent card, but just a bit too expensive. We would probably have been happy with a 1/1 'digger for 2B, but instead they gave us a 1/1 'digger with evasion for only a slightly more complicated cost. Do you know what that means? That means this will pick up a Bonesplitter after doing its job to smash your opponent's head in. Impressive!
At 4 we find an innocious Eldrazi-aligned card. A lot of commons and uncommons in the set produce so-called Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens. Small critters that can be sacrificed for a colorless mana. At first sight that isn't that special, but if you build your deck around this, you can generate a lot of mana really fast. Of these cards, I like Nest Invader the best for peasant. It provides you with a warm body while setting you up for good old Blastoderm on your 3rd turn. That's a very, very fine play for an aggressive deck!
Well, I haven't seen a bad card yet on this list, but these Eldrazi, well they're something else completely! This card on its own revives the age-old reanimator strategy. There used to be a time when both your reanimation spells (besides Exhume that is) and the creatures you wanted to reanimate were uncommon. Of course, with only 5 uncommons to play with, that made for very sad panda's. Well, those panda's won't have to grief no more because reanimating this puppy on turn 2 could very well end the game on the spot!
At 2 we find a creature that I thoroughly underestimated when I first saw it. Three toughness already stops a few creatures, like Kird Ape and Trinket Mage, but the card selection is what really makes this card tick! Court Hussar saw a lot of play in standard when it was legal, and the comparison to Sea Gate Oracle is very valid. Even if you have to chump-block a larger creature, you still have that card you picked up on the Oracle's way in. One thing is clear, we have come a long way since Merchant of Secrets!
This card has already been wrecking the tournaments. I ranked it first in my head the moment I saw it, there's simply so much raw power in this card that it will kill your opponent dead all on its lonesome if it isn't dealt with. Great card!
You know, with more commons to choose from, this top 10 was even harder than Worldwake! I hope you enjoyed my musings, and I hope I inspired you to build yourself a new peasant deck. As always, leave your comments if you think I missed something! And let's not forget, have fun at the prerelease!
Until next time,
-Hennink
