Return to Ravnica Review

Scott Meinecke
Thursday, September 27, 2012 - 14:45

http://castlesandcooks.com/magic-the-ga ... l-spoiler/

Return to Ravnica is here & this is my review of each card in the set. To save space & time, I won't show the card or print what it says. Above is a link to the pictures of all the cards, so you can follow along as I comment on each card.

My review of these cards is basically my opinion of how much I like or dislike each card & why. My favorite cards will be in bold, while cards I don't like will be in italics & I'll tell you why they are, obviously. My main focus will be for the basic (limited) game (or drafts), but I will comment on cards that I think might be good for constructed or sideboard too. I freely admit that I might be totally wrong about some cards. I've found several times that I've liked a card & then ended up not liking it & vice versa. It happens.

Please also note that just because I "like" a card, doesn't necessarily mean it's a good card. I like the card Malicious Intent, but I agree it's not that good of a card. I don't like the card Olivia Voldaren, despite the fact that it's a very powerful card. I will at times say what changes I would make to a card; what I think would've made the card better &/or more playable or just more interesting. I found myself commenting on the italics on a lot of these cards. Quite possibly the best/funniest italics I've seen in any set. Love it.

Lastly, while my critique of these cards is serious I also tried to take a light-hearted approach to this. Hope you enjoy some of my silly, if not sometimes lame - lol, humor. So lets get into this, shall we? Hopefully Return to Ravnica will prove to be their best set yet : )

WHITE

Angel of Serenity: Angel of Serenity is really really cool. Being able to exile up to 3 creatures is a great ability. I like that you can exile creatures from graveyards too, because reanimator decks can really be a pain. Course there's Grafdigger's Cage, but you'll never maindeck the Cage. You can maindeck Serenity. Great card. Almost put her in bold.

Armory Guard: I'm trying to figure out how it's possible that this GIANT only has a power of 2 - lol, but Armory Guard is a nice card. Good tough defense & with a Gate you get Vigilance. In other words, he's really good at guarding gates. Got it. ; )

Arrest: Usually I feel that reprints belong in core sets, but in this case I can't argue with Arrest. It fits Ravnica & Azorius perfectly. Good card.

Avenging Arrow: I very much like Avenging Arrow. The concept is cool & it's decent removal, regardless. Nice card.

Azorius Arrester: We have Arrest so we have to have an Azorius soldier that arrests people, so here he is. A perfectly themed card. My only problem with him is he's a soldier with a toughness of 1. If he was a 2/2, he'd be really good, but he's still good, simply for his Detain ability.

Azorius Justiciar: I really like the Detain ability. I don't know if it's something we'll see in Constructed play much, but in Limited I think it'll be quite powerful. It's an excellent ability for the Azorius Guild, that's for sure. Justiciar is a good solid creature & the italics says it all.

Bazaar Krovod: A 2/5 for 5 is somewhat weak, but he's got an interesting ability that's pretty decent. It's nice to see an interesting card instead of a generic 2/5 for 4. I just don't know what the heck a Krovod is.

Concordia Pegasus: Don't like it. The only thing somewhat original about this Pegasus is that it's a 1/3 flyer for 2. Can't remember if those stats already exist on another creature before, but this is a Pegasus & it has no abilities? Yes, it will put up a decent defense, but I'm sorry. No... just no.

Ethereal Armor: Yes! I love Ethereal Armor. Now "this" is enchanted armor. You get first strike & with each enchantment you have, your creature gets stronger. That's very cool. Great card.

Eyes in the Skies: A very good common card. At the very worst you get two 1/1 fliers for 4 mana, which is decent, but with the populate mechanic, instead of a second 1/1 flier, you can copy any creature token you have in play, which could be powerful. In my opinion, cards that "can" be powerful are good cards. Eyes in the Skies is a nice card.

Fencing Ace: This is an interesting card. What's better, a 2/2 for 2 or a 1/1 for 2 with Double Strike? I'll take a 1/1 with Double Strike. Pump it, add +1/+1 counters to it, enchant it & he becomes quite a wrecking machine. Also, doing 1 damage (or more) will kill many creatures while the Fencing Ace survives. That's power. A good card, no doubt. His one drawback being that his 1 toughness makes him vulnerable.

Keening Apparition: She's not as good as the War Priest of Thune, but she's okay. Here's my version. Make her a 1/1. Why? Well look at her - lol. Now give her deathtouch. Why? Again, look at her. Now... when she destroys a creature, sacrifice her. Why? Um... yeah ; ) I'd still leave her enchantment destroying ability too or make it part of the effect when you have to sacrifice her.

Knightly Valor: Love it. My creature gets +2/+2 & Vigilance AND I get a 2/2 Knight with Vigilance as well. Awesome. Yeah, it's 5 mana, but it's a common. In limited, this should see lots of play.

Martial Law: Very cool. This looks like a total shut down kinda card. At 3 cost I feel it would make constructed. At 4 I still think it will, but this card looks really strong & is Azorius all the way.

Palisade Giant: Another giant with a power of 2 - lol, but this is a very good card. Yes, she's expensive at 6 mana, but her power doesn't matter much. It's her toughness that makes her so valuable. Her ability can flat out wreck your opponent in limited. Good card.

Phantom General: A spirit soldier. Hmmm... are we playing to the Innistrad theme here a little, what with Intangible Virtue banned. I don't know if Virtue is banned in standard, but this isn't as powerful, as it costs 4 mana & it's a creature, which is easier to deal with than an enchantment. Still, the Phantom General is a decent card & with Selesnya, he might be a great card. We'll see.

Precinct Captain: Another very cool card. I like that when he hits a player he recruits a 1/1 Soldier. I'd say that makes him quite a pain to deal with. Ooh, bad pun.

Rest in Peace: Since when can a token be put into a graveyard? So with Rest in Peace in play, graveyards remain empty. That might be relevant in limited, but certainly in constructed as a sideboard card. It's a good card. It's just... how does "Rest in Peace" have anything to do with removing non-creature cards from graveyards?

Rootborn Defenses: I think this is a great combat trick, even if you can't use the Populate ability. It's pretty much the same as Safe Passage, for your creatures anyway, plus Populate. Seems really good.

Security Blockade: This seems like it should have something to do with a Gate. Also, I wish the Knight had first strike, but this is a very neat card. It's different, which I like. The damage prevention is a nice added bonus, but it means you can't use that land for mana. Lastly, shouldn't gate guards have defender? You'd think so.

Selesnya Sentry: 6 mana to regenerate this guy? Why, cause he's an Elephant? Seriously, what's with these Elephants. They just look weird, so, even though he's a 3/2 for 3 & will see play, for making an Elephant soldier (which makes no sense in my fantasy world - lol) & for requiring a ridiculousness amount of mana in order to regenerate him, he gets italics.

Seller of Songbirds: Okay... this is a nice card. It's interesting. I like the title. I like the ability. She's fine. It's just... those tiny little songbirds are 1/1 flyers? Also, she comes with you? She doesn't just sell you a songbird & sends you on your merry way? Huh? This card doesn't really make sense, but because it's a good card & it's different, I didn't put it in italics... but I thought about it.

Soul Tithe: Very cool card. Cards like this are just fun to play. Plus, it can really get you out of a tough spot sometimes too, or at least tie up your opponents mana to avoid sacrificing that permanent. Good card.

Sphere of Safety: Another very interesting card. I like seeing good defensive cards, or at least the potential for a good defense. Looks like there's going to be an emphasis on enchantments in this set, which is fine. This could be very strong in limited. Will we see a constructed enchantment deck? I doubt it, but it would be very cool if we do.

Sunspire Griffin: This is Chapel Geist & there's simply no reason for it, where at least Chapel Geist played to a theme. It's a perfectly good card, of course, but the only reason it's here is to give white a needed flyer, I'm sure. A griffin should have first strike capability, in my opinion, & just giving it the potential for first strike at least would've made this a little interesting, but instead we just get a boring generic creature. Well, at least the italics is cool.

Swift Justice: I think Kindled Fury is an excellent combat trick. Swift Justice is Kindled Fury plus Lifelink. Wow! See, I know it's just me, but I'd consider this in a constructed deck. They'd never see it coming & on the right creature it could be devastating, but I get that combat tricks are really for limited. It's just with Swift Justice, I think it might be too good to not consider it. Then again, maybe I'm just an idiot - lol.

Trained Caracal: Cute cat. I like the italics too. Don't know if it'll see much play though. Maybe if it was a 1/2? I'm trying to come up with a cool cat ability, but if you add anything you pretty much have to up the mana cost to 2.

Trostani's Judgment: Okay, this is a good card. It's expensive, but it's a good common, even if you don't populate, because removal is removal & exiling a creature is better than destroying it, but if you can populate, even better. Good solid common card.

BLUE

Aquus Steed: I like having a 3 toughness creature that can also lower a creatures power by 2. That's very good & it's nice to have an ability like that on a creature that you can use each turn, instead of making a bad Instant like Hydrosurge. However, I don't think Aquus Steed is very good. It's ok. It's a 1/3 for 4, which is pretty weak. The ability costs 3 & a tap. That's a little expensive. The Pegasus is a 1/3 flyer for 2 & it's common. The Steed is an uncommon. I didn't put it in italics, cause I think it's a somewhat interesting card, but I probably should've cause it appears to be too weak for its cost. A 3 cost & a 2 cost for the ability & maybe I put it in bold.

Blustersquall: I almost put Blustersquall in bold, just for the italics. How hilarious. It's a good card too. Even without the Overload ability, it's still decent, because tapping a creature can be a very strong ability, especially in limited. Very cool card.

Cancel: I guess it's okay that Cancel is in Ravnica & not in M13, but I just see Cancel as a core card. Eh. No biggy.

Chronic Flooding: So well themed. The Izzet are busy, so their pipes are leaking. That's just perfect, thus Chronic Flooding is in bold, for that reason & because the ability is cool, as you can use it on yourself or your opponent. Really neat card.

Conjured Currency: Coujured Currency could be a lot of fun. I kinda wish it only cost 4 or 5 mana, but maybe 6 is right. Again, I can see why it's hard to know the right cost, especially with cards like this. This seems more like stealing than conjured currency, or is that kinda the same thing - lol. This is an interesting card, that's for sure & it certainly fits Ravnica well. For those reasons alone maybe I should've put it in bold. Close.

Crosstown Courier: Cool card. The Courier is getting you information. Not sure how he's also damaging your opponent, but hey... I won't quibble over petty details. What? Me quibble? ; )

Cyclonic Rift: Cyclonic Rift is possibly really good, but it seems a little odd as a rare. I guess using its Overload cost is why it has to be a rare. Its normal cost is basically Boomerang, but not as good, actually. Its Overload is expensive at 7 mana, but if that doesn't win you the game, then maybe you need to rethink how you're building a deck? : )

Dispel: Dispel is a nice counterspell. I didn't play during Worldwake, so I've never seen this card before. I think I like the original artwork the best, but this is good too. Definitely a good sideboard card as well.

Doorkeeper: I like Doorkeeper, but I've got a couple problems with it. First, how does this scary thing not have the ability to dish out damage? Next, it has a "piercing stare" that convinces thieves to go elsewhere? Shouldn't he have an ability that correlates to that then? The mill ability is neat, but I'm questioning if the 3 mana cost is 1 mana too high. Not sure, but I like that X is based on how many defenders you have. If only those Knights who guard gates had defender ; )

Downsize: Okay, here's the problem. They took Hydrosurge & lowered its effect by 1 (-4), but they added an Overload ability, which is neat, but... the Overload is Hysterical Blindness (another weak card). So its regular cost is worse than Hydrosurge & its Overload cost turns it into Hysterical Blindness. Here, let me help you guys out. Add 1 to the mana cost & the overload cost, but also add "draw a card". Now it's more playable, isn't it?

Faerie Imposter: Cute card. I understand that you need to return a creature to your hand to justify a 2/1 flyer for 1, but I'm trying to understand the concept here that you have to sacrifice the Faerie Imposter unless you return a creature to your hand. Oh, because she's an imposter. You thought she was the creature you returned. Ah, got it. See, I literally figured it out as I'm typing this - lol. This should work really well with creatures that have effects when you play them, which is the main reason it's one of my favorites.

Hover Barrier: Hover Barrier is a nice... well, Barrier. How it flies, I have no idea. It doesn't look like it's flying, but it is called a "Hover" Barrier, so I guess hovering equates to flying? I guess the 3 cost is correct, since this thing is gonna stop a ton of stuff. That's probably why it's uncommon too & not common. Don't want to make it too easy to get too many Hover Barriers in play now do we.

Inaction Injuction: Oh look... the Azorius Arrester has a nice little sigil thingy to Detain people or monsters & apparently he's also good at gathering some information while he detains them. I think this card will see lots of play, mainly because of the 'draw a card' effect. I had to put this card in bold, simply for the name, as well as the italics & the fact that it's a nice card. Yeah, that's pretty much why I put cards in bold : )

Inspiration: I really think either Divination or Inspiration needs to be changed, so that both cards aren't exactly the same, but I understand why they went with Inspiration in Ravnica & Divination in Dark Ascension. The flavor & concept of Inspiration fits blue in Ravnica much better. So lets change Divination then?

Isperia's Skywatch: Faerie Invaders is a 3/3 flyer with flash for 5. Skywatch is a 3/3 flyer without flash, but with Detain, but for 6. Nope. Sorry. Too expensive, which is why it's in italics. Should've cost 5.

Jace, Architect of Thought: This version of Jace is very cool. I don't like Memory Adept & Mind Sculptor was obviously too powerful. His Ultimate is designed around multi-player, but it's still good & his other 2 abilities are very nice. Weakening your opponents attacks is always a good thing. Drawing cards is nice too. Good Planeswalker.

Mizzium Skin: Anybody know what Mizzium is??? This is a good card. It's slightly weaker than Ranger's Guile, which it should be, cause it's Overload ability is pretty cool. I love Ranger's Guile & now we've got Mizzium Skin. Just wish I knew what the heck Mizzium is.

Paralyzing Grasp: Paralyzing Grasp, from Zendikar, is decent. It's no Claustrophobia & I think I'd take Encrust over it too, but locking down a creature is always good, so it's fine.

Psychic Spiral: I'm not sure what to make of Psychic Spiral. I kinda like it, cause it's a little different. I'm trying to figure out what kind of deck this would work in other than a mill deck or a sideboard card against a mill deck. I think that's it - lol. Also, he looks Azorius. The italics sounds Azorius, but he's not Azorius. Odd.

Runewing: Maybe I'm wrong but I think Runewing should only cost 3. The card draw ability is obviously good, but a 2/2 flyer for 4 is weak. Besides, this Bird has Runes on its wings. C'mon now. He should be strong. He should have a cool ability. Here... When Runewing dies, you may search your library for a card named Runewing (or maybe for any bird), reveal it & put it in your hand. Maybe draw a card too. Well, then maybe it's a 5 cost for 2 cards.

Search the City: I just love cards like this. It's fun & it's also a challenge to see if you can make a deck where it actually works well. Pretty cool draw engine & a shot at taking an extra turn. Will anyone play it? Probably not. Just in fun decks, I'm guessing.

Skyline Predator: A 3/4 flyer with flash for 6 mana? The art looks cool but I don't like this card at all. Faerie Invaders from M13 is better.

Soulsworn Spirit: What's better? Soulsword Spirit or Phantom Warrior. I think I'd take Phantom, because it costs 1 less mana & it's a 2/2 instead of a 2/1. He's still good & Detain should be very good in limited, so I'm sure he'll see plenty of play.

Sphinx of the Chimes: YIKES! Shouldn't this ability only be usable once/turn? Granted, it's not very likely you'll be able to use it twice a turn, but you might. That's just sick. Pretty unfair, I feel. Then again, they'll be plenty of times when you can't use his ability at all, so I guess we'll see if this is too powerful or too weak.

Stealer of Secrets: There's nothing wrong with this card. It's fine, but you know why I don't like it. It's boring. It's Scroll Thief, basically, but the 2 toughness makes her worse. Her boobs look silly too (yes, that actually bothers me - lol) & she's a rogue, so she's obviously very stealthy/sneaky, yet the only way her ability works is if she goes unblocked. Question: Shouldn't she be a little harder to block than a normal creature, seeing that she's a rogue? How about giving her Islandwalk maybe, or how about this... Pay 3: Target creature fails to block her. Ooh, now that's different, isn't it. Now I like her... except that it looks like she attached 2 water balloons to her chest. ; )

Syncopate: A nice counter spell. Anytime you can exile a spell, instead of just countering it, it's a good counter spell & Syncopate is somewhat versatile as it allows you to choose what X is, provided you have enough mana of course.

Tower Drake: Here's another reprint that fits Ravnica well. I'm wondering since Tower Drake fits well in Ravnica, due to its ability having a second color, why not other creatures with an ability that involved another color. There's plenty of them, from what I remember. Invasion was one such set, I believe. Regardless, the Drake is a good card for limited.

Voidwielder: Even at 5 cost, the Voidwielder, just like the 4 cost Mist Raven & the 3 cost Aether Adept, should see plenty of play. He's an excellent blocker & his bounce ability is very strong. I like that you don't have to return a creature. I also like that he's a human wizard. The only thing that boggles my mind is how 3 points of damage doesn't kill this man. Hmmm... must be magic ; )

BLACK

Assassin's Strike: When I saw the name I thought this was going to be an awesome card, but I had to put it in italics, simply because of the cost. Lets compare: Murder costs 3, is a common & an Instant. Death's Caress costs 5 is a common & is a Sorcery & you might gain life. This is a Sorcery, an uncommon & it costs 6. If it was a common & it cost 5, I'd be fine with it, but it would just be decent. Now it's still playable, but barely. I think at 6 the discard should be 2 cards.

Catacomb Slug: I prefer Fortress Crab. A 1/6 for 4 over a 2/6 for 5. How about a 2/7 or give the Slug some kind of ability, like "when the slug deals damage to a creature put a -1/0 counter on it. Heck, make it better than Fortress Crab; a 2/6 for 4. A 2/6 for 5 is okay, but okay isn't good enough. I want good, fun, interesting, cool, strong, etc. Enough with okay already.

Cremate: Cremate is fine, but I like the italics in the Guildpact card better.

Daggerdrome Imp: It's Mourning Thrull, but Thrull was better because you could cast black or white, where the Imp is black only. He's still a good decent card, regardless. Just not very exciting.

Dark Revenant: I'm shocked there's never been a card called Dark Revenant before. I had to check - lol. Now here's a 2/2 for 4 that is interesting. Killing him doesn't work. He just keeps coming back. The question is, do you want it to. Kinda wish it said you "may" put it on top of your library. Course your opponent can exile it, to get rid of it, or lock it down with an Aura, but that's it. Regardless, I think Revenant will see lots of play. Maybe even in constructed?

Dead Reveler: A common 2/3 Zombie for 3 is fine. Nothing great, but perfectly playable. If you opt to use his Unleash ability you get a 3/4 for 3, which is very good. It can't block as a 3/4, but that's a fair trade I'd say. Nice solid creature card & the italics is hilarious.

Desecration Demon: The reason I don't like this card is simple. It's too powerful. A 6/6 flyer for 4 requires a drawback to justify the ridiculously low cost. The drawback is your opponent can tap it by sacrificing a creature each turn??? AND it gets a +1/+1 counter on it when they do??? This is a rare & not a mythic? AND it's not legendary???HUH??? This is one of the most ridiculous creatures I've seen. Think I'll start constructing a mono black deck ; )

Destroy the Evidence: Interesting card. Good for mill. Maybe for self mill? I'll have to see if there's a land that you'd like to destroy that's yours. Now that could be very cool.

Deviant Glee: Deviant Glee is a nice Aura. The Trample is very relevant in limited, so I think it'll see a decent amount of play. Nice Rakdos Aura.

Drainpipe Vermin: Take away the pay 1 black cost & I very much like these Rats, but they're still decent. Fun italics too.

Grave Betrayal: I can't help it. I just love cards like this. I'm glad it costs 7 & I'm glad it's a rare. Cool frickin' awesome card. Love it.

Grim Roustabout: Great looking card & he's decent, since he can be a 2/2 that can't block or a 1/1 that can, but can regenerate, so even if you use the Unleash ability & give up his ability to block, he could make a pretty nice aggressive attacker with his regenerate ability. Though shouldn't he be able to do something with those gigantic fish hooks he's holding? Just sayin'.

Launch Party: I'm surprised this isn't a Rakdos card. At first I thought this isn't a very good card, as the additional cost plus the 4 mana cost is just way too high, but since there's cards that have effects when they die, you can use the sacrifice ability to your advantage, kill one of your opponents creatures & drain 2 life from them. That's good. Just can't understand why this isn't Rakdos. I mean... it's Rakdos. Isn't it?

Mind Rot: Man, they just can't stop printing Mind Rot, can they. M12, M13, Ravnica? Sure, why not. It's only like the 8th or 9th time we've printed it, right? What the hell. Here's a thought... just leave it in the core set. Why bother putting it in a block?

Necropolis Regent: I have several problems with this card. The art looks way too similar to Falkenrath Aristocrat. She's not a member of a Guild, which seems very odd & I think her ability is silly, especially for her. So she's a 6/5, then a 12/10, then an 18/15? Plus, all your creatures get this ability. That's why I don't like this card. She's powerful though, no doubt.

Ogre Jailbreaker: A favorite mainly due to the design & overall theme of the card. I love that this Ogre doesn't realize that he can attack, unless you have a Gate. That's very cool, but even without a Gate he's still a 4/4 defender for 4. For a common, I'll take that anytime.

Pack Rat: You gotta love Pack Rat. The discard can be totally useful, especially with Golgari. The token can work nice with the Populate mechanic, though that's Selesnya, but I'd splash black for that. I don't know if Pack Rat will be all that great in limited, but I'm hoping a rat deck will see play in constructed. Just not sure if there's enough to make it work, but maybe he'll be good enough for constructed all on his own. Maybe.

Perilous Shadow: Kinda boring, but nothing wrong with this card. However, lets see if I can spice it up a little. After all, it's an Insect Shade that you can pump. Hmmm... How about this? For the same mana cost you can give it deathtouch or it can do 1 damage to target creature, meaning for 2 mana it can do any of those 3 abilities. For 4 mana it can do any 2. 6 mana any 3, in any combination. Isn't that a more "interesting" "cool" "fun" "strong" creature? I think so.

Sewer Shambler: This is a good decent card. Not too powerful, but good. Here, I'm perfectly fine with "okay". For some reason though, the link I use for all the pictures left this one out. Hope they correct it.

Shrieking Affliction: I really like cards like this. It's cool that your opponent will have to think twice about casting a spell, lest he go down to 1 card in his hand. Forcing him to hold cards is good, then again, sometimes this card won't do anything at all, but playing this when someone has no cards in their hand is nothin' but fun.

Slum Reaper: Slum Reaper is an interesting card. Sometimes you won't be able to play it. Sometimes, it'll be just perfect to play it. Even if you have to sacrifice it to itself it could be a useful card. I could even see this being useful in constructed, what with Morbid, Undying & cards that have an effect when they die, not to mention Scavenge, which should work quite nicely in limited. Nice card. Oh yeah, the italics. Awesome.

Stab Wound: Stab Wound is just too cool. I kinda wish the effect was -2/0, instead of -2/-2, as this card will often be used simply to kill a creature, which obviuosly isn't a stab wound, but it's still great to play on a creature with 3 or more toughness, wounding it & making your opponent lose 2 life a turn. These cards that cause life loss are gonna make Rakdos, Lord of Riots just ridiculous.

Tavern Swindler: I love Tavern Swindler. How can you not? At worst she's a 2/2 for 2, making her perfectly playable, yet her ability is fun & the italics is hilarious. It's a risky play, losing 3 life in an attempt to gain 6, but on average you should gain 3 life a turn. Well, that is as long as you don't kill yourself.

Terrus Wurm: I don't see a 5/5 for 7 getting much play. Maybe it will, since a 5/5 plus Scavenge for 5 could be good, but 7 cost, followed by 7 cost again makes me think this card won't get drafted much. I almost put this in italics but it really isn't a bad card. It's just very expensive.

Thrill-Kill Assassin: So who is Massacre Girl? I like that name a lot, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to run into her. Regarding Thrill-Kill, giving an Assassin Unleash seems to make sense. Why does an assassin need to block, right? Then again, you can't assassinate a creature unless it blocks you, which doesn't quite make sense with an assassin either. Still, a 1/2 deathtouch for 2 is good & a 2/3 deathtouch for 2 is very good. I'm sure he'll see lots of play.

Ultimate Price: A very nice removal card that should be excellent for sideboard in any format. I'm guessing this will see lots of play, despite all the dual colored creatures in Ravnica, since there's plenty of monocolored ones too.

Underworld Connections: It's Underworld Dreams that affects you, but in reverse; you have to pay 1 life to draw a card. Awesome. The name, the art & the italics are also all awesome. Compare it with Jayemdae Tome. Just a great card. Thus, it's one of my favorites.

Zanikev Locust: While I almost put Terrus Wurm in italics, I had to with Zanikev Locust. 6 cost for a 3/3 flyer is just silly. I see that its Scavenge only costs 4, but who's gonna draft this? If the mana cost was 5, even if Scavenge was 5, this would've been fine, though with Scavenge at 4 & its mana cost at 5, it might've been really good.

RED

Annihilating Fire: Maybe I'm wrong, but comparing this with Pillar of Flame & Searing Spear, I think a cost of 2 red would've been right. 1 & 2 red doesn't make sense to me, even with exile. I don't get it, but it's still a decent removal card I guess.

Ash Zealot: What can I say about Ash Zealot, other than I love it. Such a fun card. Without her ability, she's a good card; a 2/2 first strike haste for 2 red mana. That's very solid, but her ability is just awesome. While her ability says sideboard, I'd definitely play her maindeck in limited. Maybe Constructed too. Fun italics too.

Batterhorn: Batterhorn is a nice solid big creature for red that can destroy an artifact. A very playable card for sure.

Bellows Lizard: Bellows Lizard is a pretty good card as well. Nothing wrong with a weak pump on a 1/1 for 1. He's not great, but I'm guessing he'll see a decent amount of play.

Bloodfray Giant: Bloodfray Giant is nasty. This guy makes Hill Giant look like an Orc. A 4/3 Trample for 4 is very good, but a 5/4 Trample that can't block for 4? Who cares about blocking when all I want to do is smash your face. There was a time when a card like this would've made a constructed deck, I think. I don't think that's the case anymore though, but in limited he's gonna kick ass.

Chaos Imps: I was going to put Chaos Imps in italics cause it seemed kinda boring, but then I realized you have a potential 7/6 flyer with trample for 6 mana, which is nuts. I can't say this is a bad card. It's just when I saw the art I thought this was going to be another cool Imp card with a cool ability. Still, it's an absolute bomb in limited.

Cobblebrute: I don't like Cobblebrute at all. A boring generic 5/2 for 4. Yes, 5 power for 4 mana is very strong, but that's all negated with his pathetic 2 toughness. A 4/2 with Unleash would've been better. Anything would've been better than no ability at all.

Dynacharge: So it's Trumpet Blast that can target just 1 creature for 1 mana instead. That's nice, but shouldn't the Overload ability be better than normal? It's a nice card though; just not a great card.

Electrickery: Same with Electrickery. Cute name & all & I'm sure it'll see plenty of play. It's just not quite as spicy as I'd like it to be. I don't see any actual trickery in play. Then again, I can't come up with something better either.

Explosive Impact: It's Lava Axe for 1 more mana, but it can affect creatures too. I always thought Lava Axe should only cost 4, since it can only affect creatures, so I kinda wish Explosive Impact only cost 5, but it's still a good card that should see a fair amount of play, despite the 6 mana cost, because 5 damage to target creature or player is 5 damage to target creature or player.

Goblin Rally: Will Goblin Rally make a Krenko constructed deck? I know Krenko is salivating at the thought of tapping on turn 5 to make at least 5 more goblins. Even by itself though, Goblin Rally is a nice card. There's never anything bad about putting 4 goblins for 5 mana on the battlefield.

Gore-House Chainwalker: I like the italics, the name & the picture, but I don't care for this card. Isn't this more of an effect - putting someone on the chain to walk it - rather than a creature? I'm not seeing the connection of a weak 2/1 warrior for 2 mana that has Unleash. Yes, a 3/2 for 2 that can't block is good, but what does that have to do with chainwalking? Looks like there's a chance he'll die & if the pigs blood hits anybody, they go on the chain & we continue the game. Sounds like this could've be a fun card, but instead we just get a somewhat generic creature.

Guild Feud: I don't know why Guild Feud needs to cost 6 mana, but the reason it's one of my favorite cards is that it's simply my kind of card. Perfectly themed for Ravnica & fun to play. It reminds me of the card game War. Gotta love it.

Guttersnipe: Definitely one of my favorite cards in this set. This is one Goblin with an attitude, though I wish his cost was 2 red instead of 3 mana. Surprised he's not a member of the Izzet. I guess if he was Izzet his ability might be a little more volatile.

Lobber Crew: What's more fun than watching a bunch of Goblins trying to operate a catapult? Lobber Crew is hilarious & they're pretty good too. I'm not sure why casting a multicolored spell untaps them, but I won't complain about it either, except when my opponent has them. Fun card.

Minotaur Aggressor: With that 2 toughness I was going to put him in italics, but with first strike & haste, it almost totally makes up for it, but seriously, how does a giant minotaur have a pathetic 2 toughness? I think he should be a 6/4. He costs 7 mana, for crying out loud, but I'm sure opponents will not be happy to see this guy hit the table, unless they've got some direct damage spells or creature removal in their hand. If they don't, this guy is gonna wreck their day.

Mizzium Mortars: I don't know what Mizzium Mortars means, but this is one nasty burn card, that's for sure. Killing a 4 toughness creature for 2 mana is great. The Overload cost is great too. I really like this card a lot.

Pursuit of Flight: Well, it's not quite as good as Spectral Flight, but it's still good & now that everybody knows how good Spectral Flight is, I'm guessing Pursuit will see plenty of play too. I tried to tell them Spectral Flight was good : )

Pyroconvergence: This is a good card, but why the 5 mana cost? Is it because they just don't want people going bonkers on turn 3 or 4? I guess, but this is one of those enchantments that doesn't actually do anything until you do something else. It just sits there, which is fine, but I think 4 mana would've been a better cost. Maybe 3. Okay okay, 4. Happy now?

Racecourse Fury: Racecourse? I'm guessing this term comes from players saying they're "racing" their opponent, as in they're trying to drop them to zero with their creatures faster than their opponent can do the same. This is an interesting Aura, giving you the option of whether or not to give up 1 mana in order to give your creature haste. Nice card.

Splatter Thug: Splatter Thug takes a somewhat generic creature & makes really nice use of the Unleash ability. A 2/2 with first strike for 3 is good, offering you a nice attacker or blocker, thanks to first strike. A 3/3 first strike for 3 is very strong. So do you give up the defense for the strong aggressive attacker, or do you go with the more well rounded creature. I see Splatter Thug being used both ways, which makes him a very useful creature for draft. A good solid common creature.

Street Spasm: Street Spasm should see lots of play in limited. The Overload ability here is pricey, but being able to destroy possibly all of your opponents creatures should be pricey. It's almost always going to work as straight up removal, regardless. Good card & the Overload mechanic is very Izzet... Wreckless.

Survey the Wreckage: Survey the Wreckage is not a very good card. 5 mana to destroy a land is very expensive, though getting a 1/1 goblin is sorta nice, so why did I put this card in bold? Simple. Look at the cool picture then read the italics. That is just too funny.

Tenement Crasher: A 5/4 haste for 6. Must be a red creature. A big fast red creature. Bloodfray Giant is still better, but I can see this guy wreaking havoc too. Should be fun.

Traitorous Instinct: I'm getting a little bored with the constant use of this concept. Act of Treason, Traitorous Blood, Mark of Mutiny. The +2/0 boost is nice, but that's why it costs 4, instead of 3. How about this instead... make it an instant where you can take your opponents creature that's attacking you & make it block one of their other attacking creatures. Well... that's different.

Utvara Hellkite: Borrowing from the Selesnya, this Dragon is totally Mythic. Awesome in every way & totally worthy of his very expensive 8 mana cost. Any less would be silly. He's the baddest badass there is, rallying all Dragons to him. Dam! Apparently WotC said to themselves "why don't we just make a frickin' badass Dragon... just for fun".

Vandalblast: This is a nice card. The Overload here is very cool. Vandalblast will make an excellent sideboard card, maybe even in constructed, thanks to its Overload ability.

Viashino Racketeer: I know you're probably shocked that I put Viashino Racketeer in bold. I mean he's a weak, pathetic 2/1 for 3 & his ability isn't as good as a normal looter effect, where you can draw a card first. Well the reason is I think the theme & design of this guy is just awesome. First, read the italics. Now picture if you will... a lowly weak thief, in a bad part of town. He's kinda desperate, so he's forced to trade stuff (you discard a card) & he just hopes he doesn't get ripped off (you draw a card). Did he make a good deal, or did he get swindled? Perfect.

GREEN

Aerial Predation: I'll take Plummet any day over Aerial Predation. Give me something other than 2 life for 1 more mana. Draw a card & then discard a card. A 1/1 creature token. Something other than this boring effect. It's too weak.

Archweaver: Kessig Recluse was awesome. Sentinel Spider was awesome. Archweaver is just pretty good. Trample is great, but if he attacks he can't block those big flyers, which is what Spiders are supposed to do. For 7 mana, couldn't he have had vigilance too? Then he'd be really good, instead of just pretty good.

Axebane Guardian: It looks like playing defenders is gonna be a big deal in Ravnica. This should be very interesting. I can't wait to see how this plays out. Axebane Guardian appears to be a very cool & possibly powerful card.

Axebane Stag: I'm sorry. I know he's a great big 6/7 Stag, but couldn't I get to draw a card too? I mean, I just spent 7 freaking mana & I summoned this Stag & he's got huge antlers too - lol. Then my opponent kills it & there goes my great big Stag with those great big antlers. Come on!

Brushstrider: Now here's a somewhat generic creature that I quite like. 3 power for 2 mana is huge, so it's offset by having just a 1 toughness, making it very vulnerable. So we give him vigilance, so that at least he can attack for 3 & still be able to block too. That's good, though he kinda looks like how I'd picture Bambi's Uncle. Then again I'm somewhat odd.

Centaur's Herald: I wish she wasn't a 0/1, but this is still a nice card. She's different, which makes her interesting. I'm surprised she isn't Selesnya though. She seems very Selesnya to me. Good card.

Chorus of Might: While Chorus of Might isn't great, I kinda like it because it can be bad, but it can also be quite devastating to your opponent, both as a combat trick &/or as a finisher. It has potential & it's knowing when to use it that makes this card pretty cool.

Deadbridge Goliath: I don't think the Goliath is a great rare card, but I think he's pretty good. A 5/5 for 4 is strong, obviously. His Scavenge ability is very good, though I wish the cost was 5 & not 6, since he's a rare. 6 mana is a lot, but once he's in your graveyard you should have at least 5 mana available, so I think he'll work just fine.

Death's Presence: This is a cool card. Quite powerful, in fact. It's the Scavenge ability up front. I think it would be fun to construct a black/green Scavenge deck with Death's Presence. This is not gonna make constructed, but I'd enjoy constructing such a deck. Nothing wrong with that.

Drudge Beetle: I don't like Drudge Beetle at all. It's a 2/2 for 2, which is kinda weak for green & it's Scavenge ability is pretty steep for just 2 counters. I'm thinking 4 mana instead of 6 would've been good. Maybe I'm underestimating Scavenge?

Druid's Deliverance: Love it. Fog + Populate for just 2 mana. It's a powerful effect. It's totally Selesnya & the art is awesome. Also, isn't the italics just so... oooohhh... aaaahhh.

Gatecreeper Vine: It's not a gatekeeper, it's a gatecreeper. Getting a Gate card is just great. So glad they made this creature. Just a very cool card. Easily made my favorites. He could make constructed decks too, possibly.

Giant Growth: I'm a little surprised they went with Giant Growth instead of Titanic Growth. I thought Titanic was considered more balanced. Maybe they went back to Giant for Selesnya? Well either way, I'm fine with it. Both cards are good, but I think this version may be the best picture yet. How cool.

Gobbling Ooze: What to make of Gobbling Ooze. Love the name. Love the idea. If there's an effect that'll go great with him then I'd put him in bold, but for now he's a 3/3 for 5 (that sucks) that has to eat 1 of your creatures to become a 4/4 & 2 to be 5/5. Now a 5/5 for 5 is a good creature, but if I have to sacrifice 2 of my creatures to make him a 5/5, that's "not" a good creature. I know there's creatures in this set that you want to get killed, but that's kinda limiting him a little for using him in limited, unless you're able to draft a few of them. Gobbling Ooze could be good. Guess we'll just have to wait & see.

Golgari Decoy: He's an Elf & a Rogue. Shouldn't an Elf Rogue be "hard" to block & not the exact opposite? The card is fine; just odd. Also, 4 mana seems a little steep, but maybe with Scavenge the Taunting Elf ability makes for a very nice synergy; killing one or more of your opponents creatures & then Scavenging for 2 counters could be good.

Horncaller's Chant: Having 2 4/4 token Rhinos is great, especially with Trample, but will this 8 mana cost card see much play? Kinda wish it was 2 3/3 Rhinos for 6. I think that would've been better. Yes yes, Populate can copy any creature token. I know.

Korozda Monitor: A 3/3 Trample for 4 with a Scavenge for 7. To me this is just ok & nothing more. Seems pretty much like a basic filler for the set & I still think 7 is too high.

Mana Bloom: Awesome card. Mana Bloom should be great in any format. The fact that it goes back to your hand if there's no counters on it is huge. I like that you have to spend mana that then gives you mana of any color. Love it.

Oak Street Innkeeper: I love this card because of the concept behind it. A very unique use of hexproof. I'm not sure if it'll see a lot of play, some or very little, but I think I get why people keep staying here & it's not just that the Inn is beautiful ; )

Rubbleback Rhino: I should put this in italics. Primal Huntbeast is a 3/3 hexproof for 4. Primal Huntbeast is pretty good, but not great. 1 more mana for just 1 more toughness? Nah, I like Huntbeast better, but... they call it Rubbleback Rhino. Your fun name saved you. That & the fun italics.

Savage Surge: +2/+2 for 2 mana is not very good, but because Savage Surge also untaps the creature it's an excellent combat trick. A great defensive ploy. In limited don't underestimate this card. Spidery Grasp wrecked people all the time & so will Savage Surge. Trust me.

Seek the Horizon: I'm comparing this to Ranger's Path & I'm not sure what to make of it. I kinda wish 1 of those lands would go into play tapped, but fetching 3 basic lands is good mana fixing. I just don't know if it'll see much more play than Ranger's Path did. I'm guessing it won't.

Slime Molding: I love the art & it's a perfectly fine card. It's just somewhat boring. I think it should've been "Put a # of Slime tokens onto the battlefield, who's total power is X". So if X was 7, you could put 1 7/7 Slime, or a 4/4 & a 3/3, or 7 1/1's etc. Then I'd really like this card & it's name would make more sense I think.

Stonefare Crocodile: Here's a perfect creature to use the Scavenge ability on. Needing black for the lifelink makes this crocodile a very interesting creature. In limited, he'll see lots of play for sure. Very nicely designed card. Much needed for Golgari too.

Towering Indrik: You know why I hate Towering Indrik? Cause it's Giant Spider. Giant Spider was a good card in limited & it's been around since the beginning, so why do you get rid of Giant Spider & then make Giant Spider again, but call it Towering Indrik? You can't diss Giant Spider like that. That's just wrong. Spiders are picketing everywhere now.

Urban Burgeoning: Burgeoning, from Stronghold, was a great card. I think it's great that they're using that word again, even though I don't know what it means - lol. This card makes my favorites for that reason & also because of how unique & interesting it is. Will it see a lot of play? Is it a really good card? I'm not sure, but it seems like it could be. I think of all the times you could use 1 more mana, but in this case it's about having that 1 extra mana to be able to use on your opponents turn.

Wild Beastmaster: At first I thought this card sucked. Compare this with Hamlet Captain. A 1/1 for 3 vs a 2/2 for 2. True, any creature gets the bonus when she attacks vs just humans with the Captain, but those humans also get that bonus when blocking too, but the key here is that the bonus is +X/+X where X is her power. Her power is just 1, which is why I thought this card sucked, but with the Scavenge ability & any other way to pump up her power, this ability becomes quite nasty. So what looked like a pretty lame rare is potentially quite powerful. Potentially being the key word.

Worldspine Wurm: If Wurmcoil Engine wasn't an artifact I'd say this must be his dad. This thing is insane. I can't imagine why you wouldn't put this in a Frites deck. For those of you who don't know what that is just look up the card Unburial Rites. That's just not fair. Even with a mana cost of 11, I'm concerned about this card. We'll see.

GOLD

Abrupt Decay: Excellent removal. I really like that this card can't be countered. I can't imagine how it won't see plenty of constructed play & the italics just cracked me up.

Archon of the Triumvirate: The heck with detaining creatures. The Archon can shut down almost anything. Pretty cool. I don't think he's all that great, being a 4/5 flyer for 7, but his ability looks like a lot of fun, so I'd pick him in a draft, regardless of his high mana cost.

Armada Wurm: Okay. 10 power in the form of 2 5/5 tramplers for 6 mana. That's a ton. To me, this is a very strong card for 6 mana, whereas those Titans were simply ridiculousness. See the difference now?

Auger Spree: What to make of Auger Spree. Well, for a common it can kill a 4 toughness creature for just 3 mana, so that's pretty good. Course, if your 5/5 creature goes unblocked, you can turn it into a 9/1. Hmmm...

Azorius Charm: I think these new charm cards are going to see a ton of play, both in limited & constructed. Will the "draw a card" ability be used much? The other 2 abilities seem better, but I guess having that option just makes this charm even more versatile. If there's no threats in play, why not draw a card. Snapcaster can use this card in the graveyard &/or Archaeomancer can get it back from the graveyard. Seems good to me. Love the italics too.

Call of the Conclave: It's Watchwolf, but it's a Centaur & it's a sorcery. So it's a sorcery that makes a creature, so why isn't it just a creature? Well, Selesnya is all about making more creatures, so this actually makes sense. Good card. Should see LOTS of play.

Carnival Hellsteed: I love the art. I love the italics, but when I first looked at this card I thought is this really a rare? I mean it's a 5/4 first strike haste for 6. Yeah, that's strong, but wouldn't this be just fine as an uncommon? The unleash makes it a 6/5 that can't block, which is fine. When I look at this creature I think it should have an ability & it probably should, but this is a total bomb in limited & I'd even consider it in a fun constructed deck too, cause if you drop a 6/5 first strike haste on turn 6 or 5, your opponent is gonna say "uh-oh". Great card for limited, no doubt.

Centaur Healer: I really like Centaur Healer. Almost made my favorites, but it's merely a 3/3 for 3 & you gain 3 life. Don't get me wrong. That's really good & the card looks awesome. Just not "quite" one of my favorites, but I'd say it's an excellent common, for sure.

Chemister's Trick: Cards like this usually don't see much play, but this one probably will. Its Overload ability could really wreck your opponent. There will be times when its normal cost will be used too. I think this is a good card. Hope I'm right.

Collective Blessing: Here's a bomb for limited. All your creatures get +3/+3? What fun. I'm thinking that Selesnya might be the best in limited, especially with cards like this.

Common Bond: I'm comparing this with Travel Preparations & it's an interesting comparison. Travel is a sorcery. Bond is an instant, allowing you to play this when your opponent doesn't see it coming. Travel only costs 2 & has flashback of 2, allowing for 4 counters, which is better. Bond though, allows you to put both counters on 1 creature, if you want, but Bond costs 3. I like Common Bond. It's a good card. It's just I think a cost of 1 green & 1 white would've been perfect, making it as popular & as powerful as Travel Preparations.

Corpsejack Menace: A 4/4 Fungus for 4. That's strong, but I wouldn't call it a rare. An uncommon, definitely. Doubling counters? Oh, the ability... yeah that's a rare. I think this could be insane in limited. Sorry, but I gotta say it... there's a fungus amongus. It sounds even worse reading it.

Counterflux: I really like Counterflux. An uncounterable counterspell that "can" counter each spell cast, instead of just one, for just 1 more mana. Watch out! Here comes the new counterspell. Possibly the best one yet?

Coursers' Accord: Remember when I said I wish Horncaller's Chant was 2 3/3's for 6? Yeah, forget I said that.

Detention Sphere: It's Oblivion Ring on steroids. I love that you can't use Detention Sphere to target your opponents Detention Sphere, like you can with Oblivion Ring. I also love the potential devastating blow this can do to your opponent. Awesome card.

Dramatic Rescue: Dramatic Rescue makes my favorites for how well thought out it is, how well designed it is, for its cool fun name & for, once again, the cool fun italics. It's also a really good card that'll see plenty of play.

Dreadbore: Terminate meet Dreadbore. Dreadbore meet Terminate. Terminate "the creature I destroy can't be regenerated". Dreadbore "I can destroy a planeswalker". Terminate... Terminate? I love Terminate, but Dreadbore is now my new favorite, that's for sure. Glad it's a rare too. A total bomb for limited & constructed.

Dreg Mangler: Dreg Mangler is a very nice uncommon. Very good for limited. Quite strong actually (a 3/3 for 3 with haste). I find myself often comparing the power level of these cards with Watchwolf & I'd have to say that this seems about right. Scavenge for 5 seems about right too, but my favorite thing about Dreg is that it's a Plant Zombie. How cool is that : )

Epic Experiment: For some reason this card reminded me of the card Invoke the Firemind; a card which I thought was too expensive. Why it wasn't 1 blue & 1 red, instead of 2 blue & 1 red, I have no clue. I think that would've been the correct cost for the Firemind whereas the extra blue might've been the better cost for this card. We're talking instants & sorceries here for free, but it's not really free & it is a Mythic. At 6 mana that's 4 cards. If you hit 4 instants or sorceries that's insane, but really lucky too. Course you could hit nothing. I guess the name of this card is correct. It's an experiment & its potential is truly epic.

Essence Backlash: Shouldn't it say to that "creatures" power? It's not the spells power, it's the creatures power. This is a really cool counterspell though, possibly winning you the game. I can see it sideboarded in against those big creatures, making for some very good strategy. Good creature counter.

Fall of the Gavel: I think 5 is too expensive, especially since it's an uncommon. 4 makes this pretty playable. 5? Eh, maybe, but I don't think it'll be very popular.

Firemind's Foresight: 7 mana is a lot, but this is a great card. With Goblin Electromancer in play it's even greater. A possible game ender for sure, either way. Getting 3 instants for 7 mana is great. That is, provided you have 3 available, but it works even if you can only get 1 or 2 instants & not all 3. A very good card.

Goblin Electromancer: Yikes! Visions of Monty Python characters yelling RUN AWAY!!! dance in my head as I read the Goblin Electromancers ability. I suggest run & hide might be in order. The quicker the better too, due to all the spells that will be flying at you. A nasty little Goblin wizard, for sure.

Golgari Charm: An excellent charm card. Golgari in every way.

Grisly Salvage: Why is Grisly Salvage one of my favorite cards? One, cause it's a very good ability, especially since it can get you a land or a creature. Two, it's just sooo Golgari; perfectly themed, and three... the italics. Gotta love the italics.

Havoc Festival: Going up against an insane life deck? There's tons of ways to gain life in standard, as well as draft & here's an excellent sideboard card to put an end to that. For that reason alone, even though I love life decks, this is one of my favorite cards. Very cool.

Hellhole Flailer: Now here's how you use the Unleash ability really well. Without Unleash he's still pretty good & there may be times when you'll choose not to give it to him, but his sacrifice ability is really good; even better with Unleash. Hellhole Flailer is a well designed card.

Heroes' Reunion: Now here's a lifegain card that I'd actually play. Even maindeck. 7 life for 2 mana? Sure, why not? It's an instant too. Angel's Mercy will never see the light of day again : (

Hussar Patrol: The only reason this card is worth drafting is because it has flash, allowing you to drop him in combat, which fits the Azorius very well (just read the italics). The vigilance is nice too, offering a good defensive card too, but I don't think this card is all that great. It's just good enough to see play.

Hypersonic Dragon: Even though the name Hypersonic sounds a little like Pokemon, I still really like Hypersonic Dragon. Love the art & his ability is really powerful, assuming he can stay on the battlefield. Cool Dragon.

Isperia, Supreme Judge: Isperia is pure Azorius, using their supreme knowledge to thwart all of your attacks against them. The more you attack, the more information they gather. Another bomb for limited, no doubt.

Izzet Charm: Lets see if I got it right. It's a little weaker than Negate, Shock & Faithless Looting, but you can do any of those 3 abilities for 2 mana. Another very cool charm spell.

Izzet Staticaster: This is a very interesting card. It's different. I like that. I could be wrong but I feel like she should only cost 2, but she's very cool. While she can kill more than 1 creature at a time, which can be really powerful, her ability can affect your creatures too, so be careful if you're playing her, especially if you're playing her online.

Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord: He's a Lich. He's a Zombie. He's an Elf??? Now there's something you don't see everyday; a Zombie Elf Lich. I've seen a Zombie Elf though, so this must be his Lord : ) Awesome abilities. Great synergy with Korozda Guildmage. Could sacrificing a forest & a swamp actually be a benefit? I almost hope that's a no. The Scavenge ability combined with the sacrifice ability seems quite powerful. Can't wait to see how this guy plays.

Jarad's Orders: Ooh, very cool. I don't think it's very powerful & I'm not sure if it'll be a strong card for limited (definitely playable, but not a bomb), but I'm curious if this will be used in Constructed. It could, but I think it'll depend on what creatures will work best. Probably deserves to be in bold though, cause I really like this card. It's close, but not quite.

Korozda Guildmage: His first ability seems very powerful for limited. I think he's gonna be very popular. His second ability is pure Golgari, that's for sure & with Scavenge it gets even better. So many cool ways to utilize him. He's definitely my favorite Guildmage.

Lotleth Troll: Ew ew ew, god is this thing gross - lol. Definitely one of the more creepy cards I've seen, but wow is this Troll strong. This guy was built for Spider Spawning, was he not? Feeding your graveyard with creatures is gonna be loads of fun with this guy. Did I mention that Golgari is my favorite? Great Troll.

Loxodon Smiter: At first I thought this creature was too powerful. Then I remembered Watchwolf & realized that it's power level is about right, seeing that the wolf is a common & this is a rare. In the end, it's just a 4/4 vanilla creature, but I see constructed play here, along with limited. Loxodon Smiter is a strong creature spell, especially when you get it into play for free.

Lyev Skyknight: In limited I think the Detain ability is going to be great. Maybe it'll work in constructed too, since being able to shut off a creatures ability, even for a turn, might be very useful. With Lyev, I just wish her toughness was 2 & not 1. Is Lyev a girl or a guy? I think Lyev is a guy, but I need a bigger picture to tell : )

Mercurial Chemister: Another card that almost made my favorites. A 5 cost 2/3 that just may see some Constructed play, simply because of his 2 awesome abilities. The only thing that might keep him out of constructed is his mana cost, though I think the cost is perfect. Drawing 2 cards/turn for 1 blue is sick. The discard ability is perfect synergy with it too. If you can untap him, then you can do both abilities each turn. That's why I think he'll make a constructed deck, because that's just not fair : )

New Prahv Guildmage: Another very nice Guildmage. Giving a creature flying is really strong. I wish his second ability only cost 4 & not 5, but it's a pretty powerful ability, so maybe I'm wrong. It's just that 5 mana is a lot of mana to have to hold up each turn. Then again, I can see this guy just taking over games at times too. That's fun.

Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius: The new Niv-Mizzet is very cool. The Izzet guild acquires knowledge through wrecklessness & what's more wreckless than doing damage. You can damage yourself or your own creature, if you want, to draw a card. Probably worth it. Well, okay, doing damage to yourself would probably just be silly - lol. I see red/blue possibly being the strongest color combo at this point in standard. Niv is a total bomb in limited though, regardless.

Nivix Guildmage: Both abilities on this Guildmage seem a little pricey to me. Would they be too powerful if each were lowered by 1 mana? Maybe. I'm not really sure. I just wonder how often his abilities will get used. I guess in the late game he could prove quite useful.

Rakdos Charm: The first 2 abilities don't seem a lot like Rakdos to me, but the last one is just perfect. All creatures damage their controller. That's just hilarious. Let all feel joy in pain - lol. Yep... perfect.

Rakdos, Lord of Riots: I don't know whether I love this card or hate it. It's extremely powerful & I like that you can't play him unless your opponent lost life this turn, but is it too powerful? Will it unbalance the game? Will it prove to be broken, due to how potentially cheap your creatures can be to cast on any given turn? I think that last ability is insane. I'll hold off judgement on this card, but I'm leaning towards italics & not bold.

Rakdos Ragemutt: That is one ugly hound! He looks like he'd have deathtouch instead of lifelink. Not that I'm complaining. You know me. Complaining just isn't something I do ; )

Rakdos Return: I don't know why this card is a Mythic Rare. Maybe I'm missing something. I get that the ability to make your opponent possibly lose all the cards in his hand is quite powerful & I guess that's why it has to be a mythic. I just wonder how often you'll actually be able to make that happen. Well, in constructed... maybe a lot.

Rakdos Ringleader: I like everything about Rakdos Ringleader except its cost. Does it really have to cost 6 mana? It's only a 3/1 first strike. That 1 toughness makes it vulnerable, although first strike does protect it somewhat & its easy regenerate ability also protects it, making it pretty hard to kill. I think 5 mana would've been perfect. 6 is just a little steep here. It's still a good card, because of its abilities.

Righteous Authority: Here's a card that will be good in limited, but not constructed. It might not even be all that great in limited, because by the time you have 5 mana, you sometimes don't have many cards left in your hand, meaning you just cast a 5 cost gold rare aura that might not do all that much & if your opponent kills it before your next turn, you accomplished nothing. However, IF it stays around for awhile, it's awesome. If you haven't noticed, I like cards like that.

Risen Sanctuary: Now see, here's a fairly generic creature that's worth it. For 7 mana, you get a humongous 8/8 with Vigilance. I believe this is the same creature that Grove of the Guardian produces. That's very cool. A fun card for limited.

Rites of Reaping: Well, it's a total swing of 6 power & toughness for 6 mana, so that's good. As expensive as it is though, I'm a little surprised it's both an uncommon & a sorcery. 6 mana is a lot of mana. It'll see play because it's removal. It's just I don't think it's all that powerful of a card. As an uncommon sorcery I'd have it cost 5.

Rix Maadi Guildmage: His first ability... awesome. The second one is good too. Not as good as his first, but still pretty good. It's kind of a Bloodthirst ability & in the late game could prove to be quite deadly. A very popular card in limited for sure.

Search Warrant: This is a nice common card. It's nice to know what your opponents cards are & gaining life is always good too. If you could also draw a card, then this would be really really good. After all, doesn't a "Search Warrant" get you information? I still like it but as it is, it might not see a lot of play. Some, just not a lot.

Selesnya Charm: Definitely one of my favorites. The exile ability is just awesome & I really like that all 3 abilities are centered around a creature. Just a great card.

Skull Rend: A great fun multi-player card, but still pretty playable in 2 player. Creepy looking too. I think it'll see some play in limited. Maybe a lot, since 2 random discards is quite painful.

Skymark Roc: I almost put this card in bold, simply because of the hilarious italics, along with the fact that it's a very good card too. Skymark Roc could wreck Selesnya in Limited, because tokens are exiled when they leave play. Heck, he can wreck opponents in general. A very strong card that might even be a good sideboard in constructed.

Slaughter Games: Similar to the card Lobotomy. Lobotomy allowed you to look at your opponents hand first, but you had to choose a card from his hand. With Slaughter Games you're naming the card & then looking at their hand. I like Slaughter Games better. One, it can't be countered, which is huge & two, you're not limited to what's in your opponents hand, meaning you can get rid of what you want, assuming you know what's in his deck, which should be fairly easy to ascertain.

Sluiceway Scorpion: Sluiceway is a good common card. I think his cost should've been 3 & not 4, but deathtouch is deathtouch & the Scavenge ability for 2 counters is nice. Decent card. Cool looking too.

Spawn of Rix Maadi: A 5/3 or a 6/4 that can't block for 5. That's fine, but he's pretty boring. Lets see if I can make him more fun. 4/3 Unleash. When he attacks, if he's unblocked each player has to sacrifice a creature not named Spawn of Rix Maadi. See, he's unleashed, so he's really insane. When he attacks, he wants to kill stuff. If he can't he goes even more insane. That sounds like Rakdos to me. That sounds like a Horror creature to me. That sounds like... FUN to me. : )

Sphinx's Revelation: This is a Mythic? Seems pretty weak to me. I have no clue why there's a double blue in the cost. So lets see, for 4 mana, I gain 1 life & draw 1 card (YUCK). 5 mana = 2 life & 2 cards (I'd rather play Divination). 6 mana = 3 life & 3 cards (nope, still not very good). 7 mana = 4 life & 4 cards (Tidings is better). Sorry, but I think this is a terrible Mythic & not a very good card, regardless. If I'm wrong, please let me know why. Thanks : )

Supreme Verdict: An uncounterable Wrath of God? Wow! How cool is that? Glad to see so much good removal in this set. I think it helps to balance out the powerful creatures quite nicely. Instead of commenting on it, I'm gonna repeat it... "He'd left skyrunes warning of the eviction, even though it was cloudy" ROFL - Typical Azorius jerk.

Teleportal: Teleportal looks pretty powerful. It's Overload ability should simply win games in limited. That concerns me. Seems almost too easy of a victory. Hope I'm wrong.

Thoughtflare: So I looked up Tidings, just to compare. Tidings is a sorcery. Thoughtflare is an instant, but thoughtflare is gold. Does being an instant make it so much better that they needed to add discard 2 cards to balance it out? I don't think so. It's still a good card & it's very possible that you'll be able to discard to your advantage too, so I'm guessing it'll see play.

Treasured Find: I love it. Love the name, love the art. Being able to get back any card from your graveyard is awesome. Just don't get an alabasater corpse of some petrified dead guy, okay? ; )

Trestle Troll: A Troll with Reach? Odd. Interesting card though. Really good defensive card. Not cheap & not all that easy to regenerate, but he should prove to be very useful, just like Spiders tend to be, which is what this guy apparently thinks he is.

Trostani, Selesnya's Voice: Selesnya's Legendary Creature is very cool. This Dryad wins the award for Dryad with the coolest name; Trostani. My dads name was Tristan, so it reminded me of him. Both abilities are fun & in limited this guy will be quite powerful. The life gain & the Populate ability are really good. Nice card.

Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage: Vitu-Ghazi is pure Selesnya. A beautiful card with 2 nice abilities. The first is expensive, but I agree that it has to be. Maybe 5 would've been okay, but the second ability might be too cheap? I'm not sure. It's potentially very powerful though, especially if you have that 8/8 elemental token in play. Then again, Trostani's Populate is 3 + tap, so maybe it's right.

Vraska the Unseen: Definitely one of my favorite Planeswalkers. I love everything about Vraska. The art, the mana cost, her loyalty & all 3 abilities. I think it's perfect. Her first ability basically says "go ahead... hit me". Her second ability says "yeah, lets get rid of that" & then there's her ultimate. The 3 assassins are just awesome & you can play her ultimate just 2 turns after she enters play. Watch out.

Wayfaring Temple: I like this card, mainly because of the Populate ability, but I don't think it's really all that good. At least I don't think it'll see much play in limited, as it can sometimes simply be a 1/1, or it can become a 1/1, with no way to ever use its ability. That would really suck. In the right deck though, maybe even in limited, he could work really well.

HYBRID

Azor's Elocutors: Without a doubt, one of my favorite cards. A filibuster? LOL. That's just too funny. If they can just get control of the situation & stop all this fighting, they win. That's hilarious. Brilliant card, just brilliant.

Blistercoil Weird: If the Izzet Guild could create a creature that best described who/what they are, this is it. Blistercoil Weird is Izzet in every sense. Just an amazing creature. Total bomb in limited & I'm pretty sure constructed too.

Cryptborn Horror: This is what's called adding insult to injury. You've just been dealt 6 damage, so for 3 mana I drop a 6/6 Horror with Trample. 4 damage? Fine, a 4/4. 10 damage? This might be the best Horror creature I've seen. I love that his power & toughness are totally dependent on dealing damage to your opponent & if you don't deal any damage then you simply can't play him. Easily made my favorites.

Deathrite Shaman: Man, these Hybrid cards are just awesome. How frickin' cool is Deathrite Shaman. All of his abilities come from exiling cards from your graveyard? Nope. From ANY graveyard. This will really help balance out power cards like Snapcaster Mage & any other cards that interact with cards in the graveyard, yet he too is a card that interacts with cards in graveyards. Definitely one of the best cards in this set, in my opinion.

Dryad Militant: I love Dryad Militant. A 2/1 for 1, using green or white, so she's already better than Savannah Lions & Savannah Lions are really good, but all instants & sorceries that go into a graveyard are exiled instead? Nice! She's Uncommon too. Constructed play for sure, as well as limited. Just a very strong card. While the art is awesome, I do have a little problem with it. The face looks like a girl, but the body looks like a guy. Not sure what to make of that ; )

Frostburn Weird: Watercourser has proven to be a good solid card in drafts. Frostburn Weird then should be even better. A 1/4 that can become a 2/3 or a 3/2 or a 4/1 & it only costs 2. Watercourser costs 3. The Hybrid costs make it even more versatile. This guy should see lots of play.

Golgari Longlegs: LOL - I really should put this dumb boring generic creature in italics, but it's freakin' Golgari Longlegs. I can't put Golgari Longlegs in italics. I'd never hear the end of it. Golgari is my favorite Guild & the Daddy Longlegs was my favorite spider as a kid & now they're in Magic as a gigantic spider. Wait, it's an insect? So it doesn't have reach then? Awe c'mon!!!

Growing Ranks: If you have token creatures in play Growing Ranks is awesome. If you don't, it just sits there & does nothing, but that's okay. This is a perfect Selesnya Enchantment. They grow creatures. How cool is that.

Judge's Familiar: It has no sense of humor - lol. I just love cards like this. They're not powerful, but they can be very effective & quite annoying to your opponent. What's not to love. Typical of the Azorius that even their birds are annoying.

Nivmagus Elemental: Possibly the coolest designed Izzet creature I've seen. I'm not clear on the mechanic here, but I'm guessing that you have to cast an instant or a sorcery & then exile it instead of letting it resolve. If so, that's genius. The italics says it all. I'm certain this will be in many constructed decks. Limited should enjoy him immensely too. Just an amazing card. Maybe it won't be played much, since you have to cast a spell but nothing happens when you do, but I still think this is an amazing card.

Rakdos Cackler: Outside of those times when you'll need a chump blocker, this little devil will give you a 2/2 that can't block for 1. Just having that option is one reason why I like the Unleash ability. Really good creature card.

Rakdos Shred-Freak: I really should make this guy one of my favorites, just for the art alone. How cool does this guy look. He's Rakdos, so you pretty much know he's insane, so this is probably how he dresses on a regular basis. The soul is between the gallbladder & the kidneys? Who knew? ; )

Slitherhead: Cool card. It's just a 1/1 for 1, but the Scavenge ability for 0 should prove to be very effective. It's a Zombie Plant. Gotta like Slitherhead.

Sundering Growth: Wow! Isn't this better than Naturalize? I'd maindeck this, wouldn't you? Well, if there's no enchantments or artifacts then it's unplayable. Maybe use it on your own enchantment or artifact. That just might work. This really does seem like a very good card. Can't wait to see how it plays.

Vassal Soul: For 3 mana I think this should be a 2/3 flyer. Even a 2/4 maybe. If the mana cost was just 2 hybrid colors, this would be really good, but it probably wouldn't be a common then. Since it's Azorius, & in light of its own italics, how about this... give it the ability to Detain a creature. It detains them through sheer fright. Maybe 1 tap: detain target creature. Maybe it would have to cost 4? At least now though it's a more interesting creature instead of a generic 2/2 & that's why it's in italics; cause it's a boring generic vanilla 2/2 flyer for 3 mana.

ARTIFACTS

Chromatic Lantern: I like Chromatic Lantern. How cool. It provides excellent mana fixing & ramp for limited, as well as constructed. The Chromatic Lantern can work in almost any deck. Great card.

Civic Saber: I like the Civic Saber. Not enough to put it in my favorites, but it's a nice weapon. Simple, efficient & kinda interesting. On a 5 color creature though, it's um... nuts.

Codex Shredder: I kinda like Codex Shredder, mainly because it allows you to sift through your deck & then go get that card that you put into your graveyard. You can sift through your opponents deck instead, but unless you're trying to mill him I wouldn't recommend it. The 5 cost seems a little steep to retrieve the card you want, but it's still a pretty neat card.

Keyrune: I think all the Keyrune cards are great. Well designed in every sense. They're gonna be huge in limited, for sure.

Pithing Needle: I'm wondering why they put Pithing Needle in Return to Ravnica & not in M13. I guess they want this card in drafts &/or in this block? Not sure, but Pithing Needle is a cool card & the new art is very nice too.

Street Sweeper: How could I not put Street Sweeper in bold. This guy is hilarious. I can see him being played too, just as a vanilla 4/6, but he might be a decent sideboard card in limited too, what with all these land auras. Very clever.

Tablet of the Guilds: This card is similar to cards like Demon's Horn, Dragon's Claw, etc. It's a nice simple card, allowing you to gain 2 life when you play a card that's both colors, which could be pretty sweet. Course it only works when you cast spells, where the other cards worked when anybody cast a spell. I sorta wish it worked when your opponent cast spells too, but I get that they wanted it different. It's also very well themed to Ravnica & the italics is definitely one of the best.

Volatile Rig: Sheesh, this thing is nuts. It's volatile. It's really volatile. Talk about reeking havoc. This thing does just that. Very cool. Another card that almost made my favorites.

LANDS

Blood Crypt: Is this the Rakdos' idea of "decorating"? Do they have issues or what.

Grove of the Guardian: Very cool. A powerful ability, to be sure, but I think they got the cost about right, thankfully.

Guildgates: These gate cards look like they're going to be really cool. I think there are going to be lots of fun & interesting plays in limited with them. Looking forward to it.

Hallowed Fountain: Beautiful new art, but the italics is just too hilarious.

Overgrown Tomb: More beautiful new art. The new Liliana is salivating, but also wishing she was in Ravnica right now.

Rogue's Passage: Excellent. A secret passage for Rogues. How cool is that. In Ravnica... it's perfect. I also think it's a very good card.

Steam Vents: Yep, that's an Izzet area, for sure. : )

Temple Garden: I think Rakdos members should serve jail time here. Seems fitting.

Transguild Promenade: WotC has once again figured out yet another way to make a land that can tap for any color mana. A common land, believe it or not. Why am I surprised? I shouldn't be surprised. One of the best themed lands I've seen. Just amazing.

Well, I have to admit it. Return to Ravnica looks awesome. I think it's better than the original. Amazing art, lots of awesome cards, though a few bad ones & a few that I feel are still overpowered, but all in all I think this set is gonna be unbelievably popular, but that's not really saying a lot now... is it.