Invasion - a Complete Review (white)
1. Alabaster Leech, W, Creature - Leech 1/3, Rare White spells you play cost W more to play. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 2
It's an interesting mechanic, but the card isn't good enough. A 1/3 for W is nice, but not something to get too excited about. Plus, the drawback is going to be significant in any deck, even ones that only splash a tiny bit of white (for Disenchants and Leeches), because a Leech makes your splashed cards not so splashable anymore. 2. Angel of Mercy, 4W, Creature - Angel 3/3, Uncommon Flying When Angel of Mercy comes into play, you gain 3 life. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 4
This mechanic is getting a bit stale, but it's an angel and not rare, which gets it extra fun points. It's not big or special enough for tournaments. For 5 mana, you want something devastating, not a 3/3 flyer with a free Healing Salve thrown in. 3. Ardent Soldier, 1W, Creature - Soldier 1/2, Common Kicker 2 (You may pay an additional 2 as you play this spell.) Attacking doesn't cause Ardent Soldier to tap. If you paid the kicker cost, Ardent Soldier comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 2
I like the kicker mechanic, but it's misused here. Both a 1/2 for 2 mana and a 2/3 for 4 mana are too overcosted to be useful. 4. Atalya, Samite Master, 3WW, Creature - Cleric Legend 2/3, Rare X, T: Choose one - Prevent the next X damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn; or you gain X life. Spend only white mana this way. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 4
Any permanent that can turn 1 white mana into 1 life as often as you want each turn can't be left out of the traditional lifegain deck. In tournaments, it's too passive and vulnerable. 5. Benalish Emissary, 2W, Creature - Wizard 1/4, Uncommon Kicker 1G (You may pay an additional 1G as you play this spell.) When Benalish Emissary comes into play, if you paid the kicker cost, destroy target land. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 4
This is a much better use of the kicker mechanic. A 1/4 for 3 mana is a very nice blocker. The optional land destruction for only 1G extra makes it a winner. Twice the toughness of Avalanche Riders and no echo more than makes up for 1 less power, no haste and 1 extra casting cost. Sure, you have to play white and green, not traditionally a good combination, but with this set's new dual lands, that should be a lot easier. 6. Benalish Heralds, 3W, Creature - Rebel 2/4, Uncommon 3U, T: Draw a card. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 4
I guess this means Invasion brings even more goodies to rebel decks. Still, rebel decks have plenty of card advantage already and don't need this. It's basically a Jayemdae Tome that requires you to play white and blue, not to mention that it's more vulnerable as a creature. But it can serve as a blocker as well. This card is good fun, but blue has better card drawers. 7. Benalish Lancer, 2W, Creature - Knight 2/2, Common Kicker 2W (You may pay an additional 2W as you play this spell.) If you paid the kicker cost, Benalish Lancer comes into play with two +1/+1 counters on it and has first strike. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
Three mana gets you a vanilla 2/2 and six mana a 4/4 first striker. Neither prospect is all that great. 8. Benalish Trapper, 1W, Creature - Soldier 1/2, Common W, T: Tap target creature. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
A reprint of Master Decoy. In sealed, it's a very good card, but that's about it. 9. Blinding Light, 2W, Sorcery, Uncommon Tap all nonwhite creatures. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 1
Of all cards to reprint, why Blinding Light? It's just not very useful. 10. Capashen Unicorn, 1W, Creature - Unicorn 1/2, Common 1W, T, Sacrifice Capashen Unicorn: Destroy target artifact or enchantment ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
The summoning sickness makes it useless as a replacement for Disenchant and a 1/2 does not a beatdown make. 11. Crimson Acolyte, 1W, Creature - Cleric 1/1, Common Protection from red W: Target creature gains protection from red until end of turn. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 1
As hosers go, it's not a bad one, but white already has plenty of anti-red cards that are better. It's not much fun to play against strong hosers like this, so minuses for the fun rating. 12. Crusading Knight, 2WW, Creature - Knight 2/2, Rare Protection from black Crusading Knight gets +1/+1 for each swamp your opponents control. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 3
This gets points for the potential to become huge, but loses points for being a hoser. It can be pretty strong, but white doesn't need it. Karma rarely gets played either and that's pretty devastating against black decks. 13. Death or Glory, 4W, Sorcery, Rare Separate all creature cards in your graveyard into two face-up piles. Remove the pile of an opponent's choice from the game and return the other to play. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 5
A bit like Living Death, but easier to play in a variety of decks, because it doesn't hurt your creatures or affect your opponent. Too bad you have to make the piles face-up, otherwise you could pull a few nasty bluffs. Now, you just make each pile equally nasty. 14. Dismantling Blow, 2W, Instant, Common Kicker 2U (You may pay an additional 2U as you play this spell.) Destroy target artifact or enchantment. If you paid the kicker cost, draw two cards. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
You can only cast it if you have a target to cast it on, which makes the card drawing unreliable. Not to mention that Dismantling Blow effectively gives you 3 cards for 1, whereas Opportunity gets you 4 cards for the same price and no restriction on when you can cast it. 15. Divine Presence, 2W, Enchantment, Rare If a source would deal 4 damage or more to a creature or player, that source deals 3 damage to that creature or player instead. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 4
A great sideboard card against red X spells, so it could see play if combo decks start killing with those again after Stroke of Genius rotates out. For a fun deck, just imagine green/white with most of the creatures having 4 toughness or more. Four toughness is already hard to get rid of sometimes, but with a Divine Presence out even more so. 16. Fight or Flight, 3W, Enchantment, Rare At the beginning of each opponent's combat phase, separate all creatures that player controls into two face-up piles. Only creatures in the pile of his or her choice may attack this turn. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 4
It tries to be a Moat, but it isn't. Stopping half your opponent's creatures from attacking each turn is certainly nice, but it's no substitute for removal, you'll just get killed only half as fast. 17. Glimmering Angel, 3W, Creature - Angel 2/2, Common Flying U: Glimmering Angel can't be the target of spells or abilities this turn. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
My angel deck is going to get crowded. This is not a very good card, though. The ability is useful, but if you're playing with blue anyway, why not use a blue flyer. There have to be better ones than 2/2 for 4 mana. 18. Global Ruin, 4W, Sorcery, Rare Each player chooses from the lands he or she controls a plains, an island, a swamp, a mountain, and a forest, then sacrifices the rest. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 4
An interesting concept, but it's too expensive. By playing with lots of different basic lands, the Global Ruin won't hit you as bad as your opponent, but most of the time, your opponent will get to keep at least one land and quite possibly more. If he or she keeps lands in hand like most players, it's going to mean a quick recovery. 19. Harsh Judgment, 2WW, Enchantment, Rare As Harsh Judgment comes into play, choose a color. If an instant or sorcery of the chosen color would deal damage to you, it deals that damage to its controller instead. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 2
This looks suspiciously like yet another red hoser. Sure, some black spells will be affected and I guess Hurricane is too, but it's mostly just an expensive anti-red card. 20. Holy Day, W, Instant, Common Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 3
A white Fog, nothing special. It'll probably turn out to be as popular as Fog generally is, which is to say: not very. 21. Liberate, 1W, Instant, Uncommon Remove target creature you control from the game. At end of turn, return that card to play under its owner's control. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 4
It's not unlike Flicker, except Liberate only works on your own creatures and it's an instant, so it's a 2 mana counterspell against removal. Like Death Ward, I don't expect to see this played, even though it can allow a creature to survive your own Wrath and the likes. 22. Obsidian Acolyte, 1W, Creature - Cleric 1/1, Common Protection from black W: Target creature gains protection from black until end of turn. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 1
It has the same problem as the red version, it's too cheesy for fun decks and not good enough to make a tournament deck's sideboard. 23. Orim's Touch, W, Instant, Common Kicker 1 (You may pay an additional 1 as you play this spell.) Prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn. If you paid the kicker cost, prevent the next 4 damage that would be dealt to that creature or player this turn instead. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 2
An interesting variation on Healing Salve, but damage preventing isn't useful enough. 24. Pledge of Loyalty, 1W, Enchant Creature, Uncommon Enchanted creature has protection from the colors of permanents you control. This effect doesn't remove Pledge of Loyalty. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 4
Could be fun in a sliver deck to cast on the Queen to give her protection from all colors, but it's a pretty weak card. Unlike Cho-Manno's Blessing, you can't cast it as an instant and you can't pick the color you need, you just have to be playing with it. I don't think decks with permanents of all the five colors will be seen much. 25. Prison Barricade, 1W, Creature - Wall 1/3, Common (Walls can't attack.) Kicker 1W (You may pay an additional 1W as you play this spell.) If you paid the kicker cost, Prison Barricade comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it and may attack as though it weren't a Wall. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
Not a bad card to make late-game decks a bit more viable. An early 1/3 can stop quite a few weenies and if you draw a late one, it's a 2/4 that can attack if necessary. Still, it's not nearly good enough. 26. Protective Sphere, 2W, Enchantment, Common 1, Pay 1 life: Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you this turn by a source of your choice that shares a color with the mana spent on this activation cost. (Colorless mana prevents no damage.) ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 1
Like Pledge of Loyalty, it's just too risky to assume you'll have the right mana available. I'd much rather use Righteous Aura. For one extra life, any damage can be prevented. 27. Pure Reflection, 2W, Enchantment, Rare Whenever a player plays a creature spell, destroy all Reflection creature tokens. Then that player puts a white Reflection creature token into play with power and toughness each equal to the converted mana cost of that spell. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 2
I don't see the point of this card. Sure, you can get some extra firepower, especially if you have a lot of expensive, small creatures in your deck, but the tokens won't last long and your opponent benefits just as much. 28. Rampant Elephant, 3W, Creature - Elephant 2/2, Common G: Target creature blocks Rampant Elephant this turn if able. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 1
There's at least one green card with a similar mechanic and it didn't see much play, but at least it was a bigger creature. 4/4 if I remember. A 2/2 will die too easily and isn't worth the 4 mana to cast it. 29. Razorfoot Griffin, 3W, Creature - Griffin 2/2, Common Flying, first strike ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
Fun for a griffin deck, but otherwise not that special. 30. Restrain, 2W, Instant, Common Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by target attacking creature this turn. Draw a card. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
It a bit situational, but it's removal if you have enough chump blockers to take the targeted creature out. Still, Smite is much easier to use and costs only 1 mana, which makes up for the fact that this is a cantrip. 31. Reviving Dose, 2W, Instant, Common You gain 3 life. Draw a card. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 4
Three life isn't nearly enough to make this a strong card. Of course it's a nice card for longer fun games, most cantrips are. 32. Rewards of Diversity, 2W, Enchantment, Uncommon Whenever an opponent plays a multicolored spell, you gain 4 life. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
This wins the reward for the strangest hoser I've seen in the set so far. The name is a bit wrong, because the card actually punishes diversity. The card would be much more interesting if it gave you 4 life for each multicolored spell you played. 33. Reya Dawnbringer, 6WWW, Creature - Angel Legend 4/6, Rare Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to play. ==> TOUR: 5 - FUN: 5
At 9 mana, it's of course pretty much uncastable, but it's the perfect creature for any kind of animation deck. Because it's so hard to cast the hard way, I wouldn't be surprised to find this in all-black decks. Whether it sees use in tournaments depends on the viability of reanimation decks, but this card could singlehandedly make them viable. 34. Rout, 3WW, Sorcery, Rare You may play Rout any time you could play an instant if you pay 2 more to play it. Destroy all creatures. They can't be regenerated. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 4
An interesting version of Wrath of God, but 7 mana for an instant Wrath is a bit much. Still, any decks that want to pack more than 4 Wraths can use a few of these. The extra ability is just icing on the cake. 35. Ruham Djinn, 5W, Creature - Djinn 5/5, Uncommon First strike Ruham Djinn gets -2/-2 as long as white is the most common color among permanents or is tied for most common. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 4
A 5/5 with First Strike is quite good for white, but it has to be played in a deck that splashes white (for swords, disenchants and the Djinn or something) or a white deck with almost no other permanents. 36. Samite Ministration, 1W, Instant, Uncommon Prevent all damage that would be dealt by a source of your choice this turn. Whenever damage from a black or red source is prevented this way, you gain life equal to that damage. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 4
It's a bit like Honorable Passage, except it doesn't do damage but gains you life. Honorable Passage is better, but this is more versatile, because it works against black as well. This could be a good anti-necro card to stop the killing drains, but necro was restricted and probably won't be seen as a deck type again. 37. Shackles, 2W, Enchant Creature, Common Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step. W: Return Shackles to its owner's hand. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 1
A reprint from Exodus this time. Not a very good one, I'm afraid, white has better removal available. 38. Spirit of Resistance, 2W, Enchantment, Rare If you control a permanent of each color, prevent all damage that would be dealt to you. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 4
Extra fun points for posing an interesting challenge, but it's not very feasible, because most decks are able to get rid of selected permanents. An obvious combo with Sliver Queen, but if you have the Queen out, you've almost won anyway. 39. Spirit Weaver, 1W, Creature - Wizard 2/1, Uncommon 2: Target green or blue creature gets +0/+1 until end of turn. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 2
It's not a bad creature really, but the ability is too limited and too defensive and white has better creatures for 2 mana. 40. Strength of Unity, 3W, Enchant Creature, Common Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each basic land type among lands you control. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 4
A deck which is aimed at getting out one of each basic lands is almost necessarily a control deck. A creature enchantment that promotes beatdown doesn't really fit with that. Nice synergy with the Armageddon-type card we saw earlier. 41. Sunscape Apprentice, W, Creature - Wizard 1/1, Common G, T: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. U, T: Put target creature you control on top of its owner's library ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 3
An improved version of Civic Guildmage, which only gave +0/+1 for the green mana. Still, it's a bit too defensive. If each color gets a new guildmage, the ones that can ping will be popular, though. 42. Sunscape Master, 2WW, Creature - Wizard 2/2, Uncommon GG, T: Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn. UU, T: Return target creature to its owner's hand. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 5
If each color gets an improved guildmage as well, things'll get interesting. The double mana in three different colors is going to make it hard to use in a tournament deck, but the abilities are both quite good. A reusable, smaller Overrun and a reusable Unsummon. 43. Teferi's Care, 2W, Enchantment, Uncommon W, Sacrifice an enchantment: Destroy target enchantment. 3UU: Counter target enchantment spell. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 2
A reprint of Arenson's Aura under a different name. Strange. This could have been good with cards like Brilliant Halo and Cessation, but those will be gone by the time this becomes legal. 44. Wayfaring Giant, 5W, Creature - Giant 1/3, Uncommon Wayfaring Giant gets +1/+1 for each basic land type among lands you control. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 2
Overcosted. You get a maximum of 6/8 for 6 mana, which would be good, but if you have fewer basic lands out, it isn't worth it. 45. Winnow, 1W, Instant, Rare Destroy target nonland permanent if another permanent with the same name is in play. Draw a card. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
It's an interesting card, but not all that strong. It'll be a good sideboard card against a deck that wants to get two of the same permanents out, but what are the chances of a deck like that becoming tournament worthy? It's just too fickle to be used as removal, because you never know in advance if you'll be able to use it. It might have been more playable if it could be used on non-basic lands as well.
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