Invasion - a Complete Review (green)
181. Aggressive Urge, 1G, Instant, Common Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Draw a card. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
Feral Instinct revisited. Note how this is strictly better than the red card that only gives the bonus half the time. Not that it matters much, because Feral Instinct isn't really playable outside of sealed. 182. Bind, 1G, Instant, Rare Counter target activated ability. (Mana abilities can't be countered.) Draw a card. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 1
I'm sure this'll see a bit of sideboard use. This is obviously especially nice against abilities that require some kind of sacrifice, but in some cases just stalling your opponent for one more turn can be enough. It's a good card, but it really doesn't deserve to be a rare. It's too generally useful. 183. Blurred Mongoose, 1G, Creature - Mongoose 2/1, Rare Blurred Mongoose can't be countered. Blurred Mongoose can't be the target of spells or abilities. ==> TOUR: 5 - FUN: 4
Not being counterable is just a bonus, the real power is in being untargetable. I think this'll turn out to be as popular as River Boa. Sure, you can't Growth it to punch through opponents, but any deck that relies on spot creature removal is going to have a heck of a time dealing with this. The only reason this doesn't score a 5 on the fun-o-meter is the fact that it's rare. This card looks like it's going to be a staple in green and staple rares are bad. 184. Canopy Surge, 1G, Sorcery, Uncommon Kicker 2 (You may pay an additional 2 as you play this spell.) Canopy Surge deals 1 damage to each creature with flying and each player. If you paid the kicker cost, Canopy Surge deals 4 damage to each creature with flying and each player instead. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 1
Another card in the grand tradition of Hurricane. The red version is better because it can deal with most creatures, whereas this one only deals with flyers. 185. Elfhame Sanctuary, 1G, Enchantment, Uncommon At the beginning of your upkeep, you may search your library for a basic land card, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. If you do, shuffle your library and skip your draw step this turn. ==> TOUR: 5 - FUN: 5
It's a good way to make sure you get the amount of mana you need and the right colors. It obviously works very well with the cards that wants as many different basic lands under your control as possible. More than that, though, skipping your draw step isn't a cost, so if you have two of these in play, you can fetch two lands each turn. With a lot of spellshapers, those extra cards should always get in handy. It's almost a bit like Land Tax, only harder to use and not nearly as powerful. Still, it's good enough to see a bit of use, so I'm glad it's not a rare. It's too bad Necropotence is gone, because I think a necro deck with a splash of green for Elfhame Sanctuary and Exploration would have been very good. The Exploration is obviously there to get all the extra lands drawn from Necropotence down quickly to get things ready for a huge drain. The Sanctuary gets you enough Swamps if you have a bad mana draw and no ritual and with a Necropotence in play, you get a free land each turn, because you don't have a draw step anyway, which also nicely thins out your deck. 186. Elvish Champion, 1GG, Creature - Lord 2/2, Rare All Elves get +1/+1 and have forestwalk. (They're unblockable as long as defending player controls a forest.) ==> TOUR: 5 - FUN: 5
Yes! Elves finally get a real lord. No offense to Eladamri, but he was just too defensive. It's a bit irritating that Elvish Champion costs 3 mana, compared to Lord of Atlantis, which costs 2 for an equivalent ability, but I won't let that ruin my fun. Finally, elves are going to be a force to reckon with on their own, without needing help from red burn spells or Coat of Arms. 187. Explosive Growth, G, Instant, Common Kicker 5 (You may pay an additional 5 as you play this spell.) Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. If you paid the kicker cost, that creature gets +5/+5 until end of turn instead. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 4
A nice attempt at a good kicker card. +2/+2 for G is very playable and being able to turn a strategic card into a finisher with some extra mana is a good thing. The only problem is that it's overcosted. Six mana for +5/+5 just isn't good enough. Maybe 4 mana for +4/+4 and trample would have made this a great card. 188. Fertile Ground, 1G, Enchant Land, Common Whenever enchanted land is tapped for mana, its controller adds one mana of any color to his or her mana pool. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 4
I'm glad WotC decided not to reprint any cards that are in Sixth, but the reprint slots could have been filled with better cards. If a card didn't get played the first time around, that doesn't mean it just needs another chance, it means the card isn't good enough. Fertile Ground is one of the best reprints I've seen so far and that's not saying much. It saw play in enchantress decks, but with the Agrothian one rotating out of T2, I'm not counting on seeing those again any time soon. Other than that, it's a cheap Birds of Paradise to fun players. 189. Harrow, 2G, Instant, Common As an additional cost to play Harrow, sacrifice a land. Search your library for up to two basic land cards and put them into play. Then shuffle your library. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 4
Another reprint, but a good one this time. Much better than Rampant Growth and Untamed Wilds. It costs three mana, but it gives 2 mana back because the lands don't come into play tapped and you can sacrifice a tapped land. It's a good card to make decks with three or more colors viable. 190. Jade Leech, 2GG, Creature - Leech 5/5, Rare Green spells you play cost G more to play. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 2
A good, solid green fattie, but it pales next to Blastoderm. Still, it's good enough to see play. 191. Kavu Chameleon, 3GG, Creature - Kavu 4/4, Uncommon Kavu Chameleon can't be countered. G: Kavu Chameleon becomes the color of your choice until end of turn. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 4
Five mana for a 4/4 has never been good. Still, if blue becomes a problem, which I don't think will happen, this is an ok hoser, especially because it's also a nice hoser against black (you can save it from Perish and most black removal). 192. Kavu Climber, 3GG, Creature - Kavu 3/3, Common When Kavu Climber comes into play, you draw a card. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 3
In the grand tradition of Pyknite and Striped Bears we get a vanilla cantrip creature for 2 mana extra. This one is better than both of those, because a 3/3 is at least something to be reckoned with. I can see this one get used in the reanimation decks that are bound to become popular once this set becomes legal. It's not nearly as nice as Wall of Blossoms, but still. 193. Kavu Lair, 2G, Enchantment, Rare Whenever a creature with power 4 or greater comes into play, its controller draws a card. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 5
On the face of it, it's a very good card, but once you start casting creatures with power 4 or greater, they can usually get you the victory all by themselves. Extra cards are just gravy at that point. Still, it'll probably get played, if only for the sheer fun of casting a Blastoderm and showing your desperate opponent the other one you just drew from it. 194. Kavu Titan, 1G, Creature - Kavu 2/2, Rare Kicker 2G (You may pay an additional 2G as you play this spell.) If you paid the kicker cost, Kavu Titan comes into play with three +1/+1 counters on it and has trample. ==> TOUR: 5 - FUN: 2
Finally a kicker creature worth playing with. A 2/2 for 2 mana is a useful weenie and a 5/5 for 5 mana can pass for a good fattie. It's definitely worth playing with in a weenie deck as a fattie that won't be dead in your hand if you don't get the mana to cast it. Still, I'm not crazy about this being a rare, but you can't have everything, I suppose. 195. Llanowar Cavalry, 2G, Creature - Soldier 1/4, Common W: Attacking doesn't cause Llanowar Cavalry to tap this turn. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 2
If you're playing white anyway, why not play with Standing Troops? Ok, they're in Exodus, but I don't see why green needed a creature which is almost strictly worse than an existing white creature. 196. Llanowar Elite, G, Creature - Elf 1/1, Common Kicker 8 (You may pay an additional 8 as you play this spell.) Trample If you paid the kicker cost, Llanowar Elite comes into play with five +1/+1 counters on it. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 5
Compared to Kavu Titan, this is pretty bad. Eight mana is ridiculous for a 6/6 and one mana for a 1/1 isn't useful enough. For that price, it should get at least 7 counters. The high fun rating is mainly for the mental image of a 6/6 elf. Plus there's a lot of synergy between this card and Priest of Titania. A must for any elf theme deck, but that doesn't make it a good card. 197. Llanowar Vanguard, 2G, Creature - Dryad 1/1, Common T: Llanowar Vanguard gets +0/+4 until end of turn. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 1
A 1/1 green creature for 3 mana had better have a powerful ability. This one doesn't. Sure, it's a nice blocker, but blocking isn't useful enough to make it worth the three mana. 198. Might Weaver, 1G, Creature - Wizard 2/1, Uncommon 2: Target red or white creature gains trample until end of turn. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 2
Elvish Herder did this better and wasn't played either, do I doubt this will see play. 199. Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer, 4GGG, Creature - Legend */*, Rare Trample Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer's power and toughness are each equal to the number of lands you control. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 4
He (she?) is more expensive than Multani and more vulnerable, because Multani is untargetable if I remember right. Of course you have Skyshroud Claim and other ways to get a lot of lands in play, but I can't help thinking that Molimo has more firepower than you're likely to need. 200. Nomadic Elf, 1G, Creature - Elf 2/2, Common 1G: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 4
Compared to a Skyshroud Elf, this one is 2/2 instead of 1/1 and can create any color of mana instead of only white and red. The only downside is that it's not a 1 for 1 conversion. It costs two mana to get one. Oh, and this one doesn't tap for mana either. Still, the fact that it's a 2/2 for 2 mana makes it a playable weenie. If you're playing 5 color green, this card could help you out if you can't find the right lands and at the same time beat your opponent down or keep a few weenies at bay. 201. Pincer Spider, 2G, Creature - Spider 2/3, Common Kicker 3 (You may pay an additional 3 as you play this spell.) Pincer Spider may block as though it had flying. If you paid the kicker cost, Pincer Spider comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 4
Three mana for a 2/3 that can block flyers is fine. Compared with Canopy Spider, you get one more power for one more mana, which means you'll be able to block and kill more flyers. Green doesn't have a lot of good anti-flying cards that are also useful as creatures, which makes this a nice card, but too defensive for serious play. The kicker cost is hardly worth it even if you have the mana. Three mana extra for a measly +1/+1 is ridiculous. That's 6 mana for a 3/4. But because it's a nice creature without the kicker ability, it still scores ok in my book. 202. Pulse of Llanowar, 3G, Enchantment, Uncommon If a basic land you control is tapped for mana, it produces mana of any one color instead of its normal type. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 2
For 4 mana, you'd expect a card to at least add to your mana supply. You can't just use this card to make your 5 color green deck with only Forests viable, because you're not guaranteed to get it. Even if you do, it's too vulnerable. 203. Quirion Elves, 1G, Creature - Elf 1/1, Common As Quirion Elves comes into play, choose a color. T: Add G to your mana pool. T: Add one mana of the chosen color to your mana pool. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 3
A logical reprint, but I've never really liked these. Two mana for a 1/1 basically means it's just a much more vulnerable land. if you depend on these to get a color you need, you might as well nickname them "The Lightning Rods", because they'll get killed before you can blink. 204. Quirion Sentinel, 1G, Creature - Elf 2/1, Common When Quirion Sentinel comes into play, add one mana of any color to your mana pool. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 4
Interesting. A Jackal Pup that can't be played on turn one, but if you can put the extra mana to good use, it's the elf version of a Savannah Lion on turn two. Of course it's an easy choice in an elf deck. The question is if elf decks got enough of a boost from finally getting a good lord. 205. Quirion Trailblazer, 3G, Creature - Elf 1/2, Common When Quirion Trailblazer comes into play, you may search your library for a basic land card and put that card into play tapped. If you do, shuffle your library. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 3
A new Yavimaya Granger, but too expensive, I'm afraid. When you already have 4 mana, you're usually not desperate for more unless you want a lot of mana, in which case you need a better way of getting more than by just adding an extra land. It also hurts that this guy is a 1/2 compared to the Granger's 2/2. 206. Restock, 3GG, Sorcery, Rare Return two target cards from your graveyard to your hand. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 4
It costs one more mana than Elven Cache, but by the time you can cast this, you should be able to make good use of the extra card from your graveyard. 207. Rooting Kavu, 2GG, Creature - Kavu 4/3, Uncommon When Rooting Kavu is put into a graveyard from play, you may remove it from the game. If you do, shuffle all creature cards from your graveyard into your library. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 4
A reprint which I can't remember the original card's name of. That makes it a bit hard to check if that one had the death ability as optional as well. If not, this is an improvement, though not necessarily a big one. It's a good card, but not really something you need in a tournament. This is more something that comes in handy in long fun games. 208. Saproling Infestation, 1G, Enchantment, Rare Whenever a player pays a kicker cost, you put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 4
Saproling tokens are always fun to have more of. Still, this is a bit of a strange card. I can't really remember if there were any kicker spells that would have their kicker cost paid a lot, but it should be fun to make a deck around kicker spells. Just don't expect it to be very good. 209. Saproling Symbiosis, 3G, Sorcery, Rare You may play Saproling Symbiosis any time you could play an instant if you pay 2 more to play it. Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play for each creature you control. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 5
This is the perfect card for a deck with Collective Unconscious, Gaea's Cradle, Spontaneous Generation, Saproling Bursts and other fun cards like that. Too bad they're all rares and most of them expensive ones at that. I doubt this card will be tournament worthy, but it'll be fun a good fun deck anyway. Star with a Generation for 7, use a Symbiosis to double it to 14 and an Unconscious to draw 14 cards. Fun, fun fun! 210. Scouting Trek, 1G, Sorcery, Uncommon Search your library for any number of basic land cards and set them aside. Shuffle your library, then put those cards on top of it in any order. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 5
An obvious combo with Clear the Land. It's too bad it only works on basic lands. 211. Serpentine Kavu, 4G, Creature - Kavu 4/4, Common R: Serpentine Kavu gains haste until end of turn. (It may attack and T the turn it comes under your control.) ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 1
Five mana for a 4/4 isn't good enough and optional haste doesn't make up for that. 212. Sulam Djinn, 5G, Creature - Djinn 6/6, Uncommon Trample Sulam Djinn gets -2/-2 as long as green is the most common color among permanents or is tied for most common. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 2
Probably the worst of the Djinns, because green uses a lot of permanents and has better creatures. 213. Tangle, 1G, Instant, Uncommon Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn. Attacking creatures don't untap during their controllers' next untap steps. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 4
A Fog which lasts two turns. Fun, but not all that strong, because if you need to Fog during your own attack, you have a bit of a problem. I wonder if there are enough Fog clones yet to fill a deck. Add Howling Mines to keep the Fogs coming and a single uncounterable Blaze (I forgot the name already) and decks that rely only on creatures don't stand a chance. Of course, any deck that doesn't pretty much wipes the floor with you, but that's what fun decks are for. 214. Thicket Elemental, 3GG, Creature - Elemental 4/4, Rare Kicker 1G (You may pay an additional 1G as you play this spell.) When Thicket Elemental comes into play, if you paid the kicker cost, you may reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a creature card. If you do, put that creature into play and shuffle all other cards revealed this way into your library. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 5
Finally a card where the kicker cost is usually worth waiting for. It costs 7 mana, but that does get you a 4/4 and something potentially huge. It's also a good card in Living Death decks. 215. Thornscape Apprentice, G, Creature - Wizard 1/1, Common W, T: Tap target creature. R, T: Target creature gains first strike until end of turn. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 3
It's not nearly as good as Granger Guildmage, who could at least ping. You can use it to keep a creature tapped, but there's a green card that does the same already. 216. Thornscape Master, 2GG, Creature - Wizard 2/2, Rare WW, T: Target creature gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn. RR, T: Thornscape Master deals 2 damage to target creature. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 3
A Mother of Runes or a Tim on steroids. Although it's a nice creature, the colored mana costs make it iffy to actually use. A 2/2 for 4 mana isn't all that great as a creature either. 217. Tranquility, 2G, Sorcery, Common Destroy all enchantments. ==> TOUR: 3 - FUN: 4
That's the first staple card I've seen reprinted in this set. It's probably just as well it got reprinted, because in keeping with previous sets, if it hadn't been, there would have been a clone using one of the set's mechanics. That would probably have meant it became a 5cc cantrip or a 4cc Tranquility with the option of casting it as an instant for a mere 2 mana extra. Ugh. 218. Treefolk Healer, 4G, Creature - Treefolk 2/3, Uncommon 2W, T: Prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 2
Few of these healer types have ever been very good and this one isn't either. It's overcosted and the ability is too expensive to use. 219. Utopia Tree, 1G, Creature - Plant 0/2, Rare T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. ==> TOUR: 5 - FUN: 4
I'm not sure what to think about this. Compared with Birds of Paradise, it should have costed G, which trades the Birds' flying for one extra toughness. I like the general idea of the card, but it should have been a real wall (0/3 at least, probably 0/4) or cost only G. I'm not crazy about the fact that it's a rare either. This will likely become a staple, which means everyone will want four, which will drive up the prices. 220. Verdeloth the Ancient, 4GG, Creature - Treefolk Legend 4/7, Rare Kicker X (You may pay an additional X as you play this spell.) All other Treefolk and all Saprolings get +1/+1. When Verdeloth the Ancient comes into play, if you paid the kicker cost, put X 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens into play. ==> TOUR: 5 - FUN: 5
I might be overestimating this card for tournament play, but this is definitely the best fun card I've seen in the set yet. It's no Verdant Force, but it does so many different things at once: it's a lord to both Treefolk and Saprolings, it's a 4/7 for 6 mana, which isn't great but is still better than Obsianus Golem and on top of that, he brings his own Saprolings with him. Not only that, but it looks like we finally get a good green X spell. It's a bit expensive, but that's worth it for a way to spend all that spare mana. 221. Verduran Emissary, 2G, Creature - Wizard 2/3, Uncommon Kicker 1R (You may pay an additional 1R as you play this spell.) When Verduran Emissary comes into play, if you paid the kicker cost, destroy target artifact. It can't be regenerated. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 1
Not a bad card in itself, but Uktabi Orangutan is just plain better. The one extra toughness on this doesn't change that. 222. Vigorous Charge, G, Instant, Common Kicker W (You may pay an additional W as you play this spell.) Target creature gains trample until end of turn. Whenever that creature deals combat damage this turn, if you paid the kicker cost, you gain life equal to that damage. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 2
Instant trample isn't nearly as strong as instant anything else, like first strike. The option for a temporary Spirit Link doesn't make up for that, because Spirit Link loses a lot of its effectiveness if it only lasts until end of turn. 223. Wallop, 1G, Sorcery, Uncommon Destroy target black or blue creature with flying. ==> TOUR: 1 - FUN: 1
There aren't a lot of creatures this is useful against. 224. Wandering Stream, 2G, Sorcery, Common You gain 2 life for each basic land type among lands you control. ==> TOUR: 4 - FUN: 4
it's not as good as Gerrard's Wisdom, but in the right deck it could buy you some valuable life when you need it. 225. Whip Silk, G, Enchant Creature, Common Enchanted creature may block as though it had flying. G: Return Whip Silk to its owner's hand. ==> TOUR: 2 - FUN: 3
I guess it's a combo in an enchantress deck, but most of the time I rather have Frog Tongue, because it's a cantrip or Spider Climb because it can be cast as an instant and gives +0/+3.
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