Apocalypse - a Complete Review (red)
Bloodfire Colossus (R) 6RR Creature - Giant 6/6 R, Sacrifice Bloodfire Colossus: Bloodfire Colossus deals 6 damage to each creature and each player. ==> FUN: 5
It won't be easy to cast, but once it's in play, it can get rid of almost anything. If you're playing with creatures with protection from red, you can even come out ahead. ---
Bloodfire Dwarf (C) R Creature - Dwarf 1/1 R, Sacrifice Bloodfire Dwarf: Bloodfire Dwarf deals 1 damage to each creature without flying. ==> FUN: 4
A Tremor on legs. If you're like me and often find yourself in a situation where a Tremor would be useful, but it doesn't happen often enough to put them into your deck, Bloodfire Dwarf could be the answer. If the Tremor isn't useful, you'll at least have another weenie. ---
Bloodfire Infusion (C) 2R Enchant Creature Bloodfire Infusion can enchant only a creature you control. R, Sacrifice enchanted creature: Bloodfire Infusion deals damage equal to the enchanted creature's power to each creature. ==> FUN: 2
It's a bit too similar to Rupture from Nemesis, except that Rupture damages only non-fliers and players. Because it's a common and potentially mass removal, it could be an important card in sealed or draft. ---
Bloodfire Kavu (U) 2RR Creature - Kavu 2/2 R, Sacrifice Bloodfire Kavu: Bloodfire Kavu deals 2 damage to each creature. ==> FUN: 3
Five mana in total is a bit slow against the serious weenie decks. I think it would just be an expensive Steam Blast most of the time. ---
Desolation Giant (R) 2RR Creature - Giant 3/3 Kicker WW When Desolation Giant comes into play, destroy all other creatures you control. If you paid the kicker cost, destroy all other creatures instead. ==> FUN: 4
Six mana for a Wrath of God with a free 3/3 is pretty good. It fits well in the kind of deck that wants to clear the board and follow it up with a threat. This card is both in one. ---
Dwarven Landslide (C) 3R Sorcery Kicker 2R, Sacrifice a land. Destroy target land. If you paid the kicker cost, destroy another target land. ==> FUN: 2
I love Rain of Salt, which kills 2 lands for 6 mana and this would have been a good alternative without the extra cost of sacrificing a land. It would have been worth the extra 1 mana over Rain of Salt to have the option of casting it early for just one land. As it is, though, it's just too costly. ---
Dwarven Patrol (U) 2R Creature - Dwarf 4/2 Dwarven Patrol doesn't untap during your untap step. Whenever you play a nonred spell, untap Dwarven Patrol. ==> FUN: 2
A slightly undercosted creature with a small drawback. Not bad, but nothing I can get excited about either. ---
Goblin Ringleader (U) 3R Creature - Goblin 2/2 Haste When Goblin Ringleader comes into play, reveal the top four cards of your library. Put all Goblin cards revealed this way into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library. ==> FUN: 5
This is so far my favorite of the new recruiting creatures. That's not because I'm particularly fond of goblins, but because of the existence of Goblin Recruiter. Together, a recruiter and a ringleader can net you four goblins of your choice. It's just a bonus that Goblins also have the Goblin Matron to help you set up this combo. Good candidates to tutor for are: Mogg Fanatic (for creature removal).
Mogg Flunkies (for fast beatdown).
Goblin Mutant (for extra power).
Goblin Tinkerer (to deal with artifacts).
Goblin Lackey (to help cast your four new goblins).
Mogg Raider (to make combat a bit more interesting).
Goblin Recruiter (to do it all over again).
---
Illuminate (U) XR Sorcery Kicker 2R and/or 3U Illuminate deals X damage to target creature. If you paid the 2R kicker cost, Illuminate deals X damage to that creature's controller. If you paid the 3U kicker cost, you draw X cards. ==> FUN: 4
Any card that says "draw X cards" is a good one in my book. Ok, so it's not exactly cheap and you need a creature to target, but on the bright side, it's an uncommon. Call it a (very) poor man's Stroke of Genius if you want. ---
Kavu Glider (C) 2R Creature - Kavu 2/1 W: Kavu Glider gets +0/+1 until end of turn. U: Kavu Glider gains flying until end of turn. ==> FUN: 2
Not a bad creature, but nothing to get excited about either. ---
Minotaur Tactician (C) 3R Creature - Minotaur 1/1 Haste Minotaur Tactician gets +1/+1 as long as you control a white creature. Minotaur Tactician gets +1/+1 as long as you control a blue creature. ==> FUN: 1
This spoiler is probably wrong, because 4 mana for a potential 3/3 with haste isn't really worth adding two extra colors for. ---
Raka Disciple (C) R Creature - Wizard 1/1 W, T: Prevent the next 1 damage that would dealt to target creature or player this turn. U, T: Target creature gains flying until end of turn. ==> FUN: 3
Giving creatures flying is useful, but nothing special. ---
Raka Sanctuary (U) 2R Enchantment At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control a white or blue permanent, Raka Sanctuary deals 1 damage to target creature. If you control a white permanent and a blue permanent, Raka Sanctuary deals 3 damage to that creature instead. ==> FUN: 3
That's one way of keeping weenies off the board, I suppose. It's a bit risky, though, because once your opponent runs out of creatures, your stuck having to target your own. ---
Rakavolver (R) 2R Creature - Volver 2/2 Kicker 1W and/or U If you paid the 1W kicker cost, Rakavolver comes into play with two +1/+1 counters on it and has, "Whenever Rakavolver deals damage, you gain that much life." If you paid the U kicker cost, Rakavolver comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it and has flying. ==> FUN: 4
I just can't resist creatures with built-in Spirit Links. Optional flying should come in handy as well. ---
Smash (C) 2R Instant Destroy target artifact. Draw a card. ==> FUN: 2
I prefer it to Shatter, but that's not saying much. The fact that it's a cantrip doesn't really solve the problem of Smash being very situational. Against an opponent with no artifacts, you can't burn it for the extra card either. ---
Tahngarth's Glare (C) R Sorcery Look at the top three cards of target opponent's library, then put them back in any order. That player looks at the top three cards of your library, then puts them back in any order. ==> FUN: 1
It's like Portent without the cantrip and with the extra risk of messing up your own library as well. Not worth it. ---
Tundra Kavu (C) 2R Creature - Kavu 2/2 T: Target land becomes a plains or an island until end of turn. ==> FUN: 4
There's already one for swamps and one for forests. I guess they didn't want to spend two card slots in Planeshift on it, so they put both plains and islands on the same Kavu. It has some possibilities with specific anti-plains or anti-islands cards. ---
Wild Research (R) 2R Enchantment 1W: Search your library for a enchantment card and reveal that card. Put it into your hand, then discard a card at random from your hand. Then shuffle your library. 1U: Search your library for an instant card and reveal that card. Put it into your hand, then discard a card at random from your hand. Then shuffle your library. ==> FUN: 4
A reusable tutor can't be bad. My first idea was to use it to fill your hand with burn, but if you're playing that kind of deck, you should have won before it becomes an issue. Perhaps a counter-burn deck would be better. Get counterspells when you need them and burn when you have control. Still, the random discard is irritating, but with enough mana, you can always tutor for another copy if your first one is discarded. I can't really see using Wild Research in a combo deck that wants to tutor for certain enchantments, but you could always use it to fetch a Seal of Cleansing or Seal of Fire.
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