Soon the new edition Eldritch Moon comes out, 32 cards are already released so it's time for a first review.
Here's the Rating which i use:
5: Clear Highlander Staple ( e.g. Swords to Plowshares, Brainstorm, Demonic Tutor, Lightning Bolt, Tarmogoyf, Lightning Helix, Wasteland)
4: Staple for several Archetypes ( e.g. Restoration Angel, Counterspell, Bitterblossom, Young Pyromancer, Sylvan Caryatid, Kolaghan's Command, Maze of Ith)
3: Cards for only a few Archetypes ( e.g. Porcelain Legionnaire, Muddle the Mixture, Hypnotic Specter, Stormblood Berserker, Flinthoof Boar, Jeskai Charm, Mishra's Factory)
2: Interesting Card Choice ( e.g. Wall of Omens, Impulse, Diabolic Intent, Reckless Charge, Rancor, Anax and Cymede, Barbarian Ring )
1: Worth Mentioning but more or less bad ( e.g. Blind Obedience, Powersink, Smallpox, Mogg Flunkies, Sylvan Ranger, Silumgar's Command, Evolving Wilds)
0: unplayable in normal cases ( e.g. Benevolent Bodyguard, Hidden Strings, Reassembling Skeleton, Threaten, Prey Upon, Decimate, Azorius Chancery)
Gisela, the Broken Blade 2WW
Legendary Creature - Angel Horror
Flying, first strike, lifelink
At the beginning of your end step, if you both own and control Gisela, the Broken Blade and a creature named Bruna, the Fading Light, exile them, then meld them into Brisela, Voice of Nightmares.
4/3
// The new and cheaper Baneslayer Angel, with 4 mana it swing for 8. The only handicap is the legendary weakness against Karakas.
Rating 4/5
Thalia, Heretic Cathar 2W
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
First Strike
Creatures and non-basic lands your opponents control enter the battlefield tapped.
3/2
// Kismet meets Porcelain Legionnaire. With 3/2 First Strike it can beat most cheap creature and maybe it taps enough permanents to be worth the 3 mana investion. Again the worst part is the legendary handicap (and the small thoughness).
Rating 4/5
Hanweir Garrison 2R
Creature - Human Soldier
Whenever Hanweir Garrison attacks, put two 1/1 red Human creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
2/3
// A mixture of Goblin Rabblemaster and Brimaz, King of Oreskos. It's less aggresive than the Goblin and it's cheaper and has less thoughness than the Brimaz. Could see play in RDW, 4C-Blood(with Nisaa and Sorin) and of course in Token Decks.
Rating 3/5
Hanweir Battlements
Land
t: Add C to your mana pool.
R, t: Target creature gains haste until end of turn.
3RR, t: If you both own and control Hanweir Battlements and a creature named Hanweir Garrison, exile them, then meld them into Hanweir, the Writhing Township
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Hanweir, the Writhing Township
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi Ooze
Trample, haste
Whenever Hanweir, the Writhing Township attacks, put two 3/2 colorless Eldrazi Horror creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
7/4
// A cheap source for haste, but I can't imagine the Battlements + Garrison = Township combo sees play. The Battlements could see play in Reanimator or in Ramp decks, where haste is really needed.
Rating 3/5
Docent of Perfection 3UU
Creature - Insect Horror
Flying
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, put a 1/1 blue Human Wizard creature token onto the battlefield. Then, if you control three or more wizards, transform Docent of Perfection.
5/4
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Final Iteration
Creature - Eldrazi Insect
Flying
Wizards you control get +2/+1 and have Flying.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, put a 1/1 blue Human Wizard creature token onto the battlefield.
6/5
// What a flairfull card, a giant Horror-Delver which breeds it's own Delver of Secrets. A mixture of Young Pyromancer and Thing in the Ice with a 5/4 Flying Body, the 5 mana makes this card really balanced so that I fear it won't see much play.
Rating 3/5
Emrakul, the Promised End 13
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi
Emrakul, the Promised End costs 1 less to cast for each card type among cards in your graveyard.
When you cast Emrakul, you gain control of target opponent during that player's next turn. After that turn, that player takes an extra turn.
Flying, trample, protection from instants
13/13
// Emrakul meets the Mindslaver, but without the turn loss for the opponent. With it's 9-13 mana it's strictly limited to Ramp decks.
Rating 2/5
Niblis of Frost 2UU
Creature - Spirit
Flying
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, tap target creature an opponent controls. That creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
3/3
// Dungeon Geists meets Monastery Swiftspear. You need to play every turn a Instant/Sorcery to be as good as Dungeon Geists, so I don't think that the Prowess ability(which differs this card form the D.Geist) is worth this risk.
Rating 1/5
Ulrich of the Krallenhorde 3RG
Legendary Creature - Human Werewolf
Whenever this creature enters the battlefield or transforms into Ulrich of the Krallenhorde, target creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Ulrich of the Krallenhorde.
4/4
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Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha
Legendary Creature - Werewolf
Whenever this creature transforms into Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha, you may have it fight target non-Werewolf creature you don't control.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, transform Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha.
6/6
// The new 5 mana Huntmaster this time without lifegain, Wolf token, direct player damage and even without trample. But it has a giant pump spell and fights with a 6/6 Body other creatures. Even if you would like the abilities and Power/Thoughness 5 mana is still too much.
Rating 1/5
Here's the Rating which i use:
5: Clear Highlander Staple ( e.g. Swords to Plowshares, Brainstorm, Demonic Tutor, Lightning Bolt, Tarmogoyf, Lightning Helix, Wasteland)
4: Staple for several Archetypes ( e.g. Restoration Angel, Counterspell, Bitterblossom, Young Pyromancer, Sylvan Caryatid, Kolaghan's Command, Maze of Ith)
3: Cards for only a few Archetypes ( e.g. Porcelain Legionnaire, Muddle the Mixture, Hypnotic Specter, Stormblood Berserker, Flinthoof Boar, Jeskai Charm, Mishra's Factory)
2: Interesting Card Choice ( e.g. Wall of Omens, Impulse, Diabolic Intent, Reckless Charge, Rancor, Anax and Cymede, Barbarian Ring )
1: Worth Mentioning but more or less bad ( e.g. Blind Obedience, Powersink, Smallpox, Mogg Flunkies, Sylvan Ranger, Silumgar's Command, Evolving Wilds)
0: unplayable in normal cases ( e.g. Benevolent Bodyguard, Hidden Strings, Reassembling Skeleton, Threaten, Prey Upon, Decimate, Azorius Chancery)
Gisela, the Broken Blade 2WW
Legendary Creature - Angel Horror
Flying, first strike, lifelink
At the beginning of your end step, if you both own and control Gisela, the Broken Blade and a creature named Bruna, the Fading Light, exile them, then meld them into Brisela, Voice of Nightmares.
4/3
// The new and cheaper Baneslayer Angel, with 4 mana it swing for 8. The only handicap is the legendary weakness against Karakas.
Rating 4/5
Thalia, Heretic Cathar 2W
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
First Strike
Creatures and non-basic lands your opponents control enter the battlefield tapped.
3/2
// Kismet meets Porcelain Legionnaire. With 3/2 First Strike it can beat most cheap creature and maybe it taps enough permanents to be worth the 3 mana investion. Again the worst part is the legendary handicap (and the small thoughness).
Rating 4/5
Hanweir Garrison 2R
Creature - Human Soldier
Whenever Hanweir Garrison attacks, put two 1/1 red Human creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
2/3
// A mixture of Goblin Rabblemaster and Brimaz, King of Oreskos. It's less aggresive than the Goblin and it's cheaper and has less thoughness than the Brimaz. Could see play in RDW, 4C-Blood(with Nisaa and Sorin) and of course in Token Decks.
Rating 3/5
Hanweir Battlements
Land
t: Add C to your mana pool.
R, t: Target creature gains haste until end of turn.
3RR, t: If you both own and control Hanweir Battlements and a creature named Hanweir Garrison, exile them, then meld them into Hanweir, the Writhing Township
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Hanweir, the Writhing Township
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi Ooze
Trample, haste
Whenever Hanweir, the Writhing Township attacks, put two 3/2 colorless Eldrazi Horror creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
7/4
// A cheap source for haste, but I can't imagine the Battlements + Garrison = Township combo sees play. The Battlements could see play in Reanimator or in Ramp decks, where haste is really needed.
Rating 3/5
Docent of Perfection 3UU
Creature - Insect Horror
Flying
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, put a 1/1 blue Human Wizard creature token onto the battlefield. Then, if you control three or more wizards, transform Docent of Perfection.
5/4
--------
Final Iteration
Creature - Eldrazi Insect
Flying
Wizards you control get +2/+1 and have Flying.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, put a 1/1 blue Human Wizard creature token onto the battlefield.
6/5
// What a flairfull card, a giant Horror-Delver which breeds it's own Delver of Secrets. A mixture of Young Pyromancer and Thing in the Ice with a 5/4 Flying Body, the 5 mana makes this card really balanced so that I fear it won't see much play.
Rating 3/5
Emrakul, the Promised End 13
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi
Emrakul, the Promised End costs 1 less to cast for each card type among cards in your graveyard.
When you cast Emrakul, you gain control of target opponent during that player's next turn. After that turn, that player takes an extra turn.
Flying, trample, protection from instants
13/13
// Emrakul meets the Mindslaver, but without the turn loss for the opponent. With it's 9-13 mana it's strictly limited to Ramp decks.
Rating 2/5
Niblis of Frost 2UU
Creature - Spirit
Flying
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, tap target creature an opponent controls. That creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
3/3
// Dungeon Geists meets Monastery Swiftspear. You need to play every turn a Instant/Sorcery to be as good as Dungeon Geists, so I don't think that the Prowess ability(which differs this card form the D.Geist) is worth this risk.
Rating 1/5
Ulrich of the Krallenhorde 3RG
Legendary Creature - Human Werewolf
Whenever this creature enters the battlefield or transforms into Ulrich of the Krallenhorde, target creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Ulrich of the Krallenhorde.
4/4
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Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha
Legendary Creature - Werewolf
Whenever this creature transforms into Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha, you may have it fight target non-Werewolf creature you don't control.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, transform Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha.
6/6
// The new 5 mana Huntmaster this time without lifegain, Wolf token, direct player damage and even without trample. But it has a giant pump spell and fights with a 6/6 Body other creatures. Even if you would like the abilities and Power/Thoughness 5 mana is still too much.
Rating 1/5