Zendikar has proved itself to be a fresh and unique set before it has even been released! With so many new fresh abilities and the scrapping (finaly!) of the multi-colored only strategy of the Alara block, Zendikar has promised to be a great set. Although an official spoiler has not been released, certain cards have, and some of them are down right amazing! The following 10 cards are cards vintage and standard players alike should be keeping their eyes open for. These game makers or breakers will earn a special place in some MTG players hearts. So, without further adeu, I present to you… a review of Zendikar!

Rampaging Baloths – Mythic Rare

Remarks : Unique

The new landfall ability is very powerful and will forever eliminate the uslessness of drawing an extra land. If your creatures become interactive with you playing land, they will inevitably have an edge on creatures that don’t. While Rampaging Baloths may not be the best card with landfall, they provide a very straight forward and easily understood approach to how the ability works. A 4/4 for… free? Sounds like a deal to me! Its almost like you’re getting paid to put creatures into play!

Emeria, the Sky Ruin – Rare

Remarks : Scary.

Wow. Keeping in time with the “land does more than just sit there and add mana” theme, this card is amazing. It, along with others in the set, provide an ability along with mana! And to boot, its not even legendary! yes, this card comes into play tapped, but later in the game (and for those of you who play EDH or mono color) it will provide certain help to your cause. I think I just saw Reya Dawnbringer’s life flash before my eyes. This is good stuff for anyone who plays mono white. No, let me re-phrase that, great stuff!

Basic Land

Remarks : Awesome!

Zendikar land is going to be different than other land while some of it will be set up like your standard land card, the other half will be similar to the Unhinged land from 2004, providing an easy to find textless mana source! John Avon returns for many of the breath taking illustrations on these cards and land has never looked better.

Mindbreak Trap – Mythic Rare

Remarks : Scary Awesome

I had to read this card a couple of times before I realized what it did. I smell Force of Will combined with a dead Great Sable Stag. Yes, this card Exiles spells, not counters them, and since the stack resolves from the top down, this card is capable of erasing an opponents entire turn! I’d definitely put this one in the game breaking category and I might even go as far as listing it as the scariest card I’ve seen in Zendikar. To put things in a better perspective, lets all remember that Counterbore, Dissertion, Null Brooch and Suffocating Blast are all rare.

Rite of Replication – Rare

Remarks : Old School

Kicker costs are back. Personally I hated kicker costs back when they first started (in Invasion or something), but one look at this card made me think twice. Imagine having 6 Rampaging Baloths in play! Vintage players, dust off those Pandemoniums and get creative. This card is capable of eliminating multiple players at once! Yes, it costs 9 mana to have its super effect, but I feel like this entire expansion is a little mana heavy, and for good reason. Now that the lands are dangerous themselves, It makes sense to make the game enders a little tougher to cast.

Scalding Tarn (and Freinds) – Rare

Remarks : Old School

The Onslaught Fetch Lands are back in enemy colors! These popular cards from 7 years ago have resurfaced as land generators for decks of opposite color. They were chase rares in the Onslaught Block, but has the style survived the test of time? My guess is yes, and that this cycle of cards will be some of the most expensive lands in the set.

Felidar Sovereign – Mythic Rare

Remarks : Yuck.

This card is broken. Yes they’ve printed cards similar to it in the past, but not nearly this good. This card immediately has three strikes on it for me… The first being the “Win the game ” power. Yea its cool to win, but just plain winning by doing nothing really isnt fun, especially in multiplayer. Cards like Door to Nothingness and Epic Struggle deserve the same reaction, they just kinda suck to win with. Strike two: This card has lifelink! Already a beastly creature for 6 mana, it can attack and block, possibly gaining you 8+ life in one turn cycle, with no help! Maybe 50 or 60 life for its ability to resolve would be semi-fair, but I feel like clinching it at 40 is pretty easy. Strike three: Its a “Cat Beast”. What the heck is that all about? If I’m going to just strait up win the game, I want to do it with something at least relevant to the flavor of the game. I’d draft Zodiac Rooster over him out of pure spite. (If that were possible, of course).

Oracle of Mul Daya – Rare

Remarks : Amazing!

Upon first observations this card is a little more powerful than it really is. None the less, in a non-elf green deck, it provides some super mana acceleration. I feel like this card might actually slow down an elf deck because of its colossal mana cost (for a 2/2 with no tribal ability). However there are so many other decks it could work in, it’s popularity should remain the same.  A feel good rare, the Oracle provides a fresh card that will undoubtedly see play in many beast and power decks for years to come!

Chandra Ablaze – Mythic Rare

Remarks : Scary.

Ha, you didn’t think I wasn’t going to talk about Planeswalkers did you? Look out! Chandra’s back and she’s angry! This new version makes the old one look kind of… weak. Her first and second ability couple nicely and basically save you the mana of playing lightning bolt or whatever other burn-spell you have up your sleeve. Oh, and you’ll get to play all those discards again, for free! Chandra’s third power is truly a game ender if used right. This creative rendition of her is sure to inspire many deck ideas to come.

Nissa Revane – Mythic Rare

Remarks : Unique

While, first impression of this New Planeswalker is overwhelming, I do not believe she lives up to the hype. First off, such an elf specific planeswalker is going to be frustrating for players who don’t play green. Second off, this cards first ability is rather pointless in vintage in my opinion because Nissa’s Chosen (a non-tribal 2/3 for GG) would plug up a combo packed elf deck, as would Nissa herself, proving a rather expensive and risky (2 loyalty counters) third or fourth turn cast that would take away from a quick strategy. this card got me on the second ability though, a pile of life for +1? No one can find anything wrong with that. If anything, I believe this card will drive people to make a new kind of elf deck. Hate Elves? It’ll make good trade bait too.

Zendikar pre-releases are on September 26-27, 2009, and from then on the set will serve as a landmark (no pun intended) to the magic community. With such powerful cards available, who knows who will emerge on top during your next year of play!

Sources Cited:

www.wizards.com/magic

My work is not affiliated with of wizards of the coast, manufacturer of the game of Magic the Gathering, and reflects my own personal opinion and views. Please feel free to leave a comment!