Artist of the Week: rk post

rk post is an artist who has been doing art for the game since 1998 when Exodus was released in June. He had two cards in the set, a common and an uncommon. Shortly after that, his art for Archangel (a rare) appeared in Portal: Second Age.

    

Journey Into Nyx Prerelease at Red Battle Games LLC

Once again I found myself going to a single prerelease event. Unlike last time, there was no FTV:20 door prize or anything of the sort. However, if you played at two, your second would cost $20 as opposed to the $25 of the first.

I payed for a friend of mine to play using a white box and I chose green. My deck came out excellent and I only lost my first match, but the loss was a 1-2 loss with a close game during one of my losses. I didn't record what I got out of each pack, but my seeded pack did have an Eidolon of Blossoms and a Journey Into Nyx pack gave me a Kruphix.

  

Journey Into Nyx Set Review: Multicolored, Artifacts, and Land

	Eric's Review - First... Wow. Just wow. This is the third planeswalker to have two +1 abilities AND the only others were printed in Standard about 4 years ago (Nissa and Elspeth, Knight-Errant). Costing five mana, Ajani 4.0 comes in and a decent 4 loyalty with three awesome abilities. He puts out more counters than Ajani 3.0 (Caller of the Pride) and he searches for auras, creatures, or planeswalkers. Yes, other planeswalkers can be found with Ajani. And 100 life is 100 life. You can survive a lot with that ability. This Ajani is a major powerhouse and expect him to stay high in price for a while, or at least until we see tournaments where the Top 8 don't run him. Bottom Line:  This is a great card. He fits in Standard, definitely in Limited, EDH, and I'd be willing to bet he'd be strong in Modern too.
	Devin's Review - This card is maybe a standard all-star. It's first +1 (yes first plus one) let you build a monster or give your team a slight boost. Then we go to the second +1, Which lets you dig deep into your library and get real card advantage in G/W. Finally there is this guys ultimate, which lets you laugh as your opponent most likely decides to concede because you just gained 100 life. Though this card does have some weaknesses. In an empty board all he can do is give you some card advantage if you are lucky, he also has the huge disadvantage of costing 5 mana. Overall he will try to see some play in standard, will be amazing in limited, and be loved by all EDH players.
	Eric's Review - First of all, the cost for this guy is insane. The only way to ditch him is exile, and he returns creatures to your hand when they die. Plue he's a 5/4. Sure seven devotion could be a pain to get to, but by turn 4, he should be a creature (think white weenies with Precinct Captain turn two and something else turn one with Atheros as the turn three). This is just insane. Bottom Line:  One of the best gods? I think so...
	Devin's Review - I remember when Mark Rosewater made the comment that when designing the gods he wanted to give them an ability that wouldn't be completely playable if on a regular enchantment card. Well he has proved himself wrong and this card is one of the reasons. Being able to recur creatures for now price (from you) after this is on the field is fantastic, this is good even with giving you opponent the chance to prevent it with 3 life.  This card will be a standard all-star who will wreck the format and make already good decks better and decks that weren't playable before decks to be reckoned with. This card will be loved by the EDH players and i can't wait to build an EDH deck around him.
	Eric's Review - For two mana, giving creatures +2/+0, vigilance and first strike is pretty powerful, but being able to essentially copy the spell for two mana each time, we'll it's like tapping an Isochron Scepter multiple times a turn (bad metaphor since Scepter is for instants, but you get the idea). Bottom Line:  Any heroic deck running red and white should probably be using this.
	Devin's Review - Not that bad though not close to the best strive card even at uncommon, though it can help push you two the super aggressive R/W heroes deck in limited.
	Eric's Review - I see this being far more of an EDH card than anything else. It essentially gets rid of things you don't need and trades them for things you do. Bottom Line:  Standard could put this to use, maybe, but EDH would benefit more.
	Devin's Review - I love this card, I can't wait to transmute anything in my hand into another card in my deck. Though this may be good some in limited this card will see no standard play. Where this card will do best in is EDH were a repeatable tutor effect isn't that bad.
	Eric's Review - A green blue monstrous deathtouch flying 3/3 with flash is a nifty thing... Bottom Line:  Limited might see this used, not sure about Standard. This should show up in Blue/Green EDH decks though, I think.
	Devin's Review - this card is alright though there is one word on this card that make it playable at all, Flash. This card is alright in limited though i don't think it will see much play.
	Eric's Review - Iroas is a pretty powerful god, especially coming in at four mana. Creatures you attack with must be blocked by two or more creatures and they can't be dealt damage when they attack. This is really powerful. Bottom Line:  Standard might see an influx of Boros decks...
	Devin's Review - So boror aggro may now be deck when all your creatures can't be blocked except by 2 or more creatures and you don't care how many creatures block or what you attack into when none of your creature can die because Iroas, God of (your) Victory says so. Though this may be great in standard he will be a general to reckon with in EDH.
	Eric's Review - Keranos is pretty powerful, however I don't see him doing well in Standard. You reveal cards and you can draw additional cards if the first card you draw is land and nonland cards deal three damage to a creature or player.
	Devin's Review - This card is amazing, and i feel his perfect fit is into standard American Control that i feel will get more play with the release of the U/R scry land. When this card comes to EDH i have no idea were to place him as most Izzet decks are really spell heavy and this card does not help in there fun.
	Eric's Review - Kruphix boosts your mana reserves so that your mana pool does not empty and instead hangs around and becomes colorless. It's not the best (Omnath is better), but in Standard, this is a major boost, especially if you have mana and nothing ig to play. Bottom Line:  EDH for sure, but I'm not sure this will really go anywhere in Standard.
	Devin's Review - I love this card for so many reason. Mostly though for his second ability and what you can do with that in standard  with all the other crazy simic stuff in the format (though i will go deeper on this subject in a few weeks). When it comes to EDH i see no reason why you wouldn't replace him with Omnath just so you can get the extra color that also happens to be the best color in EDH.
	Eric's Review - Well, here we go with more B/G graveyard things in Standard. Definitely not a bad card, especially for that deck. Bottom Line:  Standard has a B/G Dredge sort of deck (just without Dredge) on the horizon...
	Devin's Review - This card has one home in a G/B dredge deck in EDH. Being able to mill two each turn without sacrificing your draw is amazing.
	Eric's Review - Like the other gods in this set, Pharika is powerful as well. If you have cards in your graveyard and mana to spare, you can exile a creature card and give yourself a deathtouch snake to remove a threat. If an opponent wants a card out of their graveyard, exile it in response. Sure they'll get a 1/1 deathtouch snake, but Pharika can't be destroyed and therefore negates the deathtouch. Bottom Line:  Powerful and definitely a card to show up across a variety of formats.
	Devin's Review - Probably the worst god in this set, though that is not to say that it is bad, i feel this card shines in some obscure snake EDH deck as your snakey goddess to rule your army of snakes.
	Eric's Review - Well this is quite interesting. It puts out a lot of Satyrs, but I'm not sure the cost is worth it (or even attainable) in a fast-paced Standard. As long as there are decks capable of ending the game on turn five or six, this card has no place in Standard. Bottom Line:  EDH maybe, Limited definitely. Not much else where this could fit.
	Devin's Review - 6 mana for 8 toughness all of it with haste isn't bad, but for the colors it is in it is too slow to shine in any real format besides sealed or possibly EDH.
	Eric's Review - A flying creature that can boost through scry. It's not bad, but you run the risk of not giving it any boost. Bottom Line:  EDH if I ever saw it...
	Devin's Review - This card is crazy and that is not a bad thing. Being able to boost this creature with a slight gamble on how much it was worth just seems fun. I may throw this into some weird EDH deck.
	Eric's Review - I actually like this. It gains you life for enchantments (it's cheap too), and you can also pay life to make opponents lose life. Any multiplayer game could be won with this card. As long as you have more than one opponent (such as in EDH or Two-Headed Giant), then losing one life makes a total of 2 or more life lost amongst opponents. Bottom Line:  EDH is where this fits, but if you have lots of life and mana, you could drop your opponent down a bit in Standard. You also could make this work in Two-Headed Giant.
	Devin's Review - this is an odd bear, that i can't really comprehend.
	Eric's Review - Wow, a boosting artifact that gives a creature more counters. I like it. Bottom Line:  Limited and EDH. A bit slow in Standard maybe...
	Devin's Review - I really like this card though i think that it is only good for limited.
	Eric's Review - Not bad either, but not for Standard based on the cost. Bottom Line:  EDH and Limited will definitely put this to good use.
	Devin's Review - This card will be amazing in limited, though that is about it.
	Eric's Review - Kind of powerful, and a bit like Rubinia Soulsinger. Much too costly though. Bottom Line:  EDH is probably where this would go, although I could see control decks potentially using this.
	Devin's Review -This card costs to much for it to really do anything in any format.
	Eric's Review - Not a fantastic card, but it gets around any flyer with intimidate... Bottom Line:  I don't really know where this would go...
	Devin's Review - 6 mana for a 4/4 flier is too much.
	Eric's Review - This is a pretty powerful card. Sure it costs three mana, but it boosts all creatures of a certain color (so it's not as good as Spear of Heliod, but it'd pretty good). Bottom Line:  Maybe Standard could use this, maybe mono colored EDH decks could use this.
	Devin's Review - A colorless anthem is broken and it will be amazing in standard. Being able to let the elementals in MUD live is amazing.
	Eric's Review - A functional reprint of City of Brass is awesome, especially in Standard when you may not see the particular color you want. Bottom Line:  This is a card for everyone in any format.
	Devin's Review - This is a lot of mana consistency that will be amazing in standard, legacy, and even vintage.
	Eric's Review - About time we get a Blue/Red scry land. It was needed. Bottom Line:  It's a scry land!
	Devin's Review - Good as any scry land
	Eric's Review - About time we get a Black/Green scry land. It was needed. Bottom Line:  It's a scry land!
	Devin's Review - Good as any scry land

Journey Into Nyx Set Review: Green

	Eric's Review - This is a little better than Gladecover Scout. Sure it costs one more, but the power is boosted and it has built in reach. What's not to love? Bottom Line:  Limited and Standard is good. I'll even consider this in Modern Bogles.
	Devin's Review - This Card looks horrible in limited, but i could see a hexproof deck taking advantage of this in constructed.
	Eric's Review - Giant Growth costs one mana for +3/+3, but you can target MORE things with this for more mana... Bottom Line:  I actually see a Bant Strive Heroics deck coming...
	Devin's Review - This card is amazing, it will be an allstar in limited and I wouldn't mind throwing this into an EDH deck.
	Eric's Review - Well, it costs a bit much, however I could see this working out in an Omnath EDH deck... Wait. Kruphix exists... Interesting... Bottom Line:  EDH, and I think Standard even. Bit hard to work with in Modern, but crazier things have happened.
	Devin's Review - It is alright, pretty good solid removal in limited, but in any constructed format there are many cards that do this same affect but better.
	Eric's Review - Green land destruction. Interesting... Bottom Line:  Some sort of Jund "destroy everything" deck maybe in Standard?
	Devin's Review - A green demolish, and we see how good that is in limited right.
	Eric's Review - This definitely feeds into Kruphix's abilities, but this makes Omnath EDH crazier. Hell, this makes my Blue/Green High Tide Legacy deck crazier... Bottom Line:  Many applications, mostly focused on EDH, maybe Standard.
	Devin's Review - I love this card, and i cannot wait to play this in my standard deck. In EDH i this is so playable like all other cards with this effect.
	Eric's Review - Blue always has card draw, then Browbeat is red card draw. Now we have some card draw in green. Interesting... Bottom Line:  Seems good in Standard. Maybe in Limited. I'm still not sold on Constellation working in Limited.
	Devin's Review - This is really good, draw in green is pretty rare especially one that is this good. Seems great in limited and i could see this easily seeing play in standard.
	Eric's Review - It's not too bad, other things are better, but then we don't have Evolving Wilds or Terramorphic Expanse in Standard, now do we? Bottom Line:  One of the better cards in the Font cycle. I'm not big on the Black or Red ones, but the rest seem okay.
	Devin's Review - Not to bad in limited, basically a rampent growth that you can play a turn earlier and triggers constellation.
	Eric's Review - This is Limited for sure. And budget Standard for people without playsets of Sylvan Caryatid. But this is a bad card. One more mana gives it +1/+0 versus Elvish Mystic and a 0/3 Hexproof wall. I don't see the appeal. Bottom Line:  I would not play this. Maybe if I'm seriously in need of mana dorks in EDH, then I'd consider it.
	Devin's Review - This is great mana ramp, plus it has a body that isn't to bad. Playable in standard and limited.
	Eric's Review - I'm just going to go ahead and say I'm not a big fan of these Constellation cards... It's okay, but certainly not great. Bottom Line:  Limited only if that.
	Devin's Review - I have never had a chance to play with a "unicorn" before so i have no idea how to evaluate this card. Though i do know that this guy has huge body at it's cost for limited.
	Eric's Review - It may be a bit steep, but then look at what it does. Also consider Corpsejack Menace and Vorel of the Hull Clade are still Standard legal. Just imagine for a bit. Bottom Line:  Yeah, this is good. Hydras always seem to be good and we have an absurd number in Standard right now.
	Devin's Review - 5 mana for a 4/4 is under what we would expect in the modern splashy creatures magic. Though this card has the little surprise of being able to double its body for 4 mana (and you can use combat tricks to make him even bigger). Seems amazing in limited and EDH.
	Eric's Review - Okay, Trample isn't bad, especially on a 5/5 for six mana. I guess this is okay in Limited and not quite a stretch in Standard. Bottom Line:  Limited, maybe Standard.
	Devin's Review - This is pretty good in limited, being able to give your entire team trample when it comes out can really mess up how your opponent expected to play.
	Eric's Review - Well, a 7/7 for only six mana AND you can add more counters and even make more hydras. This is great. Bottom Line:  Standard. Mono Green Devotion. Or something. EDH too.
	Devin's Review - This card is fantastic overkill for my opponent. This card will destroy your opponent and then some. This will be super bomby in limited and i wouldn't be surprised to see this in standard or EDH.
	Eric's Review - Well, I think this will be a pretty good card to have, especially when you can draw a couple enchantments, place giant creatures in the graveyard, then pull them back out in Standard. This is good. Bottom Line:  There is a Standard deck where this is used, and I want to make it. Just after I get through Bant Strive.
	Devin's Review - That is a lot of card advantage for three mana in green. It lets you hopefully draw up to 3 cards (all enchantments) and will be great in the decks that want it and horrible in the decks that don't.
	Eric's Review - Well it's not too bad. I could see the applications... Bottom Line:  EDH, possibly Standard, definitely Limited.
	Devin's Review - More green mana ramp for limited and even a little in EDH.
	Eric's Review - Counters. I like it! Bottom Line:  Standard, Limited, EDH, lots of things.
	Devin's Review - Permanent growth and a heroic trigger in limited.
	Eric's Review - It's not quite Scry, but it could be useful, especially in Limited, maybe even in Standard. Bottom Line:  Seems good, probably best for Limited.
	Devin's Review - I don't know what is up with this set but there is a lot of green pseudo draws and this just add to the list. This seems really good for sealed and EDH
	Eric's Review - This is more playable, but more for Limited I think. A 2/3 for three that gives creatures +1/+1 for a turn is decent. Bottom Line:  Limited, maybe budget Standard.
	Devin's Review - Not to bad, but needs a lot of enchantments for this card to be good in limited.
	Eric's Review - Whoa, even more powerful. I like it! Not the mana cost, but the Heroic ability is amazing, especially for a common. Bottom Line:  Standard maybe, Limited would be good though.
	Devin's Review - Another huge heroic creature for green, and can't wait to play this in any Green heroic deck.
	Eric's Review - Centaur tribal? Bottom Line:  Um, I guess Selesnya Tokens could have another go in Standard...
	Devin's Review - That is a centaur lord that i can't wait to play in some casual deck with friends. Maybe there is some kind of centaur tribal EDH deck and if there is then i am very upset this is not legendary. Maybe playable in limited and doubt will see any serious standard play.
	Eric's Review - It is just okay. Monstrous cost is too high, and four mana for a 2/4 with vigilance isn't so great. Bottom Line:  Limited if anything.
	Devin's Review - Not that bad for a "pillarfield ox" though only playable in limited if at all.
	Eric's Review - Interesting... Bottom Line:  It's a decent body in Standard, probably better for Green in Limited though.
	Devin's Review - I really like this card you can just do crazy stuff with it like block and then before combat sac make your spider, though this is only good in limited.
	Eric's Review - Seems good. I like the "Choose one or both/all" cards. They're cool! Bottom Line:  Standard, maybe, EDH definitely.
	Devin's Review - This is a really good way to return creatures and enchantments that i think will be really good in limited and in EDH
	Eric's Review - And here we go with counters again. But hey, it could be a 2/2 or give something else +1/+1. Bottom Line:  Good in Limited, maybe Standard?
	Devin's Review - It is a bear that can spread it's love, this will be really good in limited.
	Eric's Review - Maybe there is some R/G fight deck we should be looking at... With deathtouch! Bottom Line:  Standard, Limited, EDH.
	Devin's Review - This is what they call green removal and this is a really good green removal card that can also hit heroic in limited.
	Eric's Review - I like getting to see size proportions and see just how big Ajani is compared to regular humans. And doubling counters is great, especially with hydras... Bottom Line:  Standard, Limited, EDH?
	Devin's Review - I really like this, a doubling season that only target one creature for two mana. seems really good in limited and possibly in budget EDH. (i am pretty sure that a heroic trigger would resolve before this spell resolves)
	Eric's Review - So the opposite of attacking each turn if able... I'd want to give it first strike and deathtouch first though... Bottom Line:  Limited is good, Standard is a maybe.
	Devin's Review - What an odd ability, though i really like this for aggro reasons though only slightly playable in limited.
	Eric's Review - Interesting... B/G graveyard shenanigans is getting better and better. Bottom Line:  Standard for sure, maybe Limited? Probably not though.
	Devin's Review - I love this card, great for G/B dredge in standard and EDH though this is horrible in limited.
	Eric's Review - He's not bad, you just have to make sure you don't get hit while he's on the field... But at least is't only combat damage. Bottom Line:  Seems decent. Possibly Standard? Limited is more likely. And EDH too.
	Devin's Review - This card is huge though this card seems to just want to be a meat whale to protect you from dying, though when you do have the chance to swing in with this guy you will feel great, this card could be great in EDH, standard, and limited.