Planeshift Limited Review: Red Gary Wise Isn't it amazing how at some point in each block, red just gets stupidly good? Somehow, the burn spells just pile up and all of a sudden you have a color with fast creatures, efficient kill and lots of rare bombs. Not too surprisingly, things are no different this time around. Planeshift's red is awesome, plain and simple. The set's two best commons (Magma Burst and Terminate) are red, some of the best common creatures are red, and there's one less pack of Crimson Acolytes and Galina's Knights to go around. Yes, the existence of Hunting Drake is a problem, but all in all, it can be said that this is Planeshift's strongest color. Here is a look at the cards that make red so strong now. Note the lack of throwaway commons like Shriek of Dread or Heroic Defiance. I don't know if this is what you want to be drafting, but this is the color to open in sealed deck. Commons Caldera Kavu This guy is a severe beating. For three mana, you get a card that is very similar to Andradite Leech without crippling your mana production, and the Green ability provides a special bonus. This little guy is even good in straight RG. Fast enough for the midgame, strong in the late game, there's no limit to how many you want in your deck. Insolence The worst red common in the set, Insolence could conceivably be solid as a sideboard card against a tapper-heavy deck. Kavu Recluse Sometimes you don't get 23 first pick-caliber cards and you need a few bodies to get into your deck, and that's when the Recluse becomes important. Slightly better than a Grey Ogre, the Recluse can help solidify your mana or disrupt your opponent's. Never a high pick, scoop a couple of these up late, just in case you need warm bodies. Keldon Mantle I'm not a huge fan of the Mantle, but that's not to say it isn't playable. Against black or blue (bounce and banishes), you're just asking to lose card advantage by playing this creature enchantment that doesn't do that much until you've had a chance to untap, but against decks in the other three colors, put the Mantle on an evasion creature and they often won't be able to catch up. Magma Burst Magma Burst isn't the best card in the set, but it's probably better than any non-red card around. Easy to cast, versatile and powerful, Magma Burst feels like a mistake to me in that it can single-handedly propel a mediocre player past a good one. Whether you're going to the head or killing two good creatures, this will almost always be your MVP. Almost always worth splashing in a two-color deck. Mire Kavu As I said earlier, red not only gives you powerful direct damage, but efficient creatures. Playable in RG, this thing is incredible in RB. Drop a swamp and you have what may be the most mana efficient creature in the set, not only hitting for four, but also not too shabby in the toughness department. Clear the path with a few of those removal spells RB is so famous for and you'll have a defeated opponent. Singe Definitely playable, Singe's strengths are twofold. First and most obvious is its ability to dispatch annoying 1-toughness creatures like Apprentices and Weavers. As a 1-casting cost instant, it does this in an efficient manner. The less-seen use of Singe is its use as a color changer. Not only does Singe protect your creatures from banish effects, but also from protection from red creatures and Hunting Drakes. Obviously, not all creatures can survive this protection, but use your best judgment. I'd rather play Zap, but it's better than Cursed Flesh. Slingshot Goblin I was quoted in the Tokyo Masters coverage saying that this was the most important card in Invasion Team Rochester Draft, and I stand by that statement. Time and again, I'd have great blue decks get smashed by this dorky Grey Ogre. If you can manage to get him and either Disciple of Kangee or Tidal Visionary into play together, opponents will have around one turn to save themselves, but even without, the Goblin provides a warm body with the potential to break a game. Thunderscape Familiar Probably the weakest of the Familiars, the Thunderscape is still playable. Dependant like its kin upon what else is in the deck, this Kavu (ever notice that?) becomes a lot better with creature enhancement cards like Sinister Strength and Maniacal Rage in your deck, as its sheer speed combined with first strike can create a very solid union. You don't want too many in your deck, but don't avoid it to strenuously. Uncommons Flametongue Kavu How is it that in this, the gold format, this easy to cast monocolored creature is the best card in the set? How this isn't rare I don't know, but Flametongue Kavu is obscene regardless of rarity. Fast, large, vicious, efficient, not only does this card allow you to put a 4-power creature into play for 4 mana, but it also more often than not kills off an opponent's best creature. Throw in the fact that cards like Lava Zombie, Repulse and Recover allow for the recurring use of the coming into play ability and you have what is likely the best non-rare creature in limited history. Implode A lot better in sealed deck than draft, Implode usually will serve you best as a sideboard card against Keldon Necropolis. Otherwise, its generally just too slow for what it does. Mogg Jailer I think that just about everyone knows by now that 'Grizzly Bears,' that meaning 2/2 creatures for two mana, are the standard by which all creatures in this set are measured, but this little guy just isn't up to the task. Fast, sure, but what good is speed when the mere existence of a Vodalian Merchant renders it ineffective. Not a bad sideboard card against 'bear' decks for the player who has trouble keeping up, the Jailer usually won't do you much good in your main deck. Strafe Efficient creature kill is hard to find, but you're looking in the right place. At one mana, Strafe is about as cheap as any kill spell that can remove a Rooting Kavu from your opponent's ranks, so the fact it is cast at sorcery speed is forgivable. Rendered ineffective by a Tidal Visionary, the reason Strafe is so good is because it allows you to kill a formidable creature the same turn as you cast one of your own. Most creature kill will require enough mana to take an early turn up, but this one is so cheap that that just isn't the case. Often, that temporal advantage will be enough to grant you victory. Thunderscape Battlemage Well, if you saw my deck list from Tokyo, you'll know I like this card. Battlemage is a Grey Ogre, a five casting cost double discard spell of a 4 cost piece of enchantment kill, the Battlemage, just like the others, is card advantage waiting to happen. The Battlemage kills Cloaks and other enchantments with the best of them, all the while Unnerving your opponent and can provide the early body to trade with faster deck while you struggle to gain control. That can't be a bad thing. Rares Deadapult I had a deck with 3 Shivan Zombies, a Lava Zombie and a Nightscape Familiar and the Deadapult wasn't great, so I'm obliged to say it isn't too good. That said, any more zombies than that and I think I'd have to play it, as it would then be a lot like a Necropolis, though protection from red is still a problem. Goblin Game I think all of you can figure out that 7 mana is a little much for what barely exceeds a game of chance. Play it for fun, don't play it to win. Mogg Sentry I think Dave Price might find a way to make this card good, but you aren't him. 1/1 creatures for one without activated abilities just don't do enough. This is no exception. Planeswalker's Fury I have seen so many people play this card, and I really have trouble understanding why. The first activation costs seven mana, and for that you get the possibility of doing direct damage to the head, and only to the head, lacking in versatility and efficiency, I see no reason to play this card when it is too slow to use early, but not fast enough to finish an opponent off before they can empty their hand. Tahngarth, Talruum Hero You may have been offended by my statement that Flametogue was the best card in Planeshift for Limited play, but you'll have to cope. Merely the best rare in the set, the Talruum Hero is slower not only to cast but also to activate, so it has to play second fiddle. That said, if you want to have some fun, try casting Armadillo Cloak on this monster and see how long it takes your opponent to concede.