Thursday, July 25, 2013

Genju of the Realm

   So sorry for not posting! Life has gotten in the way!
   That aside, this week's card is Genju of the Realm, a legendary enchantment from Kamigawa.
    Genju of the Realm is quite astounding (as five-colored cards usually are). For five mana, you can get a land that, for another two mana, becomes an 8/12 with trample. And if by some miracle your opponent manages to destroy said creature (or land), then the enchantment returns to your hand so it can be used again!
     There's a negative side to all this, though: it's a five-colored card. And since five colors can be extremely difficult to play, Genju of the Realm is nearly useless. If you can successfully wield a five-color deck, then congrats, but otherwise, this card is just another overpowered legend that no one can use.

Jenara, Asura of War

    This week's card is Jenara, Asura of War; a legendary creature from Bant.
    Jenara is a decent card. It doesn't strike me as something I wouldn't leap at the chance to put it in a deck, but I wouldn't turn down an opportunity to easily acquire one either.
    That said, Jenara isn't a bad creature for three mana. 3/3 with flying is usually enough to hold off your opponents' attacks until you can cast your more powerful spells. Jenara's ability to place +1/+1 counters upon itself is what makes it a mythic rare, among other things.
     To conclude, Jenara, Asura of War isn't a card you'd want to build a deck around, but it's helpful as a defender for early on.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Dromar, the Banisher

    First off, I apologize for forgetting to post the last day or two.
    This week's card is Dromar, the Banisher, a legendary dragon from the Invasion set.
    Dromar is part of a group of three-colored legendary 6/6 dragons who, upon dealing combat damage to a player, activate an ability if their controller pays 3 mana (2 colorless, 1 colored). Dromar is not the best of them.
    Dromar's effect does not exclude it, so it's really only helpful if your opponent is playing red or green, so as not to have to recast Dromar. However, 6/6 with flying for 6 mana is not that bad.
    At the very least, you get a pretty strong flyer, and at the best you can deal serious damage to a Gruul-colored deck.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Boseiju, Who Shelters All

    This week's card is Boseiju, Who Shelters All, a legendary land from Kamigawa.
    Boseiju is not that impressive a card. It costs you life to get mana, and only one mana anyways. But it's helpful in an Izzet-themed deck (instants and sorceries) since you'll be able to do far more damage once your spells can't be countered.
    However, since Boseiju is a land, you can't untap it, so you'll need to make a choice about which card you don't want to have countered. It can be helpful when used with a counter spell, but in the end, the life you'll have paid will add up.
   To conclude, Boseiju, Who Shelters All is hardly an impressive card, but it can be a useful last resort.