Shadowmoor: Polyjak's Picks

WHITE

Ballynock Cohort - For White Weenie, a Nessian Courser on crack. Takes the curve to a whole new level.

Last Breath - A relatively potent, if limited, removal spell for white. Not for aggro decks, certainly, but an interesting tool in control's arsenal.

Rune-Cervin Rider - Pretty much on the curve for 2/2 white fliers with an ability, and this ability is actually pretty sweet. It's like a poor man's shade. Maybe it won't hold up in constructed as well as in limited, but it's worth a shot. Gives aggro decks something to do with mid-game mana when the hand is drying up.

BLUE

Briarberry Cohort - Good card for a blue aggro deck, which is still viable as long as Time Spiral is in Standard. Another faerie.

Drowner Initiate - I'm probably just excited about this card because I like playing Merfolk in block, but it's a one-drop with a repeatable milling ability, which seems better than the other one-drop Merfolk abilities.

Merrow Wavebreakers - For 5, a 3/3 with a costly flying and vigilance ability... Not sure if this guy deserves his spot on my list but I'm intrigued.

Spell Syphon - Another chip added onto the MUC pile for Standard. Can it happen?!

BLACK

Cinderbones - Maybe a bit mana-hungry, but this seems like a first-rate defense card in control decks. He sits back, eats away at attackers, and regenerates all day long.

Cinderhaze Wretch - This guy will have a target on him the size of China. Repeatable discard effect? Say no more.

Disturbing Plot - Everything about this card is cool, from the name to the art to the effect. Return two dead creatures to your hand with one spell? Potentially abuseable.

Faerie Macabre - Everybody's raving about this 'colorless' graveyard hoser. About time they did something like this!!

RED

Burn Trail - I may be overrating this spell, but it seems like the perfect late-game topdeck for red decks with 1/1s sitting there useless on the board and the opponent a mere sliver of life from defeat. A glorious rip.

Power of Fire - Another potentially abuseable spell from the set, though nothing we haven't seen before.

Smash to Smithereens - Fare thee well, Shatter. Good riddance.

(And once again, red gets the total shaft when it comes to the common cardfile. What a crock.)

GREEN

Devoted Druid - A fast little number, and combolicious in broader formats.

Farhaven Elf - Is this guy strictly better than Wood Elves? What gives?

Hungry Spriggan - Savage, 4/4 trampler for 3... who can be felled by a single -1/-1 counter.

Juvenile Gloomwidow - With reach and wither, this guy is a flier-hater's best friend. The art depicts the spider stalking one of the most ferocious beasts of the sky: a rabbit.

Presence of Gond - This is a combo waiting to happen in some wider format.

Green looks pretty strong in this set. There are a couple more cards that look solid: Nurturer Initiate and Wildslayer Elves.

WHITE-BLUE
(Not Azorius, please.)

Curse of Chains - Pretty unique ability for blue.

Turn to Mist - Next generation Momentary Blink.

BLUE-BLACK
(...or, if you must, Dimir.)

Helm of the Ghastlord - Tricky to employ successfully, but devistating if pulled off correctly.

Memory Sluice - The potential to mill for 8 with one card borders on Glimpse the Unthinkable.

Scarscale Ritual - Two cards for two mana and a -1/-1 token is certainly workable.

BLACK-RED
(Rakdos colors.)

Fists of the Demigod - The combination of abilities on this aura are pretty brutal in hand-to-hand combat. It's also very cheap. However, these colors have no way to prevent the death of an aura-wearer. Worth the risk?

Sootstoke Kindler - A hasty guy who gives all your other guys haste. He served me well at the prerelease and he will continue to do so in PDC.

RED-GREEN
(It's Gruul.)

Giantbaiting - One hasty 4/4 giant is scary enough. Tap two goblins and get twice the beats. This card is sick!

Scuzzback Marauders - 5/2 trampler that returns from the grave to kill again. Seeing this guy across the board is akin to a nightmare.

GREEN-WHITE
(Selesnya returns.)

Barkshell Blessing - White targetted pump. Coo.

Medicine Runner - A great friend of the Scuzzback Marauders.

Shield of the Oversoul - The thought of beating down with indestructable fliers is enough to make me find some green-white creatures to put into a deck together.

ARTIFACTS

Chainbreaker - An interesting combo piece who works with the -1/-1 counter theme.

Pili-Pala - This is a wacky combination of abilities, a flying attacker, and a color-fixer.

Scuttlemutt - Another decent attacker and color-fixer.