Gatecrash Preview: Burning-Tree Emissary

burningtreeemissaryCombo?

Quite an interesting creature in aggressive decks as it can be a free 2/2 creature. Sometimes you can chain one into another into another. It’s more probable in Limited due to the 40 card deck size versus 60 in constructed.

burningtreeemissary>burningtreeemissary >burningtreeemissary

Combo!

I’m not convinced this thing will be good enough in Constructed but people will try, that’s for sure! I like it personally because in older formats you can play it on turn to into something like Umezawa’s Jitte which is great.

If you bring a bunch back from your graveyard via something like Living Death you get a mana refund which is kinda cool.

 

 

Gatecrash Preview: Skarrg Goliath

skaarg goliath

Berserk on a stick. Well, kind of.

So Gruul got the fatties you ramp for, good for them! Well, it was somewhat expected but I like what they did with the Bloodrush mechanic. It’s like an ‘Evoke/Channel’ mechanic that’s more linear. The creature will always lend it’s regular stats to an existing creature in an effort to inflict maximum damage/end the game faster (or to a lesser extent, allow you to do some combat trick and have your critters live).

Ever have those situations where ‘one more turn/attack step and you had him?’ Well, now you can drop that excuse because you can think of all these creatures as having haste as long as you control at least one other creature. So instead of dropping a 9/9 trampler and waiting for your next combat phase that may or may not come (board sweepers, removal pacifism effect) just ‘Rush’ in!

Another relevant advantage that this mechanic has: it bypasses counterspells. Yeah, remember those nasty things? They still exist in Standard despite the insane amount of Cavern of Souls decks running around. So think before you mindlessly cast this thing on your main phase: “Would it better server its purpose to attack first and see what happens first?”

Chances are that it would.

Gatecrash Preview: Clan Defiance

clan defianceYet another Blaze/Fireball variant?

Continuing with more recenr Gatecrash previews, we have this bad boy! It seems like the lovechild of Blaze and Branching Bolt. A nice complement to the massive amounts of ramping Gruul players will be doing. It’s probably a great time to preorder these as well, because they feel a little undercosted at around 3$. A great game-ender if there was one and this one doesn’t require you to ‘miracle it to get maximum value out of it.

Pick yours up quickly, before everyone catches one!

Gatecrash Preview: Rubblehulk

rubblehulk

 

 

 

While Boros seems to have gotten the ‘quicker’ creature spoiled, the Gruul guild does indeed bring the beef. The Bloodrush keyword is reminiscent of the Channel ability from the Kamigawa block. This guy just gets better the more you ramp, only that he is smaller if you accelerate via mana dorks. Fair enough, but does this mean that there is another Rampant Growth-style spell in Gatecrash?

Stay tuned…