Alara Reborn Review Black-Red May 23, 2009

Selected review of Alara Reborn Black-Red cards as found on the full visual spoiler.

Breath of Malfegor
I almost didn’t pick this card because it is kind of meh in most gaming circles and probably won’t see much play, if any, in constructed FNM. Although 5 damage at instant speed is no slouch.

Lets face it, Breath of Malfegor has killer art. Which is why I did pick the card. Look at my fire breathing demon, in your face! Even if you never play the card and just keep it in your hand, you’ll always have something good to look at. Seriously this card is pretty good in multiplayer games (duh). In my olden days of group multiplayer there could easily be up to six people around the table. Breath of Malfegor would be dishing out 25 points of damage for five mana. Boom. You get two of these to go off it will be hard for some players to recover.

Deathbringer Thoctar
This is one of those cards that can be really fun and works really well with certain mechanics, like devour. I could see this being an over kill, big win, with older cards like Nantuko Husk and Mogg War Marshal. Those old strategies are really great and could make this guy big. Also you have the chance to devour a lot of your guys and have a huge Mogg Fanatic on your hands.

The fact that this beast is also a Zombie suggests some interesting strategies with recursion decks etc. Also gives use to those Death Baron card’s you’ve had sitting around in your binder. Speaking of Death Baron, I really think that zombies are going to come back. I thought it would be in this block but there wasn’t the right synergy, maybe in M2010.  Anyway, I’d love to see some creative deck list with Deathbringer.

Demonspine Whip
So I’m all about the art in this color pair and I’ve got to say this art is rendered well, but WTF is up with the character holding the whip? Looks like it has one leg in a really uncomfortable position. I can see what is really happening but I was really thrown off guard when I initially looked at the card.

What I like about this ability is that it is a fire breathing without the red activator. Once equipped you can pump mana into this ability all day.

Lightning Reaver
So if you compare this card to Deathbringer Thoctar you get to experience  similar feeling abilities, except more efficient. I’ve got to say that Fear and Haste are a particularly awesome combo. This card alone with fear and haste at 3/3 for five mana is almost worth it (four would be amazing), but at five you get to make the guy bigger for almost being unblockable and then get to deal extra damage at the end of a turn. Maybe you glance at this card and think it doesn’t stack up to other Alara Reborn rares (and maybe you are right), but you would  be wrong because this guy is really awesome. FEAR & HASTE together on one card, I shouldn’t have to say more. I just did a Gatherer search on this inquiry and here is what I found, click here. Did you click? No, I didn’t think so because there is no need. There has never been another creature with these abilities printed on the same card. So ya this card should own, bigtime.

Thought Hemorrhage
A hightly hyped card and as annoying as Extirpate. Seriously you get to remove named card from my game for only four mana. I’ve only had this spell played against me twice, in games one and two of some FNM. I won both games easily, phfft.

This card is not to be underestimated. This card will be the reason the new Swans decks don’t make it (also Anathemancer), bye bye Swans you’ll need Glittering Wish to get you back in the game.