Hello everyone. I'm delaying my Limited tournament report from EUCC briefly so I can discuss something unexpected: the full Battle of the Aspects spoiler. I'm doing this for 2 reasons:

1. Nobody wants to read me writing about Limited

2. NEW SET SWEET

I'm going to steal a fairly famous Magic writers set review style, as it's very useful. Here is the scale he (LSV) uses to rate new cards, redone for the WoW TCG:

5.0: Card that defines a metagame on release. If your deck can't effectively deal with it, it stops being a deck very quickly. [Edwin VanCleef], [Broderick Langforth], [Tuskarr Kite].

4.0: Format staple. Good in a large number (or all) of the decks in the format. [Seeds of their Demise]. [Magni, the Mountain King]. [Cairne, Earthmother's Chosen].

3.5: Good in multiple archetypes, but not a format staple. [Loriam Argos], [Daedak the Graveborne].

3.0: Archetype staple. [Flame Lance], [Grand Crusader].

2.5: Role-player in some decks, but not a staple. [Darkstalker Soran], [Scimitar of the Sirocco].

2.0: Niche card. Unknown archetype. [Aaron Goodchilde], [Bromor the Shadowblade], [Thadrus of Teldrassil].

1.0 It has seen play once. [Sand Scarab]. Still awesome.

There's a separate one for Limited...but there is no Limited play for this set! So let's dive in:

[Murozond, The Lord of the Infinite]

This card is very weird, and could've been a lot better with a few tweaks. It's unfortunate that you can't activate him on your opponents turn. However, he's still worth looking at. His total cost, if you remove him, is 27, -2 for each turn you leave him removed. If you remove him on turn 3 and want him in on turn 10, you can just pay 10 on that turn and play him. Alternatively, against a slow opposing deck (where Master Heroes shine anyway), it's not that unreasonable to get him in on turn 8 or 9. Once he's in, it's definitely hard to lose. He has a significant static ATK and can search up whatever the best card in your deck is every turn.

Rating: 2.5. It will be hard to find a deck for him, but if you find one he is definitely very strong in it.

[Army of Undeath]

Worth noting is that this card can remove any card from opposing graveyards, not just ally cards. That separates it from cards like [Death's Duo]. Worth a consideration in the Green DK deck as it gives you another form of inevitability, making a big pile of 5/3 Ghouls. Also good in multiples.

Rating: 2.0

[Grim Fate]

This card's Constructed fate looks very grim indeed.

Rating: 1.0

[Vile Strike]

Not completely ignored, but very, very niche. This might see play in a deck sometime...maybe some deck needs to be able to pay X and kill people.

Rating: 1.0

[Mark of Cenarius]

This card is very interesting, as it is without any restrictions on what cost quest you can flip over, letting you complete [Leader of the Pack] or [Mr. Goldmine's Wild Ride] free of charge as early as turn 4. In addition you get a big guy - you can probably expect +3/+3 off of this consistently. In an imaginary line of play, you could Stash a [Magni, the Mountain King] on turn 4, play this on him, and flip [Leader of the Pack] on 4, leading into a potentially lethal [Viewless Wings] board. I like it, although its home is in a deck designed to abuse it.

Rating: 2.5

[Verdant Vengeance]

Ten 1/1s is quite a lot, although this requires a Treant themed deck for it to work. I expect that

we'll need to see a few more good Treant-making cards in order for things like this to be playable, and even then we might not want to play a card that isn't good if you draw it on turn 6 or 7.

Rating: 1.0

[Will of Cenarius]

Very possible, although not certain, that this creates a new archetype. With this and Davius, you can go some places quickly, and your opponent is probably not as prepared to play with an extra resource as you will be.

Rating: 2.0

[Impaling Shot]

Does Hunter want cheap, non-instant ally removal that can't hit an [Edwin VanCleef]? I expect not with [Spoils of the Hunt] around, but I could be proven wrong.

Rating: 1.5. Playable card in a vacuum, but not better than what's available or suited to the metagame.

[Punishing Shot]

The Punisher will not be making his return in WoW TCG form.

Rating: 1.0

[Tracker's Mark]

Not enough effect for the cost.

Rating: 1.0

[Arcane Reflection]

This is an effect we've never seen before! It's exciting, although it feels a little bit pricy to me. Still, it could see play. Copying a [Mazu'kon], [Daedak the Graveborn], or [Baxtan, Herald of the Flame] is certainly an option well worthy of considering. In a more aggressive version, you can also use it as a poor man's [Bottled Light] on your [Dagax the Butcher].

Rating: 2.5

[Flame Charge]

I loved this card when I first saw it, but after thinking about it more, it probably just isn't good enough. It's almost always worse than [Flame Lance] (although that card is so good I'd happily play more). If the deck adds [Arcane Reflection] and [Infinite Brilliance], it might be worth considering, but with the current number of abilities it just isn't feasible.

Rating: 1.5

[Infinite Brilliance]

I'm a big fan of this card. It reminds me a lot of [Blessing of Wisdom], which was amazing in its own time. The thing I most like about it is that it dodges all of the removal people are currently playing. [Miniature Voodoo Mask]? Nope. [Harpy Matriarch]? Destroy another ongoing. [Obsidian Drakonid]? [Overload]. If it sits in play, the game is almost certainly over. Few classes can keep up with the tempo Mage can push out.

Rating: 3.0

[Blessing of the Just]

This is at just about the wrong power level to be Constructed playable.

Rating: 1.0

[Condemn]

Very simple removal for the Paladin decks. It's hard to say if this card is better than [Inquisition], but it might be. Time will tell.

Rating: 2.0

[Crusader's Armament]

[The Horseman's Horrific Helm] is already perfectly playable, and this lets you build your own or do stupid tricks with [Shield of the Righteous]. I wouldn't get too excited about that combo (it is three cards, and not a guaranteed kill), but this card isn't horrible.

Rating: 2.5

[Mind Wipe]

Too high variance for me to want to play. [Bottled Mind] sounds much safer and probably better.

Rating: 1.0

[Persuasive Resurrection]

This card, if ability removal doesn't see more play, is definitely a Master Hero level of game ending. It doesn't have an immediate effect, but it only costs seven resources, making it cheap enough to see play. It doesn't have a deck, but it is very strong. If your opponent just has a [Mazu'kon] in the bin and you have a Shadowfang Keep, this card is unbeatable.

Rating: 2.0. Homeless.

[Subdue]

Simple and good in an aggressive deck. Might be worth a look.

Rating: 2.0

[Assassin's Grace]

A graceful execution of a card, but it will not be pirouetting into any decks I build.

Rating: 1.0

[Helplessness]

History has taught us that "free" cards are often broken. It's too early to tell with this one, but it is definitely powerful. The question is if there is a deck that either doesn't care about the card disadvantage or can nullify it effectively.

Rating: 2.5

[Knife Throw]

Isaac Collins likes it, and that by itself should tell you to stay far away. In all seriousness, I have no clue if this is good, but it definitely requires an extremely specific deck.

Rating: 1.5

[Elemental Balance]

I believe fire should be stronger than water.

Rating: 1.0

[Scorching Totem]

Instant speed and five health, but it only can deal their hero damage. It seems too easily answered, but it is reminiscent of Viewless Wings in a much less destructive manner. I doubt it's good enough to see play, but it doesn't seem too far off.

Rating: 1.0

[Totemic Cleanse]

In the class with [Ancestral Purge] and [Cleanse Spirit], this card is definitely not going to be cleansing anything anytime soon.

Rating: 0.0

[Curse of the Void]

Yeah, it's a marginal DoT. Still, two for a 2 damage DoT is what [Haunt] was, and this isn't too far away.

Rating: 1.5

[Demonic Torrent]

Big daddy [Fel Blaze] is no [Boundless Hellfire]. Expect it not to show up outside of [Tyrus Blackhorn].

Rating: 1.5

[Karuzak]

This card is popular, although I don't like it very much. A [Mazu'kon] just seems better, and also very good against this guy. He needed one more point of health to make a difference in the world.

Rating: 1.5

[Nether Vision]

What's that you say? [Sardok] is the best card in the entire deck? Sometimes you want to dig for a [Mazu'kon] or a [Daedak the Graveborn] also?

Yeah, this card is awesome. I expect it to very quickly become a staple in any Warlock deck that plays 20 or more allies.

Rating: 3.5

[Raging Stance]

Jim Fleckenstein's vanity card is cool and thematic, but unfortunately not playable at a competitive level. Still a sweet one though.

Rating: 0.5 (okay maybe he'll still Top 16 a DMF with it)

[Shockburst]

I wouldn't be shocked if your opponent bursts into laughter if you ever play this.

Rating: 0.5 (Counterspells [Leader of the Pack])

I'll be back Monday with the allies section, and then next Wednesday with the Equipment!

Thanks, as always, for reading!

-Ben