I've just finished up my Shards of Alara set review for Extended, which I suppose I'll link to from here sometime soon. The article rides on the coattails of my previous article from a little over a week ago, here where I explain the format through unassisted eyes. Of course, it was constructed prior to Sensei's Divining Top's banning so, ignoring the fact that I mention the card and removed it from any potential decks, the article's suggested decks are actually all awful aside from possibly Faeries and Next Level Blue.
Shards offers some considerable boons to Extended, primarily Tezzert, Master of Etherium and Wild Nacatl (who is directly beneath the "Topan Ascetic" the link sends you to). The major problem with my evaluation of the set is that I haven't been able to test any of the new cards in "old" decks or "new decks" spawned from old decks, though these three are outright monsters in the new format.
As a whole, Shards is looking to be fairly boring in comparison to the previous two blocks. You have some new Artifact creatures, a schizophrenic White that tries to play to both of White's strengths but does neither well, an overcosted and underwhelming Boring Green Creature theme, Black with a few interesting if not completely useless tricks and a bunch of Red cards that edge on either insane or just merely "very good." I was a big fan of the previous two Limited blocks as well as Standard and Block seasons (when I wasn't only fighting Faerie decks), and Shards of Alara looks like a major deviation from that. I'm waiting to see the details of the Standard Alara review pan out, but right now I'm seeing another 3 months of Lorwyn Block Constructed before we see any major change in the environment.
Expect more reports on Extended as the article gets edited, critiqued and as Extended season approaches and occurs.
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