Card of the Day Home

Decks to Beat - Tournament Winning Decks!

Card of the Day - A single card reviewed by several members of our crew.  Updated 5 days per week!

Card Price Guide

Featured Writers  
Judge Bill
DeQuan Watson
Ray Powers - Monk's Corner
Jeff Zandi
Jonathan Pechon
Chrstine Gerhardt
Jason Chapman
- on Peasant Magic

Deck Garage
Jason's Deck Garage

MTG Fan Articles
Deck Tips & Strategies
Peasant Magic
Tourney Reports 
Featured Articles  
Single Card Strategy

Magic Quizzes & Polls

Community
Message Board 
Chat
Magic League

Contact Us

Pojo's Book Reviews

Links

 


Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day


Image from Wizards.com

Viridian Zealot 
Darksteel Rare


Reviewed February 9, 2004

Constructed: 3.7
Casual: 3.4
Limited: 4

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all our 
Card of the Day Reviews 


Chris
Gerhardt

* game store owner in CA, ShuffleAndCut.com

 Viridian Zealot is one of the better rares to emerge from the Darksteel set. While each bit is unassuming at first glance, it's really amazing when you take each piece of it and consider it all together.  First, it's a 2/1 for 2, so a decent creature. Next, its ability is NON-TAPPING, which makes it infinitely better than Elvish Lyrist which has to wait a turn before it can blow up an enchantment. Also, it can destroy enchantments AND artifacts, making it basically a Naturalize with legs. Put all these together, and you have a very solid card that plays early for beat down, or later for removal.  Sales of this Elf have been rapid, and I would say it will almost surely find a spot in constructed decks.

In casual, not as exciting as most casual players would like, but in Elf tribal decks, it can find a comfortable home, and in other green decks looking for efficient artifact/enchantment removal, it could surely find a home.

In limited, YOU PLAY REMOVAL.  And of this quality, you just can't pass it up.  Viridian Zealot is card economy since it has 3 fold uses available, which makes it an auto include if you are going green. Plus, it's a decent money rare, so mize pick it.

Constructed: 4.25
Casual: 4
Limited: 4.5
Current Price: $7
 


Judge Bill

*Level 2
MTG Judge

*game store employee

A nice clean up of the Elvish Lyrist and Scrapper. For one more mana, you get an extra point of power, and the option to hit either artifacts or enchantments. I think this will see quite a bit of use in constructed, since you have the power equal to the converted mana cost, with the extra Naturalize ability thrown on. The only liabilities this has over Naturalize are: (1) Mana Intensity in mana cost (double green versus single green), (2) A creature (so unless you are firing it off right away, they could get rid of it before they play the enchantment), and (3) Rarity (being rare, it will cost more). Still though, this is worth looking at whereever you can fit it in.
 
This is also a great boon to casual players, if money isn't a problem. I'd play this over Naturalize any day.
 
In limited, there are plenty of juicy targets for this guy. You play him if you're playing green and it isn't a splash.
 
Constructed: 4.5
Casual: 4
Limited: 4.5
 

Ray "Monk"
Powers
* Level 3 DCI Judge
*DCI Tournament Organizer
*Game Store Owner (Gamer's Edge)

Viridian Zealot

 

My store is hot hot HOT on these. They seem to fill in a two slot in constructed magic mono green that’s been missing now. In addition, their ability makes them a mainstay for the current artifact heavy format. And if you think they’re good in constructed, in limited, these guys are great for your mana curve and a walking shatter on a stick. They can normally get in a couple early beats if your opponent doesn’t play the turn two myr, and often end up being a one for two in your favor before the game is done. In Casual, hey, it’s an Elf. What else needs to be said?

 

Casual:             4

Constructed:             4

Limited:             4

Jason
Matthews


* Level 1 DCI Judge

*game store employee

* gaming for over 15 years
Viridian Zealot

One of the really good cards to come out of Darksteel. Naturalize on a stick is what this guy should be called. In constructed I have that this card could and probably will replace Nantucket Vigilante. He is continuing the trend of good green and I have to wonder when that is going to stop. In current the current standard environment I don’t see how you wouldn’t at least consider playing this guy. In draft or limited this card is a no brainer if your green can support it and in casual play he is just good enough that you can play him to make sure that you have main deck artifact and enchantment hate.

Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 3
Limited: 4

Jonathan
Pechon


2 Grand Prix Top 8's

Multiple Pro Tour appearances

Viridian Zealot

This guy has a lot of things going for him. A 2-drop with two power and a very useful ability is definitely going to see play in block and possibly in standard as well. Being an Elf may also help to revive that tribal deck just a bit. A card worth collecting a playset of.

In limited, he’s still no slouch. If you’re in green, you’re taking this guy over a lot of other things in the set without much hesitation.

In casual play, he’s going to fit into Elf decks without too much of a problem. He’s already got a really solid mana-cost equivalent in Mental Magic (Multani’s Acolyte), but he’ll do in a pinch when you really need an answer.

Constructed: 3.5
Limited: 3.0
Casual: 3.5  

Chase Viridian Zealot

First, sorry about Friday’s CotD. I don’t know what I was thinking when I was proofreading them. I meant to say: Even if you could use him in Reanimator, you’d lose half your life. Silly me. Anyways….

A 2/1 with a built in Naturalize! As if green already has enough artifact destruction anyways. Maybe in Arrgo green? I don’t know. It doesn’t have that much time for this. They don’t really want to lose a creature to destroy an artifact, especially if that creature doesn’t get to attack. You would, in effect, spend 4 mana to Naturalize something. The only possible good thing about that is that this is uncounterable.

In Casual, it’s sort of iffy. Why don’t you just play Elvish Archers? I don’t think this card is bad, but I don’t see why you would play it.

In Limited, it’s much better. As long as this is out, they can’t play there big threats.

Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 2
Limited: 4

Jeff
Zandi
Viridian Zealot
I first looked at this card only for limited, where it feels more like a standard tool (in a good way) than a quality rare. In other words, in limited, I don’t think this card is particularly awesome considering how rarely you will have a chance to play with it in sealed deck or draft. In limited, you like your rares to be bombs that can radically change the game in your favor. I was missing the point. Regardless of how often you have an opportunity to play this card in limited, it’s still a very good card.

Targeted artifact OR enchantment removal that can be activated when the Zealot is tapped, all in a neat two power package for two mana. The double mana intensity makes this a harder card to use in limited, and the one toughness also makes this card less than amazing in Mirrodin limited games.
However, it’s still better than average for limited, and you’d be happy every time you see it. In constructed, this card is great for aggressive decks, giving you the power of Naturalize in every green deck without having to include actual Naturalizes in the main deck. In casual play, this card’s rarity makes him too expensive to worry about when there are other quality artifact/enchantment removal options in green.

CONSTRUCTED: 4.0
CASUAL: 3.0
LIMITED: 3.5
DeQuan
Watson
Monday - Viridian Zealot
 
This card is fun for me.  I consider myself somewhat of a constructed specialist, so this is a neat card for me.  I'm not sure that is as an overall high power rating, but it is very useful.  It fits the two casting cost slot, which green has been lacking since the loss of Wild Mongrel.  I think for some decks it may just end up replacing the Nantuko Vigilante.
 
For casual play it is only mediocre, since you et access to a ton of better creatures in that slot (river boa, wild mongrel, etc.) and a ton of artificat/enchantment removal.  In limited, it's useful and it makes the cut, but its nothing to be upset about not having.
 
Constructed: 3.7
Casual: 2
Limited: 3
Andy
Van
Zandt
Viridian Zealot
Of course he's rare, he's a reasonable constructed card. 2 mana, two power, and if he needs to he can be a straight up 4 mana disenchant. Not broken, but very solid. In limited, it's like a goblin replica, but one mana less to play, and two less to use. Hopefully you'll get to put his combat damage on the stack and then use him.

constructed 3.1
casual 3
limited 3.1
 

 

 

 

Pojo.com

Copyright 2001 Pojo.com

   

Magic the Gathering is a Registered Trademark of Wizards of the Coast.
This site is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast and is not an Official Site.