We’re getting down to the wire, only two more days to go. And what I’ve got in store for you little kiddies is better than pure corn syrup and a megaphone. That’s right, it’s Fire, everyone’s favorite aggressor. Will Fire get some awesome rares, or will it’s commons and uncommons continue to pave the way for future noobs to crash into the game with? Either way, we’re going head first into this straight blazin’ civilization, to buckle up!

Garkago Dragon
Fire
Creature
Armored Dragon
7/6000+
Double Breaker
- This creature gets +1000 power for each other fire creature you have in the battle zone.
- This creature can attack untapped creatures.

Super Rare - S4/S5

Aside from the fact this guy can take down untapped creatures, he’s pretty unimpressive. At the Super Rare slot, we’re expecting Fire to go all out into the battle zone with some furious technology. Instead we get this guy, who at best, is a tweaked Gatling Skyterror.

Rating: **

Armored Warrior Quelos
Creature
Armorloid
5/2000
- Whenever this creature attacks, put a non-fire card from your mana zone into your graveyard. Then your opponent chooses a non-fire card in his mana zone and puts it into his graveyard.

Uncommon - 34/55

Five mana isn’t that bad of an investment for 2000 power, especially since Fire can usually deal with threats by then, and he’s getting you ready for a mana destruction deck. This set obviously deals with the mana zone more than any other and destruction is a point you’ll have to get used to. Still, whether or not it will see play is how good mana-d will be. Nice card to have for it though.

Rating: ***

Baby Zoppe
Creature
Fire Bird
3/2000+
- While all the cards in your mana zone are fire cards, this creature gets +2000 power.

Common - 35/55

3 mana for a 4000 creature seems to be an astronomical deal. But keep in mind he’s still below the 5000 hurdle as I call it, falling painfully short of finishing off the creatures mid-range guys need to. Stick with human evolution creatures if your going for an assault, but a simple metagame shift is all this card needs to find playability.

Rating: ***

Blaze Cannon
Spell
7
- You can cast this spell only if all the cards in your mana zone are fire cards.
- Each of your creatures in the battle zone gets "Power Attacker +4000" and "Double Breaker" until the end of the turn.
Rare - 36/55

If you’re playing straight Fire, this card is quite the powerhouse. Unfortunately straight fire usually doesn’t need a spell this big to finish the job. You’ve gotta do it fast a furious. This would go well with a dragon evolution deck, if that picks up. Until it does, Blaze cannon gets a shadowy job on the sidelines.

Rating: **

Boltail Dragon
Creature
7/9000
Double Breaker

Rare - 37/55

Seems like quite the deal, until you realize it’s just Deathliger. He doesn’t see play, and neither will Boltail.

Rating: **

Explosive Dude Joe
Creature
Human
3/3000

Common - 38/55

Strangle how this guy would see more play in mono red than Baby Zoppe, even tho the bird has more attack power. Humans are key to mono red right now, and Explosive Dude Joe is the missing piece of the puzzle. He isn’t all that impressive, but there was no good three drop for human decks until now. He’s gonna see play in human decks, even though he’s vanilla, which baffles me to no extent. Hopefully vanilla creature like Vorg and Joe will get replaced in the near future, but only time will tell.

Rating: ***

Flametropus
Creature
Rock Beast
4/3000+
- Whenever this creature attacks, you may put a creature from your mana zone into your graveyard. If you do, this creature gets "Power Attacker +3000" and "Double Breaker" until the end of the turn.
Rare - 39/55

For four mana, this is an amazing creature. He almost makes the cut in Mon red. This is what a fattie should look like. Not a lot in the casting cost section, and an ability that doesn’t hurt you to much, but beefs the guy up enough. Never has a creature like this formed such a late and early game threat. Best Fire creature in the set.

Rating: ****

Muramasa, Duke of Blades
Creature
Human
6/3000
- Whenever this creature attacks, you may destroy one of your opponent's creatures that has power 2000 or less.

Uncommon - 40/55

Like King Neptus, only this guy actually slaughters the creature. In this case, it might be better since Horrid Worm and Swamp Worm have the key 2000 power, and bouncing them doesn’t help too much. But if that’s what you’re concerned about, he’ll probably die before he gets to be a problem for darkness. Hulcus and Bronze Arm Tribe can’t hide though. The only problem I see is fitting him into a deck. 6 mana is to steep for humans, and control would rather run removal spells. Probably won’t see play, but I think he deserves three stars anyways.

Rating: ***

Searing Wave
Spell
5
- Destroy all of your opoonent's creatures that have power 3000 or less.
- Choose one of your shields and put it into your graveyard.
Uncommon - 41/55

Silphy’s effect suddenly drops three turns earlier. Amazing against weenie rush, and in the late game when they’ll try to swarm you. To get card advantage out of it you’ll have to kill three things, but the shield isn’t really a card till they attack anyways. It doesn’t even effect your own guys, so it rules in the Human mirror. An awesome spell.

Rating: ****

Snip Striker Bullraizer
Creature
Dragonoid
2/3000
- This creature can't attack while your opponent has more creatures in the battle zone than you do.

Common - 42/55

You’re going to need to play weenie rush to get this guys full potential, and 3000 isn’t all that safe of a number anymore. A few sets ago this guy would’ve been a house with Braid Claw, but now he’s just another cheap red guy that’s not a Human. Oh well, you can play him in Suicide Red.

Rating: ***

Uberdragon Jabaha
Creature
Armored Dragon
7/11000
- Evolution
- Double Breaker
- Each of your other fire creatures in the battle zone has "Power Attacker +2000."

Very Rare - 43/55

The catch is, you need to be playing with enough Armored Dragons to get his full use, and Dragons, try as they might, can’t race Lost Soul. In the future, you never know, there’s always shifts in the metagame and new cards to look forward to. Until then, I’d gladly trade him up for some Jack Vipers.

Rating: **

Volcanic Arrows
Spell
2
- Shield Trigger
- Destroy a creature that has power 6000 or less.
- Choose one of your shields and put it into your graveyard.
Common - 44/55

Say hello to my little friend. Usually, the creature you get rid of would’ve smashed a shield anyways, and potentially double break two shields. And it’s a shield trigger. This will see play in Humans, Suicide Red, and probably any aggressive red deck that could emerge from the woodworks in the next few years. Get as many copies as you can because in a few years time, it will still be good, and probably be one of those sought after $2 commons, like Wild Mongrel.

Rating: *****

Even though it looked like our speedy roots would be given up for big dragon-sized behemoths, the true bombs I believe lie in making the speed decks faster. Hopefully his will give red the edge against the control decks, and send us into an era where we might fear Light cards. Tomorrow our journey comes to an end, when I review Nature, and summarize my picks for the set. Until then.

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Email: kian1602@hotmail.com