Rampage Review: Part 3 Darkness
July 28, 2004

Darkness has been, without a doubt in my eyes at least, the single strongest color to grace this game. Lost Soul is backbreaking, as is Duel Masters’ Hypnotic Specter, Horrid Worm, and other nicely tuned forms of creature kill. Is today the day the Darkness finally gets a turn out of the limelight, or will it emerge into the up and coming metagame stronger than ever? Well boys and girls, prepare yourself for a ride through the darkness.

Giriel, Ghastly warrior
Darkness
Creature
Demon Command
8/11000
Double Breaker

Super Rare - S3/S5

Can you spell unimpressive. Now we got a bigger substitute for Deathliger, hooray. Why wouldn’t you run Ultracide Worm? It’s the same size, and it has haste. Plus you can evolve it from Swamp and Horrid Worm, darkness staples might I add. Prepare to enter a world of mediocrity known as my trade binder.

Rating: **

Baraga, Blade of Gloom
Creature
Dark Lord
4/4000
- When you put this creature into the battle zone, choose one of your shields and put it into your hand. You can't use the "shield Trigger" ability of that shield.

Uncommon - 23/55

Is that supposed to be a drawback? Darkness rarely gets a straight up 4 for 4000, but here it does, and you replace a card out of it. If you survive the initial rush, Baraga will give you pretty much just what you need to start taking control, a big body, and a replacement card. Expect it to see play for quite a while at the four slot.

Rating: ****

Bone Piercer
Creature
Brain Jacker
2/1000
- When this creature is put into the graveyard from the battle zone, you may return a creature from your mana zone to your hand.

Common - 24/55

Why would you really play this? I honestly can’t find a reason where it could become advantageous. Only 1000 attack isn’t impressing anyone, and it’s effect is probably a hindrance in the early game. Late game, you’ll have better options. Not only that, the ability doesn’t seem very darkness, which is more prone to taking things from the graveyard than the mana heap. Stear clear.

Rating: *

Eldritch Poison
Spell
1
Shield Trigger
- You may destroy one of your darkness creatures. If you do, return a creature from your mana zone to your hand.
Uncommon - 25/55

Stinger Worm doesn’t see play, and that creature looked logical for the price. This card is downright bad. If you need to effect, splash blue, it won’t hurt you that much. If it does, then just give up on this game plan.

Rating: *


Gamil, Knight of Hatred
Creature
Demon Command
6/4000
- Whenever this creature attacks, you may return a creature from your graveyard to your hand.

Rare - 26/55

Our bigger version of Amber Piercer. Gamil is solid for a Demon Command, but there nothing to celebrate about that creature type right now. The six slot seem more deserving of Terror Pit, or possibly Dark Titan Maginn. Gamil’s pretty clunky, and 4000 is more of a mockery than a power mark, as it dies to nearly any evolution creature.

Rating: **

Ghastly Drain
Spell
3
- Choose any number of shields and put them into your hand. You can't use the "Shield Trigger" abilities of those shields.

Rare - 27/55

This card is really strong for only three mana, even if it might come back to haunt you. If you have complete control of the game, why not turn up a few shields and feast on the yummyness inside? Worst that can happen is this guy’ll become mana. I wouldn’t run more than two if you plan on running it. It could be the biggest sleeper of the set, or it could be a steaming pile. Just remember what they said about Necro.

Rating: ****

Hang Worm, Fetid Larva
Creature
Parasite Worm
5/4000

Uncommon - 28/55

Talk about clunky. Poison Worm wasn’t all that great, but he sure as heck puts this guy to shame. Not that this guy’s overly bad, but why would you pay one extra mana for a package this unimpressive?

Rating: **

Jack Viper, Shadow of Doom
Creature
Ghost
3/4000
Evolution
- Whenever another of your darkness creatures would be put into the graveyard from the battle zone, you may return it to your hand instead.
Very Rare - 29/55

This card is pretty amazing. Suddenly Horrid Worm doesn’t die. Suddenly, Chaos Worm bounces back after getting into a scrum with Barkwhip. And the best part is, if you have more than one on the field, he goes back to. This is going to be one of those cards that spawns a deck that could break the format, or fall just short. But I think Control just saw the new face of fear.

Rating: ****


Mudman
Creature
Hedrian
4/2000+
While all the cards in your mana zone are darkness cards, this creature gets +2000 power.
Common - 30/55

Hedrians aren’t doing anything right now and Baraga is so much better. Come to think of it, so is Poison Worm. And for four mana, I’d also rather oust an untapped creature.

Rating: **


Scratchclaw
Creature
Hedrian
4/1000+
Slayer
- This creature gets +1000 power for each other darkness card you have in the battle zone.

Rare - 31/55

Slayer was an easily forgotten about ability. Scratchclaw isn’t the best launch pad to get Slayer off the ground, but he trades with what he needs to, and in the right situation he’ll be big enough to come back for more. Might see some play, but I doubt it.

Rating: ***


Snake Attack
Spell
4
- Each of your creatures in the battle zone gets "Double Breaker" until the end of the turn.
- Choose one of your shields and put it into your graveyard.

Common - 32/55

Again, not an ability you’d think darkness would have, but Suicide Black might start poking it’s head into the metagame. Nothing near as good as Suicide Red will look after this set, but Snake Attack is a devastating spell if you can get it to go off.

Rating: ****

Wailing Shadow Belbetphlo
Creature
Ghost
3/1000
Slayer

Common - 33/55

Remember when I said there were better options to Scratchclaw, well, here it is. First off, it’s a cheap ghost, which will be key to getting Jack Viper out. Second, it has Slayer which is amazing for such an early game creature to have. Trades with anything, no matter how big. Will probably see play in Suicide Black variants too.

Rating: ****

Overall:

Darkness definitely got a lot more agro here, most of it’s good cards being either quick, efficient creatures or spells that get you to them. Thursday we got every little kids favorite civilization, Fire, and all the mayhem that will ensue. Until then…