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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day
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Image from Wizards.com |
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Pristine Angel
Darksteel Rare
Reviewed February 13, 2004
Constructed: 2.7
Casual: 3.8
Limited: 4.3
Ratings are
based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst. 3 ...
average.
5 is the highest rating
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our
Card of the Day Reviews
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Chris
Gerhardt
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game store owner in CA,
ShuffleAndCut.com |
First, I HAVE to
comment on the artwork. This card is awesome
in foil!!! Just absolutely gorgeous! I
collect foil angels, and this one will definitely
find a full page in my binder. As
far as playability, I keep hearing that she will
find a place in control decks, much as Exalted and
Akroma have. Magic has finally given us a
quantity of playable cards in one of the most
popular creature types, Angels. Casual
players and Angel collectors will enjoy this
newest addition.
In limited, large
flyers are always playable, and her ability, while
not as good as it would be in constructed, still
helps as there is also less removal to worry
about. Definitely worth a high pick, and she's a
money rare so far, and may continue to be so if
she finds a solid place in a constructed deck.
Constructed:
3
Casual: 4
Limited: 4.5
Current Price: $15
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Judge
Bill
*Level 2
MTG Judge
*game store employee
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One of the cards
casual players are sure to want, because it is
invincible in those type decks.
Unfortunately, 6
mana for a conditional "you can't target me"
effect is just much too narrow for serious
decks. You can't attack with her without having
her lose her protection. There are much better
values for the money for a serious constructed
deck, so I'll pass.
In limited, she
flies, and she is hard to kill. I'd play her if
I were going white, and I'd pickher high.
Constructed: 2
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 4.5
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DeQuan
Watson
* game store owner (The Game Closet - Waco,TX)
* pro tour player
* Scrye writer since 2002 |
Pristine Angel
OK, so we have another big bad angel card.
Obviously many people will look at this as a
little kid card. However, there is a LOT of
potential here. If you deck is built properly,
you can give it protection from all colors at
will. That's a pretty strong ability. IT is
also costed fairly so that you can fit it into a
deck. Right now with Eternal Dragon and Exalted
Angel floating around, Pristine Angel will
probably see very little play. It will be a
solid replacement in the post-Onslaught block
environment though.
Casual guys love this...it's an ANGEL! :)
Constructed: 2.9
Casual: 4
Limited: 4.6
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Jeff Zandi
5 Time Pro Tour
Veteran
Level 2 Judge |
Pristine
Angel
The Pristine Angel is just plain awesome. The
casting cost is just right for
a 4/4 white flying creature with possibly one
additional ability.
Considering this card's evasion and long-term
durability, I think it is
QUITE a bargain for the price. The problem with
cards with powerful
defensive capabilities like a 4/4 flyer with
protection from artifacts and
all five colors, is that they tend to be needed to
stay back and block a lot
of the time. Not so with Prissie the Angel.
Untapped, she blocks almost
every creature and survives. Attack and she loses
her protection ability,
until you cast another spell to untap this lovely
lady. This card is a great
win condition. Attack into their flyer of any
color, then, after your
opponent blocks with his Goblin Dirigible, cast an
instant and watch as
Pristine Angel suddenly untaps in the middle of
combat, regaining her
protection from artifacts and all colors. The
closest thing to a flaw with
this creature is its inability to be equipped or
targeted by your own
beneficial spells and effects. This is just about
the best rare available in
Darksteel for limited formats. In constructed,
it's hard to say if Pristine
Angel could become the win condition of choice for
blue/white control decks.
More likely, this angel would fit better in a more
aggressive deck with a
lot of instants. Unfortunately, creatures costing
as much as Pristine Angel
wind up in the graveyard thanks to global effects
like Wrath of God or
Oblivion Stone. For constructed, the jury is still
out for this very lovely
lady.
CONSTRUCTED: 3.5
CASUAL: 4.0
LIMITED: 4.5
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Andy
Van Zandt |
Pristine Angel
Irridescent angel. But a mana less. And no blue
mana. And pro-artifact.
And doesn't tap to attack. Irridescent was really
really good in limited,
this one is busted. It may even fit in as a
morphling-type replacement in
constructed. I won't hold my breath, but maybe.
constructed 2.7
casual 3.1
limited 4.6
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Ray
"Monk"
Powers
* Level 3 DCI Judge
*DCI Tournament Organizer
*Game Store Owner (Gamer's Edge) |
Pristine Angel
Wow, that’s hard to
kill. And it’s big. And it flies. And it untaps.
This is one tricky girl we have on our hands. Six
mana is a bit much, but if your deck is packed
with instants that can help you AND uncap her,
she’s going to win you the game. If not, she’s
still a big fat flier, which wins most limited
games. In Casual, she’s a great addition to any
Angel deck, although I admit I don’t like her art
as much as I do most of the other angels…
Casual: 4
Constructed:
2
Limited: 5
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Jason
Matthews
* Level 1 DCI
Judge
*game store employee
* gaming for over 15 years |
Pristine Angel
Well here comes another angel. So
it has protection from just about everything
except when its tapped. Hey isn’t when its tapped
when it really needs to be protected. I have to
say that when this card was made it definitely was
given a perfect drawback. It cant be affected by
the usual tricks of tapping before it attacks but
I would play it with a lot of instants just incase
my opponents have instant speed answers for it. In
casual its another angel for all those fans of the
Angelic nature. In limited its another easy pick.
Not to shabby of an angel in a game where most of
the Angels shouldn't be played.
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 3.75
Limited: 3.5 |
Jonathan
Pechon
2 Grand
Prix Top 8's
Multiple Pro Tour
appearances |
Pristine Angel
Protection from the
world is pretty good I hear. Having that ability
conditionally is not so amazing, but being able to
do so at instant-speed makes it a little more
acceptable. Again, though, we’re talking about a
creature that costs six mana that probably won’t
change a game that drastically (as compared to
Exalted Angel, for example). I could see this
working a little more effectively in block, but
that’s assuming someone comes up with a use for
the other white cards in block.
In limited, this is
nuts. The only cards that kill it are Terror, the
two black 6-cost removal instants, Shrapnel Blast,
and Soul Nova. Those are, of course, assuming you
*don’t* have an instant in your hand when they try
that. A very strong pick.
In casual, she’s an
Angel. There doesn’t need to be any additional
reasoning beyond that.
Constructed: 2.5
Limited: 4.0
Casual: 4.0 |
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Chase |
Pristine Angel
A little on the high
end of the mana curve for most white decks, but it
can be a good finisher. A 4/4 flier that almost
says: indestructible when untapped. Of course,
protection, always sneaks something upon you that
you didn’t realize: damage, equipment,
enchantments, blocking, targeting. Flaring Pain
anyone? Whatever. Will she see play? In Limited
and Casual, definitely. I’m not too sure about
Constructed though. White decks already win
without this anyway, so do they really need this?
We’ll have to see. For now, it’s a little below
average.
In Limited, if they
don’t have answer to this, it will be game over
soon.
Constructed: 2?
Casual: 4.5 (angel
decks!)
Limited: 4 |
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Danny Tatro |
This creature looks pretty good.
Unfortunetly its not as good as it looks. Its
drawback is its ultimate demise. The instant to
untap thing isn't as saving as it seems. Plus
its 4/4 flying for 6, which is pretty slow for
this format. Maybe a deck will be made that can
play this, but unfortunetly it seems like
exhualted angel and eternal dragon are just
wayyy better.
In limited its much better. 6 mana 4/4 flyer
thats invunerable to everything. Sounds great to
me!
Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 4
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