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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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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
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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 |
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
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Judge
Bill
*Level 2
MTG Judge
*game store employee
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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
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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
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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
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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 |
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