This is a trinket card. It appears much better
than it truly is. If you are looking to combo
with fast mana and such, this could be useful.
It's also interesting that this card exists in a
format with a new Mana Leak (Mana Tithe). I'm
not sure where this card fits in, but will
undoubtedly find a home somewhere.
Simian Spirit
Guide
It's kinds weird, it looks like jank, but
honestly, I'm a little frightened by it. Dark
Ritual proved that "fast mana" like this is
downright scary if you can play it on turn one.
Rite of Flame was alright because you only get
two mana of the first one, but even that has hit
the Pro Tour hard in Storm decks. Now, with this
card, RRR on turn one is a real possibility.
Fortunately, that requires at least three cards
out of your opening hand, leaving little room
for anythign to cast with it and seriously down
on card advantage if the thing you cast fizzles.
And I'm also quite grateful that playing its
mana ability doesn't count as playing a spell,
since Storm is back in the format. But this will
indeed see use, mark my words. And I don't mean
hardcast as a 2/2 for 2R.
Constructed- 4
Casual- 3
Limited- 3
KC MetroGnome
KC MetroGnome
2/22 - Simian Spirit Guide
This is a card I never dreamed they would print.
I just assumed that the whole spirit guide thing
is something they'd deemed too strong and
wouldn't touch again. Obviously, the extra mana
boost, for the cost of one card, on turn one is
amazing (seems like there were some artifacts
that did something similar). If you don't need
the mana, you got an Ogre, which is nothing good
for constructed, but works just fine in limited.
I would pick this card very highly in draft, and
I expect he will show up in constructed. And in
older formats, possibly side-by-side with his
Elvish ancestor? There's something neat about
being able to run up to 8 free, turn 1 mana
accelerants.
Constructed - 4
Casual - 4
Limited - 4
Random
Simian Spirit
Guide
A friend of mine saw this for the first time at
a Planar Chaos prerelease and told me that this
might be good in Dragonstorm. It's not, but it
could fit in certain land destruction
variations. Frankly, I think that is its only
use. You can get a Stone Rain off turn 2 to
start the endless stream of land destruction
spells. Outside that, I don't think this card is
remotely playable.
In limited, it's slightly better, but I still
wouldn't make it a priority pick.
Constructed - 2
Casual - 2.5
Limited - 2.5
Aethereal
Thursday -
Simian Spirit Guide
This card has had people bringing up the idea of
a red version of 10-land Stompy. I don't really
think that'll work out, as green has more
efficient beaters like Rogue Elephant and
friends that red lacks. In standard, he might
get played in the Boros decks, but I doubt
it...the good 2-drops that deck uses (Knight of
the Holy Nimbus and Soltari Priest) are both
double-white, so this can't help you drop them
on turn 1. Maybe if they start using tomorrow's
card, but I don't think he'll replace those two,
but be played in addition to them, making this
guy a crapshoot.
In casual, it's faster mana in red, so play it
if you feel you need it.
In limited, I *might* take it if I were running
a very fast deck. Just be careful about the
disadvantage you get from using it. And, at
worst, it is a Grey Ogre.
