I've been playing a lot of 93/94 recently,
much of which involved trying to make Kismet do
something. It's in an odd sort of place, where
it doesn't lock out attackers like Island
Sanctuary or Moat but is a little on the
expensive side for aggressive decks, meaning
that it doesn't compare so well with Armageddon.
Reading Thalia's game text, I feel like someone
inside Wizards may have been working on that
same issue for twenty years or so, because she
enters play at an excellent point for aggressive
white decks, fights like a much more expensive
creature, and eliminates any chance of emergency
blocking for ever. And she somehow looks even
cooler than her original incarnation, too!
Out of all of the Eldritch Moon cards
spoiled in the first week, Thalia stands out as
being one of the most flagrantly powerful. If
she were just a 3/2 with first strike, she'd be
on the verge of being playable, but her second
ability is going to be absurd, especially in
wider formats. Keeping creatures tapped down the
turn they come into play makes it harder to
mount an effective defense against her and her
allies...but locking down nonbasic lands is
extremely good. It basically neuters the
fetchlands (from Zendikar and
Onslaught/Khans of Tarkir), meaning that an
early Thalia basically can lock your opponent
down long enough for you to run them over.
I think Thalia will probably fare better outside
of Standard, in formats such as Modern and
Legacy. These formats can power her out
faster, and they rely more on awkward mana bases
that she's able to punish. She's no slouch in
Standard, though, thanks to being a 3 power
first striker. Her only true downside is that 2
toughness; while creatures might not have an
easy time taking her down, red's seemingly
endless array of burn damage options certainly
won't.
