Today I’m going to post my opinions on the 10 best cards in the set. I’m excluding planeswalkers from this list because they were all in Lorwyn already. Garruk would obviously be high on any list.
Honorable Mentions: (These cards are good cards, but not in the top 10)
10. Birds of Paradise
Early in the game, it’s one extra mana. Later in the game, it’s one extra blocker. Either way, it’s going to help you.
9. Harm’s Way
Harm’s Way is a response to anything that deals damage, making a very useful card. You’re going to lightning bolt me? I think your Birds of Paradise would rather take the 2 damage then my Elspeth!
8. Darksteel Colossus
This is a good card only because of the number of ways to cheat it into play. Once it’s in play, it’s not going to be easy to get rid of. In fact, Path to Exile and Oblivion Ring are the only things that will stop it from running over your creatures and damaging you.
7. Silence
This is a good card, but it is number 7 on the list. Why? Well, let’s look at how it helps you: Your opponents can’t play any more spells. What does that mean? Spells on the stack under Silence will still be able to resolve. Someone can play a spell in response. Someone can play a spell next turn. People can still untap and attack. It won’t stop someone from using lightning bolt on your creatures. It’s still number 7, though, because you would obviously cast it during your opponent’s upkeep in most situations. That would stop that player from playing any creatures, planeswalkers, or sorcerys. This can stop a fast creature based deck in its tracks.
6. Land cycle
Yes, I know, they’re 5 cards, not one. There is no reason for a cycle that’s in the top 10 to take up 5 spots, so I grouped them together. These cards aren’t as good right now, because of all of the nonbasic lands in Lorwyn/Shadowmoor, but when those sets rotate, there will be a lot of cards that hate nonbasic lands, and these benefit from that. (Which is ironic, because they are nonbasic lands)
5. Ball Lightning
In most cases, this will deal 6 damage for 3 mana. It would be a hard choice to waste a lightning blot or path to exile on a creature that’s going to the graveyard anyway at the end of the turn.
4. Pithing Needle
While this is good for stopping creatures from doing anything, it has another upside: Planeswalker abilities are activated abilities. This one card can make a planeswalker sit there doing nothing for the rest of the game.
3. Lightning Bolt
This is a reprint, but it obsoletes almost any other burn spell currently in standard. (Not all of them) Creatures in M10 are weighed by the standard of “3 toughness? It dies to lightning bolt!” or “4 or greater toughness? It’s out of lightning bolt range.” When a card is used to measure other cards, that means it’s a very important card.
2. Honor of the Pure
Crusade was a good card when it came out. It for a slightly harder cost, it gave all white creatures +1/+1. This has an easier cost (Although this would most likely go in a white deck, like Crusade, so going from WW to 1W might not make too much of a difference here) and only pumps your creatures. This is in the white intro pack, so it shouldn’t become too hard to find.
1: Baneslayer Angel
I was defiantly wrong when I said that this was a bad card during the previews. It’s actually the best card in the set. Compared to Serra Angel, for the same mana cost, it loses vigilance, but it gains +1/+1, first strike, lifelink, and protection from 2 creature types that are important in casual and tournaments. (sometimes)
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