The dye has been cast and M14 has come! Even if there have been a lot of critics basking at M14’s weakness, we still can’t deny the fact that we have to use it one way or another. I mean, hey man, what can we do? It’s irrational to keep on nagging. We shouldn’t wait until WOTC change M14 as it will never happen. What we can best do is to pick the usable cards that would give us the edge over the others. Remember, others will be using it too so we really must equip ourselves with the right knowledge for our advantage.
Archangel of Thrune – based on Core set’s history, Angel mythic rares, all have hit the $20 initial benchmark but eventually fluctuated as the hype subsided when players came to realize their inability to help win most of the games. But I’m pretty sure this isn’t for casual play and expect to see it in tournaments soon. Frites, Simic and Selesnya colored decks, Naya, Jund, aristocrats will still be around and it’s not impossible to see this angel anytime soon.
Chandra, Pyromaster – Oh baby you’re playing hard to get huh? Well, according to the guys at the M14 pre-release tournaments, this is one of the hardest cards to find. Anyway, I find it hard to convince myself that this gal should be added in fast-phased aggro decks (such as RDW, blitz, and RG aggro) as she is a 4cc, not to mention her 2 reds which make it somehow restrictive to cast in a multi-coloured decks. All 4-5cc cards I know from those decks are game enders. Cards such as hellrider and thundermaw are expected to kill your opponent when they come down or at least give you the “REACH” advantage you need. I’d rather use Chandra on Naya, American mid, or jund as this girl possesses a dominating personality. Just like any other wives, except mine, it tends to control your opponent. It pings 1 life from your opponent and one of his creatures (and make it unable to block) to give way for your thrugtusk to penetrate.
Need more mana or are you badly in need of a bomb? No worries, she can give you a hand using her 2nd ability, w/c I firmly believe is the best she has. Her ulti is also creepy. Take one warleader’s helix and copy it 3x times. Or better yet, if you have a reckoner in play, take out the blasphemous act on your deck and copy it 3x. I hope your opponent survives.
Garruk, Caller of Beast – hell yeah, just call me baby! Another Garruk collection thanks to WOTc! This maybe slow at 6cc but green still has mana acceleration w/c would help you cast it on your 4th turn.
And even if it’s gonna be on your 6th turn, this guy can definitely help you as he can replenish your hand with creatures that might prove to be crucial at that moment. But don’t expect that you’ll have 6 creatures on your draw ok? That’s almost impossible to happen. You still have lands and non-creature spells, even if you have 38 creatures on your deck, that idea is improbable.
His 2nd ability is just like that of cavern of souls but you still have to cast it ok? It’s not free. His ulti is quite cool too. Cast a resto angel at your opponent’s turn (put it in the stack first and don’t let it resolve yet), the ulti will trigger and let it resolve, search for a creature like thrugtusk or anything w/c has a comes-into-play ability, put it into play and then let your resto resolve. There you go!
This might be seen in junk and naya but not in frites as Garruk puts the other cards at the bottom of your library.
Kalonian Hydra – Rumour has been lingering around prior to M14’s release that this will get the highest price. This so far is the hardest card to find, seriously. And do expect that it definitely be a standard tournament staple. Though this is still vulnerable to control spells and spot removals, it still has a hell of ability. If you got no solution to this, it’s tantamount to being beaten. Important note: its ability applies to all your creatures, not just with hydra itself. Combo this one with Angel of Thune and Township Gavony! 
Scourge of Valkas – It’s fairly a good card for 5 mana with a 4/4 body, fire breathing capability, and one triggered ability that will inflict at least 1 damage to your opponent when it comes into play. If WOTc would still print dragons, then this might just be seen in standard play.
Shadowborn Demon – hehehe it’s funny but according to Starcity games, shadowborn apostle has been the best-selling common based on pre-orders, record breaking! Though don’t be carried away with the hype. The demon is already good by himself. He’s got a muscular 5/6 flying body and a comes-into-play spot removal ability. And he need not seek the help of his apostles. He’s a big guy after all.
Dark Prophecy – WOTc has made every effort in mimicking Phyrexian Arena but had always been unsuccessful in doing so. I would hope that this somehow would be that card we all have been waiting for. But I really have this bad feeling with its restrictive mana. 3 black mana is too much to handle for multi-coloured decks. The triggered ability is very conditional too as you have to wait for people to die hahaha so creepy! I’d like to see MBC control rise from the grave again! Witchstalker - This has officially made Bant Auras a real contender in standard. With the help of gladecover scout, together, they will pave the way for your victory along with invisible stalker and St. Traft. What makes it even better is the voice of resurgence-like ability. Though you won’t have tokens, the +1/+1 counter has a huge effect in the battlefield as it amplifies the body of this wolf which makes it harder to eradicate via combat damage. This goes hand in hand with the enchantments you have, making it easier to win the game. By the way, of course, you can always use this in other decks esp naya =)
Mutavault - Needless to say, this indeed is one of the best cards ever reprinted in a core set. WOTc has all the reasons to reprint Mutavault as it has been rumoured that Theros would be legend and tribal based. Even so, at this current meta we have locally, Mutavault could still have a place on standard as it’s very versatile. Mutavualt has gone a long way in helping players win a lot of games before, and hence, it became a legend. I’m 100% sure we’ll see this on control decks. I couldn’t wait to board sweep all the creatures in play and attack mutavault on my next turn haha
Xantrid Necromancer - Remember Rotlung Reanimator? Oh I miss that one together with the scion of darkness. This somehow brings it back to life. We can really see this in aristocrats as this is an ingredient of a combo deck rather than of an aggro, just like what rotlung reanimator was before.
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