ArcaneAzmadi
09-28-2013, 02:56 AM
OK, this is the sequel to a similar thread I made on the release of Herald of the Void (http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/774557-My-review-and-rating-of-the-factions-in-HotV-and-top-5-cards). This time is a bit different, however, since the release of Academy in this expansion muddles things a bit- it's hard to rate which of the 6 factions got the most good stuff when one of them is being entirely introduced in this set. So I'm simply going to disregard Academy for now. I'm also not going to bother with a top 5, although I will do a quick list rating of the new cards in the spell schools as well to make up for it. So without further ado, from weakest to strongest, the factions rated by the new stuff they got:
5: Necropolis.
Wow, was this some misguided attempt at revenge? As you might have been aware, I rated Necropolis as the faction that benefitted the most in HotV thanks to getting a simply ABSURD number of awesome new creatures as well as one of the best heroes. Apparently some bright spark on the design team decided that this meant that to "balance it out" Forgotten Wars should give Necro nothing at all! Seriously, there are maybe 2 cards in the entire set for Necro that are even vaguely playable (A Life For A Life and Death Is Not The End) and even they are honestly not very good! Their hero is the worst of the new achievement heroes, their unique epic creature is mediocre at best (arguably the worst unique creature in the game) and you'd be a fool to use even ONE of the other creatures in ANY deck they're so useless (well, except MAYBE Sahaar Mummy as a second-rate Squee, Goblin Nabob (http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106473)). With the nerf to Banshee and the abundance of graveyard hate, Necro arguably LOST more than they gained in this expansion. Seriously, they might as well not have printed any cards for Necropolis at all! I have no hesitation in calling this the worst load of cards ANY faction has ever got in ANY expansion of ANY CCG EVER. I may have hated Necro after HotV, but now I just feel sorry for them.
4: Inferno.
Well, they certainly did better than Necropolis, not that that's any kind of achievement. Inferno actually got some really intriguing cards here. Ignatius may be the first hero to make a discard strategy genuinely viable, Escalating Madness could go on to be the best hand destruction card in the game if the opponent doesn't abuse graveyard hate, Gate To Sheogh is potentially awesome if you build your deck around it properly and Abyssal Worm is arguably the beefiest creature in the game. Pity the rest of their stuff is fairly mediocre, including the absolutely garbage Frenzied Maniac (which would be better if it didn't hit YOU harder than it's likely to hit your opponent), the second-weakest of the unique epic creatures, a new Lilim who is better to ogle than use and one of the worst fortunes ever printed (Dunes of Madness). There are some nice toys here, including some that could be potential sleepers (like Dhamiria was) but Inferno didn't really bring home the bacon.
3: Stronghold.
Stronghold got the second-best stuff out of HotV and they brought home a pretty sweet load this time too. Zouleika could be the new standard for Stronghold Might/Magic decks, with good spell schools and a neat ability that can really put a crimp on magic-abusing opponents. Their fortunes are the usual mixed bag- Ancestral Guidance is crap, Outraging Vision would be fantastic for Kelthor if it wasn't stupidly overpriced against all possible reason but it is so it sucks, Desperate Assault is interesting and Rushing Assault is potentially awesome in the right deck, which is still more than you can say for the load they got in HotV. Their creatures lack any of the really awesome standouts like Blackskull Crusher or Blackskull Shredder, but they did get some nice cards that are likely to be staples of play- Kelthor decks are going to LOVE Sahaar Brute, Sahaar Marauder is a real treat thanks to its combination of Swift and 6 HP, Cowardly Gnoll gives you some GREAT stats for a cheap price and isn't quite as vulnerable as Blackskull Goblin and while Zefiria's stats are fairly uninmpressive, her ability is potentially game-winning- it's hard to realise exactly how powerful an ability Swift is and getting it on a creature of your choice every turn is devastating. Unfortunately Sahaar Hunter doesn't impress much (overall stats are just too bad) and Sahaar Harpy is pure garbage.
2: Haven.
FW was a tasty treat for Haven players. First of, Morgan is a pretty nasty hero. Incidental life gain is the thing that can swing a game and his spell schools are pretty nice too as Ishuma has shown. All of their creatures range from solid (Crusader Captain, Crusader Treasurer) to intriguing (Scattershot Marksman, Crusader Chaplain, Crusader Watchman) to "OMFG WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY THINGKING THIS FRIGGIN' THING IS STUPID OP!" (Anael, Angel of Redemption). Seriously, Anael is pretty much the exact opposite of Necropolis' worthless Damran, the Tainted- where Damran was overcosted, under-statted and had a lousy ability, Anael is UNDERcosted, OVER-statted and has an INCREDIBLE ability. Seriously, it's like they weren't even TRYING to balance these cards! The main thing keeping Haven from the top spot in Forgotten Wars was the fact that their fortunes -ALL of them- are completely and utterly worthless (seriously, all 4 of them are AWFUL) and a little creature called Sayama Spy...
1: Sanctuary.
What. The. Actual. F*CK! Guys? Do the devs actually have ANY idea how important card advantage is in this game at ALL? Well, considering the game's Original Sin of giving ALL the heroes cheap, easy card drawing as a default ability, I should say not, but they're clearly not learning. It's hard to find the words to explain how stupid OP Sayama Spy is. Decent stats (the 5 HP is the only thing that matters really), WAY too cheap at 3R, 3M, with an ability that would make most EPICS turn green with envy (it doesn't even have to HIT to give you a free card, just attack) and it's a COMMON!? Seriously? Even leaving that aside, Sanctuary got a huge boost this set. Sayama Stalker finally gives them a tasty 2-drop shooter (whose only drawback is going to be finding a way to fit her into their already crowded shooter lineup) capable of taking out anything 4-HP or less they try to drop to block her, Sayama Champion is brutally good value for resource (being a potential 3/3/6 for only 3R, 2M), Sayama Dune Prowler is a good solid 4-drop with ambush and decent stats as well as being their first melee Outmanever creature other than Nyorai Sairensa and Raya, Sibilant Seductress is one of the best unique creatures in the expansion (although having to go up against Anael, Hasafah and Nur is pretty tough), especially if you team her up with Nyorai to completely OWN a row. And unlike Haven, all 4 of their fortunes are at least playable, while Honour Binds us is probably verging on OP and is going to single-handedly make Takana Osore a serious contender. Road to Enlightenment can lead to SERIOUS card advantage, Sinkhole is better than Whirlpool by virtue of being a cantrip and Zen Garden can provide some pretty good safety in the late game if you can afford it. The only odd thing is the way the devs think bouncing their own creatures is Sanctuary's "thing" with the new hero and the Sayama Warden, when it's not really a "strategy" by any means. Sanctuary really brought it home this time- but honestly, Sayama spy?! What were they THINKING...?
The Rest of the Stuff:
There was some pretty good stuff in the neutrals department this time. The creatures contained the usual mass of pointless garbage (Burning Sand Elemental, Sahaar Bedouin, Cactus Thing) but Greater Air Elemental may be the first PLAYABLE elemental (Swift on a flyer is something that shouldn't be overlooked) and Sahaar Skirmisher is interesting for being able to penetrate even the tightest of defences. Soothsayer completes the trinity of unique search creatures and while the jury is still out on Moon Phoenix (its poor stats are a REALLY bad drawback) it has potential. There were some nice fortunes as well, including Black Fang Extorsion (seriously Ubisoft, how much would it take for you to SPELL CHECK these things?), Time of Need and Fortune Telling, but I think Cosmic Singularity is something that they shouldn't have printed- heroes with "discard a card" ability costs are already starting to abuse the hell out of it. Secon Chance, unfortunately, reinforces the old stereotype that neutral cards are just garbage versions of faction cards- while it's THEORETICALLY nice that every deck now has potential access to creature recycle, it's overpriced and STUPIDLY limited in it application (it can't even save creatures that your opponent killed on their turn). Probably the MOST significant new neutral card is Rise of the Nethermancer, a BRUTALLY unsubtle attempt to destroy graveyard recursion as a viable strategy. Probably a step too far if you ask me.
SPELLS
7: Dark.
Just to REALLY rub it in to Necropolis players, their trademark magic school gets a load of total rubbish too. 2 worthless hexes and an inferior version of Puppet Master. Well done. The design team don't really seem to get that Dark's single-target creature kill makes cards like Shared Agony and Cursed Bound (again, no spellchecker?) COMPLETELY redundant, even if they WEREN'T overpriced. Enthrall is actually a really nice, balanced card, described by the devs as "what Puppet Master should have originally been". However, since they didn't actually NERF Puppet Master in this expansion and it's still COMPLETELY superior to Enthrall in every way (no, 1 less resource cost is NOT a worthwhile tradeoff for being able to be dispelled) there's no reason to use this card at all- unless you're going for some stupid creatureless stall strategy which would include 4 copies of both it AND Puppet Master. You git.
6: Light.
1 worthless spell (auras are bad by default and Heal isn't a great ability), 1 overpriced conditional damage spell and one direct healing card (with ANOTHER misspelled name) that is ONLY good as a follow-up to your own mass-nukes (what a pity Light get no hero with earth magic). Nothing much to see here, although at least you MIGHT find a use for Lay of Hands (it's supposed to be Lay ON Hands, like the D&D paladin ability!) in certain circumstances. Maybe you can get Divine Judgement to work for you, but I kind of doubt it.
5: Fire.
Yay, Fire Spikes! Seriously, Fire Blast is the LEAST creative spell they've EVER released, with literally no differences between it and Ice Spikes apart from elemental damage type (big deal, who uses Greater Fire Elementals anyway?). And Ice Spikes is weak, which is why almost nobody uses it. And that's BESIDES the fact that Fire already has better cards. Fiery Death is completely worthless (it encourages your opponent to spread out their creatures which, since you're playing Fire, they'll already be doing, but unlike Fireball can't even be used to kill or even DAMAGE a single threat) and was basically a total waste of a card. Mass Rage is a crazy spell and was really only included so Asalah players (the only hero to get both Fire and Water access) can use it with Focused Mind and sneer at your rage towards her total cheesiness. It otherwise has little to no use, but that combo potential is enough to push Fire ahead of Light. You cheap git.
4: Earth.
Weird load of stuff Earth got this time. Sand Shield is one of the few semidecent auras in the game (largely thanks to its 1 magic requirement) and can negate the likes of poison, Combustion, Immolation etc, really absorbing quite a lot of damage. Combined with Stronghold's Magic Resist creatures or The Might of Nature it can really end up quite annoying. Mass Earth Bound is a really weird card, considerably overpriced for what it does (which isn't really much), it feels like it was printed solely to be used in a cheeseball combo with Throne of Renewal. Deep Roots looks like it was designed to combo with The Might of Nature as well- although it affects enemy melees, it still protects yours from bounce and Puppet Master, which can potentially make your army almost invincible. While I don't like this emphasis on lamer combos, it's at least interesting.
3: Air.
Some nice stuff here. Air Trap is the first one-shot area enchant that might actually be worth using- although the 3 magic requirement is steep, it's cheap at 1 resource and unlike most others it enchants a LINE, not a row. Its effect is also hard to ignore, outright NUKING the first flyer the enemy drops under it. It's a gamble, but it may produce dividends against certain opponents. Homebound Winds was supposedly the devs' attempt to give Air a 'Soulreaver'-type card, which is puzzling because it's HOPELESS compared to Soulreaver- overpriced and doesn't even kill the target. Still, it at least fulfills its appointed role of removing a single target NOW without relying on damage (key against targets with Spell Resist). Finally, Forked Lightning is as pricey as spells come, but WHAT AN EFFECT! It's more of a board wipe spell of the likes that Fire usually get than the usual Air single-target damage. Expensive, but you pay for what you get. Thank god the devs resisted the temptation to release more lousy creature moving spells in this set (The Song of the Lost is the ONLY one that's ever been worth using, and even that's only because of Ice Spikes abusiveness).
2: Primal.
Ugh, MORE utility for the school that already rules in utility? Void Ripple is expensive, but sick- ANY card except an untargetable (e.g Day of the Sanctuary) or Blackskull Crusher is gone for good. Creature, spell, fortune, gone. Well, that about puts the tin lid on it. Nether Soul turns any creature into a 0/0 mini-Hellfire Maniac (albeit without the auto-Berserk effect). There's probably not much use for it, especially at its price, but it's fun to drop on a Darkwoods Treant, or a really huge enemy creature like Shi-no-Shi. Finally Spirited Away is versatile and interesting. Want to protect your Void Arbiter, Eleonore, or Shanriya Priestess from getting pounded into paste or shot to bits? Boom, immune to creature attacks. Want to get that annoying Lilim out of your way to finish your opponent off? Boom, it's helpless. The versatility to be used as an aura OR a hex makes it worthwhile and it's not overpriced either.
1: Water.
Well this was a surprise! Cold Fear isn't much use, to be honest, it's too easy to boost creatures up to 3 power and it only affects 1 row, but there may be some gimmick potential there somewhere. The real treats are the other 2. Focused Mind is, as mentioned, UNFAIR when combined with Mass Rage (thank god only 1 hero can do it) but is also a great counter to things like Altar of Shadows, Hellfire Maniacs and a selection of other stall cards. But it's Ink Warrior that's the set's standout spell. Yes, at 5R/4M it's expensive and it can't clone unique creatures (thank GOD!) but you have to consider how POWERFUL that level of versatility is. It can be a Banshee. It can be a Naga Tide Master. It can be a Surging Titan. It can be an Immaculate Glory. No matter what creature power you have in your deck, as long as they're not unique this card can double it. Hell, it's even theoretically possible to use 4 copies of a flyer and 4 copies of this card to fill your entire lineup with 8 copies of the same creature (I like to fantasize about Ghost Dragon). It's the best spell in the set and it pushes Water to the top spot.
Feedback? Thoughts? Opinions? Agree? Disagree? Go right ahead.
5: Necropolis.
Wow, was this some misguided attempt at revenge? As you might have been aware, I rated Necropolis as the faction that benefitted the most in HotV thanks to getting a simply ABSURD number of awesome new creatures as well as one of the best heroes. Apparently some bright spark on the design team decided that this meant that to "balance it out" Forgotten Wars should give Necro nothing at all! Seriously, there are maybe 2 cards in the entire set for Necro that are even vaguely playable (A Life For A Life and Death Is Not The End) and even they are honestly not very good! Their hero is the worst of the new achievement heroes, their unique epic creature is mediocre at best (arguably the worst unique creature in the game) and you'd be a fool to use even ONE of the other creatures in ANY deck they're so useless (well, except MAYBE Sahaar Mummy as a second-rate Squee, Goblin Nabob (http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106473)). With the nerf to Banshee and the abundance of graveyard hate, Necro arguably LOST more than they gained in this expansion. Seriously, they might as well not have printed any cards for Necropolis at all! I have no hesitation in calling this the worst load of cards ANY faction has ever got in ANY expansion of ANY CCG EVER. I may have hated Necro after HotV, but now I just feel sorry for them.
4: Inferno.
Well, they certainly did better than Necropolis, not that that's any kind of achievement. Inferno actually got some really intriguing cards here. Ignatius may be the first hero to make a discard strategy genuinely viable, Escalating Madness could go on to be the best hand destruction card in the game if the opponent doesn't abuse graveyard hate, Gate To Sheogh is potentially awesome if you build your deck around it properly and Abyssal Worm is arguably the beefiest creature in the game. Pity the rest of their stuff is fairly mediocre, including the absolutely garbage Frenzied Maniac (which would be better if it didn't hit YOU harder than it's likely to hit your opponent), the second-weakest of the unique epic creatures, a new Lilim who is better to ogle than use and one of the worst fortunes ever printed (Dunes of Madness). There are some nice toys here, including some that could be potential sleepers (like Dhamiria was) but Inferno didn't really bring home the bacon.
3: Stronghold.
Stronghold got the second-best stuff out of HotV and they brought home a pretty sweet load this time too. Zouleika could be the new standard for Stronghold Might/Magic decks, with good spell schools and a neat ability that can really put a crimp on magic-abusing opponents. Their fortunes are the usual mixed bag- Ancestral Guidance is crap, Outraging Vision would be fantastic for Kelthor if it wasn't stupidly overpriced against all possible reason but it is so it sucks, Desperate Assault is interesting and Rushing Assault is potentially awesome in the right deck, which is still more than you can say for the load they got in HotV. Their creatures lack any of the really awesome standouts like Blackskull Crusher or Blackskull Shredder, but they did get some nice cards that are likely to be staples of play- Kelthor decks are going to LOVE Sahaar Brute, Sahaar Marauder is a real treat thanks to its combination of Swift and 6 HP, Cowardly Gnoll gives you some GREAT stats for a cheap price and isn't quite as vulnerable as Blackskull Goblin and while Zefiria's stats are fairly uninmpressive, her ability is potentially game-winning- it's hard to realise exactly how powerful an ability Swift is and getting it on a creature of your choice every turn is devastating. Unfortunately Sahaar Hunter doesn't impress much (overall stats are just too bad) and Sahaar Harpy is pure garbage.
2: Haven.
FW was a tasty treat for Haven players. First of, Morgan is a pretty nasty hero. Incidental life gain is the thing that can swing a game and his spell schools are pretty nice too as Ishuma has shown. All of their creatures range from solid (Crusader Captain, Crusader Treasurer) to intriguing (Scattershot Marksman, Crusader Chaplain, Crusader Watchman) to "OMFG WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY THINGKING THIS FRIGGIN' THING IS STUPID OP!" (Anael, Angel of Redemption). Seriously, Anael is pretty much the exact opposite of Necropolis' worthless Damran, the Tainted- where Damran was overcosted, under-statted and had a lousy ability, Anael is UNDERcosted, OVER-statted and has an INCREDIBLE ability. Seriously, it's like they weren't even TRYING to balance these cards! The main thing keeping Haven from the top spot in Forgotten Wars was the fact that their fortunes -ALL of them- are completely and utterly worthless (seriously, all 4 of them are AWFUL) and a little creature called Sayama Spy...
1: Sanctuary.
What. The. Actual. F*CK! Guys? Do the devs actually have ANY idea how important card advantage is in this game at ALL? Well, considering the game's Original Sin of giving ALL the heroes cheap, easy card drawing as a default ability, I should say not, but they're clearly not learning. It's hard to find the words to explain how stupid OP Sayama Spy is. Decent stats (the 5 HP is the only thing that matters really), WAY too cheap at 3R, 3M, with an ability that would make most EPICS turn green with envy (it doesn't even have to HIT to give you a free card, just attack) and it's a COMMON!? Seriously? Even leaving that aside, Sanctuary got a huge boost this set. Sayama Stalker finally gives them a tasty 2-drop shooter (whose only drawback is going to be finding a way to fit her into their already crowded shooter lineup) capable of taking out anything 4-HP or less they try to drop to block her, Sayama Champion is brutally good value for resource (being a potential 3/3/6 for only 3R, 2M), Sayama Dune Prowler is a good solid 4-drop with ambush and decent stats as well as being their first melee Outmanever creature other than Nyorai Sairensa and Raya, Sibilant Seductress is one of the best unique creatures in the expansion (although having to go up against Anael, Hasafah and Nur is pretty tough), especially if you team her up with Nyorai to completely OWN a row. And unlike Haven, all 4 of their fortunes are at least playable, while Honour Binds us is probably verging on OP and is going to single-handedly make Takana Osore a serious contender. Road to Enlightenment can lead to SERIOUS card advantage, Sinkhole is better than Whirlpool by virtue of being a cantrip and Zen Garden can provide some pretty good safety in the late game if you can afford it. The only odd thing is the way the devs think bouncing their own creatures is Sanctuary's "thing" with the new hero and the Sayama Warden, when it's not really a "strategy" by any means. Sanctuary really brought it home this time- but honestly, Sayama spy?! What were they THINKING...?
The Rest of the Stuff:
There was some pretty good stuff in the neutrals department this time. The creatures contained the usual mass of pointless garbage (Burning Sand Elemental, Sahaar Bedouin, Cactus Thing) but Greater Air Elemental may be the first PLAYABLE elemental (Swift on a flyer is something that shouldn't be overlooked) and Sahaar Skirmisher is interesting for being able to penetrate even the tightest of defences. Soothsayer completes the trinity of unique search creatures and while the jury is still out on Moon Phoenix (its poor stats are a REALLY bad drawback) it has potential. There were some nice fortunes as well, including Black Fang Extorsion (seriously Ubisoft, how much would it take for you to SPELL CHECK these things?), Time of Need and Fortune Telling, but I think Cosmic Singularity is something that they shouldn't have printed- heroes with "discard a card" ability costs are already starting to abuse the hell out of it. Secon Chance, unfortunately, reinforces the old stereotype that neutral cards are just garbage versions of faction cards- while it's THEORETICALLY nice that every deck now has potential access to creature recycle, it's overpriced and STUPIDLY limited in it application (it can't even save creatures that your opponent killed on their turn). Probably the MOST significant new neutral card is Rise of the Nethermancer, a BRUTALLY unsubtle attempt to destroy graveyard recursion as a viable strategy. Probably a step too far if you ask me.
SPELLS
7: Dark.
Just to REALLY rub it in to Necropolis players, their trademark magic school gets a load of total rubbish too. 2 worthless hexes and an inferior version of Puppet Master. Well done. The design team don't really seem to get that Dark's single-target creature kill makes cards like Shared Agony and Cursed Bound (again, no spellchecker?) COMPLETELY redundant, even if they WEREN'T overpriced. Enthrall is actually a really nice, balanced card, described by the devs as "what Puppet Master should have originally been". However, since they didn't actually NERF Puppet Master in this expansion and it's still COMPLETELY superior to Enthrall in every way (no, 1 less resource cost is NOT a worthwhile tradeoff for being able to be dispelled) there's no reason to use this card at all- unless you're going for some stupid creatureless stall strategy which would include 4 copies of both it AND Puppet Master. You git.
6: Light.
1 worthless spell (auras are bad by default and Heal isn't a great ability), 1 overpriced conditional damage spell and one direct healing card (with ANOTHER misspelled name) that is ONLY good as a follow-up to your own mass-nukes (what a pity Light get no hero with earth magic). Nothing much to see here, although at least you MIGHT find a use for Lay of Hands (it's supposed to be Lay ON Hands, like the D&D paladin ability!) in certain circumstances. Maybe you can get Divine Judgement to work for you, but I kind of doubt it.
5: Fire.
Yay, Fire Spikes! Seriously, Fire Blast is the LEAST creative spell they've EVER released, with literally no differences between it and Ice Spikes apart from elemental damage type (big deal, who uses Greater Fire Elementals anyway?). And Ice Spikes is weak, which is why almost nobody uses it. And that's BESIDES the fact that Fire already has better cards. Fiery Death is completely worthless (it encourages your opponent to spread out their creatures which, since you're playing Fire, they'll already be doing, but unlike Fireball can't even be used to kill or even DAMAGE a single threat) and was basically a total waste of a card. Mass Rage is a crazy spell and was really only included so Asalah players (the only hero to get both Fire and Water access) can use it with Focused Mind and sneer at your rage towards her total cheesiness. It otherwise has little to no use, but that combo potential is enough to push Fire ahead of Light. You cheap git.
4: Earth.
Weird load of stuff Earth got this time. Sand Shield is one of the few semidecent auras in the game (largely thanks to its 1 magic requirement) and can negate the likes of poison, Combustion, Immolation etc, really absorbing quite a lot of damage. Combined with Stronghold's Magic Resist creatures or The Might of Nature it can really end up quite annoying. Mass Earth Bound is a really weird card, considerably overpriced for what it does (which isn't really much), it feels like it was printed solely to be used in a cheeseball combo with Throne of Renewal. Deep Roots looks like it was designed to combo with The Might of Nature as well- although it affects enemy melees, it still protects yours from bounce and Puppet Master, which can potentially make your army almost invincible. While I don't like this emphasis on lamer combos, it's at least interesting.
3: Air.
Some nice stuff here. Air Trap is the first one-shot area enchant that might actually be worth using- although the 3 magic requirement is steep, it's cheap at 1 resource and unlike most others it enchants a LINE, not a row. Its effect is also hard to ignore, outright NUKING the first flyer the enemy drops under it. It's a gamble, but it may produce dividends against certain opponents. Homebound Winds was supposedly the devs' attempt to give Air a 'Soulreaver'-type card, which is puzzling because it's HOPELESS compared to Soulreaver- overpriced and doesn't even kill the target. Still, it at least fulfills its appointed role of removing a single target NOW without relying on damage (key against targets with Spell Resist). Finally, Forked Lightning is as pricey as spells come, but WHAT AN EFFECT! It's more of a board wipe spell of the likes that Fire usually get than the usual Air single-target damage. Expensive, but you pay for what you get. Thank god the devs resisted the temptation to release more lousy creature moving spells in this set (The Song of the Lost is the ONLY one that's ever been worth using, and even that's only because of Ice Spikes abusiveness).
2: Primal.
Ugh, MORE utility for the school that already rules in utility? Void Ripple is expensive, but sick- ANY card except an untargetable (e.g Day of the Sanctuary) or Blackskull Crusher is gone for good. Creature, spell, fortune, gone. Well, that about puts the tin lid on it. Nether Soul turns any creature into a 0/0 mini-Hellfire Maniac (albeit without the auto-Berserk effect). There's probably not much use for it, especially at its price, but it's fun to drop on a Darkwoods Treant, or a really huge enemy creature like Shi-no-Shi. Finally Spirited Away is versatile and interesting. Want to protect your Void Arbiter, Eleonore, or Shanriya Priestess from getting pounded into paste or shot to bits? Boom, immune to creature attacks. Want to get that annoying Lilim out of your way to finish your opponent off? Boom, it's helpless. The versatility to be used as an aura OR a hex makes it worthwhile and it's not overpriced either.
1: Water.
Well this was a surprise! Cold Fear isn't much use, to be honest, it's too easy to boost creatures up to 3 power and it only affects 1 row, but there may be some gimmick potential there somewhere. The real treats are the other 2. Focused Mind is, as mentioned, UNFAIR when combined with Mass Rage (thank god only 1 hero can do it) but is also a great counter to things like Altar of Shadows, Hellfire Maniacs and a selection of other stall cards. But it's Ink Warrior that's the set's standout spell. Yes, at 5R/4M it's expensive and it can't clone unique creatures (thank GOD!) but you have to consider how POWERFUL that level of versatility is. It can be a Banshee. It can be a Naga Tide Master. It can be a Surging Titan. It can be an Immaculate Glory. No matter what creature power you have in your deck, as long as they're not unique this card can double it. Hell, it's even theoretically possible to use 4 copies of a flyer and 4 copies of this card to fill your entire lineup with 8 copies of the same creature (I like to fantasize about Ghost Dragon). It's the best spell in the set and it pushes Water to the top spot.
Feedback? Thoughts? Opinions? Agree? Disagree? Go right ahead.