Twilight of the Dragons - previews have started!

Over at the Cryptozoic Blog, the official previews have finally started for the game's fifteenth set, Twilight of the Dragons. I'm going to skim over them quickly as there's twelve new cards - thirteen if you count Deathwing, who has been known of for a short while [big chin, not to be played with Dr. Boom, costs 60], and nobody wants to read my tripe about that many cards.

So. Starting off with the new ability pairs. Each class will have a pair of cards like these - one that destroys something and one that does something for you when it is destroyed.

It's a nice idea in principle - everyone loves synergy. I'm not sure these were the greatest example to show off the new cycle though. Favor of Undeath is a nice all-round card - it'll let your small guys trade up and will potentially let you kill two opposing allies with one of yours. Twisted Death Pact is less impressive - if one of your cards is attracting removal from your opponent, you lose that card. Paying 2 for a 3/3 is not too bad in that situation but it does require you to have two resources available, but more importantly, you're spending a card and not getting an amazing result out of it even after that.

Gardos Gravefang is the fabled 'Blue Anti-Broderick' that was mooted a while back by Cryptozoic. Granted he's not quite as impressive in a vacuum as everyone's favourite Undead, but he does exactly what it says on the tin - if your Gardos trades with your opponent's Broderick, Gardos will put that very same Broderick on the bottom of their deck, changing him from the greatest 1-drop ever to something strictly worse than Waz'luk.

Zor'dul Deathbinder is about the only thing I can envisage destroying with Twisted Death Pact, and even then - you've spent two cards, drawn one, and gained a blank 3/3 for a net cost of three resources.

You can save yourself a lot of hassle by just playing Kor Cindervein instead.

I think Zor'dul will be good in limited for those times that you go first but I really don't see it setting the world alight just yet.

Next up are a few of the rares. Taking this block's 'slightly underwhelming 7-drop slot' (previous holders: Darkness, Devastation) is Lyrana of Eldre'Thalas. She will at least leave a mark when she joins your party but without significant work building your deck may be largely underwhelming that late in the game.

Probably proving why I am no good at this game is Flamebringer Gaxix - an ally which interests me much more than Lyrana, simply down to how much easier it is to make his power useful. A potential 8/7 for 6 is simply good value and while his five health leaves a little to be desired, the potential bonuses make him highly playable in limited and worth pissing around with in constructed at the very least.

I don't know what to say about Blade of the Burning Sun. It can be used on turn 4, doesn't require any additional resources and merely requires you to put a load of fire cards in your deck. You can even reveal Alexstrasza and give your allies Assault 25 if you're lucky.

Is it too good to be true, or will it end up being one of those cards that is just not quite good enough, like Worldbreaker's Aspect of the Wild? As the UK's resident 'Pinprik Guy' I am looking forward to going back to flinging fire around for a living even if my little impish friend can't be with me.

As for Caelestrasz, he's a more expensive, less-restricting Spectral Kitten that gets bigger with the aid of his brothers. I'm sure there are plenty of ways to abuse this, though the example I keep trotting out (which will probably never, ever happen) is untapping with Korialstrasz in play, then playing this guy to create a board of an 11/11, a 12/13 and five 8/8s. Worth noting that his power affects himself, so he will always be a 5/5 barring external influences.

So far I've ignored Terrastra, largely due to the fact he looks a bit like Skeletor. His first power is decent - giving your hero static ATK is never to be sniffed at, but the second one is more interesting. 

Cards like Magni and Cairne from Worldbreaker took a little while to catch on, but now it's hard to deny that getting a 1/1 for free is great value for money. So, getting a 2/1 should be better, right?

Having to pay 6 for Terrastra does take the shine off that a little, and while you can now stash that second Adam Eternum for a little extra firepower, I don't think he's likely to make too many waves on the tournament scene. Maybe we'll see a new version of the Paladin Lava Dredger deck that also spawns 2/1s?

The Obsidian and Twilight dragonflights make their debut in this set too - bringing with them some much-needed utility with their ability to destroy things when they themselves hit the bin. The Obsidian Drakonid pops abilities, and the participation card for the Twilight release celebrations pops allies when it dies.

The Twilight flight, on the other hand, appear to feed off the destruction caused by the Black flight...

Finally, though, someone who is so eager to fight by your side that when the elements align they will do so for free. He is billed as "Azeroth's Greatest Champion" and I find it very difficult to argue: