Rampage Review: Part 1 - Light
July 25, 2004

Hey everyone, hydromorph, back from my vacation of writing anything. Actually, I’ve been heavy into testing block constructed in magic for a while, and with many qualifiers coming up, I needed something to take my mind off card games. So of course I ended up doing a review of the latest Duel Masters set.

Let’s face it, Evo-Crushinators of Doom rocked. All the Super rares see play, even the Very Rares were awesome, two solid fatties with card manipulation attached, red trademark big dragon with a new archtype attached, and light and nature even get two playable evasion creatures.

Aside from that EVO introduced mana destruction, evolution creatures (duh), and a handful of other tidbits. A look into the future shows us that there’s going to be tons more interaction with the zones of the game aside from the battle zone, and Rampage is the dawn of this era, giving our Shield Zone and Mana Zone something to do then just sit there and watch our creature have fun.

I give the cards ratings based on a fairly simple 5-star scale.

***** - Self appointed bomb, one of the best cards in the set.

**** - Good card at a good cost, which will probably see play.

*** - Decent card, decent price, might see play.

** - Below average card, there are better options.

* - Not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Light hasn’t been the most pleasant of options when going into a tourney. You can’t outrace nature, you’re susceptible to mass destruction Fire and Darkness pack, and you shrivel up and die to Lost Soul. Light’s either going to have to get fast enough to outrace Lost Soul or gain some other form of trickery to combat the hate, and it may get just that.

Miar, Comet Elemental
Light
Creature
Angel Command
8/11500
- Double Breaker

Super Rare - S1/S5

Hey it’s Hanusa again. Yup, this is going to be another set with the trademark big vanilla monsters. Paying one more mana for 2000 more power seems kind of like a gyp. It will get the props of having the most base power of any creature for about 2 months, so enjoy your day in the sun.

Rating: **

Alek, Solidity Enforcer
Creature
Berserker
7/4000+
- Blocker
- This creature gets +1000 for each other light creature you have in the battle zone.

Rare - 1/55

By the time you reach seven mana you’re not only going to be looking dead in the eyes of Terror Pit and Natural Snare, you’re also going to be in the scary zone, you know, the point in time when that red mage turns 8 mana sideways a plays Scarlet Skyterror. At that time, you’re not going to be able to keep very many “other light creature” on the field, and if you manage to save a few, will that really compete with any of the EVO creatures? Nope.

Rating: **

Aless, the Oracle
Creature
Light Bringer
6/1000
- When this creature would be put into your graveyard from the battle zone, add it to your shields face down instead.

Common - 2/55

Here’s one of the new abilities Light is getting. It’s a nice ability and who knows, Aless might be the pioneer broken card for a revolution that, alright, I’m just kiding. The card is really expensive for such a small package. You’ll always play it as early mana, but the true test for it will be for effective the ability is in the late game. Six mana isn’t out of the question for a simple shield trade, and he’s really hard to kill. Only time will tell though.

Rating: ***

Boomerang Comet
Spell
6
- Shield Trigger
- Return a card from your mana zone to your hand.
- After you cast this spell, put it into your mana zone instead of your graveyard.

Uncommon - 3/55

Another of the interesting mechanics, this time not only restricted to Light, is the ability to return mana zone cards to your hand. This is a potentially scary mechanic that could very well change the game. Being a shield trigger gives this card a big one up on many others. If tutoring through your deck was good, what if you already drew it, but had to part with it earlier. I think the shield trigger justifies it, and you should pick the copies up while you can.

Rating: ****

Lena, Vizier of Brilliance
Creature
Initiate
4/2000
- When you put this creature into the battle zone, you may return a spell from your mana zone to your hand.

Common - 4/55

Is Lena going to take Magris’ place at the four drop slot. It’s possible. The Initiate evolution costs a mere three, and after you retract your spell, you get to cast is next turn. The extra 1000 points doesn’t really matter, but the general card advantage might. I’d probably stay with Magris just because it helps you burn of the fuel you got to work with. It might be better, it might not, or it might come down to personal preference. I won’t flinch though, I’m giving it four stars.

Rating: ****

Logic Sphere
Spell
3
- Shield Trigger
- Return a spell from your mana zone to your hand.

Uncommon - 5/55

Or you could pay one more and have an threat on the field. It’s reasonably priced and could potentially see play, but it seems kinda unfair to compare this to a creature attached effect.

Rating: ***

Ra Vu, Seeker of Lightning
Creature
Mecha Thunder
6/4000
- Whenever this creature attacks, you may return a light spell from your graveyard to your hand.

Uncommon - 6/55

The best possible combination you could have is with Holy Awe or another effect thereof, and if they have creatures worth tapping, they’ll just attack Ra Vu during your next turn. Unless you have adequate blockers or Toel, but then your getting too far into an intricate combo. Decent, at best.

Rating: **

Raza Vega, Thunder Guardian
Creature
Guardian
10/3000
- Blocker
- When this creature would be put into the graveyard from the battle zone, add it to your shields face down instead.

Rare - 7/55

Alright, I’ll be frank, ten mana is asking quite a bit. Six mana isn’t out of the question, but what out there seriously costs ten mana that you can get to in a reasonable fashion? This thing has little to no chance to compete in today’s environment. Light can stall you out for a while, but not long enough to get this guy out. If the metagame takes a change, it might see some play. Until then, trade it to some johnny.

Rating: **

Sieg Balicula, the Intense
Creature
Initiate
3/5000
- Evolution
- Each of your other light creatures in the battle zone has "Blocker."

Very Rare - 8/55

They really are encouraging mono colored decks. Initiates are an amazing type to begin with, Vizier had paved the way for this type of insanity to ensue. This and Toel are an amazing combo, and one of the great things is that this creature has evasion from a lot of red cards, even Scarlet Skyterror. Expect many deck to be built around it, because it’s probably the best Light creature out right now.

Rating: *****

Sparkle Flower
Creature
Starlight Tree
4/3000
- While all the cards in your mana zone are light cards, this creature has "Blocker."

Rare - 9/55

Not overly impressive by any means, especially with the Sieg in this set. Unless Starlight Trees go anywhere in the near future, it’s just another rare that you don’t want to open.

Rating: **


Sundrop Armor
Spell
4
- Add a card from your hand to your shields face down.

Common - 10/55

So it’s come to this. Nature and Light are going to get abilities that interact with shields like this, and they look very promising. You can either play multi color and put down an awesome shield trigger, mono color and get Holy Awe, or just totally bluff your opponent out. While that’s not the best course of action since you are losing, this card can be very scary, and will only get better as more shield triggers become printed. This will probably allow light to move up a notch into Domain decks, or other multi color control deck. Or the ability could be horrible. There’s much to be said, but I won’t bore you. I think it deserves to be on the top 10 list of the set with Sieg though. I’ll give it the full five for now, and hopefully it will live up to hype.

Rating: ****

Ur Pale, Seeker of Sunlight
Creature
Mecha Thunder
4/2500+
- While all the cards in your mana zone are light cards, this creature gets +2000 power.

Common - 11/55


This is part of a cycle of common creatures that get bonuses for playing mono colored decks. While it’s cool to see the new creature type, Mecha Thunder, in action, I’d rather this an Initiate. That big puzzle globe thing from the first set isn’t seeing that much play, and this probably won’t either. If only it traded with Barkwhip.

Rating: **

Overall:

Light gets a creature that turns your board from early game dudes into defensive powerhouse, a card that can force deadly shield triggers, cards that retract bomb spells from the Mana Zone, and the biggest base attack in the game. Not to shabby. Tomorrow you get to feast on Water and all it has to offer, until then…

AOL: hydromorph1602

Email: kian1602@hotmail.com