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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day


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Simian Spirit Guide
Planar Chaos


Reviewed February 22, 2007

Constructed: 2.90
Casual: 2.70
Limited: 2.80

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

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Card of the Day Reviews 


DeQuan
Watson

* Game Store Owner

Simian Spirit Guide - Thursday

This is a trinket card. It appears much better than it truly is. If you are looking to combo with fast mana and such, this could be useful. It's also interesting that this card exists in a format with a new Mana Leak (Mana Tithe). I'm not sure where this card fits in, but will undoubtedly find a home somewhere.

Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 2
Limited: 2

BMoor

Simian Spirit Guide
It's kinds weird, it looks like jank, but honestly, I'm a little frightened by it. Dark Ritual proved that "fast mana" like this is downright scary if you can play it on turn one. Rite of Flame was alright because you only get two mana of the first one, but even that has hit the Pro Tour hard in Storm decks. Now, with this card, RRR on turn one is a real possibility. Fortunately, that requires at least three cards out of your opening hand, leaving little room for anythign to cast with it and seriously down on card advantage if the thing you cast fizzles. And I'm also quite grateful that playing its mana ability doesn't count as playing a spell, since Storm is back in the format. But this will indeed see use, mark my words. And I don't mean hardcast as a 2/2 for 2R.
Constructed- 4
Casual- 3
Limited- 3

KC MetroGnome

KC MetroGnome
2/22 - Simian Spirit Guide

This is a card I never dreamed they would print. I just assumed that the whole spirit guide thing is something they'd deemed too strong and wouldn't touch again. Obviously, the extra mana boost, for the cost of one card, on turn one is amazing (seems like there were some artifacts that did something similar). If you don't need the mana, you got an Ogre, which is nothing good for constructed, but works just fine in limited. I would pick this card very highly in draft, and I expect he will show up in constructed. And in older formats, possibly side-by-side with his Elvish ancestor? There's something neat about being able to run up to 8 free, turn 1 mana accelerants.

Constructed - 4
Casual - 4
Limited - 4

Random

Simian Spirit Guide

A friend of mine saw this for the first time at a Planar Chaos prerelease and told me that this might be good in Dragonstorm. It's not, but it could fit in certain land destruction variations. Frankly, I think that is its only use. You can get a Stone Rain off turn 2 to start the endless stream of land destruction spells. Outside that, I don't think this card is remotely playable.

In limited, it's slightly better, but I still wouldn't make it a priority pick.

Constructed - 2
Casual - 2.5
Limited - 2.5

Aethereal

Thursday - Simian Spirit Guide

This card has had people bringing up the idea of a red version of 10-land Stompy. I don't really think that'll work out, as green has more efficient beaters like Rogue Elephant and friends that red lacks. In standard, he might get played in the Boros decks, but I doubt it...the good 2-drops that deck uses (Knight of the Holy Nimbus and Soltari Priest) are both double-white, so this can't help you drop them on turn 1. Maybe if they start using tomorrow's card, but I don't think he'll replace those two, but be played in addition to them, making this guy a crapshoot.

In casual, it's faster mana in red, so play it if you feel you need it.

In limited, I *might* take it if I were running a very fast deck. Just be careful about the disadvantage you get from using it. And, at worst, it is a Grey Ogre.

Constructed - 2.5
Casual - 2
Limited - 2.5
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