Despite the banshee being one of the most
resonant images in fantasy, it's taken quite a
long time for the trope to shriek its way out of
the moors of Ireland and Scotland and into
Magic; there have only been a couple of cards in
the past referencing these spectral harbingers
of death. But classic fantasy is what M10 is all
about, and Howling Banshee more than pulls her
weight on that front. She's a deceptively
dangerous threat to opposing creatures and
players; a 3/3 flying creature is, to paraphrase
Dave Price, objectively good. One that can
sometimes finish off an opponent without having
to attack (in a way that can't be stopped by
Runed Halo) is even better.
Constructed:
Cool card for constructed, but not a new shiny
powerhouse for Standard or any other competive
format.
Casual &
Multiplayer:
This card has fun written all over it. Work it
over with some bounce or use it with Tainted
Sigil in a big multiplayer. Fun times indeed.
Limited:
A 3/3 flyer for 4 mana not bad for limited.
Dealing that extra 3 life loss could win the
game for you.
Overall a great card to preview for the new M10
core set. Can not wait for the new core set to
come out.
What I am really looking forward to is drafting
and maybe some sealed deck.
This is definitely something different. The art is
kinda creepy looking too, which is a nice bonus.
Getting a 3/3 flier for 4 mana is perfectly
costed, so that's not a huge surprise. Having
BOTH players lose 3 life is intriguing. It keeps
with the suicide them that Black carries from
time to time, but it can also lend itself to
being a solid weapon.
In limited situations, this card can be really
strong. You won't mind losing a few life points
if your opponent is at 6 life or less. That will
setup a nice situation for you on the next
attack with your newly made flier. And being a
3/3 creature makes it formidable in combat
situations too.
And don't forget the power of this type of card
in a multiplayer setting. You could easily kill
off multiplayers that are low on life. You could
also gain some political clout in your game by
using (or not using) the Banshee. Since it
affects all players, it could be a scary card
that might put several players on notice. It
could get even scarier if you were to draw
multiples.
Overall, it's not a superstar card, but it's
definitely something that's playable and useful.
Welcome back readers today’s card is another
possible addition to black decks arsenal upon
the release of M10. The price of four mana
requiring a commitment to black nets you a 3/3
flyer makes each player lose 3 life. Remember
ladies and gentlemen the only life that matters
is the last one; this card helps lower
opponent’s life totals to allow your suicide
black creatures to swarm. In standard this card
may see play in a dedicated black deck as it is
a decently priced flyer in black and pushes the
suicide black concept. In extended and other
formats this card most likely won’t see
extensive play. In casual and multiplayer the
ability to hit a large or small number of
players with a life loss is a nice advantage for
a creature oriented black deck that puts an
opponent on a clock. In limited it flies its
black and it helps reduce an opponent’s life. A
solid pick if you’re in black. Overall this card
helps to illustrate the suicidal tendencies of
black as a color and provide an efficient
creature to boot.
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