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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day
Daily Since November 2001!


Image from Wizards.com

Top 10 Cards of 2010

#9 - Creeping Tar Pit


Reviewed Jan. 4, 2011

Constructed: 4.00
Casual: 3.40
Limited: 4.00
Multiplayer: 3.50

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

Click here to see all of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 


David Fanany

Player since 1995

Creeping Tar Pit
 
The Magic writer Mike Flores is fond of referring to decks that "could never beat a Treetop Village." In case you started Magic more recently that the Tenth Edition or were just wondering, he's not exaggerating. The card's mechanic itself is devastating, much less when it was backed up by Duress and Pernicious Deed back in 2001 or by Rune Snag and Cryptic Command in 2009. Now imagine a Treetop Village that also helps you find the colors for Jace the Mind Sculptor and Memoricide and all the other high-impact spells in your deck. Creeping Tar Pit is - quite literally - a world-beater, and will remain so for a long time to come.
 
Constructed: 4/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 4/5

Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

The number nine card for 2010 is Creeping Tar Pit which is a very aggressive land for Blue/Black decks despite coming into play tapped. 

For three mana it becomes a 3/2 unblockable until the end of the turn that can do quite a bit of damage to an opponent over the course of a game.  Being part Black can help against some removal cards while Blue itself can counter other instants.  Returning to land status protects it from sorceries which makes it very hard for most decks to handle. 

Overall a very impressive card for a control deck to use as a threat and mana source.
 
For Limited this is a solid choice for Sealed build if you are looking at a Blue/Black pool, but a somewhat risky first choice in Booster as it encourages you into choosing two colors very early.  The unblockable aspect is hard to pass up and while it can be a little awkward to pay for it is worth it.  The color fixing is a nice bonus and overall this is a strong card to have available in both the early and later stages of any game.
 
Constructed: 4.5
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 4.5
Multiplayer: 4.5

John
Shultis
Phoenix
Gaming

Creeping Tar Pit
 
     Today’s Card of the Day Top 10 of 2010 is Creeping Tar Pit from Worldwake. This card certainly has been seeing a lot of play, especially on the Pro circuit. So much so it was in five of the top eight decks at worlds. It is a land that enters play tapped, can produce either blue or black mana. In addition, if you pay 1 generic, one blue, and one black you get a 3/2 black and blue elemental creature that is still a land and is unblockable. Very useful if you can spare the four mana total for an unblockable creature, less useful if said mana can go towards other more useful.

   In standard environments, this card is very decent. But again, for me it is about the mana. It just seems like a lot to ask, especially in these colors. But, luckily, in these colors, there can still be some cheap ways to keep yourself safe. From the same block, there was the trap Whiplash Trap that could save you in the event multiple creatures hit the board. But this article is about the Tar Pit. In standard, I think it is a good way to deal some reliable damage. And consistently being able to avoid certain kill spells is also nice. However, it depends on your true intention for the card that depends on it’s value. There are certainly better overall cards. For mana, the dual lands from either Scars or from M11 would be better than the Tar Pit, and the Hada Spy Patrol is certainly a better alternative for an unblockable creature, since once fully leveled, it gains shroud.

   In vintage formats is where I think this card loses some of it’s edge. It cannot stand up to some of the other cards from older sets in terms of unblockability, and it is certainly not the best source of mana out there. Not sure how the value and use of this card will be affected once out of standard.
 
Limited: 3/5
Casual: 2/5
Constructed: 3/5
Multiplayer: 1/5

BMoor

Creeping Tar Pit

Creatures with a solid evasion ability and decent power are always of use. Creatures with a built-in means of evading kill spells are also always of use. When the two aspects converge on one creature, you have a rare gem.
Creeping Tar Pit, of course, is a land. A dual land that comes into play tapped, which despite complaints about things that come into play tapped, always finds use in decks that require color fixing, especially if they aren't green and thus belong in decks with no reliable land search. The ability to become a creature allows a deck to lean more heavily on control elements, as its win condition is now among its lands instead of taking up a spell slot. And the fact that Creeping Tar Pit is a 3/2 unblockable means it will rarely ever be a creature-- and thus a legal target for creature kill-- on your opponent's turn. Thus you have a reliable source of damage to the opponent that is hard for them to get rid of, and on top of which can be used as a mana source.

Constructed- 4
Casual- 4
Limited- 4.5
Multiplayer- 4.25


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