L2P TV Episode 25: Underrated Cards

After a long hiatus caused by work, school, and a myriad of gaming, L2P TV is back. Today we’re going to talk about Underrated cards, both in Zendikar and the cards that don’t seem to be seeing much love in Worldwake. So let’s hop to it.

A Quick Note on Rite of Replication

Rite of Replication is a card that has received little or no love from the community since it’s release in October. People have been musing at the potential of this card, and I may have found a home for it. By no means is it a substitute for good cards, but it can sway the flow of battle greatly in your favor when faced with a problem creature. Take Baneslayer Angel for instance. It is a powerhouse on it’s own, but when Rite of Replication gives you 5 Baneslayers, your opponent often starts scrambling for answers.

More often then not, this spell has the potential to win the game on its own from out of nowhere. I have been using this card to great effect at my local FNM’s to do everything from turning your own Malakir Bloodwitch into 5 fliers for me that deal you 25 to giving me that extra point of damage I need to win the game. It’s incredibly versatile and I’m surprised no one is playing with it.

Worldwake Under The Radar

With the smattering of new cards in Worldwake, I’ve been noticing a few cards going unnoticed as of late. The first is Archon of Redemption. This flying creature enables you to gain life whenever you play another flier. Who couldn’t go for a few extra life? In decks designed to use cards like Sanguine Bond, this card could be a huge boon. In fact, between this card, Sanguine Bond, the new Lightkeeper of Emeria that gains life for each time it’s kicked, Malakir Bloodwitch, Vampire Nighthawk, and a few other cards to round out the base, this could make for a dangerous, evasive deck that goes a long way to keep your opponent out of reach to you and your life total. One final note on this guy. I’m sure there’s a lot of EDH fans that are looking at this creature and drooling to themselves. I can safely say that because I’m one of them.

The other card I wanted to discuss here is Jwari Shapeshifter. Now I was a big fan of Shapesharer from Lorwyn block and its ability to grant abilities to other shape shifters. Jwari Shapeshifter gives me that same tingle of excitement whenever I look at it. With the load of allies coming out, this card has the potential to make the cut in a White/Blue Ally deck. The greatest part is with the advent of a constructed viable Ally deck, this guy can be an absolute beating in the mirror. That’s right, he doesn’t have to copy your allies. Any ally on the battlefield is subject to his trickery, and that’s the way I like it.