Eventide, the follow-up to Shadowmoor and giving us several new things while repeating more of the same. Hybrids are now Enemy Paired, A new set of Demigods, more Lieges, and A few cards worth building a deck around.

For those who have been under a rock for the last say: three months, here's a recap of what I said above:

Enemy Paired Hybrids: White-Black, Black-Green, Green-Blue, Blue-Red, and Red-White are the main hybrids in this set. Shadowmoor used Allied Paired (Green-White, White-Blue, Blue-Black, Black-Red, and Red-Green)

Demigods: Demigods are named after the Demigod of Revenge, this Hybrid Avatar Creature cycle with the cost of 5 Hybrid Symbols and really a cool cycle with some powerful cards overall.

Lieges: Lieges like Demigods is a cycle of Hybrid creatures with Liege in its name. In addition it creatures that share a color with it +1/+1, and if it shares both colors +2/+2. Plus an ability of it's own, some good some bad, but all pump up their friends.

Now you're pretty much up to speed, so let's get to the cards at hand. This time around I'm sampling three of the five Hybrid pairs (White-Black, Red-White, and Green-Blue)

Batwing Brume 1W/B
Instant U
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn if W was spent to play Batwing Brume
Each player loses 1 life for each attacking creature he or she controls if B was spent to play this (Do both if WB was spent)

Batwing Brume is a great card because you can choose what it does based on the play cost, the problem with it is getting the full effect it might as well cost WB.

Grade - B+ - Holy Day + Damage the opponent = nice, but the cost really does bog it down.

Beckon Apparition W/B
Instant C
Remove target card in a graveyard from the game. Put a 1/1 white and black Spirit creature token with flying into play.

Casually this helps already Tesha or Ghost Council Orzhov decks, the ability to remove a key card from the opponents graveyard can give you a bit of an advantage, with the added Spirit token for Tesha or the Council it means just that much hurt.

Grade - A - With no drawbacks, cheap and effective cost, it's a great card to use, and abuse in the right situation.

Bloodied Ghost 1W/BW/B
Creature - Spirit U
Flying
Bloodied Ghost comes into play with a -1/-1 counter on it.
[3/3]

A 2/2 flier for 3 in black or white isn't anything great, but a 3/3 at that cost is fantastic, you'll just have to find a way to get rid of that -1/-1 counter.

Alternatively, if you have a deck that utilizes -1/-1 counters and blink spells this card becomes something to slave over. (although Grim Poppet is better overall)

Grade - B - not bad, but it can get better.

Cauldron Haze 1W/B
Instant U
Choose any number of target creatures. Each of those creatures gain Persist until end of turn.

Wow. Anti-Wrath-of-God much? Sadly it won't bring back the Shroud, Pro-Black, Pro-White friends of yours. Anyway, the -1/-1 from Persist can be more helpful than harmful if you can find ways of making it your advantage.

Grade - A+ - for two mana you just made Wrath of God (and kin) not worth playing. Kudos Wizards, you don't hear that often enough from me.

Deathbringer Liege 2W/BW/BW/B
Creature - Horror R
Other white creatures you control get +1/+1.
Other black creatures you control get +1/+1.
Whenever you play a white spell, you may tap target creature.
Whenever you play a black spell, you may destroy target tapped creature.
[3/4]

Liege cycle on continuation and this one happens to be another strong liege of course its mana cost reflects that. Standard lieges’ abilities of helping out its colors, but what really gets me going is that it turns every white and black spell you play into an effective "destroy target creature" every white spell into a Master Decoy and every black spell into a Royal Assassin, with a 3/4 body to boot.

Grade - A - for five mana, it's worth playing every time.

Divinity of Pride W/BW/BW/BW/BW/B
Creature - Spirit Avatar R
Flying, Lifelink
Divinity of Pride gets +4/+4 as long as you have 25 or more life.
[4/4]

Here's the gravity of this situation, why this card is so good. Those who watch the Standard saw the SnowWhite decks revolving around gaining obscene amounts of life. Turn 5 you get a 4/4 Flying Lifelinked (should of been Angel IMO) Spirit Avatar that oh by the way if you have over 25 life is an 8/8. The only problem with this card (besides the fact it's no Akroma like Oversoul of Dusk) is the fact that it'll be the first thing the opponent targets. I would of settled for +2/+2 and Shroud over a +4/+4.

Grade - B+ - Four please?

Edge of the Divinity W/B
Enchantment - Aura C
Enchant Creature
As long as enchanted creature is white, it gets +1/+2.
As long as enchanted creature is black, it gets +2/+1.

I have mixed feelings about this card. I love the fact it's Holy and Unholy Strength rolled into one cheap and effective enchantment, but I don't like where the others get +1/+1 and <some ability here that's awesome> this one only gets a little +0/+1 or +1/+0 bonus. Sure that can make a difference, but overall it's just mediocre.

Grade - B+ - Mourning Thrull + this, think about it.

Evershrike 3W/BW/B
Creature - Elemental R
Flying
Evershrike gets +2/+2 for each Aura attached on it.
XW/BW/B: Return Evershrike from your graveyard to play. You may put an Aura card with a converted manacost of X or less from your hand into play attached to it. If you don't, remove Evershrike from the game.
[2/2]

"Evershrike gets +2/+2 for each Aura attached on it." that means exactly what it says, if you put say, oh, Guardians' Magemark on it, it gets +3/+3 in total. Put Edge of Divinity on it you get +5/+5 in total. etc. etc. etc. If that doesn't make you sit up and go "I might want to build around this" then you're not a Johnny.

To boot you have a recursion ability on the card that forces you to play an enchantment. What's better than having it killed off and next turn you bring it back (at instant speed mind you) with something like Edge of Divinity on it.

Drawbacks - the obvious one first - no Aura in hand means no reanimation for it. the not so obvious one is that of card advantage, buy continuing to beef up Evershrike you make it a bigger target with each Aura on it you're using you're decks most vital resource effectively putting all the eggs in one basket. Having them kill Evershrike gives them that much card advantage over you. Sure you can work around that, but that's dedicating even more cards to get back the ones that you lost.

Grade - C+ - good card, but it's just as risky as it is rewarding.

Gwyllion Hedge-Mage 2W/B
Creature - Hag Wizard U
When Gwyllion Hedge-Mage comes into play, if you control two or more plains, you may put a 1/1 white Kithkin Soldier creature token into play.
When Gwyllion Hedge-Mage comes into play, if you control two or more swamps, you may put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
[2/2]

I don't like it. It's too situational unless you happen to put down a Godless Shrine the turn previous or wait another turn. Both abilities by themselves aren't even that great. Wow, a 1/1 Soldier how many spells in magic do the same thing better? Oh and put a -1/-1 counter on a creature, where have we seen that done better (in the same block?)

Grade - C - mediocre, simply not the best of the bunch.

Harvest Gwyllion 2W/BW/B
Creature - Hag C
Wither
[2/4]

Wither - another way of saying "Vanilla in Shadowmoor". Overall it's a 2/4 for 4, which isn't too bad in White, but in black is unheard of (more like 4/2 in black)

Grade - C - Cemetery Gate's newest cousin.

Nightsky Mimic 1W/B
Creature - Shapeshifter C
Whenever you play a spell that's both white and black, Nightsky Mimic becomes 4/4 and gains flying until end of turn.
[2/1]

So this is how they're portraying Shapeshifters in Shadowmoor, overall I like it. you have a nice weak creature that says off the radar until you play a spell like oh Edge of Divinity and than Bam! it's a 4/4 flying creature (and better if Edge is on it) at common this card is actually really nice. Over course I've been saying this block has a nasty power creep on it.

Grade - B - because you only get one shot before it becomes a bogey.

Nip Gwyllion W/B
Creature - Hag C
Lifelink
[1/1]

Wizards, why are you wasting the cardboard on this one? Seriously couldn't of you given us a oh say "Raise the Alarm" with this as the token? Sure Lifelink is great and all, but really now a 1/1 lifelink for 1 really worth the cardboard?

Grade - D - good enough to trigger Nightsky Mimic though.

Pyrrhic Revival 3W/BW/BW/B
Sorcery R
Each player returns each creature card in his or her graveyard into play with a -1/-1 counter.

For those just pelted by Wrath of God, or just looking for there persist creatures to have one more shot, look no further than this card. Not only does it work for your side, but the opponent’s as well. So although it isn't the best way to dodge a Wrath of God, it's an option.

Grade - C - Why run this when you can run Cauldron Haze? Sure it's an wider breath, but I find it not worth the while. If you find a use for it, combo it with Tormod's Crypt.

Restless Apparition W/BW/BW/B
Creature - Spirit U
W/BW/BW/B: gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
Persist
[2/2]

Quite a big creature pump, of course it's not easy to make it anything better than a 5/5 without getting some "free" mana via something like Cabal Coffers (Magus if you prefer)

Grade - B+ - it's not much, but it's something.

Stillmoon Cavalier 1W/BW/B
Creature - Zombie Knight R
Protection from white and black.
W/B: Stillmoon Cavalier gains flying until end of turn.
W/B: Stillmoon Cavalier gains first strike until end of turn.
W/BW/B: Stillmoon Cavalier gains +1/+0 until end of turn.
[2/1]

Apparently Order of the Ebon Hand and White Shield Crusader had something going on and this is the product of that relationship. Don't know where the Zombie comes from, but that's Ok, we don't need to know. Like its parents it's mana intensive and not really worth using if you have the choice.

Grade - C - Versatile, but at a cost.

Unmake W/BW/BW/B
Instant C
Remove target creature from the game.

Ok, Ryu, did you slip me that "Ha Ha" spoiler, because this can't be real. What? It’s legit? Sweet Yeti of the Serengeti! 3 mana, common, no questions asked remove target creature from the game, how do you not love this card? Oh right, 3 colored mana. That's how.

Grade - A+ - To me this just beats over Terminate, but doesn't quite make it to oh say, Vindicate.

Voracious Hatchling 3W/B
Creature - Elemental U
Lifelink
Voracious Hatchling comes into play with 4 -1/-1 counters on it
Whenever you play a white spell, remove a -1/-1 counter from Voracious Hatchling
Whenever you play a black spell, remove a -1/-1 counter from Voracious Hatchling
[6/6]

4 mana you get a effective 2/2 Lifelinked creature. But if you play 2 W/B spells after it (i.e. next turn) you have a 6/6 Lifelinked creature, or you can find other ways to remove those -1/-1 counters. Overall I'm unimpressed by this card, sure it's nice once you get it cleaned up, but it's not worth taking to the ball if you know what I mean.

Grade - C- - it's a good card, just not worth it when you can play cards like Divinity of Pride, Ashling, or at least Loyal Gyrfalcon.

Balefire Liege 2R/WR/WR/W
Creature - Spirit Horror R
Other red creatures you control get +1/+1.
Other white creatures you control get +1/+1.
Whenever you play a red spell, Balefire Liege deals 3 damage to target player.
Whenever you play a white spell, you gain 3 life.
[2/4]

Another powerful liege that will give already good decks (Boros Deck Wins et. al.) even more firepower. It helps it's own with +1/+1 for red and white, but both get that nice +2/+2 perk. In addition and this is what made me really enjoy this card? Red spells become Lightning Bolts, White Spells become Healing Salve, and both become Lightning Helix.

Grade - A+ - Lightning Helix on top of Lightning Helix, that's just mean, brutal, and beautiful.

Battlegate Mimic 1R/W
Creature - Shapeshifter C
Whenever you play a spell that's both red and white, Battlegate Mimic becomes 4/2 and gains first strike until end of turn.
[2/1]

Nice like the other mimic this is a like small starting creature that gives you a nice one shot effect before the opponent knows what's going on. First Strike effectively makes this creature a 4/4 so it's a nice size to do combat at. For 2 mana, this is a bargain.

Grade - B+ - although there is no noticeable drawbacks to this card, it's requires the constant spells flying overhead to make it really worth it.

Belligerent Hatchling 3R/W
Creature - Elemental U
Belligerent Hatchling comes into play with four -1 / -1 counters on it.
First Strike
Whenever you play a white spell, remove a -1/-1 counter from Belligerent Hatchling.
Whenever you play a red spell, remove a -1/-1 counter from Belligerent Hatchling.
[6/6]

4 mana you get a effective 2/2 First Strike creature. But if you play 2 R/W spells after it (i.e. next turn) you have a 6/6 First Strike creature, or you can find other ways to remove those -1/-1 counters. Overall I'm unimpressed by this card, sure it's nice once you get it cleaned up, but it's not worth taking to the ball if you know what I mean.

Grade - C- - it's a good card, just not worth it when you can play cards like Divinity of Pride, Ashling, or at least Loyal Gyrfalcon.

Note: copied from the other Hatchling above and changed the context slightly.

Double Cleave 1R/W
Instant C
Target creature gains double strike until end of turn.

Talk about heavy lifting, Double Cleave just blows the rest of the "gains double strike until end of turn" cards out of the water. How can you not like the idea of quickly giving one of your attacking creatures double strike on notice or on the flip side of that a blocking creature.

Grade - A+ - simple, clean, effective, and powerful.

Duergar Assailant R/W
Creature - Dwarf Soldier C
Sacrifice Duergar Assailant: Duergar Assailant deals 1 damage to target attacking or blocking creature.
[1/1]

I might be underestimating this cards' worth, but I'm not impressed with it, although it's a nice early card, it's just not worth using the ability. Sure if you need that one damage later then sure use it to your advantage.

Grade - C - Not the sharpest edges of cardboard I've found.

Duergar Hedge-Mage 2R/W
Creature - Dwarf Wizard U
When Duergar Hedge-Mage comes into play, if you control two or more Mountains, you may destroy target artifact.
When Duergar Hedge-Mage comes into play, if you control two or more Plains, you may destroy target enchantment.
[2/2]

I don't like it. It's too situational unless you happen to put down a Foundry the turn previous or wait another turn. Both abilities by themselves aren't even that great. Wow, destroy an artifact or enchantment haven't we same thing better? (and printed often?)

Grade - C - mediocre, simply not the best of the bunch.

Duergar Mine-Captain 2R/W
Creature - Dwarf Soldier U
1R/W,U: Attacking creatures get +1/+0 until end of turn.
[2/1]

Remember Double Cleave? yeah, on this guy. Attack, Untap Mine-Captain, Double Cleave on Mine-Captain for a 3/1 Double Strike, plus anything else you swung with. Not the best tactic, but it's aggressive for sure.

Grade - B - Fine alone, better with friends.

Figure of Destiny R/W
Creature - Kithkin R
R/W: Figure of Destiny becomes a 2/2 Kithkin Spirit
R/WR/WR/W: if Figure of Destiny is a Spirit, it becomes a 4/4 Kithkin Spirit Warrior.
R/WR/WR/WR/WR/WR/W: If Figure of Destiny is a Warrior, it becomes an 8/8 Kithkin Spirit Warrior Avatar with flying and first strike.
[1/1]

Sweet Squid of Madrid! So, this card grows as the legend grows, the legend grows via mana. 10 mana over the course of the game will give you well, a beast of a kithkin, from 1/1 to 2/2, from 2/2 to 4/4, and then from a 4/4 to a massive 8/8 Flying First Striking Kithkin Spirit Warrior Avatar. Here's the drawback though, if Figure of Destiny - leaves play, is destroyed, and other thing there of that it isn't in play (or has been blinked out of play) it no longer is the 8/8 version of itself.

Grade - B+ - great reward, great risk, great card.

Fire At Will R/WR/WR/W
Instant C
Fire at Will deals 3 damage divided as you choose among any number of target attacking or blocking creatures.

Not the worse that can be done for a burn spell, the good news about it is the fact it acts like a shotgun with a wide spread, or you can focus it and take down something bigger.

Grade - B - Good, but not great.

Hearthfire Hobgoblin R/WR/WR/W
Creature - Goblin C
Double Strike
[2/2]

I don't know whether to like it or hate it. I liked Boros Swiftblade who is a very simply card. This expands over by adding one more mana and giving it +1/+0. Considering Boros Swiftblade was RW and this is three hybrid R/Ws It works very well. I don't like it because all it did was add 1 and +1/+0, which isn't much in the long run.

Grade - A or C - I'm not sure, but overall this is a basic card with basic stats.

Hobgoblin Dragoon 2R/W
Creature - Goblin Knight C
Flying First Strike
[1/2]

First they better Boros Swiftblade, but weaken the Skyknight Legionnaire? Both Fly and Strike First, but one costs an easier 2R/W while the other cost 1RW, that little cost difference apparently is +1/+0.

Grade - B+ - I think this is a step down, but that's just me.

Regard on Hearthfire Hobgoblin - A - While the Dragoon is a step down, this is a step up.

Moonhold 2R/W
Instant U
Target player can't play land cards this turn if R was spent to play Moonhold and can't play creature cards this turn if W was spent to play it. (Do both if RW was spent)

Orim's Chant still beats it, but that's OK. First is nice that you can use Moonhold to hold off a mirror match and or gain a slight edge. Missing a land drop in mana intensive decks is hard on the player, but missing a critical land drop like the turn 3 or 4 drop in my playgroup redefines the match completely.

Grade - B- - Good, but requires both colors to be the best it can be.

Nobilis of War R/WR/WR/WR/WR/W
Creature - Spirit Avatar R
Flying
Attacking creatures you control get +2/+0
[3/4]

What is this? C'mon! All the other Demigods are awesome (give or take) and this one to me is well, the runt of the litter. Attacking creatures you control get +2/+0? That’s it? Sure that's a boost, but in the case of originality, it lacks greatly.

Grade - A- - still a good card, just lacking that oomph that oh says, Figure of Destiny has.

Rise of the Hobgoblins R/WR/W
Enchantment R
When Rise of the Hobgoblins comes into play, you may pay X. If you do, put X 1/1 red and white Goblin Soldier creature tokens into play.
R/W: red creatures and white creatures you control gain first strike until end of turn.

See, that last ability, why couldn't Nobilis have that? Seriously. Anyways, this is another OK to great card. One, even without geting the tokens it still serves a great use, but if you can afford to pay the X cost then get as many as you can get.

Grade - A - Buy 1 and we'll send you a bunch of goblins free, just pay shipping and handling!

Scourge of the Nobilis 2R/W
Enchantment - Aura C
Enchant creature
As long as enchanted creature is red, it gets +1/+1 and has: "R/W: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn."
As long as enchanted creature is white it gets +1/+1 and has lifelink.

See what I mean when I talked about Edge of Divinity? this is +1/+1 and Firebreathing if red, and +1/+1 and lifelink if white. Meaning a R/W creature would get +2/+2 Firebreathing and Lifelink, which is awesome. Sure it's not +3/+3, but heck, Firebreathing takes care of the power difference, and lifelink is a saving grace when you really need it. Overall this card isn't any stronger than say Fists of the Demigod, but it's a nice card.

Grade - Whatever the other 9 where, this is too. - More of the same seems Ok when it's good.

Spitemare 2R/WR/W
Creature - Elemental U
Whenever Spitemare is dealt damage, Spitemare deals that much damage to target creature or player.
[3/3]

Doesn't sound too bad if you give it Pariah's Shield. Opponent hits it with Shock, you give it right back to him, same with anything that hits it. Be it combat damage or regular damage, also it still triggers on Wither damage if you're wondering.

Grade - B+ - really it's just a one trick pony, best way to make it really good is to find a way to keep it alive while it's being Pariah-ed.

Waves of Aggression 3R/WR/W
Sorcery R
Untap all creatures that attacked this turn. After this phase, there is an additional combat phase followed by an additional main phase.
Retrace(You may play this card from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying its other costs.)

It’s no Kiki-jiki + Breath of Fire + other creature, but it's nice that you can constantly do combat once you know you have the advantage and don't mind tossing away a few lands (and repaying the cost to play it). Find a way to Infinite R/W mana and use Crucible of the Worlds and then it's like the combo above.

Dratho comes in and hands me a note. "You sure? OK."

Ladies and gents, that last combo mentioning, it doesn't work. Use lands that you can get back in other ways (i.e. Planar Birth, Life from the Loam, and Dakmor Salvage)

Grade - A - Constant Recursion of additional combat phases, which just makes my day.

Cold-Eyed Selkie 1G/UG/U
Creature - Merfolk Rogue R
Islandwalk
Whenever Cold-Eyed Selkie deals combat damage to a player, you may draw that many cards.
[1/1]

Cool card, Inlandwalk gives it that unblockable note while slowly killing your opponent you get a few cards extra for your trouble. The best part is that the card draw is based on the combat damage that means pumping this guy with the G/U Leige means 3 cards and 3 damage.

Grade - A- - Better than Thieving Magpie.

Fable of Wolf and Owl 3G/UG/UG/U
Enchantment R
Whenever you play a green spell, you may put a 2/2 green Wolf creature token into play.
Whenever you play a blue spell, you may put a 1/1 blue Bird creature token with flying into play.

Very cool card, each green or blue spell you play is a token generator in addition to it's on card effects. Quickly establishing chump blockers and a possible swarm attack can really give this card some high points. Even though the cost is steep it's that way for good reason although I know everyone is thinking "if it only costed 2G/UG/U" but it's at 6 for a reason.

Grade - A - beautiful card, also from Wizards it's in the G/U Eventide deck, which gives me even more reason to buy into it.

Favor of the Overbeing 1G/U
Enchantment - Aura C
Enchant Creature
As long as enchanted creature is green, it gets +1/+1 and has vigilance.
As long as enchanted creature is blue, it gets +1/+1 and flying.

Vigilance and Flying are good alone, better together, and turning creatures that happen to be G/U into effective Serra Angels or Archangels if handled right. Sure that doesn't sound much, but there is a reason cards like Serra Angel is always reprinted.

Grade - B+ or A- - good card, hard to grade though.

Gilder Bairn 1G/UG/U
Creature - Ouphe U
2G/U, U: For each counter on target permanent, put another of those counters on that permanent.
[1/3]

What impresses me most about this card is the ability, be it +1/+1 counters, or Time counters, or Charge counters this card will for a heavy price give you a duplicate counter. The best part if it happens to have either Charge Counters (or Time Counters) and +1/+1 counters it duplicates both types of counters! Of course I'm going to mention Doubling Season loves this card, ok I'm done with that part.

Grade - B+ or A+ - it's a cool creature, and it's an Ouphe.

Grazing Kelpie 3G/U
Creature - Beast C
G/U, Sacrifice Grazing Kelpie: Put target card in a graveyard on the bottom of its owner's library.
Persist
[2/3]

2/3 Persistent for 4 doesn't sound like much, the good news about this card is that it hurts graveyard recursion players. Have a problem with Retrace of Raven's Crime? This will solve that problem.

Grade - B+ - it's a problem solver, and comes back to do double time.

Groundling Pouncer 1G/U
Creature - Faerie U
G/U: Groundling Pouncer gets +1/+3 and gains flying until end of turn. Play this ability only once each turn and only if an opponent controls a creature with flying.
[2/1]

Since most will be using this gent in a faerie deck you don't have much trouble with it's activation. For G/U you get a 3/4 flying creature until end of turn. Considering you paid 2 to play it, it's not bad, but I don't like the fact to keep it in the air you got to pay for it.

Grade - C - Dependant on others regardless how easy to do, is bad for the deck.

Invert the Skies 3G/U
Instant U
Creatures your opponents control lose flying until end of turn if G was spent to play Invert the Skies, and creatures you control gain flying until end of turn if U was spent to play it. (Do both if GU was spent)

Is you're opponent showing you the bottoms of his feet from high above, fear not with this new spell called 'Invert the Skies' you can bring him down to earth and rise high above them, give them a taste of their own medicine!

The tactical advantage of this card can win games, at four mana it shouldn't be a problem of having both G and U mana available, my recommendation is hold it until late game or when you have the ability to send that last knock out punch. Use Invert the Skies to force you're opponent to the earth while you take to skies and finish them off.

Grade - B - Mossbrige Troll not included

Murkfiend Liege 2G/UG/UG/U
Creature - Horror R
Other green creatures you control get +1/+1.
Other blue creatures you control get +1/+1.
Untap all green and/or blue creatures you control during each other player's untap step.
[4/4]

Debatably the strongest of the lieges, the ability to untap all G and U creatures during the opponents Untap Step is not only awesome, but dangerous considering creatures like Wake Thrasher can now be on the defensive with all it's power can really make someone’s day not go so well.

Grade - A - Would I give anything less to the strongest of lieges? (It’s rhetorical, don't answer it)

Overbeing of Myth G/UG/UG/UG/UG/U
Creature - Spirit Avatar R
Overbeing of Myth's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand.
At the beginning of your draw step, draw a card.
[*/*]

Maro + Draw Power = Winning combination. It's hard to talk about his card since it was the first card to appear to us from Eventide and is also the pre-release (which has an art just a good / cool as the original) The card really speaks for itself although normally you can't have it over the 7/7 limit (due to hand size) but they're ways to get around that.

Grade - B+ - it's not a weak card, but it lacks that oomph that most of the Demigods need it seems.

Selkie Hedge-Mage 2G/U
Creature - Merfolk Wizard U
When Selkie Hedge Mage comes into play, if you control two or more Forests, you may gain 3 life.
When Selkie Hedge Mage comes into play, if you control two or more Islands, you may return target tapped creature to its owner's hand.
[2/2]

Healing Leaves, Boomerang, weak card overall, but slightly more useful than the others I've seen already still very unimpressive.

Grade - C - see all the reason above in one of the other hedge-mages.

Shorecrasher Mimic 1G/U
Creature - Shapeshifter C
Whenever you play a spell that's both green and blue, Shorecrasher Mimic becomes 5/3 and gains trample until end of turn.
[2/1]

For 2 mana you get a nice 5/3 trample attack on turn 3? Not half bad, considering at that point it's hard to deal with the damage unless you see it coming. Overall I'm becoming unimpressed with G/U as a whole. I suppose it's a color set that doesn't really get me going past the few gems.

Grade - B - You're opponent will see it, probably.

Slippery Bogle G/U
Creature - Beast C
Slippery Bogle can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.
[1/1]

Two words: Beast Tribal, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. At 1 mana and the "I-can't-believe-it's-not-Shroud" Shroud this card is quick and dirty. If you needed a place to put oh say, Favor of the Overbeing, I'd have to point directly to this card. (3/3 Flying, Vigilance, Better-than-Shroud effects = winning combination)

Grade - A - for a little guy, he packs quite a punch.

Snakeform 2G/U
Instant C
Target creature loses all abilities and becomes a 1/1 green Snake until end of turn.
Draw a card.

See Humble et al. Another one for that collection, but instead of turning them into Apes or Sheep, this one turns them into Snakes, which isn't the best if you're facing oh say, Snake Tribal? Besides that the cantrip effect on it gives that all the more points.

Grade - A - I hope it has a -1/-1 counter on it!

Spitting Image 4G/UG/U
Sorcery R
Put a token into play that's a copy of target creature.
Retrace (You may play this card from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying its other costs.)

Great three-toed sloth of ice planet Hoth! This is a mean card, this card is unique because of Retrace the ability to copy and duplicate things have been around since Alpha (via Clone) the combination of Retrace and Copying is what gives me the WOW factor. Figure it this way. Spitting Image + Demigods, or Lieges, or anything other that is a great non-legendary creature.

Grade - B+ - Mirror Gallery, it's more than looking at a pretty face.

Sturdy Hatchling 3G/U
Creature - Elemental U
Sturdy Hatchling comes into play with four -1/-1 counters on it
G/U: Sturdy Hatchling gains shroud until end of turn.
Whenever you play a green spell, remove a -1/-1 counter from Sturdy Hatchling.
Whenever you play a blue spell, remove a -1/-1 counter from Sturdy Hatchling.
[6/6]

4 mana you get an effective 2/2 "can-gain-Shroud" creature. But if you play 2 G/U spells after it (i.e. next turn) you have a 6/6 "can-gain-Shroud" creature, or you can find other ways to remove those -1/-1 counters. Overall I'm unimpressed by this card, sure it's nice once you get it cleaned up, but it's not worth taking to the ball if you know what I mean.

Grade - C- - it's a good card, just not worth it when you can play cards like Divinity of Pride, Ashling, or at least Loyal Gryfalcon.

Note: Copied and Pasted from the other two Hatchlings already covered.

Trapjaw Kelpie 4G/UG/U
Creature - Beast C
Flash
Persist
[3/3]

Flash, Persist, Over costed, Underpowered Simply this: Flash is good, but not good enough to add 3 mana to its cost. Ditto with Persist. A 4/4 for 4 in G is a standard, in common it has a drawback, Uncommon it's OK, in Rare it's great. Sure blue keeps it from being that good; I can live with that (not really though I like blue, really). If I had my way, drop the cost by 2 and drop Flash. Speed is cool, but at 6 mana, you're not using Flash unless you have a plan in motion.

Grade - D+ - How many times have you used Flash on Havenwood Worm? Seriously. I remember that did it twice to save myself from defeat.

Wistful Selkie G/UG/UG/U
Creature - Merfolk Wizard U
When Wistful Selkie comes into play, draw a card.
[2/2]

I thought this card was good, but then I realized the cost is three colored mana verse the cost of Striped Bears (3G), considering this it's really no better than Striped Bears.

Grade - A- - not a bad card on it's own since it replaces itself. Add Blink for more fun.

So, overall it's going to be interesting set, overall evaluation of the set is good, in what I'm covering for this article reflects to the rest of the set in my opinion. A lot of good card, some nicer than others, and a few bad cards (I'm assuming for limited, but what do I know). Any note: for those who didn't catch the Futurama references, for shame, and go watch it.

This is MZ - and I'm going to go see the Dark Knight.

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