Battle for Zendikar is a block that revived elements of the old Zendikar block, and it featured a return of the colorless Eldrazi creatures along with new colorless spells. Today, I will open pack from the main set from that block, also called Battle for Zendikar.
The other set, Oath of the Gatewatch, had fewer cards overall, and included cards designed to support the Two-Headed Giant format and other team games. We'll be cracking a pack from that set later.
Up first though is this pack, though, and it's a winner!
Coralhelm Guide is a bit of an underwhelming start. However, the 5 CMC ability doesn't require tapping the card to activate, and making something unblockable can be a game-changer.
Nirkana Assassin is also underwhelming, although it becomes a reliable source of deathtouch in a life gain deck, and it's not as squishy as most deathtouch creatures. It might have a place in a vampire deck.
Sure Strike can be a handy combat enhancement, perhaps.
Kitesail Scout is a superb value for any white deck. 1/1 with flying for just 1 white mana is hard to beat, especially if it's in your opening hand.
Unnatural Aggression is one of the weird cards that exemplifies this set's themes. It has green in its mana cost, but it has the Devoid keyword, meaning the card is officially colorless nonetheless. It could be a surprise removal option, since if a creature dies, it is removed from the game entirely. It's not especially good though.
Natural Connection is a slightly-overcosted mana ramp option. Bonus land drops are always good though.
Rush of Ice is a cheap way to handicap an opponent, and has the extra option to turn a land into a 3/3 creature as a bonus. Choice is good, and blue is all about that control.
Silent Skimmer is another weird card with Devoid, and I don't think it's especially good, but automatic damage is always fun, and flying is always useful.
Geyserfield Stalker is the last common from this pack. Its Landfall ability is a revival of a mechanic from the original Zendikar block, and when combined with cards like Natural Connection above, it can be surprisingly potent.
Lithomancer's Focus is a foil bonus in this pack, and boosting damage in white is a fun bonus, but the protection from colorless sources is of limited use outside this set.
The full-art Island is a nice card. This set also reintroduced full-art lands as well, and many players prefer the look of a deck with such cards. The advertisement insert is pure filler in the most literal sense, though.
Rolling Thunder is a bland uncommon currently sitting at 29¢, and unless you can generate infinite mana to make it a board wipe, it's outclassed by other cards.
Molten Nursery was designed to enhance decks built using other Devoid cards, and while it has potential in artifact-heavy red Modern/EDH decks, it's also not very useful in general.
Ulamog's Reclaimer is yet another underwhelming card, and exhibits my main complaint with this deck. "Exiled" no longer really meant exiled in this block.
So after a list of mostly complaints, why did I say this pack was a winner? I got a Mythic Rare Planeswalker!
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar is a $10 card, and it's useful in one of my other decks right now. Pure win here! And that's the best result when you #openapack!