Back in March, I opened some packs from the Shadows Over Innistrad and Eldritch Moon sets. It was a return to the gothic horror themed plane I will be exploring today, the original Innistrad block. The first set was Innistrad, then the Dark Ascension expansion was released, and finally the large Avacyn Restored set rounded out the block.
There were a lot of good cards then. These packs carry a nice premium, so sealed packs were a good investment at the time. I'm going to ignore that financial advice and open them. Let's see what I pulled!
Innistrad
I don't plan to review every single card here, but these are the commons. Note that there are only nine, so what's in the uncommons and rares?
Hamlet Captain was one of the cards re-released in the newer block. Curse of the Nightly Haunt is one of the several enchantment curse cards that could apply negative effects to opponents. Battleground Geist offers nice tribal support for Spirits, and there were several of those in this release. Mentor of the Meek is not a high value card, but it has good utility for those who play White Weenie or otherwise use low-cost, low-power creatures. It might also be good in a token deck.
Ah, and here is why we only had nine commons. The Innistrad block introduced these double-sided cards with a transform mechanic. Werewolves and vampires and the like could enter the battlefield as normal creatures, but if their conditions were met, you could flip the card and use the more powerful opposite side. There were checklist cards so you could tick a checkbox for what it represented and include a standard card with the typical art on the back in your deck while setting the double-sided cards aside.
And we have a Basic Land — Island to round this out.
Dark Ascension
Only eight commons? Hmmm...
Diregraf Captain is a good boost to zombie tribal. Secrets of the Dead rewards you for graveyard shenanigans with card draw. Shattered Perception can get you out of a bad spot, or just let you stock your graveyard with new goodies. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is a nice counter to opponents who play lots of non-creature spells, but remember she also affects you. At least she has First Strike. There is another double-sided card here, and a bonus foil common, plus one of the checklist cards and a story card advertising the set.
Avacyn Restored
Ten commons. Hmph.
Stonewright is underwhelming for me. I never used the Soulbond mechanic. Maybe I'm missing something, but then again, I don't think this mechanic has returned since. Triumph of Ferocity is good for any deck that runs big stompy beasties. Tormentor's Trident might be good equipment, but I am not a fan of mandatory attacks. Put it on something with Vigilance and Indestructible, though, and it might be all win. Wolfir Silverheart might make me change my mind on Soulbond, but I'm still not sold.
Rounding out the pack is a soldier token and a Basic Land — Mountain
Not the most spectacular trio of packs, but a fun look back at what was new back when I was still new to Magic. What do you think? Am I all wrong on Soulbond? Were there any commons that deserve attention? Chime in below!