Zendikar Card Evaluations for Sealed Play: Blue Cards

Lorthos

Archive Trap – 3UU
Instant – Trap (Rare)
If an opponent searched his or her library this turn, you may pay {0} rather than pay Archive Trap’s mana cost.
Target opponent puts the top thirteen cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

Mill cards generally suck in sealed, since they don’t affect the battlefield or hand. When creatures are beating down on you, you don’t want to be milling.

Archmage Ascension – 2U
Enchantment (Rare)
At the beginning of each end step, if you drew two or more cards this turn, you may put a quest counter on Archmage Ascension.
As long as Archmage Ascension has six or more quest counters on it, if you would draw a card, you may instead search your library for a card, put that card into your hand, then shuffle your library.

Unplayable because adding quest counters is virtually impossible in sealed.

Cancel – 1UU
Instant (Common)
Counter target spell.

There are a lot of bombs in Zendikar so Cancel is definitely playable. However, oftentimes you won’t be able to save Cancel on their bomb. You’ll have to counter another creature or spell to keep from dying. Also, counterspells are a horrible topdeck if you have a losing board position. Therefore, I would give Cancel a score of 5 out of 10.

Into the Roil – 1U
Instant (Common)
Kicker {1}{U} (You may pay an additional {1}{U} as you cast this spell.)
Return target nonland permanent to its owner’s hand. If Into the Roil was kicked, draw a card.

Here’s the solid but unexciting common bounce spell of the format. It’s great that you can draw a card for those instances when bounce doesn’t really help you.

Also, bounce may be relevant on your own guys to trigger ally cards again. If you’ve got a bomb that’s dominating the board, don’t waste this spell just to draw a card. Instead, save it to protect your bomb.

Too bad you can’t bounce a land to trigger landfall.

Ior Ruin Expedition – 1U
Enchantment (Common)
Landfall – Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a quest counter on Ior Ruin Expedition.
Remove three quest counters from Ior Ruin Expedition and sacrifice it: Draw two cards.

Quest cards are interesting. They are usually great early in the game, since you have time to trigger them. However, they can be a really bad topdeck. Imagine drawing this card late in the game when you have no lands in hand and the rest of your deck is mostly spells.

When playing cards with landfall abilities, make sure you save lands in hand once you have enough lands on the battlefield.

Anyways, let’s talk about this card. Drawing two cards for two mana is not bad but only if you have strong cards in your deck. Therefore, you should have strong blue cards before playing this quest card.

Lorthos, the Tidemaker – 5UUU
Legendary Creature – Octopus (Mythic Rare)
Whenever Lorthos, the Tidemaker attacks, you may pay {8}. If you do, tap up to eight permanents. Those permanents don’t untap during their controllers’ next untap steps.
8/8

Awesome bomb. Great reason to play blue. Make sure you have at least eight sources of blue mana.

Lullmage Mentor – 1UU
Creature – Merfolk Wizard (Rare)
Whenever a spell or ability you control counters a spell, you may put a 1/1 blue Merfolk creature token onto the battlefield.
Tap seven untapped Merfolk you control: Counter target spell.
2/2

This guy is pretty weak. He ends up being a Gray Ogre 99% of the time, which is terrible.

Mindbreak Trap – 2UU
Instant – Trap (Mythic Rare)
If an opponent cast three or more spells this turn, you may pay {0} rather than pay Mindbreak Trap’s mana cost.
Exile any number of target spells.

Does the same basic job as Cancel for one more mana. I’ll pass.

Quest for Ancient Secrets – U
Enchantment (Uncommon)
Whenever a card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may put a quest counter on Quest for Ancient Secrets.
Remove five quest counters from Quest for Ancient Secrets and sacrifice it: Target player shuffles his or her graveyard into his or her library.

Crap. Doesn’t affect the board or the hand.

Rite Of Replication – 2UU
Sorcery (Rare)
Kicker {5} (You may pay an additional {5} as you cast this spell.)
Put a token that is a copy of target creature onto the battlefield. If Rite Of Replication was kicked, instead put five of those tokens onto the battlefield.

This card is very good. You can copy the best creature on the board. If that creature is yours, you get a big advantage. If the creature is not yours, you improve your defense. And late in the game, you instantly win if you have nine mana.

This is a card that you want to save for a bomb instead of playing it on some random creature.

Roil Elemental – 3UUU
Creature – Elemental (Rare)
Flying
Landfall – Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may gain control of target creature for as long as you control Roil Elemental.
3/2

This card is vulnerable to removal but if your opponent doesn’t have removal, each land you play becomes Mind Control. That is such a powerful ability so look to go blue if you open this guy.

Sea Gate Loremaster – 4U
Creature – Merfolk Wizard Ally (Rare)
{T}: Draw a card for each Ally you control.
1/3

By itself, this creature gives you nice card advantage. But with multiple allies, he gets pretty broken. Also, many sealed games are slow and end up in stalemates. This guy shines in those situations.

Spell Pierce – U
Instant (Common)
Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays {2}.

Too situational.

Sphinx of Lost Truths – 3UU
Creature – Sphinx (Rare)
Kicker {1}{U} (You may pay an additional {1}{U} as you cast this spell)
Flying
When Sphinx of Lost Truths enters the battlefield, draw three cards. Then if it wasn’t kicked, discard three cards.
3/5

A big flyer and three Merfolk Looter activations? Sign me up!

Whiplash Trap – 3UU
Instant – Trap (Common)
If an opponent had two or more creatures enter the battlefield under his or her control this turn, you may pay {U} rather than pay Whiplash Trap’s mana cost.
Return two target creatures to their owners’ hands.

This trap is not a bomb, but it looks very solid. You get a huge tempo boost even if you play it for five mana. And trapping your opponent is just a sick play.

Windrider Eel – 3U
Creature – Fish (Common)
Flying
Landfall – Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, Windrider Eel gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
“The best spot to hook one is right behind the gills” – Rana Cloudwake, Kor skyfisher
2/2

Very solid because it has evasion and can become a 4/4 for four mana with good regularity. Plus, Harrow turns it into a 6/6 at instant speed.

Again, save up lands in your hand unless you absolutely need them on the board so that when you topdeck this flying eel, you’ll have lands in hand to trigger landfall.