I said I’d do it, so I did it. Here, for your viewing pleasure, are my thoughts on the Pathfinder Bestiary by Paizo Publishing. I’m gonna be doing this a bit differently from my standard reviews, as a testing ground for trying to be (slightly) less verbose and more open-hearted about the titles I’m reviewing.  The hype train’s come to a full stop and I’m able to look at the title cold-heartedly critically now, so I felt it was time to do this right. It won’t be a terribly long review like usual, since I’m still rather apathetic about everything around me 50% of the time, but I will have another blog entry or two in the next few days (or even one tonight if I’m lucky) to make up for it.

Formatting

First thing’s first….Pathfinder has a distinctive stat block format that is very waning 3.5/early 4E era in design. Either you love it or you hate it, but personally it’s a downside for me. For a title that proclaims such excellent backwards compatibility, it’s hard to line up any of the new monsters directly to those in the Monster Manual due to this format change. The stat blocks also contain the redundancy of retaining the creature type, habitat, and climate portions of the stat block in spite of those shiny new indicator markers/tabs/whatever you wish to call them I talked about last time. I can somewhat forgive this, however, since it means you don’t have to flip back to the marker index constantly until you learn them. The book also has a nasty habit of forcing the flavor text to not lapse over a single page, which means that some are much longer than others; alas, I guess it’s an unavoidable sacrifice to stuff in more monsters. That leaves us with some minor annoyances and one major one when it comes to formatting, but not as bad as it could have been.

Type Pruning

Two monster types have been eliminated by Pathfinder. Giants have been rolled into humanoids and elementals rolled into outsiders. I don’t really see the point, but I guess it isn’t too bad. There is a problem, however, with the giants. Sure, you could say that hill giant ranks as a really big humanoid…but why is the two-headed ettin or boarish-headed troll humanoid and not a monstrous humanoid (a type that was retained)? This is the main problem of trying to condense a creature type while trying to enforce strict limits as to where members of said creature type are migrated to; you get oddball cases like the monstrous giants (or, arguably, fire and frost giants with their elemental-like affinities). Not sure this was the best option to go for, myself…

New Monsters and “New” Monsters

There are some legitimately interesting new monsters in the Pathfinder Bestiary. For instance, you have army ant swarms and their ability to sacrifice some of their own hit points to continue an assault as the prey moves away (an idea I may incorporate into swarms myself). You also have interesting takes on old concepts like roc-sized phoenixes and cyclopes that can see the future with their single, unblinking eyes. There’s also a good dose of Open Game Content monsters such as those from Tome of Horrors and its sequels (although I cannot fault a book for gathering up monsters from other Open Game Content sources; I do this myself, even if I do my stuff for free and not $40-$50 like this title…). There are also two blatant expies in the title: the tengu (a kenku-expy) and the boggard (I’m not sure if these fit more with kuo-toa, bullywugs, or slaad…they seem to embody a bit of each). Not too sure about these critters, especially the tengu (strangely enough though, calling it a crowfolk would have satisfied me. But hey, what do I know?) Slightly wavering, but again not too bad.

Advancement to…What, Now?

Advancement is totally gone, in favor of “simple templates” that advance a creature for you and “the DM has right of way”. While I commend the effort, it’s somewhat unfair to remove the advancement system entirely for those that like a certain amount of hit die for a creature of a certain size or a relatively noviced DM; for that matter, hit die advancement has a broad range than the oh-so-shiny simple templates! They at least retain a chart showing what advancement in hit dice does to a creature. Maybe I’m overly nagging on this topic, but I’m not sure why this act would be done.

Final Results

Well…that review was certainly shorter than normal, wasn’t it? What I see here is a good RPG book, not a great RPG book. If you’re really enthused about Pathfinder and its fluff or want shiny art, then I’d give at least a passing glance at the book. For the casual reader, I’d skip it and read over the Pathfinder SRD if anything. 7/10.

Hey y’all, it’s been a while… These past two weeks have been really taxing with my grandmother being in the hospital, and I’ve been trying harder and harder to manage my free time and still enjoy myself. Alas, that’s sorta excluded this blog. Hopefully the replacement cable for my laptop comes in this week, since the hospital has a wireless access system. and thus I could fool around on the Internet while being there. In any case, she’s doing a lot better by only needing a small nose tube like she normally has to aid her breathing (no more respirators or even masks), and today is my “day off” from vigilance at the hospital waiting room all day, so I’ll see what I can do about having something to talk about on here. Oh, and I went to the library in between the ICU’s visitation hours (well, one of the in betweens. I’m not crazy enough to go during all of them ). There’s a list below the fold for those that are into reading what I am reading.

…Still here? Alright then.

Non-Research Library Books for November 23, 2009

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (400 pages)

The Richness of Life: the Essential Stephen Jay Gould by Stephen Jay Gould (672 pages)

Scientists Confront Intelligent Design and Creationism by Andrew J. Petto and Laurie R. Godfrey (416 pages)

The Monsters: Mary Shelley & the Curse of Frankenstein by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler (400 pages)

On my way back from visiting my grandmother in the hospital (don’t worry, she could be a lot worse. It’s not good, but not hugely horrid anymore), I decided to visit Paper Heroes, the FLGS* of the area. While browsing through digging past the GURPS sourcebooks, Buffy and Serenity Roleplaying Games, and World of Darkness titles and carefully avoiding disrupting the Magic: the Gathering game in progress, I came across a book. A thick book. A thick book with many, many shiny images that caught my eye. …And yes, I bought it. What is it?

*Friendly Local Game Store, for those that don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.

The title is…The Pathfinder Bestiary! I may not really have any interest in playing a straight-up Pathfinder game, but I’m here to tell y’all a few things about this little 327-page beauty. Let’s get into a few points, then!

• Beautiful art (for the most part). Paizo did an absolutely gorgeous job with the art…for the most part. While there are some stinkers (I’m looking at you, ears-larger-than-your-head nymph and Playboy-centerfold-made-out-of-wood dryad…oh, and pale fat human “ogre” art too. You go away as well), the art for the most part really grabs your eye. Some of the better pieces are their redesigned, sleeker bulette (it looks like a ferocious dinosaurian predator instead of the chunky-monkey it was in the Monster Manual), the somehow both brutish and sophisticated-looking samurai oni, the radiant solar angel’s powerful appearance, the majestic lillend (although her being nude except for some silly gold nipple-caps with tassles is stupid), and a very psychopathic-looking mimic.
• Tabs. Each entry has three little tabs. One shows climate, the other habitat, the other the creature type. It is an interesting organization method, since you can just look at the creature’s tab box and see what you have and where it lives.
• New monsters. Looking just casually may make you think this is just a reprint of the SRD Monster Manual monsters. No, not at all! There are plenty of new little tricks you can find. New skeletons and zombies for template flavor, sea serpents, phoenixes, tengu, and cyclopes for mythological flavor, army ant swarms, mastodons, woolly rhinos, and new dinosaurs for nature and prehistory buffs, new golems such as ice and wood, lindorms for a flightless “brute dragon”, and more dot this title.

Now then, I plan on going into a full piece-by-piece, creature-by-creature review later, but for now I’m just basking in my newfound title.

Greetings, lacedons and gentlemohrgs,  bones and ghouls. Tonight is my favorite night of the year, the one night that my love of the monstrous and legendary isn’t seen as quite as weird as it’s seen the rest of the year. I decided I’d do something a bit unique this year…a top 10 of my personal favorite horror-themed d20 monsters. Note that these are my personal favorites, so they are pretty subjective (duh).

10: Liquefied Zombie

Where it’s From: Urban Arcana

Why it’s Here: The standard zombie has been used to death, so it couldn’t really make it onto this list. The liquefied zombie, however, has a little bit extra that allows it to remain on this list. The liquefied zombie is bloated with decay, and sloshes around, leaking dissolved innards. Melee fighters are also fairly screwed if they encounter one as well, since enough damage will release its caustic load, dealing acid damage to those in range. These creatures have an ick factor that the regular zombie only partially reaches, as well as the realization that hurting it hurts you in return.

9: Leechwalker

Where it’s From: Monster Manual II and Urban Arcana

Why it’s Here: The leechwalker resembles an obese, featureless humanoid covered in leeches and slime. Creepy, no? Well…sorta. After you get over the initial “ZOMG!” moment at such a nasty thing, you realize that despite its appearance and blood-draining abilities, it’s rather weak and, to be blunt, stupid. A leechwalker is a vermin, meaning it isn’t going to go out of its way to mess with you or induce fear in your party, which is a shame. An aberration leechwalker would have probably been more effective, and higher on this list.

8: Flesh Plant

Where it’s From: Advanced Bestiary

Why it’s Here: Plants twisted into piles of bleeding meat. On top of that, their vicious attacks leave gaping, bleeding wounds. These are quintessential “things that should not be” aberrations, in all their hideous glory, and I love them for it.

7: Waking Dead

Where it’s From: Into the Black

Why it’s Here: The waking dead represent claustrophobia and the fear of being buried alive taken into a monster. These beings were presumed dead and buried alive. They later woke and went into hysteria, losing their sanity and their lives, only to later rise as manic undead with bestial hunger. While being buried alive isn’t as prevalent a fear as it was in Victorian times, the idea of the waking dead still has an unsettling tone.

6: Roach Thrall

Where it’s From: Urban Arcana

Why it’s Here: Cockroach-like aberrations that wear flayed human skins as “costumes”: perfect for Halloween! These creatures are essentially expies of the Edgar-suited Bug from Men in Black, but they still have a good body snatcher flavor to them. On the other hand….

5: Doppelganger

Where it’s From: Monster Manual

Why it’s Here: …The Roach thrall doesn’t hold a candle to the true master of bodysnatching, the doppelganger. While I’d prefer a mythological-based doppelganger, the d20 type makes a good alien infiltrator race (heck, they even look like Grays). They are the quintessential “they’re here, they’re there…they could be anywhere!” paranoia fueling creatures.

4: Dread Wraith Sovereign

Where it’s From: Advanced Bestiary

Why it’s Here: While there are plenty of dread undead in the Advanced Bestiary, the one that is undoubtedly one of the most terrifying is the dread wraith sovereign. With several unnatural and icy auras, powerful deflection Defense bonuses, spawn creation, spell resistance, turn resistance, and the ability to sense your very essence of life no matter where you are, it is the perfect hunting undead.

3: Walking Disease

Where it’s From: Into the Black

Why it’s Here: Corpses filled with diseases, fungi, and ooze, carrying their filth with them. There’s just something about disease that makes me feel uneasy, and combining it with the undead just makes it worse.

2: Stygilor

Where it’s From: Menace Manual

Why it’s Here: It’s an obese demon made out of cancerous tumors that eats diseased patients in hospitals. It’s deservedly on this list.

1: Abyssal Larva

Where it’s From: Tome of Horrors III

Why it’s Here: Abyssal larvae resemble obese horned worms with screaming human faces, contorted in pain. They can vomit up maggots and acid, but that’s not why they’re creepy. Their fluff and insanity mechanic makes them creepy. It is insinuated, but not confirmed, that abyssal larvae are the lowest and most tortured of evil humanoid souls, eternally on the lowest rung of the ladder as the horrid, twisted forms of insanity they are now. *Shivers*

Hey y’all, it’s me again! I’ve been really busy lately, looking for a better-paying job, working my current job, sleeping off headaches, and plotting to get a new reptilian pet with my next big paycheck. But don’t worry, I’m not closing shop…for the most part. I am, however, putting the Let’s Read I was doing for The Loch on hiatus. Why? Well, the answer is twofold…

1. The book made Scotsperson go into a Scottish Rage-Coma.

2. For all its flaws, Alten at least tried to remain somewhat science-based. I now have bigger fish to fry over at my other blog… (you’ll see).

So for now, Let’s Read The Loch is considered on hiatus until spring 2010, but don’t worry…I’ll have new reviews here soon enough.

Welcome to the first review of this October season, where we’ll be gazing into the darkness…and hoping it doesn’t gaze back too hard. Today’s review will be of the Ravenloft Player’s Handbook from Sword and Sorcery Studios (a subsidiary tendril of White Wolf. Yes, that White Wolf). I’ll warn you ahead of time: this campaign setting isn’t for everyone. It’s like a D&D version of Call of Cthulhu: It wants you to die. Painfully. In creative and tortuous ways. Especially if you’re a spellcaster.

The Basics

You might be asking yourself the following question: “What is Ravenloft?” Well, let me answer that for you. A long time ago, in a galaxy not so far away, there was a company called TSR. They created a little game called Dungeons and Dragons, one of the settings of which was called Ravenloft. Later, a company called Wizards of the Coast ate TSR and produced 3E, and for the most part ignored Ravenloft. On the other hand, White Wolf picked up the line with some licensing finesse and created a set of 3E Ravenloft. Nowadays, 4E has had Wizards of the Coast look at Ravenloft again (although by bastardizing it into just being a subportion of the Shadowfell instead of its own demiplane as it was in the past).

At its core, Ravenloft is like every Medieval and Victorian horror archetype bundled together into one realm of terror. Across its expanse, darkness, shadow, and fog (both figurative and literal for all three counts) choke the land, which is cut up into various lands ruled by beings known as Darklords. But enough generalizing, let’s get into the meat of things.

We Don’t Allow Orcs Here: Races in Ravenloft

Ravenloft doesn’t completely adhere to your standard D&D races, so let’s have a look through the species you can find as playables.

Humans: Humans are the most numerous beings in Ravenloft. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense; what are zombies, ghouls, ghosts, and vampires (most of the time) but undead humans? There are really no major changes beyond them speaking languages other than common and native to Ravenloft, such as Balok and Darkonese.

Caliban: Ravenloft’s equivalent of half-orcs, that use half-orc stats. They are flavorfully different, however; caliban are the result of humans contorted in the womb by hag magic, coming out resembling more of less a crossbreed between the Hunchback of Notre Dame and an ogre.

Dwarves and the Like: Dwarves are…typical D&D dwarves. Same with elves, half-elves, gnomes, and halflings. The pen and ink image of a curvaceous dwarf woman in a Renaissance-era tunic and her thick-beared claymore-carrying male companion is much more interesting than standard miner or cleric dwarf images, though, as is the Hamlet-expy gnome male (complete with a skull he’s monologuing at!).

Giomorgo: Also known as half-Vistani, the giomorgo are essentially stereotypical gypsies elevated to an entire race, in appearance and attitude. They don’t have many interesting game traits going for them, with the exception of an inability to cast spells or heal naturally during the period of the full moon due to lunar madness.

In other words…humanoids aren’t really the focus of Ravenloft’s creative pursuits. Those go toward other things.

Class Act: Classes in Ravenloft

The classes have been altered some as well, mostly adding Fear, Horror, and Madness effects as per Unearthed Arcana’s system (so I won’t go over those portions) and potentially higher weakness to corruption. There are, however, some other interesting notes to be touched upon.

Barbarian: Barbarians get a nasty little surprise in that they can’t end their rages. Once all foes are dead, allies are still in danger from the feral raging of the clouded mind of a Ravenloft Barbarian. In other words: player to player kills are justified and welcomed. >_>;

Bard: Bards get a kick to the shins as well. Their Bardic Knowledge is a fair degree harder to use, and their curative magic has a good chance of failure due to the darkness of the realm.

Fighter: Fighters get no really big penalties but gain some new feats. Presumably because the poor fellows don’t deserve more punishment than they get, even from the unforgiving Ravenloft.

Paladin: Paladins in Ravenloft are nearly unheard of, for obvious reasons. Those that are present, however, are like giant bullseyes due to the fact that they ruffle the very fabric of the dark realm’s reality. Players of Paladins are likely to be savaged and violently assaults more than any other party member. Remember, Ravenloft hates you just as much as you hate Ravenloft!

Sorcerers and Wizards: Not only do the townsfolk often not trust you, magic itself hates you in Ravenloft. Spells cast in this domain go horribly wrong, injure you, or fail outright. You have to make the Will save for mind-affecting powers instead of your target, transmutations are painful, divinations utterly fail, and necromancy is high reward for a high risk for both the body and the mind.

There’s also a new prestige class called the Monster Hunter, which is essentially a 5-level Ranger with some Cleric-like defensive powers and Bard-like knowledge thrown in. All in all…it doesn’t matter what class you take, Ravenloft hates you anyway.

Here Be Monsters

The monsters chapter in the Ravenloft Player’s Handbook isn’t a major event, certainly not an entire bestiary (at least on its own…), but it has some interesting points to go over. These creatures have no full stats (here, at least…).

The Three Lords of the Undead: Vampires, ghosts, and liches all gain new abilities, ranging from necromantic animation at will with a simple touch to hypnotic vapors. All are much stronger than their standard versions, and have varied powers that make them interesting and customizable to a great extent. I’m tempted to use a lich that has the skull scry (the ability to see through the eyes of any bare skull within a 100 mile radius) and animating touch.

Werebeasts: Obviously, lycanthropes and were-creatures in general would be part of a horror setting such as this. While there are no new weres presented, there is a new ability given to them. All werecreatures in Ravenloft must consume a large amount of raw meat per day or be consumed by feral hunger that drives their every move. It makes them all the more imposing, even when in human form.

Golems: Golems get a new template, the dread golem, that grants them an Intelligence score, telepathy, and powers that for the most part revolve around fear 0r mobility. I like the dread golem, even if the “always Chaotic Evil” part makes them strange choices for, say, a vampire’s guard or something and pretty much relegates them to the mad scientist’s creation role.

Mummies: All mummies (referred to in Ravenloft as “ancient dead”) in the setting can be healed by positive energy like a living being, a holdover from pre-3E editions of the game. They also gain new powers that vary from individual to individual, such as object animation, animal control, and mental domination. They, like the undead mentioned previously, are tougher and more variable than their main counterparts.

Demons and Devils: The fiendkind in Ravenloft are much less physically present, but can corrupt humans, tainting and controlling their minds over a period of time. They can also spread disease and corruption into the very land itself. In other words, more Medieval paranoia-type demons than things the players are going to physically combat.

The Hags: Surprisingly, instead of being their own creature, hags in Ravenloft are actually human women that had something corrupt them in their old age, giving them monstrous appearances and magical powers. I’m not sure I can really applaud this idea as much as the other monsters, since it seems a bit stereotypical and mean-spirited, but eh. To each their own.

Vistani: Stereotypical gypsies gone magical being, and Ravenloft’s only fully Ravenloft-centric creature (at least in this title. You’ll see what I’ve been hinting at…). They have an “evil eye” gaze attack, they use tarot cards, they’re…yeah. Not a big fan of them, since they don’t really bring that much to the table.

Final Thoughts

This is a very polarizing title. If you like classic horror, grab it. If you like challenging play, grab it. If you don’t like archetypical events, horror, or seeing your character suffer in a meat grinder game..don’t grab it. 7/10.

Remember me? Scottish guy? Does Reviews and LP’s in between Rappy and Azalea’s posts? I’m back, and reviewing once a week – posted on TGWTG.com in their blog section. I shall post a link and a brief description here, so I ain’t leaving – not for a long, long time. This week, I am looking at WET, a John-Woo-esque romp with a 70s feel – how does it hold up? Have a wee look down below…

LP Videos can be found here

WET Review can be found here

[Admin's Note: Congratulations on making it to TGWTG blogging, Scotsperson!]

Sorry folks, but the next review is gonna be late. I was planning on reviewing OGL Horror, but I’m now going to have to find something different to do in the spirit of October. This is the first title I’ve asked for a refund on out of sheer disgust. OGL Horror is over 250 pages of recycled d20 Modern rules with the interesting facet of talents and ability-based classes filed away, fear rules from Unearthed Arcana, and a meager bestiary with a handful of new monsters. I could understand and forgive these things if it was free or cheap, but no, this sucker is $24.49. I payed nearly $30 for what equates to a copy of the SRD and a few new creatures and houserules! This title would have probably gotten a 1/10 if I hadn’t asked for my money back to grab something more worthwhile.

I had a horrible night and morning, which gave me insomnia and nightmares when I finally id get to sleep, which made me slightly late for work. So after all that, I had to do the most peaceful thing I can think of…retreat to the sanctity of books, for they always seem to help me feel better. So it’s that time again, folks! Oh, and there will be a new review soon, I promise you that. I got a few more than what I wrote here, but as usual, this is just my main reading list, not everything I get.

The Republican War on Science by Chris Mooney (352 pages)

Book Blurb: See review here for a more detailed look than any blurb I could give on it. I just felt like reading it myself instead of relying on a review, though, so I picked it up.

The Book of General Ignorance by the same authors as The Book of Animal Ignorance (go back a few library posts ) (288 pages)

Book Blurb: This title takes a look at “common knowledge” trivia and gives the true story behind them. It’s a fun little title with archetypical British wit.

Dr. Axelrod’s Mini-Atlas of Freshwater Aquarium Fishes Mini-Edition by Dr. Herbet R. Axelrod, Dr. Warren E. Burgess, Dr. Cliff W. Emmens, Neal Pronek, Jerry G. Walls, and Ray Hunziker (992 pages)

Book Blurb: …I’m not quite sure what I was thinking when I picked this one up. Also, it has a silly title.

Dry Storeoom No. 1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum by Richard Fortey (352 pages)

Book Blurb: A British palaeontologist discussing the inner machinations of a museum? Sign me up to read it! And no, that’s not a copy-paste from above…I managed to find two books that have the same pagecount. Heh.

Rapture Culture: Left Behind in Evangelical America by Amy Johnson Frykholm (224 pages)

Book Blurb: A cultural study of the premillenial dispensationalist movement in America. Considering my parents are part of this collection of half-baked acorns, I figured it would be an interesting read.

A Field Guide to Dinosaurs: The Essential Handbook for Travelers in the Mesozoic by Henry Gee and Luis V. Rey (144 pages)

Book Blurb: This is a very neat little title, presenting itself as a field guide for time travellers. A mixture of science, speculation, and damn fine art, this title is a very shiny addition to your library.

The Smithsonian: 150 Years of Adventure by James Conway (432 pages)

Book Blurb: A large illustrated guide to the Smithsonian museum chain.

Once again, I must kindly ask all rumormongers to plug their ears and close their eyes and go “LALALALALA!”

Okay, so I was hit-or-miss on my predictions when it came to Zendikar. >.> The Tribal theme? Yes, that exists. In bunches and bunches. We’re already seeing Tribal support for Merfolk, Vampires, Allies (yes, there’s a new creature type called Ally; it’s the new Sliver!), and most of all, Goblins. Those of you who shop on the secondary market better grab some M10 Goblin Chieftains right now, because their price is about to skyrocket thanks to the recent spoiling of this number, courtesy of the Magic Show:

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=94705&d=1252037056

Badubadubadubadu-wha? O.o

No joke; You are looking at a “fixed” version of Goblin Lackey, and yes, he is a mythic rare. Just when I thought it was safe to stick up for Wizards of the Coast and their decision to introduce another rarity that they promised to save for “epic-feeling creatures and spells” (Mark Rosewater’s exact words), they turn around and pull this crap! *sigh* …Okay, okay, enough with the doomsaying, Azzy. -.- Deep breaths… On another hand, maybe Wizards can get away with it. If you’re looking at Warren Instigator from a tournament player’s point of view, then you should come to the conclusion that he’s not as broken as he looks. He’s utterly unplayable in multicolor decks because of his two-color cost, he trades in combat with almost every other competitive two-drop, and with the rotation of Onslaught out from Extended and Lorwyn out from Standard, there aren’t gonna be a whole lot of big Goblins left for him to combo with.

Still, you cannot deny that Warren Instigator is gonna be pricey, at least at the start. I do not think it is worthy of the mythic rarity, and I have the sneaking suspicion that Wizards only made it that way specifically to give the middle finger to the secondary market, because they lose a lot of profit from players eschewing booster packs in favor of buying single cards. But what’s done is done, and in the end, there are going to players willing to shell out a lot of money for those Instigators. Goblin decks will see some play with him in both Standard and Extended, but there’s no telling yet whether it will be a Top 8 cockroach like Faeries was. If you think they will be, then by all means, buy those Instigators up now, because that mythic rarity isn’t making them any cheaper.

Now let’s get to a prediction that I was utterly wrong about. Lots of artifacts? Well, so far, not really. <.< I’m still holding my breath for more artifacts to show up (not necessarily cards that care about them, now that we know the “priceless treasures” are mostly just the rewards of quest enchantments), I should have gone with my original gut feeling and said that Wizards was going to print a lot more lands than usual, which they are. Another card (or should I say, group of cards) that will open up at a high price with the release of Zendikar are the new enemy-colored fetch lands. Arid Mesa, the red-white representative of this cycle, was recently revealed at Penny Arcade Expo, and the reception has largely been positive. Not only that, but the timing of the release of these lands actually helps keeps their price down on the secondary market, thanks to their ally-colored cousins rotating out of Extended. (Is it just me, or is Wizards – *gasp* – actually paying attention to the power level of non-Standard formats?!)

Enemy-color fetchlands are great news for anyone willing to buy Zendikar, because they come with a couple obvious positives. First, they fill the void left behind by the exit of both the 10th Edition painlands and Shadowmoor-block filterlands from Standard. With the smaller set size of the 2010 Core Set came the decision not to print any enemy-color dual lands in the Glacial Fortress cycle, and the printing of these enemy-color fetchlands catches the remaining two-color pairs up with them. They’re not quite dual lands, but they’ll do, and they’re trade meat if nothing else. ^^ And second, the fetchlands can trigger landfall abilities twice, without losing any mana from doing so. Mind you, Terramorphic Expanse is probably still the better choice for certain builds (especially 5-Color Control, which is about to lose the Vivid lands and Reflecting Pool), but at least enemy-color decks aren’t dead in the water this Standard season. Let’s go red-white! *clap clap clap-clap-clap* ^.^

More to come when the set is fully spoiled.