Spoiler Alert: Mirrodin Besieged Part 1

That's right, it's that time of the season again.  As of so far, there are nineteen cards that have been officially spoiled, and as I have yet to mention any of them on the site, I figure it's about time.  So I'm gonna pick out a few of them that have piqued my interest.

Now, I'm sure most all of you have seen this guy before.  A favorite for players that are sick of dying to Elves or Vamps, and yet, he's the same color as DoJ.  And since the big beaters of the format have six toughness, not four, he still needs a pump so so much as trade with any of the format's bombs.  So ordinarily, I'd say he's no good.  However, there's a new keyword in this format that could change my opinion.

If Battle cry becomes common among the cheaper creatures in the format, a 2/2 Double strike for three may very well be a juggernaut in the future.  Only time will tell.

Now this guy is the polar opposite of the Mirran Crusader.  He has protection from the two largest removal colors in the format, AND he can't be hit with a doom blade.  Combine that with a First strike/Wither combo and this guy makes for a very broken mono-black control creature.  Now, because he can't actually deal combat damage to players, his strength depends largely on what the rest of the set adds to infect.  However, at the very least I can see this guy chillin' in sideboards for a long time.  At his best, there'll be an entire deck around him and Sword of Body and Mind.  After all, the only thing so far that's effective against that combo is Grasp of Darkness., so the deck's only weakness is the mirror match.

A 1/1 for one mana that turns into an equipment upon death... very interesting.  I look forward to seeing what other Living weapons appear in the set.  And remember folks, this means that Stoneforge Mystics will be able to tutor creatures soon (as well as flash them in for two), so hold on to your set if you have 'em, and try to get 'em if you don't.

Recognize him?  This guy is a great control piece, and it's quite possible that Mono-Black Control is making a comeback.  With this guy, Sign in Blood, Doom Blade, Grasp of Darkness, Disfigure, Duress, Vampire Hexmage, Grave Titan, Consuming Vapors, Consume the Meek, Sorin Markov, Corrupt, Skinrender, Gatekeeper of Malikir, Vampire Nighthawk, and Bloodchief Ascension, there's a plenty big pool to choose from as it is.  However, I think right now there needs to be just a little more incentive to not be running blue.  There may be some sources for a draw engine, but there still isn't something that can top a big boy Jace rocking the board.  However, I think it's a safe bet that we'll get SOMETHING that will make MBC viable in the near future.

Before I end this article, I do want to mention that it seems like token creatures are becoming a theme even more common than in the last set.  So there's also a high possibility that Boros/Kutholda red will be getting a pretty big boost.  So this isn't definite yet, but you might want to stock up on those Ratchet Bombs, Consume the Meeks, and DoJs now, while they're cheap.  So until next time, I'll be doing your mother.