Well, Apocalypse is finally here — and with it, another multi-colored set that should have quite an influence on the 5 Color format.

White
Orim's Thunder: This is the newest"Disenchant" and its red kicker allows you to deal damage to creatures. Pretty limited in one-on-one, but if you play teams or large group games, this card is pretty solid.

Spectral Lynx: This is a solid creature for beatdown because of its regeneration ability. It also has protection from green, so it can block those nasty 'Derms. The only issue with this guy is the fact that he is white, a color that beatdown attempts to minimize at all costs — including cutting normal staple cards like Balance and Land Tax.

Blue
Jilt: This card is interesting. It could get played, but blue appears to be pretty much a bust for this set in 5 Color. The Whirlpool creatures bring an interesting mechanic to the table, but I don't see them being played all that much.

Black
Desolation Angel: She could get played in a mid-range creature/control deck. Armageddon with a big flying body is nice, but I don't expect her to get any play.

Phyrexian Arena: Perhaps one of the most interesting cards in the set and sure to see play in constructed, the Arena could get played in beatdown or Necro decks. However, its cost is not cheap, and typical Necro-control decks will have to find life gain or a win condition sooner than they might be used to in order to make this enchantment useful.

Red
Wild Research: This card is already restricted, but banning could be on the horizon for this tutor-happy enchantment. It gets you counters at instant speed, or could be used to fetch a kill spell like Volcanic Geyser.

Green
Lay of the Land: Debate can go on about this card versus Harrow for a while — but while this is cheaper, I think Harrow is still just a bit better. However, if you are looking for additional mana smoothing and don't have Mox Diamonds, this card is for you.

Gold
Ebony Treefolk: Beatdown's colors, black and green, get a solid 3/3 for 3 that can't be hit with non-black specific kill. However, two mana to pump may be too much, but for beatdown decks that play Silt Crawler, this guy is significantly better.

Death Grasp: This is a new X spell that hits creatures or players, and gains you life at the same time. It's solid creature kill in control decks, and can be an excellent non-red finisher. Hydroblast could become extinct because of this card.

Jungle Barrier: This new Wall of Blossoms is almost as good as the original. While twice the mana cost, getting a butt of six is crucial against Blastoderm, Derelor, and Erhnam Djinn. I already play four of these, and I like it quite a bit.

Pernicious Deed: The"New Disk" gets rid of troublesome small creatures on turn 4, and while controllish decks tend to be light on green, this is a card that could see play because it lacks the"comes into play tapped" drawback that the Disk had.

Suffocating Blast: I like this card quite a bit, but it's better the more players you have. Bolting a creature is unfortunately a necessity with this, and I've had to kill my own Factory already, but I expect to see it in team-oriented decks.

Vindicate: What can I say about this card that hasn't been said yet? The best all-around removal spell ever for this format should be manageable for most, probably settling in at around $7. Four of these should be a staple in every 5 Color deck from now until the end of time.

Artifacts
Dodecapod: Unfortunately the cards that could make this guy a 5/5 are restricted. Obviously great if your opponent uses Wheel of Fortune, Windfall, Memory Jar, Balance, or lots of black discard like Hymn, Stupor, or Hypnotic Specter, but I don't think that this guy is worth using otherwise.

While this set is not ridiculous for 5 Color, it has some cards that will likely become regularly seen in this format. I look forward to putting the new cards to the test at Origins next month.

Also, anyone in the Indianapolis area should head to the Goal Line on 116th Street for 5 Color Wednesday-Saturday nights. Also, there is a 5C tournament there at the end of the month. Chris Mettler is the new owner and is promoting 5 Color through the roof, and is the driving force behind the 5-color resurgence in all of central Indiana.

As usual, any questions or comments may be sent to Team_Apathy@excite.com

Kurtis"Fat Man" Hahn