We're here with another episode of De Rosa's Ramblings, with your favorite Super Hero Antonino De Rosa. Thinking of Super Heroes, I probably remind you of the Blob. The Blob is a very good Super Hero (or Villain), especially in the new Marvel Game. Any character can hide behind the Blob and can't be attacked. It kinds of remind me when Gerard hides behind me and MattR from Jon Sonne. We have an ongoing joke of Jon Sonne as the quiet one, but in reality, Jon is probably the most talkative person I ever met. Jon is one of those people that untaps and plays Stasis on you. Being in the Jon Sonne lock is very amusing. I have never had a conversation with someone that chooses is words so carefully and to this day he has the record of longest pauses to easy questions like"Jon you're hungry?" or"Jon you want to play"?

Writing an introduction to an article or a school paper has always been a challenge. Not only do you have to be witty, funny, and entertaining to get the audience to not click on the back button, but you have to explain what the body of your paper will talk about. Lately, I have had the reputation of liking bad cards in Limited. BenS always tells me"When did you start liking bad cards? Just be like the rest of the world.... You know how to game, keep the talking to the professionals and you'll win more." To clarify, I don't like bad cards. I just think that sometimes a bad card warrants a slot in your deck.

At Pro Tour: Amsterdam, I went 2-1 with a deck with three Goblin Strikers and three Molten Rains. I also had three Bonesplitters, which I am sure helped, but the point I am trying to make is that I could have played what people consider playable cards over those Strikers, but I think my deck worked better this way. Mike Turian and Gerard Fabiano both went 3-0 in different pods with Wirefly Hive, a card that no one thinks is playable. Having a lack of creatures, Gerard figured that the card warranted a slot in his deck... does that mean he will always play the Hive? Or that I will always play the Striker? No, but extreme circumstances warrant extreme behaviors.

Before I get into the meat of my article, I want to say how much I hate the fact that Americans are sucking at this game as of late. I am sick of being made fun of by Kai every time I enter #wisedraft. I have been an Italian advocate for the last three years, trying to tell the world that Italians are good at Magic. But when even Italians are doing better than Americans at Pro Tours, that's when the American professional community needs to start worrying. I know that Poker has lots to do with it - I mean why test when I can spend that time to win more money than I could ever win at the Pro Tour. I'll make a bet with anyone that wants to that at PT San Diego will have at least two Americans in the top 8, and by Worlds the Red, White, and Blue will take back what's rightfully theirs in the title of Team World Champions in their home turf. [StarCityGames.com does not condone the practice of illegal betting. - Knut, safety first]

For us to do that, we need to start working together and make one big team of All-American pros. Seriously, the Germans worked with the Scandanavians, and the French worked with the Belgiums, why can't Americans work together? I know its impossible for regular Pro Tours, because of all the qualifiers would make the team too large, but for Worlds, the team wouldn't be that humongous and it's definitely doable. Responsible people like Kibler, Osyp, and Maher need to start talking to each other and make it happen.

Oh, I almost forgot the real reason why I wrote this article: "Fireball isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Please don't misquote me, I know Fireball is a great card. A bomb in my book. Probably the third-best card for Limited play in Darksteel after Skullclamp and Pulse of the Forge. But how often do you use that fireball as a finishing move? How many times does that Fireball act as a Terror? Or as a Swelter? What I am saying is that if I am not Red, there are lots of cards I would take in Darksteel over Fireball. I know most pros believe that you always take Fireball and just splash it with two Mountains, but not this awful pro.

Stand Together
I start with this card because I believe it's insane. Nowadays Green decks need to be drafted and played very aggressively. A good example of that is I typically take Tel-Jilad Chosen over Archers. But anyway, this card is nearly impossible to beat if both +2+2 counters resolve. Its like a Reckless Spite with no drawback, and makes your guys bigger permanently. Antoine Ruel came up to me expressing how good the card really is one day, saying how it's better than Fireball. He got me thinking for a second, and then I wrote him off saying how terrible that idea was. Well, after playing with this card over and over, he might be onto something... Oh by the way, do you know how much better Stand Together gets if you draft lots of modular creatures?

Fangren Firstborn
This guy, who Gerard refers to as"Fangborn Firsthun," is a monster. I always wish I would open him, but never do because I am unlucky. With a two and a three-drop, he positively shines. I know his two-butt is his weakness, and a three toughness would have made him nearly unstoppable, but a turn 4 Firstborn, or even better, a turn 3 Firstborn with a Myr is pretty much"GG" if your opponent doesn't have removal right there and then.

Rebuking Ceremony
Anyone that played Magic when Visions was around remembers how good Undo was. Well here is a version of Undo on steroids. Not only does this card allow you to out tempo anyone in any specific game, but it gives you card advantage. Oh, and did I mentioned it doesn't only do creatures? Equipment and pesky, annoying artifacts are also gone. Oh, one more thing - you shouldn't put all your modular tokens on one creature if you know your opponent has Rebuking Ceremony in his deck. And before I forget, good luck winning if your opponent actually draws his Rebuking Ceremony.

Leonin Battlemage
This card is absurd. She dominates the board and all creature combat when she is in play. She is an offensive machine and a good defensive creature. Being White is the reason why it's so good. You can easily cast multiple spells in one turn. Its very hard to explain how good she really is, if you haven't played with her or against her, but if you have, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Pristine Angel
I don't know what R&D was thinking with this one. While she is in play, it's impossible to win. It's also nearly impossible to kill her. She ranks with Crystal Shard in my book of"hard to deal with" cards. The flavor text of those two cards should be:"While in play, you are not playing Magic." What stinks about a card like Pristine Angel is that you can't play around it and outplay the opposition, while with Fireball you can. To this day, I have yet to see a game where the person with Angel in play loses.

Pulse of the Field
That's another card that they should allow me to rewrite:"When you draw <this>, you almost can't lose." It's impossible to beat this card with lots of little attacks. You need huge attacks, and that isn't very easy thing to accomplish unless your opponent is watching you cast things while picking his nose.

Stir the Pride
Have you ever cast an Overrun? Well this one is better. Not only is this Overrun, but it allows you to win any damage race you might be involved in. If you have seven mana (not a hard thing to accomplish in Limited), entwining this card will ruin any plan your opponent had on winning. Did I mentioned it's an instant? So your opponent doesn't see it coming, but it's almost a useless bonus to an already amazing card, because there isn't much any Limited deck can do about it.

Test of Faith
Fireball says you win the game on turn 7 or 8. Test of Faith says you win the game on turn 4 or 5. Have you ever blocked and thought"If they have Test of Faith, I am toast?" Have you ever Test of Faithed a Spikeshot? I know that only happens in the movies, but let me give you something to dream about.

Chittering Rats
Sorry, Sorry. This is only an inside joke, and I wanted to see how many people would think I am crazier than they already believe.

Death Cloud
This is a Fireball that is also a Wrath of God, Armageddon, and Mind Twist. Death Cloud is one of those spells that if played carefully and set up correctly, is completely insane. I remember in Oakland having double Death Cloud decks, because no one knew how good it was. Now, unless you first pick one, you cant expect to see it.

Greater Harvester
This card is as tricky as playing Werewolf with Osyp and Turian. I hate it, but everyone talks about it like it's a bomb. It probably depends on the removal you have in your deck before drafting it. I can see taking it over Fireball if you had couple of Blinding Beams or Predator's Strikes.

Arcbound Crusher
In the Affinity deck, you take this over Fireball for sure. In any other deck, Fireball is probably better splashed than this guy. The only thing I know is that this thing is usually a four-mana 6/6, that gives another one of your guys a permanent boost when he dies.

Darksteel Pendant
Another joke. Sorry, I'll stop.

Memnarch
Any card that reads:"once you untap with it in play, you win" should be considered a bomb and picked over Fireball, if you are not Red.

Skullclamp
There as been so much writing about this card there is nothing left for me to say, other than when it's in play, it's not like playing Magic.

Sword of Fire and Ice and Sword of Light and Shadow
Both Swords are awesome. They go under the same principle of Mask of Memory: You hit them once with it and you win. I want you to think about something. Vulshok Morningstar is a very good common. Now compare it to the Swords. What are your thoughts on Morningstar? For one more measly mana, and you have ten more abilities.

Pulse of the Forge
Here is a card that you always take over Fireball, even when you are in Red. The card should read"You cant lose this game." I have found myself boarding in Vexes and a couple of Islands, just to beat this card, but that's one of the few ways it works.

In conclusion, if you open Fireball with these other uncommons and rares, think about it before you slam down the X spell. Until next time, cheer for us in San Diego and Worlds to take back what's rightfully ours.

Antonino De Rosa