When last we left our slumbering writer he was in the midst of a slump. A horrific can't-win-a-game-if-his-life-depended-on-it slump. A slump that continued until Friday of last week.

A lot of my passion for writing comes from having a passion for this game. As quoted from one of my favorite articles of all time and by one of my Top 3 writers of all time in reference to me -

"I bought it read it and was astounded that someone could care THAT much about ANYTHING.

"To be so addicted to the game that it begins to consume you whole. To bare your soul your hopes and aspirations to the world. To be so excited about making Top Eight that you want to pee yourself." - John Rizzo

And that's why you haven't seen anything from me in weeks. If I'm not excited about the game I can't write.

Actually that's not the whole truth. I should say I can't write anything good. Because I have four different articles started. All of them from .5 to 3 pages long just whining and pissing and moaning. And really - who wants to read that? So I would start another topic and eventually it would dissolve into so much flatulence and I would read it over and decide it wasn't where I wanted to go. I can whine on the forums all I want but people expect a little more for their premium $1.87 a month.

Despite the fact that I really wanted to write something good I continued to lose at Magic. No matter what I did. No matter how much money I spent. No matter if it was Vanguard Standard Jitte Block Constructed Jitte Block Sealed or even a 9th Edition release event or seven. Yes seven. Oh wow is The Lovely Mare going to turn into The Angry Mare when she sees this month's credit card bill.

I remember the first time I heard of Vanguard. I thought it was the dumbest format ever. I thought it was a horrible idea and never thought of it again.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/magiconline/vanguard

Until a friend of mine RogueDesigner mentioned to me one night "Waiting for my favorite format to start. Vanguard tourney at seven o'clock."

"You like Vanguard?"
"Love it."

Intrigued by the fact that someone I respected actually liked the format I had dismissed I started to explore it.

The closest thing I can compare it to is Type One (Classic) without having to pay for all of the power nine. The Avatars warp the rules and introduce an explosive element to the game that is both joyous and infuriating at the same time. And the possibilities for making decks are just astounding.

I have to admit. I love tokens. Ever since I played my first Verdant Force I have loved having a huge army of 1/1s on the board. And ever since I played my first Beacon of Creation I didn't feel stupid for doing it. Because I can just generate another huge army on the next turn if they all get extinguished.

I explored the format a little bit but soon realized that I needed more Avatars. In order to encourage me RogueDesigner forced me to take some of his extras off his hand giving me half dozen avatars from his favorite format to experiment with.

The first two I was drawn to were the Erhnam Djinn and Seshiro. Both for the token creating ability. With the Erhnam Djinn I immediately made up a deck filled with the best Green Weenies Echoing Courage Giant Growth and Predator's Strike. And killed my first opponent on the fourth turn. Some fun!

My next opponent was playing Hell's Caretaker Avatar and got out a third turn Kokusho and then sacced it every turn to do 5 damage to me and gain 5 for himself. Really not sexy at all.

Quite a lot like Type One huh?

Seshiro and Akroma both opened up possibilities for Joshie Green in the fact that I could adapt a working tuned deck to Vanguard with some minor changes.

Seshiro allows all of your creatures to be one type in addition to their normal type. So all of the creatures in Joshie Green would be Snakes. Remove 8 cards add Seshiro and Sosuke's Summons and you have a monster of a deck. Everything draws cards when I attack. Every creature I cast causes Sosuke's Summons to come back to my hand. Beacon of Creation makes Snake tokens now. Which all become 3/3 card drawing monsters when I cast Seshiro.

Some good.

With Akroma the results were staggering. And really the credit again goes to RogueDesigner. He thought of it first. I have to give credit where credit is due especially considering that I didn't think it was that great an idea until I actually tried it.

Akroma says that every creature when it comes into play gains two abilities at random from the list of Pro Red Pro Black First Strike Haste Flying and Vigilance or even Trample.

She also starts you off with seven more life and one more card in hand.

Best... Avatar... ever!

Actually I was skeptical.

Until I actually played a 3/2 Flying Vigilant Untargetable Regenerating Troll Ascetic.

And then the next turn I cast Beacon of Creation and got 4 different guys with 8 Different Abilities like Pro Red. Pro Black. Flying. Vigilance.

And then I threw Blanchwood Armor on my flying vigilant Troll and laughed my ass off.

The other Avatar I have enjoyed is Goblin Warchief. Attacking Creatures get +1/+0.

Big deal right? Well it is a big deal when you combine it with creatures that come into play tapped (Haste).

Raging Goblin is now a 2/1 for 1 on the first turn.

Spark Elemental is a 4/1 trampler for 1 Red.

"Mountain Raging Goblin attack go."

"Mountain Spark Spark attack whoa is you at 8 already?"

If you have 4 Mountains on the board you can cast 2 Oxidda Golems and swing for 8.

Feral Lightning is (possibly) 12 damage for 6 mana.

Making guys that have haste get +1 to their power is huge especially when you add a ton of burn to keep the path clear for them or finish someone off once they're at eight.

But like Type One your opponent can have his own insane draws and decks as well. Like the deck I played last night that played a turn 3 Kokusho and started sacrificing it every turn for a ten point life swing every time he untapped.

It's an interesting diversion - certainly something enjoyable to tide you over until Ravnica is released if you're bored with Standard. Or if you want to experience what it's like to play a completely busted format without paying for a fortune in cards.

Speaking of Ravnica I see the Spoiler has been released at http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=13275

I was going to do a tournament report here but really when the conclusion is "Paul won again with Tooth" how exciting can that be?

I'm going to look over the Ravnica Spoiler and give you my impressions as a Green Mage. And by a Green Mage I mean a mage who likes to turn guys sideways. Yes its true my definition of a Green mage is rather narrow. I can't help it. When I play role playing games be they live or over the internet I always play some kind of melee. Usually I start off with a Hybrid like a Paladin or a Hunter but I eventually just start playing a pure warrior. Just because I like to see those big hits. Like to see that impressive Armor and those big shiny glowy weapons. I find no enjoyment in playing a Healer or a Mage of any kind.

It doesn't matter to me that the Mages are usually much more versatile and much more powerful than the Warrior; it's not a matter of choice. I have to play a melee in order to have fun. It's the same way with Magic. I have to play a deck that turns guys sideways. It's not an option for me to play the game and enjoy it by topping every turn. By playing a deck that ignores the battlefield and takes control in one big turn.

I just like to attack.

Is that so wrong?

That said; let's look at the Ravnica Green from that point of view.

[Editor's Note: If you want the mana costs you need to visit mtgsalvation and go off of their unofficial spoiler. The cards are not in our system yet and the pretty picture mana symbols are eaten by the conversion macros. This is the result of talking about things before the release dates...]

Bird of Paradise - Zero power. Not turning that guy sideways.

Bramble Elemental
Creature - Elemental
Whenever an Aura becomes attached to Bramble Elemental put two 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens into play.
4/4

A 4/4 for 5 is okay as long as it has a good ability. Like Flying. Or Trample. Putting a couple tokens into play (which seems to be one of Green's main themes this set) is interesting but is it powerful? Well the thing this could most be compared to is probably Sosuke's Summons which has never been that strong a card. A fun card. An interesting card. Not really a game-breaking card.

One of the things I immediately saw when looking over the Ravnica Spoiler was that Green in this set is the color of playing badly. The mechanics in this set want Green to massively over commit cards to the board so they can all be destroyed at once and then you have an empty hand. Many of the mechanics rely on you to have multiple creatures on the board and none of the cards I saw help you recover from that over committing in a way that Beacon of Creation or One Dozen Eyes or Eternal Witness did.

So the Bramble Elemental is interesting and will fit in enchantment heavy decks. And then when you've played out all your enchantments they'll Wrath or Final Judgment or Kagemaro or Wildfire or Hideous Laughter and then well they'll hideously laugh at you and you'll be a bad player.

Carven Caryatid
Creature - Spirit
Defender (This creature can't attack.) When Carven Caryatid comes into play draw a card.
2/5
So-called "old wood" is rare in deforested Ravnica. Statues carved from it are said to house the last of the ancient nature spirits.
Illus.: Jim Nelsen
#155/306

Defender's don't turn sideways and serve. This will probably be used against Green mages more than it will be used by them. Visions of Wall of Blossoms and Tradewind Riders still haunt my nightmares.

Chord of Calling
Instant
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color.) Search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost X or less and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
Illus.: Heather Hudson
#156/306

The beginnings of the new Tooth deck esp. since the Urza's lands are still in 9th. For regular Green mages at its worst this means you can tutor for Verdant Force for a mere eleven mana. Or go get that Viridian Shaman you need for a mere six.

Convoke is interesting. Viewed in a purely positive light it turns all your creatures into Llanowar Elves. Each one of them can be used to help cast a spell. Viewed in a purely negative way it doesn't do a damn bit of good since you're already going to be playing with Llanowar Elves and Elves of Deep Shadow and can tap them to reduce the cost of spells by one already. And not just spells that have Convoke but any spell. Furthermore in order for Convoke to be used to its fullest you really want to structure your deck so you have lots of creatures on the board. Essentially you want to massively over commit so you can put another resource on the board thus over committing even more.

Civic Wayfinder
Creature - Elf Warrior Druid
When Civic Wayfinder comes into play you may search your library for a basic land card reveal it and put it into your hand. If you do shuffle your library.
2/2

Excellent card. A bigger stronger Wood Elf that's not limited to Forests. Excellent for Green even better for every other color.

Doubling Season
Enchantment
If an effect would put one or more tokens into play under your control it puts twice that many into play instead. If an effect would place one or more counters on a permanent you control it places twice that many on that permanent instead.

Considering there is nothing that generates more than two tokens in the set any more this might see some use. It might work in a Snake deck to make your Summons a small Beacon. It's expensive but a card that creates two tokens isn't anything special while creating four tokens is much more feasible.

Dowsing Shaman
Creature - Centaur Shaman
2G : Return target enchantment card from your graveyard to your hand.
3/4

Too expensive to play and too expensive to use. This will probably be good in a Blue/Green deck that uses Enchantments that are good like Confiscate and Threads of Disloyalty. Green mages that turn guys sideways need efficient creatures with powerful effects not five mana for a 3 / 4. If you're going to make up the Doubling Season deck you'll need to cast this on turn 6 after you cast Doubling Season and then tap 3 to return Season to your hand and then tap 5 to play the Season again. That seems pretty slow for tournament play.

Dryad's Caress
Instant
You gain 1 life for each creature in play. If any W was spent to play Dryad's Caress untap all creatures you control.

Gaining Life isn't that good and the only way this is better than the absolutely craptacular Stream of Life is if you have six creatures in play. Just because it's an instant doesn't save it. I can play Nourish and get 6 life for two mana at instant speed.

Elves of Deep Shadow
Creature - Elf Druid
: Add B to your mana pool. Elves of Deep Shadow deals 1 damage to you.
1/1

I've always loved this card. Let's hope they stick with the original artwork which is a fan favorite. I don't mind taking a point of damage to have eight one-mana elves that tap for mana. Doesn't combine that well with Rolling Spoil though.

"Ha ha! Kill your Underground River! Oh crap I just murdered my whole army..."

Elvish Skysweeper
Creature - Elf Warrior
4G Sacrifice a creature: Destroy target creature with flying.
1/1

Sure whatever. The fact we don't get fliers is always made up by the fact we get so many horrible ways to destroy only fliers. I'm not sure which I'm more annoyed at. The fact that I have to sacrifice a creature after spending 5 mana or the fact that I have to sacrifice a creature to destroy a flier. Being able to destroy fliers is certainly not as good as just being able to play fliers. And having to kill one of my own guys in order to kill superior creatures Green doesn't even get just rankles me. I'll just stick with Needle Storm and Matsu-Tribe Sniper thanks.

Farseek
Sorcery
Search your library for a Plains Island Swamp or Mountain card and put it into play tapped. Then shuffle your library.

Fantastic. Green needs more ways to prostitute itself out to the other colors.

Fists of Ironwood
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature When Fists of Ironwood comes into play put two 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens into play. Enchanted creature has trample.

I will enjoy playing this card but I don't think it's actually a good card. I'll enjoy making tokens with it and if I can ever get it to combo with Bramble Elemental I'll get four 1/1s and make him a trampler all for one card and that will be sweet. But really enchantments need to be absolutely amazing for them to worth playing. That's why they made Equipment remember? This would be a lot more playable if it had +1 +1 and Trample but as it is just not that over whelming. I mean when was the last time you played "Flight" or "Regeneration?" Not very often and just putting in two weenies doesn't make the card outstanding or tournament worthy.

Gather Courage
Instant
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by or by one mana of that creature's color.)

Honestly it's just worse than Giant Growth or Kodama's Might. And those rarely see play as it is.

Golgari Brownscale
Creature - Lizard
When Golgari Brownscale is put into your hand from your graveyard you gain 2 life. Dredge 2 (If you would draw a card instead you may put exactly 2 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise draw a card.)
2/3

The first of the Green Dredge cards. Dredge is an interesting mechanic because Green always needs creatures. If you're playing an Enchantment-heavy deck or even an instant heavy creature pump deck you need something to play your spells on. A nightmare for a Green player is holding 2 Enchantments and a couple Might of Oaks and not being able to draw a creature to use them all on. So Dredge could be interesting. The true measure of if it will be good is the worth of the creatures with the Dredge ability. Anyone remember Gravebane Zombie? That's the closest thing I can compare the Dredge ability to. You lose a draw step to have a creature. The trouble was Gravebane Zombie suuuuuucked. Creatures that come back from the grave are usually best when they have haste. Or a comes into play effect. Or don't cost you a draw phase. Those are the cards that have been playable in the past. So I'm thinking that if the creature is worth it with some sort of ability Dredge can be good.

Gaining two life? Hmm not so good.

Golgari Grave-Troll
Creature - Skeleton Troll
Golgari Grave-Troll comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it for each creature card in your graveyard. 1 Remove a +1/+1 counter from Golgari Grave-Troll: Regenerate Golgari Grave-Troll. Dredge 6 (If you would draw a card instead you may put exactly 6 card from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise draw a card.)
0/0

This guy will start to be awesome after your opponent has killed him two or three times already. You can't pay five mana for a guy that the first time he comes into play will be equal to half a Lhurgoyfs. And then be happy when he dies so you can mill yourself and make him bigger. While spending five more mana and a draw step to do it. Utter crap.

Goliath Spider
Creature - Spider
Goliath Spider can block as though it had flying.
7/6

You know what else blocks as though it had flying? Fliers! No one is going to pay eight mana for a 7/6 whose only special ability is garbage. Just stop with the "blocks as though it had flying." No one cares. No one uses these cards. Just stop.

Greater Mossdog
Creature - Hound
Dredge 3 (If you would draw a card instead you may put exactly 3 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise draw a card.)
3/3

Four mana for a 3/3 Gravebane Zombie. Hot.

Hunted Troll
Creature - Troll Warrior
When Hunted Troll comes into play put four 1/1 blue Faerie creature tokens with flying into play under target opponent's control. G: Regenerate Hunted Troll.
8/4

This guy seems amazing. In fact just by him alone you can see the next wave of Green decks is going to start being built by adding 4 Umezawa's Jitte and 4 O'Naginata. Or even 4 Loxodon Warhammer. Or you could just play this guy and then six or seven turns later you can play a Goliath spider to block one of those pesky fliers. I am a bit worried about this guy in the WW match up. If they play out a Glorious Anthem they're flying in for 8 a turn and unlike the Hunted Troll won't be blocked by a weenie. I would say he's tourney worthy and will be one of the few Green rare's sought after by people like me.

Ivy Dancer
Creature - Dryad Shaman
: Target creature gains Forestwalk until end of turn.
1/2

Joshie Green must have scared Wizards. Apparently they think that Forestwalk is a very scary ability. What other reasoning can there be to make a 1 / 2 for three mana that sucks so hard? Target Creature gains Forestwalk? What a pile for Constructed. Ah hell it's a pile for Sealed too.

Life from the Loam
Sorcery
Return up to three target land cards from your graveyard to your hand. Dredge 4 (If you would draw a card instead you may put exactly 4 card from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise draw a card.)

The beginnings of the Dredge + Divining Top deck! Phear! I predict a lot of people will give this the same hype that Elder Pine of Jukai received. It's got mad card advantage written all over it. It's also got "Spin your Top and make your opponent wait" written all over it too. Will be great for mages who like tricky little combos and not so hot for guys who like "turn my guys sideways." Will eventually end up in the dollar rare slot.

Moldervine Cloak
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +3/+3. Dredge 2 (If you would draw a card instead you may put exactly 2 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise draw a card.)

Enchantments have always been considered bad because they actually promote card disadvantage. This is why they made equipment. This is why Rancor was such a good card. It gave you card advantage for playing it. The Cloak mostly reminds me of Rancor. Except it doesn't give trample and costs you a draw step to bring back from the grave. Long time readers will remember I actually dissed Rancor when it first came out and was soundly drubbed for my naivet. Perhaps I'll be in the same situation here but no I don't think the Cloak is very good.

Nullmage Shepherd
Creature - Elf Shaman
Tap four untapped creatures you control: Destroy target artifact or enchantment.
2/4

The over commitment theme continues. Tap four untapped creatures? No one in testing saw that as excessive? It's really not wise to have four creatures on the board just staring at your opponent. If you can afford to play with a guy who is only a 2/4 for four and is only good when you have four or more creatures your deck is probably bad.

Overwhelm
Sorcery
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by or by one mana of that creature's color.) Creatures you control get +3/+3 until end of turn.

Overwhelmingly bad... Is this a joke? I'd rather have Freed from the Real than this! This is just insulting. Notice that it's a Sorcery. Notice that it has Convoke. So you can only play it on your turn. So you tap three guys pay four mana and then you attack with ...what? How many guys do you have in play that you an afford to lessen the mana cost of this thing? This wouldn't even be good if Beacon of Creation was still legal! And you don't even get trample! This card is horrible. Even if this was an instant it wouldn't even lessen how horrible this is. This card is just beyond bad.

Perilous Forays
Enchantment
1 Sacrifice a creature: Search your library for a land card with a basic land type and put it into play tapped. Then shuffle your library.

Whatever. Some Blue mage will come up with a great plan for this but usually if you have the mana to cast a five-mana enchantment you don't really need to sacrifice a creature to go and get more land. At least not if you care about the attack phase.

Primordial Sage
Creature - Spirit
Whenever you play a creature spell you may draw a card.
4/5

You know. This is kind of the depth I am looking for in Green. If this was a lot cheaper than it might be worth playing. I know I'm going to get a raft of crap for this but it's six mana. I can play a Force of Nature for six mana. And I have been. And the game is almost over by the time I do play him. Honestly the card drawing is nice but for six mana it's going to be a very late game play and if you don't have a bunch of creatures to play then he's just a 4/5 for six. If you want to take advantage of this guy you really want to be playing him in a deck full of creatures. If you're playing him in a deck full of creatures then how many of them are you going to be casting after your six mana guy? This would be an awesome mechanic if he was a 1/1 for one with the same ability. At six mana he won't live up to the hype people might attribute to him. It's not like he does something all alone like Meloku or Keiga or Force of Nature. He requires other cards to be worth it. How highly you think of this card is directly proportional to how many creatures you think you are going to cast after you have six mana on the board.

Recollect
Sorcery
Return target card from your graveyard to your hand.

Okay.

Rolling Spoil
Sorcery
Destroy target land. If any B was spent to play Rolling Spoil all creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn.

I'm going to assume that if you are playing Black and Green that you will be playing with Elves of Deep Shadow. And if you are then you are a moron for playing this card. This card might as well say "Destroy a land. Destroy your army. Slap your forehead." It makes no sense at all.

Root-Kin Ally
Creature - Elemental Warrior
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color.) Tap two untapped creatures you control: Root-Kin Ally gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
3/3

Six mana for a 3/3? It better say "Win the game" at the bottom. Does it say "Win the game? No? Then it's awful.

Scatter the Seeds
Instant
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by or by one mana of that creature's color.) Put three 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens into play.

Raise the Alarm is two mana for two creatures.

If I have enough creatures in play to lower the cost to be worth it... Why do I need three more? So I can over commit and then play my other bad Convoke cards and be an even worse player?

I'm starting to notice a pattern with Convoke cards. Convoke means "Add three mana to the casting cost. Prove you are horrible at Magic by continuing to play out more and more guys so you can play out more and more bad convoke cards."

"Forest Llanowar Elf Go."
"Forest Elvish Warrior Go."
"Forest cast Fist of Ironwood on my Elvish Champion Attack for 3."

When exactly would be a good time to cast Scatter the Seeds?

Stop attacking for a turn so I can put more 1/1's into play? Only attack with some of my forces? Wait until I have five mana so it's just a bad card? I need some help understanding how this would ever be a good card.

Scion of the Wild
Creature - Avatar
Scion of the Wild's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creatures you control.
*/*

So it's only good if you over commit? You know I don't think Beast of Burden or Kheldon Warlord was ever considered a good card so I don't think this is going to be a good card either.

Siege Wurm
Creature - Wurm
Trample Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color.)
5/5

*sigh*

Stone-Seeder Hierophant
Creature - Human Druid
Whenever a land comes into play under your control untap Stone-Seeder Hierophant. : Untap target land.
1/1

1/1 for four doesn't serve. Only useful in decks that ignore the attack phase.

Sundering Vitae
Instant
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color.) Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

Yay. Doesn't expand or improve on anything we already have.

Transluminant
Creature - Dryad Shaman
W Sacrifice Transluminant: Put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying into play at end of turn.
2/2

Um Whee? Fear the power?

Trophy Hunter
Creature - Human Archer
1G: Trophy Hunter deals 1 damage to target creature with flying. Whenever a creature with flying dealt damage by Trophy Hunter this turn is put into a graveyard put a +1/+1 counter on Trophy Hunter.
2/3

Finally a playable card! Will have to go in every Green deck to fight off Meloku. And White Weenie. A nice power and toughness for the casting cost and finally a benefit for fighting fliers.

Ursapine
Creature - Beast
G: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
3/3

This could be scary. As long as you have enough mana all of your creatures get instant pumpage. Very nice.

Vinelasher Kudzu
Creature - Plant
Whenever a land comes into play under your control put a +1/+1 counter on Vinelasher Kudzu.
1/1

This is going to one of those cards that are like Adamaro. If you play it on the second turn and they can't immediately kill it it could get scary big for low cost. If you play it late in the game it's not going to be very impressive.

My Grade for Ravnica - F. A resounding hateful F.

Untargetable Creatures - Zero
Uncounterable Creatures - Zero
Playable Tramplers - Zero
Playable Token Generators - Zero
Come into Play effect creatures - Zero
Instant cast Creatures - Zero
Disruption - Zero
Land Destruction - One. (And it's unplayable)

This set introduces a multitude of ways for Green mages to over commit and play badly. It almost forces them to do so. And with no One Dozen Eyes or Beacon of Creation there is no way to rebuild an army after its been destroyed.

The token generators introduced in this set are all equal to or worse than Sosukes Summons and that should tell you how tournament worthy they are.

The number of cards that I look at and am amazed they are printed them for Green are Zero. The number of cards I am genuinely excited to play in Green is also Zero.

Green gains a number of ways to generate Saprolings and no way to pump up Saprolings or give them any bonuses of any kind. Which beggars the question why wouldn't you just play Snakes instead? Or even Spirits and Long Forgotten Gohei?

Green was unplayable as a mono colored deck in Kamigawa block primarily because of cards like Hideous laughter Final Judgment Kagemaro White Myojin powerful fliers and pathetic themes.

This set does nothing to change that and even introduces even more ways to destroy a horde of creatures for one card. Cards like -

Hex
Sorcery
Destroy six target creatures.

And

Necroplasm
Creature - Ooze
At the beginning of your upkeep put a +1/+1 counter on Necroplasm. At the end of your turn destroy each creature with converted mana cost equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on Necroplasm. Dredge 2 (If you would draw a card instead you may put exactly 2 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise draw a card.) 1/1

And

Cleansing Beam
Instant
Radiance - Cleansing Beam deals 2 damage to target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it.

And

Hammerfist Giant
Creature - Giant Warrior
: Hammerfist Giant deals 4 damage to each creature without flying and each player. 5/4

And

Need I go on? There is more. The last two sets have been filled to the brim with weenie destruction and this set adds more token generation that comes in fits and spurts as opposed to all at once like Beacon of Creation.

Looking at the fatties each color gets is staggering. Green's fatties are just pathetic compared to the other colors.

Blue is getting more 5/5 fliers for six mana with other abilities. Black is getting

Helldozer
Creature - Zombie Giant
BBB : Destroy target land. If that land is nonbasic untap Helldozer.
6/5

And we're getting Giant Spiders that can block flying.

It would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic.