I am throwing my proverbial hat into the ring of Champions of Kamigawa reviews. Why? I'm not entirely sure besides it is something to instead of studying and absorbing information on my school's football team (the sixth ranked West Virginia Mountaineers for any sports enthusiasts out there). Not to mention, CoK is a pretty funny looking set.

How funny looking? Well it seems that, once again, creatures are the focus of the block. All I hope is that there isn't going to be another deck like Onslaught Block Constructed's Goblins. However, another carry-over trend from Onslaught is the continued forcing of White Weenie by R&D. So before I bitch about the emphasis on creatures and how I still think they are killing Magic, let's get this ball snapped. Or rolling.

But wait. Rather than pour over every damned card in the set, I will just focus on the ones that I find to be powerful, interesting, or to be an indicator of Wizards thought.

White
Candle's Glow
Alright so this card is probably marked as a bad card. I thought it was horrible at first glance until I realized that it is a six point save if used on your self. Not to mention, it can be spliced onto other arcane spells for multiple uses. While Arcane is no buyback (it is inherently limited), it still seems to yield some power. Of course this card will be nice in Limited because a) it is a combat trick and b) is an arcane spell that can also splice onto others. All in all, Candle's Glow is not a bomb, but I find it to be pretty interesting. However, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it to become a powerhouse.

Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
Just one of those creatures that makes me wonder what it will take for WW to become good. Even though the Knights of White and Silver have departed, this card makes me think. First I wonder if this card is better than the Knights and then I wonder if it can make the difference. Don't get me wrong, EHT and SK/WK do different jobs, and the environment will determine whether EHT is suitable for anything. While Silver Knight was in a control deck or two, I don't see EHT doing much control work. Of course EHT can help other cards, not just itself. Only time will tell if that is enough to resurrect White Weenie.

Ethereal Haze
I can't believe they did this. Seriously. They made Holy Day with arcane. Now I really want to play Turbo Fog at States. Why? Why not. In all reality, this will probably not matter much unless you count giving White another efficient Fog effect. One thing to note is that not only is combat damage prevented, but from the wording I have off of the MTG-News.com spoiler it will prevent the damage from activated abilities like Spikeshot Goblin and the like. That is pretty cool to me.

Ghostly Prison
Wow, they finally actually made Propaganda White. This makes me happy, as it means Mono White Control will still be around. Wait, did I say happy? Oops. My bad. This makes me unhappy, since they seem to be pushing control deck that don't counter anything, not to mention that now it is more likely whatever stall deck I play is going to face another stall deck. The control decks that can't counter much of anything really does irritate me, as you can't have it both ways. You either get good counters or good support. Historically, the three elements of counter control (counters, support, and finishers) have been sufficiently provided since Invasion Block. A case could be made for the U/W Control decks that have been floating around, but I don't see them dominating the tables.

Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Wait, did I say that was all the support just for WW? My bad yet again. This block seems to have rares just lining up around the block to join the WW Crew. Getting to play with eight Savannah Lions might make the deck work, but something just doesn't seem right. The whole"Legendary" thing doesn't seem to matter much, as you can always imprint him on your Chrome Mox or wait until your opponent actually uses removal on your dude. Crunch all you want... I'll make more

Kami of Ancient Law
Hey, another creature for WW. I am immediately reminded of Patrol Hound for some reason. I guess it being that they are both White Grizzlies with decent abilities. Something about these White creatures gives me the feeling that Ghostly Prison is going to be good.

Konda, Lord of Eiganjo
Konda looks to be one of the better legends in the set. Mostly because he is a beast due to his massive Bushido, indestructibility, and ever vigilant attitude (he doesn't tap to attack). This means that he can take out a creature every turn while serving at a steady pace. However, Konda may not get the nod for the White control deck because in a set about legends you know there just may be a better one out there. Even though there are a variety of candidates, I think Konda is one of the better finishers. He is an offensive and defensive pain in the ass to deal with if you aren't packing something that removes him from the game. That said, he still costs you seven mana to cast.

Masako the Humorless
This guy is all sorts of cool. Maybe it is just me, but I enjoy breaking game rules, and blocking with tapped creatures just seems cool. Not to mention good. Masako allows you to not only have the best defense (a good offense), but also maintain a real defense at the same time. Not to mention his ability to be played as an instant will allow for some favorable ambushes. He may just save WW.

Myojin of Cleansing Fire
What do you know? Here is another fatty legend with some cool ability. Being an indestructible is pretty cool and may make him play worthy. Some people think I am overrating the ability, but indestructible can make for some unfair plays like one way Wraths. Wait a minute; doesn't Myojin of Cleansing Fire have a built-in Wrath? Wow, now that is spectacular. But wait, there is more. He is decent sized, weighing in at four power and six defense. This might be a better finisher than Konda, but it will cost you eight mana to figure that out.

Otherworldly Journey
Man, this is cool. They finally made Flicker an instant and more powerful. I like this card a lot, as it seems like it will swing Constructed games. It performs multiple actions like removing large obstacles in your way, saving a creature, or preventing you from dying by removing that fatty looming over you. If I waste my time with WW, I will definitely try this out.

Reciprocate
I don't think this will be as good as some the current hype. The reason is that while great in the early game, it sucks in the late game if you aren't at a very healthy life total. This isn't the new Swords to Plowshares... it's not even in the same family.

Samurai of the Pale Curtain
While I do not think his ability will matter too much in the current block, it is an interesting one. What matters to me is that he has bushido and is aggressively cost with two toughness. Another White Weenie candidate.

Yosei, the Morning Star
Yes, he really is that good, but I don't feel he is broken. Despite not being particularly large or aggressive, I think he could have some potential. A 5/5 flyer for six mana is strong, though he doesn't have recursion like Eternal Dragon did, meaning your opponent can kill this guy and expect him to stay gone. However, I did have a good laugh just thinking of the insanity of using Soul Foundry on this guy every other turn for a lock. Just think of the pain that would be caused.

Well, that is it for now. Join me again when I attempt to divulge the secrets of Blue in a couple days.

Spencer Bogan
Dromar_banisher@yahoo.com