Good morning, Class. Today’s lesson is going to be on Coldnsap, an underrated Magic set that has been given the cold shoulder since its arrival in late June of last year. Derided by some as a money-making excuse for Wizards, this set has taken a lot of criticism. That criticism may be unwarranted, however, as many followed the crowd and slated the set before truly appreciating the warmth of the cards.
Drafting with Coldsnap was fun and, for casual Magic players, proved to be quite enjoyable, with many Ripples going off--although the pros and wingers of this world naturally view it differently.
The Store Team Challenge days were a success, and many new players were brought into (tournament) Magic. I personally saw the field of play increase at both Lincoln and Hull, with many of those players still participating. The Store Team Challenge finals attracted the great, the good, and as many Twincast regulars as could meet up. The welcome surprise of Time Spiral product for extra points proved both a bonus and a slap in the face for all those who thought more Coldsnap would be their reward for further qualification.
However, I want to talk about Constructed play, especially the Standard environment. The misconception is that Coldsnap brought very little to the world of Magic, with just a handful of cards seeing play. When you look more deeply, things become much more interesting, though.
Card Name Tony Chris Rich Ratings
Coldsteel Heart -- -- --
Not as good as a signet and not really seeing play apart from in Snow decks. Hasn't made an impact.
Jester's Scepter -- -- --
Cap and Scepter decks are beginning to surface, so this card may yet make its mark.
Phyrexian Ironfoot -- -- --
Has seen a lot of play in Snow decks and provides some solid beats.
Deathmark 7 8 7
Has become one of Black’s solid sideboard cards.
Haakon 0 1 1
Knight decks have started to appear and do well. I believe it was Champs NY when Haakon made its breakthrough.
Soul Spike 6 3 2
Has seen play in several Mono-Black decks but not much else.
Stromgald Crusader 7 2 6
Not the best pump knight in the world but decent all the same.
Commandeer 3 3 4
Appearing as sideboard tech against Demonfire in most Blue decks now.
Counterbalance 1 1 6
It had a deck named after it, and Sensei’s Diving top proved it could be broken.
Flashfreeze 4 6 7
More of the solid sideboard tech that Coldsnap has produced.
Perilous Research 6 8 5
Surprisingly, hasn’t seen the play I would have thought. Maybe it is a victim of being a Coldsnap card.
Rimefeather Owl 3 4 2
Snow Control saw these babies really become popular. If master deck-guru Stu Wright can build around them, they can’t be all bad.
Rune Snag 7 7 9
With your graveyard available, these are better than Mana Leak late game. Have seen mirrors where Snag for 10 or 12 is Tom Jones, or at least it’s not unusual.
Vexing Sphinx 7 6 6
Has been seen in decks. The jury is still out on how influential this card is or could still be.
Boreal Centaur 0 2 1
This card was rated by no one; however, Gruul/Heazy decks adopted it when they ran Snow lands to become a credible threat. Maybe I am biased, as I saw this horror batter my Glare deck at the Store Team Challenge.
Brooding Saurian 0 4 2
Not even making the sideboard as anti-Control tech and every bit as poor as we made out. At least we got one right, didn’t we?
Hibernation's End 0 3 1
I’m surprised no one ever managed to break this card for a relentless beatdown deck.
Into the North 7 8 7
As expected, really works well in Snow decks.
Karplusan Strider 3 4 1
Great in sealed but never really established itself elsewhere.
Mystic Melting 6 3 5
So much Enchantment removal is bound to give better choices.
Ohran Viper 8 8 8
Sna-a-a-a-ake! The money Rare of the set and sees a lot of play.
Mouth of Ronom -- -- --
Very solid removal in Snow decks; there aren’t many creatures above 4 Toughness.
Scrying Sheets -- -- --
Again, vital in Snow Control and is like goldust
Tamanoa -- -- --
Have seen it in play once when a friend tried to break Searing Meditation; it became a veritable machine gun.
Cryoclasm 1 1 8
Has become one of Red’s more favourite sideboard tech spells. Just ask Store Team Challenge Top 8 player Daniel Gardner. Well predicted by Rich. J
Icefall 3 4 6
Appearing more in LD decks, but one has yet to break the standard environment.
Karplusan Wolverine 5 1 2
Sure, he isn’t a Kird Ape, may not even be Mogg Fanatic, but the little guy does see play more often than you would think.
Rimescale Dragon 4 3 4
I really liked this card, but he kinda messes with the colour pie, as the tap ability is Control and you don’t see much Red Control. Must try to break him one day, but think I'll find better dragons somehow.
Rite of Flame 3 1 3
Until Dragonstorm came along it was crap. Now, it is key part in the World Champions Deck.
Skred 4 4 3
No one really expected a Snow deck, but it came. Now, this common is reasonably popular.
Adarkar Valkyrie 7 3 6
A solid creature that sees play in many Control decks and one of my personal favourites from the set. Works well in reanimation or to target each other with two out against Wrath of God.
Jotun Grunt 6 1 5
Has become very popular of late, eating graveyards before the Crypt is laid, and really screws over discard strategies, proving to be a reliable beat. Blue-White decks have been discarding plenty of cards, and this work really well with Looter il-Kor.
Martyr of Sands 7 2 1
Tony was spot on in saying this card could be great. Martyr-Proclamation and Worlds Top 8 joy make this humble common one of the stars of the set.
Ronom Unicorn 6 4 7
Replaced the Koala quite effectively.
Sunscour 6 8 8
Wrath of God has this slot all locked up, which is a shame because with the pitching option, it could be an effective card.
White Shield Crusader 7 5 6
The White weenie is not making a comeback based on this pseudo-pump knight.
So there we have over 30 cards seeing play, not just in sideboards but also in main decks. Cards that were dismissed at the set’s release have made a solid impact and are still being played. My Top Ten are as follows:
10 Ronom Unicorn
9 Commandeer
8 Cryoclasm
7 Adarkar Valkyrie
6 Deathmark
5 Rite of Flame
4 Scrying Sheets
3 Martyr of Sands
2 Rune Snag
1 Ohran Viper
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