It's that time again - Coldsnap Top 15

[Mishra-]

Not sure how anyone can complain about this set.There are plenty of good cards in this set and a lot arn't even rare, which makes it cheap to acquire them.A lot of these cards will raise in power when Kamagawa block rotates.Even before then though, quite a few of these cards will see play in constructed.This set will give standard a larger then normal card pool and make it an even more diverse environment.There are just a ton of high quality cards in standard, especially after this set becomes legal.Also, to those of you who still play Ice Age block constructed (I'm probably the only one who plays it), this set is very exciting.Here are what I think are the cards that are good enough to see play in constructed:

Ronom Unicorn*
The martyrs
The new double pitch cards*
Wall of Shards
The jump knights*
Counterbalance*
The color hosers*
Rune Snag*
Vexing Sphinx*
Garza's Assassin
Haakon, Stromgald Scourge*
Braid of Fire
Lightning Serpent
Lightning Storm
Skred*
Stalking Yeti*
Rimescale Dragon
Jötun Owl Keeper
Adarkar Valkyrie
Icefall
Surging Flame
Boreal Druid
Hibernation's End
Into the North*
Mystic Melting
Ohran Viper*
Panglacial Wurm
Blizzard Specter
Deepfire Elemental
Garza Zol, Plague Queen
Wilderness Elemental*
Zur the Enchanter
Mishra's Bauble*
Thrumming Stone (Potential combo with relentless rats in extended)
Dark Depths (potential sideboard card for the control mirror match)
Scrying Sheets*
New invasion tap lands*
Coldsteel Heart*
Mouth of Ronom

*= Cards that will surely see play at some point

That's a lot of cards.Sure not all of them are very powerful, but they are definately quality cards, especially the *ed ones.Out of all these, here is my top ten list:

New Invasion Taps Lands (Don't forget, they are also snow which could make a differance.Not as good as the Ravinca duels obviously, but in a control deck they may be better then the painlands.These will see play in standard and definately in Ice Age block.)

Scrying Sheets (In the right deck, its 2:tap, draw a card.It's the new Library of Alexandria)

Wilderness Elemental (This card is so sick.Can play him on turn 2 consistantly in the right deck.Even on the third turn, he's great.Most decks in constructed nowadays have mostly non basic lands in them.This card is very undercosted against the right deck.Turn 1 mana elf, turn 2 Wilderness Elemental against a control deck will be a very fast clock.)

Ohran Viper (Wow, this card is good.Turn 2 with a mana elf or bird is very powerful.Any green aggro control deck will run this.Good against both beatdown and control.Critical Mass will love this card.)


The Jump Knights (These are very good and better then the original pump knights, which saw a lot of play back in the day.Expect these to see play in standard especially after Kamagawa block rotates out.Ice Age block necropotence decks will love the black one.)

Counterbalance (Not sure about this one, but it will surely have some use at least in vintage.Potentially very powerful.)

Vexing Sphinx (This card will see play in blue beatdown and any deck that takes advantage of the graveyard.)

Haakon, Stromgald Scourge (Not sure about this, but has the potential to spawn a new archtype.)

The Color Hosers (The black one especially will see play in standard as a great sideboard card versus Seleseyna,Boros Deck Wins and Zoo.

The Double Pitch Cards (The black,blue and white ones are clearly the best and will see play.The best one out of all of these is the blue one, followed by the black one, and then the white one.Black Aggro runs dark confidant and possibly Phyrexian arena, making it not too hard to pitch 2 cards.Reminds me of fireblast.Control or aggro control black may use this too.Necro decks in Ice Age block will love this card.The blue one is a misdirection and confiscate in one although it can't target creatures.Still, I can see this being run in a blue control deck in main or sideboard.The white one may see a little play in standard although wrath of god is clearly a lot better.Ice Age block control decks will love this card as there are no other white board sweepers.)

Honorable mentions include, Mishra's Bubble, Stalking Yeti, and Skred.These were very close of making the top ten list and may be added in place of another card(s).

That's a pretty good looking list.I suspect this set will make an impact on constructed.The power level is just right.And who knows what cards will make more of an impact after kamagawa rotates.Ice Age block makes out quite well too and I'm very excited about how this will impact that format as well.

[Wolfery]

Best card in the set is, without a doubt, Scrying Sheets. Just wait and see if you have any doubts.

[arcane]

new KOAL (that unicorn)
mishra's bauble
rune snag
pump/jump knights
sheets
all snow basic lands
all snow taplands

the rest is useless