So with Worldwake spoiled just 2 days ago, I thought it might be a prudent time to take a look at the new pool of limited cards we will be dealing with for the next few months. Rare bombs, when they come along, are pretty obvious, so this article will stick to the relevent meat of Worldwake: commons and uncommons.

White

• Apex Hawks - I really like this guy. A 2/2 flier for three is never bad early, with multi kicker he can be relevent later on as well, transforming into a worse verion of Shepherd of the lost, or larger.
• Battle Hurda - This guy is going to be the Zendikar Farguide for white; playable, but definetely in the bottom 7 picks of the pack. ~ After consideration, this guy isn't as bad as I thought. While he's filling the same slot as Shepherd, he isn't the worst alternative.
• Fledgling Griffin - Bears seem to be growing into a weaker and weaker pick as power levels creep up. This guy is going to be a decent turn 2 play if people continue running 18+ land per deck. If explore were an instant, this card would be much better.
• Guardian Zendikon - This might be my least favorite of the zendikon series. Functionally you will get a 2/6 wall no sooner than turn 4. Psssssh! Lifelink would have been a redeemer here.
• Hada Freeblade - Remember to activate the ally ability when it comes into play, folks! Otherwise... it still dies to Burst Lightning, Marsh casualties, Disfigure, Urge to feed...?
• Iona's Judgment - Man, all these cards with judgment... I really want to slip an e between the g and m... Anyway, versetile removal is great in draft, even at sorcery speed. And although this will probably be at the top of your curve, it should still be a hich pick for decks running white. ~ After playtesting, games tend to run long enough for this to be quite relevent and powerful in limited, but I sure wish it were instant!
• Join The Ranks - The card that everybody is raving about! At instant speed, this is a cool addition to ally decks looking to activate on the opponents turn. This makes a great combat trick, yet as I've seen with ally decks in zen, if this is flying solo, its a no go.
• Kitesail Apprentice - I like this guy more than Kor Duelist, both for its rarity and its ability. Sure, double strike is gnarly as hell, especially when you can Vampire's Bite for even more nastiness, but evasion is going to work out better for the long run, and for consistancy. The only beef I have with this is that its in the wrong set; I hate a lot of the non rare equipment in Worldwake! ~ I ended up with 3 of these guys in my sealed pool and played none of them.
• Kor Firewalker - Red Deck Wins? Not with this guy. I feel like I will be sideboarding this guy in a lot during the next draft season. ~ Singlehandedly shuts geopede down, as well as making people regret running burst lightning, thats hard to do.
• Lightkeeper of Emeria - The two saving graces of this card are its fatt butt (notice the alliteration?) and cheap multikicker. I see this card saving your life in late game, takes the slot of Shepherd of the Lost in Worldwake. ~ Far too strong a review, this guy is far from Shepherd power level.
• Loam Lion - Kird Ape was, and is, a great card. Then again G/R is a great color combination. I have never lost a match to a G/W deck in Zendikar draft, so it remains to be seen how effective this lil lion's roar will be, especially at uncommon. ~ Effective.
• Marsh Threader - Cliff Threader was a great late pick. I don't see any reason why this shouldn't even be better, walking against the strongest color in the format. Will be a late 2 pick, be sure you pick it. ~ I was right, strong card.
• Perimeter Captain - This guy may never get as massive as I have seen Makindi Shieldmate get, and it may not be as versatile as Kraken Hatchling, but in slower decks, I see this card being a great late pick - early drop. ~ If there was ever a card i'd like to sit behind, in white sealed this is it.
• Refraction Trap - Eh, not super amped about this. Playable, sideboardable, bottom 8 picks.
• Rest for the Weary - Read "Sunspring Expedition". Meh.
• Ruin Ghost - Besides the name being cool, looks like it has a synergy with the "Man Land" cycle, as well as any that trigger when they CTB. Can also save lands from death, as there is more viable LD in Worldwake than there has been previously. ~ Especially when paired with Tideforce Elemental and Walking Atlas, Cheap landfall on opponents turn!
• Veterans Reflexes - It's a common combat trick. Pick it like you would "Bold Defense".

Blue

• Aether Tradewinds - I see this being a cool card, but I wish it were a cantrip. That would be so rad.
• Calcite Snapper - Convertable Turtle should be a very high pick for any players drafting blue. It is a generously costed card. I loved Aquamoeba, I love this. ~ I still love this, but the convertable ability leaves a lot to be desired with only a 1 toughness butt.
• Dispel - Garbage! Worse than Spell Snare! ~ Actually can find its niche in U/W decks, making life hard as a hard counter should.
• Enclave Elite - Having a big guy with landwalk is fun, but I have my doubts about how many people are going to be drafting blue with such garbage in the common slots... ~ Excactly right. This guy is going to come around the table, count on it.
• Horizon Drake - Pro. From Lands is about the only thing that appeals to me here, besides the 3 power, and the flying... actualy all those appeal to me. I'd enjoy him more at 1U, or even 2U.
• Mysteries of the Deep - Aww yeeeeah! Instant speed card draw makes Cancel a higher pick in the Zendikar Pack. But will it be enough to bring control decks back?
• Permafrost Trap - This is good I guess. Hookmaster's ability x 2 without a creature. Blue removal, take it where you can get it. The good news here is you can tap them out of a land if its been Zendikon'd, or turned into a creature. ~ Its like Sleep, but better.
• Sejiri Merfolk - This is nice at 2 cmc since I tend to pair blue with white, especially in Zen draft where U/W Skies is one of the best draft archetypes. I think Deft Duelist from shards is waaay better (obv), this would rock if it were Lifelink/First Strike & Flying.
• Spell Contortion - I'm really not impressed by the cost of this card. Either lower the casting cost, or lower the multikicker cost. Midrange draft pick. ~ Don't let anyone convince you this is good. Don't even convince yourself that it is good.
• Surrakar Banisher - So its like a bigger, more expensive, more prohibitive Man 'O War. Yeah, that will see play. Could be good with your creatures with ETB abilities, like Goblin Shortcutter. ~ I used this only on my creatures, all my opponents ran ETB creatures themselves! Imagine... bouncing a Wolfbriar Elemental... The only nice application this has is hitting Zendikons or Manlands.
• Tideforce Elemental - I think this is a card that is going to be a limited bomb. Its a very cool form of lockdown, and freeing up some creatures. Remember the untap clause, its likely to come in handy. ~ Saved my ass in multiples, this should be a high pick for any control deck. Pair with Ruin Ghost and Halimar Depths for Topdeck stacking, Khalni Garden for a plethora of 0/1 Chumpers, or Seijiri Steppe to save all your creatures from a Comet Storm!
• Treasure Hunt - At first I was excited when I saw this card, imagining the possibility. Now I'm seeing the reality. Essentially its sorcery speed draw that at worst is a 2mc cantrip (that your opponent sees)... come on. Explore does the same thing, but also lets you play an extra land. This doesn't do anything else. At best, youre drawing land, and one spell. And your opponent sees all of it.
  I'll still be playing this. ~ I read somewhere that the math has been done on this card, and you'll average 1.75 cards on the draw. Pair that with the previous Halimar depths combo, and you could get yourself some nice landdraw.
• Twitch - Not a high pick, but if youre lacking in combat tricks, nab it.
• Vapor Snare - I'm excited about this card. It's a mind control that also provides the Living Tsunami landfall engine. Rad. Especially since everyone plays creature heavy in this block. Super Rad. I wish it could donate Abyssal Persecuter, but thats what Bazaar Trader is for. ~ Extraordinatilly powerful in this block, it should be a first pick for any Blue mage.
• Voyager Drake - Even without the kicker, this is more than par for the limited course. The kicker is just icing on the cake, enabling an army of fliers. This will be picked high.
• Wind Zendikon - The blogs pick on this one, but I'm a fan. So its a little risk for a little tempo... one of the best of the Zendikons, I'll play this for sure. ~ My opinion has totally changed on this little guy. He is awful. Not only are 2 toughness creatures dying in the dozens, this guy's early cheapness belies a heavy upkeep cost, especially when he dies and your set back a land: it really hurts.

Black

• Bloodhusk Ritualist - While this won't replace Mindsludge in Constructed Vamps, this will definetely be a high pick in limited. High Pick. ~ Yep. Make sure youre heavier in black to make this worth it on turn 5 when you eat their hand!
• Bojuka Brigand - What gives this Goblin Raider some credibility is his creature type. He'll see play as a mid pick. Utterly unplayable in standard though.
• Brink of Disaster - Makes an opponent think twice about attacking with a zendikon or man-land, at its best. But with more enchantment hate, it reduces this card's power level to just above Mire Blight. Low.
• Caustic Crawler - Definetely not amped about this. While it can be a pest, it doesn't do any removal at instant speed. No surprise = No advantage. Low.
• Corrupted Zendikon - I think this is par for the course with the zendikon cycle. 2 for a 3/3 EBT sounds like your asking to eat removal, turn three would be the time to play this mid pick. ~ I'd say this is the best of the series of Zendikons. 3 toughness, relevent later to some degree. I still dislike all of them very much.
• Dead Reckoning - I like this card. Now if you can find a way to discard a fatty, this might be much more potent, but I don't see any great combo. Mid to upper mid pick depending on your deck.
• Jagwasp Swarm - I feel like Slingbow Trap was made just for this card. Drakes are great in limited, hich pick. ~ 2 Toughness still dies to everything. Hopefully its worth the cost before it gets blown out of the sky.
• Mire's Toll - Ewwww. Low.
• Nemesis Trap - Removal is removal, but this has quite a price tag. This might be a better sideboard card against white or blue, where copying a flier will be more beneficial. Mid Pick. ~ It's harder removal than anything else in black, its potentially a 2 for 1 at a crucial point in the game: an early pick.
• Pulse Tracker - We'll see how good this actually turns out. Right now I don't see it as anything special, although it might just bring your opponent to the brink... then again, pirahna marsh does the same thing. 10th pick.
• Quag Vampires - This could be decent, people are sure to be playing black, for 3 you get a nice little walker, for 5 you get a ill costed bog wraith. Low mid pick. ~ Black dependent, there are so many better things id rather play in this slot. Low pick.
• Ruthless Cullblade - I'd be fine running this maindeck. like I say, 2/1 for 2 is always fine. While it's ability isn't as good as GDV, its much stronger early on.
• Scrib Nibblers - Mill all you want, I still say this isn't very good. ~ Pair this with Jace, Ruin Ghost, Walking Atlas or Tideforce though and it starts to get really scary...
• Shoreline Salvager - Bomb pick, grab it early. Blue/Black Pair well. These shouldn't table. ~ Why isn't this an ally??? And why doesn't it have evasion?
• Smother - Reprint. I'll just say I'm kind of glad this is uncommon...
• Tomb Hex - Completely playable compliment to Disfigure, with landfall bonus. Early pick.
• Urge to Feed - Insane, more removal??? These -1/-1 damage dealers are going to be great if your opponents zendikons suddenly become Indestructable. ~ The annoying part about this is its double black cost. I feel like it should be even more powerful, like a double Disfigure, especially if it makes you force early double swamp. Still solid though.

Red

• Akoum Battlesinger - Its the 2/1 for 2 rule again... except he isn't really a 2/1. Bashing for 2 on 2 is fun, so is being an ally, but this guy doesn't look to be changing the game for red, especially on defense. Lower mid pick. ~ Awful. Only if you have first strikers is this worth anything.
• Bull Rush - A poor giant growth for red, there are better alternatives in this block and in this set (read Vines of Vastwood, and Groundswell). It doesn't give first strike, either (like slaughter cry). That being said, this could be the 22nd card in your Valakut deck.
• Claws of Valakut - Ahhh, this is a thick slice of meat I can get behind (like your mom!)... Reminiscent of Lightning Talons from Shards of Alara. That was playable, and this is too. ~ But Goblin War Paint is far better.
• Cosi's Ravager - The Jury is Out on this one, I haven't decided if this is worth playing or not. Based on another one of Cosi's mischievious underlings, i'd say unplayable in draft, but this minion seems like it might just have what it takes. ~ It sucks in Sealed, Draft, and in general. You suck Cosi.
• Crusher Zendikon - I just realized this wasn't in my initial review. He's probably the second or third best in the Zendikon Series. Trample and 4 power make him important. Two toughness, however, does not. Vulnerable to quicksand and just about everything else. Make sure youre prepared for his death.
• Cunning Sparkmage - This guy is probably one of the best red picks in Worldwake. Tim is insane, and Tim with haste is retarded. Pair this with Basilisk collar, and you won't drop a game.
• Deathforge Shaman - This guy has the potential for a solid finisher, and has an admirable Power and Toughness, as well as a 'shocking" multikicker. Ha!
• Goblin Roughrider - This guy's creature type is his saving grace - if you end up running the goblin quest (and I dont particularly reccomend that you do), this guy will contribute. Otherwise, he's vanilla. ~ And par for the course. While his butt is small, he can take down larger things like a champ.
• Grotag Thrasher - This should be a goblin. What makes this guy unfortunate is he won't get past the convertable turtle. Late mid pick. ~ Take what evasion you can for red, I underrated this guy before.
• Quest for the Goblin Lord - I gave my 2 centavos on this pile earlier.
• Ricochet Trap - This has to be played to know how good it really is. My call for now is that it will be a hit or miss card, better in slower red decks (wait, a "slower" red deck? Oxymoron?)
• Roiling Terrain - God this card is good in multiples. Too bad the zendikons return the land to the player's hand. If you can get your hands on a few, I doubt you'll regret it. ~ Then again, you might.
• Rumbling Aftershocks - Hmmm, Multikicker deck. New draft archetype? I say no now, with the knowledge that I'm going to draft it in the next month to try and disprove that assumption.
• Searing Blaze - Bread and butter baby! Draft this like the Burst Lightning of Worldwake.
• Skitter of Lizards - Spoiled early, this guy has been discussed to death. He's either a raging gob, a gob chariot, or a tuktuk grunts. It would have been cool if the multikicker produced multiple 1/1's, and the creature type was goblin. For now he remains a mid - low mid pick ~ Can be fun with bounce spells, of which there are plenty in blue and white. Bounce on their turn, Reset the multikicker, beat face with Haste ;)
• Slavering Nulls - I'll gladly play this card, even if i'm not running black (but i'll be happier if I am)
• TukTuk Scrapper - Artifact hate... I'm not sure if there is enough artifacts to warrent this card being picked too early. However, some are very potent, like basilisk collar, so I wouldn't feel bad grabbing one of these around 5th to 6th pick.

Green

• Arbor Elf - While this card doesn't scream "Go Green!" to me (like so many hippies do when I drive by in my Hummer), it is a cool manipulator, and i'd grab one fairly early. ~ Once again, untap cards are combo cards, and combos hurt a lot in limited.
• Bestial Menace - This sounds like some bro code you'd use at a bar, "Snake at 3 o'clock", "Uh oh, Paul is dancing with an elephant"... like Thrinax tokens, its three creatures that need to be removed at the expense of one card from you. Disadvantage: sorcery speed, no surprise.
• Canopy Cover - I am actually starting to like this card. Your dude gets pseudo-flying and shroud from them. Both are things green lacks. I still am not picking this very high, if at all, since I rarely go green (once again, Hummer, hippies, etc). ~ The problem here is he doesn't get Reach himself, which would rule if you put it on a deathtoucher.
• Explore - Hey, hey, hey, double landfall enabler! With a cantrip just in case you draw it late and want to risk it to hit the extra land. Rad. I approve. ~ Combos with a ton of cards, just wish it were an instant!
• Feral Contest - I hate this card, it's cost, what it does and how fast it does it. Usually this means I am going to get owned playing against the card. I doubt it here.
• Gnarlid Pack - I see this guy as this set's Wild Mongrel. Feel fine drafting it semi early on. ~ Awwww bear with horns... beat me down. A really good card, use with bounce for a ton o' fun.
• Grappler Spider - I can dig it, an 2/1 for 2 with reach. So it isn't a Deadly Recluse, at least it beats a little harder if you need it to. ~ Wheres the poison? and Where is the Booty? and Where's Waldo?
• Graypelt Hunter - Very solid. Nimana Sell-Sword, but much better. Survivalist and Hunter are going to make an annoying pair. Probably best green creature at common, although I don't think he is going to persuade me to get a Prius. ~ Ok, he might have sold me on a Prius, if Toyota wasn't having a (ancestral) recall.
• Groundswell - I mentioned this card earlier as a stronger alternative to Bull Rush. It IS! I have always liked combat tricks, despite what LSV has to say about them. Don't pick it high, but do grab if you have the chance.
• Leatherback Baloth - Gee Gee Gee Baby Baby Baby. Ha! 4/5 for three, this guy helps define power creep. High pick. ~ I don't agree that this is the best creature in green, unless you're in mono green, in which case I'd say that its STILL not the best, since Wolfbriar Elemental was printed.
• Natures Claim - Enchantment death just got a ton cheaper, Journey to Nowhere and Trusty Machete just got a lot worse. I feel like this should be like a Swords to Plowshares for Chants and artifacts though. Exile it, come on! ~ This seems like you should be able to combo with it on one of your own targets.
• Quest for Renewal - I feel like a lot of green late game stagnation is going to get cleared up by this card. Make sure you grab it when it gets passed to you 3rd pick.
• Slingbow Trap - With the Equiment that gives flying, this card becomes more relevant. As it is, I'd run it in the sideboard and bust it out against decks running blue or white.
• Snapping Creeper - This card is fine, thats all. I'd be perfectly ok running this.
• Summit Apes - Evasion is something green always enjoys, and this guy's high power makes that ability well worth it. His 2 body is unfortunate though.
• Vastwood Animist - Ally decks rejoice! Non ally decks, skip it!
• Vastwood Zendikon - Grab a Vastwood Gorger before you grab this piece of garbage. ~ I still hate Zendikons.

Artifact

• Everflowing Chalice - The unbroken Sol ring. My opinion is that this card will be better in constructed where it has access to faster colorless mana for fuel, and cards that increase charge counters.
• Hammer of Ruin - I'd play Trusty Machete over this. That being said, its a fine pick semi early on.
• Hedron Rover - The big brother of the nearly unplayable Hedron Scrabbler, this guy is much nicer against the intimidaters that matter; GDV and Bladetusk Boar. Good sideboard material.
• Kitesail - I think this might be the non rare artifact I'm most excited about, even if I feel it is overcosted. Then again, it flies. Flying is expensive, if my Hummer could fly, it would cost just as much as this equipment + Halo Hunter (so BBB6). By the way, isn't Halo Hunter the Hummer of Zendikar? Halo Hummer. HA!
• Pilgrim's Eye - I think of this as the Borderland Ranger for any deck. Go for it if you like landfall, but dont pick it too high.
• Razor Boomerang - I haven't called many cards "Unplayable" in this review, but this card looks like it could have come out of the Homelands Expansion. Worst card in the set, when I open a pack with this as one of my 3 uncommons, I will lament the day.
• Walking Atlas - My favorite non equipment artifact, this lil guy enables instant speed landfall, something that only Harrow has brought us thus far. How this will play out is uncertain, for now I place high value on this bugger.

Worldwake looks to be a lot of fun.

Yeeeeah Brother!

Good Luck, and come this saturday we'll see how spot on my logic was!