First look at Sligh in Torment
by Bedford Crenshaw

Okay, we are still waiting for our chance of playing Sligh again in Type II.  This list of cards from Torment is from Brainburst at http://torment.brainburst.com/torment.asp so any error comes from there.  Word of warning; don't get your hopes up.  Remember, the grades are meant for the cards' use in Sligh decks.  Your mileage on these cards in other decks may vary.

Accelerate  Grade C
Sligh has never been much for cantrips.  Still, might be a nice way to encourage a Turn 4 kill by summoning a 2cc cresture and hasting them.

Balthor the Stout Grade C
Let me gets this straight, he's a dwarf, but he helps Barbarians???  Add to the fact that he's a legend, and there are no good barbarians, and this one is binder bait.

Barbarian Outcast Grade F
It's probably a C- card; the F Grade is for offending me.  Other cards get 2/2's for 2cc with decent abilities; this one has SWAMPHOME, for all intensive purposes.  Toss.

Crackling Club  Grade D
It might be nice in Limited, but I see little use for this creature in Constructed.

Crazed Firecat  Grade C+
Given a C+ because its one of the first halfway-decent coin-flipping cards.  Halfway.  The 5RR cc kills its chances in Sligh.

Devastating Dreams Grade D
This card is only for dedicated Land Destruction decks.  Pass.

Enslaved Dwarf  Grade D
For Sligh, this is just another Mons.  If a R/b Sligh decks occurs, it may improve, but not likely.

Fiery Temper  Grade C
Oh Lightning Bolt, why hast thou forsaken me.  The only reason to play this card is if you expect to pay it for its madness cost.  That means it goes with Fires' Wild Mongrel, or a lot of discard floats around after March 1. I don't see it in Sligh.

Flaming Gambit  Grade C
If you have killed off all their creatures, its better than Fireball.  Maybe in a VERY strange R/w Sligh variant using Wrath of God.  Otherwise, current Type II is too creature dependent.  Flashback helps, as you can cast it on their turn, draw out a counterspell, and then play it again on your turn.

Flash of Defiance Grade C
Huh???  When has cards to solely prevent blocking been any good?  That's what I thought.

Grim Lavamancer  Grade B+
Finally, a good card.  David Price has a good article about this card at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=sideboard/feature/sb20020117a  It's useful after Turn 4.  If you have ways to discard cards into you graveyard, it become wonder.  Wild Mongrel's master, anyone?

Hell-Bent Raider Grade C+
Hmmmmmmmmm.  It's a Grey Ogre with 3 special abilities, one of which helps the previously mentioned Grim LavaMancer.  Might this be playable?  Time will tell.

Kamahl's Sledge  Grade D
Expensive crap.  Next!

Longhorn Firebeast Grade C
I really don't like giving my opponent such an option.  If he lets it live, then he can deal with it.  If he takes the 5, he has dealt with it on a permanent basis.  Besides, he can always Cop:Red it.

Overmaster  Grade C+
For when you really need to get that Flaming Gambit off.  Or Boil.  It has its uses.

Pardic Arsonist  Grade C
WotC really wants us to wait until Threshhold.  A Hill Giant that comes with a Lightning Bolt for free.  If your Sligh deck can reach Threshhold fast enough, toss him in.  Otherwise...

Pardic Collaborator Grade C-
Nifty in Limited.  Forget it in Sligh; we'll use Hell-Bent Raider first.

Pardic Lancer  Grade C-
Is Pardic a Seattle-slang term frop crap???  I never heard that word when I was out there a few months ago. 5cc cards have never been taht good to Sligh.

Petradon  Grade D+
It would be a sweet little fattie if it could fly.  It doesn't, and it's twice the cost we like to pay for Sligh creatures, so pass.

Petravark  Grade C-
Too LD oriented for Sligh tastes.

Pitchstone Wall  Grade C-
Sligh doesn't care much for defenses.  I haven't seen a Madness card yet for Sligh that is worth using THIS card to get it back, not even Fiery Temper.

Possessed Barbarian Grade C+
Once again, the question is "Can you get to Threshhold fast enough to pl;ay this card?"  4/4 First strike for 4cc is sweet, but is it worth it?

Pyromania  Grade B-
This is the card that all these halfway-decent Threshold and Madness cards previously reviewed requires.  Fiery Temper, Pardic Arsonist, Possessed Barbarian, etc. etc.  Someone with decent deck-building skills might pull this together.

Radiate   Grade C-
This is an insane card...You'd have to be insane to use this card in Sligh.

Skullscorch  Grade B
This is a sleeper card.  You get a Hymn to Tourach or a Lava Axe for only 2cc.  Its goes in that Magnivore deck I'm working on.

Sonic Seizure  Grade C
A redo of Exodus' Sonic Burst.  Maybe there is enough discard for SLigh to use Threshhold.  The question is, "Does Sligh have the cajones to use Howling Mine?"

Temporary Insanity Grade B-
THIS IS A RED CARD???  With all the FTKs around, and other menacing cards, this may well fit in a Sligh deck.  One less blocker, one more attacker.  Cool.

Violent Eruption Grade C+
Hmm, a nifty redo or Pyrokinesis.  This may well see play.

A new breed of Sligh decks is in order; one that can get to Threshhold quickly and pound the enemy for it.  Unfortunately, this set has nothing of use for the Extended Sligh player; just glimmers of possibilities for Standard.  The question is; can anyone build THE Sligh deck for Type II?  The goods were better in Odyssey, but this set may have undiscovered gold.  We shall see.






Bedford Crenshaw

"The Rebel Penguin"
http://www.ius.edu/ccrensha

eudyptes@hotmail.com