[Editor's note: And still when I have to go back into an article to change something, the forum link disappears. Here's the link to this article's topic:
http://ccncomics.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=3097 ]

Hello again fellow card flopper. Once again I bring you a fun article for your reading pleasure. In my last article, titled A New Old Standard Combo Deck (found here: http://www.cardshark.com/content/view_article.asp?article_id=4015), I offered readers a chance to tell me what they would like to have me write an article on. The choices were:

1- My take on the top 5 Commons of each color from Time Spiral
2- A Competitive deck based around Squire and Moonlace
3- Green White Stompy for a beginner
4- Heroes can fly in Time Spiral

The number of readers that helped me choose my current article was overwhelming! Here are the final totals of the vote:

Choice 1- 2 Votes
Choice 2- 1 Vote
Choice 3- 0 Votes
Choice 4- 0 Votes

A total of 3 people voted on this week's article. I had hoped for a larger turnout in helping me choose this weeks' article. Regardless of the total number of votes, the final outcome was the one I had hoped would be chosen.

By now everyone reading this should have had ample time to play with Time Spiral in Type 2, Extended, and Booster Draft. I have and have enjoyed every minute of it. I am here today to give you my take on the top 5 commons from each color in Time Spiral.

White Cards:
1- Momentary Blink
2- Children of Korlis
3- Sidewinder Sliver
4- Cloudchaser Kestrel
5- Ivory Giant

Momentary Blink:
This card gives you so much use out of any creatures with a comes-into-play ability. Mystic Snake with Momentary Blink means for the cost of 2 cards you get a chance to counter 3 spells. Nekrataal allows you to kill 3 creatures for 2 cards. If you want to stay with Blue White you can use it on Draining Whelk to allow you to counter 3 spells as well. Momentary Blink also allows you to remove a creature from Combat after damage is on the stack many times allowing your creature to survive to fight another day. Momentary Blink also can be used to evade spot removal spells your opponent may play on your creature. The biggest upside of Momentary Blink is the fact that you can remove a morph creature from the game face down and when it returns it does so face up. For that reason I feel Momentary Blink is the best common in White.

Children of Korlis:
The Children allow control decks a chance to survive aggro decks. It also works great with Proclamation of Rebirth. Not much else needs to be said about them. They are really good.

Sidewinder Sliver:
I really believe that the Sidewinder Sliver is one of the best 1 drops in Standard play today. The fact that he gives all Slivers Flanking, which is cumulative, forces almost everyone to allow him through when he attacks. When you have multiple Sidewinders in play you can bet they will get through almost every time. Every aggro deck with white should play four of these guys.

Cloudchaser Kestrel:
Better than Cloudchaser Eagle and Aven Cloudchaser due to the casting cost being one less. And its secondary ability is nothing to laugh at either. The Cloudchaser Kestrel allows you to get around protection by changing your non white creatures to White. It also works well with my number 5 choice, Ivory Giant by allowing you to turn all your creatures to white so they won't tap.

Ivory Giant:
At first glance he appears to be overcosted, but by the time you cast him for his suspend cost you should be able to swing for the win.

Blue Cards:
1- Cancel
2- Looter il-Kor
3- Screeching Sliver
4- Drifter il-Dal
5- Errant Ephemeron

Cancel:
Someone online stated that they believe this will be the new staple counterspell reprinted in the base sets. That said, this is a great card – just a little weaker than the original.

Looter il-Kor:
This card is being played in almost every blue green deck currently. It's hard to block and gives you a reason to hold extra lands in your hand.

Screeching Sliver:
This is one of my favorite cards in the set. The ability to mill your opponent for one card per turn can come in really handy. Early on you get to deal damage and late game you can use him to mill your opponent. Add in more slivers and your opponent is on a very fast clock.

Drifter il-Dal:
Another one of my favorite cards. This card is one that will usually have to be dealt with as soon as it hits the board otherwise your opponent will lose fast.

Errant Ephemeron:
So far this card has not seen much play but I have a feeling throughout the block that this card will get more powerful. As it is right now it is still really good. It allows you to suspend it early game and then have counters available when you unsuspend it.

Black Cards:
1- Tendrils of Corruption
2- Deathspore Thallid
3- Pit Keeper
4- Trespasser il-Vec
5- Mindlash Sliver

Tendrils of Corruption:
I just loved this card the instant I saw it. Black removal at instant speed with the additional life gain. The only drawback to this card is in order to use this card effectively you would need to go mono black.

Deathspore Thallid:
Who doesn't love Thallids? I like this guy because he gives you the ability to remove some key blockers on your opponent's side.

Pit Keeper:
This guy starts out the early game as a 2/1 for 2 mana. Late game his ability can become very effective giving you your best dead creature back for round two.

Trespasser il-Vec:
At first glance this guy doesn't seem that great, a 3/1 for 3 mana that can be killed by almost any creature that blocks it. When you add in its ability to gain Shadow then he becomes better. When you are able to use it as a discard outlet to then reanimate a creature he becomes one of the best shadow creatures in the set.

Mindlash Sliver:
3 colors so far and 3 slivers in my top 5. I like the Mindlash Sliver because early game he beats for 1 and then late game he becomes a discard outlet for madness spells, also forcing your opponent to lose a card.

Red Cards:
1- Rift Bolt
2- Plunder
3- Empty the Warrens
4- Grapeshot
5- Aetherflame Wall

Rift Bolt:
Welcome back Lightning Bolt. While not being an instant this card, in my opinion, may be even better. First it forces your opponent to decide if they will let you kill their first creature or forces them to hold it back in exchange for 3 damage to the dome. My vote for the best common in the set.

Plunder:
I like this card because it allows a land destruction deck to do something on turn two and it will even destroy an artifact.

Empty the Warrens:
This is an alternate win condition in many infinite combo decks. Dragonstorm may use this card eventually in sideboard in case they draw too many dragons or face someone running Hide/Seek.

Grapeshot:
Also another alternate win condition in Dragon Storm.

Aetherflame Wall:
While most people do not play with walls that do not draw you a card when they come into play, I like this cards for many reasons; It can block Shadow creatures, You can pump up its power, and it's casting cost is only 2 to go along with its 4 toughness.

Green Cards:
1- Search for Tomorrow
2- Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
3- Greenseeker
4- Molder
5- Spinneret Sliver

Search for Tomorrow:
I like this card because it gives you a chance to do something turn one that will not take all game to take effect. Turn 3 you will have the land coming into play untapped. Combining this card with Into the North or Farseek on turn three you can cast a Teferi or another 5 cc creature.

Mwonvuli Acid-Moss:
During Mirrodin block Reap and Sow was popular because for 6 mana you could destroy one of your opponent’s lands and get one of your own out of your deck. Mwonvuli Acid-Moss does that for only 4 mana. Granted you don't get to search for any land but you do get a Forest, which is always good when you play green any way.

Greenseeker:
I haven't seen this card played yet but I think as the block comes out more this card will be played much more. You get to turn any card in your hand into a basic land of any color from your deck. It helps with mana fixing and color fixing. It also has great synergy with madness cards and cards that have special effects when in the graveyard such as Firemane Angel, Nether Traitor, and Shard Phoenix.

Molder:
Instant Artifact and Enchantment removal plus life gain for any artifact or enchantment in play. With only 1 green in the casting cost this is a card that is easily splashable.

Spinneret Sliver:
I like this sliver over Gemhide Sliver because it is a 2/2 bear that can block flying creatures. Even in a deck not playing slivers this gives you a cheap way to block any flyers that may be troubling you.

I hope you all enjoyed my take on the top 5 common cards from each color. For next week, look to the forums link at the bottom of this page for the chance to vote on what my next article will be.



Voting Poll choices:
1- A Competitive deck based around Squire and Moonlace
2- Green White Stompy for a beginner
3- Heroes can fly in Time Spiral
4- My take on the top 5 Uncommons and top 5 Rares in Time Spiral
5- Breaking the Locket – A look at Locket of Yesterdays

Billy Moreau
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