INTRODUCTION
Unoriginal. That's my problem with Conflux. A lot of the set's cards are just (sometimes) better versions of cards from older expansions. We've got a new Icy Manipulator. A new Demonfire. A new Swords to Plowshares. A new Birds of Paradise. The list goes on. The sad thing is, this is not a "nostalgia" set like Time Spiral. As it is, Conflux appears to have been poorly designed -- the designers seemed to have ran out of new ideas.
Well, at least they gave me an idea on how to go about my Conflux set review...
Some cards are easy to rate because there are older cards with similar abilities with which to compare them. For example, I know Chameleon Colossus was going to be good in Standard because Phantom Centaur was. Flame Javelin is similar to Char, a card that saw a lot of tournament play. Wild Nacatl is Kird Ape version 2.
There are cards which have been misevaluated by the designers at Wizards of the Coast perhaps because these cards are so original that there are no other cards to compare them with. Take Bitterblossom. The card nearest to its ability may be Phyrexian Arena. One life gives you a resource, a 1/1 flier from the former, and a card from the latter. Yet Phyrexian Arena is a well-balanced card, while Bitterblossom continues to dominate Standard. The same may also be said with Tarmogoyf (compared to Lhurgoyf) and Skullclamp (compared to, um... nothing!).
Since most of the "buzz" cards of Conflux are copycats, might as well compare them with their predecessors. In this set review, I intend to use the "comparative approach" in evaluating the cards. Are the new cards better than their counterparts? Will they see tournament play as did (or did not) their forerunners? On with the review!
WHITE
Court Homonculus versus Goldmeadow Stalwart
Court Homunculus - W
Artifact Creature - Homunculus (Common)
Court Homunculus gets +1/+1 as long as you control another artifact.
1/1
Both one-to-cast 2/2's. The Stalwart for Kithkin decks, the Homonculus for Esper decks... The problem with Court Homonculus, however, is that, currently, there is no viable aggressive Esper deck, and I doubt that there ever will be. Esper, it seems, is a shard not designed for an aggro strategy. Popular Esper cards from Shards of Alara, like Esper Charm and Tidehollow Sculler, point to disruption and card advantage as the strenghts of the artifact-heavy shard.
WINNER: Goldmeadow Stalwart
Lapse of Certainty versus Memory Lapse
Lapse of Certainty - 2W
Instant (Common)
Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on top of its owner's library instead of into that player's graveyard.
Would the shift from the color pie justify the additional one-mana for the mana cost of Lapse of Uncertainty? I don't think so. At three mana, Blue gets a "hard" counter, like Cancel. White gets this. And it does not need it. "Soft" counters are supposed to be tempo cards. They buy the player time. Little tempo advantage can be gained using a three-casting-cost counterspell. White would rather stay with the aggro route to victory.
WINNER: Memory Lapse
Mark of Asylum versus Forfend
Mark of Asylum - 1W
Enchantment (Rare)
Prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to creatures you control.
Enchantment versus Instant. As a sideboard against damage-based mass-kill spells (like Firespout and Pyroclasm), the permanent is most times better for obvious reasons.
WINNER: Mark of Asylum... but wait, we have another challenger...
Mark of Asylum versus Burrenton Forge-Tender 
Both are hosers against Red burn-based decks. While Mark of Asylum is an excellent sideboard card, Burrenton Forge-Tender is good in the main deck. The Forge-Tender is currently a tournament staple in Kithkin and Boat-Brew decks. The Mark of Asylum is a welcome addition to the sideboard of these creature-based decks, especially with all the cheap damage-based mass-kills.
WINNER: Tie
Martial Coup versus Supply/Demand versus Decree of Justice
Martial Coup - XWW
Sorcery (Rare)
Put X 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens into play. If X is 5 or more, destroy all other creatures.
A token-making triple threat! The game-changing power of a seven-mana-cost Martial Coup easily beats the versatility of Supply/Demand. The tougher opponent is the oft-cycled Decree of Justice. This one's close, but I dare say that the bonus Wrath of God effect can swing more games than an instant-speed uncounterable token-maker. I hope to see this Conflux card replace Oona, Queen of the Fae in Quick-and-Toast decks soon.
WINNER: Martial Coup
Path to Exile versus Swords to Plowshares
Path to Exile - W
Instant (Uncommon)
Remove target creature from the game. Its controller may search his or her library for a basic land card, put it into play tapped, then shuffle his or her library.
The problem with Path to Exile is that it often sucks as a creature-kill during the first few turns, assuming your opponent does not have any basic lands in his deck. But it gets better as the game progresses, as the search-a-land drawback becomes less relevant. That said, Path to Exile still pales in comparison with Swords to Plowshares. But still, the Conflux card is far from being a bad card. Path to Exile is best used in a creature-heavy aggro deck where,early in the game, you can instead use it as a pseudo Rampant Growth, targeting your own graveyard-bound creatures. Not too useful in control decks, though...
WINNER: Swords to Plowshares
Scepter of Dominance versus Icy Manipulator
Scepter of Dominance - 1WW
Artifact (Rare)
{W}, {T}: Tap target permanent.
Guess what: Icy Manipulator was reprinted in Tenth Edition. It is Type-2 legal... yet no one seems to care. The mana cost of Icy Manipultor is too pricey for the current metagame. I'm afraid shaving off one mana would do little good. Icy Manipulator was good in tandem with Winter Orb. The two-card combo created a "soft-lock". With no Winter Orb in Standard, the Scepter of Dominance, if ever it will be used, is best in a land-destruction deck, together with Ajani Vengeant and Fulminator Mage. But mana-denial decks, I'm afraid, won't do much good facing a lot of aggro and tempo decks in today's meta.
WINNER: None
BONUS: QUICK HITS!!!
Here's a quick Standard card evaluation...
Rating System:
5 Stars- Main-Deck Key Card, Build-A-Deck-Around-Me Card
4 Stars- Tournament Staple in the Main Deck or Sideboard
3 Stars- Good Card with Potential for Tournament Play
2 Stars- Little Potential for Tournament Play
1 Star- Don't Even Bother...
Aerie Mystics - 4W
Creature - Bird Wizard (Uncommon)
Flying{1}{G}{U}: Creatures you control gain shroud until end of turn.
3/3
RATING: 1 Star
Asha's Favor - 2W
Enchantment - Aura (Common)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has flying, first strike, and vigilance.
RATING: 1 Star
Aven Squire - 1W
Creature - Bird Soldier (Common)
Flying
Exalted
1/1
RATING: 2 Stars
Aven Trailblazer - 2W
Creature - Bird Soldier (Common)
Flying
Domain - Aven Trailblazer's toughtness is equal to the number of basic land types among lands you control."
2/*
RATING: 1 Star
Celestial Purge - 1W
Instant (Uncommon)
Remove target red or black permanent from the game.
RATING: 4 Stars
Court Homunculus - W
Artifact Creature - Homunculus (Common)
Court Homunculus gets +1/+1 as long as you control another artifact.
1/1
RATING: 3 Stars
Darklit Gargoyle - 1W
Artifact Creature - Gargoyle (Common)
Flying{B}: Darklit Gargoyle gets +2/-1 until end of turn.
1/2
RATING: 2 Stars
Gleam of Resistance - 4W
Instant (Common)
Creatures you control get +1/+2 until end of turn. Untap those creatures.
Basic landcycling {1}{W}
RATING: 2 Stars
Lapse of Certainty - 2W
Instant (Common)
Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on top of its owner's library instead of into that player's graveyard.
RATING: 2 Stars
Mark of Asylum - 1W
Enchantment (Rare)
Prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to creatures you control.
RATING: 4 Stars
Martial Coup - XWW
Sorcery (Rare)
Put X 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens into play. If X is 5 or more, destroy all other creatures.
RATING: 4 Stars
Mirror-Sigil Sergeant - 5W
Creature - Rhino Soldier (Mythic Rare)
Trample
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control a blue permanent, you may put a token into play that's a copy of Mirror-Sigil Sergeant.
4/4
RATING: 2 Stars
Nacatl Hunt-Pride - 5W
Creature - Cat Warrior (Uncommon)
Vigilance
{R}, {T}: Target creature can't block this turn.{G}, {T}: Target creature blocks this turn if able.
5/4
RATING: 1 Star
Paragon of the Amesha - 2W
Creature - Human Knight (Uncommon)
First strike
{W}{U}{B}{R}{G}: Until end of turn, Paragon of the Amesha becomes an Angel, gets +3/+3, and gains flying and lifelink.
2/2
RATING: 2 Stars
Path to Exile - W
Instant (Uncommon)
Remove target creature from the game. Its controller may search his or her library for a basic land card, put it into play tapped, then shuffle his or her library.
RATING: 5 Stars
Rhox Meditant - 3W
Creature - Rhino Monk (Common)
When Rhox Meditant comes into play, if you control a green permanent, you may draw a card.
2/4
RATING: 2 Stars
Scepter of Dominance - 1WW
Artifact (Rare)
{W}, {T}: Tap target permanent.
RATING: 2 Stars
Sigil of the Empty Throne - 3WW
Enchantment (Rare)
Whenever you play an enchantment spell, put a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying into play.
RATING: 1 Star
Valiant Guard - W
Creature - Human Soldier (Common)
RATING: 1 Star
Wall of Reverence - 3W
Creature - Spirit Wall (Rare)
Defender, flying
At the end of your turn, you may gain life equal to the power of target creature you control.
1/6
RATING: 3 Stars
(Thanks to mtgsalvation.com for the spoiler!)
(Images from magicthegathering.com)
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