Battle for Zendikar Tokens

Lots of weird stuff running around, but do we have any good throwbacks?

Eldrazi Scion

These will obviously be the bread and butter. Like with the Thopters of Origins, three different artworks, each creepy in their own way! I personally prefer the one swimming amongst the kelp beds.

  

Elemental

We're hitting new lows with both a 3/1 Red Elemental and a 5/5 Red/Green elemental *in the same set*. Is nothing sacred? The 5/5 is just for a mythic, so unlikely to come up. Interestingly, among the zillion or so different elementals that they have printed, there is a 3/1 from Conflux (lacking the haste & trample, but still close)

 

Dragon!

Now we're talking here! Classic (5/5 red with flying). Recycled art from Worldwake but looks to be on theme, though forearms appear to be a little swole. Ease up on the clean & press guy. The last 5/5 dragon that we had was 10th that severely lacks artistic composition or direction. Many other dragons (4/4, 2/2 with Firebreathing etc.) lack the proper stats.

 

Plant

Also a near-reprint from Worldwake but this time with a strict artistic upgrade. The more explicit Venus Flytrap element justifies the point of power it has from its 0/1 cousin. Well done.

 

Octopus

Let me be clear: anything that hearkens back to Leviathan is A-OK in my book. What is particularly amusing is that this triggers from a planeswalker's ultimate that gets you an emblem that when creatures come into play, they may fight. Then you spawn three octopodes* looking to tussle when they enter play. Hence the art with the puny humans (apparently) directing traffic. Crush them my pretties!

Alternate text: "No wait, go that way!"



*Octopus is of Greek etymology and thus the plural SHOULD be the Greek -es and not the Latin -i.

Eldrazi Token

Well I guess we've settled once and for all what a default Eldrazi actually is. The double-jointed arms, while probably the most ridiculously impractical thing I've ever seen, is subtly creepy from a design standpoint. Overall grade: approval.

Kor Ally Token

I resent the two words in my token, especially when Ally (a highly relevant keyword) is also down in the sub-type. This smacks of laziness to me. If you must say more than "Kor" then maybe "Kor Recruit" or some such. It's not dire, just a little disappointing, that's all.



Shallow list with only a single re-printable Dragon available. Huh.