Hi! I'm reviewing Apocalypse for Invasion - Planeshift - Apocalypse booster drafting, starting with Black and Blue. Apocalypse seems like a fun set with strong cards. The cards are very powerful, with the disadvantage of most having to use two opposing colors.

This article is to try to help you decide how good each cards is. I rate each one from 1 to 10.

Black

I feel that black is probably the weakest color in the set. There are a couple multicolored cards that are great, like Consume Strength, but I don't feel it has many playable commons and uncommons. However, it has the best rares of all 5 colors, so drafting it could be very rewarding.

Dead Ringers
5
This is an interesting card. In some situations it's better than Reckless Spite, in others it will sit in your hand all game. The problem I have is that it's useless against a lot of multicolored creatures. I feel that it's a sideboard card, and almost never should be main decked.

Desolation Angel
BW: 10 BnonW: 6
A 5/4 flyer is incredible. If you pay the kicker, you're almost guaranteed a win. If not...it would be risky to cast. A 5/4 flyer could certainly win...but if it gets killed you'll probably lose. In BW - take it over any other card in the pack.

Foul Presence
6
This isn't a bad card, as it turns a GRE Ogre into a Tim. It's nowhere near as good as Tim, but it's not bad. It can allow you to control combat and kill a lot of creatures. The problem is it's a creature enchantment, and we know how bad those are with bounce and removal. It could be worse though.

Grave Defiler
4
I'd only play this if you have a LOT of zombies. The ability doesn't worry me, what worries me is it's a 2/1 for 4 mana. That's too much mana to spend on a creature it's size, even if it regenerates. It might be worth it if you get 2 cards off it though.

Last Caress
1
I would pass this for anything in the set, even if I weren't playing the colors of the card I took. Never play this, it's just not worth it.

Mind Extraction
4
Not a bad Sideboard card...I guess. Sacrificing a creature is almost always bad. However, if you opponent has a great bomb that's expensive (for example, Crosis, the Purger) this could be golden.

Mournful Zombie
5
The ability is just horrible. It would gain you maybe 3 life, and hold back a creature for it. It might come in handy occasionally, but not often. You could do a lot worse than a 2/1 for 3 though.

Necra Disciple
BW: 8 BG: 7
A 1/1 for 1 with two special abilities is good. The green one isn't bad..but the white one is great. Damage prevention helps control combat and is very useful, even if it has an activation cost.

Necra Sanctuary
BWG: 9 BW/BG: 5
Making your opponent lose 3 life a turn for 3 mana isn't that bad, but making them lose 1 life a turn is. Throwing this in a quick deck with Thornscape Apprentices, Llanowar Knights, Consume Strengths, and Benalish Tappers could be VERY brutal.

Necravolver
BWG: 10 BG: 10 BW: 8
At worst, this guy is a Gray Ogre, which isn't that bad. A 5/5, Trample, Sprit Link is great! How many times have you put armadillo cloak on a 2/2 or 1/1? A 4/4 Trample for 5 is great too. Trample is an amazing ability in limited, and a 4/4 is big. If playing this in BG, you'll probably have this in your hand and a Necra Disciple in play a lot, and surprise your opponent by casting both kickers on this.

Phyrexian Arena
10
2 Cards a turn just kills your opponent. This makes Mournful Zombie look good! Great with Dega Sanctuary too.

Phyrexian Gargantua
9
This guy is HUGE! A 4/4 is large in limited, and card advantage to go with it throws this over the top. I'll pay 2 life for 2 cards and get a 4/4 while I'm at it any day. The only reason this doesn't get a 10 rating is that it doesn't win by itself and it's not as good as a lot of black rares. One of the best uncommons in the set.

Phyrexian Rager
9
Gray Ogre cantrip pretty much wraps it up. If your deck is a fast, beatdown deck I'd take this over the Gargantua. If it's a deck that controls and defends until it gets a bomb, I'd take the Gargantua.

Planar Despair
10
I know this doesn't compare to Breath of Darigaaz or Rout, but it's still great global removal.

Quagmire Druid
8
A Gray Ogre with a special ability is good. There are enchantments that you have to deal with, like Diversity Tactics, which makes this worthwhile.

Suppress
3
I really don't know what to think of this. In limited, playing without your hand for a turn is only a minor problem. It might be playable, but I doubt it.

Urborg Uprising
8
I know a lot of people who would slap a 10 on this, but I don't think so. It's considered an Ancestral Recall to some because it gives you three cards for one. I just don't like that it's a 5 mana situational card that would be horrible if you drew it in your opening hand. Game-breaking sometimes though.

Zombie Boa
8
Not bad, but not the best. I usually don't draft Phyrexian Reaper or Bloodstock high, simply because they're 5 mana 3/3s. Still, this one has a better ability against most decks, and is usually unblockable. You could do worse.

Blue

Blue is a good color, but only when it comes to the multicolored cards. There are hardly any good mono-colored blue cards in the set, but it's still great.

Ceta Disciple
UR: 9 UG: 7
I LOVE the red ability. It does massive damage to your opponent and trades your small creatures with large ones. It's the best disciple ability. The Green one is alright, and it IS a 1/1 for 1, which isn't bad.

Ceta Sanctuary
URG: 10 UR/UG: 8
Drawing 3 cards a turn is crazy! If you discard one, so what? With a red and green permanent and this in play, it's better than Phyrexian Arena. With one, it's still pretty good.

Cetavolver
URG: 9 UR: 9 UG: 8
A 4/4 First Strike, Trample is good...but it probably couldn't win a game by itself. Same with a 3/3 First Strike. A 2/2 trample is just alittle above average though. This is good...but not game-winning. There are a few uncommons and commons in the colors that I'd take over this.

Coastal Drake
9
This guy is nuts. A 2/1 flyer for 3 is great by itself, but the special ability is incredible. Bouncing your opponent's creatures every turn is something they simply won't like. Red has a lot of Kavu's and UR is great in Apoc, so you can use it on your own Kavus in combat.

Evasive Action
6
Similar to Miscalculation and Mana Leak, this card has potential. The thing is that I don't like situational cards in limited, like counterspells. It could be main deck worthy, but I'd probably just sideboard it vs. expensive bombs like Dragon Legends.

Ice Cave
2
You'd almost never use this..almost.

Index
4
A lot of people like this..I'm not one of them. I don't want to waste a card in my deck and have nothing to show for it. If the 5 cards shown are bad..you'll lose all hope in that game and play horribly. This is sometimes fatal.

Jaded Response
6
A great sideboard card! I've had this counter my Crosis, which is probably why I like it.

Jilt
9
A very versatile, good card. It will be great in any situation, and can be gamebreaking. Usually won't win by itself though.

Living Airship
UG: 9 UnonG: 6
A flying regenerator can stop even dragon legends, assuming they don't draw removal. A 2/3 flyer for 4 is playable still, but not as good as other stuff.

Reef Shaman
6
Not bad...making your mana better or your opponent's worse..it's playable. Still, I don't like 0 powered creatures, so I don't consider this a creature.

Shimmering Mirage
1
Phantasmal Terrain sucks..this is just..horrible.

Tidal Courier
A 1/2 for 4 is horrible. Only play if you have a LOT of merfolk.

Unnatural Selection
4
Might be good with Shoreline Raider...but other than that I don't really see a use for it. You never know though. Great with Coastal Drake.

Vodalian Mystic
2
Good with um...Gainsay. If you have to go that low...you're in trouble anyway.

Whirlpool Drake
4
I don't like the Whirlpool creatures at all. I like every single card in my deck being good, and I usually pull it off, so I know that if I were to cast one of these, my hand would be empty anyways. These are pretty good late in the game with a lot of land in hand..but that's is just way too situational for me. Besides, I don't want to cast this and get a bunch of good cards, just it gets killed anyway.

Whirlpool Rider
4
These guys would rule if the ability was optional.

Whirlpool Warrior
5
This is interesting..only since it allows you to make your opponent do it too. I still probably wouldn't play it though.

Well, there you go! Remember, these are just my opinions and how I draft the cards. I'm a player who almost always drafts beatdown decks, so if you like to play control..draft accordingly. I've won many many times and I'm currently the top player at my FNM store, so I kind of know what I'm talking about. Good luck and have fun! For any questions or comments, e-mail me, Kyle Felter, at WinkyKR3***3@o***l.com, or just post on the site. Thanks!