As i promised last week here's the first analysis for Odessey. Comments are requested to get directly to o_shefer@hotmail.com
Land
Abandon Outpost, Bog Wreckage, Ravaged Highlands, Seafloor Debris and Timberland Ruins (Sac-lands) The fact these lands come tapped shouldnt hold you from playing them, even if they dont give one of two colors. Playing these lands in mono colored deck is very reasonable and helps threshold cards. In limited you should play these lands, for theyd give you the one mana youd need second mana of the other color or just for a card you dont have the mana for. I suggest on playing them warmly in both constructed (though for mono-color) and limited.
Barbarian Ring, Cabal Pit, Centaur Garden, Cephalid Colosseum and Nomad Stadium These lands arent for constructed mostly, because tapping them for mana is hurtful at the beginning and you need to wait for Threshold to play their better abilities. Ill remind you that it wont help you get to Threshold by sacirifing it (You already have it).
The red gives you Shock, the black gives a creature 2/-2, the green gives Giant Growth, the blue gives draw 3 discard 3 and the white gives you 4 life.
The white is not to be played, since 4 life doesnt really help and youll be dealt 1-2 damage usually before that, so the bargain is quite bad.
The blue is my favorite, because until you get to Threshold (in any type) you usually have a card or two that lack help, like extra lands or cards like Force Spike etc.
The red unlike the black deals damage which can be prevented and doesnt help too much in combat, while the black reduces the amount of damage dealt to a creature as well. The green is very good because it gives the greatest addition.
In short the blue and green should be played in any type, while the red and black in limited. Dont play the white, its bad in any type.
Crystal Quarry - <5>, <Tap>: Add <WUBRG> to your mana pool. Of course the <Tap>: Add <1> to your mana pool is the only reason to play this land. You need 5 mana and this land to fetch a 5-colored card or simply play a multicolored spell you lack mana of. In constructed I rather City of Brass any day. In limited you might wanna play this if you have 2 or 3 really strong cards from a 3rd/4th color in your splash.
Darkwater Catacombs, Mossfire Valley, Shadowblood Ridge, Skycloud Expanse and Sungrass Prairie - <1>, <Tap>: Add <UB> / <RG> /
/ <WU> / <WG> (respectively) to your mana pool.
The fact these lands lack the <Tap> for <1> makes them worse than both the Shivan Oasis like lands and of course worse than painlands. No reason to play them in constructed instead of any of these lands.
In limited dont play them unless you got at least 2 golden cards of the colors given.
Deserted Temple This land has barely any use in neither type 2, Odessey block constructed (for now), nor limited. In extended untapping the all mighty Gaeas Cradle is very good. The main thing is that this land actually acts like a copy of a legendary land in play for an additional <1>. No real use other than that.
Petrified Field I dont know really what lands you gonna fetch back, but its very good against land destruction, by fatching nonbasic lands back. In type two you might need it if you dont play with a deck that can prevent it (Sacred Ground, counterspells (any kind), etc.)
Tarnished Citadel 3 damage for mana of a color. Dont play this land unless you really need to. Even then Id rather the Sac-lands or Crystal Quarry. In any constructed type you can play with City of Brass, play the City instead. By the way, if you have 2 lands of a splashed color and you dont have any other land that can give that color (in limited of course), play it, but be very careful.
Gold
Atogatog If it werent so cute, I wouldnt even play it in a fun deck. Generally its bad and its ability doesnt help much once it becomes blocked. Except that? Its 5/5 for 5 mana that arent easy to get and in type 2, for example, its simply easy to get around it.
Decimate 2GR, sorcery, destory one permanent of each type. You need 4 targets for this
thing (unless you got a double-typed permanent somehow). Dont take it, dont play it, dont use it.
Iridescent Angel 7 mana for 4/4 flier, which is worse even than Air Elemental. In limited its a game finisher and should be played. Not a first pick though, since there must be better things than that.
Mystic Enforcer Not bad, even great with the Threshold. I still rather Noble Panther and Charging Troll any day. In Odessey itself its a pro-black Hill Giant with a great potential.
Shadowmage Infiltrator The best card in the set and its a creature. Who wouldnt like an Ophidian with Fear. You can even look at it as a 1/3 creature for <1> with Sleepers Robe. Anyway its a great creature. 4 of it in a blue/black deck is a must.
Vampiric Dragon Totally overpriced (8 mana for 5/5 flier) for what it does. You dont get +1/+1 counters for creatures killed merely by its <1R>: 1 damage. Besides if its blocked, itll be killed probably unless the defender is about to lose the game. Anyway, its not really good for constructed.
Lithatog, Phantatog, Psychatog, Sarcatog and Thaumatog 5 more atogs to your collection. Each has two abilities, each gives it +1/+1 until end of turn. The green ones have land sacrifice, the red ones have artifact sacrifice, for the blue ones you need to discard a card, the white ones have enchantment sacrifice and for the black ones you should remove 2 cards in your graveyard.
The red and white abilities are barely playable, and where Rancor is allowed, youd rather play Auratog. Atog (the original) is better anyway as well.
The green can be used easily in late games in which you can give up on lands you dont need anymore. The same goes for blue and black, taking out cards you dont need and when Threshold is needed (blue) or the opposite (black).
Undoubtedly the Psychatog (blue/black) is the best, since its the only one with two playable abilities.
Artifact
Catalyst Stone Unlike buyback, recycle etc. this one also gives your opponent a disadvantage. Anyway its not really a realistic card to play with unless you really have good cards to play with, while in such case you need at least 10 such cards as well (6-7 in limited is enough for a 40-card deck).
As sideboard card it works as well, while its effect will usually nullify another Stones ability. Disenchants, counterspells, etc. are much better solutions.
Charmed Pendant Useless rare you dont need in any deck unless you use lots of Thresholds and have mana problems. I dont suggest on playing that. To get a card of yours from top of library to graveyard play Millikin (see below).
Darkwater Egg, Mossfire Egg, Shadowblood Egg, Skycloud Egg and Sungrass Egg Not too bad. Cost <1>, need <2> and sacrifice but give you two colored mana and a card. I dont think Id play it, but it has its uses. Try avoiding to play these cards if you need to decide which card to take down to get to 40/60.
Junk Golem Hill Giant. Upkeep remove a +1/+1 or sac (Remove is better anyway) and you can add such a counter for discarding a card. Not bad, though its worse than Mindless Automaton, which wasnt too good for itself.
Limestone Golem no use out of limited, and not such a good cretaure for there anyway. 6 mana for a 3/4 is not a good bargain, where you have such creatures in 5 mana.
Millikin Good to get Threshold quickly. If you dont have more than 2-3 cards than worth the Threshold, dont play it.
Mirari I like this card where you have lots of spells and usually <3> spare. Dont forget the spell can be duplicated only once. Two very good uses this thingy has are the spell-for-token (like Call of the Herd) and burn/growth/draw (Shock/etc). Of course its hilarious in a red land destruction deck. If you double a counterspell, make sure you make the targeting like you should be.
Otarian Juggernaut If Juggernaut for itself wouldve been reprinted I wouldnt suggest playing it out. Absolutely no reason to play a bad one.
Patchwork Gnomes Reprinted from Tempest especially for the Threshold. No place out of limited, very useable with Threshold and cards with Flashback you dont really need double effect from.
Sandstone Deadfall costs 3, and it gets 3 cards into your graveyard for one. In early game you cant use it and in late game youd probably have Threshold. Besides that itll hold an important creature from attacking, like the Iridescent Angel (artifact isnt a color) or a large trampling creature (like Savage Firecat).
Steamclaw Not too good, but kills Flashbacking cards and helps preventing Threshold from the other player. Sideboard card which will see play easily from there in any type.
General thoughts so far:
This set doesnt have a lot to offer and most cards so far are bad. The cards Id use in constructed types so far are:
Lands Centaur Garden, Cephalid Colosseum, Deserted Temple (in extended) and Sac-lands (in mono-color).
Gold Shadowmage Infiltrator, Psychatog (if you can allow it and you draw a lot).
Artifact Mirari (in land destruction).
For limited most cards are good enough, but if you need to cut down to 40 cards start with those, which have the least effect (mostly lands and the Atogs).