The idea of an expansion, indeed the majority of an entire block consisting of multicolored cards does not appeal to me personally.  I worship the color pie and often find myself longing for the days when a black deck was a black deck and a red deck was a red deck.  The irony here is that while I would consider this to be a completely logical position, in actuality my attitude is unmistakeably emotional.  Casual games with casual acquaintances dominate most of my play time and “rainbow decks” with expensive lands are the epitome of what I would consider to be “advanced magic”.  This is neither inherently good nor inherently bad.  I simply felt it necessary to disclose, up front, my preference for mono colored spells and would hope the reader would consider my remarks within that context.  Since ARB only offers multicolored cards my top 5 will therefore focus on the closest thing available in this set – Dual Colored cards.  Versatile and simple, cards that require only two different colors to play as opposed to 3 or 5 have caught my eye this time around.

5. Terminate – Removal is something many players take for granted.  Most would rather take their chances at countering big spells or wiping the board then waste their time trying to pick off individual creatures.  But for what its worth Terminate is quite possibly the best creature removal card in standard.  While Unmake and Path are great, giving red a chance to get rid of a big creature means much more to red than either of those aforementioned cards mean to their respective colors.  Killing any creature on the board for two with no drawback is bread and butter for anyone wanting to add a bit of removal to their deck.  With the addition of Cascade to the mix, this common becomes even more powerful as the exclamation point at the end of a 2 or 3 spell romp.

4. Dauntless Escort – Mark my words – Wrath of God will be featured in Magic 2010.  With this in mind, (trust me guys) a 3/3 for 3 that effectively counters a Wrath is an absolute godsend (yes, that was a pun).  Particularly in a green or white token aggro deck where a wipe probably means you’ve lost.  There are plenty of  other obvious scenarios where this guy is going to save the day.  As a general rule, a 3/3 for 3 with an awesome ability = cash money.  One argument against this card I’ve heard is that spot removal can take him out pre-wrath.  I find this line of thinking faulty.  Any creature can be taken out with Terminate or Path to Exile; that doesn’t mean it isn’t effective.  The fact is, you’re putting out a threat and forcing their hand.  Its always worth it.  For directly countering the most iconic, universally devastating card in Magic the Gathering, this card gets a spot on my list.

3. Lord of Extinction – A genuine Timmy card with real playability.  A rare breed indeed.  Pros go bonkers for “set it and forget it” cards and while it’s casting cost is a bit high, the rewards are impressive.  The obvious comparison is to Tarmogoyf. The difference between two mana and five is light-years.  Fortunately, I think most would agree that the benefits are worth it.  Cards that get better as the game goes on are very desirable.  Cards that scale to the game as it progresses are one in a million.  Sure, he can be countered, removed, bounced or otherwise gimped.  But the fact is – he’s cheap enough that he’s coming out for sure, and once he does your opponent has to deal with him.  You can make a case for Figure of Destiny or Tarmogoyf being more prudent, but I challenge you to name a more well rounded 5 drop in the entire game.  Due to the perfect mix of big baddie, and real professional playability, Lord of Extinction is my #3 pick in Alara Reborn.

2. Malestrom Pulse – If you’ve spent any time playing extended in MTGO, you’ll know that Echoing Truth is a staple in many decks.   Aggro token decks are as common as ever and both green and black could use some help fending them off.   Why play Vindicate when you can sweep with this baby?  Is your opponent smothering you with Oblivion Rings?  Too bad. Playing multiple Chrome Moxes?  Peace.  I also see this as another great card to come up during a cascade.  The only drawback here is the fact that it can only be played on your turn thus the element of surprise is somewhat lacking.  But even killing one target permanent for 3 is a decent deal (don’t pretend you didn’t used to play Vindicate way back when).   The potential of this card to wreak havoc on any type of deck is the key here.

1. Meddling Mage – Welcome back my friend.  Its been far too long.  I really hope WotC continues to re-release cards from previous sets if they fit the new context.  I think this is a great way to get new players interested as well as please long time fans.  It doesn’t hurt that I get to go back and use some of my old cards either.  We all long for a  Pithing Needle now and then but why not pay 1 more for a creature that can exclude entire cards as opposed to activated abilities?  I’m not going to waste your time going through the endless possibilities (Wrath, Cryptic Command, etc) but I will say this.  I love that this card requires skill to play.  You must anticipate your opponent’s deck as soon as turn two.  The potential for this card to seal the game that soon (particularly if you know what your opponent is playing) is remarkable.   Worst case scenario, you get a 2/2 for two on turn two.  There’s nothing more satisfying than a good hosing.  A fan favorite and a personal favorite.

Honorable mentions:

Zealous Persecution
Mind Funeral (tied for worst card name with Giant Ambush Beetle)
Sen Triplets
Qasali Pridemage

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1. Alara Reborn Review – Top 5 (Leaf)
2. Magic 2010 Review – Top 5 (Reinhart)
3. Alara Reborn Official Spoiler Review
4. Alara Reborn Spoiler Wrap Up (Mythic Edition)
5. Conflux Review – Staff Top 5 Picks