Return to Ravnica: Mechanics Revealed

Happy Sunday everyone!
While everyone is enjoying fast internet speeds and thus Guild Wars 2, I have to settle with waiting for Borderlands 2 and any tidbits of information on the new block of Return to Ravnica. They have a big section on MTG at PAX which has them showing alot of cards which will make you really excited.. in the pants.

Wizards released an article last night on all the mechanics you will encounter in the first set. I've gone ahead and posted them and have a little commentary on them all:

This is a reprint from previous editions.. not too shabby, not fantastic. But the mana cost is what makes it good. Normally, say paying just one color mana, it would take 4 mana for the same amount of life gain.

Notice how all these cards have the guild symbol as a watermark in the flavor text area; this one being Izzet's. So 1R for 4 damage, not bad in early game.. but in late game, Overload it, and that is pretty sick (doing 4 damage to each creature; good by shrouded and hexproof). I love cards that have purpose in both early and late game.

An example of hybrid mana; love hybrid mana, makes you more flexible, especially if you don't draw the right lands at the opening hand. I love the name of this creature, the look, and the flavor text. It sort of reminds me of the Hellspark Elemental, that doesn't get sacrificed at the end of turn.

Detain is the mechanic for Azorius.. and it does seem to fit their kind of cards. Basicly, a 1-turn Arrest. Remember, its til YOUR next turn, not til the end of your turn. If you can somehow combine Blink and Haste with your creatures.. it'll be a very annoying game for your opponent. This seems like more of an early game benefit, and when your opponent cannot pull out many creatures at once.

At first I thought the Selesnya mechanic, Populate was kinda crappy, but the article goes more into depth about it. Basically, yes, you can make a token of the 1/1 white Bird from Eyes in the Skies... OR you have a huge creature already on the field, right? Make a copy of THAT creature instead! SICK. So even if you're copying the 1/1 white Bird, its on par for mana (2 1/1s which both fly)... but once you copy something stronger.. its a great deal.. and its only common! This seems to be good at both mid and late game to fill up your field.

I'm on the fence for the Golgari Scavenge mechanic.. sure it gives your creatures in the graveyard more use, but the standard creature seems to cost more mana than the same kind with scavenge.. I'm thinking this is more a late game kind of mechanic. With creatures such as Splinterfright and Boneyard Wurm, which you would think be a good addition to a Golgari deck, you actually don't want to remove those creatures as much.

So Rakdos.. I do not like your Unleash mechanic.. unless there will be Unleash 1/2/3/4/* like the Devour mechanic.. I don't like just getting one measly +1/+1 counter on my creature and then remove the ability to block. Do not want.

Couldn't format this card correctly; its supposed to be below. Anyways... remember this is a common card so it can't be that fantastic.. What is a Gate anyways? See below.

I looooove two mana-producing lands. The only draw back is that it comes in tapped.. BUT is COMMON and doesn't have an additional draw back like this card.