5. Leafcrown Dryad
Where speed, tempo and evasion are king, there are few commons as versatile or efficient as Leafcrown Dryad. Play it on turn two to beat down or stem early bleeding, or hold it back to bestow, preferably on a heroic creature like Centaur Battlemaster or Staunch-Hearted Warrior. One of just two commons and uncommons with reach, it is a crucial ingredient in any green deck looking to hold its own against the multitude of blue, white and black flyers.
4. Wingsteed Rider
A staple of the W-x heroic deck, Wingsteed Rider has consistently been rated one of the top commons in the format. And it continued to perform here at Grand Prix Kuala Lumpur. Three of the players to reach the top 8 did so on the back of W-x decks and Wingsteed Rider played a prominent role in each of these successes.
3. Aqueous Form
Unblockable is not an ability players typically rate in an enchant creature. It costs a card, leaves you vulnerable to removal and has but a marginal impact on an uneven game state. Not surprising then that Aqueous Form was not rated highly when the set first released.
Since then, however, players have discovered the dearth of efficient removal negates at least one of the concerns. While it still doesn't help you turn a game around, it is now viewed as a game breaker in its own right. Especially effective in rush decks based around evasion, it helps the strategy to win before opponents can stabilise.
2. Fleecemane Lion
10/10 flying, lifelink, indestructible, hexproof, trample. What's this? Fleecemane Lion gone monstrous and bestowed with Nimbus Naiad, Hopeful Eidolon and Nylea's Emissary. In a format defined by champions, Fleecemane Lion is one of the most resilient. Not merely a win more card, it excels on keeping you alive till your bestowments and other advantage mechanics kick in. Fleecemane Lion was Kelvin Chew's MVP against Ayato Imai and Chen Liang used it to hold the fort against Terry Soh.
1. Voyage's End
In a format where the dominant strategy is to build a 'Voltron' and removal is costed at a premium, blue's suite of efficient quasi-removal stands out. For just two mana, you get to dissemble a 'Voltron' and scry, gaining tempo advantage and perhaps even a card or two depending on what's bestowed/ enchanted. For four mana, the effect is minimally card parity with potential to confound your opponents' ability to draw himself out of a precarious situation. Little wonder we've been covering blue decks all weekend.