1 c
2 b
3 c
4 b
5 e
6 b -- incorrect; answer is e
7 a
8 a
9 e
10 d
11 e
12 e
13 c
14 c
15 c
16 b
17 b
18 a
19 e
20 b
21 c
22 a
23 b
24 c
25 e
26 b
27 d
28 d
29 e
30 b
31 c
32 c
33 e
34 a
35 e
36 e
37 a
38 b
39 d
40 b
41 a -- incorrect; answer is e
42 b
43 d
44 a
45 a
46 b
47 a
48 d
49 c
50 a
2. The question specifies MOST appropriate. Certainly I could see a creature at common with both haste and lifelink. However I think it is still MOST appropriate at uncommon, despite it being not unrealistic to see it at common. I think the combination of 3 power and haste alone makes the case that this should be uncommon.
6. This one could be read multiple ways, but the setup of the question is such that all the question wants you to do is figure out which of the ETB abilities go well with flash, and which ETB ability could go without flash and still work. That answer is e. They are MORE likely to pair flash with the other abilities, making them less likely to pair e with flash - because growth effects work well whether at instant speed or not. Overthinking this one was a trap.
* Reconsidered. The wording of b) is actually too awkward to be on a creature.
29. Landfall is an ability word and cannot be referenced in this manner. Relevant article: http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr342
30. There was some article that held the answer to this one. Here is the relevant text:
The Deck Artist also builds decks but in a very different vein. The deck artist isn't trying to find anything or demonstrate anything. The Deck Artist is trying to use deck building as a form of self-expressive art. These are decks that do things like embody the elf culture or represent Empire Strikes Back or play in a way that makes the opponent appreciate the uniqueness of the card choices.
31. Answers for this varied wildly. Tappers at common appear very infrequently without a mana activation cost. Design doesn't like this because it presents no interesting decision for the user. The "right play" is just to tap every time - whereas when it costs mana, a decision must be made and turns planned ahead. However they do appear from time to time. Ballynock Trapper and Vedalken Certarch are such examples. Tumble Magnet is arguably an example, too. Kor-Line Slinger wasn't a very good tapper, but the activation cost was also waived.
This ability is also most likely to appear in upcoming sets because pretty much every set has a tapper of some variety. The questionable "power level" of the tapper seems to be of less concern. They're certainly willing to make plenty of tappers at common.
33. I changed this answer after some more thought and reading both the green and the white articles. I honestly find that the word harmony applies to both green and white. However, it's the first sentence that is important. "Each person's life unfolds according to a pattern." I think the emphasis is on "each" and "pattern" and possibly even "person." "Each person" actually can be thought of as refering to "you, the individual" or it can be thought of as referring to "every one person." With the second reading, it's easier to see that it's important for the reader to understand that everyone has a life that unfolds in the same pattern, and this implies a kind of balance and uniformity. Seems white to me.
It might be a little bendy. The natural reading of it just appeared green for all kinds of reasons. But MTGColorPie says white, and he should know.
38. Design has stated they're pushing green into vigilance recently. The blocking restriction in b) is much more red than green.
41. Protection is a complicated ability that may take some getting used to before new players want to see it too often. Green is certainly capable of mass-wiping enchantments at common. See Spring Cleaning.
44. This one I haven't really fleshed out, yet. However, given that a) was a genuine problem, it has more gravity than any of the other answers. A mechanic that is unintuitive, requires differentiation between flanking/non-flanking, and causes players to constantly play the cards wrong is a serious design failure. Who cares about trying to make a mechanic work when it's just better to ditch the mechanic altogether because it creates confusion more than... well, interesting and fun play?
48. The huge stinker of a question. Logic dictates the answer is seven. The non-virtual vanillas are Riptide Crab, Squadron Hawk, and Bog Raiders.
Canyon Minotaur is included in the set of virtual vanillas given the way they defined virtual vanilla in the question. To overthink the answer and think about "potential applications" of the term just led people astray.
I could debate on some of the other ones, but that's all I'm doing for now. Peace.
