Ral Zarek

[Danrulz]

What is {Ral Zarek} Worth? Also is he worth buying or better off trading? Some people at my pre release pulled him and idk what to think about him. Its the 5 extra turns...

[InfinitiveDivinity]

If you have him, trade him. He will go down. He's good, but not that good. His Ulty is so iffy, sure you can get 5 extra turns, but then again you could get none at all. His burn is decent, and his wind up is alright, but he's a new PW, that's why he's currently so high. (About $28)

EDIT: {Ral Zarek}

[Danrulz]

I was thinking about getting him but i may wait for a while

[Dudecore]

He's on the traditional "new Planeswalker" high curve. Probably settle around $15 or so? It wasn't all that long ago {Jace, Architect of Thought} was $50 because someone won a tournament playing 4 of them. He settled where he should be, which is still too high considering he's a mini-{Fact or Fiction} and card advantage is expensive.

I believe {Ral Zarek} is very playable, but Green is the best color right now - and he isn't that color. It's a bit of a stretch to include him in a deck where he isn't needed - aggro pretty much beats face without him. The extra turns are nice, but seems a bit of a winmore thing. If you truly need 5 turns in arow to effectively win, you're doing something wrong.

But planeswalkers are not judged on their ultimates. +1 and -2 abilities are very relevant, and they should see the most play, it's nice how he costs 4, but it's really 3 if you use the first ability to untap the land you used to cast him.

[Everforward]

I agree with dudecore, the extra five turns is nice but it is still chancy, more then likely you will win one or two of those coin flips maybe three but as dudecore said if you need those extra turns to win your probably doing something wrong, also his other two abilities don't effect the game enough to give him much credit either, for example  {Jace, Memory Adept} hits the board and forces your opponent to react or die in 5 or less turns (if playing average 60 card deck) ral zarek dosent do this he hits the field and tamiyos/searing spears but dosent give a major game altering or game winnig ability such as {Lilliana of the veil}, {tamiyo the moon sage} and as previously mentioned {jace memory adept} so as a planes walker I'd rank him somewhere around {vraska the unseen}. But that's just my opinion

[MisterJH]

I agree with dudecore, the extra five turns is nice but it is still chancy, more then likely you will win one or two of those coin flips maybe three but as dudecore said if you need those extra turns to win your probably doing something wrong, also his other two abilities don't effect the game enough to give him much credit either, for example  {Jace, Memory Adept} hits the board and forces your opponent to react or die in 5 or less turns (if playing average 60 card deck) ral zarek dosent do this he hits the field and tamiyos/searing spears but dosent give a major game altering or game winnig ability such as {Lilliana of the veil}, {tamiyo the moon sage} and as previously mentioned {jace memory adept} so as a planes walker I'd rank him somewhere around {vraska the unseen}. But that's just my opinion

Actually statistical chances are you'll win 2.5 coin flips :p or otherwise 2-3.

[Everforward]

Well knowing my luck I'd get zero out of the five lol

[Hays413]

Well knowing my luck I'd get zero out of the five lol

Statistics and odds aside, it'll be rare you don't get a single one. The way I look at his ultimate, is an extra turn, just one. Pretty much gonna happen, if I get more, great. The odds are good you'll get a couple turns

[Dudecore]

His ultimate is a pretty Timmy thing to do. I could take it or leave it. He's a good Planeswalker, his second ability reminds me of {Sorin, Lord of Innistrad} - based on the type of line you take to get there. Pump him up, drop him down, up, down, up, up, up, down, down, down. I'd basically float him the whole time until I won.

His first ability does not protect him however, that needs to be mentioned. The tap is until the end of turn - so {Tamiyo, the Moon Sage} wins this fight.

[Everforward]

Well knowing my luck I'd get zero out of the five lol

Statistics and odds aside, it'll be rare you don't get a single one. The way I look at his ultimate, is an extra turn, just one. Pretty much gonna happen, if I get more, great. The odds are good you'll get a couple turns

All great points I love all the extra turns I can get , but as a playable card in standard format do you see it being competitive?
As far as planes walker go I feel like there are just more effective planes walkers as well as non planes walker cards that would be used instead of him.

[Birdbrain]

His +1 seems more offensive than defensive. You tap one of there blockers, then untap and attacker or a work horse, and charge in with creatures and spells. His -2 ability seems decent, but mid-late game your going to be using it to ping the player.

i think his ulti could actualy be useful if you use it to set up a combo. So he could see play in combo decks, but the effect is way to expensive to realy be that effective in a combo deck. You'd have to +1 three or four turns in a row, then sac him with his ulti just to get the turns to set your combo up. And combo players realy have more tools available to them then {ral zarek}

[Dudecore]

He's a fixed {Ajani Vengeant}. To go along with a fixed {Mana Drain} ({Plasm Capture}), {Morphling} ({Ætherling}) and {Dark Confidant} ({Duskmantle Seer}). Seem to be "fixing" the powerlevel on some cards and passing them off as new.

[Birdbrain]

His ulti could help you set up a combo though. Though combo players have better tools available. You would also have to sacrifice him to do it in a timely fashion

[Dudecore]

His ulti could help you set up a combo though. Though combo players have better tools available

It can do anything - but it is unnecessary. I can't think of a single combo deck that would be better for waiting on {Ral Zarek} to reach ultimate. His ultimate makes any deck better - understood. I don't like having no control over it, and I would never ever want to count on it.

[Birdbrain]

Which is why I said combo players have better tools available