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Premier Draft HBG 11 July 2022

11 July 11:52 - Baltior79 7 Wins - 1 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (21)
1 Lulu, Forgetful Hollyphant image
2 Icewind Stalwart image
1 Trelasarra, Moon Dancer image
2 Steadfast Paladin image
1 Inspiring Bard image
2 Celestial Unicorn image
1 Sylvan Shepherd image
1 Lukamina, Moon Druid image
1 Dread Linnorm image
1 Lurking Roper image
1 Dawnbringer Cleric image
1 Flaming Fist Duskguard image
1 Soldiers of the Watch image
1 Blessed Hippogriff image
1 Rasaad, Monk of Selune image
1 Pilgrim's Eye image
1 Flaming Fist Officer image
1 Gnoll Hunter image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (3)
1 You Hear Something on Watch image
1 Arcane Archery image
1 Band Together image
Land (16)
1 Gate to Manorborn image
9 Plains image
6 Forest image
Sideboard
1 Sylvan Shepherd image
1 Steadfast Unicorn image
1 Clever Conjurer image
1 Flaming Fist Duskguard image
1 Monk of the Open Hand image
1 Kagha, Shadow Archdruid image
2 Circle of the Land Druid image
1 Hook Horror image
1 Ghost Lantern image
1 Cloak of the Bat image
2 You're Ambushed on the Road image
1 Choose Your Weapon image
1 You Find Some Prisoners image
1 Prophetic Prism image
1 You Come to a River image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Lulu, Forgetful Hollyphant
Archivist of Oghma image 2.5 A two mana 2/2 with Flash is usually a decent card, since it can ambush block and kill X/2s, and this one comes with a pretty nice hatebear effect. Drawing a card is huge so getting to do it when your opponent searches is nice! Now, in your typical Limited game ther ewon’t be that much searching going on, but triggering this once or twice over the course of a draft is pretty sweet, and because it has Flash your opponent may not even know to play around it!
Lulu, Forgetful Hollyphant image 4.0 Pretty much every card with Specialize looks quite good, and this is no exception. Most of them are playable or better on their front side – and that’s certainly the case here, as a 3-mana ⅓ with Flying that grants Flying to the next creature you cast is definitely a good card – probably a 3.0 on its own. Then, it of course synergizes with itself when it transforms, since it pays you of for attacking with flyers – and all the payoffs are pretty great.
Lapis Orb of Dragonkind image 1.0 Three mana rocks usually aren’t that good in Limited, even if they can add mana of any color! And this one can only add Blue. The upside, of course, is you get to scry when you cast a Dragon with it. But that isn’t the most exciting payoff. Sure, Scry 2 is nice, but it isn’t something that pays you off for playing this three mana card that doesn’t add to the board in any real way. I guess if you have some really big dragons to ramp into this gets a little more interesting, but there are better ways to ramp in the format.
Ghost Lantern image 3.0 This looks like a pretty nice Adventure Equipment. Neither side is going to be great, but being able to use it to return a creature, and then playing an Equipment seems pretty good. While you could play this early, a lot of the time I think it will be better to wait until you can use the Adventure and then cast the Equipment. The equipment won’t offer a boost at all initially, but as the game progresses, it will start putting counters on your stuff, and that seems pretty strong. It feels like you will get a full card of value out of each side of this.
Dueling Rapier image 1.5 This ended up being surprisingly solid in Forgotten Realms, but that format turned out to be fairly aggressive, and there was an Equipment deck. Without that synergy, this is basically a one mana trick that gives +2/+0 and then the boost sticks around. That can definitely be good, but because it doesn’t offer any boost that will assist your creature in SURVIVING combat, it is a bit more limited. Your creature will usually just go down, even if it takes another creature with it. Then, you have to deal with Equip 4, which is pretty ugly. I mean, you definitely end up playing one of these in really aggressive Red decks, but you cut it a fair bit too.
Eyes of the Beholder image 2.0 This was a mediocre removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and that’s probably what it will be here, too. Six mana is a ton, and while this can kill a whole lot of things, you’ll usually be spending more mana than your opponent spent to cast the creature that you kill. It is something you end up playing when you need the removal, but you basically never want more than one – it just isn’t anywhere close to premium.
Hoard Robber image 2.5 This was a big overperformer in Forgotten Realms, where its stat-line really lined up in such a way that actually blocking it early was a challenge in a sea of 2/1 creatures, so it would generate a fair bit of treasure. It will probably be a little less good here, as part of what made it great was fairly format specific, but it is still a pretty nice Common.
Priest of Ancient Lore image 4.0 This is a Forgotten Realms Reprint, and it was White’s best Common in that set, and I think that will be true here too. It will give you a lot of 2-for-1s, and it gains you life which the GW deck is extra interested in. Sure, it doesn’t have Flying like inspiring Overseer, but that card was absurd – this one is merely a very very good Common, instead of a format-warping one.
Young Red Dragon image 3.0 This is a pretty nice Common. It makes you a treasure early, which can actually allow you to play this very Dragon on turn three, which is pretty nice! It can also be used for other purposes too of course. The creature you get can’t block, which is a liability sometimes, but it looks like an effective enough attacker that I’m not too concerned about that.
Dread Linnorm image 3.0 Like a lot of Adventure cards, neither side of this thing blows you away. The trick is expensive for what it does, and fairly situational, and the creature is big and only sort of hard to block. But when you get both on one card, it is a completely different thing. It isn’t that difficult to generate a 2-for-1 with it. You have to pick your spots for the trick to work well to be sure, but it can help your creature win combat and it can even counter a removal spell. So, using that trick in the mid-game, and then slamming this 7/6 late is going to feel pretty good. You probably don’t want more than one copy of this in the end, but I do think that first copy is a pretty nice Common.
Undercellar Myconid image 3.5 I like this common a lot. A 3-mana ½ that gives you a 1/1 token is probably a 2.0 and a 3-mana ½ that taps for mana of any color is probably a 2.5. Stapling both of those together and adding another token to the mix is pretty dang impressive. Even if your opponent takes this down before it can make mana, it leaves two 1/1s around, and if they don’t, you can probably ramp into your 5 drop on turn 4, which is pretty sweet.
Demogorgon's Clutches image 1.5 This is an underwhelming reprint. It is a Mind Rot with some added value, but the added value is too minimal for it to really be that much better than Mind Rot.
Wizened Githzerai image 1.5 This doesn’t seem that good to me. Sure, it can chump block or trade and make a creature worse, but chumping is not something you want to be doing a whole lot. And yeah, the -2/-0 sticks around no matter what happens to the creature, but I still feel like this is a two drop you will cut pretty often.
Hook Horror image 2.5 This is kind of an Alchemy version of Persist. Basically, you get a 5-mana 3/3 that gives you a 2/2 when it dies, and when that 2/2 dies, you get a 1/1. That’s three bodies on one card, which is great for sacrifice effects and the like. It can also just represent a 2-for-1 or even 3-for-1 in a regular deck.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Icewind Stalwart
Grave Choice image 2.5 This has a neat design, because it tries to get around the downsides most Edict effects have. They tend to feel pretty good early, but when the board gets wide enough, you end up killing something pretty irrelevant. Grave Choice takes away the ability to sacrifice tokens, and now your opponent giving up their weakest creature could come with consequences – and that is that you get a duplicate of the card in your hand. Now, there will be plenty of times when your opponent can just sacrifice something that’s not a big deal and you get nothing, and sometimes getting a copy of their mediocre two drop won’t matter either – but I think the upgrades to this Edict make it better than most of them tend to be in Limited. It isn’t premium removal, but its not bad either.
Draconic Lore image 3.0 Six mana to draw three is probably a 1.5 at best, and a 4-mana Draw 3 is probably a 3.5. So obviously, you need to be in UG or UR to take full advantage of this, as those are both Dragon tribal decks. Because those are really focused archetypes in the format, I don’t really think this needs a build around grade.
Lapis Orb of Dragonkind image 1.0 Three mana rocks usually aren’t that good in Limited, even if they can add mana of any color! And this one can only add Blue. The upside, of course, is you get to scry when you cast a Dragon with it. But that isn’t the most exciting payoff. Sure, Scry 2 is nice, but it isn’t something that pays you off for playing this three mana card that doesn’t add to the board in any real way. I guess if you have some really big dragons to ramp into this gets a little more interesting, but there are better ways to ramp in the format.
Druidic Ritual image 1.0 // 2.0 Another Green card that enables the graveyard payoffs, and it also lets you return something to your hand. That’s..not amazing for a three mana Sorcery. This is probably another build around, because outside of the Black/Green deck I don’t really know why you run this thing. It just gives you some card selection for a clunky cost, so you really need other reasons to load the yard.
Thieves' Tools image 1.5 This was underwhelming in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too. The UB deck in the format is about making creatures unblockable, and the BR deck likes treasure – but both of those were true in Forgotten Realms and this still didn’t really do enough to make the cut with regularity.
Clever Conjurer image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fairly unimpressive in that format. It can help you ramp, which is cool, but the fact you can’t use the ability at instant speed is a huge bummer, as it makes the card wayyy worse. It can’t be used to threaten to untap things when your opponent attacks you and things like that.
Steadfast Unicorn image 2.0 We’ve seen a lot of one drops with this sort of mass pump ability kind of underwhelm in the past, but that Vigilance makes a difference! Your board becoming better at attacking and hanging around to block can really alter races. Now, this still isn’t amazing or anything, but it seems like a solid one drop, where most similar cards were cards you cut more often than you played.
Iron Golem image 1.0 This has solid stats, but the whole has to block and attack thing is a pretty big downside. You end up in situations where the trades are super ugly for you, or worse – you can’t even trade because they have a large creature.
Improvised Weaponry image 2.5 This was pretty nice in Forgotten Realms. It could kill enough creatures in that format that it sort of overperformed. It may not be quite as good here, but 3 mana to do 2 to anything and getting a treasure back is a pretty solid deal.
Icewind Stalwart image 1.5 Hill Giant stats aren’t something I love, and I’m not sure the ETB ability here will do something often enough to really overcome that. There are certainly creatures with ETB abilities to abuse and the like, but you still won’t have this matter often enough for it to be anything special.
Cloak of the Bat image 1.5 This sort of Equipment always seems to underwhelm. It feels like it should actually do something nice pretty often, but it just doesn’t. If you have a big ol’ creature it feels pretty good, but the awkward thing about the card is that if you want to take advantage of the Haste end of thing, you need to have the mana available to equip it to whatever new creature you play. The creature also has to already be pretty good for these keywords to do their job.
Guildsworn Prowler image 3.0 I think this is a good Common. A two mana 2/1 with death touch is generally going to be a 2.5, since it is fairly cheap and can trade for anything. When you can draw a card off of this, it will feel particularly absurd. Obviously, if it would draw you a card even if it was blocking, it would probably be a B because it would always be a 2-for-1. But if you do find a way to draw that card, it will feel pretty nice! It can be a nice sacrifice outlet, in addition to being a nice attacker and blocker.
Pseudodragon Familiar image 2.5 This is solid cheap Dragon. A three mana 2/1 Flyer isn’t the most impressive rate, but the ability to send your other creatures into the sky in the mid to late game definitely matters. This seems like a nice Common for Blue.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Trelasarra, Moon Dancer
Krydle of Baldur's Gate image 3.0 Like Kalain, Krydle was a signpost Uncommon in Forgotten Realms, and he’s a signpost Uncommon here too. He offers a ton of value for a two drop, since he lets you get through your opponents defenses, and if it is Krydle getting through, you get to drain a life and Scry 1 every time, which is a pretty big deal. In the late game, he can send in much larger creatures to be unblockable. He’s basically a great early-game threat that also works as a late-game win condition.
Trelasarra, Moon Dancer image 3.5 This is our last signpost Uncommon, and it is another one that is a reprint from Forgotten Realms. It offers a very strong Life gain payoff, as it is basically a better Ajani’s Pridemate, since you get to Scry in addition to getting a counter! A turn two Trelassara can quickly get out of control in a Green/White deck, and it can even be very valuable in the late game.
Undersimplify image 1.5 This is a pretty neat design. So, a counterspell that lets your opponent ignore it for two isn’t usually great in Limited, since you have to have the mana up at the right time and your opponent also has to not have the mana to pay for it. But they soften the blow of your opponent paying 2 to ignore it, since you weaken a creature when you target it with this, whether the spell actually gets countered or not. Now, that’s mostly just a consolation prize, but it does at least mean this does something when your opponent has the mana, unlike most counterspells like this. I think you’ll still cut this reasonably often, though.
Hobgoblin Captain image 3.0 This was one of the great two drops in Forgotten Realms, and it will probably be quite good here too! It gets you half way to Pack Tactics on its own, and getting to attack with First Strike is surprisingly easy. This is going to be one of Red’s best commons.
You Hear Something on Watch image 3.0 This was a solid card for slower decks in Forgotten Realms Limited. Being able to kill a whole lot of creatures in the format for only two mana is nice, even if it is situational – and that is the mode you’ll use the most on this. But the board pump comes up sometimes too!
Genasi Rabble-Rouser image 3.0 This is a pretty strong Common. A two mana ⅓ with the ability to pump its power for one and a Red is probably pretty close to a 2.5, so obviously adding Double Team to the mix is pretty nice. This is a nice two drop for aggressive Red decks.
Rimeshield Frost Giant image 2.0 Another reprint, and a pretty medium one. This has some decent-sized ground stats, and Ward 3 does make it hard to get this thing out of the way, but it isn’t a GREAT 5-drop, and really you’re hoping for a better one.
Band Together image 3.5 We have seen cards that cost the same and only let one creature do damage equal to their power to something, and they tend to be pretty close to premium. This lets you have two creatures do the damage, which is significant for two reasons. First, it means you can find more situations where this will function as removal. Second, it makes you less vulnerable to your opponent interacting, since now they can kill one of your creatures and you can still do some damage. I think the whole “two creature” side of things is enough to make this premium.
A-Sepulcher Ghoul image
Clever Conjurer image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fairly unimpressive in that format. It can help you ramp, which is cool, but the fact you can’t use the ability at instant speed is a huge bummer, as it makes the card wayyy worse. It can’t be used to threaten to untap things when your opponent attacks you and things like that.
Shambling Ghast image 3.0 This was a very nice common for Black in Forgotten Realms. It can really keep your opponent from attacking you early, especially because it can generate 2-for-1s against two X/1s, but just the fact it can block and kill two drops is pretty sweet too. Being able to get treasure out of it is really nice too.
You Find the Villains' Lair image 1.5 This wasn’t especially good in Forgotten Realms. Sure, it has two modes and everything, but neither of them is especially good, and both are fairly situational. This can be Cancel, or a three mana Faithless Looting, and that just isn’t something you’re always in the market for.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Steadfast Paladin
Kenku Artificer image 1.0 // 3.5 Artifacts are far from a big theme in the format, but there are enough of them around that this having a target is kind of doable. But I think your typical Blue deck in the format probably has 1-2 Artifacts, and that just..isn’t going to be enough. If you are in UB or UR you will have access to some treasure, but those color pairs still aren’t that into artifacts in general. So…if you end up in a deck that can consistently make this into a 3-mana 1/1 that makes a 3/3 Flyer, you’re going to be super happy, but that deck just won’t happen very often. Drawing this early and not having an artifact to target is going to be an awful feeling.
Gate to Seatower image 2.5 So, these five gates don’t fix mana for you at all, and coming into play tapped can be a liability, but they mostly make up for that by being capable of drawing you a card in the late game – and the card you draw is always a nonland, and that’s a big deal. There is only one Gate payoff in the set, and it isn’t good.
Cloak of the Bat image 1.5 This sort of Equipment always seems to underwhelm. It feels like it should actually do something nice pretty often, but it just doesn’t. If you have a big ol’ creature it feels pretty good, but the awkward thing about the card is that if you want to take advantage of the Haste end of thing, you need to have the mana available to equip it to whatever new creature you play. The creature also has to already be pretty good for these keywords to do their job.
Lantern of Revealing image 2.0 This is another pretty nice source of fixing. A three mana mana rock can definitely be clunky, but this turns into a pretty nice mana sink in the later game, since it can effectively draw you lands and put them into play, or at least let you Scry 1. It will certainly improve your draws in the late game, while helping you fix and ramp early.
Follow the Tracks image 3.0 This is an interesting take on ramp and fixing. You get to choose one of the Uncommon gates, meaning you can effectively get a land that produces whatever color you need, while also ramping – and the Gate lands all can draw you a card in the late game too. This is certainly a little clunky, but the ramp and fixing it offers is a pretty big deal.
Farideh's Fireball image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint. It was a solid removal spell in that format, though it turned out to be a little clunky. It definitely isn’t premium removal, but I think chances are good that this will perform better in this format than it did in Forgotten Realms.
Steadfast Paladin image 2.5 This is a reprint that was nice in the Lifegain deck in Forgotten Realms. It is certainly nothing special, but it does enough that you play it most of the time in White.
Soulknife Spy image 3.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint, and this was one of the few Blue Commons in that set that I would describe as “Good.” A card that draws you a card when it hits the opponent is pretty sweet when it comes with solid stats, and this definitely does. If you can give it evasion in some way, it becomes a must kill, and even when you aren’t able to do that, it still becomes something your opponent better trade for.
Air-Cult Elemental image 2.0 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was a fairly disappointing card in that format. In fact, Blue in general was very underpowered in that set! I mean, I normally love a creature that enters the battlefield and bounces something, and if this format is slow enough this will probably be better than it was in Forgotten Realms – but it is hard to get away from my skepticism.
Shocking Grasp image 2.0 Normally I’m not a big fan of cards that just lowers power, but if you add a cantrip to pretty much anything, it becomes a substantially better card, and that’s certainly true here! The worst case is you take two less damage and draw a card, and while that’s not amazing, it isn’t the worst thing ever. The times where you manage to actually use this as a full-blown trick that keeps your creature alive and kills theirs is going to feel particularly insane, since you get a two mana 2-for-1! Now, that won’t happen a ton, but it will happen!
Spiked Pit Trap image 1.5 This was not particularly good in Forgotten Realms. You spend a lot of mana for a mediocre removal spell, and even getting the treasure back isn’t enough.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Inspiring Bard
Split the Spoils image 2.0 This is basically a Green Fact or Fiction, which is pretty wild. It takes a whole lot more set up than Fact or Fiction though! You need to have 5 permanent cards in your graveyard to make casting this worth it, since you want to maximize the number of cards you get out of it, and while Black/Green is good at loading up the graveyard, that’s still a pretty big requirement. The upside here is that you’re probably getting at least 2 cards back for three mana, and sometimes you’ll really put your opponent in a tough spot. Basically, this is kind of a roundabout version of the kind of card that returns creatures form your graveyard to your hand – and one that takes extra set up. I think this is probably a nice one-of in graveyard decks in the format, but still not amazing.
Meteor Golem image 2.5 7 is definitely a lot, but the fact it can come down and kill any nonland permanent is a big deal. Not all decks will really want a 7 drop, but it does seem like ramping is a pretty legit strategy in this format, in which case this will be pretty sweet. It also benefits from lots of cards that let you abuse enter the battlefield abilities.
Clever Conjurer image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fairly unimpressive in that format. It can help you ramp, which is cool, but the fact you can’t use the ability at instant speed is a huge bummer, as it makes the card wayyy worse. It can’t be used to threaten to untap things when your opponent attacks you and things like that.
Unexpected Allies image 1.0 I’m not a huge fan of this, mostly because at Sorcery speed, it is very easy to disrupt. Your opponent need only respond in any number of ways to get a 2-for-1. Now, if you wait until your opponent’s shields are down, this can do some work, since it makes your creature hit harder, and gives double team to whatever you want – and sometimes there will be spicy options. The +2/+0 means that it will be easier for you to at least get a trade with the attack, and the fact you get First Strike sometimes is a nice bonus that makes the creature very hard to block. However, this set seems to have a high power level, and I’m not sure how much value I see in playing something that is easy to mess up.
Farideh's Fireball image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint. It was a solid removal spell in that format, though it turned out to be a little clunky. It definitely isn’t premium removal, but I think chances are good that this will perform better in this format than it did in Forgotten Realms.
Inspiring Bard image 2.5 Neither mode here is amazing, but you’ll almost always be in a situation where one of them is useful. If you’re behind, you’ll gain life, and if you’re ahead, you’ll buff something so you can send it in.
You Come to a River image 2.0 This was a fine card in Forgotten Realms, and it probably will be here. Neither mode is anything special. The bounce mode will come up the most, and the times where you can use it in response to a combat trick and blow your opponent out will feel nice, as will the times where you can generate some tempo, but keep in mind bouncing things is always card disadvantage. The second mode this has also doesn’t generally net you a card – but sometimes it can close out a game. You’ll end up playing one of these in Blue decks and you’ll feel fine about it.
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Vampire Spawn image 3.0 This was a nice little common in Forgotten Realms. It has passable stats and creates a life point difference of 4 just from entering the battlefield. That is surprisingly good!
Jaded Sell-Sword image 2.0 Ramping into Treasure with this felt decent in Forgotten Realms, but it definitely wasn’t amazing. It can come down and attack on almost any board when you do get it those two keyword abilities, but when it is just a 4-mana 4/3 it feels pretty bad, and that happens a little too often.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Celestial Unicorn
Undersimplify image 1.5 This is a pretty neat design. So, a counterspell that lets your opponent ignore it for two isn’t usually great in Limited, since you have to have the mana up at the right time and your opponent also has to not have the mana to pay for it. But they soften the blow of your opponent paying 2 to ignore it, since you weaken a creature when you target it with this, whether the spell actually gets countered or not. Now, that’s mostly just a consolation prize, but it does at least mean this does something when your opponent has the mana, unlike most counterspells like this. I think you’ll still cut this reasonably often, though.
Kobold Warcaller image 2.0 We have seen a lot of one mana 1/1s that can tap and give haste to things, and they tend to be pretty decent. This is obviously an upgrade, because you don’t actually have to cast your creature for it to get the Haste – you can use this during your opponents end step and then cast the Haste creature on your turn, for example. Plus, the creature will keep haste no matter where it goes! It still isn’t amazing or anything, but seems like a fine one drop for aggressive Red decks.
Giant Fire Beetles image 2.5 Like all the Double Team cards, I think this looks pretty good. Having Menace means it will be able to effectively attack and get you that copy on a lot of boards. Getting both of them will feel great, and that’s especially true if you can augment them in some way.
Druidic Ritual image 1.0 // 2.0 Another Green card that enables the graveyard payoffs, and it also lets you return something to your hand. That’s..not amazing for a three mana Sorcery. This is probably another build around, because outside of the Black/Green deck I don’t really know why you run this thing. It just gives you some card selection for a clunky cost, so you really need other reasons to load the yard.
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Inspiring Bard image 2.5 Neither mode here is amazing, but you’ll almost always be in a situation where one of them is useful. If you’re behind, you’ll gain life, and if you’re ahead, you’ll buff something so you can send it in.
Celestial Unicorn image 2.5 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it is a solid little life gain payoff, that goes especially well in the GW deck. It was never super impressive or anything, but hey – it can definitely grow throughout the game in a good GW deck.
You Hear Something on Watch image 3.0 This was a solid card for slower decks in Forgotten Realms Limited. Being able to kill a whole lot of creatures in the format for only two mana is nice, even if it is situational – and that is the mode you’ll use the most on this. But the board pump comes up sometimes too!
Steadfast Paladin image 2.5 This is a reprint that was nice in the Lifegain deck in Forgotten Realms. It is certainly nothing special, but it does enough that you play it most of the time in White.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Celestial Unicorn
Inspiring Bard image 2.5 Neither mode here is amazing, but you’ll almost always be in a situation where one of them is useful. If you’re behind, you’ll gain life, and if you’re ahead, you’ll buff something so you can send it in.
Soldiers of the Watch image 2.5 It feels pretty hard to give Double Team cards anything lower than a 2.5. This is because they all have serious 2-for-1 potential, and even this fairly underwhelming Double Team creature seems solid.
Warriors of Tiamat image 2.5 A 5-mana 4/2 with Haste isn’t something you want to play, but combining haste with Double Team is pretty spicy, since it means unlike other Double Team creatures, you can get that extra copy of the card before your opponent has a chance to untap. The downside, of course, is lots of cheap creatures and removal can trade with this thing, but they still have to find a way to deal with it twice, and that’s pretty nice.
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 Mana filters don’t tend to be great in Limited, but adding a cantrip to a card like this definitely makes me interested. We’ve seen this card in some really artifact-centric sets actually be quite good, but this format doesn’t have any big Artifact theme, so it doesn’t have that benefit here. It is probably mostly just solid.
Ranger Squadron image 2.5 Without Double Team, this is not a very good card – the stats just don’t look good. But, this is a Double Team creature with Flying, and that means yo’ure pretty likely to get that second copy. And yeah, it is two copies of an inefficient creature, but we’ve seen in many Limited formats that any sort of effect that gives you card advantage tends to be good, even if what you’re getting isn’t efficient.
Soulknife Spy image 3.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint, and this was one of the few Blue Commons in that set that I would describe as “Good.” A card that draws you a card when it hits the opponent is pretty sweet when it comes with solid stats, and this definitely does. If you can give it evasion in some way, it becomes a must kill, and even when you aren’t able to do that, it still becomes something your opponent better trade for.
Gnoll Hunter image 3.0 This was a great two drop in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too.
Celestial Unicorn image 2.5 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it is a solid little life gain payoff, that goes especially well in the GW deck. It was never super impressive or anything, but hey – it can definitely grow throughout the game in a good GW deck.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Sylvan Shepherd
Arcane Archery image 2.0 I don’t normally like 3 mana tricks, even if they give sizable boosts and trample like this. One and two mana tricks are usually where its at. Three mana is a ton, and it means that you have less opening to use a trick, and it means you are taking a greater risk if things go sideways. However, this trick definitely gives back for the risk that you take, since it substantially upgrades your next creature spell.
Sewer Plague image 3.0 This is premium removal. Sure, -2/-2 for three mana isn’t great, but the fact that the creature keeps getting -1/-1 every turn means that it will often set things in motion for a larger creature to die. It basically can kill things as big of a 3/3 before your opponent gets a chance to do anything, too.
Valiant Farewell image 2.0 This doesn’t seem like an amazing combat trick. That’s because it costs two mana and only offers +2/+0 to your creature, and without a toughness boost, that means your creature’s chances of surviving combat are significantly lower. Now, it does replace itself, and it also offers a permanent boost to your next creature. And that value certainly helps this card out, but it still means that in a lot of situations you’ll use up this trick and a creature, and end up not really gaining anything on the board. So the tempo doesn’t seem awesome. The times where you can use this and keep your creature alive will feel absurd, though!
Sylvan Shepherd image 2.0 This has passable stats and it is a repeatable source of life gain, which GW is especially interested in.
Circle of the Land Druid image 1.0 // 2.5 So, this really enables the Black/Green decks in the format, and that’s good – because a two mana 1/1 that returns a land from the graveyard to your hand just…does not seem that good to me. It does mean it is nice to sacrifice and stuff, but this probably needs a build around grade. If you’re in Black/Green this is a solid Common – in the other decks? You don’t want to be playing it.
Hook Horror image 2.5 This is kind of an Alchemy version of Persist. Basically, you get a 5-mana 3/3 that gives you a 2/2 when it dies, and when that 2/2 dies, you get a 1/1. That’s three bodies on one card, which is great for sacrifice effects and the like. It can also just represent a 2-for-1 or even 3-for-1 in a regular deck.
Giant Fire Beetles image 2.5 Like all the Double Team cards, I think this looks pretty good. Having Menace means it will be able to effectively attack and get you that copy on a lot of boards. Getting both of them will feel great, and that’s especially true if you can augment them in some way.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Ghost Lantern
Ghost Lantern image 3.0 This looks like a pretty nice Adventure Equipment. Neither side is going to be great, but being able to use it to return a creature, and then playing an Equipment seems pretty good. While you could play this early, a lot of the time I think it will be better to wait until you can use the Adventure and then cast the Equipment. The equipment won’t offer a boost at all initially, but as the game progresses, it will start putting counters on your stuff, and that seems pretty strong. It feels like you will get a full card of value out of each side of this.
Dueling Rapier image 1.5 This ended up being surprisingly solid in Forgotten Realms, but that format turned out to be fairly aggressive, and there was an Equipment deck. Without that synergy, this is basically a one mana trick that gives +2/+0 and then the boost sticks around. That can definitely be good, but because it doesn’t offer any boost that will assist your creature in SURVIVING combat, it is a bit more limited. Your creature will usually just go down, even if it takes another creature with it. Then, you have to deal with Equip 4, which is pretty ugly. I mean, you definitely end up playing one of these in really aggressive Red decks, but you cut it a fair bit too.
Eyes of the Beholder image 2.0 This was a mediocre removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and that’s probably what it will be here, too. Six mana is a ton, and while this can kill a whole lot of things, you’ll usually be spending more mana than your opponent spent to cast the creature that you kill. It is something you end up playing when you need the removal, but you basically never want more than one – it just isn’t anywhere close to premium.
Demogorgon's Clutches image 1.5 This is an underwhelming reprint. It is a Mind Rot with some added value, but the added value is too minimal for it to really be that much better than Mind Rot.
Wizened Githzerai image 1.5 This doesn’t seem that good to me. Sure, it can chump block or trade and make a creature worse, but chumping is not something you want to be doing a whole lot. And yeah, the -2/-0 sticks around no matter what happens to the creature, but I still feel like this is a two drop you will cut pretty often.
Hook Horror image 2.5 This is kind of an Alchemy version of Persist. Basically, you get a 5-mana 3/3 that gives you a 2/2 when it dies, and when that 2/2 dies, you get a 1/1. That’s three bodies on one card, which is great for sacrifice effects and the like. It can also just represent a 2-for-1 or even 3-for-1 in a regular deck.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Steadfast Unicorn
Druidic Ritual image 1.0 // 2.0 Another Green card that enables the graveyard payoffs, and it also lets you return something to your hand. That’s..not amazing for a three mana Sorcery. This is probably another build around, because outside of the Black/Green deck I don’t really know why you run this thing. It just gives you some card selection for a clunky cost, so you really need other reasons to load the yard.
Thieves' Tools image 1.5 This was underwhelming in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too. The UB deck in the format is about making creatures unblockable, and the BR deck likes treasure – but both of those were true in Forgotten Realms and this still didn’t really do enough to make the cut with regularity.
Clever Conjurer image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fairly unimpressive in that format. It can help you ramp, which is cool, but the fact you can’t use the ability at instant speed is a huge bummer, as it makes the card wayyy worse. It can’t be used to threaten to untap things when your opponent attacks you and things like that.
Steadfast Unicorn image 2.0 We’ve seen a lot of one drops with this sort of mass pump ability kind of underwhelm in the past, but that Vigilance makes a difference! Your board becoming better at attacking and hanging around to block can really alter races. Now, this still isn’t amazing or anything, but it seems like a solid one drop, where most similar cards were cards you cut more often than you played.
Iron Golem image 1.0 This has solid stats, but the whole has to block and attack thing is a pretty big downside. You end up in situations where the trades are super ugly for you, or worse – you can’t even trade because they have a large creature.
Pack 1 Pick 11: You Hear Something on Watch
Krydle of Baldur's Gate image 3.0 Like Kalain, Krydle was a signpost Uncommon in Forgotten Realms, and he’s a signpost Uncommon here too. He offers a ton of value for a two drop, since he lets you get through your opponents defenses, and if it is Krydle getting through, you get to drain a life and Scry 1 every time, which is a pretty big deal. In the late game, he can send in much larger creatures to be unblockable. He’s basically a great early-game threat that also works as a late-game win condition.
You Hear Something on Watch image 3.0 This was a solid card for slower decks in Forgotten Realms Limited. Being able to kill a whole lot of creatures in the format for only two mana is nice, even if it is situational – and that is the mode you’ll use the most on this. But the board pump comes up sometimes too!
Clever Conjurer image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fairly unimpressive in that format. It can help you ramp, which is cool, but the fact you can’t use the ability at instant speed is a huge bummer, as it makes the card wayyy worse. It can’t be used to threaten to untap things when your opponent attacks you and things like that.
You Find the Villains' Lair image 1.5 This wasn’t especially good in Forgotten Realms. Sure, it has two modes and everything, but neither of them is especially good, and both are fairly situational. This can be Cancel, or a three mana Faithless Looting, and that just isn’t something you’re always in the market for.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Cloak of the Bat
Cloak of the Bat image 1.5 This sort of Equipment always seems to underwhelm. It feels like it should actually do something nice pretty often, but it just doesn’t. If you have a big ol’ creature it feels pretty good, but the awkward thing about the card is that if you want to take advantage of the Haste end of thing, you need to have the mana available to equip it to whatever new creature you play. The creature also has to already be pretty good for these keywords to do their job.
Lantern of Revealing image 2.0 This is another pretty nice source of fixing. A three mana mana rock can definitely be clunky, but this turns into a pretty nice mana sink in the later game, since it can effectively draw you lands and put them into play, or at least let you Scry 1. It will certainly improve your draws in the late game, while helping you fix and ramp early.
Shocking Grasp image 2.0 Normally I’m not a big fan of cards that just lowers power, but if you add a cantrip to pretty much anything, it becomes a substantially better card, and that’s certainly true here! The worst case is you take two less damage and draw a card, and while that’s not amazing, it isn’t the worst thing ever. The times where you manage to actually use this as a full-blown trick that keeps your creature alive and kills theirs is going to feel particularly insane, since you get a two mana 2-for-1! Now, that won’t happen a ton, but it will happen!
Pack 1 Pick 13: Clever Conjurer
Clever Conjurer image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fairly unimpressive in that format. It can help you ramp, which is cool, but the fact you can’t use the ability at instant speed is a huge bummer, as it makes the card wayyy worse. It can’t be used to threaten to untap things when your opponent attacks you and things like that.
Unexpected Allies image 1.0 I’m not a huge fan of this, mostly because at Sorcery speed, it is very easy to disrupt. Your opponent need only respond in any number of ways to get a 2-for-1. Now, if you wait until your opponent’s shields are down, this can do some work, since it makes your creature hit harder, and gives double team to whatever you want – and sometimes there will be spicy options. The +2/+0 means that it will be easier for you to at least get a trade with the attack, and the fact you get First Strike sometimes is a nice bonus that makes the creature very hard to block. However, this set seems to have a high power level, and I’m not sure how much value I see in playing something that is easy to mess up.
Pack 1 Pick 14: You're Ambushed on the Road
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Lukamina, Moon Druid
Lukamina, Moon Druid image 5.0 Well, this is super strong. Her base form as a 3-mana 2/2 that gets you a basic land from your deck is a solid card, even if you don’t get to choose what land you get. Then, once it specializes, it becomes super good regardless of what form it takes. They all come with super powerful effects, and they all return to the battlefield tapped in Lukamina’s original form, and that means the whole thing starts over again, you even get to seek another land, and then you can specialize her again for more action. It kind of reminds me of Huntmaster of the Fells, and that’s a good comparison! Now, she is vulnerable for awhile, if you play her early – but she still gives you good value in the worst case scenario, and has absurd upside.
Swashbuckler Extraordinaire image 3.5 A three mana 2/2 that makes a Treasure is right around a 2.5, so the fact that this also gives you a pretty powerful Treasure payoff is quite nice. Double strike is no joke, especially if you have a creature with evasion, and it will definitely be worth giving up a Treasure for that on a lot of boards. One really great thing is that if you have additional treasure, you can give more than one thing double strike. It is also great that the turn you play the Swashbuckler you can already give something double strike.
Choose Your Weapon image 1.5 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fine in that set. It is a pretty typical modal card in that both parts of it are pretty underwhelming. The trick wouldn’t be good enough to play and the Flyer removal spell would be a sideboard card. You lump these two mediocre cards together though, and you end up with a card that will be able to do something meaningful reasonably often. Still, you end up cutting it a lot.
Two-Handed Axe image 3.0 A trick that just gives double strike isn’t usually that impressive, but you can use this pretty happily in the early game just to chip in for more damage, ahead of casting this as an Equipment – that’s not something you want to be doing with a normal double strike. Now, the Equipment here isn’t amazing, I don’t think. Doubling power is pretty nice of course, but it doesn’t make your creature any less vulnerable in combat. Sticking this on something evasive is what you really want to be doing, but if you put it on most things, it does turn that creature into a pretty real threat. I just wish it were a little less clunky. Still, you have two solid cards here and that’s nice.
Unexpected Allies image 1.0 I’m not a huge fan of this, mostly because at Sorcery speed, it is very easy to disrupt. Your opponent need only respond in any number of ways to get a 2-for-1. Now, if you wait until your opponent’s shields are down, this can do some work, since it makes your creature hit harder, and gives double team to whatever you want – and sometimes there will be spicy options. The +2/+0 means that it will be easier for you to at least get a trade with the attack, and the fact you get First Strike sometimes is a nice bonus that makes the creature very hard to block. However, this set seems to have a high power level, and I’m not sure how much value I see in playing something that is easy to mess up.
Priest of Ancient Lore image 4.0 This is a Forgotten Realms Reprint, and it was White’s best Common in that set, and I think that will be true here too. It will give you a lot of 2-for-1s, and it gains you life which the GW deck is extra interested in. Sure, it doesn’t have Flying like inspiring Overseer, but that card was absurd – this one is merely a very very good Common, instead of a format-warping one.
Lantern of Revealing image 2.0 This is another pretty nice source of fixing. A three mana mana rock can definitely be clunky, but this turns into a pretty nice mana sink in the later game, since it can effectively draw you lands and put them into play, or at least let you Scry 1. It will certainly improve your draws in the late game, while helping you fix and ramp early.
Air-Cult Elemental image 2.0 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was a fairly disappointing card in that format. In fact, Blue in general was very underpowered in that set! I mean, I normally love a creature that enters the battlefield and bounces something, and if this format is slow enough this will probably be better than it was in Forgotten Realms – but it is hard to get away from my skepticism.
Chain Devil image 2.0 We see these creatures that ETB and make both players sacrifice something a lot, and they are usually pretty medium. It is nice that this one says “nontoken,” as your opponent having a token when you play an effect like this is pretty brutal. Of course, it also means that you can’t sacrifice a token to it either! There are decks in this format that will have good sacrifice fodder and stuff, and I think this will slot in as a decent card in most Black decks.
Underdark Basilisk image 2.5 This was solid in Forgotten Realms. It gets extra good alongside effects that let it damage things – like Band Together – because the Death touch allows it to take down anything. Outside of that, it does a decent job of deterring attacks early, since it can trade for any of your opponents attacks. It also stays relevant all game long.
Shambling Ghast image 3.0 This was a very nice common for Black in Forgotten Realms. It can really keep your opponent from attacking you early, especially because it can generate 2-for-1s against two X/1s, but just the fact it can block and kill two drops is pretty sweet too. Being able to get treasure out of it is really nice too.
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Wizened Githzerai image 1.5 This doesn’t seem that good to me. Sure, it can chump block or trade and make a creature worse, but chumping is not something you want to be doing a whole lot. And yeah, the -2/-0 sticks around no matter what happens to the creature, but I still feel like this is a two drop you will cut pretty often.
Band Together image 3.5 We have seen cards that cost the same and only let one creature do damage equal to their power to something, and they tend to be pretty close to premium. This lets you have two creatures do the damage, which is significant for two reasons. First, it means you can find more situations where this will function as removal. Second, it makes you less vulnerable to your opponent interacting, since now they can kill one of your creatures and you can still do some damage. I think the whole “two creature” side of things is enough to make this premium.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Dread Linnorm
Storm King's Thunder image 0.0 This card is really cool, but it isn’t really here for Limited. You need a bunch of mana and a spell that is cheap enough you can still cast it for this to be worth it. Paying 4 to make only a single copy of some cheap spell isn’t going to feel very good. You probably need to be making two copies with this to feel like you’re getting there, and that means you need 5 mana + a spell that you can still cast that turn to get it doubled, and it is going to be pretty hard to set that up. This format definitely has treasure which can help here, but not so much that you can really go wild with this.
Choose Your Weapon image 1.5 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fine in that set. It is a pretty typical modal card in that both parts of it are pretty underwhelming. The trick wouldn’t be good enough to play and the Flyer removal spell would be a sideboard card. You lump these two mediocre cards together though, and you end up with a card that will be able to do something meaningful reasonably often. Still, you end up cutting it a lot.
Monk of the Open Hand image 2.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint. This was a decent one drop in that format, as getting the counters on it came a little easier than I expected it to. Getting it in play late doesn’t feel very good, though.
Dread Linnorm image 3.0 Like a lot of Adventure cards, neither side of this thing blows you away. The trick is expensive for what it does, and fairly situational, and the creature is big and only sort of hard to block. But when you get both on one card, it is a completely different thing. It isn’t that difficult to generate a 2-for-1 with it. You have to pick your spots for the trick to work well to be sure, but it can help your creature win combat and it can even counter a removal spell. So, using that trick in the mid-game, and then slamming this 7/6 late is going to feel pretty good. You probably don’t want more than one copy of this in the end, but I do think that first copy is a pretty nice Common.
Undersimplify image 1.5 This is a pretty neat design. So, a counterspell that lets your opponent ignore it for two isn’t usually great in Limited, since you have to have the mana up at the right time and your opponent also has to not have the mana to pay for it. But they soften the blow of your opponent paying 2 to ignore it, since you weaken a creature when you target it with this, whether the spell actually gets countered or not. Now, that’s mostly just a consolation prize, but it does at least mean this does something when your opponent has the mana, unlike most counterspells like this. I think you’ll still cut this reasonably often, though.
Sewer Plague image 3.0 This is premium removal. Sure, -2/-2 for three mana isn’t great, but the fact that the creature keeps getting -1/-1 every turn means that it will often set things in motion for a larger creature to die. It basically can kill things as big of a 3/3 before your opponent gets a chance to do anything, too.
Jaded Sell-Sword image 2.0 Ramping into Treasure with this felt decent in Forgotten Realms, but it definitely wasn’t amazing. It can come down and attack on almost any board when you do get it those two keyword abilities, but when it is just a 4-mana 4/3 it feels pretty bad, and that happens a little too often.
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Circle of the Land Druid image 1.0 // 2.5 So, this really enables the Black/Green decks in the format, and that’s good – because a two mana 1/1 that returns a land from the graveyard to your hand just…does not seem that good to me. It does mean it is nice to sacrifice and stuff, but this probably needs a build around grade. If you’re in Black/Green this is a solid Common – in the other decks? You don’t want to be playing it.
You Hear Something on Watch image 3.0 This was a solid card for slower decks in Forgotten Realms Limited. Being able to kill a whole lot of creatures in the format for only two mana is nice, even if it is situational – and that is the mode you’ll use the most on this. But the board pump comes up sometimes too!
Summon Undead image 1.5 // 3.0 Here’s another pretty solid reanimation spell. It also mills you, to set up your cards that care about cards in the graveyard, and I like that. There are enough ways to discard cards in this format that I think setting this up is very doable. It probably does need a build around grade, because if you aren’t in a deck with any targets WORTH reanimating, it isn’t worth playing.
Soldiers of the Watch image 2.5 It feels pretty hard to give Double Team cards anything lower than a 2.5. This is because they all have serious 2-for-1 potential, and even this fairly underwhelming Double Team creature seems solid.
Valiant Farewell image 2.0 This doesn’t seem like an amazing combat trick. That’s because it costs two mana and only offers +2/+0 to your creature, and without a toughness boost, that means your creature’s chances of surviving combat are significantly lower. Now, it does replace itself, and it also offers a permanent boost to your next creature. And that value certainly helps this card out, but it still means that in a lot of situations you’ll use up this trick and a creature, and end up not really gaining anything on the board. So the tempo doesn’t seem awesome. The times where you can use this and keep your creature alive will feel absurd, though!
Pack 2 Pick 3: Steadfast Paladin
Kagha, Shadow Archdruid image 3.5 Here is the Black-Green signpost Uncommon. As is often the case, Black/Green is about the graveyard. Kagha will usually mill something when she attacks that you can use. The downside is, she’s only a ¼, and even with death touch that makes her fairly vulnerable – she can be double blocked and you can still only trade, for example. For that reason, Kagha will be at her best when you have other ways to mill yourself. Luckily, it looks like that’s what BG is about, and that won’t be that difficult.
Owlbear Shepherd image 3.0 This is a pretty nice Green value engine, provided you can get enough power on the board. There is a lot of high power out there, so it is actually fairly doable. I also like that it is a 3-mana ¼, which means it can do a decent job of blocking on the ground. I think this will be easy enough to set up that it looks quite powerful.
You Find Some Prisoners image 1.5 So, this either lets you Shatter something, or it lets you take the best card from your opponents top three. While that latter option is definitely sweet, it isn’t actually that powerful, because you’re still just getting back one card with it, and you still have to cast the card you choose. There are enough Artifacts in this set that I think this is actually a pretty reasonable main deck card, where you can just use the “Interrogate” option against an opponent who doesn’t have a target.
Steadfast Paladin image 2.5 This is a reprint that was nice in the Lifegain deck in Forgotten Realms. It is certainly nothing special, but it does enough that you play it most of the time in White.
Circle of the Land Druid image 1.0 // 2.5 So, this really enables the Black/Green decks in the format, and that’s good – because a two mana 1/1 that returns a land from the graveyard to your hand just…does not seem that good to me. It does mean it is nice to sacrifice and stuff, but this probably needs a build around grade. If you’re in Black/Green this is a solid Common – in the other decks? You don’t want to be playing it.
Eyes of the Beholder image 2.0 This was a mediocre removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and that’s probably what it will be here, too. Six mana is a ton, and while this can kill a whole lot of things, you’ll usually be spending more mana than your opponent spent to cast the creature that you kill. It is something you end up playing when you need the removal, but you basically never want more than one – it just isn’t anywhere close to premium.
Demogorgon's Clutches image 1.5 This is an underwhelming reprint. It is a Mind Rot with some added value, but the added value is too minimal for it to really be that much better than Mind Rot.
Air-Cult Elemental image 2.0 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was a fairly disappointing card in that format. In fact, Blue in general was very underpowered in that set! I mean, I normally love a creature that enters the battlefield and bounces something, and if this format is slow enough this will probably be better than it was in Forgotten Realms – but it is hard to get away from my skepticism.
Lizardfolk Librarians image 3.0 Like all the Double Team cards, this has a built-in 2-for-1. Now, the 2/4 stats aren’t exactly exciting, but the fact you end up Scrying 4 and only using up one card to do it isn’t too bad when added to the statline. You don’t always want to attack with a 2/4, because obviously it has better stats for blocking – but it is hard for most of these Double Team cards to not be solid or better.
Druidic Ritual image 1.0 // 2.0 Another Green card that enables the graveyard payoffs, and it also lets you return something to your hand. That’s..not amazing for a three mana Sorcery. This is probably another build around, because outside of the Black/Green deck I don’t really know why you run this thing. It just gives you some card selection for a clunky cost, so you really need other reasons to load the yard.
Vampire Spawn image 3.0 This was a nice little common in Forgotten Realms. It has passable stats and creates a life point difference of 4 just from entering the battlefield. That is surprisingly good!
Pilgrim's Eye image 3.0 This is pretty sweet at Common. It provides nice fixing while actually adding to the board, and a 1/1 Flyer can even chip in for some damage sometimes. Also another good card to blink over and over for value.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Lurking Roper
Lurking Roper image 3.0 This was solid in Forgotten Realms. Even if you aren’t that good at gaining life, if you’re in a more controlling deck or a ramp deck, this can be a real road block because of its size. Obviously it is way better when you’re gaining life, because you can also start rumbling with it and effectively giving it Vigilance.
Flaming Fist Officer image 2.5 This starts as a Gray Ogre, and that’s always a pretty awful statline – mostly because plenty of one mana cards can deal with it. However, it likes it when creatures go away, whether they die or get blinked, and that means it will be useful in both BW and UW. Still, it probably isn’t the payoff that really makes those decks good, it is just sort of a decent card.
Undersimplify image 1.5 This is a pretty neat design. So, a counterspell that lets your opponent ignore it for two isn’t usually great in Limited, since you have to have the mana up at the right time and your opponent also has to not have the mana to pay for it. But they soften the blow of your opponent paying 2 to ignore it, since you weaken a creature when you target it with this, whether the spell actually gets countered or not. Now, that’s mostly just a consolation prize, but it does at least mean this does something when your opponent has the mana, unlike most counterspells like this. I think you’ll still cut this reasonably often, though.
You Line Up the Shot image 1.5 So, this is the usual “Crushing Canopy” type effect we see, but it is actually a little bit better. This is because instead of paying three up front, you can choose to pay in installments. It is also better because it can also just be cycled away for one mana. This card does suffer a bit from the fact there are some adventures in this set that let you deal with the same sorts of things, and they turn into creatures, so those are probably just better than You Line Up the Shot. But still, any time you add Cycling to a card that can be situationally useful, it tends to be playable, and I think that’s what we have here.
Genasi Rabble-Rouser image 3.0 This is a pretty strong Common. A two mana ⅓ with the ability to pump its power for one and a Red is probably pretty close to a 2.5, so obviously adding Double Team to the mix is pretty nice. This is a nice two drop for aggressive Red decks.
Icewind Stalwart image 1.5 Hill Giant stats aren’t something I love, and I’m not sure the ETB ability here will do something often enough to really overcome that. There are certainly creatures with ETB abilities to abuse and the like, but you still won’t have this matter often enough for it to be anything special.
Dread Linnorm image 3.0 Like a lot of Adventure cards, neither side of this thing blows you away. The trick is expensive for what it does, and fairly situational, and the creature is big and only sort of hard to block. But when you get both on one card, it is a completely different thing. It isn’t that difficult to generate a 2-for-1 with it. You have to pick your spots for the trick to work well to be sure, but it can help your creature win combat and it can even counter a removal spell. So, using that trick in the mid-game, and then slamming this 7/6 late is going to feel pretty good. You probably don’t want more than one copy of this in the end, but I do think that first copy is a pretty nice Common.
Cloak of the Bat image 1.5 This sort of Equipment always seems to underwhelm. It feels like it should actually do something nice pretty often, but it just doesn’t. If you have a big ol’ creature it feels pretty good, but the awkward thing about the card is that if you want to take advantage of the Haste end of thing, you need to have the mana available to equip it to whatever new creature you play. The creature also has to already be pretty good for these keywords to do their job.
Lantern of Revealing image 2.0 This is another pretty nice source of fixing. A three mana mana rock can definitely be clunky, but this turns into a pretty nice mana sink in the later game, since it can effectively draw you lands and put them into play, or at least let you Scry 1. It will certainly improve your draws in the late game, while helping you fix and ramp early.
Deadly Dispute image 3.0 This is a powerful reprint. Giving up a creature or artifact for two cards and a treasure is an excellent deal, especially if you are sacrificing a treasure in the first place, and that’s something you’ll be able to do, especially in Black-Red. This also enables you to discard stuff you want to reanimate or whatever.
Soldiers of the Watch image 2.5 It feels pretty hard to give Double Team cards anything lower than a 2.5. This is because they all have serious 2-for-1 potential, and even this fairly underwhelming Double Team creature seems solid.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Dawnbringer Cleric
Thieves' Tools image 1.5 This was underwhelming in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too. The UB deck in the format is about making creatures unblockable, and the BR deck likes treasure – but both of those were true in Forgotten Realms and this still didn’t really do enough to make the cut with regularity.
Underdark Basilisk image 2.5 This was solid in Forgotten Realms. It gets extra good alongside effects that let it damage things – like Band Together – because the Death touch allows it to take down anything. Outside of that, it does a decent job of deterring attacks early, since it can trade for any of your opponents attacks. It also stays relevant all game long.
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Arcane Archery image 2.0 I don’t normally like 3 mana tricks, even if they give sizable boosts and trample like this. One and two mana tricks are usually where its at. Three mana is a ton, and it means that you have less opening to use a trick, and it means you are taking a greater risk if things go sideways. However, this trick definitely gives back for the risk that you take, since it substantially upgrades your next creature spell.
Eyes of the Beholder image 2.0 This was a mediocre removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and that’s probably what it will be here, too. Six mana is a ton, and while this can kill a whole lot of things, you’ll usually be spending more mana than your opponent spent to cast the creature that you kill. It is something you end up playing when you need the removal, but you basically never want more than one – it just isn’t anywhere close to premium.
Pilgrim's Eye image 3.0 This is pretty sweet at Common. It provides nice fixing while actually adding to the board, and a 1/1 Flyer can even chip in for some damage sometimes. Also another good card to blink over and over for value.
Dawnbringer Cleric image 2.0 This is another reprint from Forgotten Realms. It is a decent little two drop. If you’re the life gain deck, it can get those triggers going, and the format has enough artifacts and Enchantments that those modes are reasonable too.
Charmed Sleep image 3.0 This is a reprint, and last time we saw it was a pretty good removal spell. In a format with lots of blink effects and some sacrifice stuff this probably gets a little worse, but it still costs three mana to deal with pretty much any threat. Not turning off all its activated or static abilities can be a bummer, but this still looks pretty good for a Blue deck.
Ettercap image 2.5 Always nice to have a main deck Plummet that can also be a creature when you don’t have a target. Like most of the Commone Adventure creatures in this set, neither side of the card is anything special, but the fact this can do both – and sometimes get you a 2-for-1 – makes this very playable.
Farideh's Fireball image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint. It was a solid removal spell in that format, though it turned out to be a little clunky. It definitely isn’t premium removal, but I think chances are good that this will perform better in this format than it did in Forgotten Realms.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Arcane Archery
Craving of Yeenoghu image 2.0 This seems like a decent aura, especially once you get in the graveyard. The fact it can keep coming back is nice, although after the second time you bring it back you are getting negative stats to go with the Haste, which is far less good – those first two activations will be a pretty nice way to add stats and Haste to a creature you play for only one Red mana though. It is probably at its best if you find a way to discard it early, and you never actually cast it the traditional way.
Dream Fracture image 1.5 I don’t think I’m in for this. This is basically Cancel, a card that usually just isn’t good enough in Limited most of the time. A three mana hard counter needs to do something extra usually to be playable in Limited, and the extra here isn’t that great – both you and your opponent draw a card, so you sort of break even. The cost of leaving mana up, especially two mana of the same color, can be a pretty big one. And yeah, you probably get to untap and use your new card first, but this is still basically just Cancel.
You Find the Villains' Lair image 1.5 This wasn’t especially good in Forgotten Realms. Sure, it has two modes and everything, but neither of them is especially good, and both are fairly situational. This can be Cancel, or a three mana Faithless Looting, and that just isn’t something you’re always in the market for.
You Find Some Prisoners image 1.5 So, this either lets you Shatter something, or it lets you take the best card from your opponents top three. While that latter option is definitely sweet, it isn’t actually that powerful, because you’re still just getting back one card with it, and you still have to cast the card you choose. There are enough Artifacts in this set that I think this is actually a pretty reasonable main deck card, where you can just use the “Interrogate” option against an opponent who doesn’t have a target.
Underdark Basilisk image 2.5 This was solid in Forgotten Realms. It gets extra good alongside effects that let it damage things – like Band Together – because the Death touch allows it to take down anything. Outside of that, it does a decent job of deterring attacks early, since it can trade for any of your opponents attacks. It also stays relevant all game long.
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Giant Fire Beetles image 2.5 Like all the Double Team cards, I think this looks pretty good. Having Menace means it will be able to effectively attack and get you that copy on a lot of boards. Getting both of them will feel great, and that’s especially true if you can augment them in some way.
Arcane Archery image 2.0 I don’t normally like 3 mana tricks, even if they give sizable boosts and trample like this. One and two mana tricks are usually where its at. Three mana is a ton, and it means that you have less opening to use a trick, and it means you are taking a greater risk if things go sideways. However, this trick definitely gives back for the risk that you take, since it substantially upgrades your next creature spell.
Armor of Shadows image 1.5 This is a solid trick. Any time one costs only a single mana, it warrants some serious consideration to make your deck. +1/+0 isn’t the greatest thing ever – your creature really needs decent size already to fully take advantage of this as a trick, but it IS a power boost that will upgrade enough creatures and let them do lethal to an opposing creature. On top of that, it can also save a creature from damage or destroy removal, which is some nice secondary upside.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Flaming Fist Duskguard
Vampire Spawn image 3.0 This was a nice little common in Forgotten Realms. It has passable stats and creates a life point difference of 4 just from entering the battlefield. That is surprisingly good!
Circle of the Land Druid image 1.0 // 2.5 So, this really enables the Black/Green decks in the format, and that’s good – because a two mana 1/1 that returns a land from the graveyard to your hand just…does not seem that good to me. It does mean it is nice to sacrifice and stuff, but this probably needs a build around grade. If you’re in Black/Green this is a solid Common – in the other decks? You don’t want to be playing it.
Armor of Shadows image 1.5 This is a solid trick. Any time one costs only a single mana, it warrants some serious consideration to make your deck. +1/+0 isn’t the greatest thing ever – your creature really needs decent size already to fully take advantage of this as a trick, but it IS a power boost that will upgrade enough creatures and let them do lethal to an opposing creature. On top of that, it can also save a creature from damage or destroy removal, which is some nice secondary upside.
Spiked Pit Trap image 1.5 This was not particularly good in Forgotten Realms. You spend a lot of mana for a mediocre removal spell, and even getting the treasure back isn’t enough.
Undersimplify image 1.5 This is a pretty neat design. So, a counterspell that lets your opponent ignore it for two isn’t usually great in Limited, since you have to have the mana up at the right time and your opponent also has to not have the mana to pay for it. But they soften the blow of your opponent paying 2 to ignore it, since you weaken a creature when you target it with this, whether the spell actually gets countered or not. Now, that’s mostly just a consolation prize, but it does at least mean this does something when your opponent has the mana, unlike most counterspells like this. I think you’ll still cut this reasonably often, though.
Unexpected Windfall image 1.5 This is a card that is great in constructed, but much less impressive in Limited. Spending 4 mana and giving up two cards to get back two cards and a couple of treasure just isn’t as impactful. That doesn’t mean this is bad – but it definitely isn’t something you run in all of your Red decks.
Valiant Farewell image 2.0 This doesn’t seem like an amazing combat trick. That’s because it costs two mana and only offers +2/+0 to your creature, and without a toughness boost, that means your creature’s chances of surviving combat are significantly lower. Now, it does replace itself, and it also offers a permanent boost to your next creature. And that value certainly helps this card out, but it still means that in a lot of situations you’ll use up this trick and a creature, and end up not really gaining anything on the board. So the tempo doesn’t seem awesome. The times where you can use this and keep your creature alive will feel absurd, though!
Flaming Fist Duskguard image 2.0 The boon you get here isn’t that exciting, but yeah – it is staples to a two mana 3/1, and that’s a decent aggressive stat-line. This is probably a bread and butter type two drop for White decks.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Flaming Fist Duskguard
Earth-Cult Elemental image 1.5 This was a bit of a disappointment in Forgotten Realms. It has passable stats, but six drops that didn’t like…gain you life, were kind of a liability in that format. It will probably be a little bit better here, but its ETB ability isn’t that great either. By the time this comes down many players have expendable permanents, so it is mostly the kind of thing your opponent will shrug about. It is passable as a top-curve creature, but that’s about it.
Soulknife Spy image 3.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint, and this was one of the few Blue Commons in that set that I would describe as “Good.” A card that draws you a card when it hits the opponent is pretty sweet when it comes with solid stats, and this definitely does. If you can give it evasion in some way, it becomes a must kill, and even when you aren’t able to do that, it still becomes something your opponent better trade for.
Flaming Fist Duskguard image 2.0 The boon you get here isn’t that exciting, but yeah – it is staples to a two mana 3/1, and that’s a decent aggressive stat-line. This is probably a bread and butter type two drop for White decks.
Demogorgon's Clutches image 1.5 This is an underwhelming reprint. It is a Mind Rot with some added value, but the added value is too minimal for it to really be that much better than Mind Rot.
Baleful Beholder image 1.5 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint. It was pretty mediocre in that set. There were too many situations where neither ETB mattered, and when this is a 6-mana 6/5 and not much else, it feels pretty bad. I think it looks like it will perform similarly in this set.
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 Mana filters don’t tend to be great in Limited, but adding a cantrip to a card like this definitely makes me interested. We’ve seen this card in some really artifact-centric sets actually be quite good, but this format doesn’t have any big Artifact theme, so it doesn’t have that benefit here. It is probably mostly just solid.
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Choose Your Weapon
Choose Your Weapon image 1.5 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fine in that set. It is a pretty typical modal card in that both parts of it are pretty underwhelming. The trick wouldn’t be good enough to play and the Flyer removal spell would be a sideboard card. You lump these two mediocre cards together though, and you end up with a card that will be able to do something meaningful reasonably often. Still, you end up cutting it a lot.
Unexpected Allies image 1.0 I’m not a huge fan of this, mostly because at Sorcery speed, it is very easy to disrupt. Your opponent need only respond in any number of ways to get a 2-for-1. Now, if you wait until your opponent’s shields are down, this can do some work, since it makes your creature hit harder, and gives double team to whatever you want – and sometimes there will be spicy options. The +2/+0 means that it will be easier for you to at least get a trade with the attack, and the fact you get First Strike sometimes is a nice bonus that makes the creature very hard to block. However, this set seems to have a high power level, and I’m not sure how much value I see in playing something that is easy to mess up.
Air-Cult Elemental image 2.0 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was a fairly disappointing card in that format. In fact, Blue in general was very underpowered in that set! I mean, I normally love a creature that enters the battlefield and bounces something, and if this format is slow enough this will probably be better than it was in Forgotten Realms – but it is hard to get away from my skepticism.
Chain Devil image 2.0 We see these creatures that ETB and make both players sacrifice something a lot, and they are usually pretty medium. It is nice that this one says “nontoken,” as your opponent having a token when you play an effect like this is pretty brutal. Of course, it also means that you can’t sacrifice a token to it either! There are decks in this format that will have good sacrifice fodder and stuff, and I think this will slot in as a decent card in most Black decks.
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Wizened Githzerai image 1.5 This doesn’t seem that good to me. Sure, it can chump block or trade and make a creature worse, but chumping is not something you want to be doing a whole lot. And yeah, the -2/-0 sticks around no matter what happens to the creature, but I still feel like this is a two drop you will cut pretty often.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Monk of the Open Hand
Monk of the Open Hand image 2.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint. This was a decent one drop in that format, as getting the counters on it came a little easier than I expected it to. Getting it in play late doesn’t feel very good, though.
Sewer Plague image 3.0 This is premium removal. Sure, -2/-2 for three mana isn’t great, but the fact that the creature keeps getting -1/-1 every turn means that it will often set things in motion for a larger creature to die. It basically can kill things as big of a 3/3 before your opponent gets a chance to do anything, too.
Jaded Sell-Sword image 2.0 Ramping into Treasure with this felt decent in Forgotten Realms, but it definitely wasn’t amazing. It can come down and attack on almost any board when you do get it those two keyword abilities, but when it is just a 4-mana 4/3 it feels pretty bad, and that happens a little too often.
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Summon Undead image 1.5 // 3.0 Here’s another pretty solid reanimation spell. It also mills you, to set up your cards that care about cards in the graveyard, and I like that. There are enough ways to discard cards in this format that I think setting this up is very doable. It probably does need a build around grade, because if you aren’t in a deck with any targets WORTH reanimating, it isn’t worth playing.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Kagha, Shadow Archdruid
Kagha, Shadow Archdruid image 3.5 Here is the Black-Green signpost Uncommon. As is often the case, Black/Green is about the graveyard. Kagha will usually mill something when she attacks that you can use. The downside is, she’s only a ¼, and even with death touch that makes her fairly vulnerable – she can be double blocked and you can still only trade, for example. For that reason, Kagha will be at her best when you have other ways to mill yourself. Luckily, it looks like that’s what BG is about, and that won’t be that difficult.
You Find Some Prisoners image 1.5 So, this either lets you Shatter something, or it lets you take the best card from your opponents top three. While that latter option is definitely sweet, it isn’t actually that powerful, because you’re still just getting back one card with it, and you still have to cast the card you choose. There are enough Artifacts in this set that I think this is actually a pretty reasonable main deck card, where you can just use the “Interrogate” option against an opponent who doesn’t have a target.
Eyes of the Beholder image 2.0 This was a mediocre removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and that’s probably what it will be here, too. Six mana is a ton, and while this can kill a whole lot of things, you’ll usually be spending more mana than your opponent spent to cast the creature that you kill. It is something you end up playing when you need the removal, but you basically never want more than one – it just isn’t anywhere close to premium.
Druidic Ritual image 1.0 // 2.0 Another Green card that enables the graveyard payoffs, and it also lets you return something to your hand. That’s..not amazing for a three mana Sorcery. This is probably another build around, because outside of the Black/Green deck I don’t really know why you run this thing. It just gives you some card selection for a clunky cost, so you really need other reasons to load the yard.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Soldiers of the Watch
Icewind Stalwart image 1.5 Hill Giant stats aren’t something I love, and I’m not sure the ETB ability here will do something often enough to really overcome that. There are certainly creatures with ETB abilities to abuse and the like, but you still won’t have this matter often enough for it to be anything special.
Lantern of Revealing image 2.0 This is another pretty nice source of fixing. A three mana mana rock can definitely be clunky, but this turns into a pretty nice mana sink in the later game, since it can effectively draw you lands and put them into play, or at least let you Scry 1. It will certainly improve your draws in the late game, while helping you fix and ramp early.
Soldiers of the Watch image 2.5 It feels pretty hard to give Double Team cards anything lower than a 2.5. This is because they all have serious 2-for-1 potential, and even this fairly underwhelming Double Team creature seems solid.
Pack 2 Pick 13: You're Ambushed on the Road
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Eyes of the Beholder image 2.0 This was a mediocre removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and that’s probably what it will be here, too. Six mana is a ton, and while this can kill a whole lot of things, you’ll usually be spending more mana than your opponent spent to cast the creature that you kill. It is something you end up playing when you need the removal, but you basically never want more than one – it just isn’t anywhere close to premium.
Pack 2 Pick 14: You Find Some Prisoners
You Find Some Prisoners image 1.5 So, this either lets you Shatter something, or it lets you take the best card from your opponents top three. While that latter option is definitely sweet, it isn’t actually that powerful, because you’re still just getting back one card with it, and you still have to cast the card you choose. There are enough Artifacts in this set that I think this is actually a pretty reasonable main deck card, where you can just use the “Interrogate” option against an opponent who doesn’t have a target.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Blessed Hippogriff
Fiendlash image 3.5 So, Two mana to cast and three to equip for +2/+0 and Reach isn’t amazing. That card is probably a 1.5 at best. The whole damage part of the card is pretty spicy, though, and definitely provides an upgrade! Because it bumps the power of the creature, it is likely that it can do some significant damage. So you Equip this to your creature and attack, and your opponent kind of just has to take it, because blocking could lose them a creature and result in a bunch of damage. It is nice that it adds Reach to the mix too, so you can use it somewhat defensively as well. The ideal situation is probably putting this on something to attack, and then moving it to something else that you plan on blocking with. That does cost a whole lot of mana to do of course, so you won’t always pull it off. But yeah, I like the idea of attacking with something with this equipped, since your opponent will be in a world of hurt. You can also do some wacky stuff by damaging your own creature when this is around too!
Vhal, Eager Scholar image 4.0 A 3-mana 2/1 that can tap and loot for free is something you’d usually play in Limited. Unlike some of the other Specialize creatures out there, this is one where you have to have it stick around on its front side for awhile if you want to get good value out of it, because when it transforms it consumes the study counters you get for looting and gives you a powerful effect depending on how many counters it had. So it takes a little while to get it going, but because the front is already a nice card, and the specialized versions of it all give you some powerful effects, this still looks really good.
Cast Down image 4.0 This is premium removal. This format does have a lot of legendary creatures, but this can still kill a massive percentage of creatures in the set for only two mana, and that’s really great.
Lozhan, Dragons' Legacy image 4.0 So, Blue/Red is into both Dragons and Adventures, and boy – this is a super powerful payoff for both. A 5-mana 4/2 Flyer is actually a solid stat-line, so the fact it staples removal spells to your Dragons and Adventures is pretty insane. It also helps that there are two dragons in the format that are common that ALSO have adventures. So casting either half of those is amazing, and casting both will be close to unbeatable.
You Come to the Gnoll Camp image 1.5 Neither option here is great. Individually, they would probably both be a 1.0. +3/+1 for two mana just isn’t a big enough boost, and making a couple of things unable to block doesn’t always matter either. It isn’t the worst thing in the world to run in your deck, but you probably do cut it more than you play it.
Blessed Hippogriff image 3.5 So, if you took the Adventure away here, you’d have a 3.0 Reasonably costed Flyers that can send another creature into the air always play quite well. The Adventure part of the card isn’t always going to come up, but it is nice that if you find a way to use it ahead of turn 4, you get some pretty real value – maybe even a 2-for-1! Even just setting up a chump block that your creature survives is pretty decent use of the card, since you get a whole creature later. Does having the Adventure do enough to get this to a B-? I don’t quite think it does. The problem is just that indestructible isn’t as useful as often as you’d think. Still, this is one of White’s best Commons.
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 Mana filters don’t tend to be great in Limited, but adding a cantrip to a card like this definitely makes me interested. We’ve seen this card in some really artifact-centric sets actually be quite good, but this format doesn’t have any big Artifact theme, so it doesn’t have that benefit here. It is probably mostly just solid.
Dawnbringer Cleric image 2.0 This is another reprint from Forgotten Realms. It is a decent little two drop. If you’re the life gain deck, it can get those triggers going, and the format has enough artifacts and Enchantments that those modes are reasonable too.
Hoard Robber image 2.5 This was a big overperformer in Forgotten Realms, where its stat-line really lined up in such a way that actually blocking it early was a challenge in a sea of 2/1 creatures, so it would generate a fair bit of treasure. It will probably be a little less good here, as part of what made it great was fairly format specific, but it is still a pretty nice Common.
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Minimus Containment image 2.5 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint. It is decent removal – being able to deal with any permanent type is pretty nice. Still, it never really felt premium, since you are giving your opponent back some very real value, especially when you use this early, as it can ramp them into more powerful spells.
Ambitious Dragonborn image 1.5 It is a pretty big deal that this checks the graveyard, because if it didn’t, it would be pretty challenging to make this big enough. That said, even with it checking the graveyard, there are going to be times where this is a Hill Giant or worse, and that’s brutal – and the big payoff in the end is just a big vanilla creature – which is fine, but it isn’t the most impressive ceiling either.
Contact Other Plane image 2.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint! Over the last year or so, most cards that JUST draw you two cards for 4 mana, even at instant speed, have been really disappointing. Limited has become more and more about adding to the board when you spend mana, and this just doesn’t do it. Now, it isn’t terrible, if you roll a 10 through 20 it is a pretty nice draw spell, and I don’t hate the idea of running one of these in your Blue decks, but you really can’t have that many cards that don’t add to the board and hope to do well.
Sylvan Shepherd image 2.0 This has passable stats and it is a repeatable source of life gain, which GW is especially interested in.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Rasaad, Monk of Selune
Goggles of Night image 2.5 This has a pretty sweet combat damage trigger – Scry 1 and draw a card is just really good in Limited, and if you can make this do its thing with regularity, you’ll just win! Now, the problem is – this doesn’t enhance the statistics of the creature at all, so what you need is a creature who is already evasive. Good news is, UB has a lot of nice ways to make creatures hard to block, so this slots in nicely there as a very real way to generate insane value. But there will still be times where you just can’t put this on something meaningful. Still, the effect is powerful enough that I’m pretty interested in playing this, provided my deck has a decent amount of evasion.
Emerald Dragon image 2.0 Neither half of this card is super exciting. Only countering activated or triggered abilities from noncreatures just won’t come up very much, so you’re mostly paying for a clunky Dragon that will occasionally be able to use its adventure.
Rasaad, Monk of Selune image 4.0 So, this is a Banisher Priest-type creature, and that’s always a great card in Limited! The downside is of course that your opponent can find removal and get their thing back, but you usually still took their creature for a few turns. The good news too, is that Rasaad can Specialize into a larger creature – making it harder to kill, and all of them also give you an effect that helps soften the blow if your opponent does get rid of him. The White one makes it a vanilla 1/1, and the others all give you a death trigger that gives you some value on the board. Specialize 5 is pretty darn high, but the front of the card alone is probably a 3.5, so this looks great.
You Hear Something on Watch image 3.0 This was a solid card for slower decks in Forgotten Realms Limited. Being able to kill a whole lot of creatures in the format for only two mana is nice, even if it is situational – and that is the mode you’ll use the most on this. But the board pump comes up sometimes too!
Blessed Hippogriff image 3.5 So, if you took the Adventure away here, you’d have a 3.0 Reasonably costed Flyers that can send another creature into the air always play quite well. The Adventure part of the card isn’t always going to come up, but it is nice that if you find a way to use it ahead of turn 4, you get some pretty real value – maybe even a 2-for-1! Even just setting up a chump block that your creature survives is pretty decent use of the card, since you get a whole creature later. Does having the Adventure do enough to get this to a B-? I don’t quite think it does. The problem is just that indestructible isn’t as useful as often as you’d think. Still, this is one of White’s best Commons.
Hill Giant Herdgorger image 2.5 In Forgotten Realms, if you were in Green, you really needed one of these to help you stabilize against the formats aggro decks, and it did a pretty darn good job between its size and the life gain effect. It will likely fill a similar role in Green decks int his format. All of these big ol’ green creatures that gain you life have been pretty solid in recent formats, and I think that’s true here.
Eyes of the Beholder image 2.0 This was a mediocre removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and that’s probably what it will be here, too. Six mana is a ton, and while this can kill a whole lot of things, you’ll usually be spending more mana than your opponent spent to cast the creature that you kill. It is something you end up playing when you need the removal, but you basically never want more than one – it just isn’t anywhere close to premium.
Undersimplify image 1.5 This is a pretty neat design. So, a counterspell that lets your opponent ignore it for two isn’t usually great in Limited, since you have to have the mana up at the right time and your opponent also has to not have the mana to pay for it. But they soften the blow of your opponent paying 2 to ignore it, since you weaken a creature when you target it with this, whether the spell actually gets countered or not. Now, that’s mostly just a consolation prize, but it does at least mean this does something when your opponent has the mana, unlike most counterspells like this. I think you’ll still cut this reasonably often, though.
Guardian Naga image 2.5 Another Adventure where neither half is especially good. The ADventure is an expensive Disenchant, and the creature has underwhelming stats for 7, even with Vigilance and its ability to not take damage during your turn. You won’t always have something to use the Adventure side on, but it is pretty nice that you can run this in your main deck without a huge cost. After all, you do still get a creature eventually, even if it is overcosted.
Unexpected Windfall image 1.5 This is a card that is great in constructed, but much less impressive in Limited. Spending 4 mana and giving up two cards to get back two cards and a couple of treasure just isn’t as impactful. That doesn’t mean this is bad – but it definitely isn’t something you run in all of your Red decks.
Dragonborn Looter image 2.0 Having to pay mana to loot is a pretty big downgrade from a merfolk looter type card, even if it is only one mana. Looting is good of course, because it improves the quality of your draws. However, We’ve seen a lot of these lately and they have felt like a 1.5- type card. However, this is a cheap Dragon, something that both UR and UG a going to be interested in, and that definitely matters.
Young Blue Dragon image 3.5 This is a really good Common for Blue. Again, I know neither side looks that impressive, but being able to use this early as a draw spell, and then playing a meaningful Flyer with a good creature type in the later game is really sweet. After all, it is a 2-for-1!
Gnoll Hunter image 3.0 This was a great two drop in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Pilgrim's Eye
Split the Spoils image 2.0 This is basically a Green Fact or Fiction, which is pretty wild. It takes a whole lot more set up than Fact or Fiction though! You need to have 5 permanent cards in your graveyard to make casting this worth it, since you want to maximize the number of cards you get out of it, and while Black/Green is good at loading up the graveyard, that’s still a pretty big requirement. The upside here is that you’re probably getting at least 2 cards back for three mana, and sometimes you’ll really put your opponent in a tough spot. Basically, this is kind of a roundabout version of the kind of card that returns creatures form your graveyard to your hand – and one that takes extra set up. I think this is probably a nice one-of in graveyard decks in the format, but still not amazing.
Grave Choice image 2.5 This has a neat design, because it tries to get around the downsides most Edict effects have. They tend to feel pretty good early, but when the board gets wide enough, you end up killing something pretty irrelevant. Grave Choice takes away the ability to sacrifice tokens, and now your opponent giving up their weakest creature could come with consequences – and that is that you get a duplicate of the card in your hand. Now, there will be plenty of times when your opponent can just sacrifice something that’s not a big deal and you get nothing, and sometimes getting a copy of their mediocre two drop won’t matter either – but I think the upgrades to this Edict make it better than most of them tend to be in Limited. It isn’t premium removal, but its not bad either.
You Come to a River image 2.0 This was a fine card in Forgotten Realms, and it probably will be here. Neither mode is anything special. The bounce mode will come up the most, and the times where you can use it in response to a combat trick and blow your opponent out will feel nice, as will the times where you can generate some tempo, but keep in mind bouncing things is always card disadvantage. The second mode this has also doesn’t generally net you a card – but sometimes it can close out a game. You’ll end up playing one of these in Blue decks and you’ll feel fine about it.
Steadfast Unicorn image 2.0 We’ve seen a lot of one drops with this sort of mass pump ability kind of underwhelm in the past, but that Vigilance makes a difference! Your board becoming better at attacking and hanging around to block can really alter races. Now, this still isn’t amazing or anything, but it seems like a solid one drop, where most similar cards were cards you cut more often than you played.
Unexpected Windfall image 1.5 This is a card that is great in constructed, but much less impressive in Limited. Spending 4 mana and giving up two cards to get back two cards and a couple of treasure just isn’t as impactful. That doesn’t mean this is bad – but it definitely isn’t something you run in all of your Red decks.
Grim Bounty image 3.5 This is a little clunky at 4 mana, but being able to kill anything for that cost was pretty good in Forgotten Realms, and it will be pretty good here too. It is a removal spell that even helps you splash, and gives you the treasure synergy you need.
Ambitious Dragonborn image 1.5 It is a pretty big deal that this checks the graveyard, because if it didn’t, it would be pretty challenging to make this big enough. That said, even with it checking the graveyard, there are going to be times where this is a Hill Giant or worse, and that’s brutal – and the big payoff in the end is just a big vanilla creature – which is fine, but it isn’t the most impressive ceiling either.
Unexpected Allies image 1.0 I’m not a huge fan of this, mostly because at Sorcery speed, it is very easy to disrupt. Your opponent need only respond in any number of ways to get a 2-for-1. Now, if you wait until your opponent’s shields are down, this can do some work, since it makes your creature hit harder, and gives double team to whatever you want – and sometimes there will be spicy options. The +2/+0 means that it will be easier for you to at least get a trade with the attack, and the fact you get First Strike sometimes is a nice bonus that makes the creature very hard to block. However, this set seems to have a high power level, and I’m not sure how much value I see in playing something that is easy to mess up.
Guildsworn Prowler image 3.0 I think this is a good Common. A two mana 2/1 with death touch is generally going to be a 2.5, since it is fairly cheap and can trade for anything. When you can draw a card off of this, it will feel particularly absurd. Obviously, if it would draw you a card even if it was blocking, it would probably be a B because it would always be a 2-for-1. But if you do find a way to draw that card, it will feel pretty nice! It can be a nice sacrifice outlet, in addition to being a nice attacker and blocker.
Gnoll Hunter image 3.0 This was a great two drop in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too.
Pilgrim's Eye image 3.0 This is pretty sweet at Common. It provides nice fixing while actually adding to the board, and a 1/1 Flyer can even chip in for some damage sometimes. Also another good card to blink over and over for value.
Thieves' Tools image 1.5 This was underwhelming in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too. The UB deck in the format is about making creatures unblockable, and the BR deck likes treasure – but both of those were true in Forgotten Realms and this still didn’t really do enough to make the cut with regularity.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Icewind Stalwart
Drider image 2.5 This was decent in Forgotten Realms. Obviously when you can get in with it, it generates some very serious value, but it does have a stat-line that makes it kind of challenging to do that with regularity. There are of course ways to make it evasive, especially in UB.
Minthara of the Absolute image 3.0 Minthara of the Absolute – 3.0 This is the signpost Uncommon for BW, a color pair all about permanents leaving the battlefield, so you’ll be able to ratchet up the intensity on this pretty easily. I mean, a 4-mana 2/4 that gives +1/+0 to your whole board is a card you always play, and while it isn’t that immediately most of the time, it will get there relatively easily, and then beyond. It is nice that if you get multiple copies of this they feed off of each other too. I don’t feel like this is a signpost Uncommon that really puls you into its deck – but it is a card you’ll never cut if you ARE Black/White.
Eyes of the Beholder image 2.0 This was a mediocre removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and that’s probably what it will be here, too. Six mana is a ton, and while this can kill a whole lot of things, you’ll usually be spending more mana than your opponent spent to cast the creature that you kill. It is something you end up playing when you need the removal, but you basically never want more than one – it just isn’t anywhere close to premium.
Air-Cult Elemental image 2.0 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was a fairly disappointing card in that format. In fact, Blue in general was very underpowered in that set! I mean, I normally love a creature that enters the battlefield and bounces something, and if this format is slow enough this will probably be better than it was in Forgotten Realms – but it is hard to get away from my skepticism.
Kobold Warcaller image 2.0 We have seen a lot of one mana 1/1s that can tap and give haste to things, and they tend to be pretty decent. This is obviously an upgrade, because you don’t actually have to cast your creature for it to get the Haste – you can use this during your opponents end step and then cast the Haste creature on your turn, for example. Plus, the creature will keep haste no matter where it goes! It still isn’t amazing or anything, but seems like a fine one drop for aggressive Red decks.
Icewind Stalwart image 1.5 Hill Giant stats aren’t something I love, and I’m not sure the ETB ability here will do something often enough to really overcome that. There are certainly creatures with ETB abilities to abuse and the like, but you still won’t have this matter often enough for it to be anything special.
You Come to a River image 2.0 This was a fine card in Forgotten Realms, and it probably will be here. Neither mode is anything special. The bounce mode will come up the most, and the times where you can use it in response to a combat trick and blow your opponent out will feel nice, as will the times where you can generate some tempo, but keep in mind bouncing things is always card disadvantage. The second mode this has also doesn’t generally net you a card – but sometimes it can close out a game. You’ll end up playing one of these in Blue decks and you’ll feel fine about it.
Dragonborn Looter image 2.0 Having to pay mana to loot is a pretty big downgrade from a merfolk looter type card, even if it is only one mana. Looting is good of course, because it improves the quality of your draws. However, We’ve seen a lot of these lately and they have felt like a 1.5- type card. However, this is a cheap Dragon, something that both UR and UG a going to be interested in, and that definitely matters.
Poison the Blade image 2.0 I’m never super high on this kind of trick. Yes, it makes any creature trade for anything, and then you draw a card, which is nice. But your creature you use this on is usually also going to be dying in combat, so the advantage you get out of this is less impressive. I mean, it is definitely fine, but I don’t plan on going after it that early, or even always playing it.
Circle of the Land Druid image 1.0 // 2.5 So, this really enables the Black/Green decks in the format, and that’s good – because a two mana 1/1 that returns a land from the graveyard to your hand just…does not seem that good to me. It does mean it is nice to sacrifice and stuff, but this probably needs a build around grade. If you’re in Black/Green this is a solid Common – in the other decks? You don’t want to be playing it.
Improvised Weaponry image 2.5 This was pretty nice in Forgotten Realms. It could kill enough creatures in that format that it sort of overperformed. It may not be quite as good here, but 3 mana to do 2 to anything and getting a treasure back is a pretty solid deal.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Band Together
Lapis Orb of Dragonkind image 1.0 Three mana rocks usually aren’t that good in Limited, even if they can add mana of any color! And this one can only add Blue. The upside, of course, is you get to scry when you cast a Dragon with it. But that isn’t the most exciting payoff. Sure, Scry 2 is nice, but it isn’t something that pays you off for playing this three mana card that doesn’t add to the board in any real way. I guess if you have some really big dragons to ramp into this gets a little more interesting, but there are better ways to ramp in the format.
Dawnbringer Cleric image 2.0 This is another reprint from Forgotten Realms. It is a decent little two drop. If you’re the life gain deck, it can get those triggers going, and the format has enough artifacts and Enchantments that those modes are reasonable too.
Blur image 2.0 This is a decent way to blink a creature. Adding “Draw a Card” to it makes a big difference, because it means it replaces itself – and that’s good, because you won’t always have a way to use this card effectively enough. The UW deck is about blinking creatures and stuff, and obviously this can get the job done in that deck.
Circle of the Land Druid image 1.0 // 2.5 So, this really enables the Black/Green decks in the format, and that’s good – because a two mana 1/1 that returns a land from the graveyard to your hand just…does not seem that good to me. It does mean it is nice to sacrifice and stuff, but this probably needs a build around grade. If you’re in Black/Green this is a solid Common – in the other decks? You don’t want to be playing it.
Gnoll Hunter image 3.0 This was a great two drop in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too.
Manticore image 2.0 This wasn’t very impressive in forgotten Realms, and it probably won’t be that good here either. This sort of “kill a damaged creature” effect ends up being pretty narrow, and even when you give the creature Flash, you’ll have a harder time than you might think getting it to do its thing. When you can kill something with this it feels pretty amazing. When you end up having to cast it without triggering the ability, it feels pretty bad.
Cloak of the Bat image 1.5 This sort of Equipment always seems to underwhelm. It feels like it should actually do something nice pretty often, but it just doesn’t. If you have a big ol’ creature it feels pretty good, but the awkward thing about the card is that if you want to take advantage of the Haste end of thing, you need to have the mana available to equip it to whatever new creature you play. The creature also has to already be pretty good for these keywords to do their job.
Dragonborn Looter image 2.0 Having to pay mana to loot is a pretty big downgrade from a merfolk looter type card, even if it is only one mana. Looting is good of course, because it improves the quality of your draws. However, We’ve seen a lot of these lately and they have felt like a 1.5- type card. However, this is a cheap Dragon, something that both UR and UG a going to be interested in, and that definitely matters.
Band Together image 3.5 We have seen cards that cost the same and only let one creature do damage equal to their power to something, and they tend to be pretty close to premium. This lets you have two creatures do the damage, which is significant for two reasons. First, it means you can find more situations where this will function as removal. Second, it makes you less vulnerable to your opponent interacting, since now they can kill one of your creatures and you can still do some damage. I think the whole “two creature” side of things is enough to make this premium.
Jaded Sell-Sword image 2.0 Ramping into Treasure with this felt decent in Forgotten Realms, but it definitely wasn’t amazing. It can come down and attack on almost any board when you do get it those two keyword abilities, but when it is just a 4-mana 4/3 it feels pretty bad, and that happens a little too often.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Flaming Fist Officer
Lurking Roper image 3.0 This was solid in Forgotten Realms. Even if you aren’t that good at gaining life, if you’re in a more controlling deck or a ramp deck, this can be a real road block because of its size. Obviously it is way better when you’re gaining life, because you can also start rumbling with it and effectively giving it Vigilance.
Underdark Basilisk image 2.5 This was solid in Forgotten Realms. It gets extra good alongside effects that let it damage things – like Band Together – because the Death touch allows it to take down anything. Outside of that, it does a decent job of deterring attacks early, since it can trade for any of your opponents attacks. It also stays relevant all game long.
Young Red Dragon image 3.0 This is a pretty nice Common. It makes you a treasure early, which can actually allow you to play this very Dragon on turn three, which is pretty nice! It can also be used for other purposes too of course. The creature you get can’t block, which is a liability sometimes, but it looks like an effective enough attacker that I’m not too concerned about that.
Lantern of Revealing image 2.0 This is another pretty nice source of fixing. A three mana mana rock can definitely be clunky, but this turns into a pretty nice mana sink in the later game, since it can effectively draw you lands and put them into play, or at least let you Scry 1. It will certainly improve your draws in the late game, while helping you fix and ramp early.
Hook Horror image 2.5 This is kind of an Alchemy version of Persist. Basically, you get a 5-mana 3/3 that gives you a 2/2 when it dies, and when that 2/2 dies, you get a 1/1. That’s three bodies on one card, which is great for sacrifice effects and the like. It can also just represent a 2-for-1 or even 3-for-1 in a regular deck.
Water Weird image 3.0 When you hit your opponent with this, you get a pretty good trigger. You either get to grow the Weird, or Surveil 1, and both are pretty nice options.
Flaming Fist Officer image 2.5 This starts as a Gray Ogre, and that’s always a pretty awful statline – mostly because plenty of one mana cards can deal with it. However, it likes it when creatures go away, whether they die or get blinked, and that means it will be useful in both BW and UW. Still, it probably isn’t the payoff that really makes those decks good, it is just sort of a decent card.
Farideh's Fireball image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint. It was a solid removal spell in that format, though it turned out to be a little clunky. It definitely isn’t premium removal, but I think chances are good that this will perform better in this format than it did in Forgotten Realms.
Gray Slaad image 1.0 // 3.0 So, the Black-Green deck in this format is pretty interested in milling itself, and this looks like a nice enabler and payoff for that deck. A 4/1 with Menace and Deathtouch is pretty hard to interact with! However, you pretty much have to be in that deck, or the Adventure on this isn’t very good, and the creature won’t be that good either. Only counting creature cards for it to get the bonus is pretty rough too. This probably means this needs a build around grade. It will be a really good Common for Black/Green decks, but pretty mediocre for everyone else.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Prophetic Prism
Ghost Lantern image 3.0 This looks like a pretty nice Adventure Equipment. Neither side is going to be great, but being able to use it to return a creature, and then playing an Equipment seems pretty good. While you could play this early, a lot of the time I think it will be better to wait until you can use the Adventure and then cast the Equipment. The equipment won’t offer a boost at all initially, but as the game progresses, it will start putting counters on your stuff, and that seems pretty strong. It feels like you will get a full card of value out of each side of this.
Air-Cult Elemental image 2.0 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was a fairly disappointing card in that format. In fact, Blue in general was very underpowered in that set! I mean, I normally love a creature that enters the battlefield and bounces something, and if this format is slow enough this will probably be better than it was in Forgotten Realms – but it is hard to get away from my skepticism.
Eyes of the Beholder image 2.0 This was a mediocre removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and that’s probably what it will be here, too. Six mana is a ton, and while this can kill a whole lot of things, you’ll usually be spending more mana than your opponent spent to cast the creature that you kill. It is something you end up playing when you need the removal, but you basically never want more than one – it just isn’t anywhere close to premium.
Spiked Pit Trap image 1.5 This was not particularly good in Forgotten Realms. You spend a lot of mana for a mediocre removal spell, and even getting the treasure back isn’t enough.
Summon Undead image 1.5 // 3.0 Here’s another pretty solid reanimation spell. It also mills you, to set up your cards that care about cards in the graveyard, and I like that. There are enough ways to discard cards in this format that I think setting this up is very doable. It probably does need a build around grade, because if you aren’t in a deck with any targets WORTH reanimating, it isn’t worth playing.
Warriors of Tiamat image 2.5 A 5-mana 4/2 with Haste isn’t something you want to play, but combining haste with Double Team is pretty spicy, since it means unlike other Double Team creatures, you can get that extra copy of the card before your opponent has a chance to untap. The downside, of course, is lots of cheap creatures and removal can trade with this thing, but they still have to find a way to deal with it twice, and that’s pretty nice.
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 Mana filters don’t tend to be great in Limited, but adding a cantrip to a card like this definitely makes me interested. We’ve seen this card in some really artifact-centric sets actually be quite good, but this format doesn’t have any big Artifact theme, so it doesn’t have that benefit here. It is probably mostly just solid.
Hook Horror image 2.5 This is kind of an Alchemy version of Persist. Basically, you get a 5-mana 3/3 that gives you a 2/2 when it dies, and when that 2/2 dies, you get a 1/1. That’s three bodies on one card, which is great for sacrifice effects and the like. It can also just represent a 2-for-1 or even 3-for-1 in a regular deck.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Gate to Manorborn
Gate to Manorborn image 2.5 So, these five gates don’t fix mana for you at all, and coming into play tapped can be a liability, but they mostly make up for that by being capable of drawing you a card in the late game – and the card you draw is always a nonland, and that’s a big deal. There is only one Gate payoff in the set, and it isn’t good.
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 Mana filters don’t tend to be great in Limited, but adding a cantrip to a card like this definitely makes me interested. We’ve seen this card in some really artifact-centric sets actually be quite good, but this format doesn’t have any big Artifact theme, so it doesn’t have that benefit here. It is probably mostly just solid.
Undersimplify image 1.5 This is a pretty neat design. So, a counterspell that lets your opponent ignore it for two isn’t usually great in Limited, since you have to have the mana up at the right time and your opponent also has to not have the mana to pay for it. But they soften the blow of your opponent paying 2 to ignore it, since you weaken a creature when you target it with this, whether the spell actually gets countered or not. Now, that’s mostly just a consolation prize, but it does at least mean this does something when your opponent has the mana, unlike most counterspells like this. I think you’ll still cut this reasonably often, though.
You Come to a River image 2.0 This was a fine card in Forgotten Realms, and it probably will be here. Neither mode is anything special. The bounce mode will come up the most, and the times where you can use it in response to a combat trick and blow your opponent out will feel nice, as will the times where you can generate some tempo, but keep in mind bouncing things is always card disadvantage. The second mode this has also doesn’t generally net you a card – but sometimes it can close out a game. You’ll end up playing one of these in Blue decks and you’ll feel fine about it.
You Line Up the Shot image 1.5 So, this is the usual “Crushing Canopy” type effect we see, but it is actually a little bit better. This is because instead of paying three up front, you can choose to pay in installments. It is also better because it can also just be cycled away for one mana. This card does suffer a bit from the fact there are some adventures in this set that let you deal with the same sorts of things, and they turn into creatures, so those are probably just better than You Line Up the Shot. But still, any time you add Cycling to a card that can be situationally useful, it tends to be playable, and I think that’s what we have here.
Flaming Fist Duskguard image 2.0 The boon you get here isn’t that exciting, but yeah – it is staples to a two mana 3/1, and that’s a decent aggressive stat-line. This is probably a bread and butter type two drop for White decks.
Hook Horror image 2.5 This is kind of an Alchemy version of Persist. Basically, you get a 5-mana 3/3 that gives you a 2/2 when it dies, and when that 2/2 dies, you get a 1/1. That’s three bodies on one card, which is great for sacrifice effects and the like. It can also just represent a 2-for-1 or even 3-for-1 in a regular deck.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Sylvan Shepherd
You Come to the Gnoll Camp image 1.5 Neither option here is great. Individually, they would probably both be a 1.0. +3/+1 for two mana just isn’t a big enough boost, and making a couple of things unable to block doesn’t always matter either. It isn’t the worst thing in the world to run in your deck, but you probably do cut it more than you play it.
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 Mana filters don’t tend to be great in Limited, but adding a cantrip to a card like this definitely makes me interested. We’ve seen this card in some really artifact-centric sets actually be quite good, but this format doesn’t have any big Artifact theme, so it doesn’t have that benefit here. It is probably mostly just solid.
Dawnbringer Cleric image 2.0 This is another reprint from Forgotten Realms. It is a decent little two drop. If you’re the life gain deck, it can get those triggers going, and the format has enough artifacts and Enchantments that those modes are reasonable too.
Hoard Robber image 2.5 This was a big overperformer in Forgotten Realms, where its stat-line really lined up in such a way that actually blocking it early was a challenge in a sea of 2/1 creatures, so it would generate a fair bit of treasure. It will probably be a little less good here, as part of what made it great was fairly format specific, but it is still a pretty nice Common.
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Sylvan Shepherd image 2.0 This has passable stats and it is a repeatable source of life gain, which GW is especially interested in.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Gnoll Hunter
Goggles of Night image 2.5 This has a pretty sweet combat damage trigger – Scry 1 and draw a card is just really good in Limited, and if you can make this do its thing with regularity, you’ll just win! Now, the problem is – this doesn’t enhance the statistics of the creature at all, so what you need is a creature who is already evasive. Good news is, UB has a lot of nice ways to make creatures hard to block, so this slots in nicely there as a very real way to generate insane value. But there will still be times where you just can’t put this on something meaningful. Still, the effect is powerful enough that I’m pretty interested in playing this, provided my deck has a decent amount of evasion.
Hill Giant Herdgorger image 2.5 In Forgotten Realms, if you were in Green, you really needed one of these to help you stabilize against the formats aggro decks, and it did a pretty darn good job between its size and the life gain effect. It will likely fill a similar role in Green decks int his format. All of these big ol’ green creatures that gain you life have been pretty solid in recent formats, and I think that’s true here.
Undersimplify image 1.5 This is a pretty neat design. So, a counterspell that lets your opponent ignore it for two isn’t usually great in Limited, since you have to have the mana up at the right time and your opponent also has to not have the mana to pay for it. But they soften the blow of your opponent paying 2 to ignore it, since you weaken a creature when you target it with this, whether the spell actually gets countered or not. Now, that’s mostly just a consolation prize, but it does at least mean this does something when your opponent has the mana, unlike most counterspells like this. I think you’ll still cut this reasonably often, though.
Unexpected Windfall image 1.5 This is a card that is great in constructed, but much less impressive in Limited. Spending 4 mana and giving up two cards to get back two cards and a couple of treasure just isn’t as impactful. That doesn’t mean this is bad – but it definitely isn’t something you run in all of your Red decks.
Gnoll Hunter image 3.0 This was a great two drop in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too.
Pack 3 Pick 11: You Come to a River
You Come to a River image 2.0 This was a fine card in Forgotten Realms, and it probably will be here. Neither mode is anything special. The bounce mode will come up the most, and the times where you can use it in response to a combat trick and blow your opponent out will feel nice, as will the times where you can generate some tempo, but keep in mind bouncing things is always card disadvantage. The second mode this has also doesn’t generally net you a card – but sometimes it can close out a game. You’ll end up playing one of these in Blue decks and you’ll feel fine about it.
Unexpected Windfall image 1.5 This is a card that is great in constructed, but much less impressive in Limited. Spending 4 mana and giving up two cards to get back two cards and a couple of treasure just isn’t as impactful. That doesn’t mean this is bad – but it definitely isn’t something you run in all of your Red decks.
Unexpected Allies image 1.0 I’m not a huge fan of this, mostly because at Sorcery speed, it is very easy to disrupt. Your opponent need only respond in any number of ways to get a 2-for-1. Now, if you wait until your opponent’s shields are down, this can do some work, since it makes your creature hit harder, and gives double team to whatever you want – and sometimes there will be spicy options. The +2/+0 means that it will be easier for you to at least get a trade with the attack, and the fact you get First Strike sometimes is a nice bonus that makes the creature very hard to block. However, this set seems to have a high power level, and I’m not sure how much value I see in playing something that is easy to mess up.
Thieves' Tools image 1.5 This was underwhelming in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too. The UB deck in the format is about making creatures unblockable, and the BR deck likes treasure – but both of those were true in Forgotten Realms and this still didn’t really do enough to make the cut with regularity.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Circle of the Land Druid
Eyes of the Beholder image 2.0 This was a mediocre removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and that’s probably what it will be here, too. Six mana is a ton, and while this can kill a whole lot of things, you’ll usually be spending more mana than your opponent spent to cast the creature that you kill. It is something you end up playing when you need the removal, but you basically never want more than one – it just isn’t anywhere close to premium.
You Come to a River image 2.0 This was a fine card in Forgotten Realms, and it probably will be here. Neither mode is anything special. The bounce mode will come up the most, and the times where you can use it in response to a combat trick and blow your opponent out will feel nice, as will the times where you can generate some tempo, but keep in mind bouncing things is always card disadvantage. The second mode this has also doesn’t generally net you a card – but sometimes it can close out a game. You’ll end up playing one of these in Blue decks and you’ll feel fine about it.
Circle of the Land Druid image 1.0 // 2.5 So, this really enables the Black/Green decks in the format, and that’s good – because a two mana 1/1 that returns a land from the graveyard to your hand just…does not seem that good to me. It does mean it is nice to sacrifice and stuff, but this probably needs a build around grade. If you’re in Black/Green this is a solid Common – in the other decks? You don’t want to be playing it.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Circle of the Land Druid
Circle of the Land Druid image 1.0 // 2.5 So, this really enables the Black/Green decks in the format, and that’s good – because a two mana 1/1 that returns a land from the graveyard to your hand just…does not seem that good to me. It does mean it is nice to sacrifice and stuff, but this probably needs a build around grade. If you’re in Black/Green this is a solid Common – in the other decks? You don’t want to be playing it.
Cloak of the Bat image 1.5 This sort of Equipment always seems to underwhelm. It feels like it should actually do something nice pretty often, but it just doesn’t. If you have a big ol’ creature it feels pretty good, but the awkward thing about the card is that if you want to take advantage of the Haste end of thing, you need to have the mana available to equip it to whatever new creature you play. The creature also has to already be pretty good for these keywords to do their job.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Hook Horror
Hook Horror image 2.5 This is kind of an Alchemy version of Persist. Basically, you get a 5-mana 3/3 that gives you a 2/2 when it dies, and when that 2/2 dies, you get a 1/1. That’s three bodies on one card, which is great for sacrifice effects and the like. It can also just represent a 2-for-1 or even 3-for-1 in a regular deck.
Draft Pick Overview