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Traditional Draft DMU 12 September 2022

12 September 12:09 - taketwo 3 Wins - 0 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (18)
1 Llanowar Loamspeaker image
1 Baird, Argivian Recruiter image
2 Juniper Order Rootweaver image
1 Mossbeard Ancient image
1 Knight of Dawn's Light image
1 Coalition Skyknight image
1 Queen Allenal of Ruadach image
1 Coalition Warbrute image
1 Deathbloom Gardener image
1 King Darien XLVIII image
1 Radha, Coalition Warlord image
1 Argivian Cavalier image
1 Griffin Protector image
1 Keldon Strike Team image
1 Zar Ojanen, Scion of Efrava image
1 Hexbane Tortoise image
1 Benalish Faithbonder image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (6)
1 Strength of the Coalition image
1 Citizen's Arrest image
2 Flowstone Infusion image
1 Slimefoot's Survey image
1 Herd Migration image
Land (16)
1 Crystal Grotto image
6 Plains image
3 Mountain image
6 Forest image
Sideboard
1 Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief image
2 Shalai's Acolyte image
2 Bog Badger image
1 Hurler Cyclops image
1 Molten Monstrosity image
1 Djinn of the Fountain image
1 Shield-Wall Sentinel image
1 Colossal Growth image
1 Founding the Third Path image
1 Heroic Charge image
1 Tribute to Urborg image
1 Aggressive Sabotage image
1 Meteorite image
1 Ertai's Scorn image
1 Haunted Mire image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Llanowar Loamspeaker
Llanowar Loamspeaker image 3.5 I am already sold on a two mana ⅓ that can tap for mana of any color – that’s a card you just always play! It does come with the ability to animate lands too, which adds an ability to pressure the opponent with in the mid to late game. Those sorts of abilities are never that impressive. In the early game you don’t use the ability because you want to be ramping, and in the late game making a 3/3 isn’t going to be super impressive, though there will be some boards where you can just send that land in every turn and the best your opponent can do is trade, but more often than not that second ability will be negligible.
Najal, the Storm Runner image 3.0 This offers a couple of pretty nice payoffs for spells! Obviously, you need to be stocked up on them to take full advantage, and even when you are – there will be times where you can’t make use of either ability. Still, hte upside is very real, and obviously UR is going to have a ton of other spell payoffs, so this will have a home.
Elvish Hydromancer image 3.5 This is pretty mediocre when you don’t kick it, but the Kicker upside makes it well worth running in any deck that makes both Green and Blue mana. Copying a creature late is sweet, and in a pinch it can even copy itself – in which case you’re paying 7 mana for two 3/2s – which isn’t great, but that’s kind of the floor of this thing. Ramp is definitely around in the format, but this might still be a little too slow to be amazing.
Shalai's Acolyte image 3.5 This is the kind of Kicker creature that is sneaky good in Limited. Neither mode of the card is that impressive a – a 5-mana ¾ Flyer or a 7 mana ⅚ Flyer – but the modality is a big deal, and neither mode is terrible either. If you need to play it early, you won’t be ashamed to, and when you cast it late it might be a bit inefficient, but it is pretty likely to be the beefiest flyer on the board.
Bog Badger image 2.5 Three mana for a 3/3 is still a pretty good rate these days, so the fact you can kick this to give your board menace is certainly nice. It isn’t the kind of thing that always matters, but it matters often enough to be legitimate upside.
Haunting Figment image 2.0 It is a little weird to see a mono-Blue card with Vigilance…but anyway, this seems like a fine two drop. Blue really likes spells, so it will be unblockable a substantial chunk of the time, and even when it isn’t, it is decent on the Vanilla test.
Benalish Sleeper image 2.0 Two mana for a 3/1 is usually passable in Limited, so the Edict upside is nice! There are plenty of times where kicking this is better for you than your opponent, and when that’s true, this will feel like a great Common. Now, there will also be times where kicking it doesn’t really do much, or hurts you more than your opponent, so temper your expectations.
Vanquisher's Axe image 1.5 This isn’t the most efficient Equipment ever, but it isn’t a complete disaster either. It may be particularly good in RW, where you want higher attack than toughness – and it also helps the Equipment and Artifact sub-themes in the set. Still, it probably gets cut from many decks.
Hammerhand image 2.0 This is a reprint, and it’s a pretty nice Aura in aggressive decks. One mana to make something unable to block, while also granting Haste and +1/+1 is a pretty great rate, and will often make whatever attack you make on your turn far more powerful than your opponent expects! And even after that initial turn where it really does some work, the +1/+1 sticks around, which is pretty nice
Bone Splinters image 2.0 We have seen this card many a time, and its always fine. Obviously one mana to kill something is really nice, but the requirement to sacrifice a creature is enough to keep it from being anywhere close to premium. Obviously, there are black decks in the format that are going to be able to make really good use of this – especially BW and BR, both of which like it when things die. It is pretty dangerous to run more than one copy of this too, since it is as situational as it is.
Phyrexian Espionage image 2.0 This is potentially a 5-mana three-for-one, which is pretty attractive! On a base level, it is just Divination – which is usually a C- level card these days. This is one of those effects that never adds to the board, and that can be a real problem, but I think I having one or two effects in your deck like that is reasonable, and this is the kind of thing I wouldn’t feel bad about putting in that slot. When you can really get it going, it can actually be pretty devastating, and at worst, you have Divination.
Goblin Picker image 2.0 This has solid base stats and rummaging can certainly improve the quality of your draws, though Rummaging is markedly worse than looting. Red also doesn’t have a ton of graveyard stuff going on in this format, and that certainly hurts this card’s stock a bit.
Bite Down image 3.5 Man, there was a day where the sorcery speed version of this was super good removal – and now we are getting it at Instant speed! And its premium removal for sure. This type of effect is always far better than a fight effect, because your creature only needs to be as big as the creature it damages, instead of bigger. There’s always risk with these Green removal spells of course, largely because your opponent removing your creature is a huge blow out, so you do have to pick your spots. Because its an Instant, you can find more windows where it is safe to use. This is one of the best Green commons.
Flowstone Infusion image 3.0 This is a pretty nice card, because it can function as a solid removal spell, and you can also use it as a trick! As we usually see with this type of card, you’ll use it as removal about 90% of the time. It is also nice that it is a cheap Instant for spell decks.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief
Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief image 3.0 This has nice starting stats, and an interesting ability that lets you double your combo tricks and Auras, while also getting yourself an extra copy of any Aura or combat trick your opponent plays.
Balduvian Atrocity image 3.0 A 3-mana ⅔ with Menace is a 2.0 at worst, and you get a fair bit of value out of paying the Kicker cost here. You won’t always have something to get back with that effect – at least, not something meaningful – but it also doesn’t seem like it will be a huge challenge to get some value there.
Coral Colony image 1.5 // 3.0 This is a decent two drop for slower decks, and not a bad Defender payoff in the format’s Defender deck. I definitely prefer the Black Blight Pile or the White Wingmantle Champion as the primary win condition for those decks, since those cards can win the game more quickly. Problem with milling is that it can really backfire, and it is typically going to be slower than making your opponent lose life. But yeah, if you have enough Defenders, this can also end the game in a hurry. It is kind of alright in any Blue deck too, as a two mana ¼ is actually a pretty decent blocker, but it gets way better in a Defender deck.
Sunlit Marsh image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Argivian Phalanx image 3.0 If you can consistently cast this for 4 or less, I think you’ll be reasonably happy with the card, and that does seem like a pretty reasonable outcome. White has plenty of ways to go wide too, so I think you can pretty consistently cast this for a reasonable cost, and sometimes even play it above curve. It will feel kind of disastrous to have this if your opponent is managing to interfere with your development, though.
Timely Interference image 2.5 These sorts of effect aren’t always useful, but the fact that this replaces itself is pretty important. It seems to me that you’ll find enough situations where the -1/-0 and/or the “must block” part of the card that this is going to be pretty solid. When you can trade it for a full card, you get a 2-for-1! Cycling it will probably be more common, but the upside is pretty real.
Floriferous Vinewall image 1.5 This is a Defender, and that does matter a bit in this format, but this card seems pretty mediocre. Basically it is a two drop that makes sure you hit a land drop – but a 0/2 is pretty awful for that investment, and it also doesn’t quite fix your mana for you, at least not all the time, since you only get to look at the top 6.
Molten Tributary image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Goblin Picker image 2.0 This has solid base stats and rummaging can certainly improve the quality of your draws, though Rummaging is markedly worse than looting. Red also doesn’t have a ton of graveyard stuff going on in this format, and that certainly hurts this card’s stock a bit.
Negate image 0.5 We see this card all the time, and generally it is more of a sideboard card. Most decks only have 4 or so things this can actually target, and that just isn’t enough for it to be a main deck card. When you know your opponent has plenty of targets for it, though, it becomes a pretty nice sideboard card.
Writhing Necromass image 2.0 Casting this for 5 seems pretty doable, and in some decks you can cast it even more easily! Of course, the flipside is that sometimes it will be challenging to get a good deal on this card.
Coalition Warbrute image 2.5 An Enlist creature with Trample is pretty sweet! Even making this into a 5/4 or 6/4 – both of which are fairly realistic things – is pretty nice! Of course, Enlist does make you tap a thing, and that’s a real cost – but this definitely looks like it can become a very real problem. It seems solid enough.
Bog Badger image 2.5 Three mana for a 3/3 is still a pretty good rate these days, so the fact you can kick this to give your board menace is certainly nice. It isn’t the kind of thing that always matters, but it matters often enough to be legitimate upside.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Baird, Argivian Recruiter
Leaf-Crowned Visionary image 1.5 // 3.5 There are a good number of Elves in this format, and obviously enough, if you can pair this with some of them, this is super powerful, between buffing them and letting you draw extra cards. I think there are enough Elves that your typical Green deck in the format will probably have 2 or 3 of them. Unfortunately, the baseline here is awful as a two mana 1/1. So, I think it is doable to make this card work, but it won’t just happen organically either.
Baird, Argivian Recruiter image 3.0 This is quite good. RW this time around is about having augmented power, something that can be accomplished with Enlist, as well as other affects. Baird will be able to crank out tokens pretty easily, and looks like a great engine.
Join Forces image 2.0 I’m not usually a huge fan of three mana tricks, but once you add in the 2-for-1 potential, it starts to get a little more interesting. It also adds pseudo-vigilance if you use it on the attack because of the untap, which of course also means that you can ambush block the opponent – but it is almost always better to use this offensively, since your opponent is less likely to have mana on your turn. It DOES still cost three, which is a very real amount of mana for a temporary boost, but this will generate a 2-for-1 often enough that I think the first copy is pretty appealing in aggressive White deck
Haunted Mire image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Tidepool Turtle image 1.5 It is kind of sad this doesn’t have Defender, because then at least it would slot in nicely to the defender deck! Obviously not having Defender does mean it can attack, but how often do you rumble with your ⅖ anyway? So, yeah..this has alright stats for a defensive creature, and a useful – albeit very expansive – mana sink ability. Seems like the kind of creature you end up cutting more than you play.
Magnigoth Sentry image 2.5 Nothing fancy here, but this has solid stats and it can block Flyers! Definitely an upgrade over Giant Spider!
Shadow Prophecy image 2.5 Black usually gets a draw spell like this at Common, and this seems a bit better than most versions of it we see. Usually, we pay three, draw two, and lose two life. That's sort of the baseline here, as you can dig significantly deeper into your deck with this, and even load up your graveyard! The first copy looks pretty solid for most Black decks.
Flowstone Infusion image 3.0 This is a pretty nice card, because it can function as a solid removal spell, and you can also use it as a trick! As we usually see with this type of card, you’ll use it as removal about 90% of the time. It is also nice that it is a cheap Instant for spell decks.
Stall for Time image 2.5 This is sort of passable when you don’t kick it, since it replaces itself and its an Instant, so you can shut down an entire round of attacking and blocking by those two creatures. Kicking it is the real dream though, since those stun counters will really give you some amazing tempo.
Splatter Goblin image 2.5 This is a quality two drop. It can attack and block quite effectively on many boards, since it can frequently generate a 2-for-1
Idyllic Beachfront image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Meria's Outrider image 2.0 A 5-mana 4/4 with Reach isn’t something I’m in for. The fact this does some damage when it enters the battlefield is a definite upgrade, and it will at least shock your opponent with regularity, and bolt them pretty often too. Still, it seems super clunky to me.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Strength of the Coalition
Strength of the Coalition image 2.5 This is a nice trick, the base level of the card is a trick that Green aggro decks play one of most of the time. +2/+2 for one mana is great, because it gives enough of a boost to win most combat, while also being cheap enough that using it doesn’t hamper your board development.
Resolute Reinforcements image 3.0 So, this is basically a creature-based version of Raise the Alarm – and Raise the Alarm is always pretty solid. Making it a creature is better in most ways, because it means you can abuse its enter the battlefield ability, and your opponent also can’t just bounce it and make it disappear. Two mana for 2/2 of stats at instant speed is a nice deal!
Eerie Soultender image 2.0 There is a lot of graveyard stuff in this set, and this is both a self-mill payoff and an enabler, which is pretty nice. That graveyard effect can be particularly good, because sometimes if you’re doing the self-mill thing, you mill something you didn’t really want to lose – and this can provide some insurance on that front. It does have some pretty bad stats, but I think the graveyard decks in the format will feel fine about running one of these.
Molten Tributary image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Broken Wings image 1.5 As usual, this is passable if you have to main deck it, because it can target enough different things – but you’re kind of hoping you have enough other interaction in your deck that you don’t have to throw this in there.
Phyrexian Vivisector image 2.5 While not the most exciting death payoff ever, this does have solid stats, and Scrying can really add up!
Haunting Figment image 2.0 It is a little weird to see a mono-Blue card with Vigilance…but anyway, this seems like a fine two drop. Blue really likes spells, so it will be unblockable a substantial chunk of the time, and even when it isn’t, it is decent on the Vanilla test.
Wooded Ridgeline image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Take Up the Shield image 1.5 This sort of trick is always passable. It has the flexibility of protecting the creature from removal and being useful in combat, but the usual downsides most tricks have – they are situational, and they open you up to a 2-for-1 when you’re not careful.
Smash to Dust image 1.5 Paying 4 mana for a 3/3 with Flying and Haste is definitely a nice card, and its great that it also scales all game long. You can also pick the exact right spot with it to get in for lethal – it will feel like Fireball in a lot of situations!
Colossal Growth image 2.5 This looks like a very good trick to me. Two for +3/+3 is a great boost that wins most combats, and the kicker makes this absolutely devastating in many situations. It IS still a trick, with all the problems they have, but one that is of this high of quality is going to be something you basically never cut the first copy of in aggressive decks.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Shalai's Acolyte
Shalai's Acolyte image 3.5 This is the kind of Kicker creature that is sneaky good in Limited. Neither mode of the card is that impressive a – a 5-mana ¾ Flyer or a 7 mana ⅚ Flyer – but the modality is a big deal, and neither mode is terrible either. If you need to play it early, you won’t be ashamed to, and when you cast it late it might be a bit inefficient, but it is pretty likely to be the beefiest flyer on the board.
Relic of Legends image 2.0 Most three mana mana rocks, even those that tap for any color, aren’t great in Limited. This could end up being better if the format is slow enough, but playing something like this on turn three can put you in really bad shape. This does come with the additional upside of producing a ton of extra mana, though – provided you have legendary creatures to tap. It feels like there is probably a legendary heavy ramp deck out there that can really use this to ramp, but I think you cut it a lot.
Slimefoot's Survey image 2.0 This is a pretty sweet ramp spell. Most of the time, casting this is likely to give you Domain of 3 – so you end up paying 5 to ramp significantly and fix, and then get some pretty good card selection. With Domain being a thing, this is both an enabler and a payoff too! Now, the downside here is real – and that is that this is really clunky. Paying 5 on your turn and not adding to the board has been a really bad plan in most Limited formats of late. I love this card, but I’m a bit skeptical it will work out. If the format ends up being as slow as 2018’s Dominaria, it is going to be great – but if it is the speed of your average format? It might be a disaster.
Bog Badger image 2.5 Three mana for a 3/3 is still a pretty good rate these days, so the fact you can kick this to give your board menace is certainly nice. It isn’t the kind of thing that always matters, but it matters often enough to be legitimate upside.
Destroy Evil image 2.5 This has two modes that are somewhat narrow, but putting them both together does mean most opponents will have enough combined targets for this to do a decent job.
Shore Up image 2.0 At one mana, this is pretty impressive for a trick! It only offers +1/+1, which isn’t always enough to win combat, but the untap effect and the hexproof also means it has some additional utility. Any time a trick gives a real boost and only costs one, it tends to be solid in Limited, and I think that’s what this will be.
Stall for Time image 2.5 This is sort of passable when you don’t kick it, since it replaces itself and its an Instant, so you can shut down an entire round of attacking and blocking by those two creatures. Kicking it is the real dream though, since those stun counters will really give you some amazing tempo.
Flowstone Kavu image 3.0 A three mana 2/3 with Menace is already a solid card, so the fact that this can buff its power is quite nice. This will be able to attack effectively on a whole lot of boards, since it can always threaten to be a 4/1, and it has to be blocked by two creatures – and that makes it pretty hard for your opponent to block it without losing at least one creature. I think this is going to be sneaky good.
Sunbathing Rootwalla image 2.0 This has a baseline as a bear, and obviously has some upside that can really matter later in the game. Even if you’re just a two-color deck, the ability will be pretty solid – though certainly overcosted
Phyrexian Warhorse image 2.0 I’m not ultra impressed with either mode here. You’re either getting a Hill Giant, or paying 5 mana for a 3/3 and a 1/1. That’s not a great rate. And yeah, the Warhorse can sacrifice stuff to get bigger, and the threat to do that is pretty legitimate – but I don’t feel like this is efficient or powerful enough to be a card that always makes the cut.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Citizen's Arrest
Founding the Third Path image 3.0 This looks pretty good to me. Chapter I and II definitely aren’t exciting, and the real value will ome from chapter three – but the first two chapters can set it up! And, if you already have something you can cast from the graveyard and copy, you can just start at chapter three to begin with! The first two chapters aren’t great because you just won’t have things to cast with Chapter I that often. It also doesn’t net you any cards, it just gives you a discount, and those sorts of effects are all way worse than they look in Limited. Chapter II is basically there to enable Chapter III, so yeah. I could see playing this on Chapter II happening a decent chunk of the time, because that way you can get more options for Chapter III, and you have all your mana available for Chapter III on your next turn. OBviously you need a lot of Instants and Sorceries, but both UW and UR seem very into those card types, so I don’t think it will be hard to find a home for this.
Citizen's Arrest image 3.0 This seems like it is in the lower range of “premium” removal. These sorts of cards seem to be getting worse these days, since so many creatures have ETB abilities. Still, it can deal with any creature or planeswalker, and that’s nice! The double White is a bit of a downer too, as you can’t splash it. But yeah, sounds like I’m super down on it - and I guess I am, at least with how good these type of effects used to be. But this is still one of White’s best Commons!
Idyllic Beachfront image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Crystal Grotto image 1.0 Even in a set with a multicolor theme, I’m not super into this. Filter lands are almost always not worth the trouble – and I think that will be especially true in this set, which has a ton of fixing! Filtering mana does fix for you, but at the cost of making everything of that color cost one extra, and that’s a big deal. Adding Scry 1 to the mix doesn’t make enough of a difference. I think you’ll play this if you’re really desperate for fixing – but that’s about it
Jaya's Firenado image 2.0 This is a very clunky removal spell. 5 damage for 5 mana at Sorcery speed is never very impressive, and the upside here is pretty limited, with Scry 1 all you get. Even when we see this card at Instant speed these days it isn’t great, so a Sorcery is kind of rough. This is very far from premium removal, and is the kind of thing you’ll run one of in your red decks, but most of the time you’re hoping you find some better removal.
Deathbloom Gardener image 1.5 This card seems super awkward to me. A three mana 1/1 is a horrendous stat-line – dying to any 1 damage or -1/-1 effect is brutal when you’re paying three mana! And uh..yeah, it does have death touch and can tap for mana of any color, but those two abilities together is super weird. Because if you’re tapping it for mana it isn’t going to be available to block and trade for stuff with its Deathtouch. This just seems overcosted on all fronts – but it does provide fixing in a format where you’re often going to be playing a 3rd color so you can pay for off-color kicker. Still, I think you’re hoping for some of the more impactful fixing out there than this thing.
Aggressive Sabotage image 2.0 This is sort of a build your own Blightning. I’m not usually a very big fan of Mind Rot effects, and that’s because they occupy a really awkward place. They are sort of at their best in the early to mid-game, because you’re more likely to hit 2 cards – but you also would probably rather just add to the board than play Mind Rot on turn 3. Then, in the late game, they are really bad top decks when both players have basically nothing in their hand. A card like Aggressive Sabotage does help shore up some of that, since in the late game you can still use it to Bolt your opponent. And, adding any effect – even one that small – makes a difference.
Shield-Wall Sentinel image 0.0 // 2.5 Like all of these Defender matters cards, this is a build around. If you can use it to tutor something up – especially one of the powerful win conditions the deck has – it is going to feel really good. If you don’t have a decent Defender to tutor up, you’ll never play this, because its stats are awful.
Impede Momentum image 1.5 So, this is temporary removal that doesn’t even fully get rid of the thing it only temporarily removes. I don’t love that. The creature can still use abilities and its static effects still stick around even if they are stunned. Basically, this is a longer-term version of the “tap target creature, it doesn’t untap during your opponent’s next turn” effect, but even those effects are only good when they come with something else meaningful – like as a creature’s Enter the Battlefield ability, or with a cantrip attached. Scry 1 doesn’t quite do it.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Juniper Order Rootweaver
Meteorite image 1.0 This reprint is a super clunky way to fix your mana, and adding a Shock to the mix doesn’t make a huge difference for me. This set does have an artifact subtheme, so maybe sometimes it makes the cut?
Bog Badger image 2.5 Three mana for a 3/3 is still a pretty good rate these days, so the fact you can kick this to give your board menace is certainly nice. It isn’t the kind of thing that always matters, but it matters often enough to be legitimate upside.
Volshe Tideturner image 2.0 We see two mana 1/3s who can tap for mana to be spent on instants and sorceries all the time, and they pretty much always disappoint. They aren’t terrible, but they also aren’t anywhere near as good as a legitimate mana dork, even with the addition of paying for kicker spells in this case. You just don’t end up being able to use the mana enough, and the stat line isn’t very good.
Heroic Charge image 1.0 // 3.0 So, they added some pretty real Kicker upside to Inspired Charge – and the Charge is already a card that you end up playing one of in decks that are good at going wide. I love the ability to add trample here later in the game, as it will make it even easier for you to get lethal to go through. I do sort of feel like this sort of card needs a build around grade, because you really need to be very adept at going wide for it to be worth it – if your deck is just decent at it, you can’t really play it.
Juniper Order Rootweaver image 3.0 This is a very nice Common. It can just be a bear, or it can be a 3-mana 2/2 that puts a counter somewhere. The counter effect is the sort of thing that tends to be useful all game long, since in the later stages you can find somewhere to put it that makes a difference. In the early game, you may just want to make this a three mana 3/3, which is solid.
Automatic Librarian image 1.5 This is functional reprint of Chrome Cat, a card that usually didn’t make the cut in Streets of New Capenna. That’s probably true here too. This format does have some Artifact stuff going on, so it will probably be a little better than the cat – but unless you’re a deck desperate for Artifacts or a three drop, you probably won’t run this. It just doesn’t do enough.
Clockwork Drawbridge image 1.0 This doesn’t seem very good to me, even in the Defender deck in the format. It has mediocre stats and it costs a little too much to tap stuff down. That effect is nice, but three mana is just asking a lot. I think you’ll end up playing this if you really need more defenders to get to your critical mass in that type of deck – but yeah, even in that deck you probably hope you don’t play this.
Phyrexian Vivisector image 2.5 While not the most exciting death payoff ever, this does have solid stats, and Scrying can really add up!
Pack 1 Pick 8: Flowstone Infusion
Tolarian Geyser image 3.0 This seems pretty nice. Even when you don’t kick t it, a 3-mana bounce spell that draws you a card is usually about a C. You replace the card and get some tempo. The 3 life is some nice upside to tack on, but you would probably even place this in a deck that can’t produce White mana at all.
Shadow Prophecy image 2.5 Black usually gets a draw spell like this at Common, and this seems a bit better than most versions of it we see. Usually, we pay three, draw two, and lose two life. That's sort of the baseline here, as you can dig significantly deeper into your deck with this, and even load up your graveyard! The first copy looks pretty solid for most Black decks.
Impulse image 2.0 This old school reprint is basically a better Anticipate, and any sort of Instant-speed card selection card tends to be pretty solid in formats that have a Spell deck – and this format has multiple! It still doesn’t add to the board, and there are only so many slots in a deck for that type of card – but I think the first copy of this is fine.
Colossal Growth image 2.5 This looks like a very good trick to me. Two for +3/+3 is a great boost that wins most combats, and the kicker makes this absolutely devastating in many situations. It IS still a trick, with all the problems they have, but one that is of this high of quality is going to be something you basically never cut the first copy of in aggressive decks.
Flowstone Kavu image 3.0 A three mana 2/3 with Menace is already a solid card, so the fact that this can buff its power is quite nice. This will be able to attack effectively on a whole lot of boards, since it can always threaten to be a 4/1, and it has to be blocked by two creatures – and that makes it pretty hard for your opponent to block it without losing at least one creature. I think this is going to be sneaky good.
Flowstone Infusion image 3.0 This is a pretty nice card, because it can function as a solid removal spell, and you can also use it as a trick! As we usually see with this type of card, you’ll use it as removal about 90% of the time. It is also nice that it is a cheap Instant for spell decks.
Soaring Drake image 2.5 This shows you how much power creep there is with creatures! Wind Drake, a 3 mana 2/2 Flyer, used to be a quality card in Limited – but now we get a three mana ⅔ Flyer in Limited and that’s pretty much the bar for “solid Common.”
Pack 1 Pick 9: Shalai's Acolyte
Elvish Hydromancer image 3.5 This is pretty mediocre when you don’t kick it, but the Kicker upside makes it well worth running in any deck that makes both Green and Blue mana. Copying a creature late is sweet, and in a pinch it can even copy itself – in which case you’re paying 7 mana for two 3/2s – which isn’t great, but that’s kind of the floor of this thing. Ramp is definitely around in the format, but this might still be a little too slow to be amazing.
Shalai's Acolyte image 3.5 This is the kind of Kicker creature that is sneaky good in Limited. Neither mode of the card is that impressive a – a 5-mana ¾ Flyer or a 7 mana ⅚ Flyer – but the modality is a big deal, and neither mode is terrible either. If you need to play it early, you won’t be ashamed to, and when you cast it late it might be a bit inefficient, but it is pretty likely to be the beefiest flyer on the board.
Haunting Figment image 2.0 It is a little weird to see a mono-Blue card with Vigilance…but anyway, this seems like a fine two drop. Blue really likes spells, so it will be unblockable a substantial chunk of the time, and even when it isn’t, it is decent on the Vanilla test.
Vanquisher's Axe image 1.5 This isn’t the most efficient Equipment ever, but it isn’t a complete disaster either. It may be particularly good in RW, where you want higher attack than toughness – and it also helps the Equipment and Artifact sub-themes in the set. Still, it probably gets cut from many decks.
Hammerhand image 2.0 This is a reprint, and it’s a pretty nice Aura in aggressive decks. One mana to make something unable to block, while also granting Haste and +1/+1 is a pretty great rate, and will often make whatever attack you make on your turn far more powerful than your opponent expects! And even after that initial turn where it really does some work, the +1/+1 sticks around, which is pretty nice
Phyrexian Espionage image 2.0 This is potentially a 5-mana three-for-one, which is pretty attractive! On a base level, it is just Divination – which is usually a C- level card these days. This is one of those effects that never adds to the board, and that can be a real problem, but I think I having one or two effects in your deck like that is reasonable, and this is the kind of thing I wouldn’t feel bad about putting in that slot. When you can really get it going, it can actually be pretty devastating, and at worst, you have Divination.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Bog Badger
Floriferous Vinewall image 1.5 This is a Defender, and that does matter a bit in this format, but this card seems pretty mediocre. Basically it is a two drop that makes sure you hit a land drop – but a 0/2 is pretty awful for that investment, and it also doesn’t quite fix your mana for you, at least not all the time, since you only get to look at the top 6.
Molten Tributary image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Negate image 0.5 We see this card all the time, and generally it is more of a sideboard card. Most decks only have 4 or so things this can actually target, and that just isn’t enough for it to be a main deck card. When you know your opponent has plenty of targets for it, though, it becomes a pretty nice sideboard card.
Coalition Warbrute image 2.5 An Enlist creature with Trample is pretty sweet! Even making this into a 5/4 or 6/4 – both of which are fairly realistic things – is pretty nice! Of course, Enlist does make you tap a thing, and that’s a real cost – but this definitely looks like it can become a very real problem. It seems solid enough.
Bog Badger image 2.5 Three mana for a 3/3 is still a pretty good rate these days, so the fact you can kick this to give your board menace is certainly nice. It isn’t the kind of thing that always matters, but it matters often enough to be legitimate upside.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Haunted Mire
Join Forces image 2.0 I’m not usually a huge fan of three mana tricks, but once you add in the 2-for-1 potential, it starts to get a little more interesting. It also adds pseudo-vigilance if you use it on the attack because of the untap, which of course also means that you can ambush block the opponent – but it is almost always better to use this offensively, since your opponent is less likely to have mana on your turn. It DOES still cost three, which is a very real amount of mana for a temporary boost, but this will generate a 2-for-1 often enough that I think the first copy is pretty appealing in aggressive White deck
Haunted Mire image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Tidepool Turtle image 1.5 It is kind of sad this doesn’t have Defender, because then at least it would slot in nicely to the defender deck! Obviously not having Defender does mean it can attack, but how often do you rumble with your ⅖ anyway? So, yeah..this has alright stats for a defensive creature, and a useful – albeit very expansive – mana sink ability. Seems like the kind of creature you end up cutting more than you play.
Shadow Prophecy image 2.5 Black usually gets a draw spell like this at Common, and this seems a bit better than most versions of it we see. Usually, we pay three, draw two, and lose two life. That's sort of the baseline here, as you can dig significantly deeper into your deck with this, and even load up your graveyard! The first copy looks pretty solid for most Black decks.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Colossal Growth
Broken Wings image 1.5 As usual, this is passable if you have to main deck it, because it can target enough different things – but you’re kind of hoping you have enough other interaction in your deck that you don’t have to throw this in there.
Haunting Figment image 2.0 It is a little weird to see a mono-Blue card with Vigilance…but anyway, this seems like a fine two drop. Blue really likes spells, so it will be unblockable a substantial chunk of the time, and even when it isn’t, it is decent on the Vanilla test.
Colossal Growth image 2.5 This looks like a very good trick to me. Two for +3/+3 is a great boost that wins most combats, and the kicker makes this absolutely devastating in many situations. It IS still a trick, with all the problems they have, but one that is of this high of quality is going to be something you basically never cut the first copy of in aggressive decks.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Slimefoot's Survey
Slimefoot's Survey image 2.0 This is a pretty sweet ramp spell. Most of the time, casting this is likely to give you Domain of 3 – so you end up paying 5 to ramp significantly and fix, and then get some pretty good card selection. With Domain being a thing, this is both an enabler and a payoff too! Now, the downside here is real – and that is that this is really clunky. Paying 5 on your turn and not adding to the board has been a really bad plan in most Limited formats of late. I love this card, but I’m a bit skeptical it will work out. If the format ends up being as slow as 2018’s Dominaria, it is going to be great – but if it is the speed of your average format? It might be a disaster.
Shore Up image 2.0 At one mana, this is pretty impressive for a trick! It only offers +1/+1, which isn’t always enough to win combat, but the untap effect and the hexproof also means it has some additional utility. Any time a trick gives a real boost and only costs one, it tends to be solid in Limited, and I think that’s what this will be.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Founding the Third Path
Founding the Third Path image 3.0 This looks pretty good to me. Chapter I and II definitely aren’t exciting, and the real value will ome from chapter three – but the first two chapters can set it up! And, if you already have something you can cast from the graveyard and copy, you can just start at chapter three to begin with! The first two chapters aren’t great because you just won’t have things to cast with Chapter I that often. It also doesn’t net you any cards, it just gives you a discount, and those sorts of effects are all way worse than they look in Limited. Chapter II is basically there to enable Chapter III, so yeah. I could see playing this on Chapter II happening a decent chunk of the time, because that way you can get more options for Chapter III, and you have all your mana available for Chapter III on your next turn. OBviously you need a lot of Instants and Sorceries, but both UW and UR seem very into those card types, so I don’t think it will be hard to find a home for this.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Mossbeard Ancient
Vesuvan Duplimancy image 1.0 This looks pretty cool! I don’t think it is great in Limited though. Obviously if you’re using combat tricks or Auras you can end up getting some serious value out of this, but there aren’t that many other spells that work with this in Limited, and Auras and combat tricks aren’t exactly known as cards you want to jam a bunch of into your deck
Tura Kennerüd, Skyknight image 4.0 This is strong. It has stats that are ALMOST passable, and has a huge payoff for casting instant and sorcery spells. The color pair is about spells AND going wide, and this nicely checks both of those boxes for you.
Mossbeard Ancient image 3.5 Every format needs a big green Tramply boi that gains you a bunch of life, and this certainly does that, allowing ramp deck to stabilize against faster decks. You’ll want one of these in that type of deck most of the time, and it also provides a pretty decent reanimation target for Black-Green.
Jodah's Codex image 1.0 This is kind of a fun reference to old Magic Tomes – like Jayemdae Tome – that cost a ton of mana to draw you cards! Now, luckily you can lower the cost here and I guess once you get it down to about two you won’t feel too bad about it. But, you do still pay a whopping 5 mana up front to not add a real thing to the board, and the advantage this can build for you is pretty slow. I don’t love any of that. This seems too clunky, even in a deck that can get its domain to 5 consistently!
Samite Herbalist image 2.0 The idea here is to tap this for Enlist effects, and it is certainly nice to get that extra value when you do. Obviously it can also just give you this trigger when it attacks, and any time you can at least trad with it, that will feel fine. It also works with crewing vehicles!
Phyrexian Vivisector image 2.5 While not the most exciting death payoff ever, this does have solid stats, and Scrying can really add up!
Radiant Grove image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Vineshaper Prodigy image 3.5 This seems like a strong common! If you need a bear on turn two, it has you covered – and kicking it means that you get a 2-for-1 with some pretty impressive card selection.
Tolarian Geyser image 3.0 This seems pretty nice. Even when you don’t kick t it, a 3-mana bounce spell that draws you a card is usually about a C. You replace the card and get some tempo. The 3 life is some nice upside to tack on, but you would probably even place this in a deck that can’t produce White mana at all.
Floriferous Vinewall image 1.5 This is a Defender, and that does matter a bit in this format, but this card seems pretty mediocre. Basically it is a two drop that makes sure you hit a land drop – but a 0/2 is pretty awful for that investment, and it also doesn’t quite fix your mana for you, at least not all the time, since you only get to look at the top 6.
Goblin Picker image 2.0 This has solid base stats and rummaging can certainly improve the quality of your draws, though Rummaging is markedly worse than looting. Red also doesn’t have a ton of graveyard stuff going on in this format, and that certainly hurts this card’s stock a bit.
Deathbloom Gardener image 1.5 This card seems super awkward to me. A three mana 1/1 is a horrendous stat-line – dying to any 1 damage or -1/-1 effect is brutal when you’re paying three mana! And uh..yeah, it does have death touch and can tap for mana of any color, but those two abilities together is super weird. Because if you’re tapping it for mana it isn’t going to be available to block and trade for stuff with its Deathtouch. This just seems overcosted on all fronts – but it does provide fixing in a format where you’re often going to be playing a 3rd color so you can pay for off-color kicker. Still, I think you’re hoping for some of the more impactful fixing out there than this thing.
Tangled Islet image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Academy Wall image 2.0 This isn’t the most exciting spell payoff ever, especially because it is stapled to such a mediocre creature, but hey – it can block and stuff, and then give you some nice Looting. It has Defender too, and that matters some. It seems like it definitely has a role to play in both UR and UB spell decks – and less of one in UW, since that deck would prefer creatures that can attack.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Knight of Dawn's Light
Braids, Arisen Nightmare image 4.0 This new Braids looks pretty sweet. A 3-mana 3/3 is a nice starting point, and making your opponent choose between letting you draw and losing life or sacrificing their own permanent is pretty sweet. You won’t want to do that every turn of course, especially if you play this on turn three, but luckily it is a “may” and not a “must” trigger. There will be lots of times where making your opponent make that choice is hugely powerful, and you can even choose a card type they just don’t have if you’re more interested in drawing cards and lowering your opponent’s life.
Pilfer image 2.0 A two mana Coercion is a pretty big upgrade from three mana versions of the effect. It gives you decent information and can really disrupt your opponent. You still pay two mana for a one-for-one that doesn’t add to the board at all, but I think one copy of this is going to see some play in Black decks.
Knight of Dawn's Light image 4.0 This is real good. Two mana 2/2 with a First Strike tends to be a B- – maybe a C+ at the very worst. That’s just a stat-line that is great all game long – and this has two additional abilities – augmenting your life gain isn’t a huge deal, but being able to pump itself is! This means it is a great two drop, and in the late game you can attack with it with a bunch of mana untapped, and your opponent really can’t block it very effectively.
Djinn of the Fountain image 3.0 This has some kind of mediocre base stats, but its modal Prowess-like ability is pretty sweet, even if all of the options are kind of small. You’ll always have an option that is relevant though, since Scrying is something you can always do and get an advantage from. It benefits from the fact that there are three Blue archetypes in the format that are into instants and sorceries too!
Contaminated Aquifer image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Broken Wings image 1.5 As usual, this is passable if you have to main deck it, because it can target enough different things – but you’re kind of hoping you have enough other interaction in your deck that you don’t have to throw this in there.
Radiant Grove image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Urborg Repossession image 3.0 We see a Common Black card in virtually every set lets you return two creatures from your hand to your graveyard – and this is one of the best versions of that we have seen. The fact it gains you life helps make up for how slow this effect can be, and when you KICK this, it is actually a pretty powerful spell. You get back a creature, one other permanent, and gain that 2 life for three mana. If this was ALWAYS just a Black-Green card, it would be pretty good, but the fact you can cast it as a different spell without the Kicker is pretty nice
Argivian Cavalier image 3.5 This looks like a very nice Common. We see three mana 2/2s that spit out a 1/1 a lot, and they are always solid at worst. This one comes with Enlist upside, and it can even use its token! This is probably one of White’s best Commons.
Crystal Grotto image 1.0 Even in a set with a multicolor theme, I’m not super into this. Filter lands are almost always not worth the trouble – and I think that will be especially true in this set, which has a ton of fixing! Filtering mana does fix for you, but at the cost of making everything of that color cost one extra, and that’s a big deal. Adding Scry 1 to the mix doesn’t make enough of a difference. I think you’ll play this if you’re really desperate for fixing – but that’s about it
Tidepool Turtle image 1.5 It is kind of sad this doesn’t have Defender, because then at least it would slot in nicely to the defender deck! Obviously not having Defender does mean it can attack, but how often do you rumble with your ⅖ anyway? So, yeah..this has alright stats for a defensive creature, and a useful – albeit very expansive – mana sink ability. Seems like the kind of creature you end up cutting more than you play.
Academy Wall image 2.0 This isn’t the most exciting spell payoff ever, especially because it is stapled to such a mediocre creature, but hey – it can block and stuff, and then give you some nice Looting. It has Defender too, and that matters some. It seems like it definitely has a role to play in both UR and UB spell decks – and less of one in UW, since that deck would prefer creatures that can attack.
Charismatic Vanguard image 2.0 This has mediocre stats, but an ability that can do some work in the late game with an ability that is a bit overcosted.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Coalition Skyknight
Thran Portal image 2.5 The Gate type doesn’t actually matter in this format, but this is a nice land anyway. It enters untapped early, so if you have lots of one and two drops you don’t have to worry about that, and obviously it also helps you fix your mana a ton. It is about as good as the painlands, overall, though it has the benefit of being a card you can grab for fixing of any kind. That upside is negated by the fact that it can only tap for mana of a single color, unlike the painlands
Coalition Skyknight image 3.0 As soon as I saw Enlist, I knew slapping it on a flyer would be pretty sweet – and that’s what we have here! This will be able to attack pretty hard in the air if it has a friend around. The downside is that it has some pretty mediocre base-stats, and is the kind of 4 drop that dies to Common one and two mana removal, and that tempo hit can be brutal. With only two toughness, it doesn’t take much with Reach or Flying to take it down, either.
Elvish Hydromancer image 3.5 This is pretty mediocre when you don’t kick it, but the Kicker upside makes it well worth running in any deck that makes both Green and Blue mana. Copying a creature late is sweet, and in a pinch it can even copy itself – in which case you’re paying 7 mana for two 3/2s – which isn’t great, but that’s kind of the floor of this thing. Ramp is definitely around in the format, but this might still be a little too slow to be amazing.
Volshe Tideturner image 2.0 We see two mana 1/3s who can tap for mana to be spent on instants and sorceries all the time, and they pretty much always disappoint. They aren’t terrible, but they also aren’t anywhere near as good as a legitimate mana dork, even with the addition of paying for kicker spells in this case. You just don’t end up being able to use the mana enough, and the stat line isn’t very good.
Charismatic Vanguard image 2.0 This has mediocre stats, but an ability that can do some work in the late game with an ability that is a bit overcosted.
Haunting Figment image 2.0 It is a little weird to see a mono-Blue card with Vigilance…but anyway, this seems like a fine two drop. Blue really likes spells, so it will be unblockable a substantial chunk of the time, and even when it isn’t, it is decent on the Vanilla test.
Tribute to Urborg image 3.5 The base of two mana for -2/-2 is usually about a 2.5, and while the Kicker upside does let it kill more things, it also makes it cost twice as much and is dependent on having things in your graveyard. That said, UB is very into spells, and all Black decks are into the graveyard, so I think kicking this will usually make it much more potent
Scout the Wilderness image 3.0 This looks pretty good. A three mana Rampant Growth isn’t amazing, but it does fix your mana and ramp you, and I think the Kicked version of the card really makes up for that. Five mana for two 1/1s and a land isn’t a bad deal! And I think this sort of card will be extra good here, between Domain and all of the off-color kicker costs.
Voda Sea Scavenger image 1.5 This doesn’t seem very good to me. It has what are definitely mediocre stats these days, and the ability just gives you pseudo-scry, but how good it is is highly dependent on your lands – and it also isn’t nearly as good as Scry, because you have far less control over the cards.
Haunted Mire image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Snarespinner image 1.5 This can block early game Flyers incredibly well, and it has passable base stats.
Benalish Sleeper image 2.0 Two mana for a 3/1 is usually passable in Limited, so the Edict upside is nice! There are plenty of times where kicking this is better for you than your opponent, and when that’s true, this will feel like a great Common. Now, there will also be times where kicking it doesn’t really do much, or hurts you more than your opponent, so temper your expectations.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Heroic Charge
Join Forces image 2.0 I’m not usually a huge fan of three mana tricks, but once you add in the 2-for-1 potential, it starts to get a little more interesting. It also adds pseudo-vigilance if you use it on the attack because of the untap, which of course also means that you can ambush block the opponent – but it is almost always better to use this offensively, since your opponent is less likely to have mana on your turn. It DOES still cost three, which is a very real amount of mana for a temporary boost, but this will generate a 2-for-1 often enough that I think the first copy is pretty appealing in aggressive White deck
Rona's Vortex image 3.0 This looks pretty good. We don’t often get one mana instant speed bounce spells, and the upside here turns into a time ebb effect – which is one-for-one removal! Seems like it will be easy to blow out a variety of situations with it too, as leaving up one Blue is pretty easy. Like with most of these, it is playable even if you don’t have any Black at all, but ideally you can splash Black at least.
Writhing Necromass image 2.0 Casting this for 5 seems pretty doable, and in some decks you can cast it even more easily! Of course, the flipside is that sometimes it will be challenging to get a good deal on this card.
Heroic Charge image 1.0 // 3.0 So, they added some pretty real Kicker upside to Inspired Charge – and the Charge is already a card that you end up playing one of in decks that are good at going wide. I love the ability to add trample here later in the game, as it will make it even easier for you to get lethal to go through. I do sort of feel like this sort of card needs a build around grade, because you really need to be very adept at going wide for it to be worth it – if your deck is just decent at it, you can’t really play it.
Thrill of Possibility image 1.5 This is a reprint we’ve seen before, and it tends to be pretty solid in formats that have spell decks – and this is one of those! It triggers your spell payoffs while helping you find even more spells!
Gibbering Barricade image 2.5 This slots in nicely in the Defender deck, as well as in the Sacrifice and graveyard decks – and on top of that, it is just a decent card in any Black deck. A 3-mana 2/4 Defender can really lock down the ground for awhile, and the ability to cash stuff in is pretty sweet.
In Thrall to the Pit image 1.5 // 3.0 There is definitely enough sacrifice stuff around in this format that this can work out, but I do think you need a buildaround grade. As usual, this sort of Effect isn’t usually going to be worth it unless you have ways to sacrifice the creature. And yes, you can Kick this to make it do that all on your own, but 7 mana is ton of mana, and while that makes this have a better late-game effect, I don’t think it has a drastic effect on how good the card is. In a regular Red deck, this is probably a 1.5 – if you’re really aggressive, this can work out sometimes, but the temporary nature of this card makes its impact Limited. But, it is probably a 3.0 in a deck that has good sacrifice outlets.
Talas Lookout image 3.0 This has passable stats for a Flyer, and a pretty nice death trigger that means you’ll usually get a 2-for-1 out of it.
Bog Badger image 2.5 Three mana for a 3/3 is still a pretty good rate these days, so the fact you can kick this to give your board menace is certainly nice. It isn’t the kind of thing that always matters, but it matters often enough to be legitimate upside.
Hammerhand image 2.0 This is a reprint, and it’s a pretty nice Aura in aggressive decks. One mana to make something unable to block, while also granting Haste and +1/+1 is a pretty great rate, and will often make whatever attack you make on your turn far more powerful than your opponent expects! And even after that initial turn where it really does some work, the +1/+1 sticks around, which is pretty nice
Artillery Blast image 1.5 I don’t think this looks very good. Sure, Domain is something you can get going in this format without a ton of trouble, but the fact this already limits itself to destroying tapped creatures and requires some significant help to do more than two damage means that I will only run this card in a deck that is really good at getting Domain and even only then if I am desperate for removal. There are just tons of better options.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Flowstone Infusion
Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator image 3.5 A two mana ½ that loots is a card you usually play, so the upside of draining the opponent sometimes and letting you cast spells out of your graveyard is really nice. It is pretty neat that they made UB a spell deck this time around too – it is sort of a spells/graveyard deck.
Colossal Growth image 2.5 This looks like a very good trick to me. Two for +3/+3 is a great boost that wins most combats, and the kicker makes this absolutely devastating in many situations. It IS still a trick, with all the problems they have, but one that is of this high of quality is going to be something you basically never cut the first copy of in aggressive decks.
Essence Scatter image 2.5 This reprint is actually a counterspell I will play! It can only counter creature spells, but it does it at two mana, and you only need one Blue! Most decks will have 15+ creatures, and that’s plenty of targets for the first of these to be a solid inclusion in your Blue decks. One thing to keep in mind, don’t fall into the trap of thinking of counter magic as straight up removal. It is substantially worse in most ways, especially in Limited! The problem is – it is like removal that only works if you have the mana up at the right time, and that’s what keeps this from receiving a grade that is remotely close to a “premium removal” grade.
Furious Bellow image 1.5 Sure Strike is always a decent trick, and this is strictly better because it tacks on Scry 1. +3/+0 and First Strike will allow most creatures to win combat, which is definitely quite nice. It has the usual problems tricks have of course – because they are both risky and situational. You’ll run one of these in some of your aggressive Red decks.
Aggressive Sabotage image 2.0 This is sort of a build your own Blightning. I’m not usually a very big fan of Mind Rot effects, and that’s because they occupy a really awkward place. They are sort of at their best in the early to mid-game, because you’re more likely to hit 2 cards – but you also would probably rather just add to the board than play Mind Rot on turn 3. Then, in the late game, they are really bad top decks when both players have basically nothing in their hand. A card like Aggressive Sabotage does help shore up some of that, since in the late game you can still use it to Bolt your opponent. And, adding any effect – even one that small – makes a difference.
Impulse image 2.0 This old school reprint is basically a better Anticipate, and any sort of Instant-speed card selection card tends to be pretty solid in formats that have a Spell deck – and this format has multiple! It still doesn’t add to the board, and there are only so many slots in a deck for that type of card – but I think the first copy of this is fine.
Destroy Evil image 2.5 This has two modes that are somewhat narrow, but putting them both together does mean most opponents will have enough combined targets for this to do a decent job.
Yavimaya Steelcrusher image 2.5 This is a bear with some pretty significant upside! Enlist means it will be able to attack reasonably hard all game long, and the fact it can destroy artifacts means it has utility all game long too.
Flowstone Infusion image 3.0 This is a pretty nice card, because it can function as a solid removal spell, and you can also use it as a trick! As we usually see with this type of card, you’ll use it as removal about 90% of the time. It is also nice that it is a cheap Instant for spell decks.
Hammerhand image 2.0 This is a reprint, and it’s a pretty nice Aura in aggressive decks. One mana to make something unable to block, while also granting Haste and +1/+1 is a pretty great rate, and will often make whatever attack you make on your turn far more powerful than your opponent expects! And even after that initial turn where it really does some work, the +1/+1 sticks around, which is pretty nice
Pack 2 Pick 6: Queen Allenal of Ruadach
Queen Allenal of Ruadach image 3.5 Looks like another very nice signpost Uncommon. It will often be big enough to be reasonably efficient, and the extra tokens it can generate will be nice. There’s lots of support for tokens in the format!
Nishoba Brawler image 3.0 So, this is going to be a two mana ⅔ with Trample a decent chunk of the time, and that’s a nice creature to have around. It will occasionally only be a ⅓, and in the mid-to-late game it might be a 3/3 or 4/3, and that growth does matter, as it makes it stay relevant all game long.
Haunted Mire image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Shadow Prophecy image 2.5 Black usually gets a draw spell like this at Common, and this seems a bit better than most versions of it we see. Usually, we pay three, draw two, and lose two life. That's sort of the baseline here, as you can dig significantly deeper into your deck with this, and even load up your graveyard! The first copy looks pretty solid for most Black decks.
Elfhame Wurm image 2.5 This is a solid French Vanilla creature. It will be a pretty beefy presence on most board states. One of these probably makes the cut in a lot of Green decks, but there are certainly better things you could be doing with 5 mana.
Volshe Tideturner image 2.0 We see two mana 1/3s who can tap for mana to be spent on instants and sorceries all the time, and they pretty much always disappoint. They aren’t terrible, but they also aren’t anywhere near as good as a legitimate mana dork, even with the addition of paying for kicker spells in this case. You just don’t end up being able to use the mana enough, and the stat line isn’t very good.
Meteorite image 1.0 This reprint is a super clunky way to fix your mana, and adding a Shock to the mix doesn’t make a huge difference for me. This set does have an artifact subtheme, so maybe sometimes it makes the cut?
Radiant Grove image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Samite Herbalist image 2.0 The idea here is to tap this for Enlist effects, and it is certainly nice to get that extra value when you do. Obviously it can also just give you this trigger when it attacks, and any time you can at least trad with it, that will feel fine. It also works with crewing vehicles!
Pack 2 Pick 7: Hurler Cyclops
Hurler Cyclops image 4.0 This is a great removal spell that you can turn into Wardleader’s Helix when you kick it, and that’s pretty awesome!
Bog Badger image 2.5 Three mana for a 3/3 is still a pretty good rate these days, so the fact you can kick this to give your board menace is certainly nice. It isn’t the kind of thing that always matters, but it matters often enough to be legitimate upside.
Splatter Goblin image 2.5 This is a quality two drop. It can attack and block quite effectively on many boards, since it can frequently generate a 2-for-1
Viashino Branchrider image 2.0 Like many cards with Kicker, neither mode of this card is super impressive. You either get a Raging Goblin or a 4-mana Hill Giant with Haste. It does have the upside of bumping up its power, but it is very expensive – and any time we see it cost three, I get pretty skeptical. When this is a 1/1, it dies to anything blocking it. And sure, you can pump a bunch of mana into it to make whatever is blocking it die, but you end up spending some insane mana to kill like…a two drop, and that tempo matters! Once you kick it, it does become more formidable, as you no longer need to buff it for it to actually have a relevant body in combat.
Shadow Prophecy image 2.5 Black usually gets a draw spell like this at Common, and this seems a bit better than most versions of it we see. Usually, we pay three, draw two, and lose two life. That's sort of the baseline here, as you can dig significantly deeper into your deck with this, and even load up your graveyard! The first copy looks pretty solid for most Black decks.
Broken Wings image 1.5 As usual, this is passable if you have to main deck it, because it can target enough different things – but you’re kind of hoping you have enough other interaction in your deck that you don’t have to throw this in there.
Impede Momentum image 1.5 So, this is temporary removal that doesn’t even fully get rid of the thing it only temporarily removes. I don’t love that. The creature can still use abilities and its static effects still stick around even if they are stunned. Basically, this is a longer-term version of the “tap target creature, it doesn’t untap during your opponent’s next turn” effect, but even those effects are only good when they come with something else meaningful – like as a creature’s Enter the Battlefield ability, or with a cantrip attached. Scry 1 doesn’t quite do it.
Battle-Rage Blessing image 2.0 This format feels like it has some of the best tricks we’ve seen in a while – at least on average – as this is yet another solid trick. Two mana isn’t the amount I love to pay for tricks – I would much rather pay 1 – but deathtouch + indestructible does allow virtually any creature to win combat, and this comes with the upside of also blanking most removal. As usual, tricks are situational and risky, so even most good tricks aren’t amazing. But this is one I will play the first copy of in most creature-heavy Black decks.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Coalition Warbrute
Rona, Sheoldred's Faithful image 3.5 Making your opponent’s life total go down just by casting spells is pretty nice – as is the fact that you can bring Rona back from the graveyard. It is a bit costly of course, and isn’t the kind of thing you should just always do when she dies, but in the late game if you’re flooding out, it does give you something fine to do with your mana.
Coalition Warbrute image 2.5 An Enlist creature with Trample is pretty sweet! Even making this into a 5/4 or 6/4 – both of which are fairly realistic things – is pretty nice! Of course, Enlist does make you tap a thing, and that’s a real cost – but this definitely looks like it can become a very real problem. It seems solid enough.
Molten Monstrosity image 2.5 This is going to feel pretty miserable if you have an empty board, and you kind of need at least a three power creature for this to feel like you’re doing okay. But it is hard to imagine curve outs where this comes down super early, unless you manage to have a 4 power creature as a two or three drop. You probably mostly play this on turn 5 when you’re curving out, and while that’s good, it isn’t amazing.
Thrill of Possibility image 1.5 This is a reprint we’ve seen before, and it tends to be pretty solid in formats that have spell decks – and this is one of those! It triggers your spell payoffs while helping you find even more spells!
Phyrexian Espionage image 2.0 This is potentially a 5-mana three-for-one, which is pretty attractive! On a base level, it is just Divination – which is usually a C- level card these days. This is one of those effects that never adds to the board, and that can be a real problem, but I think I having one or two effects in your deck like that is reasonable, and this is the kind of thing I wouldn’t feel bad about putting in that slot. When you can really get it going, it can actually be pretty devastating, and at worst, you have Divination.
Talas Lookout image 3.0 This has passable stats for a Flyer, and a pretty nice death trigger that means you’ll usually get a 2-for-1 out of it.
Snarespinner image 1.5 This can block early game Flyers incredibly well, and it has passable base stats.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Deathbloom Gardener
Tura Kennerüd, Skyknight image 4.0 This is strong. It has stats that are ALMOST passable, and has a huge payoff for casting instant and sorcery spells. The color pair is about spells AND going wide, and this nicely checks both of those boxes for you.
Phyrexian Vivisector image 2.5 While not the most exciting death payoff ever, this does have solid stats, and Scrying can really add up!
Vineshaper Prodigy image 3.5 This seems like a strong common! If you need a bear on turn two, it has you covered – and kicking it means that you get a 2-for-1 with some pretty impressive card selection.
Deathbloom Gardener image 1.5 This card seems super awkward to me. A three mana 1/1 is a horrendous stat-line – dying to any 1 damage or -1/-1 effect is brutal when you’re paying three mana! And uh..yeah, it does have death touch and can tap for mana of any color, but those two abilities together is super weird. Because if you’re tapping it for mana it isn’t going to be available to block and trade for stuff with its Deathtouch. This just seems overcosted on all fronts – but it does provide fixing in a format where you’re often going to be playing a 3rd color so you can pay for off-color kicker. Still, I think you’re hoping for some of the more impactful fixing out there than this thing.
Tangled Islet image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Academy Wall image 2.0 This isn’t the most exciting spell payoff ever, especially because it is stapled to such a mediocre creature, but hey – it can block and stuff, and then give you some nice Looting. It has Defender too, and that matters some. It seems like it definitely has a role to play in both UR and UB spell decks – and less of one in UW, since that deck would prefer creatures that can attack.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Crystal Grotto
Djinn of the Fountain image 3.0 This has some kind of mediocre base stats, but its modal Prowess-like ability is pretty sweet, even if all of the options are kind of small. You’ll always have an option that is relevant though, since Scrying is something you can always do and get an advantage from. It benefits from the fact that there are three Blue archetypes in the format that are into instants and sorceries too!
Broken Wings image 1.5 As usual, this is passable if you have to main deck it, because it can target enough different things – but you’re kind of hoping you have enough other interaction in your deck that you don’t have to throw this in there.
Urborg Repossession image 3.0 We see a Common Black card in virtually every set lets you return two creatures from your hand to your graveyard – and this is one of the best versions of that we have seen. The fact it gains you life helps make up for how slow this effect can be, and when you KICK this, it is actually a pretty powerful spell. You get back a creature, one other permanent, and gain that 2 life for three mana. If this was ALWAYS just a Black-Green card, it would be pretty good, but the fact you can cast it as a different spell without the Kicker is pretty nice
Crystal Grotto image 1.0 Even in a set with a multicolor theme, I’m not super into this. Filter lands are almost always not worth the trouble – and I think that will be especially true in this set, which has a ton of fixing! Filtering mana does fix for you, but at the cost of making everything of that color cost one extra, and that’s a big deal. Adding Scry 1 to the mix doesn’t make enough of a difference. I think you’ll play this if you’re really desperate for fixing – but that’s about it
Tidepool Turtle image 1.5 It is kind of sad this doesn’t have Defender, because then at least it would slot in nicely to the defender deck! Obviously not having Defender does mean it can attack, but how often do you rumble with your ⅖ anyway? So, yeah..this has alright stats for a defensive creature, and a useful – albeit very expansive – mana sink ability. Seems like the kind of creature you end up cutting more than you play.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Tribute to Urborg
Volshe Tideturner image 2.0 We see two mana 1/3s who can tap for mana to be spent on instants and sorceries all the time, and they pretty much always disappoint. They aren’t terrible, but they also aren’t anywhere near as good as a legitimate mana dork, even with the addition of paying for kicker spells in this case. You just don’t end up being able to use the mana enough, and the stat line isn’t very good.
Tribute to Urborg image 3.5 The base of two mana for -2/-2 is usually about a 2.5, and while the Kicker upside does let it kill more things, it also makes it cost twice as much and is dependent on having things in your graveyard. That said, UB is very into spells, and all Black decks are into the graveyard, so I think kicking this will usually make it much more potent
Voda Sea Scavenger image 1.5 This doesn’t seem very good to me. It has what are definitely mediocre stats these days, and the ability just gives you pseudo-scry, but how good it is is highly dependent on your lands – and it also isn’t nearly as good as Scry, because you have far less control over the cards.
Snarespinner image 1.5 This can block early game Flyers incredibly well, and it has passable base stats.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Bog Badger
Thrill of Possibility image 1.5 This is a reprint we’ve seen before, and it tends to be pretty solid in formats that have spell decks – and this is one of those! It triggers your spell payoffs while helping you find even more spells!
In Thrall to the Pit image 1.5 // 3.0 There is definitely enough sacrifice stuff around in this format that this can work out, but I do think you need a buildaround grade. As usual, this sort of Effect isn’t usually going to be worth it unless you have ways to sacrifice the creature. And yes, you can Kick this to make it do that all on your own, but 7 mana is ton of mana, and while that makes this have a better late-game effect, I don’t think it has a drastic effect on how good the card is. In a regular Red deck, this is probably a 1.5 – if you’re really aggressive, this can work out sometimes, but the temporary nature of this card makes its impact Limited. But, it is probably a 3.0 in a deck that has good sacrifice outlets.
Bog Badger image 2.5 Three mana for a 3/3 is still a pretty good rate these days, so the fact you can kick this to give your board menace is certainly nice. It isn’t the kind of thing that always matters, but it matters often enough to be legitimate upside.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Aggressive Sabotage
Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator image 3.5 A two mana ½ that loots is a card you usually play, so the upside of draining the opponent sometimes and letting you cast spells out of your graveyard is really nice. It is pretty neat that they made UB a spell deck this time around too – it is sort of a spells/graveyard deck.
Aggressive Sabotage image 2.0 This is sort of a build your own Blightning. I’m not usually a very big fan of Mind Rot effects, and that’s because they occupy a really awkward place. They are sort of at their best in the early to mid-game, because you’re more likely to hit 2 cards – but you also would probably rather just add to the board than play Mind Rot on turn 3. Then, in the late game, they are really bad top decks when both players have basically nothing in their hand. A card like Aggressive Sabotage does help shore up some of that, since in the late game you can still use it to Bolt your opponent. And, adding any effect – even one that small – makes a difference.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Meteorite
Meteorite image 1.0 This reprint is a super clunky way to fix your mana, and adding a Shock to the mix doesn’t make a huge difference for me. This set does have an artifact subtheme, so maybe sometimes it makes the cut?
Pack 3 Pick 1: Herd Migration
Herd Migration image 3.5 I really like this kind of card. In the early game, it provides you some nice fixing – and some life gain to make up for the fact that you may have spent your turn two not adding to the board. Then, if you get it late, it can power out 3 tokens pretty easily, maybe even more. Now, neither side is that impressive, but it is basically a big spell with Cycling, and the flexibility make this a fairly attractive card.
Zar Ojanen, Scion of Efrava image 3.5 This is another very sweet signpost Uncommon. Its ability will trigger when you attack – or if you Enlist – and that’s great. Now, actually buffing Zar himself isn’t going ot be easy, since you would need a full 5 basic land types, but the ability will be able to buff a huge chunk of your board in a lot of situations. Obviously you can’t do it over and over b because the creatures will get too big, but buffing all of yoru 2/2s and smaller seems like it will go down a decent chunk of the time, and that’s going to be plenty strong.
Djinn of the Fountain image 3.0 This has some kind of mediocre base stats, but its modal Prowess-like ability is pretty sweet, even if all of the options are kind of small. You’ll always have an option that is relevant though, since Scrying is something you can always do and get an advantage from. It benefits from the fact that there are three Blue archetypes in the format that are into instants and sorceries too!
Balduvian Atrocity image 3.0 A 3-mana ⅔ with Menace is a 2.0 at worst, and you get a fair bit of value out of paying the Kicker cost here. You won’t always have something to get back with that effect – at least, not something meaningful – but it also doesn’t seem like it will be a huge challenge to get some value there.
Tidepool Turtle image 1.5 It is kind of sad this doesn’t have Defender, because then at least it would slot in nicely to the defender deck! Obviously not having Defender does mean it can attack, but how often do you rumble with your ⅖ anyway? So, yeah..this has alright stats for a defensive creature, and a useful – albeit very expansive – mana sink ability. Seems like the kind of creature you end up cutting more than you play.
Splatter Goblin image 2.5 This is a quality two drop. It can attack and block quite effectively on many boards, since it can frequently generate a 2-for-1
Soaring Drake image 2.5 This shows you how much power creep there is with creatures! Wind Drake, a 3 mana 2/2 Flyer, used to be a quality card in Limited – but now we get a three mana ⅔ Flyer in Limited and that’s pretty much the bar for “solid Common.”
Molten Monstrosity image 2.5 This is going to feel pretty miserable if you have an empty board, and you kind of need at least a three power creature for this to feel like you’re doing okay. But it is hard to imagine curve outs where this comes down super early, unless you manage to have a 4 power creature as a two or three drop. You probably mostly play this on turn 5 when you’re curving out, and while that’s good, it isn’t amazing.
Charismatic Vanguard image 2.0 This has mediocre stats, but an ability that can do some work in the late game with an ability that is a bit overcosted.
Deathbloom Gardener image 1.5 This card seems super awkward to me. A three mana 1/1 is a horrendous stat-line – dying to any 1 damage or -1/-1 effect is brutal when you’re paying three mana! And uh..yeah, it does have death touch and can tap for mana of any color, but those two abilities together is super weird. Because if you’re tapping it for mana it isn’t going to be available to block and trade for stuff with its Deathtouch. This just seems overcosted on all fronts – but it does provide fixing in a format where you’re often going to be playing a 3rd color so you can pay for off-color kicker. Still, I think you’re hoping for some of the more impactful fixing out there than this thing.
Molten Tributary image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Voda Sea Scavenger image 1.5 This doesn’t seem very good to me. It has what are definitely mediocre stats these days, and the ability just gives you pseudo-scry, but how good it is is highly dependent on your lands – and it also isn’t nearly as good as Scry, because you have far less control over the cards.
Haunted Mire image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Captain's Call image 2.5 This is definitely not the most efficient token generator we’ve ever seen, but White does have a pretty big go-wide theme going on, and as a result I think this will play a little better than it looks.
Pack 3 Pick 2: King Darien XLVIII
King Darien XLVIII image 4.5 I’m already sold on a three mana ⅔ that buffs the whole board – that’s like a B, and he comes with all kinds of other stuff! Including an ability that generates tokens while making him larger, and the ability to make tokens hexproof and indestructible, though he does have to give himself up for that one. GW is very into tokens in this format, so he slots in perfectly – and he would be strong in any deck anyway.
Walking Bulwark image 1.5 // 3.5 This is pretty interesting! On its own, it is sort of like a one mana 0/3 that loses defender and gets +3/+0 and Haste if you pay 2 mana. That’s not completely terrible, and obviously it gets better the more Defenders you have, and there is a Defender deck in this format. Seems like a decent enough one drop for a variety of decks that will also have a more synergistic home in the format.
Territorial Maro image 1.5 This references an old card that itself referenced Mark Rosewater, so that’s funny! The card doesn’t seem great to me though. It will be a 5-mana 4/4 reasonably often, and even when you do manage to set up Domain pretty well, it is still a huge vanilla creature at best, and that often isn’t enough to get the job done. There are better domain payoffs out there than this.
Fires of Victory image 2.5 This is interesting. Obviously it can be a really efficient removal spell, but there will also be times where you draw this and you just don’t have the cards for it to matter. Even if you do Kick it, there’s a chance you’re paying 5 to draw one and do 1 damage, and that just isn’t going to be very good. In the early game it can kill lots of stuff, and if you’re a control deck that often has a full grip of cards, it can be potent – but that just doesn’t work out that often in Limited. This will have a pretty wild range overall. The ceiling is nice, the floor is awful. There may be a UR deck in this format that can really take full advantage of this, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Hexbane Tortoise image 2.0 Thanks to Ward, this is a bit harder to kill with removal, but still pretty easy to trade with. Adding Enlist to the mix is nice, but this is definitely an Enlist creature that can easily be traded with by virtually any two drop, and that certainly lessens its impact.
Keldon Strike Team image 3.5 This looks really good to me. If you don’t kick it, it is a 3-mana 3/1 with Haste that gives Haste to your whole board the turn it comes down. Then, when you kick it, you pay 5 mana for 5/3 worth of stats spread across three bodies. This gets an extra bonus from the fact that RW especially really wants to go wide. Also keep in mind, because it has Haste it can actually be Enlisted the turn it comes down, unlike most creatures. So yeah, seems like a really good Common to me.
Flowstone Infusion image 3.0 This is a pretty nice card, because it can function as a solid removal spell, and you can also use it as a trick! As we usually see with this type of card, you’ll use it as removal about 90% of the time. It is also nice that it is a cheap Instant for spell decks.
Samite Herbalist image 2.0 The idea here is to tap this for Enlist effects, and it is certainly nice to get that extra value when you do. Obviously it can also just give you this trigger when it attacks, and any time you can at least trad with it, that will feel fine. It also works with crewing vehicles!
Battlefly Swarm image 2.5 I would rather have a one mana 1/1 that always has death touch and doesn’t have Flying, but hey – this is still a pretty nice one mana death toucher. Flying does undoubtedly give it some decent upside that allows it to be a reasonable attacker in the very early game, and after it is no longer useful on that front, it can hang back and threaten to trade for anything. And yeah, one bummer about most of the one mana death touchers we see is that they can only look on helplessly at flyers, and this can actually block them! Seems like a solid card.
Geothermal Bog image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Bog Badger image 2.5 Three mana for a 3/3 is still a pretty good rate these days, so the fact you can kick this to give your board menace is certainly nice. It isn’t the kind of thing that always matters, but it matters often enough to be legitimate upside.
Gibbering Barricade image 2.5 This slots in nicely in the Defender deck, as well as in the Sacrifice and graveyard decks – and on top of that, it is just a decent card in any Black deck. A 3-mana 2/4 Defender can really lock down the ground for awhile, and the ability to cash stuff in is pretty sweet.
Essence Scatter image 2.5 This reprint is actually a counterspell I will play! It can only counter creature spells, but it does it at two mana, and you only need one Blue! Most decks will have 15+ creatures, and that’s plenty of targets for the first of these to be a solid inclusion in your Blue decks. One thing to keep in mind, don’t fall into the trap of thinking of counter magic as straight up removal. It is substantially worse in most ways, especially in Limited! The problem is – it is like removal that only works if you have the mana up at the right time, and that’s what keeps this from receiving a grade that is remotely close to a “premium removal” grade.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Radha, Coalition Warlord
Adarkar Wastes image 2.5 These offer good fixing and always come into play untapped. It is nice that you can produce colorless all the time, so having to damage yourself for the colored mana isn’t a huge deal.
Radha, Coalition Warlord image 3.0 This might be the weakest of all the signpost Uncommons, but it is still pretty good. The problem is that Radha can’t buff herself, so she is quite vulnerable when attacking. Because the ability triggers when she taps, you can use her with Enlist or with Vehicles – and that’s probably the best way to take advantage, since then she isn’t vulnerable, she just offers a big stats boost to something.
Rona's Vortex image 3.0 This looks pretty good. We don’t often get one mana instant speed bounce spells, and the upside here turns into a time ebb effect – which is one-for-one removal! Seems like it will be easy to blow out a variety of situations with it too, as leaving up one Blue is pretty easy. Like with most of these, it is playable even if you don’t have any Black at all, but ideally you can splash Black at least.
Tolarian Terror image 3.0 Seems like a solid enough spell payoff. If you can pay 5 for this, you’ll be happy, and that seems like a pretty reasonable occurrence in a Blue-Red deck. Ward 2 means that it won’t be easy for your opponent to kill this without significantly overpaying, and that definitely matters.
Benalish Faithbonder image 2.0 A two mana 1/3 with Vigilance is probably a 1.5 -- adding Enlist is pretty nice on a Vigilance creature too, because Enlist naturally has you tap something extra down when you attack, but at least your enlist creature doesn’t get tapped!
Hammerhand image 2.0 This is a reprint, and it’s a pretty nice Aura in aggressive decks. One mana to make something unable to block, while also granting Haste and +1/+1 is a pretty great rate, and will often make whatever attack you make on your turn far more powerful than your opponent expects! And even after that initial turn where it really does some work, the +1/+1 sticks around, which is pretty nice
Bog Badger image 2.5 Three mana for a 3/3 is still a pretty good rate these days, so the fact you can kick this to give your board menace is certainly nice. It isn’t the kind of thing that always matters, but it matters often enough to be legitimate upside.
Meteorite image 1.0 This reprint is a super clunky way to fix your mana, and adding a Shock to the mix doesn’t make a huge difference for me. This set does have an artifact subtheme, so maybe sometimes it makes the cut?
Mesa Cavalier image 1.5 This has mediocre stats, and it does a small thing when it enters the battlefield. Not a card you really hope to play, but fine when you do.
Haunting Figment image 2.0 It is a little weird to see a mono-Blue card with Vigilance…but anyway, this seems like a fine two drop. Blue really likes spells, so it will be unblockable a substantial chunk of the time, and even when it isn’t, it is decent on the Vanilla test.
Talas Lookout image 3.0 This has passable stats for a Flyer, and a pretty nice death trigger that means you’ll usually get a 2-for-1 out of it.
Pixie Illusionist image 3.0 A one mana 1/1 Flyer is passable, so the upside this has of becoming a 5 mana 3/3 Flyer in the late game and fixing your mana and helping with domain makes this a pretty nice Common!
Pack 3 Pick 4: Argivian Cavalier
Nael, Avizoa Aeronaut image 3.0 This might be the signpost Uncommon I’m the most disappointed in – don’t get me wrong, it is still pretty nice. After all, its a 4-mana 2/4 with Flying that has some real upside! But I do think the upside is underpowered compared to the rest of these signposts. If you don’t have a full five land types, it just gives you a bit of card selection. And that’s nice, for sure, but certainly not that strong, especially because he has to get in for damage. If you do have a full five land types he gets to be pretty crazy, though.
Elvish Hydromancer image 3.5 This is pretty mediocre when you don’t kick it, but the Kicker upside makes it well worth running in any deck that makes both Green and Blue mana. Copying a creature late is sweet, and in a pinch it can even copy itself – in which case you’re paying 7 mana for two 3/2s – which isn’t great, but that’s kind of the floor of this thing. Ramp is definitely around in the format, but this might still be a little too slow to be amazing.
Ertai's Scorn image 1.5 So, this is Cancel that will cost one less if your opponent is playing more spells. Cancel is usually a 1.5 in Limited these days – three mana is a ton to leave up to counter something when you could just be adding to the board with that mana – and while the upside to make this cheaper is there, I don’t think it is that much better than Cancel.
Contaminated Aquifer image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Thrill of Possibility image 1.5 This is a reprint we’ve seen before, and it tends to be pretty solid in formats that have spell decks – and this is one of those! It triggers your spell payoffs while helping you find even more spells!
Sunbathing Rootwalla image 2.0 This has a baseline as a bear, and obviously has some upside that can really matter later in the game. Even if you’re just a two-color deck, the ability will be pretty solid – though certainly overcosted
Wooded Ridgeline image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Stall for Time image 2.5 This is sort of passable when you don’t kick it, since it replaces itself and its an Instant, so you can shut down an entire round of attacking and blocking by those two creatures. Kicking it is the real dream though, since those stun counters will really give you some amazing tempo.
Vanquisher's Axe image 1.5 This isn’t the most efficient Equipment ever, but it isn’t a complete disaster either. It may be particularly good in RW, where you want higher attack than toughness – and it also helps the Equipment and Artifact sub-themes in the set. Still, it probably gets cut from many decks.
Shore Up image 2.0 At one mana, this is pretty impressive for a trick! It only offers +1/+1, which isn’t always enough to win combat, but the untap effect and the hexproof also means it has some additional utility. Any time a trick gives a real boost and only costs one, it tends to be solid in Limited, and I think that’s what this will be.
Argivian Cavalier image 3.5 This looks like a very nice Common. We see three mana 2/2s that spit out a 1/1 a lot, and they are always solid at worst. This one comes with Enlist upside, and it can even use its token! This is probably one of White’s best Commons.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Molten Monstrosity
Tatyova, Steward of Tides image 3.5 While I think I prefer the Tatyova we saw on the last visit to Dominaria, they did give her another strong signpost Uncommon here! Animating your lands when they enter the battlefield is quite strong, especially because they’ll fly! Obviously enough, UG is about ramping and lands, and she fits in quite nicely there. It looks like the color pair has a good amount of support overall. The downside is, she is basically just going to be a vanilla 3-mana 3/3 until you get that 7th land, and that definitely limits her.
Relic of Legends image 2.0 Most three mana mana rocks, even those that tap for any color, aren’t great in Limited. This could end up being better if the format is slow enough, but playing something like this on turn three can put you in really bad shape. This does come with the additional upside of producing a ton of extra mana, though – provided you have legendary creatures to tap. It feels like there is probably a legendary heavy ramp deck out there that can really use this to ramp, but I think you cut it a lot.
Djinn of the Fountain image 3.0 This has some kind of mediocre base stats, but its modal Prowess-like ability is pretty sweet, even if all of the options are kind of small. You’ll always have an option that is relevant though, since Scrying is something you can always do and get an advantage from. It benefits from the fact that there are three Blue archetypes in the format that are into instants and sorceries too!
Yavimaya Steelcrusher image 2.5 This is a bear with some pretty significant upside! Enlist means it will be able to attack reasonably hard all game long, and the fact it can destroy artifacts means it has utility all game long too.
Bite Down image 3.5 Man, there was a day where the sorcery speed version of this was super good removal – and now we are getting it at Instant speed! And its premium removal for sure. This type of effect is always far better than a fight effect, because your creature only needs to be as big as the creature it damages, instead of bigger. There’s always risk with these Green removal spells of course, largely because your opponent removing your creature is a huge blow out, so you do have to pick your spots. Because its an Instant, you can find more windows where it is safe to use. This is one of the best Green commons.
Goblin Picker image 2.0 This has solid base stats and rummaging can certainly improve the quality of your draws, though Rummaging is markedly worse than looting. Red also doesn’t have a ton of graveyard stuff going on in this format, and that certainly hurts this card’s stock a bit.
Voda Sea Scavenger image 1.5 This doesn’t seem very good to me. It has what are definitely mediocre stats these days, and the ability just gives you pseudo-scry, but how good it is is highly dependent on your lands – and it also isn’t nearly as good as Scry, because you have far less control over the cards.
Molten Monstrosity image 2.5 This is going to feel pretty miserable if you have an empty board, and you kind of need at least a three power creature for this to feel like you’re doing okay. But it is hard to imagine curve outs where this comes down super early, unless you manage to have a 4 power creature as a two or three drop. You probably mostly play this on turn 5 when you’re curving out, and while that’s good, it isn’t amazing.
Phyrexian Rager image 3.0 This is a nice reprint from the original Invasion Block! The Rager is often a 2-for-1, since it is big enough to trade and draws you cards.
Haunted Mire image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Pack 3 Pick 6: Griffin Protector
Ertai's Scorn image 1.5 So, this is Cancel that will cost one less if your opponent is playing more spells. Cancel is usually a 1.5 in Limited these days – three mana is a ton to leave up to counter something when you could just be adding to the board with that mana – and while the upside to make this cheaper is there, I don’t think it is that much better than Cancel.
Shield-Wall Sentinel image 0.0 // 2.5 Like all of these Defender matters cards, this is a build around. If you can use it to tutor something up – especially one of the powerful win conditions the deck has – it is going to feel really good. If you don’t have a decent Defender to tutor up, you’ll never play this, because its stats are awful.
Tribute to Urborg image 3.5 The base of two mana for -2/-2 is usually about a 2.5, and while the Kicker upside does let it kill more things, it also makes it cost twice as much and is dependent on having things in your graveyard. That said, UB is very into spells, and all Black decks are into the graveyard, so I think kicking this will usually make it much more potent
Timely Interference image 2.5 These sorts of effect aren’t always useful, but the fact that this replaces itself is pretty important. It seems to me that you’ll find enough situations where the -1/-0 and/or the “must block” part of the card that this is going to be pretty solid. When you can trade it for a full card, you get a 2-for-1! Cycling it will probably be more common, but the upside is pretty real.
Sunbathing Rootwalla image 2.0 This has a baseline as a bear, and obviously has some upside that can really matter later in the game. Even if you’re just a two-color deck, the ability will be pretty solid – though certainly overcosted
Thrill of Possibility image 1.5 This is a reprint we’ve seen before, and it tends to be pretty solid in formats that have spell decks – and this is one of those! It triggers your spell payoffs while helping you find even more spells!
Goblin Picker image 2.0 This has solid base stats and rummaging can certainly improve the quality of your draws, though Rummaging is markedly worse than looting. Red also doesn’t have a ton of graveyard stuff going on in this format, and that certainly hurts this card’s stock a bit.
Griffin Protector image 3.0 This is a reprint and it overperformed a bit when we last saw it. I think it will be pretty nice here too, as the Go-wide theme in White is fairly pronounced, as we’ve seen already in this video.
Salvaged Manaworker image 2.5 We see artifact creatures who can filter mana all the time, and if that’s all they really do – along with mediocre stats – they see very little play. However, the filtering usually costs more than one. This actually looks like some nice fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Juniper Order Rootweaver
Nishoba Brawler image 3.0 So, this is going to be a two mana ⅔ with Trample a decent chunk of the time, and that’s a nice creature to have around. It will occasionally only be a ⅓, and in the mid-to-late game it might be a 3/3 or 4/3, and that growth does matter, as it makes it stay relevant all game long.
Juniper Order Rootweaver image 3.0 This is a very nice Common. It can just be a bear, or it can be a 3-mana 2/2 that puts a counter somewhere. The counter effect is the sort of thing that tends to be useful all game long, since in the later stages you can find somewhere to put it that makes a difference. In the early game, you may just want to make this a three mana 3/3, which is solid.
Shadow Prophecy image 2.5 Black usually gets a draw spell like this at Common, and this seems a bit better than most versions of it we see. Usually, we pay three, draw two, and lose two life. That's sort of the baseline here, as you can dig significantly deeper into your deck with this, and even load up your graveyard! The first copy looks pretty solid for most Black decks.
Smash to Dust image 1.5 Paying 4 mana for a 3/3 with Flying and Haste is definitely a nice card, and its great that it also scales all game long. You can also pick the exact right spot with it to get in for lethal – it will feel like Fireball in a lot of situations!
Thrill of Possibility image 1.5 This is a reprint we’ve seen before, and it tends to be pretty solid in formats that have spell decks – and this is one of those! It triggers your spell payoffs while helping you find even more spells!
Talas Lookout image 3.0 This has passable stats for a Flyer, and a pretty nice death trigger that means you’ll usually get a 2-for-1 out of it.
Broken Wings image 1.5 As usual, this is passable if you have to main deck it, because it can target enough different things – but you’re kind of hoping you have enough other interaction in your deck that you don’t have to throw this in there.
Colossal Growth image 2.5 This looks like a very good trick to me. Two for +3/+3 is a great boost that wins most combats, and the kicker makes this absolutely devastating in many situations. It IS still a trick, with all the problems they have, but one that is of this high of quality is going to be something you basically never cut the first copy of in aggressive decks.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Keldon Strike Team
Territorial Maro image 1.5 This references an old card that itself referenced Mark Rosewater, so that’s funny! The card doesn’t seem great to me though. It will be a 5-mana 4/4 reasonably often, and even when you do manage to set up Domain pretty well, it is still a huge vanilla creature at best, and that often isn’t enough to get the job done. There are better domain payoffs out there than this.
Academy Wall image 2.0 This isn’t the most exciting spell payoff ever, especially because it is stapled to such a mediocre creature, but hey – it can block and stuff, and then give you some nice Looting. It has Defender too, and that matters some. It seems like it definitely has a role to play in both UR and UB spell decks – and less of one in UW, since that deck would prefer creatures that can attack.
Flowstone Kavu image 3.0 A three mana 2/3 with Menace is already a solid card, so the fact that this can buff its power is quite nice. This will be able to attack effectively on a whole lot of boards, since it can always threaten to be a 4/1, and it has to be blocked by two creatures – and that makes it pretty hard for your opponent to block it without losing at least one creature. I think this is going to be sneaky good.
Keldon Strike Team image 3.5 This looks really good to me. If you don’t kick it, it is a 3-mana 3/1 with Haste that gives Haste to your whole board the turn it comes down. Then, when you kick it, you pay 5 mana for 5/3 worth of stats spread across three bodies. This gets an extra bonus from the fact that RW especially really wants to go wide. Also keep in mind, because it has Haste it can actually be Enlisted the turn it comes down, unlike most creatures. So yeah, seems like a really good Common to me.
Tolarian Terror image 3.0 Seems like a solid enough spell payoff. If you can pay 5 for this, you’ll be happy, and that seems like a pretty reasonable occurrence in a Blue-Red deck. Ward 2 means that it won’t be easy for your opponent to kill this without significantly overpaying, and that definitely matters.
Samite Herbalist image 2.0 The idea here is to tap this for Enlist effects, and it is certainly nice to get that extra value when you do. Obviously it can also just give you this trigger when it attacks, and any time you can at least trad with it, that will feel fine. It also works with crewing vehicles!
Broken Wings image 1.5 As usual, this is passable if you have to main deck it, because it can target enough different things – but you’re kind of hoping you have enough other interaction in your deck that you don’t have to throw this in there.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Zar Ojanen, Scion of Efrava
Zar Ojanen, Scion of Efrava image 3.5 This is another very sweet signpost Uncommon. Its ability will trigger when you attack – or if you Enlist – and that’s great. Now, actually buffing Zar himself isn’t going ot be easy, since you would need a full 5 basic land types, but the ability will be able to buff a huge chunk of your board in a lot of situations. Obviously you can’t do it over and over b because the creatures will get too big, but buffing all of yoru 2/2s and smaller seems like it will go down a decent chunk of the time, and that’s going to be plenty strong.
Djinn of the Fountain image 3.0 This has some kind of mediocre base stats, but its modal Prowess-like ability is pretty sweet, even if all of the options are kind of small. You’ll always have an option that is relevant though, since Scrying is something you can always do and get an advantage from. It benefits from the fact that there are three Blue archetypes in the format that are into instants and sorceries too!
Tidepool Turtle image 1.5 It is kind of sad this doesn’t have Defender, because then at least it would slot in nicely to the defender deck! Obviously not having Defender does mean it can attack, but how often do you rumble with your ⅖ anyway? So, yeah..this has alright stats for a defensive creature, and a useful – albeit very expansive – mana sink ability. Seems like the kind of creature you end up cutting more than you play.
Molten Monstrosity image 2.5 This is going to feel pretty miserable if you have an empty board, and you kind of need at least a three power creature for this to feel like you’re doing okay. But it is hard to imagine curve outs where this comes down super early, unless you manage to have a 4 power creature as a two or three drop. You probably mostly play this on turn 5 when you’re curving out, and while that’s good, it isn’t amazing.
Deathbloom Gardener image 1.5 This card seems super awkward to me. A three mana 1/1 is a horrendous stat-line – dying to any 1 damage or -1/-1 effect is brutal when you’re paying three mana! And uh..yeah, it does have death touch and can tap for mana of any color, but those two abilities together is super weird. Because if you’re tapping it for mana it isn’t going to be available to block and trade for stuff with its Deathtouch. This just seems overcosted on all fronts – but it does provide fixing in a format where you’re often going to be playing a 3rd color so you can pay for off-color kicker. Still, I think you’re hoping for some of the more impactful fixing out there than this thing.
Voda Sea Scavenger image 1.5 This doesn’t seem very good to me. It has what are definitely mediocre stats these days, and the ability just gives you pseudo-scry, but how good it is is highly dependent on your lands – and it also isn’t nearly as good as Scry, because you have far less control over the cards.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Hexbane Tortoise
Walking Bulwark image 1.5 // 3.5 This is pretty interesting! On its own, it is sort of like a one mana 0/3 that loses defender and gets +3/+0 and Haste if you pay 2 mana. That’s not completely terrible, and obviously it gets better the more Defenders you have, and there is a Defender deck in this format. Seems like a decent enough one drop for a variety of decks that will also have a more synergistic home in the format.
Hexbane Tortoise image 2.0 Thanks to Ward, this is a bit harder to kill with removal, but still pretty easy to trade with. Adding Enlist to the mix is nice, but this is definitely an Enlist creature that can easily be traded with by virtually any two drop, and that certainly lessens its impact.
Geothermal Bog image 3.0 The fact that these have land types is a big deal, because it will really make Domain decks in the format far more functional. I also think that means that, even though these come into play tapped, they are going to be a little bit higher on your pick order than the pain lands are – at least once it is clear you’re going with one of the domain decks, because just jamming these lands into your deck is going to be a big deal. I think these will be valued similarly to how we valued snow lands in Kaldheim – which means they are pretty darn important! They are also useful of course in decks without a Domain theme because of the fixing they provide, and lots of decks in this format will be looking to splash at least a third color, because there are lots of cards in the set that have off-color Kicker costs
Bog Badger image 2.5 Three mana for a 3/3 is still a pretty good rate these days, so the fact you can kick this to give your board menace is certainly nice. It isn’t the kind of thing that always matters, but it matters often enough to be legitimate upside.
Gibbering Barricade image 2.5 This slots in nicely in the Defender deck, as well as in the Sacrifice and graveyard decks – and on top of that, it is just a decent card in any Black deck. A 3-mana 2/4 Defender can really lock down the ground for awhile, and the ability to cash stuff in is pretty sweet.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Benalish Faithbonder
Tolarian Terror image 3.0 Seems like a solid enough spell payoff. If you can pay 5 for this, you’ll be happy, and that seems like a pretty reasonable occurrence in a Blue-Red deck. Ward 2 means that it won’t be easy for your opponent to kill this without significantly overpaying, and that definitely matters.
Benalish Faithbonder image 2.0 A two mana 1/3 with Vigilance is probably a 1.5 -- adding Enlist is pretty nice on a Vigilance creature too, because Enlist naturally has you tap something extra down when you attack, but at least your enlist creature doesn’t get tapped!
Haunting Figment image 2.0 It is a little weird to see a mono-Blue card with Vigilance…but anyway, this seems like a fine two drop. Blue really likes spells, so it will be unblockable a substantial chunk of the time, and even when it isn’t, it is decent on the Vanilla test.
Talas Lookout image 3.0 This has passable stats for a Flyer, and a pretty nice death trigger that means you’ll usually get a 2-for-1 out of it.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Ertai's Scorn
Ertai's Scorn image 1.5 So, this is Cancel that will cost one less if your opponent is playing more spells. Cancel is usually a 1.5 in Limited these days – three mana is a ton to leave up to counter something when you could just be adding to the board with that mana – and while the upside to make this cheaper is there, I don’t think it is that much better than Cancel.
Vanquisher's Axe image 1.5 This isn’t the most efficient Equipment ever, but it isn’t a complete disaster either. It may be particularly good in RW, where you want higher attack than toughness – and it also helps the Equipment and Artifact sub-themes in the set. Still, it probably gets cut from many decks.
Shore Up image 2.0 At one mana, this is pretty impressive for a trick! It only offers +1/+1, which isn’t always enough to win combat, but the untap effect and the hexproof also means it has some additional utility. Any time a trick gives a real boost and only costs one, it tends to be solid in Limited, and I think that’s what this will be.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Djinn of the Fountain
Djinn of the Fountain image 3.0 This has some kind of mediocre base stats, but its modal Prowess-like ability is pretty sweet, even if all of the options are kind of small. You’ll always have an option that is relevant though, since Scrying is something you can always do and get an advantage from. It benefits from the fact that there are three Blue archetypes in the format that are into instants and sorceries too!
Voda Sea Scavenger image 1.5 This doesn’t seem very good to me. It has what are definitely mediocre stats these days, and the ability just gives you pseudo-scry, but how good it is is highly dependent on your lands – and it also isn’t nearly as good as Scry, because you have far less control over the cards.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Shield-Wall Sentinel
Shield-Wall Sentinel image 0.0 // 2.5 Like all of these Defender matters cards, this is a build around. If you can use it to tutor something up – especially one of the powerful win conditions the deck has – it is going to feel really good. If you don’t have a decent Defender to tutor up, you’ll never play this, because its stats are awful.
Draft Pick Overview