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Quick Draft DMU 17 January 2023

17 January 03:08 - ObsidianVeil 7 Wins - 1 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (17)
1 Llanowar Greenwidow image
2 Tatyova, Steward of Tides image
1 Yavimaya Iconoclast image
3 Vineshaper Prodigy image
1 Soaring Drake image
1 Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief image
3 Pixie Illusionist image
1 Deathbloom Gardener image
1 Llanowar Stalker image
1 Magnigoth Sentry image
1 Nael, Avizoa Aeronaut image
1 Elfhame Wurm image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (6)
1 Timely Interference image
1 Phyrexian Espionage image
1 Tolarian Geyser image
1 Strength of the Coalition image
2 Shore Up image
Land (17)
1 Radiant Grove image
1 Idyllic Beachfront image
1 Contaminated Aquifer image
1 Wooded Ridgeline image
6 Island image
7 Forest image
Sideboard
1 Haunting Figment image
1 Salvaged Manaworker image
1 Rona, Sheoldred's Faithful image
1 Bortuk Bonerattle image
1 Deathbloom Gardener image
1 Llanowar Stalker image
1 Argivian Phalanx image
1 Shore Up image
2 Impede Momentum image
1 Shadow Prophecy image
1 Negate image
1 Scout the Wilderness image
1 Leyline Binding image
1 Essence Scatter image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Llanowar Greenwidow
Llanowar Greenwidow image 4.0 This looks quite good! Its base stats are excellent, and it can come back from the graveyard once. Now, the cost for bringing back is pretty hefty – even if you have three land types you’re still paying five, but you’re still generating a 2-for-1, and both times this thing is around it is problematic enough that your opponent has to take it into account.
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.
Sheoldred's Restoration image 2.5 This is a pretty nice reanimation spell. They usually cost 5 these days, so spending one mana less for the effect is nice, even if you lose life – and when you kick it you even gain life, which is pretty nice! Now, it still has the problem these always have – it isn’t always easy having something worth reanimating, but graveyard decks in this format look fairly legit, and this card does too.
Cleaving Skyrider image 4.0 This is a very good Uncommon. I’m already in on a 3-mana 2/2 Flyer with Flash, so adding the big upside of the Kicker is really nice. You can Flash it in when you’re the one attacking to killa blocker or something – or help you do lethal to your opponent – but it is pretty sweet that you can also use it when your opponent is attacking you, in which cases it will usually account for two bodies, between killing one and blocking out. Paying 6 for this is just going to do a ton of work in many situations. Now, there will be times where you just have to run this out as a Wind Drake, but that’s a pretty decent fail case.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 1 Pick 2: Tatyova, Steward of Tides
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
Snarespinner image 1.5 This can block early game Flyers incredibly well, and it has passable base stats.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Pack 1 Pick 3: Yavimaya Iconoclast
Uurg, Spawn of Turg image 3.5 Like all the signpost Uncommons in this set, this is quite good. It starts out a bit small, but the card selection/graveyard-loading ability it brings is actually pretty nice, especially because it synergizes with graveyard stuff to begin with. The ability to give up lands for life will come up some too, though most of the value here is from the upkeep trigger.
Yavimaya Iconoclast image 3.5 This is going to be such a beating when your opponent can kick it on turn three! A 3-mana 4/3 Trampler with Haste is no joke, and the fail case here is still a creature that is above rate.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 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
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.
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
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 1 Pick 4: Vineshaper Prodigy
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Radiant Grove
Warhost's Frenzy image 2.5 This is nice for a Trumpet Blast-type effect. The kicker upside is pretty real, because sometimes buffing your whole board isn’t worth it if too much of your stuff dies. This makes sure they all get replaced! At the same time, it is sort of awwkard, because you often don’t use a card like this unless you can do lethal on the spot. But I guess you’ll be willing to cast this more often when you don’t have lethal thanks to that upside. It does give it some upside as sort of a weird defensive spell too, since you can use it in response to removal or something if you’re desperate. I think this has the potential for a pretty insane ceiling, but it still has a pretty mediocre floor.
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
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.
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
Phyrexian Vivisector image 2.5 While not the most exciting death payoff ever, this does have solid stats, and Scrying can really add up!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Timely Interference
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.
Micromancer image 1.0 // 3.0 If your deck has three spells this can search it up, it is going to be pretty powerful! If your deck has 0 spells this can search up, you shouldn’t be playing it. Sounds like a pretty classic build around! It is unplayable with 0 spells, and gets slightly better with one, and then significantly better with two and three.
Yotia Declares War image 2.0 This doesn’t seem amazing, mostly because this format has a serious shortage of Artifacts. This really takes away the modality of this particular Read Ahead Saga, because you basically always need to start with Chapter I, because you’re not ultra likely to have an artifact in play to trigger the other stuff. I think you can really only count on this making a 0/2 Thopter, pinging something, and letting that Thopter attack as a 4/4. That’s pretty good for two mana, even if you have to wait – and obviously if you do manage to get some decent Artifacts to support this it gets a lot better. Your opponent can of course kill the Thopter before chapter II or III, but at least you’re trading 1-for-1…so it isn’t a disaster
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Phyrexian Espionage
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
Pack 1 Pick 8: Idyllic Beachfront
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Tatyova, Steward of Tides
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.
Sheoldred's Restoration image 2.5 This is a pretty nice reanimation spell. They usually cost 5 these days, so spending one mana less for the effect is nice, even if you lose life – and when you kick it you even gain life, which is pretty nice! Now, it still has the problem these always have – it isn’t always easy having something worth reanimating, but graveyard decks in this format look fairly legit, and this card does too.
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.
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.
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.
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 10: Haunting Figment
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
Pack 1 Pick 11: Tolarian Geyser
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.
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.
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 1 Pick 12: Soaring Drake
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.
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.”
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 1 Pick 13: Salvaged Manaworker
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.
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 1 Pick 14: Rona, Sheoldred's Faithful
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.
Pack 2 Pick 1: 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.
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.
Twinferno image 2.0 This is a pretty neat modal spell. Both halves of it can be really good in the right situation, but you often find yourself unable to manufacture that situation consistently. Jamming both modes together definitely helps, though.
Hero's Heirloom image 2.5 This is a decentish piece of Equipment even without the Legendary upside. 2 to play and 2 to equip for this boost is probably a C- at worst So, the legendary upside is pretty nice! You won’t end up with a ton of legendaries, it should be noted, but there are a decent number of Uncommon, so you’ll end up with more than you would in most formats. Your typical deck will probably have like 2 legendaries, but when you do play them and equip this, they are going to be scary!
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
Pack 2 Pick 2: Vineshaper Prodigy
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.
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.
Cleaving Skyrider image 4.0 This is a very good Uncommon. I’m already in on a 3-mana 2/2 Flyer with Flash, so adding the big upside of the Kicker is really nice. You can Flash it in when you’re the one attacking to killa blocker or something – or help you do lethal to your opponent – but it is pretty sweet that you can also use it when your opponent is attacking you, in which cases it will usually account for two bodies, between killing one and blocking out. Paying 6 for this is just going to do a ton of work in many situations. Now, there will be times where you just have to run this out as a Wind Drake, but that’s a pretty decent fail case.
Barkweave Crusher image 2.0 Giving an Enlist creature high toughness is interesting, because a lot of them can buff their power but still die pretty easily in combat, so you’re often hoping you can just attack with those creatures in situations where your opponent doesn’t have an option other than a mediocre trade. So, this is more likely to survive after getting buffed by Enlist, but it also takes some more work to make it hit hard.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 2 Pick 3: Pixie Illusionist
Urza Assembles the Titans image 0.0 This is unplayable in Limited. Planeswalkers are only at Mythic Rare in this set, so the various effects this has are almost always meaningless. Paying 5 to Scry 4 is not what you want to be doing! Even if you have 2 Planeswalkers by some stroke of luck, this is still bad.
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.
Twinferno image 2.0 This is a pretty neat modal spell. Both halves of it can be really good in the right situation, but you often find yourself unable to manufacture that situation consistently. Jamming both modes together definitely helps, though.
Ghitu Amplifier image 3.0 This is pretty neat. So, if you don’t kick it, the card is a slightly weaker Kiln Fiend – which means that it can really thrive off of cheap spells and hit hard in the early game. Then, in the late game, you can kick this thing and bounce a creature, which you know is an effect I always love – adding to the board and subtracting from your opponent’s is quite good! I really want to give this a 3.5 but I think I’m letting my own affinity for this type of card push me in that direction – it is probably more like a 3.0.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Contaminated Aquifer
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!
Cleaving Skyrider image 4.0 This is a very good Uncommon. I’m already in on a 3-mana 2/2 Flyer with Flash, so adding the big upside of the Kicker is really nice. You can Flash it in when you’re the one attacking to killa blocker or something – or help you do lethal to your opponent – but it is pretty sweet that you can also use it when your opponent is attacking you, in which cases it will usually account for two bodies, between killing one and blocking out. Paying 6 for this is just going to do a ton of work in many situations. Now, there will be times where you just have to run this out as a Wind Drake, but that’s a pretty decent fail case.
Combat Research image 2.0 Putting this on a legendary creature will feel pretty darn good, as it the stats boost is likely to allow you to more easily draw a card, and Ward 1 means it is harder for you to get blown out. This isn’t quite Curious Obsession – but it does a pretty good impression, which means it will be great to put on evasive creatures, who can suddenly start drawing you extra cards. There are also lots of situations where it isn’t very good, though. There just isn’t always a board state where you can force a creature through.
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
Magnigoth Sentry image 2.5 Nothing fancy here, but this has solid stats and it can block Flyers! Definitely an upgrade over Giant Spider!
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.
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.
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.
Llanowar Stalker image 1.0 My first instinct with a card like this is that it is just awful. I mean, it is a one mana 1/1 that will be a 2/1 on some turns, and if you really get things going – a 3/1 or 4/1 – but it can still just be traded with by a 1/1 Soldier token, so it really isn’t that impressive. Enlist makes this card a little more interesting, because if this can tap and buff your other creatures by 2 on most turns, that’s pretty good value. Still…the fail case of the card is pretty dang bad, and I’m not sure the Enlist upside does enough to change my mind.
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.
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 2 Pick 5: Strength of the Coalition
Aron, Benalia's Ruin image 4.0 Overall, this is a pretty good card – but it does have kind of an awkward ability. Pumping your whole board is great – and an ability you want to be going wide for – but you have to sacrifice a creature..which means your board will have one less creature. There are definitely expendable bodies around, but the ability still feels a little weird. Still a good card overall, though. I mean, it is a 3-mana 3/3 with Menace with pretty big upside.
Monstrous War-Leech image 2.0 The ceiling for this card is just that it is a really efficient vanilla creature. That’s not super impressive to me. You’re going to need to have some other reasons to mill yourself to really want to play this, since it can enable other self-mill payoffs – and you’re going to need them, since this isn’t a great one. It also feels like mana values are a little lower than usual in this set as a result of all the Kicker, so this really may not be well-positioned for the format.
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.
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!
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!
Barkweave Crusher image 2.0 Giving an Enlist creature high toughness is interesting, because a lot of them can buff their power but still die pretty easily in combat, so you’re often hoping you can just attack with those creatures in situations where your opponent doesn’t have an option other than a mediocre trade. So, this is more likely to survive after getting buffed by Enlist, but it also takes some more work to make it hit hard.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Deathbloom Gardener
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Ghitu Amplifier image 3.0 This is pretty neat. So, if you don’t kick it, the card is a slightly weaker Kiln Fiend – which means that it can really thrive off of cheap spells and hit hard in the early game. Then, in the late game, you can kick this thing and bounce a creature, which you know is an effect I always love – adding to the board and subtracting from your opponent’s is quite good! I really want to give this a 3.5 but I think I’m letting my own affinity for this type of card push me in that direction – it is probably more like a 3.0.
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 2 Pick 7: Deathbloom Gardener
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Bortuk Bonerattle
Bortuk Bonerattle image 3.5 This looks like a very nice signpost Uncommon. A 6-mana 4/4 that gets back a creature from the graveyard is already pretty decent, but the upside of straight-up reanimating things is pretty incredible! You’ll usually be able to reanimate a 2 drop, and reanimating something that costs 3 or 4 isn’t out of the question in this format either.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Shore Up
Twinferno image 2.0 This is a pretty neat modal spell. Both halves of it can be really good in the right situation, but you often find yourself unable to manufacture that situation consistently. Jamming both modes together definitely helps, though.
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.
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.
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
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 2 Pick 10: Scout the Wilderness
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.
Barkweave Crusher image 2.0 Giving an Enlist creature high toughness is interesting, because a lot of them can buff their power but still die pretty easily in combat, so you’re often hoping you can just attack with those creatures in situations where your opponent doesn’t have an option other than a mediocre trade. So, this is more likely to survive after getting buffed by Enlist, but it also takes some more work to make it hit hard.
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.
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.
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
Pack 2 Pick 11: Negate
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.
Twinferno image 2.0 This is a pretty neat modal spell. Both halves of it can be really good in the right situation, but you often find yourself unable to manufacture that situation consistently. Jamming both modes together definitely helps, though.
Ghitu Amplifier image 3.0 This is pretty neat. So, if you don’t kick it, the card is a slightly weaker Kiln Fiend – which means that it can really thrive off of cheap spells and hit hard in the early game. Then, in the late game, you can kick this thing and bounce a creature, which you know is an effect I always love – adding to the board and subtracting from your opponent’s is quite good! I really want to give this a 3.5 but I think I’m letting my own affinity for this type of card push me in that direction – it is probably more like a 3.0.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Llanowar Stalker
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!
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.
Llanowar Stalker image 1.0 My first instinct with a card like this is that it is just awful. I mean, it is a one mana 1/1 that will be a 2/1 on some turns, and if you really get things going – a 3/1 or 4/1 – but it can still just be traded with by a 1/1 Soldier token, so it really isn’t that impressive. Enlist makes this card a little more interesting, because if this can tap and buff your other creatures by 2 on most turns, that’s pretty good value. Still…the fail case of the card is pretty dang bad, and I’m not sure the Enlist upside does enough to change my mind.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Shadow Prophecy
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.
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 14: Impede Momentum
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 3 Pick 1: Leyline Binding
Leyline Binding image 4.0 This looks like premium removal to me. You’ll cast it for 5 at the very most, and while that’s not ideal, a 5-mana Oblivion Ring with Flash is a pretty good baseline. You’ll often be able to cast it for 4, and casting it for three is also quite doable. Adding Flash is no small thing either, as it really opens up blow-up potential that most versions of this type of effect aren’t capable up.
Bortuk Bonerattle image 3.5 This looks like a very nice signpost Uncommon. A 6-mana 4/4 that gets back a creature from the graveyard is already pretty decent, but the upside of straight-up reanimating things is pretty incredible! You’ll usually be able to reanimate a 2 drop, and reanimating something that costs 3 or 4 isn’t out of the question in this format either.
Twinferno image 2.0 This is a pretty neat modal spell. Both halves of it can be really good in the right situation, but you often find yourself unable to manufacture that situation consistently. Jamming both modes together definitely helps, though.
Cleaving Skyrider image 4.0 This is a very good Uncommon. I’m already in on a 3-mana 2/2 Flyer with Flash, so adding the big upside of the Kicker is really nice. You can Flash it in when you’re the one attacking to killa blocker or something – or help you do lethal to your opponent – but it is pretty sweet that you can also use it when your opponent is attacking you, in which cases it will usually account for two bodies, between killing one and blocking out. Paying 6 for this is just going to do a ton of work in many situations. Now, there will be times where you just have to run this out as a Wind Drake, but that’s a pretty decent fail case.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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!
Pack 3 Pick 2: Magnigoth Sentry
Rundvelt Hordemaster image 0.0 This set really doesn’t have enough Goblins to make this worth playing most of the time. There is one common Goblin in Red and one common Goblin in Black – two Uncommon Goblins, and one Rare Goblin. That’s just not enough for you to end up with the critical mass this requires. If it just had decent stats, then it would be worth playing in a deck that just had like two Goblins, but as is? It really isn’t. The lord effect won’t buff enough things, and the death trigger won’t allow you to cast enough of your cards. You would need 7 or so Goblins to make this worth it, and you’re not going to get there.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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
Lightning Strike image 4.0 This is always great. Two mana to do 3 to anything at instant speed is very powerful. It can trade up when killing creatures, and the fact it can close out a game by going to your opponents face is nice.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Magnigoth Sentry image 2.5 Nothing fancy here, but this has solid stats and it can block Flyers! Definitely an upgrade over Giant Spider!
Pack 3 Pick 3: Nael, Avizoa Aeronaut
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.
Blight Pile image 1.5 // 3.0 This looks like a very real win condition for the Defender deck. And, even outside of the defender deck, a two mana 3/3 with Defender is actually a solid thing to have around if you’re a control deck. It shuts down a lot of early attackers. It can also always make your opponent lose 1 life at a time, even outside of the defender deck. Like the other Defender payoffs in the format, I think I have to give this a regular grade and a Defender deck grade.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Tattered Apparition image 1.5 This has pretty bad base stats, but the fact you can pump mana into it to pumps those stats definitely matters, as this can be a real problem in the later stages of the game. It is pretty mediocre early though, and the mana it asks for can be a ton, even in the late game
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.
Ghitu Amplifier image 3.0 This is pretty neat. So, if you don’t kick it, the card is a slightly weaker Kiln Fiend – which means that it can really thrive off of cheap spells and hit hard in the early game. Then, in the late game, you can kick this thing and bounce a creature, which you know is an effect I always love – adding to the board and subtracting from your opponent’s is quite good! I really want to give this a 3.5 but I think I’m letting my own affinity for this type of card push me in that direction – it is probably more like a 3.0.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Wooded Ridgeline
Love Song of Night and Day image 3.0 I think you’ll frequently want to skip Chapter I here, since it does benefit your opponent as well as you, and really they come out ahead in most ways, since you spent mana and a card and they just got to draw 2 cards for 0 mana! Sometimes you’ll do chapter I, like if you’re desperate for a specific card or really need some gas – but the good news is, just getting chapter II and chapter III is plenty fo value for the investment.
Sheoldred's Restoration image 2.5 This is a pretty nice reanimation spell. They usually cost 5 these days, so spending one mana less for the effect is nice, even if you lose life – and when you kick it you even gain life, which is pretty nice! Now, it still has the problem these always have – it isn’t always easy having something worth reanimating, but graveyard decks in this format look fairly legit, and this card does too.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Yavimaya Sojourner image 1.5 This can be a pretty efficient vanilla creature – but even in this format, playing it super early as an efficient creature won’t exactly be easy, so I’m not sure the fact it can be discounted is that big of a deal, because by the time you can cast it for like four mana, the game will be pretty well-developed anyway, and a vanilla 4/6 isn’t going to change the game or anything. This asks for significant set up and the payoff doesn’t really seem worth it to me.
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.
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 5: Essence Scatter
Tori D'Avenant, Fury Rider image 3.5 Attacking with this is going to be pretty awesome on most boards, as the buffs it offers yoru creature are enough to really make them great attackers. The downside is you have a Gray Ogre that can die relatively easy in combat, but chances are good that attacking with it will be worth it. As long as it trades while buffing your whole board, you’re going to feel good about it.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Toxic Abomination image 1.5 I feel like this mostly isn’t worth it. Sure, the base stats are good, but these days a vanilla two mana 3/2 isn’t that amazing in Limited. Even without the loss of two life, this would probably just end up as a 2.0. It can trade up for sure, but yeah. It is a fine two drop if you’re in a really aggressive Black deck, but apart from that I’m not that impressed
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.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Pixie Illusionist
Raff, Weatherlight Stalwart image 3.5 This looks like a strong signpost Uncommon. Tapping things to draw extra cards sounds good to me, and then he comes with a nice ability for buffing the whole board. Basically, both of his effects are about going wide as possible and reaping the benefits.
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.
Ghitu Amplifier image 3.0 This is pretty neat. So, if you don’t kick it, the card is a slightly weaker Kiln Fiend – which means that it can really thrive off of cheap spells and hit hard in the early game. Then, in the late game, you can kick this thing and bounce a creature, which you know is an effect I always love – adding to the board and subtracting from your opponent’s is quite good! I really want to give this a 3.5 but I think I’m letting my own affinity for this type of card push me in that direction – it is probably more like a 3.0.
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.
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!
Llanowar Stalker image 1.0 My first instinct with a card like this is that it is just awful. I mean, it is a one mana 1/1 that will be a 2/1 on some turns, and if you really get things going – a 3/1 or 4/1 – but it can still just be traded with by a 1/1 Soldier token, so it really isn’t that impressive. Enlist makes this card a little more interesting, because if this can tap and buff your other creatures by 2 on most turns, that’s pretty good value. Still…the fail case of the card is pretty dang bad, and I’m not sure the Enlist upside does enough to change my mind.
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.
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!
Gaea's Might image 2.0 This is a reprint from the last time the Phyrexian invaded, and it makes for a pretty reasonable combat trick. Getting +2/+2 out of it is easy, and it will often be Giant Growth – and sometimes even better! The set up is real, though.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Vineshaper Prodigy
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.”
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Shore Up
Balmor, Battlemage Captain image 3.5 This is another nice spell payoff! That trigger is super strong, even if you only have a couple of creatures, and it is the kind of thing your opponent has to respect – the threat of activation is very real. The question is how easy it will be to go wide enough to really take advantage of this, but my feeling is you don’t have to go that wide to make this impressive.
Joint Exploration image 3.0 The base card is pretty solid. Two mana to get a look at up to three cards is a reasonable deal, and if you can kick it the ramp is pretty real! I like that you get to Scry two before your draw, because that means you can increase your chances of hitting a land you need to get the ramp effect to matter. It doesn’t always add to the board, even when you kick it, but it is cheap enough and Instant speed, so that makes that less of a problem.
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!
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.
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.
Phyrexian Vivisector image 2.5 While not the most exciting death payoff ever, this does have solid stats, and Scrying can really add up!
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.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Elfhame Wurm
Twinferno image 2.0 This is a pretty neat modal spell. Both halves of it can be really good in the right situation, but you often find yourself unable to manufacture that situation consistently. Jamming both modes together definitely helps, though.
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.
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.
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
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!
Pack 3 Pick 10: Impede Momentum
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Pixie Illusionist
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.
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.
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.
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 12: Shore Up
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.
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.
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: Argivian Phalanx
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.
Toxic Abomination image 1.5 I feel like this mostly isn’t worth it. Sure, the base stats are good, but these days a vanilla two mana 3/2 isn’t that amazing in Limited. Even without the loss of two life, this would probably just end up as a 2.0. It can trade up for sure, but yeah. It is a fine two drop if you’re in a really aggressive Black deck, but apart from that I’m not that impressed
Pack 3 Pick 14: Llanowar Stalker
Llanowar Stalker image 1.0 My first instinct with a card like this is that it is just awful. I mean, it is a one mana 1/1 that will be a 2/1 on some turns, and if you really get things going – a 3/1 or 4/1 – but it can still just be traded with by a 1/1 Soldier token, so it really isn’t that impressive. Enlist makes this card a little more interesting, because if this can tap and buff your other creatures by 2 on most turns, that’s pretty good value. Still…the fail case of the card is pretty dang bad, and I’m not sure the Enlist upside does enough to change my mind.
Draft Pick Overview