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Traditional Draft SIR 24 March 2023

24 March 03:57 - tgtoggi 3 Wins - 0 Losses
Maindeck
Planeswalker (1)
1 Liliana, the Last Hope image
Creature (11)
2 Ghoulcaller's Accomplice image
1 Diregraf Captain image
4 Thraben Foulbloods image
1 Haunted Dead image
1 Ingenious Skaab image
1 Gavony Unhallowed image
1 Field Creeper image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (12)
3 Gisa's Bidding image
2 Borrowed Malevolence image
1 Compelling Deterrence image
1 Grotesque Mutation image
1 Ongoing Investigation image
1 Dead Weight image
1 Drag Under image
1 Certain Death image
1 Terrarion image
Land (16)
1 Westvale Abbey // Ormendahl, Profane Prince image
7 Island image
8 Swamp image
Sideboard
1 Thraben Inspector image
1 Lone Rider image
1 Drogskol Shieldmate image
1 Mournwillow image
1 Fiend Binder image
1 Sigardian Priest image
2 Laboratory Brute image
1 Fogwalker image
1 Battleground Geist image
1 Groundskeeper image
1 Grotesque Mutation image
1 Borrowed Grace image
1 True-Faith Censer image
1 Moonmist image
1 Pick the Brain image
1 Explosive Apparatus image
1 Spontaneous Mutation image
1 Aim High image
1 Hanweir Battlements image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Liliana, the Last Hope
Elder Cathar image 3.0 This is a pretty nice payoff for Humans. Paying 3 mana for 4/4 worth of stats feels pretty good, and also makes the Cathar good sacrifice fodder.
Liliana, the Last Hope image 4.0 If you play her on turn three, she will often allow you to run away with the game. You’ll often use her +1 to kill your opponent’s only creature, and then start alternating between her -2 and the +1. She is great for loading your graveyard in a format where that really matters, and she grants some real card advantage too.
Ulvenwald Captive image 3.0 As is true in most formats, ramping your mana is pretty good! Even when it is attached to a two mana ½ with Defender. Its transformation isn’t the most impressive, but it does let you ramp mana even more, it gets bigger, and it loses defender.
Shreds of Sanity image 2.0 If you’re in Red there’s a good chance you have a nice mix of Instants and Sorceries, and if you do, this is a pretty nice way to get back some removal spells.
Mournwillow image 3.0 This is not the most exciting signpost Uncommon ever, its Delirium ETB ability isn’t always relevant, so it is kind of a pain that you have to jump through hoops to even get it to do its thing. Still, hard to go wrong when the card’s baseline is a three mana 3/2 with Haste.
Soul Separator image 1.0 You need a nicely stocked graveyard and lots of spare mana to fully utilize this. So, basically, this is a little bit too clunky, and asks too much of you at the same time.
Devilthorn Fox image 1.5 A vanilla two mana 3/1 was better back in 2016, and this will be far more playable in this format than it is in more recent ones.
Epitaph Golem image 0.0 // 2.5 This is better than it looks! This is a format where you can actually end up milling yourself out, especially in Black-Green. Once your library is out of cards, the Golem not only helps you avoid losing because you’re out of cards – it also effectively lets you draw whatever card you want every single turn. It takes a fairly particular deck for this to make the cut, though.
Certain Death image 2.5 This is certainly clunky, but it deals with anything and drains 2 life, which helps offset how expensive it is.
True-Faith Censer image 3.0 This is a very efficient Equipment, especially if you’re in Green-White and have lots of humans. +2/+1 and Vigilance is enough to make just about any creature into a problem.
Drownyard Explorers image 2.0 This has decent defensive stats, and eventually draws you a card. It is a fine card for the grindy Clue decks, though most other decks aren’t that interested.
Insolent Neonate image 2.5 This is a solid one drop that can chip in for some nice damage early, and then cash itself in for a card later in the game.
Briarbridge Patrol image 3.0 This isn’t quite as good as it looks, which is partly why they downshifted it from Uncommon. A 4-mana 3/3 isn’t very good, and while this has a big text box, it doesn’t do anything that good. It does generate Clues for you whether it blocks or gets blocked, which means you do ultimately get a 2-for-1 out of it pretty often. I wouldn’t count on being able to effectively utilize the card’s other ability, though. These sorts of effects always underperform in Limited, partly because you can’t really build a deck with enough monsters to cheat into play. So, you don’t often have something worth putting into play with the effect – oftentimes, it is better to just hold on to all of your clues.
Field Creeper image 1.5 This is a little better than it looks. It is both an Artifact and a Creature, which means it gets you halfway to Delirium all on its own.
Bloodbriar image 2.5 This is a pretty real payoff for sacrifice decks, and it has passable base stats.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Thraben Inspector
Moonmist image 0.5 Even with all this additional upside, this is still a fog, and those are rarely worth it in Limited.
Selfless Spirit image 4.0 This is a great aggressive two drop, and the ability to offer indestructibility to your whole board gives it some amazing upside that will really frustrate your opponent.
Gatstaf Arsonists image 2.5 This is a solid finisher. A 5-mana 5/4 is obviously not great, but a 5-mana 6/5 with Menace? Yeah, that closes out a lot of games.
Fleeting Memories image 1.0 Clues are good and all, but this isn’t a great format to try and mill your opponent out in. Several decks in this format want cards in their graveyard. Turning on their delirium and Flashback cards isn’t really something you want to be doing. There are some clue-heavy control decks where this can work out as a win condition, but you’re really playing with fire.
Hope Against Hope image 1.0 This Aura isn’t really worth the downside. Sure, it can offer a massive boost – but there are times where it doesn’t offer a big enough one to off-set how dangerous playing this card is. Your board already has to be good in most scenarios, too. Getting 2-for-1’d is a big enough risk that you need your Auras to do more than this.
Pieces of the Puzzle image 2.5 If your deck is spell heavy enough (so, mostly UR) this ends up being better than divination, especially because it loads your graveyard too! Outside of Blue-Red it becomes more questionable, though.
Magmatic Chasm image 0.0 // 2.0 You’re not going to play this unless you’re an all-in aggro deck, and even then it is sometimes a real problem that flyers can still block.
Gavony Unhallowed image 2.0 This starts with some pretty bad stats, but it can definitely grow in this format, especially in a deck like Black-White, which has a substantial amount of Sacrifice stuff.
Thraben Inspector image 3.0 This is a nice one drop. Generating a clue is great value to add to a one mana ½, and it even has a useful creature type.
Drag Under image 2.5 Bouncing something at Sorcery speed and going down a card normally isn’t worth it. However, this replaces itself, which makes a really big difference! It means you still get the tempo but don’t go down a card, and there’s a spell deck in this format, so any spell that draws you a card already gets more value.
Confront the Unknown image 1.5 This only gives +1/+1 a little too often to be anything special. Some really clue-heavy decks can get some good use out of this, but it isn’t exactly the payoff you’re hoping for.
Weirded Vampire image 1.5 This is bad if you don’t cast it with Madness, and mediocre when you do.
Explosive Apparatus image 1.5 This is by no means efficient, but if you’re hurting for Artifacts to get Delirium going more consistently, it can do the job.
Grotesque Mutation image 2.0 This is a decent trick. While the small toughness boost isn’t going to always keep your creature alive, the lifelink can really alter a race in your favor.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Lone Rider
Confirm Suspicions image 1.5 Counter magic that is this expensive usually isn’t worth playing in Limited. The three clues are enough upside for this to make a cut in the most controlling decks, but you won’t play it most of the time.
Lone Rider image 3.0 In the right format, this would be bonkers! Unfortunately, this format doesn’t have a dedicated life gain archetype, so gaining 3 or more life with it and transforming it into It That Rides as One isn’t as easy you might think. It is certainly doable, but not something that happens with regularity.
Gryff's Boon image 3.5 This offers an incredibly efficient boost up front, as +1/+0 and Flying is enough to massively upgrade most creatures! What really makes it a quality Aura is the fact that you can constantly bring it back from the graveyard.
Graf Harvest image 2.0 Menace to Zombies upgrades a decent number of board states, and this isn’t a bad mana sink either.
Geist of the Archives image 3.0 This is surprisingly good. It can block lots of creatures in the format, and a free Scry every upkeep does a great job of improving the quality of your cards.
Stormrider Spirit image 2.0 The Spirit decks in this format have lots of cards that let them operate at instant speed, so this having Flash works pretty well. You can leave up counter magic and removal, and if you don’t need it, add a very real body to the board. You can of course also Flash it in and ambush block stuff, which can feel pretty great.
Aim High image 1.5 This type of trick is rarely good. The stats boost is medium for two mana, and Reach and untapping are mostly only relevant on defense, which is the worst possible time to use a trick.
Olivia's Dragoon image 3.0 This card would be solid in any format, but in this one it is even better! It has a useful creature type and can help you get Delirium and Madness cards going.
Ember-Eye Wolf image 2.5 This overperformed last time. A lot of the time, this sort of creature that can buff its power for mana isn’t very impressive, because you end up having to spend a lot of mana just to make it trade. However, adding Haste to the mix, along with a useful creature type, makes a significant difference. This even has a bit of Fireball potential in the late game.
Apothecary Geist image 3.0 This was a big overperformer last time around. Its stats line up reasonably well in the format, and it gains you that 3 life pretty often.
Convolute image 1.5 This is passable counter magic, and performs especially well in the early game, but the fact it gets worse the longer the game goes on is rough.
Confront the Unknown image 1.5 This only gives +1/+1 a little too often to be anything special. Some really clue-heavy decks can get some good use out of this, but it isn’t exactly the payoff you’re hoping for.
Fiend Binder image 2.5 The stat-line is ugly for the cost, but tapping down an opposing creature every time it attacks can allow you to do tons of damage.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Ghoulcaller's Accomplice
Battleground Geist image 2.5 There are lots of Spirits in this set, and this will be doubly true while Battleground Geist is in the format. It has passable stats and impacts the board right away.
Pieces of the Puzzle image 2.5 If your deck is spell heavy enough (so, mostly UR) this ends up being better than divination, especially because it loads your graveyard too! Outside of Blue-Red it becomes more questionable, though.
Ulrich's Kindred image 3.0 This has a solid baseline, and granting indestructibility to your werewolves can be great! That said, the ability is fairly costly, and if your opponent has mana up when you try to use it, prepare to get blown out.
Imprisoned in the Moon image 2.5 This was Rare last time, downshifting it to Common will have a pretty significant impact on the format. That said, it isn’t amazing removal in Limited. Giving your opponent extra mana isn’t great, but it is usually better than whatever their best creature is. Still, you don’t really feel like you get a full card of value when you play this.
Field Creeper image 1.5 This is a little better than it looks. It is both an Artifact and a Creature, which means it gets you halfway to Delirium all on its own.
Aim High image 1.5 This type of trick is rarely good. The stats boost is medium for two mana, and Reach and untapping are mostly only relevant on defense, which is the worst possible time to use a trick.
Dauntless Cathar image 3.5 Trading this off for something and then getting a flying token out of your graveyard feels great. Also works well if you want to sacrifice it or you end up milling it.
Borrowed Grace image 1.5 So you can pay for +2/+2 to the whole board, or three mana for just one of these effects. Neither is very exciting.
Tormenting Voice image 2.5 This is better in this format than it is in pretty much any other! It helps you get Delirium and discard things with Madness, on top of also being a nice card for the Blue-Red spell deck since it triggers all of your payoffs.
Alchemist's Greeting image 3.0 If you’re only casting this normally, it is clunky as heck. If you have enough discard outlets though, it becomes a premium removal spell.
Make Mischief image 2.0 In a roundabout way, this does give you three damage for three mana. If you look at this as a three mana 1/1 devil that does 1 to something on ETB it sounds a lot better, as you get to add to the board while picking something off. If you can’t kill something with the 1 damage it does get a lot worse.
Ghoulcaller's Accomplice image 3.0 This has solid base stats, and the fact you can get a Zombie out of it from the graveyard is great! Obviously, the rate on that second body isn’t amazing, but card advantage is card advantage. It also means you can discard or mill this and still get some nice value out of it.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Gisa's Bidding
Traveler's Amulet image 2.5 This nicely fixes your mana, while also giving you an Artifact in the graveyard for Delirium.
Choked Estuary image 2.5 Playing these untapped is fairly easy, and they do a good job of fixing your mana.
Howlpack Resurgence image 3.5 This works pretty well if you have lots of Wolves or Werewolves, and even plays quite well with them. Because it has Flash, you can pass the turn, have your wolves and werewolves transform, and then play this on your opponent’s turn. If this can buff most of your board, its great – but you don’t play it until you have 10+ wolves or werewolves.
Grapple with the Past image 2.5 You usually want one of these in Green. It helps you get delirium and helps you get value out of the graveyard.
Liliana's Elite image 1.5 Even in this graveyard-centric format, Liliana’s Elite often isn’t worth it. The upside here is that it is a large vanilla creature, and the downside is that it is awful in the early game, and mediocre in the mid-game.
Sigardian Priest image 2.5 This format has a ton of humans in it, so you often can’t tap creatures that you desperately want to tap. That makes this a lot worse than something like Master Decoy, but its still solid.
Jace's Scrutiny image 2.0 This is a little better than it might look at first, largely because the format has both a Spell deck and an Investigate deck. This ultimately replaces itself thanks to the Clue, and the -4/-0 can end up blanking an attack at worst, and sometimes you can even set up a really advantageous combat situation where your opponent actually loses a card.
Gisa's Bidding image 3.5 This is great, it was an Uncommon last time, so downshifting it to Common is pretty spicy. Without Madness, it is a passable rate. With Madness it is downright nasty. Three mana for two 2/2s at Instant speed is a great rate. Casting this for its Madness cost is very doable, too.
Pyre Hound image 1.0 // 3.5 This is a buildaround, but it is also an incredibly important and powerful Common for the Blue-Red deck. It gets massive in that deck, and the Trample is a real problem for your opponent.
Bloodbriar image 2.5 This is a pretty real payoff for sacrifice decks, and it has passable base stats.
Morkrut Necropod image 2.5 This is a pretty scary creature. A 7/7 with Menace is a real pain to block! It does come with a pretty big downside, but giving up expendable creatures or lands to swing with this thing isn’t too shabby.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Borrowed Malevolence
Town Gossipmonger image 3.5 This is better than it looks. It is really easy to transform as early as turn two, and once it is Incited Rabble it is a really effective attacker, especially in the early game.
Foreboding Ruins image 2.5 Playing these untapped is fairly easy, and they do a good job of fixing your mana.
Shreds of Sanity image 2.0 If you’re in Red there’s a good chance you have a nice mix of Instants and Sorceries, and if you do, this is a pretty nice way to get back some removal spells.
Faithbearer Paladin image 2.0 This is better than it looks. A ¾ with lifelink is pretty beefy in this format, and represents a very real road block for aggro decks.
Borrowed Malevolence image 2.0 This doesn’t feel amazing no matter how you cast it. If you can Escalate it, the boost it offers your creature and the -1/-1 it gives an opponent’s can be pretty nice, but three mana is steep enough that I don’t love this.
True-Faith Censer image 3.0 This is a very efficient Equipment, especially if you’re in Green-White and have lots of humans. +2/+1 and Vigilance is enough to make just about any creature into a problem.
Dawn Gryff image 2.0 A three mana 2/2 Flyer was a lot better back in 2016, and I think this format is similar enough for this to be solid.
Make Mischief image 2.0 In a roundabout way, this does give you three damage for three mana. If you look at this as a three mana 1/1 devil that does 1 to something on ETB it sounds a lot better, as you get to add to the board while picking something off. If you can’t kill something with the 1 damage it does get a lot worse.
Intrepid Provisioner image 3.0 This is a solid Human payoff. The +2/+2 it offers often gives you a much better situation to attack with, and the 3/3 Trample body isn’t the worst thing.
Haunted Fengraf image 1.0 This is bad for your mana base, and the fact it is random is a pretty big problem.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Compelling Deterrence
Moonmist image 0.5 Even with all this additional upside, this is still a fog, and those are rarely worth it in Limited.
Compelling Deterrence image 2.5 Two mana to bounce a non-land permanent is usually playable, especially in a format with a spell deck! The Zombie upside is nice too, especially in situations when your opponent has an empty hand, when this basically feels like Doom Blade!
Invasive Surgery image 0.0 Yeah, no. This is far too narrow, even if you have Delirium active.
True-Faith Censer image 3.0 This is a very efficient Equipment, especially if you’re in Green-White and have lots of humans. +2/+1 and Vigilance is enough to make just about any creature into a problem.
Grapple with the Past image 2.5 You usually want one of these in Green. It helps you get delirium and helps you get value out of the graveyard.
Explosive Apparatus image 1.5 This is by no means efficient, but if you’re hurting for Artifacts to get Delirium going more consistently, it can do the job.
Weirded Vampire image 1.5 This is bad if you don’t cast it with Madness, and mediocre when you do.
Howlpack Wolf image 2.0 This has decent stats, and if you're in Red/Green it basically has no downside.
Faithbearer Paladin image 2.0 This is better than it looks. A ¾ with lifelink is pretty beefy in this format, and represents a very real road block for aggro decks.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Drogskol Shieldmate
Harvest Hand image 4.0 A three mana 2/2 isn’t a great starting point, but trading this off or sacrificing it to something with Emerge is pretty amazing, because it comes back as a very real Equipment that has some Human upside. You end up getting a pretty amazing deal for only three mana.
Highland Lake image 2.5 These always enter tapped, which is a little bit of a bummer, but they still provide some quality fixing.
Crow of Dark Tidings image 3.0 This is a great card for getting Delirium going, and that’s definitely something you want to be doing – especially in Black/Green and Black/White. It even attacks in the air quite effectively!
Sanitarium Skeleton image 1.0 // 2.5 If you need sacrifice fodder, this is pretty nice. If you don’t, you aren’t playing it.
Essence Flux image 0.0 // 2.5 The Blue-White Spirit deck has a blink/flicker sub-theme, as Essence Flux tells you. If you have enough Spirits with ETB abilities, this is playable. But there are many decks it doesn’t work out in, even Blue/White ones!
Gnarlwood Dryad image 3.0 A one mana 1/1 with deathtouch is always playable, and this has the upside of becoming much more relevant in the mid to late game.
Howlpack Wolf image 2.0 This has decent stats, and if you're in Red/Green it basically has no downside.
Drogskol Shieldmate image 2.0 This isn’t as impressive as it looks. +0/+1 to your whole board is not impactful in most situations. Still, it is a three mana ⅔ with Flash and upside, so it is super solid.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Mournwillow
Mournwillow image 3.0 This is not the most exciting signpost Uncommon ever, its Delirium ETB ability isn’t always relevant, so it is kind of a pain that you have to jump through hoops to even get it to do its thing. Still, hard to go wrong when the card’s baseline is a three mana 3/2 with Haste.
Devilthorn Fox image 1.5 A vanilla two mana 3/1 was better back in 2016, and this will be far more playable in this format than it is in more recent ones.
Epitaph Golem image 0.0 // 2.5 This is better than it looks! This is a format where you can actually end up milling yourself out, especially in Black-Green. Once your library is out of cards, the Golem not only helps you avoid losing because you’re out of cards – it also effectively lets you draw whatever card you want every single turn. It takes a fairly particular deck for this to make the cut, though.
Drownyard Explorers image 2.0 This has decent defensive stats, and eventually draws you a card. It is a fine card for the grindy Clue decks, though most other decks aren’t that interested.
Briarbridge Patrol image 3.0 This isn’t quite as good as it looks, which is partly why they downshifted it from Uncommon. A 4-mana 3/3 isn’t very good, and while this has a big text box, it doesn’t do anything that good. It does generate Clues for you whether it blocks or gets blocked, which means you do ultimately get a 2-for-1 out of it pretty often. I wouldn’t count on being able to effectively utilize the card’s other ability, though. These sorts of effects always underperform in Limited, partly because you can’t really build a deck with enough monsters to cheat into play. So, you don’t often have something worth putting into play with the effect – oftentimes, it is better to just hold on to all of your clues.
Field Creeper image 1.5 This is a little better than it looks. It is both an Artifact and a Creature, which means it gets you halfway to Delirium all on its own.
Bloodbriar image 2.5 This is a pretty real payoff for sacrifice decks, and it has passable base stats.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Grotesque Mutation
Moonmist image 0.5 Even with all this additional upside, this is still a fog, and those are rarely worth it in Limited.
Pieces of the Puzzle image 2.5 If your deck is spell heavy enough (so, mostly UR) this ends up being better than divination, especially because it loads your graveyard too! Outside of Blue-Red it becomes more questionable, though.
Magmatic Chasm image 0.0 // 2.0 You’re not going to play this unless you’re an all-in aggro deck, and even then it is sometimes a real problem that flyers can still block.
Confront the Unknown image 1.5 This only gives +1/+1 a little too often to be anything special. Some really clue-heavy decks can get some good use out of this, but it isn’t exactly the payoff you’re hoping for.
Explosive Apparatus image 1.5 This is by no means efficient, but if you’re hurting for Artifacts to get Delirium going more consistently, it can do the job.
Grotesque Mutation image 2.0 This is a decent trick. While the small toughness boost isn’t going to always keep your creature alive, the lifelink can really alter a race in your favor.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Fiend Binder
Geist of the Archives image 3.0 This is surprisingly good. It can block lots of creatures in the format, and a free Scry every upkeep does a great job of improving the quality of your cards.
Stormrider Spirit image 2.0 The Spirit decks in this format have lots of cards that let them operate at instant speed, so this having Flash works pretty well. You can leave up counter magic and removal, and if you don’t need it, add a very real body to the board. You can of course also Flash it in and ambush block stuff, which can feel pretty great.
Aim High image 1.5 This type of trick is rarely good. The stats boost is medium for two mana, and Reach and untapping are mostly only relevant on defense, which is the worst possible time to use a trick.
Apothecary Geist image 3.0 This was a big overperformer last time around. Its stats line up reasonably well in the format, and it gains you that 3 life pretty often.
Fiend Binder image 2.5 The stat-line is ugly for the cost, but tapping down an opposing creature every time it attacks can allow you to do tons of damage.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Borrowed Grace
Battleground Geist image 2.5 There are lots of Spirits in this set, and this will be doubly true while Battleground Geist is in the format. It has passable stats and impacts the board right away.
Pieces of the Puzzle image 2.5 If your deck is spell heavy enough (so, mostly UR) this ends up being better than divination, especially because it loads your graveyard too! Outside of Blue-Red it becomes more questionable, though.
Field Creeper image 1.5 This is a little better than it looks. It is both an Artifact and a Creature, which means it gets you halfway to Delirium all on its own.
Borrowed Grace image 1.5 So you can pay for +2/+2 to the whole board, or three mana for just one of these effects. Neither is very exciting.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Sigardian Priest
Grapple with the Past image 2.5 You usually want one of these in Green. It helps you get delirium and helps you get value out of the graveyard.
Sigardian Priest image 2.5 This format has a ton of humans in it, so you often can’t tap creatures that you desperately want to tap. That makes this a lot worse than something like Master Decoy, but its still solid.
Bloodbriar image 2.5 This is a pretty real payoff for sacrifice decks, and it has passable base stats.
Pack 1 Pick 14: True-Faith Censer
True-Faith Censer image 3.0 This is a very efficient Equipment, especially if you’re in Green-White and have lots of humans. +2/+1 and Vigilance is enough to make just about any creature into a problem.
Dawn Gryff image 2.0 A three mana 2/2 Flyer was a lot better back in 2016, and I think this format is similar enough for this to be solid.
Pack 1 Pick 15: Moonmist
Moonmist image 0.5 Even with all this additional upside, this is still a fog, and those are rarely worth it in Limited.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Ongoing Investigation
Splendid Reclamation image 0.0 You do mill lands into your graveyard in this format, but this still isn’t worth it.
Duskwatch Recruiter image 4.5 This is a very strong Uncommon. It has good base stats, and on the front side it has a very powerful activated ability that will allow you to outcard your opponent in the later stages of the game. The front side is kind of the one you want the most, but the Werewolf side isn’t too shabby either.
Thermo-Alchemist image 3.5 This is a great payoff in Blue-Red, but most Red decks in the format have enough instants and sorceries in them to make the Alchemist playable.
Ongoing Investigation image 4.0 This is an amazing engine. Generating clues is great, and this gives you two separate ways to do that. If your graveyard is loaded up, you can get clues that way, and if you have a good board state, attacking will get you those clues. Pretty hard not to extract massive amounts of value out of this.
Veteran Cathar image 3.5 This has good base stats, and the ability to give double strike to your humans can be quite formidable. It is quite expensive to do it, though.
Galvanic Bombardment image 2.5 // 4.0 You’ll always play this even if you only have one copy, and it becomes far better the more copies you have. If you have 4+, it becomes one of the best cards in your deck.
Laboratory Brute image 1.5 You want to be milling yourself in this format, but there are lots of better cards out there that can do the job.
Ember-Eye Wolf image 2.5 This overperformed last time. A lot of the time, this sort of creature that can buff its power for mana isn’t very impressive, because you end up having to spend a lot of mana just to make it trade. However, adding Haste to the mix, along with a useful creature type, makes a significant difference. This even has a bit of Fireball potential in the late game.
Swift Spinner image 1.5 This is a passable creature that can ambush block some stuff, but it doesn’t always make the cut.
Apothecary Geist image 3.0 This was a big overperformer last time around. Its stats line up reasonably well in the format, and it gains you that 3 life pretty often.
Dawn Gryff image 2.0 A three mana 2/2 Flyer was a lot better back in 2016, and I think this format is similar enough for this to be solid.
Sigardian Priest image 2.5 This format has a ton of humans in it, so you often can’t tap creatures that you desperately want to tap. That makes this a lot worse than something like Master Decoy, but its still solid.
Weirded Vampire image 1.5 This is bad if you don’t cast it with Madness, and mediocre when you do.
Obsessive Skinner image 3.5 Without Delirium, this is a two drop that usually makes the cut. When you get Delirium going, it becomes an impressive value engine, giving you a +1/+1 counter every turn.
Haunted Fengraf image 1.0 This is bad for your mana base, and the fact it is random is a pretty big problem.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Diregraf Captain
Diregraf Captain image 3.5 This is a better Zombie payoff than the one in the main set. Lords are always quite powerful, and the additions of deathtouch and damaging your opponent when a Zombie dies is great.
Forgotten Creation image 3.0 A 4-mana 3/3 isn’t great, and Skulk on a 3/3 is kind of funny – because it means there are lots of creatures that can effectively block it. Its ability to help you reload your hand can also be fairly situational and awkward, but if you’re given the time to set it up, pitching lands to draw extra cards is pretty good.
Voldaren Pariah image 4.0 A 5-mana 3/3 Flyer with Madness isn’t too bad, but the Pariah’s ability to transform is what makes it truly frightening. It becomes a 6/5 Flyer that makes your opponent sacrifice three creatures! You sacrificing three of your own creatures to get there can be a big ask, but the fact you can do it at instant speed makes it easier than you might think.
Game Trail image 2.5 Playing these untapped is fairly easy, and they do a good job of fixing your mana.
Mad Prophet image 2.0 This is a nice repeatable way to get Madness going, but the stat-line means it dies to several one mana removal spells in the format, and that downside hurts.
Pore Over the Pages image 3.0 Paying 5 to draw 3 and discard a card isn’t amazing, but the fact this untapped two lands shouldn’t be overlooked. Most of the time, this allows you to add to the board thanks to the new cards you drew, making it much different than your typical sorcery speed draw spell.
Merciless Resolve image 1.5 There are some expendable bodies in this format for sure, and the fact you can sacrifice a land is nice. But this is still fairly clunky for the effect, which often amounts to you breaking even on cards. That’s not especially exciting.
Wolfkin Bond image 3.0 This is a surprisingly good Aura, and one you’re usually going to want one of in your Green decks. 5 mana is a lot, but the fact this gives you a 2/2 means that you do a good job of mitigating against the risk of getting 2-for-1’d.
Crow of Dark Tidings image 3.0 This is a great card for getting Delirium going, and that’s definitely something you want to be doing – especially in Black/Green and Black/White. It even attacks in the air quite effectively!
Bloodbriar image 2.5 This is a pretty real payoff for sacrifice decks, and it has passable base stats.
Tattered Haunter image 2.0 This is a reasonable two-drop, though it does suffer from the fact that it is awful against the format’s flying tokens.
Dauntless Cathar image 3.5 Trading this off for something and then getting a flying token out of your graveyard feels great. Also works well if you want to sacrifice it or you end up milling it.
Grotesque Mutation image 2.0 This is a decent trick. While the small toughness boost isn’t going to always keep your creature alive, the lifelink can really alter a race in your favor.
Briarbridge Patrol image 3.0 This isn’t quite as good as it looks, which is partly why they downshifted it from Uncommon. A 4-mana 3/3 isn’t very good, and while this has a big text box, it doesn’t do anything that good. It does generate Clues for you whether it blocks or gets blocked, which means you do ultimately get a 2-for-1 out of it pretty often. I wouldn’t count on being able to effectively utilize the card’s other ability, though. These sorts of effects always underperform in Limited, partly because you can’t really build a deck with enough monsters to cheat into play. So, you don’t often have something worth putting into play with the effect – oftentimes, it is better to just hold on to all of your clues.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Thraben Foulbloods
Elder Cathar image 3.0 This is a pretty nice payoff for Humans. Paying 3 mana for 4/4 worth of stats feels pretty good, and also makes the Cathar good sacrifice fodder.
Hanweir Battlements image 1.5 A land that grants haste for a single Red mana isn’t especially good, especially when it can only produce colorless mana. It isn’t terrible, mind you – and that’s especially true if you have the Hanweir Garrison – but it also isn’t a land that always makes the cut.
Spectral Shepherd image 3.0 UW is all about spirits, and it has a sub-theme of abusing ETB abilities. The Shepherd’s activated abilities can help you trigger them, while also allowing you to save your Spirits from removal.
Highland Lake image 2.5 These always enter tapped, which is a little bit of a bummer, but they still provide some quality fixing.
Stone Quarry image 2.5 These always enter tapped, which is a little bit of a bummer, but they still provide some quality fixing.
Wretched Gryff image 4.0 This is one of the best Commons in the set. Casting it for the full 7 mana is totally passable, and if you can sacrifice something that gives you value and cast the Gryff for three or four mana – which happens all the time – it feels particularly amazing.
Weirded Vampire image 1.5 This is bad if you don’t cast it with Madness, and mediocre when you do.
Fiend Binder image 2.5 The stat-line is ugly for the cost, but tapping down an opposing creature every time it attacks can allow you to do tons of damage.
Bloodbriar image 2.5 This is a pretty real payoff for sacrifice decks, and it has passable base stats.
Thraben Foulbloods image 2.5 A three mana 3/2 isn’t very good, but a three mana 4/3 with Menace is! Delirium is very accessible too, though you won’t usually have it when you’re playing this on turn three.
Bound by Moonsilver image 4.0 This is amazing removal, and it was at Uncommon last time around. Downshifting it is pretty surprising, because it deals with most things in the format quite effectively! Its great you can move it around when you need to, too.
Macabre Waltz image 2.5 You want one of these in virtually every Black deck. It is great at bringing back your best creatures, and it can even help you load the graveyard!
Take Inventory image 1.0 // 3.5 This card can get really silly, especially in Blue-Red decks that can generate awesome value from spells that draw cards. Obviously, you want to get multiples of these, so that they can scale as the game goes on. Even if you only have two, you probably play them – and if you end up with 4+, it feels amazing.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Westvale Abbey
Vampiric Fury image 1.0 // 2.5 This is cheaper than most Trumpet-Blast type effects, but only buffing Vampires is enough of a restriction that I’m not that thrilled about it. If you really got their on vampires, it isn’t a bad inclusion, but there are lots of Red decks that won’t play this.
Westvale Abbey image 4.5 A land that can crank out creature tokens in the late game is a nice utility land to have, and this can transform into an almost unbeatable Demon, who often wins the game in a single swing.
Mockery of Nature image 2.5 This format has a decent number of Artifacts and Enchantments, and if you have a target, the Mockery will feel amazing. However, there aren’t so many of them in the set that this will consistently give you that sweet 2-for-1.
Humble the Brute image 2.5 Between Werewolves and Eldrazi, this has enough targets against most opponents to be worth playing. It offers a very real 2-for-1 when it has a target. But still, there are plenty of times where your opponent doesn’t have anything you can kill with it, and that’s pretty rough.
Make Mischief image 2.0 In a roundabout way, this does give you three damage for three mana. If you look at this as a three mana 1/1 devil that does 1 to something on ETB it sounds a lot better, as you get to add to the board while picking something off. If you can’t kill something with the 1 damage it does get a lot worse.
Olivia's Dragoon image 3.0 This card would be solid in any format, but in this one it is even better! It has a useful creature type and can help you get Delirium and Madness cards going.
Thraben Inspector image 3.0 This is a nice one drop. Generating a clue is great value to add to a one mana ½, and it even has a useful creature type.
Terrarion image 1.5 This does a solid job of fixing your mana, and it helps you get delirium early by putting an Artifact in the graveyard.
Thraben Foulbloods image 2.5 A three mana 3/2 isn’t very good, but a three mana 4/3 with Menace is! Delirium is very accessible too, though you won’t usually have it when you’re playing this on turn three.
Aim High image 1.5 This type of trick is rarely good. The stats boost is medium for two mana, and Reach and untapping are mostly only relevant on defense, which is the worst possible time to use a trick.
Stormrider Spirit image 2.0 The Spirit decks in this format have lots of cards that let them operate at instant speed, so this having Flash works pretty well. You can leave up counter magic and removal, and if you don’t need it, add a very real body to the board. You can of course also Flash it in and ambush block stuff, which can feel pretty great.
Devilthorn Fox image 1.5 A vanilla two mana 3/1 was better back in 2016, and this will be far more playable in this format than it is in more recent ones.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Dead Weight
Ghoulraiser image 3.0 Gravedigger for three mana is a nice card, even if you can only get back Zombies and it is entirely random! This delivers a nice 2-for-1 in most Black decks.
Biting Rain image 2.5 If you’re going to end up in a control deck, Biting Rain is a nice inclusion, as it does a great job of keeping aggro decks in check. Obviously, if you’re an aggro deck, you don’t want this.
Brain in a Jar image 0.0 Not worth it in Limited, even with a spell deck around. It is too slow and doesn’t really do anything to impact the game most of the time.
Dead Weight image 3.5 This is premium removal, kills many things for only one mana. It is also a little better than normal in this format because of Delirium.
Devilthorn Fox image 1.5 A vanilla two mana 3/1 was better back in 2016, and this will be far more playable in this format than it is in more recent ones.
Insolent Neonate image 2.5 This is a solid one drop that can chip in for some nice damage early, and then cash itself in for a card later in the game.
Jace's Scrutiny image 2.0 This is a little better than it might look at first, largely because the format has both a Spell deck and an Investigate deck. This ultimately replaces itself thanks to the Clue, and the -4/-0 can end up blanking an attack at worst, and sometimes you can even set up a really advantageous combat situation where your opponent actually loses a card.
Merciless Resolve image 1.5 There are some expendable bodies in this format for sure, and the fact you can sacrifice a land is nice. But this is still fairly clunky for the effect, which often amounts to you breaking even on cards. That’s not especially exciting.
Gnarlwood Dryad image 3.0 A one mana 1/1 with deathtouch is always playable, and this has the upside of becoming much more relevant in the mid to late game.
Certain Death image 2.5 This is certainly clunky, but it deals with anything and drains 2 life, which helps offset how expensive it is.
Gavony Unhallowed image 2.0 This starts with some pretty bad stats, but it can definitely grow in this format, especially in a deck like Black-White, which has a substantial amount of Sacrifice stuff.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Drag Under
Graf Rats image 1.0 You don’t play this unless you’re very desperate for a two drop or you have Midnight Scavengers.
Pick the Brain image 0.5 Yeah, Coercion is never worth it in Limited, and the Delirium upside here may as well be flavor text.
True-Faith Censer image 3.0 This is a very efficient Equipment, especially if you’re in Green-White and have lots of humans. +2/+1 and Vigilance is enough to make just about any creature into a problem.
Alchemist's Greeting image 3.0 If you’re only casting this normally, it is clunky as heck. If you have enough discard outlets though, it becomes a premium removal spell.
Sigardian Priest image 2.5 This format has a ton of humans in it, so you often can’t tap creatures that you desperately want to tap. That makes this a lot worse than something like Master Decoy, but its still solid.
Moonlight Hunt image 2.5 This is a fairly effective removal spell, as you can often use it effectively even with just a single Wolf or Werewolf. Your deck does need to be loaded up with them for this to be at its best, though – as if you don’t have a wolf or werewolf in play, this does stone nothing.
Drag Under image 2.5 Bouncing something at Sorcery speed and going down a card normally isn’t worth it. However, this replaces itself, which makes a really big difference! It means you still get the tempo but don’t go down a card, and there’s a spell deck in this format, so any spell that draws you a card already gets more value.
Strength of Arms image 2.5 This is a nice trick. One mana for +2/+2 tends to play pretty well, and the times you can get a 1/1 token out of this feel really insane, and its very doable, especially in GW.
Morkrut Necropod image 2.5 This is a pretty scary creature. A 7/7 with Menace is a real pain to block! It does come with a pretty big downside, but giving up expendable creatures or lands to swing with this thing isn’t too shabby.
Wolfkin Bond image 3.0 This is a surprisingly good Aura, and one you’re usually going to want one of in your Green decks. 5 mana is a lot, but the fact this gives you a 2/2 means that you do a good job of mitigating against the risk of getting 2-for-1’d.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Thraben Foulbloods
Vessel of Nascency image 0.0 // 3.0 This is actually a very important card for Delirium decks. It can often get you delirium all on its own, as it puts itself and 4 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. Getting an Enchantment in there can be particularly difficult, but this makes sure it happens for you! It is certainly a buildaround, as it isn’t really a card you want outside of Black/Green, but it is one of the most important Commons for that deck.
Ride Down image 3.0 Red-White is all about aggro, and Ride Down fits really well into a deck that is all about attacking. It is basically impossible for your opponent to set up a good block when you have this in your hand, and that’s exactly what you want.
Crow of Dark Tidings image 3.0 This is a great card for getting Delirium going, and that’s definitely something you want to be doing – especially in Black/Green and Black/White. It even attacks in the air quite effectively!
Thraben Foulbloods image 2.5 A three mana 3/2 isn’t very good, but a three mana 4/3 with Menace is! Delirium is very accessible too, though you won’t usually have it when you’re playing this on turn three.
Liliana's Elite image 1.5 Even in this graveyard-centric format, Liliana’s Elite often isn’t worth it. The upside here is that it is a large vanilla creature, and the downside is that it is awful in the early game, and mediocre in the mid-game.
Geist of the Archives image 3.0 This is surprisingly good. It can block lots of creatures in the format, and a free Scry every upkeep does a great job of improving the quality of your cards.
Explosive Apparatus image 1.5 This is by no means efficient, but if you’re hurting for Artifacts to get Delirium going more consistently, it can do the job.
Bound by Moonsilver image 4.0 This is amazing removal, and it was at Uncommon last time around. Downshifting it is pretty surprising, because it deals with most things in the format quite effectively! Its great you can move it around when you need to, too.
Aim High image 1.5 This type of trick is rarely good. The stats boost is medium for two mana, and Reach and untapping are mostly only relevant on defense, which is the worst possible time to use a trick.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Laboratory Brute
Summary Dismissal image 1.5 The stack doesn’t usually get very large in Limited, so this is mostly just a 4-mana counterspell that can go after abilities as well as spells. That’s not great.
Humble the Brute image 2.5 Between Werewolves and Eldrazi, this has enough targets against most opponents to be worth playing. It offers a very real 2-for-1 when it has a target. But still, there are plenty of times where your opponent doesn’t have anything you can kill with it, and that’s pretty rough.
Ongoing Investigation image 4.0 This is an amazing engine. Generating clues is great, and this gives you two separate ways to do that. If your graveyard is loaded up, you can get clues that way, and if you have a good board state, attacking will get you those clues. Pretty hard not to extract massive amounts of value out of this.
Laboratory Brute image 1.5 You want to be milling yourself in this format, but there are lots of better cards out there that can do the job.
Merciless Resolve image 1.5 There are some expendable bodies in this format for sure, and the fact you can sacrifice a land is nice. But this is still fairly clunky for the effect, which often amounts to you breaking even on cards. That’s not especially exciting.
Field Creeper image 1.5 This is a little better than it looks. It is both an Artifact and a Creature, which means it gets you halfway to Delirium all on its own.
Moonlight Hunt image 2.5 This is a fairly effective removal spell, as you can often use it effectively even with just a single Wolf or Werewolf. Your deck does need to be loaded up with them for this to be at its best, though – as if you don’t have a wolf or werewolf in play, this does stone nothing.
Terrarion image 1.5 This does a solid job of fixing your mana, and it helps you get delirium early by putting an Artifact in the graveyard.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Laboratory Brute
Splendid Reclamation image 0.0 You do mill lands into your graveyard in this format, but this still isn’t worth it.
Veteran Cathar image 3.5 This has good base stats, and the ability to give double strike to your humans can be quite formidable. It is quite expensive to do it, though.
Laboratory Brute image 1.5 You want to be milling yourself in this format, but there are lots of better cards out there that can do the job.
Apothecary Geist image 3.0 This was a big overperformer last time around. Its stats line up reasonably well in the format, and it gains you that 3 life pretty often.
Dawn Gryff image 2.0 A three mana 2/2 Flyer was a lot better back in 2016, and I think this format is similar enough for this to be solid.
Weirded Vampire image 1.5 This is bad if you don’t cast it with Madness, and mediocre when you do.
Haunted Fengraf image 1.0 This is bad for your mana base, and the fact it is random is a pretty big problem.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Grotesque Mutation
Pore Over the Pages image 3.0 Paying 5 to draw 3 and discard a card isn’t amazing, but the fact this untapped two lands shouldn’t be overlooked. Most of the time, this allows you to add to the board thanks to the new cards you drew, making it much different than your typical sorcery speed draw spell.
Merciless Resolve image 1.5 There are some expendable bodies in this format for sure, and the fact you can sacrifice a land is nice. But this is still fairly clunky for the effect, which often amounts to you breaking even on cards. That’s not especially exciting.
Crow of Dark Tidings image 3.0 This is a great card for getting Delirium going, and that’s definitely something you want to be doing – especially in Black/Green and Black/White. It even attacks in the air quite effectively!
Bloodbriar image 2.5 This is a pretty real payoff for sacrifice decks, and it has passable base stats.
Grotesque Mutation image 2.0 This is a decent trick. While the small toughness boost isn’t going to always keep your creature alive, the lifelink can really alter a race in your favor.
Briarbridge Patrol image 3.0 This isn’t quite as good as it looks, which is partly why they downshifted it from Uncommon. A 4-mana 3/3 isn’t very good, and while this has a big text box, it doesn’t do anything that good. It does generate Clues for you whether it blocks or gets blocked, which means you do ultimately get a 2-for-1 out of it pretty often. I wouldn’t count on being able to effectively utilize the card’s other ability, though. These sorts of effects always underperform in Limited, partly because you can’t really build a deck with enough monsters to cheat into play. So, you don’t often have something worth putting into play with the effect – oftentimes, it is better to just hold on to all of your clues.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Hanweir Battlements
Hanweir Battlements image 1.5 A land that grants haste for a single Red mana isn’t especially good, especially when it can only produce colorless mana. It isn’t terrible, mind you – and that’s especially true if you have the Hanweir Garrison – but it also isn’t a land that always makes the cut.
Stone Quarry image 2.5 These always enter tapped, which is a little bit of a bummer, but they still provide some quality fixing.
Weirded Vampire image 1.5 This is bad if you don’t cast it with Madness, and mediocre when you do.
Fiend Binder image 2.5 The stat-line is ugly for the cost, but tapping down an opposing creature every time it attacks can allow you to do tons of damage.
Macabre Waltz image 2.5 You want one of these in virtually every Black deck. It is great at bringing back your best creatures, and it can even help you load the graveyard!
Pack 2 Pick 12: Thraben Foulbloods
Vampiric Fury image 1.0 // 2.5 This is cheaper than most Trumpet-Blast type effects, but only buffing Vampires is enough of a restriction that I’m not that thrilled about it. If you really got their on vampires, it isn’t a bad inclusion, but there are lots of Red decks that won’t play this.
Thraben Foulbloods image 2.5 A three mana 3/2 isn’t very good, but a three mana 4/3 with Menace is! Delirium is very accessible too, though you won’t usually have it when you’re playing this on turn three.
Stormrider Spirit image 2.0 The Spirit decks in this format have lots of cards that let them operate at instant speed, so this having Flash works pretty well. You can leave up counter magic and removal, and if you don’t need it, add a very real body to the board. You can of course also Flash it in and ambush block stuff, which can feel pretty great.
Devilthorn Fox image 1.5 A vanilla two mana 3/1 was better back in 2016, and this will be far more playable in this format than it is in more recent ones.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Certain Death
Brain in a Jar image 0.0 Not worth it in Limited, even with a spell deck around. It is too slow and doesn’t really do anything to impact the game most of the time.
Merciless Resolve image 1.5 There are some expendable bodies in this format for sure, and the fact you can sacrifice a land is nice. But this is still fairly clunky for the effect, which often amounts to you breaking even on cards. That’s not especially exciting.
Certain Death image 2.5 This is certainly clunky, but it deals with anything and drains 2 life, which helps offset how expensive it is.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Pick the Brain
Pick the Brain image 0.5 Yeah, Coercion is never worth it in Limited, and the Delirium upside here may as well be flavor text.
Sigardian Priest image 2.5 This format has a ton of humans in it, so you often can’t tap creatures that you desperately want to tap. That makes this a lot worse than something like Master Decoy, but its still solid.
Pack 2 Pick 15: Explosive Apparatus
Explosive Apparatus image 1.5 This is by no means efficient, but if you’re hurting for Artifacts to get Delirium going more consistently, it can do the job.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Haunted Dead
Moonmist image 0.5 Even with all this additional upside, this is still a fog, and those are rarely worth it in Limited.
Sage of Ancient Lore image 3.0 It is hard for this to ever be that large in Limited, as one doesn’t usually hold on to a bunch of cards by the time it comes down. Still, it does replace itself, and when it transforms it gets significantly scarier.
Neglected Heirloom image 3.5 The base form of the Heirloom is a solid piece of Equipment, and once it transforms it can make any creature into a major threat. Transforming it isn’t always easy of course, and works best in Red-Green, but because it has such a good baseline, it is worth valuing fairly highly.
Mockery of Nature image 2.5 This format has a decent number of Artifacts and Enchantments, and if you have a target, the Mockery will feel amazing. However, there aren’t so many of them in the set that this will consistently give you that sweet 2-for-1.
Dusk Feaster image 2.5 This is pretty bad if you can’t get delirium going. The good news is, by the time you’re going to want to cast this, you’re pretty likely to have it in a deck like Black-Green. At that point, it is a 5-mana ⅘ Flyer – which is pretty nice!
Haunted Dead image 3.5 4-mana for a 2/2 and a 1/1 Flyer is decent, and this can keep coming back from your graveyard! Discarding two cards might sound steep, but in this format, you can get a ton of upside out of discarding cards.
Insolent Neonate image 2.5 This is a solid one drop that can chip in for some nice damage early, and then cash itself in for a card later in the game.
Sigardian Priest image 2.5 This format has a ton of humans in it, so you often can’t tap creatures that you desperately want to tap. That makes this a lot worse than something like Master Decoy, but its still solid.
Insatiable Gorgers image 2.5 A 4-mana 5/3 isn’t too bad, even if it has to always attack, and the Madness upside is nice to have.
Sanitarium Skeleton image 1.0 // 2.5 If you need sacrifice fodder, this is pretty nice. If you don’t, you aren’t playing it.
Spontaneous Mutation image 1.5 Like most -X/-0 Auras, this isn’t very good – even with Flash! It doesn’t get close enough to removing an entire card to feel like its worth it. It does get a small boost because of all the Prowess in the set, but you’re still hoping to play something better.
Gnarlwood Dryad image 3.0 A one mana 1/1 with deathtouch is always playable, and this has the upside of becoming much more relevant in the mid to late game.
Make Mischief image 2.0 In a roundabout way, this does give you three damage for three mana. If you look at this as a three mana 1/1 devil that does 1 to something on ETB it sounds a lot better, as you get to add to the board while picking something off. If you can’t kill something with the 1 damage it does get a lot worse.
Merciless Resolve image 1.5 There are some expendable bodies in this format for sure, and the fact you can sacrifice a land is nice. But this is still fairly clunky for the effect, which often amounts to you breaking even on cards. That’s not especially exciting.
Wild-Field Scarecrow image 3.0 This is a passable defensive creature that is great at fixing your mana and helping you get Delirium.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Gisa's Bidding
Battleground Geist image 2.5 There are lots of Spirits in this set, and this will be doubly true while Battleground Geist is in the format. It has passable stats and impacts the board right away.
Falkenrath Gorger image 2.5 Black/Red is already loaded up with Vampires and discard outlets, so the Gorger giving all of your Vampires Madness actually comes up. That said, many vampires in the set already have Madness, so it isn’t always going to do something. Still, it is a one mana 2/1 with upside – hard to go wrong there.
Shrill Howler image 3.5 This might only have one toughness, but because it can’t be blocked by creatures with lower power, you don’t need to worry too much about your opponent trading up. Once transformed it becomes an absolute monster, drastically increasing its toughness and generating a body when it hits your opponent.
Deathcap Cultivator image 4.0 This is a nice mana dork that can even fix your mana, and the fact it can get deathtouch is pretty nice. Most mana dorks stop being good in the late game, but adding deathtouch means this always has an impact on the board.
Hamlet Captain image 3.5 This is a nice Human payoff that can make most boards significantly better. It doesn’t buff itself, though, so it often goes down in one attack.
Faithbearer Paladin image 2.0 This is better than it looks. A ¾ with lifelink is pretty beefy in this format, and represents a very real road block for aggro decks.
Ravenous Bloodseeker image 2.5 This is a nice discard outlet that can be pretty obnoxious to block in the early game.
Confront the Unknown image 1.5 This only gives +1/+1 a little too often to be anything special. Some really clue-heavy decks can get some good use out of this, but it isn’t exactly the payoff you’re hoping for.
Ember-Eye Wolf image 2.5 This overperformed last time. A lot of the time, this sort of creature that can buff its power for mana isn’t very impressive, because you end up having to spend a lot of mana just to make it trade. However, adding Haste to the mix, along with a useful creature type, makes a significant difference. This even has a bit of Fireball potential in the late game.
Wild-Field Scarecrow image 3.0 This is a passable defensive creature that is great at fixing your mana and helping you get Delirium.
Terrarion image 1.5 This does a solid job of fixing your mana, and it helps you get delirium early by putting an Artifact in the graveyard.
Stormrider Spirit image 2.0 The Spirit decks in this format have lots of cards that let them operate at instant speed, so this having Flash works pretty well. You can leave up counter magic and removal, and if you don’t need it, add a very real body to the board. You can of course also Flash it in and ambush block stuff, which can feel pretty great.
Tattered Haunter image 2.0 This is a reasonable two-drop, though it does suffer from the fact that it is awful against the format’s flying tokens.
Gisa's Bidding image 3.5 This is great, it was an Uncommon last time, so downshifting it to Common is pretty spicy. Without Madness, it is a passable rate. With Madness it is downright nasty. Three mana for two 2/2s at Instant speed is a great rate. Casting this for its Madness cost is very doable, too.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Borrowed Malevolence
Bruna, the Fading Light image 4.0 By the time you cast her, Bruna will usually have something to reanimate, and she brings some pretty nice stats to the board too. Her stat-line isn’t too shabby either.
Blood Mist image 0.0 This is bad. It isn’t worth the mana or the card. Double strike on one creature can sometimes be pretty sweet, but the fact it only works on one creature and only on your turn is rough. You basically already need a really good creature or this is irrelevant.
Foreboding Ruins image 2.5 Playing these untapped is fairly easy, and they do a good job of fixing your mana.
Spectral Shepherd image 3.0 UW is all about spirits, and it has a sub-theme of abusing ETB abilities. The Shepherd’s activated abilities can help you trigger them, while also allowing you to save your Spirits from removal.
Tattered Haunter image 2.0 This is a reasonable two-drop, though it does suffer from the fact that it is awful against the format’s flying tokens.
Borrowed Malevolence image 2.0 This doesn’t feel amazing no matter how you cast it. If you can Escalate it, the boost it offers your creature and the -1/-1 it gives an opponent’s can be pretty nice, but three mana is steep enough that I don’t love this.
Sanitarium Skeleton image 1.0 // 2.5 If you need sacrifice fodder, this is pretty nice. If you don’t, you aren’t playing it.
Galvanic Bombardment image 2.5 // 4.0 You’ll always play this even if you only have one copy, and it becomes far better the more copies you have. If you have 4+, it becomes one of the best cards in your deck.
Wolfkin Bond image 3.0 This is a surprisingly good Aura, and one you’re usually going to want one of in your Green decks. 5 mana is a lot, but the fact this gives you a 2/2 means that you do a good job of mitigating against the risk of getting 2-for-1’d.
Field Creeper image 1.5 This is a little better than it looks. It is both an Artifact and a Creature, which means it gets you halfway to Delirium all on its own.
Intrepid Provisioner image 3.0 This is a solid Human payoff. The +2/+2 it offers often gives you a much better situation to attack with, and the 3/3 Trample body isn’t the worst thing.
Strength of Arms image 2.5 This is a nice trick. One mana for +2/+2 tends to play pretty well, and the times you can get a 1/1 token out of this feel really insane, and its very doable, especially in GW.
Olivia's Dragoon image 3.0 This card would be solid in any format, but in this one it is even better! It has a useful creature type and can help you get Delirium and Madness cards going.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Gisa's Bidding
Ghoulraiser image 3.0 Gravedigger for three mana is a nice card, even if you can only get back Zombies and it is entirely random! This delivers a nice 2-for-1 in most Black decks.
Hinterland Logger image 3.0 This is a nice two drop. If you’re on the play and your opponent doesn’t have their own two drop, it can easily become a 4/2 Trampler in the early game, which is terrifying! That size is relevant all game long, too.
Noose Constrictor image 3.5 This is a great two-drop that has nice stats, can threaten to become quite large, and helps you do things with Madness and Delirium.
Port Town image 2.5 Playing these untapped is fairly easy, and they do a good job of fixing your mana.
Gisa's Bidding image 3.5 This is great, it was an Uncommon last time, so downshifting it to Common is pretty spicy. Without Madness, it is a passable rate. With Madness it is downright nasty. Three mana for two 2/2s at Instant speed is a great rate. Casting this for its Madness cost is very doable, too.
Magmatic Chasm image 0.0 // 2.0 You’re not going to play this unless you’re an all-in aggro deck, and even then it is sometimes a real problem that flyers can still block.
Sigardian Priest image 2.5 This format has a ton of humans in it, so you often can’t tap creatures that you desperately want to tap. That makes this a lot worse than something like Master Decoy, but its still solid.
Faithbearer Paladin image 2.0 This is better than it looks. A ¾ with lifelink is pretty beefy in this format, and represents a very real road block for aggro decks.
Drag Under image 2.5 Bouncing something at Sorcery speed and going down a card normally isn’t worth it. However, this replaces itself, which makes a really big difference! It means you still get the tempo but don’t go down a card, and there’s a spell deck in this format, so any spell that draws you a card already gets more value.
Fogwalker image 2.5 This does not tap down a creature – keep that in mind! It only keeps it from untapping, so if the creature isn’t already tapped, its ETB ability doesn’t do anything. A two man ⅓ with Skulk is definitely difficult to block, though, and this even has a useful creature type.
Stormrider Spirit image 2.0 The Spirit decks in this format have lots of cards that let them operate at instant speed, so this having Flash works pretty well. You can leave up counter magic and removal, and if you don’t need it, add a very real body to the board. You can of course also Flash it in and ambush block stuff, which can feel pretty great.
Grapple with the Past image 2.5 You usually want one of these in Green. It helps you get delirium and helps you get value out of the graveyard.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Ingenious Skaab
Vampiric Fury image 1.0 // 2.5 This is cheaper than most Trumpet-Blast type effects, but only buffing Vampires is enough of a restriction that I’m not that thrilled about it. If you really got their on vampires, it isn’t a bad inclusion, but there are lots of Red decks that won’t play this.
Declaration in Stone image 3.5 This removes things very efficiently. The downside is real, as you eventually get 2-for-1’d, but the flexibility and efficiency is enough for this to feel pretty great. It gets better in aggro decks, where you can put your opponent on the back foot and not really allow them to cash in the clue, since if they don’t add to the board, they die.
Village Messenger image 2.5 This is great on turn one, especially if you’re on the play. You get to play this and get in for a damage, and if your opponent doesn’t have a one drop, this turns into a 2/2 Menace – and it's going to stay that way for quite some time. If you get it later in the game, it is significantly less impressive, but a 2/2 Menace can at least be relevant on most board states.
Noose Constrictor image 3.5 This is a great two-drop that has nice stats, can threaten to become quite large, and helps you do things with Madness and Delirium.
Essence Flux image 0.0 // 2.5 The Blue-White Spirit deck has a blink/flicker sub-theme, as Essence Flux tells you. If you have enough Spirits with ETB abilities, this is playable. But there are many decks it doesn’t work out in, even Blue/White ones!
Aim High image 1.5 This type of trick is rarely good. The stats boost is medium for two mana, and Reach and untapping are mostly only relevant on defense, which is the worst possible time to use a trick.
Dauntless Cathar image 3.5 Trading this off for something and then getting a flying token out of your graveyard feels great. Also works well if you want to sacrifice it or you end up milling it.
Bound by Moonsilver image 4.0 This is amazing removal, and it was at Uncommon last time around. Downshifting it is pretty surprising, because it deals with most things in the format quite effectively! Its great you can move it around when you need to, too.
Thraben Foulbloods image 2.5 A three mana 3/2 isn’t very good, but a three mana 4/3 with Menace is! Delirium is very accessible too, though you won’t usually have it when you’re playing this on turn three.
Ingenious Skaab image 3.5 This is an amazing common. If you took away its ability to change its stats OR Prowess, it would still be pretty high quality – but it has both! This is incredibly difficult to block, and it can hit really hard so that’s kind of a problem for your opponent.
Steadfast Cathar image 2.5 This is a solid two drop, as attacking as a ⅔ in the early game is pretty nice.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Gavony Unhallowed
Battleground Geist image 2.5 There are lots of Spirits in this set, and this will be doubly true while Battleground Geist is in the format. It has passable stats and impacts the board right away.
Blood Mist image 0.0 This is bad. It isn’t worth the mana or the card. Double strike on one creature can sometimes be pretty sweet, but the fact it only works on one creature and only on your turn is rough. You basically already need a really good creature or this is irrelevant.
Fogwalker image 2.5 This does not tap down a creature – keep that in mind! It only keeps it from untapping, so if the creature isn’t already tapped, its ETB ability doesn’t do anything. A two man ⅓ with Skulk is definitely difficult to block, though, and this even has a useful creature type.
Weirding Wood image 2.0 This fixes your mana and generates a Clue, and some decks are definitely in the market for that.
Howlpack Wolf image 2.0 This has decent stats, and if you're in Red/Green it basically has no downside.
Borrowed Grace image 1.5 So you can pay for +2/+2 to the whole board, or three mana for just one of these effects. Neither is very exciting.
Gavony Unhallowed image 2.0 This starts with some pretty bad stats, but it can definitely grow in this format, especially in a deck like Black-White, which has a substantial amount of Sacrifice stuff.
Jace's Scrutiny image 2.0 This is a little better than it might look at first, largely because the format has both a Spell deck and an Investigate deck. This ultimately replaces itself thanks to the Clue, and the -4/-0 can end up blanking an attack at worst, and sometimes you can even set up a really advantageous combat situation where your opponent actually loses a card.
Alms of the Vein image 1.0 Even if you can consistently cast this for its Madness cost, Alms of the Vein is fairly disappointing. The six point life swing is nice, but doesn’t feel worth a card most of the time.
Merciless Resolve image 1.5 There are some expendable bodies in this format for sure, and the fact you can sacrifice a land is nice. But this is still fairly clunky for the effect, which often amounts to you breaking even on cards. That’s not especially exciting.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Ghoulcaller's Accomplice
Traveler's Amulet image 2.5 This nicely fixes your mana, while also giving you an Artifact in the graveyard for Delirium.
Murderer's Axe image 1.0 This mostly isn’t worth it. Sure, you want to be discarding in this format to set up Delirium and cast things for their Madness cost, but there are lots of better ways to do that. The fact there isn’t any other Equip cost on this at all is rough, because even in this format there are situations where you just can’t move this.
Fortified Village image 2.5 Playing these untapped is fairly easy, and they do a good job of fixing your mana.
Groundskeeper image 1.0 You do mill yourself a lot in Green, so the idea here is that if you milled a land you need, you can get it back. Mostly, though, that isn’t worth doing.
Essence Flux image 0.0 // 2.5 The Blue-White Spirit deck has a blink/flicker sub-theme, as Essence Flux tells you. If you have enough Spirits with ETB abilities, this is playable. But there are many decks it doesn’t work out in, even Blue/White ones!
Ember-Eye Wolf image 2.5 This overperformed last time. A lot of the time, this sort of creature that can buff its power for mana isn’t very impressive, because you end up having to spend a lot of mana just to make it trade. However, adding Haste to the mix, along with a useful creature type, makes a significant difference. This even has a bit of Fireball potential in the late game.
Ghoulcaller's Accomplice image 3.0 This has solid base stats, and the fact you can get a Zombie out of it from the graveyard is great! Obviously, the rate on that second body isn’t amazing, but card advantage is card advantage. It also means you can discard or mill this and still get some nice value out of it.
Pyre Hound image 1.0 // 3.5 This is a buildaround, but it is also an incredibly important and powerful Common for the Blue-Red deck. It gets massive in that deck, and the Trample is a real problem for your opponent.
Make Mischief image 2.0 In a roundabout way, this does give you three damage for three mana. If you look at this as a three mana 1/1 devil that does 1 to something on ETB it sounds a lot better, as you get to add to the board while picking something off. If you can’t kill something with the 1 damage it does get a lot worse.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Thraben Foulbloods
Drogskol Captain image 3.5 This is an amazing spirit payoff that has solid base stats as a Wind Drake. While it doesn’t grant hexproof to itself, granting to all of your spirits is no joke.
Mockery of Nature image 2.5 This format has a decent number of Artifacts and Enchantments, and if you have a target, the Mockery will feel amazing. However, there aren’t so many of them in the set that this will consistently give you that sweet 2-for-1.
Intrepid Provisioner image 3.0 This is a solid Human payoff. The +2/+2 it offers often gives you a much better situation to attack with, and the 3/3 Trample body isn’t the worst thing.
Make Mischief image 2.0 In a roundabout way, this does give you three damage for three mana. If you look at this as a three mana 1/1 devil that does 1 to something on ETB it sounds a lot better, as you get to add to the board while picking something off. If you can’t kill something with the 1 damage it does get a lot worse.
Liliana's Elite image 1.5 Even in this graveyard-centric format, Liliana’s Elite often isn’t worth it. The upside here is that it is a large vanilla creature, and the downside is that it is awful in the early game, and mediocre in the mid-game.
Drag Under image 2.5 Bouncing something at Sorcery speed and going down a card normally isn’t worth it. However, this replaces itself, which makes a really big difference! It means you still get the tempo but don’t go down a card, and there’s a spell deck in this format, so any spell that draws you a card already gets more value.
Dawn Gryff image 2.0 A three mana 2/2 Flyer was a lot better back in 2016, and I think this format is similar enough for this to be solid.
Thraben Foulbloods image 2.5 A three mana 3/2 isn’t very good, but a three mana 4/3 with Menace is! Delirium is very accessible too, though you won’t usually have it when you’re playing this on turn three.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Spontaneous Mutation
Mockery of Nature image 2.5 This format has a decent number of Artifacts and Enchantments, and if you have a target, the Mockery will feel amazing. However, there aren’t so many of them in the set that this will consistently give you that sweet 2-for-1.
Sigardian Priest image 2.5 This format has a ton of humans in it, so you often can’t tap creatures that you desperately want to tap. That makes this a lot worse than something like Master Decoy, but its still solid.
Insatiable Gorgers image 2.5 A 4-mana 5/3 isn’t too bad, even if it has to always attack, and the Madness upside is nice to have.
Sanitarium Skeleton image 1.0 // 2.5 If you need sacrifice fodder, this is pretty nice. If you don’t, you aren’t playing it.
Spontaneous Mutation image 1.5 Like most -X/-0 Auras, this isn’t very good – even with Flash! It doesn’t get close enough to removing an entire card to feel like its worth it. It does get a small boost because of all the Prowess in the set, but you’re still hoping to play something better.
Gnarlwood Dryad image 3.0 A one mana 1/1 with deathtouch is always playable, and this has the upside of becoming much more relevant in the mid to late game.
Merciless Resolve image 1.5 There are some expendable bodies in this format for sure, and the fact you can sacrifice a land is nice. But this is still fairly clunky for the effect, which often amounts to you breaking even on cards. That’s not especially exciting.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Terrarion
Battleground Geist image 2.5 There are lots of Spirits in this set, and this will be doubly true while Battleground Geist is in the format. It has passable stats and impacts the board right away.
Faithbearer Paladin image 2.0 This is better than it looks. A ¾ with lifelink is pretty beefy in this format, and represents a very real road block for aggro decks.
Confront the Unknown image 1.5 This only gives +1/+1 a little too often to be anything special. Some really clue-heavy decks can get some good use out of this, but it isn’t exactly the payoff you’re hoping for.
Wild-Field Scarecrow image 3.0 This is a passable defensive creature that is great at fixing your mana and helping you get Delirium.
Terrarion image 1.5 This does a solid job of fixing your mana, and it helps you get delirium early by putting an Artifact in the graveyard.
Stormrider Spirit image 2.0 The Spirit decks in this format have lots of cards that let them operate at instant speed, so this having Flash works pretty well. You can leave up counter magic and removal, and if you don’t need it, add a very real body to the board. You can of course also Flash it in and ambush block stuff, which can feel pretty great.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Field Creeper
Foreboding Ruins image 2.5 Playing these untapped is fairly easy, and they do a good job of fixing your mana.
Spectral Shepherd image 3.0 UW is all about spirits, and it has a sub-theme of abusing ETB abilities. The Shepherd’s activated abilities can help you trigger them, while also allowing you to save your Spirits from removal.
Tattered Haunter image 2.0 This is a reasonable two-drop, though it does suffer from the fact that it is awful against the format’s flying tokens.
Field Creeper image 1.5 This is a little better than it looks. It is both an Artifact and a Creature, which means it gets you halfway to Delirium all on its own.
Intrepid Provisioner image 3.0 This is a solid Human payoff. The +2/+2 it offers often gives you a much better situation to attack with, and the 3/3 Trample body isn’t the worst thing.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Fogwalker
Magmatic Chasm image 0.0 // 2.0 You’re not going to play this unless you’re an all-in aggro deck, and even then it is sometimes a real problem that flyers can still block.
Fogwalker image 2.5 This does not tap down a creature – keep that in mind! It only keeps it from untapping, so if the creature isn’t already tapped, its ETB ability doesn’t do anything. A two man ⅓ with Skulk is definitely difficult to block, though, and this even has a useful creature type.
Stormrider Spirit image 2.0 The Spirit decks in this format have lots of cards that let them operate at instant speed, so this having Flash works pretty well. You can leave up counter magic and removal, and if you don’t need it, add a very real body to the board. You can of course also Flash it in and ambush block stuff, which can feel pretty great.
Grapple with the Past image 2.5 You usually want one of these in Green. It helps you get delirium and helps you get value out of the graveyard.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Aim High
Vampiric Fury image 1.0 // 2.5 This is cheaper than most Trumpet-Blast type effects, but only buffing Vampires is enough of a restriction that I’m not that thrilled about it. If you really got their on vampires, it isn’t a bad inclusion, but there are lots of Red decks that won’t play this.
Aim High image 1.5 This type of trick is rarely good. The stats boost is medium for two mana, and Reach and untapping are mostly only relevant on defense, which is the worst possible time to use a trick.
Dauntless Cathar image 3.5 Trading this off for something and then getting a flying token out of your graveyard feels great. Also works well if you want to sacrifice it or you end up milling it.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Battleground Geist
Battleground Geist image 2.5 There are lots of Spirits in this set, and this will be doubly true while Battleground Geist is in the format. It has passable stats and impacts the board right away.
Borrowed Grace image 1.5 So you can pay for +2/+2 to the whole board, or three mana for just one of these effects. Neither is very exciting.
Pack 3 Pick 15: Groundskeeper
Groundskeeper image 1.0 You do mill yourself a lot in Green, so the idea here is that if you milled a land you need, you can get it back. Mostly, though, that isn’t worth doing.
Draft Pick Overview