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Premier Draft MOM 29 April 2023

29 April 08:56 - Safristan 7 Wins - 1 Losses
Maindeck
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (5)
2 Deadly Derision image
1 Tandem Takedown image
1 Breach the Multiverse image
1 Fertilid's Favor image
Creature (17)
2 Timberland Ancient image
1 Placid Rottentail image
2 Wary Thespian image
1 Portent Tracker image
1 Gloomfang Mauler image
1 Wildwood Escort image
1 Ravenous Sailback image
1 Ancient Imperiosaur image
1 Aetherblade Agent // Gitaxian Mindstinger image
1 Ichor Drinker image
1 Elvish Vatkeeper image
1 Kami of Whispered Hopes image
1 Fynn, the Fangbearer image
1 Ichor Shade image
1 Converter Beast image
Other (1)
1 Invasion of Ixalan // Belligerent Regisaur image
Land (17)
1 Jungle Hollow image
8 Swamp image
8 Forest image
Sideboard
1 Botanical Brawler image
1 Stormclaw Rager image
1 Mutagen Connoisseur image
1 Phyrexian Archivist image
1 Phyrexian Censor image
1 Golden-Scale Aeronaut image
1 Furnace Host Charger image
1 Juri, Master of the Revue image
1 Halo Hopper image
1 Enduring Bondwarden image
1 Angelic Intervention image
1 Fertilid's Favor image
1 Traumatic Revelation image
1 Bladed Battle-Fan image
1 Crystal Carapace image
1 Arachnoid Adaptation image
1 Inspired Charge image
1 Vengeant Earth image
1 Invasion of Muraganda image
1 Invasion of Moag image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Deadly Derision
Kwende, Pride of Femeref image 2.0 A 4-mana 2/2 with Double Strike isn’t a complete disaster, and this does upgrade a few other cards. Unfortunately, there aren’t very many First Strikers in this set.
Invasion of Alara image 2.5 So the battle side gives you a 2-for-1 on its own and if you ever transform it, it is pretty impossible for you to lose! However, casting this is hard in Limited, and transforming it isn’t a walk in the park either with its 7 defense.
Blightreaper Thallid image 3.5 You get a 2/2 upfront, and then on the next turn you have the option of making this a 3/3 and getting a 1/1. That’s a pretty nice thing to have around if you don’t have anything to do with three mana, and at some point you’re certainly going to have the time to transform this. It isn’t the most massive upgrade ever, but you do end up getting two Saprolings and a 3/3 in the long run.
Glistening Deluge image 0.5 This card annoys me. Mostly because it ends up being even more narrow than the other cards in this cycle. This is because it has a symmetrical effect, which means if you’re playing Black-White or Black-Green you really don’t want to play this or even side it in. If you’re in one of the other three Black decks, it is a nice sideboard card that might sometimes be a one-sided wrath, but the base effect does seem underpowered enough that it should still start in your sideboard
Tiller of Flesh image 2.5 The stats aren’t great, but the trigger is pretty good. However, I’m not sure you’ll be targeting things enough in this format for this to really go wild. Notably, it only counts spells that target, and not abilities like Backup. If you have a critical mass of removal and combat tricks this can do a pretty good job, but the floor is pretty bad.
Ravenous Sailback image 2.0 A 5-mana ¾ with Haste is…not exactly good – it is probably a 1.0 at best. If your opponent has a target for the other mode this can do some work. Problem is there will be enough boards where this is just an inefficient creature with no good targets.
Shatter the Source image 3.0 This looks pretty nice. 6 mana for 6 damage at Instant speed is usually a 2.0, and with Convoke you’re going to be able to cast this in many more situations than you would normally be able to. Sometimes you can blow up a problem Artifact with this too.
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
Furtive Analyst image 1.5 Paying 2 to loot is kind of a lot – it is hard to have that kind of mana available consistently, and while a three mana ¼ with Vigilance is acceptable, the whole package here seems a little overcosted.
Deadly Derision image 3.5 We’ve seen this card at Sorcery speed before, and it was pretty good. As an Instant, it gets significantly better! This is easily premium removal, and pretty much a lock to be one of Black’s best Commons, if not the best.
Iridescent Blademaster image 1.5 This is a bear that can buff itself when you have some extra mana lying around. We’ve seen many cards like this in recent years, and most of them haven’t been especially impressive. You just don’t find yourself with a bunch of mana lying around until the later stages of the game, so this is often irrelevant between about turn 2 and turn 10, and that’s a problem.
Alabaster Host Intercessor image 3.5 This is a large version of Banisher Priest, and while it isn’t the most efficient thing ever, that’s still a strong effect. What makes it especially nice, though, is that it has Plainscycling. This means if you draw this early when you are really far from casting it, you can get rid of it and search up a land. This really offsets the downside of this being a 6-mana card. Basically, this gets a land when you need it, and if you have the mana to cast it, it is going to have a big impact on the board. I think this is one of White’s best Commons.
Skittering Surveyor image 3.0 This does a great job of fixing your mana, and makes for an expendable body to sacrifice in Black-Red.
War-Trained Slasher image 2.5 A 4-mana 4/3 with Menace is probably a 2.0, so the fact this swings with eight power when it goes after battle is pretty awesome. It really puts your opponent in a horrible spot on a lot of boards, and they are likely to get 2-for-1’d at best.
Bloodfell Caves image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Tandem Takedown
Renata, Called to the Hunt image 3.5 Renata giving your creatures a +1/+1 counter when they enter is great, especially because this set has +1/+1 counter synergy, and sometimes Renate will also have pretty high power.
Compleated Huntmaster image 3.5 You can sort of look at this as paying 3 mana, sacrificing something, and getting a 3/3 – that wouldn’t be a bad deal, and this is better because you can pay for the Incubator on a separate turn. This doesn’t have the worst stats for a card with this strong of an ability, either. Cards like this really make it feel like the sacrifice deck in this format is going to have some legs
Tandem Takedown image 3.5 An Instant speed effect that has your creature damage an opponent’s creature is usually a very nice card and this simultaneously gets around two downsides this kind of card often has. First, because you get to use two of your creatures, you will be able to take down even very large creatures with two smaller ones. Second, because it uses two creatures, you can set it up so that you don’t get 2-for-1’d if your opponent can interact in response. Add in the fact that this can also damage battles and you have an amazing removal spell that is quite easily premium.
Invasion of Kaladesh image 3.0 While a two mana 1/1 Flyer isn’t the best deal, it does mean this Battle gives you an evasive creature that can help you transform this into a solid Vehicle. It will at least be a ¼ Flyer with Crew 1, and that’s not too bad – and sometimes it will be a much bigger problem than that.
Pyretic Prankster image 3.0 A two mana 2/1 is below rate these days, but this can transform into a 3/2 that virtually always forces a 2-for-1, and it can transform pretty quickly.
Zhalfirin Shapecraft image 2.0 This is a nice trick, not too different from Suit Up, a Blue trick that performed really well in the past. It probably isn’t quite as good – that cost one more mana but made the creature a 4/5, and that was a size that could win combat with almost everything, where as a 4/3 can sometimes be a little too small to survive combat – and that’s what you really want here to get a sweet 2-for-1. Still, it is relatively cheap, can create 2-for-1s, and plays well with +1/+1 counters which this set certainly has.
Etched Familiar image 2.5 Trading this off and draining 2 life from your opponent is going to feel like a good deal all the time, and it isn’t terrible sacrifice fodder either.
Sigiled Sentinel image 2.5 A three mana 3/3 with Vigilance is something you usually play, especially when the creature has a useful creature type – so the upside of putting the counter elsewhere and giving something vigilance for a turn makes this quite attractive.
Atraxa's Fall image 0.5 One thing to keep in mind is that destroying a battle doesn’t let you cast it transformed. A battle has to be “defeated” for that to happen, and the only way to make that happen is to remove the counters on it one way or another. This simply puts in the graveyard. In other words, you want to use this on a battle you are defending. This targets a whole bunch of stuff, but I’m still pretty skeptical it will find something useful to do on a regular basis, so I’m starting it in the sideboard.
Etched Host Doombringer image 2.5 This is an interesting design. Obviously the stats are bad, but even if this could only drain 2 life on ETB it would probably be playable, so having this Battle upside is pretty nice. If you can use this to defeat a battle and transform it, its going to feel pretty close to a 2-for-1 – and the fact you can also use it to subtract counters from your battles or add counters to your opponents battles is pretty sweet. If you can use this to defeat a battle on ETB, it is going to feel pretty close to a 2-for-1
Furnace Host Charger image 3.0 A 6-mana 5/5 Haster is definitely medium, but it is definitely relevant on most board states, and if you draw it early and would rather have a land drop, it has you covered.
Halo Hopper image 1.5 A three mana 3/2 is pretty bad, but the convoke upside here certainly makes this playable, though I’m still not very impressed.
Wary Thespian image 2.5 Two mana for a 3/1 and a couple of Surveil triggers seems like a solid deal. That is some very nice card selection to come attached to a creature that is already close to playable based on its statline.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Timberland Ancient
Horobi, Death's Wail image 2.0 A 4-mana 4/4 flyer is a pretty nice rate, the rest of this card’s text has its pros and cons. It turns basically everything that targets into a removal spell, and that may benefit your opponent more than it benefits you! It is fairly hard to control how things will go there. Obviously, you can build around it to some extent, but you still can’t count on your opponent being capable of targeting anything.
Surge of Salvation image 0.5 Granting hexproof to your creatures can be a good way to combat removal for sure, but when we’ve seen similar one mana cards actually be worth playing, they have also granted indestructibility. So you really need a card like this to also save a creature in combat consistently – not just save it from removal – and it looks like this will only do that against black or red creatures. In short, the floor is quite low, low enough that I don’t think I want to start with this in my main deck.
Harried Artisan image 3.0 A three mana ⅔ Haste isn’t terrible, and this can transform into a ¾ flyer for a relatively cheap cost. Obviously, in terms of efficiency it isn’t amazing, but it is a nice mana sink to have around.
Invasion of Vryn image 2.5 A Sorcery speed Sift isn’t a terrible card, though if this is a format where you really need to add more meaningfully to the board, it might be a little bit too clunky. The things this transforms into also isn’t amazing, but if you double a removal spell with it, it will certainly feel pretty good.
Flitting Guerilla image 1.5 Wind Drakes aren’t what they used to be, and this ability is something you’ll only use a small percentage of the time.
Timberland Ancient image 3.0 A 6-mana 6/5 with Reach and Trample is right around a 2.0 these days, but don’t underestimate Forestcycling! Unlike your other 6 drops, you can throw this one away if you draw it early and grab a land drop you desperately need, and when it comes time to cast it, it isn’t usually a creature your opponent can just ignore.
Oculus Whelp image 2.0 A 4-mana 3/2 Flyer is a little below rate these days, but if this is replacing itself when it dies it does get significantly better. Oftentimes the problem with casting something that costs 4+ mana and has 2 or less toughness is that your opponent can get an easy tempo advantage when they point a one or two mana removal spell at it, but this hedges against that a little when you have a transformed permanent around, since getting the 2-for-1 makes that feel a little less awful. Still, even in the Blue-Green deck you won’t always be able to get this going, and the baseline just isn’t very good.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Angelic Intervention image 2.5 Two mana for a counter and protection gives your creature the ability to both dodge removal spells and succeed in combat more often.
Failed Conversion image 2.0 This isn’t a terrible rate - against most creatures it will be a 5-mana spell that kills the creature and then you Surveil 2. It also isn’t premium, though, as a 5-mana sorcery speed removal spell should probably be able to kill more stuff!
Karsus Depthguard image 2.0 Just one +1/+1 counter allows this to start rumbling, and those aren’t exactly hard to come by in Red, and a 3-mana 4/3 Defender isn’t a terrible fail case.
Searing Barb image 2.0 Three mana for 2 damage at Sorcery speed isn’t very good, but you can sort of look at this as a 5-mana 2/2 that does 2 damage to something. Which…well, still isn’t that good. Still, it does have 2-for-1 potential and can hit battles.
Bloodfell Caves image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Invasion of Muraganda
Scrappy Bruiser image 1.5 This can definitely make something else – or itself – into a much better attacker, but I actually don’t love that it makes you return the thing you target to your hand. Sometimes you’ll get some sweet value as a result of that, like if you return something with Backup, but the tempo you lose is a big deal.
Invasion of Muraganda image 3.5 A 5-mana fight spell that gives you a +1/+1 counter isn’t bad, and it also means this is another Battle that increases your chances of being able to attack right away. With 6 defense it might take some time, but the creature you eventually get is pretty nice! Mostly you will lose it to buff your stuff, but the upside of sometimes taking away opposing abilities is definitely nice.
Norn's Inquisitor image 4.0 This looks really good. It is sort of a 4-mana 1/1 that gives you a 3/3, and still has the additional upside of helping anything that transforms into a Phyrexian. Note this works not only with the Incubator tokens but also all the cards that transform using Phyrexian mana, so there are a wide swath of cards this makes better, and it already has a great baseline.
Bonded Herdbeast image 3.0 A 5-mana 4/5 is a 2.0 at the very best, but this one transforms into a pretty scary 7/5 with Menace, something that is going to be a problem on most boards.
Sigiled Sentinel image 2.5 A three mana 3/3 with Vigilance is something you usually play, especially when the creature has a useful creature type – so the upside of putting the counter elsewhere and giving something vigilance for a turn makes this quite attractive.
Serpent-Blade Assailant image 2.5 A three mana 3/2 with Deathtouch is passable, as is giving the counter and deathtouch to something else. It will often allow a creature to be a much more problematic attacker. Also works well with the fight and bight spells Green always has.
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
Gloomfang Mauler image 3.0 When you actually cast this thing, it has a big impact on the board – either coming down as a monstrous 7/7 with Menace, or coming down as a 5/5 that gives something else two counters as well as Menace until end of turn. This gives it the ability to immediately impact the board when it comes down, while still sporting a sizable and problematic body. The downside here is that you just don’t always get 7 mana in Limited, but this makes sure that isn’t too much of a problem for you, since you can just pitch it to search up a Swamp if that’s what you need to do
Urn of Godfire image 1.0 This is horrible at fixing your mana and is a wildly inefficient removal spell. You might run it if you’re desperate for removal, but if that’s where you’re at things really didn’t go well in the draft.
Expedition Lookout image 2.5 This is a two drop that lots of creatures can’t attack through, and eventually it becomes an unblockable 2/3. That’s pretty nice, because it might take awhile before you get there – since it can’t be blocked, it will be relevant on any board.
Fertilid's Favor image 2.0 This is an Instant speed way to both ramp your mana and buff a creature. In other words, it can be part combat trick part ramp spell. Ramp spells can be a dangerous proposition in Limited because they usually don’t add to the board at all, but this one does. It doesn’t search up the basic land as efficiently as something like Rampant Growth, but this is better in Limited in a lot of ways, because it is a much better late-game top deck and even has a bit of 2-for-1 potential. I think having both of these effects on a single Instant is enough to make this a quality card.
Rugged Highlands image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Botanical Brawler
Firja, Judge of Valor image 3.5 This has decent base stats, and it will net you cards sometimes. It even loads your graveyard if you’re interested in that.
Mutagen Connoisseur image 3.5 Blue-Green is all about transforming things. This plays well with Incubator and Battles, as well as all the creatures that can transform for Phyrexian mana. Even with just 1 power, this is going to feel like a fairly powerful card, and it can get a lot sillier than that.
Merciless Repurposing image 3.0 6 mana is a lot, even for removal – mostly because you end up paying more than your opponent did for their creature a lot of the time, and that tempo hit can be rough. However, this is an Instant, and it gives you something that will eventually be a creature. If you have 8 mana lying around, this will feel like an 8-mana 3/3 that exiles something on ETB, and the fact you can spread it out in two installments is nice.
Botanical Brawler image 3.5 As it often it is, Green/White is about +1/+1 counters. So, a two mana 2/2 trampler that gains counters no matter where you put them on your board is really nice.
Flywheel Racer image 2.5 This is a reasonably efficient vehicle, and the fact it fixes and ramps is nice too, even if you do have to Crew it.
Searing Barb image 2.0 Three mana for 2 damage at Sorcery speed isn’t very good, but you can sort of look at this as a 5-mana 2/2 that does 2 damage to something. Which…well, still isn’t that good. Still, it does have 2-for-1 potential and can hit battles.
Angelic Intervention image 2.5 Two mana for a counter and protection gives your creature the ability to both dodge removal spells and succeed in combat more often.
Coming In Hot image 1.5 This is a decent trick that we’ve seen before. +1/+0 and First Strike is enough to help a lot of creatures kill an opposing creature and survive combat, the Scry is some nice additional upside. It IS a trick that is only useful in combat, which certainly hurts its stock a bit, but its fine.
Zhalfirin Shapecraft image 2.0 This is a nice trick, not too different from Suit Up, a Blue trick that performed really well in the past. It probably isn’t quite as good – that cost one more mana but made the creature a 4/5, and that was a size that could win combat with almost everything, where as a 4/3 can sometimes be a little too small to survive combat – and that’s what you really want here to get a sweet 2-for-1. Still, it is relatively cheap, can create 2-for-1s, and plays well with +1/+1 counters which this set certainly has.
Seed of Hope image 1.0 Green isn’t that into milling in this format, otherwise this would be a little more interesting. As is, it has a fairly small effect, and since it is restricted only to the two cards you mill, you’re just going to wiff sometimes or get something very underwhelming.
Swiftwater Cliffs image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Wildwood Escort
Yargle, Glutton of Urborg image 1.0 If you want a big vanilla creature, Yargle does the job. But…you really shouldn’t want that. The low toughness makes him a real liability.
Tiller of Flesh image 2.5 The stats aren’t great, but the trigger is pretty good. However, I’m not sure you’ll be targeting things enough in this format for this to really go wild. Notably, it only counts spells that target, and not abilities like Backup. If you have a critical mass of removal and combat tricks this can do a pretty good job, but the floor is pretty bad.
Tarkir Duneshaper image 2.5 A one mana ½ isn’t very good on its own, but the fact this can become a 4/3 trampler later in the game does mean it tends to have relevance most of the time.
Etched Host Doombringer image 2.5 This is an interesting design. Obviously the stats are bad, but even if this could only drain 2 life on ETB it would probably be playable, so having this Battle upside is pretty nice. If you can use this to defeat a battle and transform it, its going to feel pretty close to a 2-for-1 – and the fact you can also use it to subtract counters from your battles or add counters to your opponents battles is pretty sweet. If you can use this to defeat a battle on ETB, it is going to feel pretty close to a 2-for-1
Enduring Bondwarden image 2.5 A one mana ½ that puts its counter somewhere when it dies is playable in this format because there are so many nice payoffs for doing things with counters. The ability to put the counter elsewhere is good too, and you can even get away with attacking into a trade if you have Backed up the creature, because if your opponent blocks you’re going to come out ahead since you keep all those counters
Wildwood Escort image 3.0 I like this. It is a built-in 2-for-1, and the first copy of this is going to be something you virtually always want in Green.
Phyrexian Archivist image 1.0 This is a reprint, and it wasn’t very good last time. This format does have a self-mill deck, and that means this can theoretically keep you from milling out in the extreme late game, but it isn’t particularly efficient and is far too situational.
Flywheel Racer image 2.5 This is a reasonably efficient vehicle, and the fact it fixes and ramps is nice too, even if you do have to Crew it.
Marauding Dreadship image 1.5 So in the end, you pay 5 mana for a 2/2 and a 4/1 Vehicle with Haste and Crew 2. That’s not….the worst thing ever, but it doesn’t seem like you’re doing a great job either. The Vehicle can simply be blocked by a token or something, and Crew 2 is kind of high for a 1 toughness vehicle. It can definitely come down and do some surprise damage, but the fact that you have to tap something significant to crew it makes that a lot less appealing.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 7: Stormclaw Rager
Stormclaw Rager image 4.0 This is a powerful sacrifice outlet, even limited to Sorcery speed only! You get a card back, so it is hard not to get nice value out of this, especially if you’re sacrificing something really expendable. There’s also a cheap Threaten effect in the format that is going to combo absurdly with this, but in general, there’s plenty to sacrifice to this, making it another great signpost
Serpent-Blade Assailant image 2.5 A three mana 3/2 with Deathtouch is passable, as is giving the counter and deathtouch to something else. It will often allow a creature to be a much more problematic attacker. Also works well with the fight and bight spells Green always has.
Bladed Battle-Fan image 2.0 +1/+0 and indestructible isn’t a terrible trick-like effect, because it saves a creature in combat while helping them punch up, and it saves the creature from most removal too. Any time a card can do both of those they end up seeing play. The Equipment itself definitely isn’t exciting after the turn you cast it, and that does make it awkward in some situations, but the threat this presents as a trick is nice, and its flexible too.
Tidal Terror image 3.0 This 6-mana 5/6 plays well with all the token stuff going on in Blue/white, as it can sometimes be unblockable. Islandcycling is a great thing to have, as it allows you to throw this away in the early game so that you hit your land drop, and if you play it late, it isn’t a bad threat to have.
Kor Halberd image 2.0 I like the efficiency here. +1/+1 and Vigilance isn’t a boost that set’s the world on fire, but when you can get it with a one mana Equip cost, I’m definitely interested.
Etched Familiar image 2.5 Trading this off and draining 2 life from your opponent is going to feel like a good deal all the time, and it isn’t terrible sacrifice fodder either.
Seed of Hope image 1.0 Green isn’t that into milling in this format, otherwise this would be a little more interesting. As is, it has a fairly small effect, and since it is restricted only to the two cards you mill, you’re just going to wiff sometimes or get something very underwhelming.
Karsus Depthguard image 2.0 Just one +1/+1 counter allows this to start rumbling, and those aren’t exactly hard to come by in Red, and a 3-mana 4/3 Defender isn’t a terrible fail case.
Swamp image
Pack 1 Pick 8: Placid Rottentail
Copper Host Crusher image 1.0 This is a big hard-to-kill monster, but it also costs 8 mana which simply isn’t an amount of mana you get to very consistently in Limited.
Golden-Scale Aeronaut image 2.5 A 5-mana ¾ with Flying is acceptable, and that’s the floor here. The ability to put the counter on something else and give it flying for a turn will usually be what you want to do
Beamtown Beatstick image 2.0 +1/+0 and Menace isn’t a terrible boost for the casting and equip cost here, and the fact it gives you treasure will also mean it will be a little easier to move around than it might look at first. Seems like a solid inclusion for Red aggro decks.
Placid Rottentail image 1.5 A 1/1 with Vigilance isn’t really setting the world on fire, but it does make it a nice spot to put +1/+1 counters, and once it goes down it can provide you with some counters all on its own.
Tenured Oilcaster image 2.0 A 4-mana 2/4 Menace isn’t too bad, so if you add in the fact it mills you and pays you off for milling is pretty nice. The times when this is a 5/4 menace for 4 will feel pretty nice!
Iridescent Blademaster image 1.5 This is a bear that can buff itself when you have some extra mana lying around. We’ve seen many cards like this in recent years, and most of them haven’t been especially impressive. You just don’t find yourself with a bunch of mana lying around until the later stages of the game, so this is often irrelevant between about turn 2 and turn 10, and that’s a problem.
Meeting of Minds image 3.0 This is an Instant, which is kind of a big deal – in many situations it can be a better version of Divination, and in a format with a spell deck that is good at convoking, this seems like exactly what the doctor ordered. You probably don’t want too many of them, as they can get awkward in multiples. But I think the first copy is something you want.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 9: Ravenous Sailback
Kwende, Pride of Femeref image 2.0 A 4-mana 2/2 with Double Strike isn’t a complete disaster, and this does upgrade a few other cards. Unfortunately, there aren’t very many First Strikers in this set.
Glistening Deluge image 0.5 This card annoys me. Mostly because it ends up being even more narrow than the other cards in this cycle. This is because it has a symmetrical effect, which means if you’re playing Black-White or Black-Green you really don’t want to play this or even side it in. If you’re in one of the other three Black decks, it is a nice sideboard card that might sometimes be a one-sided wrath, but the base effect does seem underpowered enough that it should still start in your sideboard
Tiller of Flesh image 2.5 The stats aren’t great, but the trigger is pretty good. However, I’m not sure you’ll be targeting things enough in this format for this to really go wild. Notably, it only counts spells that target, and not abilities like Backup. If you have a critical mass of removal and combat tricks this can do a pretty good job, but the floor is pretty bad.
Ravenous Sailback image 2.0 A 5-mana ¾ with Haste is…not exactly good – it is probably a 1.0 at best. If your opponent has a target for the other mode this can do some work. Problem is there will be enough boards where this is just an inefficient creature with no good targets.
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
Iridescent Blademaster image 1.5 This is a bear that can buff itself when you have some extra mana lying around. We’ve seen many cards like this in recent years, and most of them haven’t been especially impressive. You just don’t find yourself with a bunch of mana lying around until the later stages of the game, so this is often irrelevant between about turn 2 and turn 10, and that’s a problem.
Alabaster Host Intercessor image 3.5 This is a large version of Banisher Priest, and while it isn’t the most efficient thing ever, that’s still a strong effect. What makes it especially nice, though, is that it has Plainscycling. This means if you draw this early when you are really far from casting it, you can get rid of it and search up a land. This really offsets the downside of this being a 6-mana card. Basically, this gets a land when you need it, and if you have the mana to cast it, it is going to have a big impact on the board. I think this is one of White’s best Commons.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Wary Thespian
Zhalfirin Shapecraft image 2.0 This is a nice trick, not too different from Suit Up, a Blue trick that performed really well in the past. It probably isn’t quite as good – that cost one more mana but made the creature a 4/5, and that was a size that could win combat with almost everything, where as a 4/3 can sometimes be a little too small to survive combat – and that’s what you really want here to get a sweet 2-for-1. Still, it is relatively cheap, can create 2-for-1s, and plays well with +1/+1 counters which this set certainly has.
Sigiled Sentinel image 2.5 A three mana 3/3 with Vigilance is something you usually play, especially when the creature has a useful creature type – so the upside of putting the counter elsewhere and giving something vigilance for a turn makes this quite attractive.
Etched Host Doombringer image 2.5 This is an interesting design. Obviously the stats are bad, but even if this could only drain 2 life on ETB it would probably be playable, so having this Battle upside is pretty nice. If you can use this to defeat a battle and transform it, its going to feel pretty close to a 2-for-1 – and the fact you can also use it to subtract counters from your battles or add counters to your opponents battles is pretty sweet. If you can use this to defeat a battle on ETB, it is going to feel pretty close to a 2-for-1
Halo Hopper image 1.5 A three mana 3/2 is pretty bad, but the convoke upside here certainly makes this playable, though I’m still not very impressed.
Wary Thespian image 2.5 Two mana for a 3/1 and a couple of Surveil triggers seems like a solid deal. That is some very nice card selection to come attached to a creature that is already close to playable based on its statline.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Angelic Intervention
Surge of Salvation image 0.5 Granting hexproof to your creatures can be a good way to combat removal for sure, but when we’ve seen similar one mana cards actually be worth playing, they have also granted indestructibility. So you really need a card like this to also save a creature in combat consistently – not just save it from removal – and it looks like this will only do that against black or red creatures. In short, the floor is quite low, low enough that I don’t think I want to start with this in my main deck.
Oculus Whelp image 2.0 A 4-mana 3/2 Flyer is a little below rate these days, but if this is replacing itself when it dies it does get significantly better. Oftentimes the problem with casting something that costs 4+ mana and has 2 or less toughness is that your opponent can get an easy tempo advantage when they point a one or two mana removal spell at it, but this hedges against that a little when you have a transformed permanent around, since getting the 2-for-1 makes that feel a little less awful. Still, even in the Blue-Green deck you won’t always be able to get this going, and the baseline just isn’t very good.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Angelic Intervention image 2.5 Two mana for a counter and protection gives your creature the ability to both dodge removal spells and succeed in combat more often.
Searing Barb image 2.0 Three mana for 2 damage at Sorcery speed isn’t very good, but you can sort of look at this as a 5-mana 2/2 that does 2 damage to something. Which…well, still isn’t that good. Still, it does have 2-for-1 potential and can hit battles.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Fertilid's Favor
Bonded Herdbeast image 3.0 A 5-mana 4/5 is a 2.0 at the very best, but this one transforms into a pretty scary 7/5 with Menace, something that is going to be a problem on most boards.
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
Urn of Godfire image 1.0 This is horrible at fixing your mana and is a wildly inefficient removal spell. You might run it if you’re desperate for removal, but if that’s where you’re at things really didn’t go well in the draft.
Fertilid's Favor image 2.0 This is an Instant speed way to both ramp your mana and buff a creature. In other words, it can be part combat trick part ramp spell. Ramp spells can be a dangerous proposition in Limited because they usually don’t add to the board at all, but this one does. It doesn’t search up the basic land as efficiently as something like Rampant Growth, but this is better in Limited in a lot of ways, because it is a much better late-game top deck and even has a bit of 2-for-1 potential. I think having both of these effects on a single Instant is enough to make this a quality card.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Mutagen Connoisseur
Mutagen Connoisseur image 3.5 Blue-Green is all about transforming things. This plays well with Incubator and Battles, as well as all the creatures that can transform for Phyrexian mana. Even with just 1 power, this is going to feel like a fairly powerful card, and it can get a lot sillier than that.
Coming In Hot image 1.5 This is a decent trick that we’ve seen before. +1/+0 and First Strike is enough to help a lot of creatures kill an opposing creature and survive combat, the Scry is some nice additional upside. It IS a trick that is only useful in combat, which certainly hurts its stock a bit, but its fine.
Seed of Hope image 1.0 Green isn’t that into milling in this format, otherwise this would be a little more interesting. As is, it has a fairly small effect, and since it is restricted only to the two cards you mill, you’re just going to wiff sometimes or get something very underwhelming.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Phyrexian Archivist
Phyrexian Archivist image 1.0 This is a reprint, and it wasn’t very good last time. This format does have a self-mill deck, and that means this can theoretically keep you from milling out in the extreme late game, but it isn’t particularly efficient and is far too situational.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 15: Swamp
Swamp image
Pack 2 Pick 1: Breach the Multiverse
Valduk, Keeper of the Flame image 1.5 // 3.0 I don’t think every Red deck will automatically have the things it needs for this to spit out a Spark elemental every turn, and its pretty bad when you’re not doing that.
Breach the Multiverse image 4.5 7 mana to reanimate the best things in your graveyard and your opponent’s isn’t bad. Because it mills ten cards, you are reasonably likely to get back at least 7 mana worth of value, and the card selection you get should be powerful. One kind of cool thing about this is that if the game is late enough that both players are low on cards, you can also cast this to mill your opponent out, and they will draw before you do! This is expensive for sure, but it does feel like it will be able to pull you ahead from behind in most situations.
Invasion of Xerex image 3.0 I like this one. It bounces something, upping your chances of successfully attacking and transforming this quickly, and you get a pretty powerful creature when you can make that happen.
Oracle of Tragedy image 2.5 The loot ETB will be useful the most often, but it doesn’t hurt to have the other option. Either way, this isn’t much more than filler.
Tandem Takedown image 3.5 An Instant speed effect that has your creature damage an opponent’s creature is usually a very nice card and this simultaneously gets around two downsides this kind of card often has. First, because you get to use two of your creatures, you will be able to take down even very large creatures with two smaller ones. Second, because it uses two creatures, you can set it up so that you don’t get 2-for-1’d if your opponent can interact in response. Add in the fact that this can also damage battles and you have an amazing removal spell that is quite easily premium.
Aetherblade Agent image 3.0 A two mana 1/1 with deathtouch is a little bit below rate, but it does trade for anything, and the creature this can become late is a big problem for your opponent.
Cosmic Hunger image 3.5 We have seen this card before, only without the battle part, and it is always premium removal for Green because it can deal with things so efficiently. You always run the risk of getting 2-for-1’d when you cast it if you aren’t careful, but because this is an Instant, finding a spot where your opponent can’t respond is relatively easy.
Stasis Field image 2.0 This type of removal never feels great. This is mostly because it allows your opponent to hold on to at least some value from their creature. Sure, the best it can do most of the time is chump block, and that may not sound like much, but that makes this a lot worse than it might look.
Searing Barb image 2.0 Three mana for 2 damage at Sorcery speed isn’t very good, but you can sort of look at this as a 5-mana 2/2 that does 2 damage to something. Which…well, still isn’t that good. Still, it does have 2-for-1 potential and can hit battles.
Karsus Depthguard image 2.0 Just one +1/+1 counter allows this to start rumbling, and those aren’t exactly hard to come by in Red, and a 3-mana 4/3 Defender isn’t a terrible fail case.
Aerial Boost image 2.0 This is the kind of trick you always need to keep in mind, because your opponent will be able to cast this even with no lands untapped! It offers a reasonable boost and the upside of sometimes just letting a creature get in there because of Flying.
Skittering Surveyor image 3.0 This does a great job of fixing your mana, and makes for an expendable body to sacrifice in Black-Red.
Dreg Recycler image 2.5 Life drain does a great job of helping you stay alive while also pressuring your opponent, and it even has passable stats.
Bladed Battle-Fan image 2.0 +1/+0 and indestructible isn’t a terrible trick-like effect, because it saves a creature in combat while helping them punch up, and it saves the creature from most removal too. Any time a card can do both of those they end up seeing play. The Equipment itself definitely isn’t exciting after the turn you cast it, and that does make it awkward in some situations, but the threat this presents as a trick is nice, and its flexible too.
Swamp image
Pack 2 Pick 2: Deadly Derision
Aegar, the Freezing Flame image 2.5 This was a powerhouse in Kaldheim Limited, pretty much an Uncommon bomb -- but that set had a heavy spell theme and Giant tribal all over the place. Blue-Red only has spells as a sub-theme this time around, and the set only has two Giants in it – and one of them is Mythic. Mostly in this format, we’re talking about a three mana 3/3 that draws you a card when you do excess damage with a spell.
Tandem Takedown image 3.5 An Instant speed effect that has your creature damage an opponent’s creature is usually a very nice card and this simultaneously gets around two downsides this kind of card often has. First, because you get to use two of your creatures, you will be able to take down even very large creatures with two smaller ones. Second, because it uses two creatures, you can set it up so that you don’t get 2-for-1’d if your opponent can interact in response. Add in the fact that this can also damage battles and you have an amazing removal spell that is quite easily premium.
Sun-Blessed Guardian image 3.0 A two mana 2/2 is underwhelming these days, but this transforms into a creature who can be a major problem, and the fact it requires Phyrexian mana means you can end up only paying 5 for it – and you can do it even if you never have Red. The base form of the card is underwhelming enough that this isn’t amazing, but it isn’t really a two drop you’ll ever cut either.
Invasion of Eldraine image 2.0 Overcosted Mind Rot is not a good starting point. It will feel nice if you play it early and you get that 2-for-1, but not adding to the board is definitely a problem, as is how bad this is as a top deck in many situations. It does synergize with itself though, because once transformed it punishes the opponent for having too few cards in hand. Still, I don’t see the front side delivering enough value, or assisting enough in transforming it, that I see this as being something great. Obviously, if you always got the creature and the effect for 4 mana it would be nuts, but I have some doubts that can be accomplished.
Rampaging Geoderm image 3.5 This can target itself, so it does attack as a 4-mana 4/4 Trample and Haste if you want it to. It also doesn’t have to be attacking for this trigger to happen – as long as you attack with at least one thing, the Geoderm’s ability will go off. Red-Green is the color pair the most interested in battles too, so you have other incentives to attack them – and getting a permanent +1/+1 is a pretty massive upgrade! Of course, haste and trample are themselves great for attacking battles.
Unseal the Necropolis image 3.0 Black usually gets a nice common that returns creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and this looks like a really good version of that to me. Milling three for both players gets your pretty close to meeting the “reverse threshold” type requirements that several cards have, and it also increases your chance of being able to get back two creatures. It is also an Instant which isn’t something we often see. This means you can use this on the end of your opponent’s turn, and then cast something you get back on your turn which is nice. You don’t usually want more than one of these, because they are so bad in the early game – but honestly, the first copy of this card looks like a must-have for most Black decks, and especially Black-Blue.
Halo-Charged Skaab image 1.5 This has some bad stats, and I don’t love the ETB ability either. Blue-Black is definitely interested in milling both players and getting value out of it, and this certainly does that, but putting a card on top of your library is always worse than it seems at first.
Wary Thespian image 2.5 Two mana for a 3/1 and a couple of Surveil triggers seems like a solid deal. That is some very nice card selection to come attached to a creature that is already close to playable based on its statline.
Deadly Derision image 3.5 We’ve seen this card at Sorcery speed before, and it was pretty good. As an Instant, it gets significantly better! This is easily premium removal, and pretty much a lock to be one of Black’s best Commons, if not the best.
Cut Short image 3.0 This is decent removal, especially because it can show up out of nowhere when you’re tapped out. It is restrictive enough that I do think it falls a bit short of premium
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
Eyes of Gitaxias image 2.0 You can sort of look at this as a 5-mana 3/3 that draws you a card, and you can pay for it in installments. That’s not too bad, but it isn’t exactly something special either.
Vengeant Earth image 1.0 We see this type of card every now and then, and usually its unplayable. Animating a land or incubator for a single turn usually isn’t worth doing, but this one does make things a little interesting, since it forces something to block it. This can allow this to feel like a super situational, roundabout way to remove an opposing creature. You can also animate a land and block it as a surprise, but this is usually a dangerous proposition. So yeah, It still feels like this is still far too situational to be worth using, though.
Forest image
Pack 2 Pick 3: Portent Tracker
Skyclave Aerialist image 4.0 I’m already sold on a two mana 2/1 Flyer, so the fact this can transform into a more durable creature that nets you a card is amazing upside.
Invasion of Dominaria image 3.0 Three mana for 4 life and a card isn’t the worst deal ever, and you have the potential to get a Serra Angel. Obviously that’s insane value for the investment, but I do think it will take some work to transform this.
Rampaging Geoderm image 3.5 This can target itself, so it does attack as a 4-mana 4/4 Trample and Haste if you want it to. It also doesn’t have to be attacking for this trigger to happen – as long as you attack with at least one thing, the Geoderm’s ability will go off. Red-Green is the color pair the most interested in battles too, so you have other incentives to attack them – and getting a permanent +1/+1 is a pretty massive upgrade! Of course, haste and trample are themselves great for attacking battles.
Glistening Deluge image 0.5 This card annoys me. Mostly because it ends up being even more narrow than the other cards in this cycle. This is because it has a symmetrical effect, which means if you’re playing Black-White or Black-Green you really don’t want to play this or even side it in. If you’re in one of the other three Black decks, it is a nice sideboard card that might sometimes be a one-sided wrath, but the base effect does seem underpowered enough that it should still start in your sideboard
Wrenn's Resolve image 2.5 This is Reckless Impulse with a different name, and that was a quality draw spell in Innistrad: Crimson Vow. You’re almost always going to be able to play both cards that you hit with this before the end of your next turn, and this ends up being a two mana draw two most of the time.
Coming In Hot image 1.5 This is a decent trick that we’ve seen before. +1/+0 and First Strike is enough to help a lot of creatures kill an opposing creature and survive combat, the Scry is some nice additional upside. It IS a trick that is only useful in combat, which certainly hurts its stock a bit, but its fine.
Furnace Host Charger image 3.0 A 6-mana 5/5 Haster is definitely medium, but it is definitely relevant on most board states, and if you draw it early and would rather have a land drop, it has you covered.
Portent Tracker image 2.5 This is an ugly stat-line, but between ramping your mana and messing with Battles, this seems like it has some pretty real utility. Some mana dorks are all but useless late, but because this can do things with Battles, that’s less likely.
Protocol Knight image 1.5 // 3.5 The baseline here is a little bit below rate, but a creature that comes down and stuns something usually plays quite well in Limited, since you add to the board and really downgrade your opponent’s board. If you’re in Blue-White setting this up so it does that is going to feel great. It will feel well above rate when you can pull that off. I I think the gap in how good this is wide enough that I’m going to give it a build around grade.
Flitting Guerilla image 1.5 Wind Drakes aren’t what they used to be, and this ability is something you’ll only use a small percentage of the time.
Meeting of Minds image 3.0 This is an Instant, which is kind of a big deal – in many situations it can be a better version of Divination, and in a format with a spell deck that is good at convoking, this seems like exactly what the doctor ordered. You probably don’t want too many of them, as they can get awkward in multiples. But I think the first copy is something you want.
Angelic Intervention image 2.5 Two mana for a counter and protection gives your creature the ability to both dodge removal spells and succeed in combat more often.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Traumatic Revelation
Juri, Master of the Revue image 3.5 Again, sacrifice decks in this format look legit, so this is an incredibly nice payoff for that deck. Even if it never grows, the fail case is a two mana 1/1 that pings something when it dies. That isn’t great, but that’s the fail case, and this becomes more and more of a problem as the game goes on.
See Double image 3.5 Making a token copy of any creature at Instant speed is really great, and copying spells can be powerful too. If you ever get to do both, this will feel truly insane.
Artistic Refusal image 2.0 Paying six for this is in no way worth it, but with Convoke around you can really discount this – heck, if your board is wide enough this can effectively be a free counterspell that gives you some card selection! Still, the set up cost is real – this is pretty bad in the early stages of the game when you can’t get your board set up, and counterspells are inherently quite narrow in Limited. Still, the option to make the cost much lower and the fact you can even just choose the draw two discard 1 option in a pinch makes it at least a solid card.
Invasion of Ergamon image 3.5 Two mana to make a treasure and loot isn’t the most amazing thing, and I’m a little less into all the Battles that don’t actually help you attack the Battle inherently. Now, this can sort of help in that regard by giving you more mana to cast creatures and helping you find more things that attack, but it is still a little too indirect to be great. Still, once you can transform this it becomes amazing, finding you another Battle or a land while having a very relevant body
Mutagen Connoisseur image 3.5 Blue-Green is all about transforming things. This plays well with Incubator and Battles, as well as all the creatures that can transform for Phyrexian mana. Even with just 1 power, this is going to feel like a fairly powerful card, and it can get a lot sillier than that.
Sunder the Gateway image 1.5 So at worst, this is a two mana 2/2, and sometimes you’ll have another Incubator around who is bigger, and you’ll choose to turn that one into a creature. That’s probably usually what this will do, because there aren’t a boatload of targets for this in the format. When you do get to kill an artifact or Enchantment with this it will feel like a pretty sweet 2-for-1, and I think the baseline is solid. Having Artifact and Enchantment hate in your main deck is nice too.
Tidal Terror image 3.0 This 6-mana 5/6 plays well with all the token stuff going on in Blue/white, as it can sometimes be unblockable. Islandcycling is a great thing to have, as it allows you to throw this away in the early game so that you hit your land drop, and if you play it late, it isn’t a bad threat to have.
Redcap Heelslasher image 3.0 A 4-mana ¾ with First Strike performs reasonably well, and having the ability to offer +1/+1 and temporary first strike to something already in play will usually mean that creature can attack far more effectively that turn.
Traumatic Revelation image 1.5 Hitting creatures and battles means you can hit most nonlands in your opponent’s deck, and if you wiff you sort of end up with a Hill Giant. While that’s not awesome, the main problem with discard spells is how weak they are when you get them late or you wiff, and the consolation prize is enough here for this to be a 1.5. Basically you get the upside discard spells offer with very minimal downside.
Scrollshift image 1.0 // 2.5 There’s definitely some nice stuff you can flicker in the format, and adding “Draw a card” here helps offset the times where this doesn’t really do anything. Still, this is a build around. You shouldn’t really be playing this if your deck doesn’t have some ETBs to abuse, because only utilizing this as a card that can save a creature from removal is a little too narrow.
Nezumi Informant image 2.0 Adding to the board and taking an opposing card is pretty sweet. This isn’t exactly Virus Beetle though, which is probably the best version of these we’ve ever seen. That particular card happened to be an Artifact in a format where that mattered, and it was also in a format with lots of Ninjas so it was easier to abuse the ETB. In this format this does provide some decent sacrifice fodder, since it gives you a 1-for-1 up front, but it does have diminishing returns the longer that games go on.
Swamp image
Pack 2 Pick 5: Phyrexian Censor
Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty image 4.0 A 5-mana 3/1 isn’t good, but this has Cascade – so you’re also going to get something else, and even if it is just a one mana spell you’re getting a decent deal – if you hit something that costs 4 it will feel pretty insane. Granting Cascade to your expensive stuff is a nice thing to have around too, and if you can follow this by casting a six drop on the next turn its pretty hard for you to lose.
Phyrexian Censor image 2.5 This has decent base stats, and you’ll be able to make this effect one-sided enough, especially in Black-White, that this seems like a solid card.
Zhalfirin Lancer image 3.5 This will often be able to attack as a 4/4 with Vigilance which is pretty nice. Lots of cards make Knight tokens too, so it may get buffed more than once! It has a very reasonable floor too, so it is a quality card.
Infected Defector image 2.0 This has some pretty bad stats for the cost, but getting an Incubator when it dies makes this a solid playable.
Wildwood Escort image 3.0 I like this. It is a built-in 2-for-1, and the first copy of this is going to be something you virtually always want in Green.
Unseal the Necropolis image 3.0 Black usually gets a nice common that returns creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and this looks like a really good version of that to me. Milling three for both players gets your pretty close to meeting the “reverse threshold” type requirements that several cards have, and it also increases your chance of being able to get back two creatures. It is also an Instant which isn’t something we often see. This means you can use this on the end of your opponent’s turn, and then cast something you get back on your turn which is nice. You don’t usually want more than one of these, because they are so bad in the early game – but honestly, the first copy of this card looks like a must-have for most Black decks, and especially Black-Blue.
Kor Halberd image 2.0 I like the efficiency here. +1/+1 and Vigilance isn’t a boost that set’s the world on fire, but when you can get it with a one mana Equip cost, I’m definitely interested.
War-Trained Slasher image 2.5 A 4-mana 4/3 with Menace is probably a 2.0, so the fact this swings with eight power when it goes after battle is pretty awesome. It really puts your opponent in a horrible spot on a lot of boards, and they are likely to get 2-for-1’d at best.
Negate image 1.5 In most formats, this is something that should stay in your sideboard, because there just aren’t enough targets. This format does have a new non-creature card type in Battle, and I think that’s enough for this to be a little more playable, though it is probably still better as a sideboard card.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Plains image
Pack 2 Pick 6: Gloomfang Mauler
Zada, Hedron Grinder image 1.5 // 3.5 Zada is really sweet if you are a deck that uses combat tricks and goes wide because using a combat trick on every one of your creatures look insane, and that does look like something many Red decks will do in the format. That said, the base level thing you get here is a Hill Giant, and this is probably another one that needs a build around.
Mutagen Connoisseur image 3.5 Blue-Green is all about transforming things. This plays well with Incubator and Battles, as well as all the creatures that can transform for Phyrexian mana. Even with just 1 power, this is going to feel like a fairly powerful card, and it can get a lot sillier than that.
Invasion of Kylem image 2.5 The base effect on this card generally isn’t worth the four mana it asks you for. However, because this also comes into play and has to be defended, it synergizes quite well with itself. +2/+0 and Vigilance on two creatures will allow you to attack this fairly effectively right away on many boards. In other words, there will definitely be turns where this costs 4-mana to give +2/+0, vigilance, and haste to two creatures, and then you also get those two really powerful 3/2 tokens on the same turn. Yeah, that’s an insane card. Now, we do have to take into account the situations where this doesn’t do much, and the fact this doesn’t do something permanent to the board does mean sometimes this will do stone nothing.
Arachnoid Adaptation image 1.5 One mana for +2/+2 always has me a little bit interested, since it offers a big enough boost for a creature to win a significant number of combats, and It comes at a very low cost. The tempo you get when you use this kind of trick can be amazing! The creature even gets pseudo-vigilance. You can also use this defensively of course, and that’s the only way that Reach will be useful, but you should really only do that in an emergency. It is always dangerous to use a trick on your opponents turn, since during combat they probably have lots of mana untapped. In the end, this seems solid for aggressive Green decks, though I don’t think it will always make the cut.
Negate image 1.5 In most formats, this is something that should stay in your sideboard, because there just aren’t enough targets. This format does have a new non-creature card type in Battle, and I think that’s enough for this to be a little more playable, though it is probably still better as a sideboard card.
Mirran Banesplitter image 1.5 The fact this Equips for free the first time is nice, and definitely has the ability to make just about anything into a much better attacker. With Flash, you may even find a way to trade a smaller creature for something larger. The fact it costs three to Equip thereafter is rough.
Gloomfang Mauler image 3.0 When you actually cast this thing, it has a big impact on the board – either coming down as a monstrous 7/7 with Menace, or coming down as a 5/5 that gives something else two counters as well as Menace until end of turn. This gives it the ability to immediately impact the board when it comes down, while still sporting a sizable and problematic body. The downside here is that you just don’t always get 7 mana in Limited, but this makes sure that isn’t too much of a problem for you, since you can just pitch it to search up a Swamp if that’s what you need to do
Attentive Skywarden image 2.5 This has passable base stats, and sometimes it will let you transform an incubator for free.
Wrenn's Resolve image 2.5 This is Reckless Impulse with a different name, and that was a quality draw spell in Innistrad: Crimson Vow. You’re almost always going to be able to play both cards that you hit with this before the end of your next turn, and this ends up being a two mana draw two most of the time.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 7: Timberland Ancient
Surge of Salvation image 0.5 Granting hexproof to your creatures can be a good way to combat removal for sure, but when we’ve seen similar one mana cards actually be worth playing, they have also granted indestructibility. So you really need a card like this to also save a creature in combat consistently – not just save it from removal – and it looks like this will only do that against black or red creatures. In short, the floor is quite low, low enough that I don’t think I want to start with this in my main deck.
Storm the Seedcore image 3.0 Granting a big stats boost to a few creatures, and giving all creatures Vigilance and Trample seems like a nice deal. This lets you really upgrade your board without sacrificing the ability to block on the following turn, and that can really help turn a race around. As usual, this type of card has the downside of being very mediocre if you don’t have a well-developed board, but even then the fail case isn’t the worst.
Etched Host Doombringer image 2.5 This is an interesting design. Obviously the stats are bad, but even if this could only drain 2 life on ETB it would probably be playable, so having this Battle upside is pretty nice. If you can use this to defeat a battle and transform it, its going to feel pretty close to a 2-for-1 – and the fact you can also use it to subtract counters from your battles or add counters to your opponents battles is pretty sweet. If you can use this to defeat a battle on ETB, it is going to feel pretty close to a 2-for-1
Eyes of Gitaxias image 2.0 You can sort of look at this as a 5-mana 3/3 that draws you a card, and you can pay for it in installments. That’s not too bad, but it isn’t exactly something special either.
Wrenn's Resolve image 2.5 This is Reckless Impulse with a different name, and that was a quality draw spell in Innistrad: Crimson Vow. You’re almost always going to be able to play both cards that you hit with this before the end of your next turn, and this ends up being a two mana draw two most of the time.
Timberland Ancient image 3.0 A 6-mana 6/5 with Reach and Trample is right around a 2.0 these days, but don’t underestimate Forestcycling! Unlike your other 6 drops, you can throw this one away if you draw it early and grab a land drop you desperately need, and when it comes time to cast it, it isn’t usually a creature your opponent can just ignore.
Kor Halberd image 2.0 I like the efficiency here. +1/+1 and Vigilance isn’t a boost that set’s the world on fire, but when you can get it with a one mana Equip cost, I’m definitely interested.
Inspired Charge image 1.5 // 3.0 We see this all the time, and its always a build around-type card that works great in decks that can go wide, and pretty bad everywhere else. The good news is, both Red/White and Blue/White look like they’ll be interested in this.
Swamp image
Pack 2 Pick 8: Golden-Scale Aeronaut
Eyes of Gitaxias image 2.0 You can sort of look at this as a 5-mana 3/3 that draws you a card, and you can pay for it in installments. That’s not too bad, but it isn’t exactly something special either.
Vengeant Earth image 1.0 We see this type of card every now and then, and usually its unplayable. Animating a land or incubator for a single turn usually isn’t worth doing, but this one does make things a little interesting, since it forces something to block it. This can allow this to feel like a super situational, roundabout way to remove an opposing creature. You can also animate a land and block it as a surprise, but this is usually a dangerous proposition. So yeah, It still feels like this is still far too situational to be worth using, though.
Traumatic Revelation image 1.5 Hitting creatures and battles means you can hit most nonlands in your opponent’s deck, and if you wiff you sort of end up with a Hill Giant. While that’s not awesome, the main problem with discard spells is how weak they are when you get them late or you wiff, and the consolation prize is enough here for this to be a 1.5. Basically you get the upside discard spells offer with very minimal downside.
Meeting of Minds image 3.0 This is an Instant, which is kind of a big deal – in many situations it can be a better version of Divination, and in a format with a spell deck that is good at convoking, this seems like exactly what the doctor ordered. You probably don’t want too many of them, as they can get awkward in multiples. But I think the first copy is something you want.
Redcap Heelslasher image 3.0 A 4-mana ¾ with First Strike performs reasonably well, and having the ability to offer +1/+1 and temporary first strike to something already in play will usually mean that creature can attack far more effectively that turn.
Angelic Intervention image 2.5 Two mana for a counter and protection gives your creature the ability to both dodge removal spells and succeed in combat more often.
Golden-Scale Aeronaut image 2.5 A 5-mana ¾ with Flying is acceptable, and that’s the floor here. The ability to put the counter on something else and give it flying for a turn will usually be what you want to do
Mountain image
Pack 2 Pick 9: Bladed Battle-Fan
Valduk, Keeper of the Flame image 1.5 // 3.0 I don’t think every Red deck will automatically have the things it needs for this to spit out a Spark elemental every turn, and its pretty bad when you’re not doing that.
Invasion of Xerex image 3.0 I like this one. It bounces something, upping your chances of successfully attacking and transforming this quickly, and you get a pretty powerful creature when you can make that happen.
Searing Barb image 2.0 Three mana for 2 damage at Sorcery speed isn’t very good, but you can sort of look at this as a 5-mana 2/2 that does 2 damage to something. Which…well, still isn’t that good. Still, it does have 2-for-1 potential and can hit battles.
Karsus Depthguard image 2.0 Just one +1/+1 counter allows this to start rumbling, and those aren’t exactly hard to come by in Red, and a 3-mana 4/3 Defender isn’t a terrible fail case.
Aerial Boost image 2.0 This is the kind of trick you always need to keep in mind, because your opponent will be able to cast this even with no lands untapped! It offers a reasonable boost and the upside of sometimes just letting a creature get in there because of Flying.
Bladed Battle-Fan image 2.0 +1/+0 and indestructible isn’t a terrible trick-like effect, because it saves a creature in combat while helping them punch up, and it saves the creature from most removal too. Any time a card can do both of those they end up seeing play. The Equipment itself definitely isn’t exciting after the turn you cast it, and that does make it awkward in some situations, but the threat this presents as a trick is nice, and its flexible too.
Swamp image
Pack 2 Pick 10: Wary Thespian
Unseal the Necropolis image 3.0 Black usually gets a nice common that returns creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and this looks like a really good version of that to me. Milling three for both players gets your pretty close to meeting the “reverse threshold” type requirements that several cards have, and it also increases your chance of being able to get back two creatures. It is also an Instant which isn’t something we often see. This means you can use this on the end of your opponent’s turn, and then cast something you get back on your turn which is nice. You don’t usually want more than one of these, because they are so bad in the early game – but honestly, the first copy of this card looks like a must-have for most Black decks, and especially Black-Blue.
Wary Thespian image 2.5 Two mana for a 3/1 and a couple of Surveil triggers seems like a solid deal. That is some very nice card selection to come attached to a creature that is already close to playable based on its statline.
Cut Short image 3.0 This is decent removal, especially because it can show up out of nowhere when you’re tapped out. It is restrictive enough that I do think it falls a bit short of premium
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
Vengeant Earth image 1.0 We see this type of card every now and then, and usually its unplayable. Animating a land or incubator for a single turn usually isn’t worth doing, but this one does make things a little interesting, since it forces something to block it. This can allow this to feel like a super situational, roundabout way to remove an opposing creature. You can also animate a land and block it as a surprise, but this is usually a dangerous proposition. So yeah, It still feels like this is still far too situational to be worth using, though.
Forest image
Pack 2 Pick 11: Furnace Host Charger
Wrenn's Resolve image 2.5 This is Reckless Impulse with a different name, and that was a quality draw spell in Innistrad: Crimson Vow. You’re almost always going to be able to play both cards that you hit with this before the end of your next turn, and this ends up being a two mana draw two most of the time.
Coming In Hot image 1.5 This is a decent trick that we’ve seen before. +1/+0 and First Strike is enough to help a lot of creatures kill an opposing creature and survive combat, the Scry is some nice additional upside. It IS a trick that is only useful in combat, which certainly hurts its stock a bit, but its fine.
Furnace Host Charger image 3.0 A 6-mana 5/5 Haster is definitely medium, but it is definitely relevant on most board states, and if you draw it early and would rather have a land drop, it has you covered.
Protocol Knight image 1.5 // 3.5 The baseline here is a little bit below rate, but a creature that comes down and stuns something usually plays quite well in Limited, since you add to the board and really downgrade your opponent’s board. If you’re in Blue-White setting this up so it does that is going to feel great. It will feel well above rate when you can pull that off. I I think the gap in how good this is wide enough that I’m going to give it a build around grade.
Angelic Intervention image 2.5 Two mana for a counter and protection gives your creature the ability to both dodge removal spells and succeed in combat more often.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Juri, Master of the Revue
Juri, Master of the Revue image 3.5 Again, sacrifice decks in this format look legit, so this is an incredibly nice payoff for that deck. Even if it never grows, the fail case is a two mana 1/1 that pings something when it dies. That isn’t great, but that’s the fail case, and this becomes more and more of a problem as the game goes on.
Mutagen Connoisseur image 3.5 Blue-Green is all about transforming things. This plays well with Incubator and Battles, as well as all the creatures that can transform for Phyrexian mana. Even with just 1 power, this is going to feel like a fairly powerful card, and it can get a lot sillier than that.
Redcap Heelslasher image 3.0 A 4-mana ¾ with First Strike performs reasonably well, and having the ability to offer +1/+1 and temporary first strike to something already in play will usually mean that creature can attack far more effectively that turn.
Swamp image
Pack 2 Pick 13: Crystal Carapace
Kor Halberd image 2.0 I like the efficiency here. +1/+1 and Vigilance isn’t a boost that set’s the world on fire, but when you can get it with a one mana Equip cost, I’m definitely interested.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
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Pack 2 Pick 14: Arachnoid Adaptation
Invasion of Kylem image 2.5 The base effect on this card generally isn’t worth the four mana it asks you for. However, because this also comes into play and has to be defended, it synergizes quite well with itself. +2/+0 and Vigilance on two creatures will allow you to attack this fairly effectively right away on many boards. In other words, there will definitely be turns where this costs 4-mana to give +2/+0, vigilance, and haste to two creatures, and then you also get those two really powerful 3/2 tokens on the same turn. Yeah, that’s an insane card. Now, we do have to take into account the situations where this doesn’t do much, and the fact this doesn’t do something permanent to the board does mean sometimes this will do stone nothing.
Arachnoid Adaptation image 1.5 One mana for +2/+2 always has me a little bit interested, since it offers a big enough boost for a creature to win a significant number of combats, and It comes at a very low cost. The tempo you get when you use this kind of trick can be amazing! The creature even gets pseudo-vigilance. You can also use this defensively of course, and that’s the only way that Reach will be useful, but you should really only do that in an emergency. It is always dangerous to use a trick on your opponents turn, since during combat they probably have lots of mana untapped. In the end, this seems solid for aggressive Green decks, though I don’t think it will always make the cut.
Pack 2 Pick 15: Inspired Charge
Inspired Charge image 1.5 // 3.0 We see this all the time, and its always a build around-type card that works great in decks that can go wide, and pretty bad everywhere else. The good news is, both Red/White and Blue/White look like they’ll be interested in this.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Ancient Imperiosaur
Atris, Oracle of Half-Truths image 4.0 This is going to at least give you a 2-for-1, load your graveyard, and give you a 3/2 Menace. That’s a great deal.
Ancient Imperiosaur image 4.0 If you cast this for six and only tap one creature, you’re talking about a 6-mana 8/8 with Trample and Ward 2, and sometimes it will be even larger! You do of course have to weigh the cost of tapping things down, but oftentimes by the time you want to play this you’ll have creatures to tap that won’t really feel like a big cost. Ward 2 also makes it more of a pain for your opponent to deal with it.
Astral Wingspan image 3.0 Auras can be really dangerous to use when they don’t give you some sort of value like that, because if your opponent can deal with the creature you put it on, you just got 2-for-1’d and there’s a good chance you’re going to lose. Now, you still have to be careful about when you use this, since they can still respond by removing the creature you target, but as long as you pick the right spot, this is going to feel pretty nice. +2/+2 and Flying is a boost that makes almost any creature into a problem, and Convoke makes casting this even easier.
Sun-Blessed Guardian image 3.0 A two mana 2/2 is underwhelming these days, but this transforms into a creature who can be a major problem, and the fact it requires Phyrexian mana means you can end up only paying 5 for it – and you can do it even if you never have Red. The base form of the card is underwhelming enough that this isn’t amazing, but it isn’t really a two drop you’ll ever cut either.
Invasion of Muraganda image 3.5 A 5-mana fight spell that gives you a +1/+1 counter isn’t bad, and it also means this is another Battle that increases your chances of being able to attack right away. With 6 defense it might take some time, but the creature you eventually get is pretty nice! Mostly you will lose it to buff your stuff, but the upside of sometimes taking away opposing abilities is definitely nice.
Marshal of Zhalfir image 3.5 This is a very nice Knight lord, and at two mana it will often do a nice job of immediately upgrading your board. The tap effect is a nice thing to have around too, especially when it only costs two mana.
Unseal the Necropolis image 3.0 Black usually gets a nice common that returns creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and this looks like a really good version of that to me. Milling three for both players gets your pretty close to meeting the “reverse threshold” type requirements that several cards have, and it also increases your chance of being able to get back two creatures. It is also an Instant which isn’t something we often see. This means you can use this on the end of your opponent’s turn, and then cast something you get back on your turn which is nice. You don’t usually want more than one of these, because they are so bad in the early game – but honestly, the first copy of this card looks like a must-have for most Black decks, and especially Black-Blue.
Alabaster Host Intercessor image 3.5 This is a large version of Banisher Priest, and while it isn’t the most efficient thing ever, that’s still a strong effect. What makes it especially nice, though, is that it has Plainscycling. This means if you draw this early when you are really far from casting it, you can get rid of it and search up a land. This really offsets the downside of this being a 6-mana card. Basically, this gets a land when you need it, and if you have the mana to cast it, it is going to have a big impact on the board. I think this is one of White’s best Commons.
Infected Defector image 2.0 This has some pretty bad stats for the cost, but getting an Incubator when it dies makes this a solid playable.
Coming In Hot image 1.5 This is a decent trick that we’ve seen before. +1/+0 and First Strike is enough to help a lot of creatures kill an opposing creature and survive combat, the Scry is some nice additional upside. It IS a trick that is only useful in combat, which certainly hurts its stock a bit, but its fine.
Knight of the New Coalition image 3.0 4-mana for two 2/2s with Vigilance is an excellent rate – this helps you go wide like the RW deck wants you to do, while also producing two bodies with a very useful creature type. I think this looks like a very good Common.
Ichor Shade image 2.0 Its nice that this looks at both graveyard, as sometimes when we see this sort of effect it only checks yours. This will gain a counter on a significant number of turns, especially if you’re a Sacrifice deck. It does have a pretty bad baseline, but I you can definitely hold this and then play it in second main phase after something dies, and it will quickly become a ¾, and things can go crazy from there.
Tidal Terror image 3.0 This 6-mana 5/6 plays well with all the token stuff going on in Blue/white, as it can sometimes be unblockable. Islandcycling is a great thing to have, as it allows you to throw this away in the early game so that you hit your land drop, and if you play it late, it isn’t a bad threat to have.
Chomping Kavu image 2.5 This is either a 4-mana 4/4 that can’t be blocked by small stuff, or a 4-mana 3/3 that gives something else a counter and makes it harder to block for a turn. I think both of those modes are going to feel like a pretty good investment.
Tranquil Cove image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Invasion of Ixalan
Reyav, Master Smith image 3.0 There’s a decent amount of Auras and Equipment in the set, but not so many that this is going to be super easy to trigger.
Invasion of Ixalan image 3.5 This delivers some impressive value for the cost. You are maybe very slightly overpaying for the front side, but it is always going to draw you a card, and if you get this down early you have a pretty good chance of transforming it into the Regisaur.
Phyrexian Censor image 2.5 This has decent base stats, and you’ll be able to make this effect one-sided enough, especially in Black-White, that this seems like a solid card.
Phyrexian Awakening image 3.0 On its own, you get a 5-mana 4/4 with Vigilance, and you can pay for it in installments. That’s not a bad deal, especially when this can also give some of your other creatures Vigilance. Vigilance seems pretty well positioned in the format too, because creatures with it can attack battles and defend them at the same time.
Bonded Herdbeast image 3.0 A 5-mana 4/5 is a 2.0 at the very best, but this one transforms into a pretty scary 7/5 with Menace, something that is going to be a problem on most boards.
Flywheel Racer image 2.5 This is a reasonably efficient vehicle, and the fact it fixes and ramps is nice too, even if you do have to Crew it.
Negate image 1.5 In most formats, this is something that should stay in your sideboard, because there just aren’t enough targets. This format does have a new non-creature card type in Battle, and I think that’s enough for this to be a little more playable, though it is probably still better as a sideboard card.
Seed of Hope image 1.0 Green isn’t that into milling in this format, otherwise this would be a little more interesting. As is, it has a fairly small effect, and since it is restricted only to the two cards you mill, you’re just going to wiff sometimes or get something very underwhelming.
War Historian image 2.5 A 3-mana 3/3 with Reach is a C these days, and when it attacks a battle your opponent is going to be in a world of hurt, since you just have a free attack any time you do it.
Marauding Dreadship image 1.5 So in the end, you pay 5 mana for a 2/2 and a 4/1 Vehicle with Haste and Crew 2. That’s not….the worst thing ever, but it doesn’t seem like you’re doing a great job either. The Vehicle can simply be blocked by a token or something, and Crew 2 is kind of high for a 1 toughness vehicle. It can definitely come down and do some surprise damage, but the fact that you have to tap something significant to crew it makes that a lot less appealing.
Ichor Shade image 2.0 Its nice that this looks at both graveyard, as sometimes when we see this sort of effect it only checks yours. This will gain a counter on a significant number of turns, especially if you’re a Sacrifice deck. It does have a pretty bad baseline, but I you can definitely hold this and then play it in second main phase after something dies, and it will quickly become a ¾, and things can go crazy from there.
Aerial Boost image 2.0 This is the kind of trick you always need to keep in mind, because your opponent will be able to cast this even with no lands untapped! It offers a reasonable boost and the upside of sometimes just letting a creature get in there because of Flying.
Consuming Aetherborn image 2.5 Giving a counter and lifelink until end of turn to something on ETB isn’t too bad, but a 4-mana 3/3 with Lifelink is not a good deal. It sort of feels like both options are a little overcosted here.
Jungle Hollow image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Aetherblade Agent
Astral Wingspan image 3.0 Auras can be really dangerous to use when they don’t give you some sort of value like that, because if your opponent can deal with the creature you put it on, you just got 2-for-1’d and there’s a good chance you’re going to lose. Now, you still have to be careful about when you use this, since they can still respond by removing the creature you target, but as long as you pick the right spot, this is going to feel pretty nice. +2/+2 and Flying is a boost that makes almost any creature into a problem, and Convoke makes casting this even easier.
Botanical Brawler image 3.5 As it often it is, Green/White is about +1/+1 counters. So, a two mana 2/2 trampler that gains counters no matter where you put them on your board is really nice.
Oracle of Tragedy image 2.5 The loot ETB will be useful the most often, but it doesn’t hurt to have the other option. Either way, this isn’t much more than filler.
Aetherblade Agent image 3.0 A two mana 1/1 with deathtouch is a little bit below rate, but it does trade for anything, and the creature this can become late is a big problem for your opponent.
Aerial Boost image 2.0 This is the kind of trick you always need to keep in mind, because your opponent will be able to cast this even with no lands untapped! It offers a reasonable boost and the upside of sometimes just letting a creature get in there because of Flying.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Furnace Host Charger image 3.0 A 6-mana 5/5 Haster is definitely medium, but it is definitely relevant on most board states, and if you draw it early and would rather have a land drop, it has you covered.
Failed Conversion image 2.0 This isn’t a terrible rate - against most creatures it will be a 5-mana spell that kills the creature and then you Surveil 2. It also isn’t premium, though, as a 5-mana sorcery speed removal spell should probably be able to kill more stuff!
Infected Defector image 2.0 This has some pretty bad stats for the cost, but getting an Incubator when it dies makes this a solid playable.
Converter Beast image 2.5 You can look at this as a 6-mana 0/1 that makes a 5/5. That’s an acceptable rate, and this has the usual upside Incubator tokens have – you have the option of paying for it in installments. The downside here is the times where you can’t get that 5/5 really quickly, you’re playing a 0/1 for a 4 which will feel like you are barely adding to the board.
Stasis Field image 2.0 This type of removal never feels great. This is mostly because it allows your opponent to hold on to at least some value from their creature. Sure, the best it can do most of the time is chump block, and that may not sound like much, but that makes this a lot worse than it might look.
War-Trained Slasher image 2.5 A 4-mana 4/3 with Menace is probably a 2.0, so the fact this swings with eight power when it goes after battle is pretty awesome. It really puts your opponent in a horrible spot on a lot of boards, and they are likely to get 2-for-1’d at best.
Rugged Highlands image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Ichor Drinker
Tymaret, Chosen from Death image 2.5 Hating on graveyards has some real value in this format, especially against Blue/Black decks, and Theros is basically always going to have a decent stat-line and bring some incidental life gain along for the ride.
Ancient Imperiosaur image 4.0 If you cast this for six and only tap one creature, you’re talking about a 6-mana 8/8 with Trample and Ward 2, and sometimes it will be even larger! You do of course have to weigh the cost of tapping things down, but oftentimes by the time you want to play this you’ll have creatures to tap that won’t really feel like a big cost. Ward 2 also makes it more of a pain for your opponent to deal with it.
Furnace Reins image 1.5 // 4.0 A Threaten effect seems particularly interesting in this set, because getting a blocker out of the way and sending it at your opponent for a single turn is going to be more meaningful in a world where you can attack Battles. I think this does make this type of effect better, but the best place for this card will still be a deck that can also sacrifice the creature you can steal. The format does have a ton of cheap sacrifice outlets, especially in Black – and in the Black-Red deck this will be amazing. It has the upside these all have – that it can produce lethal out of nowhere – but in a Black-Red sacrifice deck you can use it earlier in the game and sacrifice the thing you steal, meaning you can use this a lot more often and a lot more effectively.
Phyrexian Censor image 2.5 This has decent base stats, and you’ll be able to make this effect one-sided enough, especially in Black-White, that this seems like a solid card.
Order of the Mirror image 3.0 A two mana 2/1 is below rate these days, but this can transform the turn after you play it, and a 3/3 with this ability does tend to stay relevant for most of the game.
Vengeant Earth image 1.0 We see this type of card every now and then, and usually its unplayable. Animating a land or incubator for a single turn usually isn’t worth doing, but this one does make things a little interesting, since it forces something to block it. This can allow this to feel like a super situational, roundabout way to remove an opposing creature. You can also animate a land and block it as a surprise, but this is usually a dangerous proposition. So yeah, It still feels like this is still far too situational to be worth using, though.
Assimilate Essence image 2.0 This is kind of a cool design. Early it can counter the majority of cards in your opponent’s deck, and fairly efficiently too – and then later in the game if they can pay it, you at least get a consolation prize. Obviously the better mode is actually countering the thing, but at least it isn’t utterly useless in other situations.
Negate image 1.5 In most formats, this is something that should stay in your sideboard, because there just aren’t enough targets. This format does have a new non-creature card type in Battle, and I think that’s enough for this to be a little more playable, though it is probably still better as a sideboard card.
Onakke Javelineer image 3.0 A 5-mana 5/4 Reach is probably a 2.0 at best, but this activated ability means business. Using it to hurt javelins at your opponent’s dome can be a very real threat, and the fact thise can allow you to defeat battles without having to attack – and it can defeat them at instant speed – is great.
Ichor Drinker image 2.5 This one drop brings a lot of value. A one mana 1/1 with Lifelink isn’t amazing, but in a format with +1/+1 counters around, among other ways to augment your creatures, it will probably play a little better than it looks. Additionally, if you mill this thing in your Blue-Black deck, or it ends up in your graveyard in any other way, it does deliver some real value in the format of the incubate token. One drops lately have pretty much all overperformed, and I think this is another one that will. It is really cheap and does stuff that all the decks in the format can take advantage of.
Angelic Intervention image 2.5 Two mana for a counter and protection gives your creature the ability to both dodge removal spells and succeed in combat more often.
Scoured Barrens image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Elvish Vatkeeper
Elvish Vatkeeper image 3.5 A three mana 3/3 that makes an Incubator is sweet – if you have five mana available you can just do it all, and pay 5 for a 3/3 and a 2/2, which is a nice deal! The other ability is fairly expensive, but if you have the mana to sink into it, it certainly makes your Incubator a lot scarier.
Marshal of Zhalfir image 3.5 This is a very nice Knight lord, and at two mana it will often do a nice job of immediately upgrading your board. The tap effect is a nice thing to have around too, especially when it only costs two mana.
Pyretic Prankster image 3.0 A two mana 2/1 is below rate these days, but this can transform into a 3/2 that virtually always forces a 2-for-1, and it can transform pretty quickly.
Seed of Hope image 1.0 Green isn’t that into milling in this format, otherwise this would be a little more interesting. As is, it has a fairly small effect, and since it is restricted only to the two cards you mill, you’re just going to wiff sometimes or get something very underwhelming.
Sunder the Gateway image 1.5 So at worst, this is a two mana 2/2, and sometimes you’ll have another Incubator around who is bigger, and you’ll choose to turn that one into a creature. That’s probably usually what this will do, because there aren’t a boatload of targets for this in the format. When you do get to kill an artifact or Enchantment with this it will feel like a pretty sweet 2-for-1, and I think the baseline is solid. Having Artifact and Enchantment hate in your main deck is nice too.
Fertilid's Favor image 2.0 This is an Instant speed way to both ramp your mana and buff a creature. In other words, it can be part combat trick part ramp spell. Ramp spells can be a dangerous proposition in Limited because they usually don’t add to the board at all, but this one does. It doesn’t search up the basic land as efficiently as something like Rampant Growth, but this is better in Limited in a lot of ways, because it is a much better late-game top deck and even has a bit of 2-for-1 potential. I think having both of these effects on a single Instant is enough to make this a quality card.
Tenured Oilcaster image 2.0 A 4-mana 2/4 Menace isn’t too bad, so if you add in the fact it mills you and pays you off for milling is pretty nice. The times when this is a 5/4 menace for 4 will feel pretty nice!
Etched Host Doombringer image 2.5 This is an interesting design. Obviously the stats are bad, but even if this could only drain 2 life on ETB it would probably be playable, so having this Battle upside is pretty nice. If you can use this to defeat a battle and transform it, its going to feel pretty close to a 2-for-1 – and the fact you can also use it to subtract counters from your battles or add counters to your opponents battles is pretty sweet. If you can use this to defeat a battle on ETB, it is going to feel pretty close to a 2-for-1
Thunderhead Squadron image 2.5 Even if you only tap one creature to help you cast this, you’re getting a passable deal. If you can cast this for significantly less, it will feel even better.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Wind-Scarred Crag image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Kami of Whispered Hopes
Shanna, Sisay's Legacy image 3.0 In most cases, she scales as the game goes on, and the fact she can’t be targeted by abilities comes up sometimes too.
Glistening Deluge image 0.5 This card annoys me. Mostly because it ends up being even more narrow than the other cards in this cycle. This is because it has a symmetrical effect, which means if you’re playing Black-White or Black-Green you really don’t want to play this or even side it in. If you’re in one of the other three Black decks, it is a nice sideboard card that might sometimes be a one-sided wrath, but the base effect does seem underpowered enough that it should still start in your sideboard
Invasion of Vryn image 2.5 A Sorcery speed Sift isn’t a terrible card, though if this is a format where you really need to add more meaningfully to the board, it might be a little bit too clunky. The things this transforms into also isn’t amazing, but if you double a removal spell with it, it will certainly feel pretty good.
Kami of Whispered Hopes image 3.5 This being a three mana 1/1 is a big liability. It dies to basically everything, and the tempo hit can be rough. That said, it does come with some strong abilities! Giving things extra counters and ramping mana is great, and if you are putting counters on it, it will get quite large and produce lots of mana.
Halo Hopper image 1.5 A three mana 3/2 is pretty bad, but the convoke upside here certainly makes this playable, though I’m still not very impressed.
Assimilate Essence image 2.0 This is kind of a cool design. Early it can counter the majority of cards in your opponent’s deck, and fairly efficiently too – and then later in the game if they can pay it, you at least get a consolation prize. Obviously the better mode is actually countering the thing, but at least it isn’t utterly useless in other situations.
Realmbreaker's Grasp image 3.5 White’s usual premium Common removal spell Is here! It shuts down most creatures entirely, though as usual cards with static ability, sacrifice effects, and bounce effects hurt when you play this card – and those things are in this set, of course.
Tidal Terror image 3.0 This 6-mana 5/6 plays well with all the token stuff going on in Blue/white, as it can sometimes be unblockable. Islandcycling is a great thing to have, as it allows you to throw this away in the early game so that you hit your land drop, and if you play it late, it isn’t a bad threat to have.
Beamtown Beatstick image 2.0 +1/+0 and Menace isn’t a terrible boost for the casting and equip cost here, and the fact it gives you treasure will also mean it will be a little easier to move around than it might look at first. Seems like a solid inclusion for Red aggro decks.
Scoured Barrens image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Fynn, the Fangbearer
Fynn, the Fangbearer image 2.0 Even if you have 0 other death touch creatures in your deck, Fynn being a one mana 1/3 with Deathtouch is already acceptable, there are also a few other deathtouchers at lower rarities in the set, including two Commons. That said, you probably shouldn’t really count on poisoning someone out with this, especially because the larger set doesn’t have much in the way of poison.
Storm the Seedcore image 3.0 Granting a big stats boost to a few creatures, and giving all creatures Vigilance and Trample seems like a nice deal. This lets you really upgrade your board without sacrificing the ability to block on the following turn, and that can really help turn a race around. As usual, this type of card has the downside of being very mediocre if you don’t have a well-developed board, but even then the fail case isn’t the worst.
Karsus Depthguard image 2.0 Just one +1/+1 counter allows this to start rumbling, and those aren’t exactly hard to come by in Red, and a 3-mana 4/3 Defender isn’t a terrible fail case.
Enduring Bondwarden image 2.5 A one mana ½ that puts its counter somewhere when it dies is playable in this format because there are so many nice payoffs for doing things with counters. The ability to put the counter elsewhere is good too, and you can even get away with attacking into a trade if you have Backed up the creature, because if your opponent blocks you’re going to come out ahead since you keep all those counters
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
War Historian image 2.5 A 3-mana 3/3 with Reach is a C these days, and when it attacks a battle your opponent is going to be in a world of hurt, since you just have a free attack any time you do it.
Ichor Shade image 2.0 Its nice that this looks at both graveyard, as sometimes when we see this sort of effect it only checks yours. This will gain a counter on a significant number of turns, especially if you’re a Sacrifice deck. It does have a pretty bad baseline, but I you can definitely hold this and then play it in second main phase after something dies, and it will quickly become a ¾, and things can go crazy from there.
Realmbreaker's Grasp image 3.5 White’s usual premium Common removal spell Is here! It shuts down most creatures entirely, though as usual cards with static ability, sacrifice effects, and bounce effects hurt when you play this card – and those things are in this set, of course.
Tranquil Cove image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Invasion of Moag
Invasion of Moag image 4.0 The Invasion will often significantly upgrade your board – which in turn means you can go after this Battle right away in lots of situations, and don’t forget that GW is into +1/+1 counters, so there is definitely some extra value to be had! The creature you get after you do that is going to continue to offer a nice upgrade to your board every turn.
Vengeant Earth image 1.0 We see this type of card every now and then, and usually its unplayable. Animating a land or incubator for a single turn usually isn’t worth doing, but this one does make things a little interesting, since it forces something to block it. This can allow this to feel like a super situational, roundabout way to remove an opposing creature. You can also animate a land and block it as a surprise, but this is usually a dangerous proposition. So yeah, It still feels like this is still far too situational to be worth using, though.
Thrashing Frontliner image 2.5 Attacking as a 3/3 trampler when it goes after battles is pretty impressive for the cost, and the baseline isn’t too bad either, especially with Backup having a significant presence in Red.
Kor Halberd image 2.0 I like the efficiency here. +1/+1 and Vigilance isn’t a boost that set’s the world on fire, but when you can get it with a one mana Equip cost, I’m definitely interested.
War-Trained Slasher image 2.5 A 4-mana 4/3 with Menace is probably a 2.0, so the fact this swings with eight power when it goes after battle is pretty awesome. It really puts your opponent in a horrible spot on a lot of boards, and they are likely to get 2-for-1’d at best.
Cut Short image 3.0 This is decent removal, especially because it can show up out of nowhere when you’re tapped out. It is restrictive enough that I do think it falls a bit short of premium
Tenured Oilcaster image 2.0 A 4-mana 2/4 Menace isn’t too bad, so if you add in the fact it mills you and pays you off for milling is pretty nice. The times when this is a 5/4 menace for 4 will feel pretty nice!
Island image
Pack 3 Pick 9: Ichor Shade
Unseal the Necropolis image 3.0 Black usually gets a nice common that returns creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and this looks like a really good version of that to me. Milling three for both players gets your pretty close to meeting the “reverse threshold” type requirements that several cards have, and it also increases your chance of being able to get back two creatures. It is also an Instant which isn’t something we often see. This means you can use this on the end of your opponent’s turn, and then cast something you get back on your turn which is nice. You don’t usually want more than one of these, because they are so bad in the early game – but honestly, the first copy of this card looks like a must-have for most Black decks, and especially Black-Blue.
Infected Defector image 2.0 This has some pretty bad stats for the cost, but getting an Incubator when it dies makes this a solid playable.
Coming In Hot image 1.5 This is a decent trick that we’ve seen before. +1/+0 and First Strike is enough to help a lot of creatures kill an opposing creature and survive combat, the Scry is some nice additional upside. It IS a trick that is only useful in combat, which certainly hurts its stock a bit, but its fine.
Knight of the New Coalition image 3.0 4-mana for two 2/2s with Vigilance is an excellent rate – this helps you go wide like the RW deck wants you to do, while also producing two bodies with a very useful creature type. I think this looks like a very good Common.
Ichor Shade image 2.0 Its nice that this looks at both graveyard, as sometimes when we see this sort of effect it only checks yours. This will gain a counter on a significant number of turns, especially if you’re a Sacrifice deck. It does have a pretty bad baseline, but I you can definitely hold this and then play it in second main phase after something dies, and it will quickly become a ¾, and things can go crazy from there.
Chomping Kavu image 2.5 This is either a 4-mana 4/4 that can’t be blocked by small stuff, or a 4-mana 3/3 that gives something else a counter and makes it harder to block for a turn. I think both of those modes are going to feel like a pretty good investment.
Tranquil Cove image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Jungle Hollow
Negate image 1.5 In most formats, this is something that should stay in your sideboard, because there just aren’t enough targets. This format does have a new non-creature card type in Battle, and I think that’s enough for this to be a little more playable, though it is probably still better as a sideboard card.
Seed of Hope image 1.0 Green isn’t that into milling in this format, otherwise this would be a little more interesting. As is, it has a fairly small effect, and since it is restricted only to the two cards you mill, you’re just going to wiff sometimes or get something very underwhelming.
War Historian image 2.5 A 3-mana 3/3 with Reach is a C these days, and when it attacks a battle your opponent is going to be in a world of hurt, since you just have a free attack any time you do it.
Marauding Dreadship image 1.5 So in the end, you pay 5 mana for a 2/2 and a 4/1 Vehicle with Haste and Crew 2. That’s not….the worst thing ever, but it doesn’t seem like you’re doing a great job either. The Vehicle can simply be blocked by a token or something, and Crew 2 is kind of high for a 1 toughness vehicle. It can definitely come down and do some surprise damage, but the fact that you have to tap something significant to crew it makes that a lot less appealing.
Aerial Boost image 2.0 This is the kind of trick you always need to keep in mind, because your opponent will be able to cast this even with no lands untapped! It offers a reasonable boost and the upside of sometimes just letting a creature get in there because of Flying.
Jungle Hollow image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Converter Beast
Aerial Boost image 2.0 This is the kind of trick you always need to keep in mind, because your opponent will be able to cast this even with no lands untapped! It offers a reasonable boost and the upside of sometimes just letting a creature get in there because of Flying.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Furnace Host Charger image 3.0 A 6-mana 5/5 Haster is definitely medium, but it is definitely relevant on most board states, and if you draw it early and would rather have a land drop, it has you covered.
Converter Beast image 2.5 You can look at this as a 6-mana 0/1 that makes a 5/5. That’s an acceptable rate, and this has the usual upside Incubator tokens have – you have the option of paying for it in installments. The downside here is the times where you can’t get that 5/5 really quickly, you’re playing a 0/1 for a 4 which will feel like you are barely adding to the board.
War-Trained Slasher image 2.5 A 4-mana 4/3 with Menace is probably a 2.0, so the fact this swings with eight power when it goes after battle is pretty awesome. It really puts your opponent in a horrible spot on a lot of boards, and they are likely to get 2-for-1’d at best.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Vengeant Earth
Furnace Reins image 1.5 // 4.0 A Threaten effect seems particularly interesting in this set, because getting a blocker out of the way and sending it at your opponent for a single turn is going to be more meaningful in a world where you can attack Battles. I think this does make this type of effect better, but the best place for this card will still be a deck that can also sacrifice the creature you can steal. The format does have a ton of cheap sacrifice outlets, especially in Black – and in the Black-Red deck this will be amazing. It has the upside these all have – that it can produce lethal out of nowhere – but in a Black-Red sacrifice deck you can use it earlier in the game and sacrifice the thing you steal, meaning you can use this a lot more often and a lot more effectively.
Phyrexian Censor image 2.5 This has decent base stats, and you’ll be able to make this effect one-sided enough, especially in Black-White, that this seems like a solid card.
Vengeant Earth image 1.0 We see this type of card every now and then, and usually its unplayable. Animating a land or incubator for a single turn usually isn’t worth doing, but this one does make things a little interesting, since it forces something to block it. This can allow this to feel like a super situational, roundabout way to remove an opposing creature. You can also animate a land and block it as a surprise, but this is usually a dangerous proposition. So yeah, It still feels like this is still far too situational to be worth using, though.
Negate image 1.5 In most formats, this is something that should stay in your sideboard, because there just aren’t enough targets. This format does have a new non-creature card type in Battle, and I think that’s enough for this to be a little more playable, though it is probably still better as a sideboard card.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Fertilid's Favor
Seed of Hope image 1.0 Green isn’t that into milling in this format, otherwise this would be a little more interesting. As is, it has a fairly small effect, and since it is restricted only to the two cards you mill, you’re just going to wiff sometimes or get something very underwhelming.
Fertilid's Favor image 2.0 This is an Instant speed way to both ramp your mana and buff a creature. In other words, it can be part combat trick part ramp spell. Ramp spells can be a dangerous proposition in Limited because they usually don’t add to the board at all, but this one does. It doesn’t search up the basic land as efficiently as something like Rampant Growth, but this is better in Limited in a lot of ways, because it is a much better late-game top deck and even has a bit of 2-for-1 potential. I think having both of these effects on a single Instant is enough to make this a quality card.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Halo Hopper
Halo Hopper image 1.5 A three mana 3/2 is pretty bad, but the convoke upside here certainly makes this playable, though I’m still not very impressed.
Assimilate Essence image 2.0 This is kind of a cool design. Early it can counter the majority of cards in your opponent’s deck, and fairly efficiently too – and then later in the game if they can pay it, you at least get a consolation prize. Obviously the better mode is actually countering the thing, but at least it isn’t utterly useless in other situations.
Pack 3 Pick 15: Enduring Bondwarden
Enduring Bondwarden image 2.5 A one mana ½ that puts its counter somewhere when it dies is playable in this format because there are so many nice payoffs for doing things with counters. The ability to put the counter elsewhere is good too, and you can even get away with attacking into a trade if you have Backed up the creature, because if your opponent blocks you’re going to come out ahead since you keep all those counters
Draft Pick Overview