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Quick Draft M21 10.januar 2021

10 January 10:14 - SorenMadsen 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (28)
1 Sanguine Indulgence image
1 Thrill of Possibility image
1 Defiant Strike image
2 Duress image
2 Opt image
2 Frantic Inventory image
3 Mind Rot image
2 Track Down image
1 Village Rites image
1 Capture Sphere image
6 Cancel image
4 Read the Tides image
1 Rousing Read image
1 Rewind image
Creature (12)
1 Wishcoin Crab image
1 Epitaph Golem image
1 Tolarian Kraken image
1 Portcullis Vine image
1 Shipwreck Dowser image
1 Spined Megalodon image
2 Crypt Lurker image
3 Bone Pit Brute image
1 Onakke Ogre image
Sideboard
2 Igneous Cur image
1 Silent Dart image
1 Return to Nature image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Rewind
Animal Sanctuary image 3.0 As a colorless land, one does always have to consider the impact it will have on a mana base, and this will be hurting you in that department. However, the activated ability it has is legitimately powerful, and this format has enough creatures of those types -- especially cats and dogs -- that most decks will probably have something like 3-5 creatures that this can put counters on. And, if you get to that point, this is a land that is worth running despite the implications it has for your mana base. Having a regular old land in your deck turn into a source of serious value is a great feeling, and is sort of like getting card advantage out of it, since your opponent’s lands won’t be doing anything remotely like this.
Basri's Solidarity image 2.0 This is very hit or miss. If you don’t have a good board state, it isn’t very good. If you have a decen board state, it is alright, and if you’ve gone really wide, it is hugely powerful. Obviously, White, and especially RW is going to be good at going wide, but cards that are sort of all or nothing like this often concern me. I like a card to at least have a reasonable fail case, and that isn’t what we have here, so that does limit it somewhat.
Aven Gagglemaster image 3.5 On its own, this is a 5-mana 4/3 flyer that gains you 2 life when it comes down – that is already a card you always play, and the Gagglemaster gaining you 4 life instead isn’t going to be far-fetched. White decks will always play the first copy of this pretty happily.
Rewind image 1.0 4 mana for a counterspell is a ton, and while this is “free” in a sense, that fact won’t matter in the vast majority of Limited games. You just won’t have another instant or activated ability to spend that untapped mana on most of the time, so you’re just looking at what is basically a 4-mana hard counter, and that’s something that you don’t want to play in Limited. Your opponent playing around it is pretty devastating, and it is a lot harder to do well tempo-wise with a 4-mana counter. I can see decks coming together sometimes that are loaded up with instants and/or activated abilities, in which case it becomes a little better, but I think you steer clear most of the time.
Staunch Shieldmate image 0.5 Well, those are some impressive stats on a one mana creature – we’ve never seen a one mana 1/3 with no downsides at all. That said, while he might do well on the vanilla test, he still isn’t all that impressive in Limited. He is quickly outclassed without some help, and you’ll only play him if you really need a one drop for a super aggro deck.
Frost Breath image 1.0 I am never a huge fan of this type of situational effect. Sure, you can use it offensive, to get some attacks in, or defensively, to make a creature miss two rounds of attacks, but there are too many situations where it doesn’t do anything. For these effects to be worth it they usually need something else going on.
Caged Zombie image 1.5 It seems like this ability would be a nice way to close out games, and it is sometimes, but it is more challenging to set up than it looks at first, since you need a creature to die and you need to have mana available to use the ability.
Legion's Judgment image 1.5 This being Sorcery speed is kind of sad, because sometimes when it is an Instant, you can use it after combat tricks and things resolve, which can really blow people out. It can kill big stuff, and most people have enough targets that it is a reasonable main deck card, but it is nowhere near premium removal with its major limitations.
Secure the Scene image 1.5 The flexibility here is pretty nice. However, the mana cost and giving your opponent a 1/1 soldier aren’t so nice – it is especially clunky as a Sorcery. Removing something and then giving your opponent a creature, even a 1/1 creature, is just a huge downside. It really slows you down to not get a whole card of value out of this.
Pridemalkin image 3.5 So, worst case scenario you have a 3-mana 3/2 with Trample here. That’s acceptable, but luckily it does even more! For one thing, you can put the counter anywhere -- like on a larger creature who will benefit more from Trample. For another, it gives Trample to any other creatures you control with +1/+1 counters too, so this will often come down and shake up the board. The fact that it can add something to the board right away, no matter what, is always attractive too. +1/+1-adding creatures who are reasonably efficient have always been good in Limited, and that’s what we have here -- in addition to some nice synergy.
Onakke Ogre image 1.5 3-mana 4/2s are borderline playables, and this set has various payoffs for 4 power, so you’ll play this a little more than you might think.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a stat boost that will allow your creature to win almost all combats, and that’s the kind of trick most aggro decks feel okay about running.
Ornery Dilophosaur image 1.5 This card’s main downfall is that it costs 4 and frequently only has two toughness, which makes it die to a whole lot, and you’re usually losing tempo when it happens. It does have Deathtouch, which allows it to trade with whatever, but costing 4 makes that a lot less impressive. Becoming a 4/4 when it attacks is nice additional upside, but it isn’t that impressive, really.
Crypt Lurker image 3.0 This card really ended up overperforming. It helps you set up things for the reanimator deck, and its ¾ body lines up surprisingly well, and sacrificing a creature to this ends up making sense more often than you’d think too.
Island image
Pack 1 Pick 2: Rousing Read
Eliminate image 3.5 This does an efficient job of killing small creatures at Instant speed, and that makes it premium removal.
Pestilent Haze image 1.5 This kind of card is usually not ultra impressive in Limited. It is hard to find situations where this really works -- you need it to impact your opponent’s side of the board more or it just isn’t worth it. And while the loyalty counters thing is a nice additional option, it won’t come up much in Limited.
Fungal Rebirth image 1.0 This SEEMS like it would be really sweet, but it is way harder to set up in a way to take full advantage of it than I expected. Mostly it will just be 3 mana to return a permanent, and that’s not worth it.
Scorching Dragonfire image 3.5 This is really efficient removal, and the exile clause is nice. This is definitely premium.
Sure Strike image 2.0 This trick virtually always allows your creature to win combat, and that’s the kind of trick that aggressive decks are after.
Feat of Resistance image 3.0 Protection is just really powerful – the obvious way to use this is to win combat one way or another, by making your creature big enough and also giving it protection from whatever it is in combat with – but you can also use it in response to removal to save a creature, or if your opponent has only blockers of one color and you need evasion for lethal, it can do that too. Not to mention, it puts a +1/+1 counter on the creature, and there is synergy for that in this set. Now, your opponent can still respond to Feat with removal to 2-for-1 you, but the flexibility and upside is real enough that I don’t see a reason to cut the first couple of copies of this in most White decks.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Village Rites image 1.5 I think it is fair to compare this to Tormenting Voice. Both cost you two cards to get you two cards. And yes, there are some differences -- the Rite needs a creature in play and it is an Instant, but I think this will serve a similar purpose. If you have lots of creature tokens, or use it in response to removal, or sacrifice a creature shut down by an Aura, it is going to feel pretty good -- and if you have sacrifice synergies it will be a little better to, but I think that it only makes the cut in your deck about half of the time, and usually just barely as a 23rd or 24th card.
Drowsing Tyrannodon image 3.0 A two-mana 3/3 is an excellent blocker in the early game that represents a real obstacle for aggressive opponents. Making into an attacker isn’t hard either, as he counts himself, so just putting one piece of equipment or one counter on the Tyrannodon makes it so he can rumble with his impressively efficient stats.
Celestial Enforcer image 2.5 If you don’t have fliers, you probably hope you don’t play this, but as long as you have 4 or 5 Flyers, this probably gets into the playable range, and that isn’t a crazy thing to achieve. Tap down effects are always nice in Limited, and even a situational one like this is well worth playing.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Rousing Read image 3.0 I’m not usually a fan of Auras that don’t give you some sort of value to off-set their risks -- namely, the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. An Aura has to either give a pretty significant bonus, or off-set that risk with some additional value, to overcome being a card I won’t play. Rousing Read does enough for me to want to play it. It nets you a card when it comes down -- even giving you some card selection, and the bonus it gives is no joke either. +1/+1 and flying is the type of bonus that can dramatically alter a board state. Now, you do still need to be weary of casting this when your opponent has mana up and cards available, because if they kill the target you still get 2-for-1’d, but as long as you’re careful, you’re usually going to be okay with this. It will be particularly nasty on the Megalodon! I’m giving this a C+ -- I think Blue decks will play the first copy of this every time.
Snarespinner image 2.0 This blocks flyers well, outright killing many of them. Green often needs something like this to combat flyers, and the first copy makes the cut reasonably often.
Swamp image
Pack 1 Pick 3: Read the Tides
Basri's Solidarity image 2.0 This is very hit or miss. If you don’t have a good board state, it isn’t very good. If you have a decen board state, it is alright, and if you’ve gone really wide, it is hugely powerful. Obviously, White, and especially RW is going to be good at going wide, but cards that are sort of all or nothing like this often concern me. I like a card to at least have a reasonable fail case, and that isn’t what we have here, so that does limit it somewhat.
Fungal Rebirth image 1.0 This SEEMS like it would be really sweet, but it is way harder to set up in a way to take full advantage of it than I expected. Mostly it will just be 3 mana to return a permanent, and that’s not worth it.
Skyway Sniper image 1.0 This can pick off small flyers which is nice, but that doesn’t happen as often as you’d think in this format.
Keen Glidemaster image 2.5 Its nice that this is a two-drop who can stay relevant all game long, since flying definitely allows that.
Celestial Enforcer image 2.5 If you don’t have fliers, you probably hope you don’t play this, but as long as you have 4 or 5 Flyers, this probably gets into the playable range, and that isn’t a crazy thing to achieve. Tap down effects are always nice in Limited, and even a situational one like this is well worth playing.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Scorching Dragonfire image 3.5 This is really efficient removal, and the exile clause is nice. This is definitely premium.
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Read the Tides image 1.5 This has two modes, and while it doesn’t do either thing very efficiently, it is nice that it gives you options. Sometimes the bounce effect can win you the game, and when it can’t, you can use this to draw some cards. Now, if you’re behind your opponent it probably won’t help you much, but at parity of if you’re ahead, it is pretty nice.
Crypt Lurker image 3.0 This card really ended up overperforming. It helps you set up things for the reanimator deck, and its ¾ body lines up surprisingly well, and sacrificing a creature to this ends up making sense more often than you’d think too.
Alpine Watchdog image 1.5 So, a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance is pretty passable. This guy does have some small additional synergies as a result of being a card that the RW signpost uncommon can search up, and that does increase his value for sure.
Dismal Backwater image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Cancel
Invigorating Surge image 2.0 On its own this is 3-mana for two +1/+1 counters at Instant speed, which is sort of okay. Obviously it gets better when you have other counters around.
Fierce Empath image 2.0 So, to some extent, we can compare this to Elvish Visionary, a card that is always a solid Limited playable. The Visionary is a two mana 1/1 that draws you a card -- the Empath is a 3-mana 1/1 that draws you a card. Obviously the main difference there is that the Visionary draws you a random card from your deck, while the Empath searches up a big ol’ creature. Additionally, there are some real pros and cons there -- with the Empath, if you don’t have something to find, you’re going to be really sad with what you have -- while the Visionary always does something, but it isn’t guaranteed to draw you a big creature the way the Empath is. So, where does the Empath fall with all that said? Well, I think most Green decks will have 3 or so targets for this, and if that’s the case, the Empath is a solid playable. Grabbing your best big creature with this is going to feel good a lot of the time -- I mean, that’s often what you’re hoping you draw with extra draws in the late game anyway, right? But the downsides of the card do keep it from being more than just a solid playable for me.
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Skyscanner image 2.5 Casting this always feels pretty decent. It replaces itself and then gives you a body that you can do something with – whether that’s attacking, trading, chump blocking, or being sacrificed for an effect, it all feel likes gravy at that point.
Pridemalkin image 3.5 So, worst case scenario you have a 3-mana 3/2 with Trample here. That’s acceptable, but luckily it does even more! For one thing, you can put the counter anywhere -- like on a larger creature who will benefit more from Trample. For another, it gives Trample to any other creatures you control with +1/+1 counters too, so this will often come down and shake up the board. The fact that it can add something to the board right away, no matter what, is always attractive too. +1/+1-adding creatures who are reasonably efficient have always been good in Limited, and that’s what we have here -- in addition to some nice synergy.
Concordia Pegasus image 1.5 This can attack early, but doesn’t exactly do anything super meaningful most of the time. This format does have +1/+1 counters and a flying archetype, and does help make it better. You will play this for sure, but you’ll also cut it a decent chunk of the time.
Alchemist's Gift image 1.5 This is a decent trick, if you choose the deathtouch option you will be virtually guaranteeing that you kill the other creature, and that can be particularly spicy against a double block. You’ll choose the lifelink option if you just need the stats boost to win combat.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a stat boost that will allow your creature to win almost all combats, and that’s the kind of trick most aggro decks feel okay about running.
Turn to Slag image 2.5 This is clunky as heck, but it does kill most things, and there is enough good Equipment in this format that you’ll even blow up some Equipment sometimes. It isn’t premium removal, but it is serviceable.
Spined Megalodon image 1.5 // 2.5 Big hexproof guys like this usually can find a place in Limited. They are at their best in more controlling decks, as it provides a large Blocker who your opponent just can’t interact with. Hexproof creatures also tend to be good places to put Auras, since getting 2-for-1’d when you put it on a hexproof creature is so unlikely. It is a nice bit of additional value that this Scries when you attack with it, too. UB Reanimator is a very real deck in this format, and this is one of the Commons that you’re pretty happy to play there.
Walking Corpse image 1.0 This is a vanilla two drop that you’ll play only out of desperation.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Read the Tides
Fierce Empath image 2.0 So, to some extent, we can compare this to Elvish Visionary, a card that is always a solid Limited playable. The Visionary is a two mana 1/1 that draws you a card -- the Empath is a 3-mana 1/1 that draws you a card. Obviously the main difference there is that the Visionary draws you a random card from your deck, while the Empath searches up a big ol’ creature. Additionally, there are some real pros and cons there -- with the Empath, if you don’t have something to find, you’re going to be really sad with what you have -- while the Visionary always does something, but it isn’t guaranteed to draw you a big creature the way the Empath is. So, where does the Empath fall with all that said? Well, I think most Green decks will have 3 or so targets for this, and if that’s the case, the Empath is a solid playable. Grabbing your best big creature with this is going to feel good a lot of the time -- I mean, that’s often what you’re hoping you draw with extra draws in the late game anyway, right? But the downsides of the card do keep it from being more than just a solid playable for me.
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Goblin Arsonist image 2.0 So, this is a one mana creature that can trade up for X/2s, and even threaten 2-for-1s when your opponent has two X/1s in play. It can also just ping the opponent for one when that is going to be meaningful. It also has a little bit of extra value in the Sacrifice deck, since it will give you some sort of value in addition to whatever the sacrifice effect gives you.
Walking Corpse image 1.0 This is a vanilla two drop that you’ll play only out of desperation.
Anointed Chorister image 2.5 So, a one mana 1/1 with lifelink is generally not a card worth playing – it just won’t be relevant for very long, but adding an activated ability here makes things interesting. It is by no means an efficient way to pump the chorister, but if you are flooding out it gives you a reasonable mana sink, one that can turn the Chorister into quite the scary attacker in the later part of the game. This format also has life gain payoffs, and that matters too!
Ranger's Guile image 2.0 This is a fairly decent combat trick for Limited. The stats boost isn’t hte mos impressive for the cost -- but Hexproof is where this gets some extra power, since it means you can no tonly use Guile to win combat, you can use it to save your creature.
Silent Dart image 1.5 This is the kind of thing that you run only if really light on removal. It just isn’t very efficient.
Read the Tides image 1.5 This has two modes, and while it doesn’t do either thing very efficiently, it is nice that it gives you options. Sometimes the bounce effect can win you the game, and when it can’t, you can use this to draw some cards. Now, if you’re behind your opponent it probably won’t help you much, but at parity of if you’re ahead, it is pretty nice.
Lofty Denial image 1.0 // 2.0 This is pretty terrible if you don’t have a flier, and if you do have one it is pretty passable, but still not great. Counterspells have serious issues in Limited because of how difficult it is to leave mana up for them, and this isn’t even a hard counter.
Forgotten Sentinel image 1.0 This has bad stats and a textbox that is just downside, but it does have 4 power, and some decks care about that.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 6: Capture Sphere
Tormod's Crypt image 0.5 This isn’t usually worth it in Limited, as it can only do one thing. There IS a legit graveyard deck in this format, which makes it a reasonable sideboard card, but you should never put this in your main deck.
Turret Ogre image 2.5 This has decent stats to begin with, and then it is a nice 4-power payoff that has 4-power itself, making it slot quite nicely into the RG deck especially.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This does enough different stuff that you can maindeck it without really being disappointed about it, but it is still generally better to bring in out of the sideboard.
Capture Sphere image 3.0 This is always pretty good removal for Blue. It doesn’t shut off static abilities, but it does pretty much everything else you’d like from your removal spells.
Valorous Steed image 3.0 This is a nice Common. 5-mana for 5/5 worth of Vigilance stats across two bodies is a nice deal, especially in a format with some nice go-wide payoffs. You probably don’t want more than two of these since they cost 5, but it will do some nice work for you in any deck.
Snarespinner image 2.0 This blocks flyers well, outright killing many of them. Green often needs something like this to combat flyers, and the first copy makes the cut reasonably often.
Caged Zombie image 1.5 It seems like this ability would be a nice way to close out games, and it is sometimes, but it is more challenging to set up than it looks at first, since you need a creature to die and you need to have mana available to use the ability.
Alpine Watchdog image 1.5 So, a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance is pretty passable. This guy does have some small additional synergies as a result of being a card that the RW signpost uncommon can search up, and that does increase his value for sure.
Mistral Singer image 3.5 Wind Drake stats + Prowess = a very good Common for Blue. It will attack well and be a pain to interact with thanks to that Prowess.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 7: Village Rites
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Teferi's Protege image 2.5 Looting is nice because it helps you get through your library and gives you nice card selection. This looter also comes with reasonable stats for the investment as a ⅔. It is somewhat limited as a looter since it asks for two mana every time you do it, but that’s ok -- it is a good place to be spending your mana as the game goes long, and it will definitely have a positive impact on the outcome of long games. This is a solid Blue common.
Colossal Dreadmaw image 2.0 Look, its the Dreadmaw! I’m not sure we’ve ever seen THIS card before. But if I had to guess, I’d say that a 6-mana 6/6 with Trample is a reasonable die, and a fine thing to top your curve with.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Wall of Runes image 1.0 This is a decent inclusion if you’re really defensive, but even there it isn’t great.
Silent Dart image 1.5 This is the kind of thing that you run only if really light on removal. It just isn’t very efficient.
Pridemalkin image 3.5 So, worst case scenario you have a 3-mana 3/2 with Trample here. That’s acceptable, but luckily it does even more! For one thing, you can put the counter anywhere -- like on a larger creature who will benefit more from Trample. For another, it gives Trample to any other creatures you control with +1/+1 counters too, so this will often come down and shake up the board. The fact that it can add something to the board right away, no matter what, is always attractive too. +1/+1-adding creatures who are reasonably efficient have always been good in Limited, and that’s what we have here -- in addition to some nice synergy.
Village Rites image 1.5 I think it is fair to compare this to Tormenting Voice. Both cost you two cards to get you two cards. And yes, there are some differences -- the Rite needs a creature in play and it is an Instant, but I think this will serve a similar purpose. If you have lots of creature tokens, or use it in response to removal, or sacrifice a creature shut down by an Aura, it is going to feel pretty good -- and if you have sacrifice synergies it will be a little better to, but I think that it only makes the cut in your deck about half of the time, and usually just barely as a 23rd or 24th card.
Forest image
Pack 1 Pick 8: Bone Pit Brute
Dire Fleet Warmonger image 3.5 So, this really pushes you in the direction of being a sacrifice deck, and he is pretty great for sacrificing things. On the surface, a 3-mana 3/3 is a good deal, and the fact you can cash in a creature every turn to make him a 5/5 with trample means that he is imposing on many board states. This Sacrifice effect doesn’t cost any mana either, so it can be particularly devastating to steal your opponent’s creature before combat and then sacrifice it to the Warbringer.
Alchemist's Gift image 1.5 This is a decent trick, if you choose the deathtouch option you will be virtually guaranteeing that you kill the other creature, and that can be particularly spicy against a double block. You’ll choose the lifelink option if you just need the stats boost to win combat.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a stat boost that will allow your creature to win almost all combats, and that’s the kind of trick most aggro decks feel okay about running.
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Caged Zombie image 1.5 It seems like this ability would be a nice way to close out games, and it is sometimes, but it is more challenging to set up than it looks at first, since you need a creature to die and you need to have mana available to use the ability.
Bone Pit Brute image 1.5 This isn’t terrible to have at the top of your curve. His own stats aren’t great, but at least he has Menace! The fact he gives +4/+0 to something when he comes down is what keeps him from being completely terrible, though. That will often make an attack happen that just couldn’t before.
Thornwood Falls image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Crypt Lurker
Staunch Shieldmate image 0.5 Well, those are some impressive stats on a one mana creature – we’ve never seen a one mana 1/3 with no downsides at all. That said, while he might do well on the vanilla test, he still isn’t all that impressive in Limited. He is quickly outclassed without some help, and you’ll only play him if you really need a one drop for a super aggro deck.
Caged Zombie image 1.5 It seems like this ability would be a nice way to close out games, and it is sometimes, but it is more challenging to set up than it looks at first, since you need a creature to die and you need to have mana available to use the ability.
Onakke Ogre image 1.5 3-mana 4/2s are borderline playables, and this set has various payoffs for 4 power, so you’ll play this a little more than you might think.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a stat boost that will allow your creature to win almost all combats, and that’s the kind of trick most aggro decks feel okay about running.
Ornery Dilophosaur image 1.5 This card’s main downfall is that it costs 4 and frequently only has two toughness, which makes it die to a whole lot, and you’re usually losing tempo when it happens. It does have Deathtouch, which allows it to trade with whatever, but costing 4 makes that a lot less impressive. Becoming a 4/4 when it attacks is nice additional upside, but it isn’t that impressive, really.
Crypt Lurker image 3.0 This card really ended up overperforming. It helps you set up things for the reanimator deck, and its ¾ body lines up surprisingly well, and sacrificing a creature to this ends up making sense more often than you’d think too.
Island image
Pack 1 Pick 10: Track Down
Sure Strike image 2.0 This trick virtually always allows your creature to win combat, and that’s the kind of trick that aggressive decks are after.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Village Rites image 1.5 I think it is fair to compare this to Tormenting Voice. Both cost you two cards to get you two cards. And yes, there are some differences -- the Rite needs a creature in play and it is an Instant, but I think this will serve a similar purpose. If you have lots of creature tokens, or use it in response to removal, or sacrifice a creature shut down by an Aura, it is going to feel pretty good -- and if you have sacrifice synergies it will be a little better to, but I think that it only makes the cut in your deck about half of the time, and usually just barely as a 23rd or 24th card.
Celestial Enforcer image 2.5 If you don’t have fliers, you probably hope you don’t play this, but as long as you have 4 or 5 Flyers, this probably gets into the playable range, and that isn’t a crazy thing to achieve. Tap down effects are always nice in Limited, and even a situational one like this is well worth playing.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Swamp image
Pack 1 Pick 11: Mind Rot
Skyway Sniper image 1.0 This can pick off small flyers which is nice, but that doesn’t happen as often as you’d think in this format.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Dismal Backwater image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Spined Megalodon
Fierce Empath image 2.0 So, to some extent, we can compare this to Elvish Visionary, a card that is always a solid Limited playable. The Visionary is a two mana 1/1 that draws you a card -- the Empath is a 3-mana 1/1 that draws you a card. Obviously the main difference there is that the Visionary draws you a random card from your deck, while the Empath searches up a big ol’ creature. Additionally, there are some real pros and cons there -- with the Empath, if you don’t have something to find, you’re going to be really sad with what you have -- while the Visionary always does something, but it isn’t guaranteed to draw you a big creature the way the Empath is. So, where does the Empath fall with all that said? Well, I think most Green decks will have 3 or so targets for this, and if that’s the case, the Empath is a solid playable. Grabbing your best big creature with this is going to feel good a lot of the time -- I mean, that’s often what you’re hoping you draw with extra draws in the late game anyway, right? But the downsides of the card do keep it from being more than just a solid playable for me.
Spined Megalodon image 1.5 // 2.5 Big hexproof guys like this usually can find a place in Limited. They are at their best in more controlling decks, as it provides a large Blocker who your opponent just can’t interact with. Hexproof creatures also tend to be good places to put Auras, since getting 2-for-1’d when you put it on a hexproof creature is so unlikely. It is a nice bit of additional value that this Scries when you attack with it, too. UB Reanimator is a very real deck in this format, and this is one of the Commons that you’re pretty happy to play there.
Walking Corpse image 1.0 This is a vanilla two drop that you’ll play only out of desperation.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Silent Dart
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Silent Dart image 1.5 This is the kind of thing that you run only if really light on removal. It just isn’t very efficient.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 14: Return to Nature
Return to Nature image 1.5 This does enough different stuff that you can maindeck it without really being disappointed about it, but it is still generally better to bring in out of the sideboard.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 15: Forest
Forest image
Pack 2 Pick 1: Read the Tides
Conspicuous Snoop image 0.5 This card is pretty neat -- and even quite powerful -- but that’s probably only true in constructed formats. This set just doesn’t have enough Goblins for playing this to make sense. Sure, his baseline is as a 2-mana 2/2 that gives you information about the top card of your library -- but it is information you’re also giving your opponent, so that upside is kind of a wash. It has a challenging casting cost for turn two as well, and that makes it a bit worse, because it isn’t even a regular old easy-to-cast Girzzly Bear, having two Red on turn two is not a guarantee. I think all of that means you only play this in this format int he worst of situations.
Furious Rise image 1.0 // 3.5 This is a nice 4-power payoff. It effectively draws you an extra card every turn, and that’s the kind of advantage that will win you the game after you trigger it a few times -- it is just hard for your opponent to keep up with that. It is obviously a build around -- an aggressive Red deck that doesn’t have creatures with high power won’t play this, and it is unlikely a UR spells type deck would either -- this is mostly here for the RG deck, which is all about 4 or more power.
Battle-Rattle Shaman image 2.5 This type of effect is easy to underrate, I think -- but don’t make that mistake! +2/+0 to a creature every combat makes creatures able to attack that could not have attacked before! This is especially spicy with creature tokens, who are pretty expendable, but turning them into 3/1s makes them into more of a problem for your opponent. Note by the way, in a pinch, the Shaman can also target himself, making the fail case of the card less miserable than it would have been otherwise. I’m not saying I think you should take this super early or anything -- after all, the creature has a pretty weak body for 4 mana, even if it can be a 4/2 on your turn -- but it is a serviceable card for Red decks that will really help them find ways to send in attackers in a way they couldn’t before.
Vryn Wingmare image 2.0 A 3-mana 2/1 flyer is usually borderline playable, but this also comes with a symmetrical tax effect. As a result of that, you don’t really want to be playing this in a deck that has lots of non-creature spells -- but if your deck is mostly creatures, you’re going to be in business with this, since it will hate on your opponent more than you, in addition to having reasonable stats.
Lofty Denial image 1.0 // 2.0 This is pretty terrible if you don’t have a flier, and if you do have one it is pretty passable, but still not great. Counterspells have serious issues in Limited because of how difficult it is to leave mana up for them, and this isn’t even a hard counter.
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Read the Tides image 1.5 This has two modes, and while it doesn’t do either thing very efficiently, it is nice that it gives you options. Sometimes the bounce effect can win you the game, and when it can’t, you can use this to draw some cards. Now, if you’re behind your opponent it probably won’t help you much, but at parity of if you’re ahead, it is pretty nice.
Wishcoin Crab image 1.0 This has stats that line up reasonably well against early attackers, and if you’re in the market for that, you’ll probably play it.
Pitchburn Devils image 1.5 This has terrible stats, but it has a death trigger which allows it to trade for things with 6 power, or – even better, can sometimes allow you to get a 2-for-1. That said, it is hard to overcome the inefficiency here.
Destructive Tampering image 0. 5 // 2.0 This is mostly a sideboard card, but if you’re in a really aggressive deck, consider playing one of them because they give you a way to win a game even if your opponent stabilizes.
Feat of Resistance image 3.0 Protection is just really powerful – the obvious way to use this is to win combat one way or another, by making your creature big enough and also giving it protection from whatever it is in combat with – but you can also use it in response to removal to save a creature, or if your opponent has only blockers of one color and you need evasion for lethal, it can do that too. Not to mention, it puts a +1/+1 counter on the creature, and there is synergy for that in this set. Now, your opponent can still respond to Feat with removal to 2-for-1 you, but the flexibility and upside is real enough that I don’t see a reason to cut the first couple of copies of this in most White decks.
Grasp of Darkness image 4.0 This is premium removal, it kills things really efficiently. The one downside is that it costs double Black, but if you’re playing a Black deck that isn’t much of a downside.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Blood Glutton image 2.0 This doesn’t have great stats, but trading with it and gaining some life is surprisingly decent, and it is a way to repeatedly gain life, something that the life gain decks really want.
Swiftwater Cliffs image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Sanguine Indulgence
Kitesail Freebooter image 3.0 This is a nice disruptive creature that also comes with some reasonable French Vanilla stats. Even though they get the creature back if they kill him, he will usually have disrupted their plan enough to really cause them problems, while also still getting traded for 1-for-1.
Griffin Aerie image 0.0 // 3.0 Turning life gain into actual cards feels great, and a 2/2 flyer is definitely a real card -- especially if you can get more than one of them out of this -- even the first one is given to you at a pretty good rate, so if this really starts churning them out things could get interesting. Obviously, you have to have a deck that can not only gain life -- but gain 3 or more life a turn at least a few times a game for this to be worth it, and as a result of that I think we do have to go with a buildaround here. It is stone unplayable in many decks. But in a deck that can really get things going with it, it is going to be one of the best payoffs in your deck, since it provides you with a very real win condition.
Leafkin Avenger image 3.5 I always like cards that are reasonably efficient, and have abilities that can be useful all game long, and that’s what the Leafkin does. It is the signpost uncommon for the RG deck, which is all about high power -- and both of its abilities are all about that -- and, you know, obviously it has 4 power itself. You don’t always need extra mana in the later part of the game, but if you have some mana sinks and some six drops, it will be relevant a decent chunk of the time. Oh, and this guy has a built in mana sink too! It might be expensive, but in the late game it will be an ability that puts your opponent on a quick clock -- and it can tap for mana and use the ability all in the same turn, which makes it a little more plausible you’ll be able to use it.
Snarespinner image 2.0 This blocks flyers well, outright killing many of them. Green often needs something like this to combat flyers, and the first copy makes the cut reasonably often.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Shock image 3.5 This almost always trades up, and it can even do the last 2 damage to your opponent. This is premium removal.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Makeshift Battalion image 2.0 This does a good job of supporting both the go-wide deck and the +1/+1 counter deck. But it isn’t stellar – a 3-mana 3/2 won’t be surviving more attacks, and while a 4/3 has a better shot – it isn’t exactly a juggernaut either.
Wishcoin Crab image 1.0 This has stats that line up reasonably well against early attackers, and if you’re in the market for that, you’ll probably play it.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Goblin Wizardry image 2.5 This slots in nicely into the spell deck, because it IS a spell that will trigger your spell payoffs, and it creates two tokens who are spell payoffs too.
Sanguine Indulgence image 2.0 Most Black decks are after the first copy of this, even if they can’t get life gain going. Paying 4 to get back two creatures is pretty reasonable, and the kind of thing that can help you win the long game.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 3: Shipwreck Dowser
Meteorite image 1.5 This is an expensive mana rock, but it is fixing, and it can even Shock something, so that helps make it a little more reasonable to play.
Angelic Ascension image 2.0 People always overrate this kind of card. It can do a lot of stuff for sure -- you can use it to downgrade one of your opponent’s creature, or to upgrade one of yours -- the latter is more frequently going to be the plan, because a 4/4 Angel won’t be much of a downgrade most of the time. The ideal thing to do with this is going to be to use it at instant speed somehow -- either on a creature that is going to die to removal anyway, or in response to an opponent attacking, so you can turn your smaller creature into a 4/4 that can block more effectively. All that said, this kind of card pretty much always underperforms. It is exciting to think about turning your one drop into a 4/4 angel -- but you are effectively 2-for-1ing yourself to pull that off, which is a bit dangerous. It can win you the game if your opponent doesn’t have an answer, but if they do – you are going to be in trouble tempo-wise. This is just a solid playable, and not much more.
Shipwreck Dowser image 3.5 A 5-mana 3/3 that returns an instant or sorcery to your hand is already a pretty good card -- it can help you get back a powerful removal spell while also having a large enough body to trade with something -- and that’s a 2-for-1.. Adding Prowess to the mix makes it even more appealing, since it can become a 4/4 pretty easily, and usually at Instant speed. Now, there is a downside here -- if your deck doesn’t have a decent number of spells, and you are just playing this as a 5-mana 3/3 that’s not going to feel too good. However, I don’t think it is a stretch to say most decks will have 4 or 5 instants or soceries, and if that’s the case you’re looking at a pretty good card.
Finishing Blow image 3.5 This is a little bit expensive, but it can kill pretty much everything and it does at Instant speed, so the 5 mana is well worth it.
Swift Response image 2.5 Two mana to kill a creature at instant speed is a pretty good deal – even if this can only target tapped creatures. That does mean this is not an ideal removal spell for aggro decks, who want to get blockers out of the way – but in more mid-rangey or control decks, this will be a nice spell – one that will usually give you a tempo advantage, and one that can sometimes get blowouts out of the fact that your opponent uses a combat trick while attacking. Now, it is still situational, and as I said all decks don’t want it, so it definitely isn’t premium.
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Rise Again image 3.0 5-mana to reanimate is not usually very good in Limited, but this format is the exception to that rule. There is a very real and well-supported reanimation deck, and this Common is one of the key cards for it.
Drowsing Tyrannodon image 3.0 A two-mana 3/3 is an excellent blocker in the early game that represents a real obstacle for aggressive opponents. Making into an attacker isn’t hard either, as he counts himself, so just putting one piece of equipment or one counter on the Tyrannodon makes it so he can rumble with his impressively efficient stats.
Furor of the Bitten image 1.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, but probably not quite enough to be worth the risk of a 2-for-1, especially because you can end up setting yourself up for the 2-for-1 just by playing this, since it forces your creature to attack. It can also be used to force an opposing creature to attack, but that additional use still doesn’t make it very good.
Mistral Singer image 3.5 Wind Drake stats + Prowess = a very good Common for Blue. It will attack well and be a pain to interact with thanks to that Prowess.
Silent Dart image 1.5 This is the kind of thing that you run only if really light on removal. It just isn’t very efficient.
Forgotten Sentinel image 1.0 This has bad stats and a textbox that is just downside, but it does have 4 power, and some decks care about that.
Mountain image
Pack 2 Pick 4: Frantic Inventory
Sanctum of Stone Fangs image 3.5 This is the best of the Sanctum cycle, and really the only one you consistently play on its own. Draining an opponent every turn really adds up, and gives you some serious inevitability.
Pitchburn Devils image 1.5 This has terrible stats, but it has a death trigger which allows it to trade for things with 6 power, or – even better, can sometimes allow you to get a 2-for-1. That said, it is hard to overcome the inefficiency here.
Sure Strike image 2.0 This trick virtually always allows your creature to win combat, and that’s the kind of trick that aggressive decks are after.
Frantic Inventory image 0.5 // 3.0 I actually enjoy these “Collect ‘em All” type cards in Limited, as they make for interesting decisions even later on in packs. Obviously, you don’t want to play this if you only have 1, it is woefully inefficient -- and even 2 isn’t really where you should be playing it. I think you need to get at least 3 before you start playing it, and any more than that and it becomes increasingly impressive. It doesn’t hurt that UG has payoffs for drawing cards, and UR has payoffs for spells either. Keep in mind, by the way -- in Limited you can play as many copies of something as you can get your hands on, so you can go higher than 4.
Skeleton Archer image 2.5 There are lots of X/1s in this format, so this really overperforms. Doesn’t hurt that it can go after the opponent too sometimes.
Portcullis Vine image 1.0 This can block some stuff early and then replace itself late. Neither of those are very exciting.
Rise Again image 3.0 5-mana to reanimate is not usually very good in Limited, but this format is the exception to that rule. There is a very real and well-supported reanimation deck, and this Common is one of the key cards for it.
Makeshift Battalion image 2.0 This does a good job of supporting both the go-wide deck and the +1/+1 counter deck. But it isn’t stellar – a 3-mana 3/2 won’t be surviving more attacks, and while a 4/3 has a better shot – it isn’t exactly a juggernaut either.
Run Afoul image 0.5 This is mostly just a sideboard card. An edict for only flyers is a dead card too often, and even as a sideboard card it leaves a lot to be desired.
Keen Glidemaster image 2.5 Its nice that this is a two-drop who can stay relevant all game long, since flying definitely allows that.
Radiant Fountain image 0.0 Even in the life gain deck this isn’t worth it. It does huge damage to your mana base, and gaining 2 life doesn’t make up for that.
Wind-Scarred Crag image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Cancel
Tavern Swindler image 1.5 // 3.0 This weird card is mostly here as another way to help the BW deck gain 3 or more life in a turn, thus triggering all the payoffs.
Canopy Stalker image 2.5 Creatures who force your opponent to block them are pretty nice, as they really complicate combat for an opponent. Life gain being attached to this is kind of nice too. But still, stats aren’t great here, and your opponent will frequently just put a 2/X in front of it and be fine. I think this is a solid playable, but not much more.
Turret Ogre image 2.5 This has decent stats to begin with, and then it is a nice 4-power payoff that has 4-power itself, making it slot quite nicely into the RG deck especially.
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Furor of the Bitten image 1.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, but probably not quite enough to be worth the risk of a 2-for-1, especially because you can end up setting yourself up for the 2-for-1 just by playing this, since it forces your creature to attack. It can also be used to force an opposing creature to attack, but that additional use still doesn’t make it very good.
Pitchburn Devils image 1.5 This has terrible stats, but it has a death trigger which allows it to trade for things with 6 power, or – even better, can sometimes allow you to get a 2-for-1. That said, it is hard to overcome the inefficiency here.
Ranger's Guile image 2.0 This is a fairly decent combat trick for Limited. The stats boost isn’t hte mos impressive for the cost -- but Hexproof is where this gets some extra power, since it means you can no tonly use Guile to win combat, you can use it to save your creature.
Rise Again image 3.0 5-mana to reanimate is not usually very good in Limited, but this format is the exception to that rule. There is a very real and well-supported reanimation deck, and this Common is one of the key cards for it.
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Teferi's Protege image 2.5 Looting is nice because it helps you get through your library and gives you nice card selection. This looter also comes with reasonable stats for the investment as a ⅔. It is somewhat limited as a looter since it asks for two mana every time you do it, but that’s ok -- it is a good place to be spending your mana as the game goes long, and it will definitely have a positive impact on the outcome of long games. This is a solid Blue common.
Scoured Barrens image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Cancel
Sanctum of Fruitful Harvest image 1.0 // 3.0 This Sanctum fixes for you, which you might be in the market for in any deck, and in the Sanctum deck it can make it way easier for you to play multiple colors.
Setessan Training image 2.0 This gives a reasonable enough boost and replaces itself. It isn’t as good here as it was in Theros, where Enchantments came with a lot of upsides, but its still a fine card.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Village Rites image 1.5 I think it is fair to compare this to Tormenting Voice. Both cost you two cards to get you two cards. And yes, there are some differences -- the Rite needs a creature in play and it is an Instant, but I think this will serve a similar purpose. If you have lots of creature tokens, or use it in response to removal, or sacrifice a creature shut down by an Aura, it is going to feel pretty good -- and if you have sacrifice synergies it will be a little better to, but I think that it only makes the cut in your deck about half of the time, and usually just barely as a 23rd or 24th card.
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Turn to Slag image 2.5 This is clunky as heck, but it does kill most things, and there is enough good Equipment in this format that you’ll even blow up some Equipment sometimes. It isn’t premium removal, but it is serviceable.
Hobblefiend image 2.5 This guy can starts out reasonable and can get progressively larger throughout the game, something that pairs quite well with Trample. It is a very reasonable card for setting up sacrifice payoffs, since it can do it so cheaply.
Dub image 2.5 This Aura gives a big enough stats boost and a good enough keyword ability that it is worth the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. It is especially nice on lifelinkers or flyers. Aggro decks will virtually always play the first copy.
Duress image 0.5 This is too narrow of a discard spell to every play in your main deck.
Jungle Hollow image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Opt
Sanctum of Shattered Heights image 0.5 // 3.0 This is not very good unless you’re in a Sanctum deck, where it does two key things. First, it is removal, and second it gives you something to do with your duplicate sanctums.
Kitesail Freebooter image 3.0 This is a nice disruptive creature that also comes with some reasonable French Vanilla stats. Even though they get the creature back if they kill him, he will usually have disrupted their plan enough to really cause them problems, while also still getting traded for 1-for-1.
Gnarled Sage image 2.0 This has some decent stats and keywords, and sometimes it gets bigger. It is a surprisingly good road block for decks in this format.
Keen Glidemaster image 2.5 Its nice that this is a two-drop who can stay relevant all game long, since flying definitely allows that.
Blood Glutton image 2.0 This doesn’t have great stats, but trading with it and gaining some life is surprisingly decent, and it is a way to repeatedly gain life, something that the life gain decks really want.
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Opt image 2.0 This is always pretty decent, especially in formats that have spell payoffs, and this one does.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a stat boost that will allow your creature to win almost all combats, and that’s the kind of trick most aggro decks feel okay about running.
Bloodfell Caves image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Track Down
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Celestial Enforcer image 2.5 If you don’t have fliers, you probably hope you don’t play this, but as long as you have 4 or 5 Flyers, this probably gets into the playable range, and that isn’t a crazy thing to achieve. Tap down effects are always nice in Limited, and even a situational one like this is well worth playing.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Goblin Arsonist image 2.0 So, this is a one mana creature that can trade up for X/2s, and even threaten 2-for-1s when your opponent has two X/1s in play. It can also just ping the opponent for one when that is going to be meaningful. It also has a little bit of extra value in the Sacrifice deck, since it will give you some sort of value in addition to whatever the sacrifice effect gives you.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Lofty Denial image 1.0 // 2.0 This is pretty terrible if you don’t have a flier, and if you do have one it is pretty passable, but still not great. Counterspells have serious issues in Limited because of how difficult it is to leave mana up for them, and this isn’t even a hard counter.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This does enough different stuff that you can maindeck it without really being disappointed about it, but it is still generally better to bring in out of the sideboard.
Swamp image
Pack 2 Pick 9: Cancel
Lofty Denial image 1.0 // 2.0 This is pretty terrible if you don’t have a flier, and if you do have one it is pretty passable, but still not great. Counterspells have serious issues in Limited because of how difficult it is to leave mana up for them, and this isn’t even a hard counter.
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Wishcoin Crab image 1.0 This has stats that line up reasonably well against early attackers, and if you’re in the market for that, you’ll probably play it.
Destructive Tampering image 0. 5 // 2.0 This is mostly a sideboard card, but if you’re in a really aggressive deck, consider playing one of them because they give you a way to win a game even if your opponent stabilizes.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Blood Glutton image 2.0 This doesn’t have great stats, but trading with it and gaining some life is surprisingly decent, and it is a way to repeatedly gain life, something that the life gain decks really want.
Swiftwater Cliffs image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Mind Rot
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Wishcoin Crab image 1.0 This has stats that line up reasonably well against early attackers, and if you’re in the market for that, you’ll probably play it.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 11: Cancel
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Furor of the Bitten image 1.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, but probably not quite enough to be worth the risk of a 2-for-1, especially because you can end up setting yourself up for the 2-for-1 just by playing this, since it forces your creature to attack. It can also be used to force an opposing creature to attack, but that additional use still doesn’t make it very good.
Silent Dart image 1.5 This is the kind of thing that you run only if really light on removal. It just isn’t very efficient.
Forgotten Sentinel image 1.0 This has bad stats and a textbox that is just downside, but it does have 4 power, and some decks care about that.
Mountain image
Pack 2 Pick 12: Portcullis Vine
Portcullis Vine image 1.0 This can block some stuff early and then replace itself late. Neither of those are very exciting.
Run Afoul image 0.5 This is mostly just a sideboard card. An edict for only flyers is a dead card too often, and even as a sideboard card it leaves a lot to be desired.
Radiant Fountain image 0.0 Even in the life gain deck this isn’t worth it. It does huge damage to your mana base, and gaining 2 life doesn’t make up for that.
Wind-Scarred Crag image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Igneous Cur
Furor of the Bitten image 1.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, but probably not quite enough to be worth the risk of a 2-for-1, especially because you can end up setting yourself up for the 2-for-1 just by playing this, since it forces your creature to attack. It can also be used to force an opposing creature to attack, but that additional use still doesn’t make it very good.
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Scoured Barrens image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Duress
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Duress image 0.5 This is too narrow of a discard spell to every play in your main deck.
Pack 2 Pick 15: Igneous Cur
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Crypt Lurker
Temple of Silence image 3.0 This fix for you and help you smooth out your draws, so they can really play a key role in helping smooth out the beginning of your game. If they are in both your colors you should value them over most medium cards, and if you’re interested in splashing you should value them even more.
Burlfist Oak image 3.0 This will always be at least a 4/5 on your turn, and it can always threaten to get even larger with Instant speed draw spells. It is a little less impressive as a blocker, though, and it does die to lots of removal when its vulnerable.
Chandra's Pyreling image 2.5 So, two mana 1/3s are borderline playables most of the time, and this does come with some upside -- noncombat damage turning this into a ⅔ double striker is no joke, and just the threat of that happening will often mean your opponent is unable to block it effectively, so they have to risk getting hit for 4. As we’ve already seen, there are ways to do noncombat damage -- like the Magemutt and various burn spells, so it isn’t a pipe dream to make that happen. That said, you also will be hard-pressed to end up with a legit burn deck in Limited that can trigger this all the time -- instead, its somewhere in the middle.
Thrashing Brontodon image 3.5 This creature has nice stats, and it has some nice utility, being able to blow up Artifacts and Enchantments. This lets you play a way to hate on those in your deck without playing a card that is horrible in situations where you aren’t up against those permanent types.
Caged Zombie image 1.5 It seems like this ability would be a nice way to close out games, and it is sometimes, but it is more challenging to set up than it looks at first, since you need a creature to die and you need to have mana available to use the ability.
Shock image 3.5 This almost always trades up, and it can even do the last 2 damage to your opponent. This is premium removal.
Pridemalkin image 3.5 So, worst case scenario you have a 3-mana 3/2 with Trample here. That’s acceptable, but luckily it does even more! For one thing, you can put the counter anywhere -- like on a larger creature who will benefit more from Trample. For another, it gives Trample to any other creatures you control with +1/+1 counters too, so this will often come down and shake up the board. The fact that it can add something to the board right away, no matter what, is always attractive too. +1/+1-adding creatures who are reasonably efficient have always been good in Limited, and that’s what we have here -- in addition to some nice synergy.
Destructive Tampering image 0. 5 // 2.0 This is mostly a sideboard card, but if you’re in a really aggressive deck, consider playing one of them because they give you a way to win a game even if your opponent stabilizes.
Trufflesnout image 3.0 This is a nice little card. Either option is a card you’d probably play. Having an option to choose which of those is ideal makes this a nice Common, and one that has synergy for some of the life gain payoffs in the format, as well as the +1/+1 counter payoffs.
Alpine Watchdog image 1.5 So, a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance is pretty passable. This guy does have some small additional synergies as a result of being a card that the RW signpost uncommon can search up, and that does increase his value for sure.
Crypt Lurker image 3.0 This card really ended up overperforming. It helps you set up things for the reanimator deck, and its ¾ body lines up surprisingly well, and sacrificing a creature to this ends up making sense more often than you’d think too.
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Defiant Strike image 0.5 If White doesn’t have some sort of theme built around spells or combat tricks, this card is usually not very good. Sure, it does replace itself, but the stats boost is meaningless or may as well be far too often for me to play this most of the time.
Pitchburn Devils image 1.5 This has terrible stats, but it has a death trigger which allows it to trade for things with 6 power, or – even better, can sometimes allow you to get a 2-for-1. That said, it is hard to overcome the inefficiency here.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Opt
Dire Fleet Warmonger image 3.5 So, this really pushes you in the direction of being a sacrifice deck, and he is pretty great for sacrificing things. On the surface, a 3-mana 3/3 is a good deal, and the fact you can cash in a creature every turn to make him a 5/5 with trample means that he is imposing on many board states. This Sacrifice effect doesn’t cost any mana either, so it can be particularly devastating to steal your opponent’s creature before combat and then sacrifice it to the Warbringer.
Griffin Aerie image 0.0 // 3.0 Turning life gain into actual cards feels great, and a 2/2 flyer is definitely a real card -- especially if you can get more than one of them out of this -- even the first one is given to you at a pretty good rate, so if this really starts churning them out things could get interesting. Obviously, you have to have a deck that can not only gain life -- but gain 3 or more life a turn at least a few times a game for this to be worth it, and as a result of that I think we do have to go with a buildaround here. It is stone unplayable in many decks. But in a deck that can really get things going with it, it is going to be one of the best payoffs in your deck, since it provides you with a very real win condition.
Conclave Mentor image 3.5 So, this is the signpost uncommon for GW, which is all about +1/+1 counters! This will make all of those cards better. It doesn’t hurt that it can gain you a little life when it dies too, and if you have been putting the counters on it, there’s a good chance it will be a substantial amount of life.
Goblin Wizardry image 2.5 This slots in nicely into the spell deck, because it IS a spell that will trigger your spell payoffs, and it creates two tokens who are spell payoffs too.
Grasp of Darkness image 4.0 This is premium removal, it kills things really efficiently. The one downside is that it costs double Black, but if you’re playing a Black deck that isn’t much of a downside.
Celestial Enforcer image 2.5 If you don’t have fliers, you probably hope you don’t play this, but as long as you have 4 or 5 Flyers, this probably gets into the playable range, and that isn’t a crazy thing to achieve. Tap down effects are always nice in Limited, and even a situational one like this is well worth playing.
Shock image 3.5 This almost always trades up, and it can even do the last 2 damage to your opponent. This is premium removal.
Goblin Arsonist image 2.0 So, this is a one mana creature that can trade up for X/2s, and even threaten 2-for-1s when your opponent has two X/1s in play. It can also just ping the opponent for one when that is going to be meaningful. It also has a little bit of extra value in the Sacrifice deck, since it will give you some sort of value in addition to whatever the sacrifice effect gives you.
Colossal Dreadmaw image 2.0 Look, its the Dreadmaw! I’m not sure we’ve ever seen THIS card before. But if I had to guess, I’d say that a 6-mana 6/6 with Trample is a reasonable die, and a fine thing to top your curve with.
Swift Response image 2.5 Two mana to kill a creature at instant speed is a pretty good deal – even if this can only target tapped creatures. That does mean this is not an ideal removal spell for aggro decks, who want to get blockers out of the way – but in more mid-rangey or control decks, this will be a nice spell – one that will usually give you a tempo advantage, and one that can sometimes get blowouts out of the fact that your opponent uses a combat trick while attacking. Now, it is still situational, and as I said all decks don’t want it, so it definitely isn’t premium.
Opt image 2.0 This is always pretty decent, especially in formats that have spell payoffs, and this one does.
Alpine Watchdog image 1.5 So, a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance is pretty passable. This guy does have some small additional synergies as a result of being a card that the RW signpost uncommon can search up, and that does increase his value for sure.
Bone Pit Brute image 1.5 This isn’t terrible to have at the top of your curve. His own stats aren’t great, but at least he has Menace! The fact he gives +4/+0 to something when he comes down is what keeps him from being completely terrible, though. That will often make an attack happen that just couldn’t before.
Mountain image
Pack 3 Pick 3: Frantic Inventory
Angelic Ascension image 2.0 People always overrate this kind of card. It can do a lot of stuff for sure -- you can use it to downgrade one of your opponent’s creature, or to upgrade one of yours -- the latter is more frequently going to be the plan, because a 4/4 Angel won’t be much of a downgrade most of the time. The ideal thing to do with this is going to be to use it at instant speed somehow -- either on a creature that is going to die to removal anyway, or in response to an opponent attacking, so you can turn your smaller creature into a 4/4 that can block more effectively. All that said, this kind of card pretty much always underperforms. It is exciting to think about turning your one drop into a 4/4 angel -- but you are effectively 2-for-1ing yourself to pull that off, which is a bit dangerous. It can win you the game if your opponent doesn’t have an answer, but if they do – you are going to be in trouble tempo-wise. This is just a solid playable, and not much more.
Selfless Savior image 2.5 One-mana 1/1s are often not very good in Limited because their board presence is so negligible, and they quickly become irrelevant. This Dog comes with an extra ability that is pretty nice though. He can do a bad Mother of Runes impression, in that your opponent always has to contend with the fact that while the Dog is in play, it can be used to really mess up lots of things -- like combat and removal spells.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Snarespinner image 2.0 This blocks flyers well, outright killing many of them. Green often needs something like this to combat flyers, and the first copy makes the cut reasonably often.
Gale Swooper image 3.0 These are reasonable stats for an evasive creature. Giving something else Flying is a very real ETB trigger, and one that will frequently make attacks happen that just couldn’t before. I think you always run your first copy of this.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Gnarled Sage image 2.0 This has some decent stats and keywords, and sometimes it gets bigger. It is a surprisingly good road block for decks in this format.
Skyscanner image 2.5 Casting this always feels pretty decent. It replaces itself and then gives you a body that you can do something with – whether that’s attacking, trading, chump blocking, or being sacrificed for an effect, it all feel likes gravy at that point.
Thrill of Possibility image 1.5 This is an upgraded Tormenting Voice, and I’m all for that in a format with lots of spell payoffs! This lets you dig deeper into your deck and improve your card quality, so you’ll play that first copy a decent chunk of the time.
Village Rites image 1.5 I think it is fair to compare this to Tormenting Voice. Both cost you two cards to get you two cards. And yes, there are some differences -- the Rite needs a creature in play and it is an Instant, but I think this will serve a similar purpose. If you have lots of creature tokens, or use it in response to removal, or sacrifice a creature shut down by an Aura, it is going to feel pretty good -- and if you have sacrifice synergies it will be a little better to, but I think that it only makes the cut in your deck about half of the time, and usually just barely as a 23rd or 24th card.
Drowsing Tyrannodon image 3.0 A two-mana 3/3 is an excellent blocker in the early game that represents a real obstacle for aggressive opponents. Making into an attacker isn’t hard either, as he counts himself, so just putting one piece of equipment or one counter on the Tyrannodon makes it so he can rumble with his impressively efficient stats.
Frantic Inventory image 0.5 // 3.0 I actually enjoy these “Collect ‘em All” type cards in Limited, as they make for interesting decisions even later on in packs. Obviously, you don’t want to play this if you only have 1, it is woefully inefficient -- and even 2 isn’t really where you should be playing it. I think you need to get at least 3 before you start playing it, and any more than that and it becomes increasingly impressive. It doesn’t hurt that UG has payoffs for drawing cards, and UR has payoffs for spells either. Keep in mind, by the way -- in Limited you can play as many copies of something as you can get your hands on, so you can go higher than 4.
Forest image
Pack 3 Pick 4: Cancel
Canopy Stalker image 2.5 Creatures who force your opponent to block them are pretty nice, as they really complicate combat for an opponent. Life gain being attached to this is kind of nice too. But still, stats aren’t great here, and your opponent will frequently just put a 2/X in front of it and be fine. I think this is a solid playable, but not much more.
Gale Swooper image 3.0 These are reasonable stats for an evasive creature. Giving something else Flying is a very real ETB trigger, and one that will frequently make attacks happen that just couldn’t before. I think you always run your first copy of this.
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Pitchburn Devils image 1.5 This has terrible stats, but it has a death trigger which allows it to trade for things with 6 power, or – even better, can sometimes allow you to get a 2-for-1. That said, it is hard to overcome the inefficiency here.
Vodalian Arcanist image 2.0 This two-mana 1/3 does a good job of blocking early, and then gives you some nice extra mana to utilize.
Feat of Resistance image 3.0 Protection is just really powerful – the obvious way to use this is to win combat one way or another, by making your creature big enough and also giving it protection from whatever it is in combat with – but you can also use it in response to removal to save a creature, or if your opponent has only blockers of one color and you need evasion for lethal, it can do that too. Not to mention, it puts a +1/+1 counter on the creature, and there is synergy for that in this set. Now, your opponent can still respond to Feat with removal to 2-for-1 you, but the flexibility and upside is real enough that I don’t see a reason to cut the first couple of copies of this in most White decks.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Concordia Pegasus image 1.5 This can attack early, but doesn’t exactly do anything super meaningful most of the time. This format does have +1/+1 counters and a flying archetype, and does help make it better. You will play this for sure, but you’ll also cut it a decent chunk of the time.
Snarespinner image 2.0 This blocks flyers well, outright killing many of them. Green often needs something like this to combat flyers, and the first copy makes the cut reasonably often.
Village Rites image 1.5 I think it is fair to compare this to Tormenting Voice. Both cost you two cards to get you two cards. And yes, there are some differences -- the Rite needs a creature in play and it is an Instant, but I think this will serve a similar purpose. If you have lots of creature tokens, or use it in response to removal, or sacrifice a creature shut down by an Aura, it is going to feel pretty good -- and if you have sacrifice synergies it will be a little better to, but I think that it only makes the cut in your deck about half of the time, and usually just barely as a 23rd or 24th card.
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Swamp image
Pack 3 Pick 5: Tolarian Kraken
Canopy Stalker image 2.5 Creatures who force your opponent to block them are pretty nice, as they really complicate combat for an opponent. Life gain being attached to this is kind of nice too. But still, stats aren’t great here, and your opponent will frequently just put a 2/X in front of it and be fine. I think this is a solid playable, but not much more.
Tolarian Kraken image 1.5 This guy is a bit clunky but his ability is an alright thing to have around. At worse, you can do it once on your turn to get a blocker out of the way and enable some nice attacks. If you have some ways to draw cards at Instant speed -- and you probably will in Blue -- that will be even better, because it will let you tap down things on your opponent’s turn which will also prevent a creature from attacking. The 1 generic mana is a very reasonable cost for this nice effect. All that said, the mediocre stats do definitely hold this card back.
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Onakke Ogre image 1.5 3-mana 4/2s are borderline playables, and this set has various payoffs for 4 power, so you’ll play this a little more than you might think.
Valorous Steed image 3.0 This is a nice Common. 5-mana for 5/5 worth of Vigilance stats across two bodies is a nice deal, especially in a format with some nice go-wide payoffs. You probably don’t want more than two of these since they cost 5, but it will do some nice work for you in any deck.
Dub image 2.5 This Aura gives a big enough stats boost and a good enough keyword ability that it is worth the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. It is especially nice on lifelinkers or flyers. Aggro decks will virtually always play the first copy.
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Destructive Tampering image 0. 5 // 2.0 This is mostly a sideboard card, but if you’re in a really aggressive deck, consider playing one of them because they give you a way to win a game even if your opponent stabilizes.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Warded Battlements image 1.5 This is weird because it is a payoff for go-wide aggro decks, where the boost will be the most effective – but also weird because it has Defender, and that’s not usually what you’re looking for in an aggro deck. The Battlements are probably actually at their best in the UW skies deck – those decks usually need blockers on the ground while they attack in the air, and +1/+0 on a bunch of flyers is pretty nice. Still, you don’t even always run it in those decks.
Rugged Highlands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Bone Pit Brute
Havoc Jester image 3.5 So, a 5-mana 5/5 is usually pretty solid in Limited, and this comes with some powerful upside -- letting you ping something every time you sacrifice a permanent. It does this without asking for an additional mana investment of any kind -- so, as we saw with Mayhem Devil in the past -- that is a very powerful ability. You have to end up with some sacrifice action going on, but if you’re in Black-Red especially that won’t be all that hard. On top of that, the floor here is just very reasonable, as it is an efficient creature.
Vryn Wingmare image 2.0 A 3-mana 2/1 flyer is usually borderline playable, but this also comes with a symmetrical tax effect. As a result of that, you don’t really want to be playing this in a deck that has lots of non-creature spells -- but if your deck is mostly creatures, you’re going to be in business with this, since it will hate on your opponent more than you, in addition to having reasonable stats.
Duress image 0.5 This is too narrow of a discard spell to every play in your main deck.
Bone Pit Brute image 1.5 This isn’t terrible to have at the top of your curve. His own stats aren’t great, but at least he has Menace! The fact he gives +4/+0 to something when he comes down is what keeps him from being completely terrible, though. That will often make an attack happen that just couldn’t before.
Feat of Resistance image 3.0 Protection is just really powerful – the obvious way to use this is to win combat one way or another, by making your creature big enough and also giving it protection from whatever it is in combat with – but you can also use it in response to removal to save a creature, or if your opponent has only blockers of one color and you need evasion for lethal, it can do that too. Not to mention, it puts a +1/+1 counter on the creature, and there is synergy for that in this set. Now, your opponent can still respond to Feat with removal to 2-for-1 you, but the flexibility and upside is real enough that I don’t see a reason to cut the first couple of copies of this in most White decks.
Frost Breath image 1.0 I am never a huge fan of this type of situational effect. Sure, you can use it offensive, to get some attacks in, or defensively, to make a creature miss two rounds of attacks, but there are too many situations where it doesn’t do anything. For these effects to be worth it they usually need something else going on.
Ornery Dilophosaur image 1.5 This card’s main downfall is that it costs 4 and frequently only has two toughness, which makes it die to a whole lot, and you’re usually losing tempo when it happens. It does have Deathtouch, which allows it to trade with whatever, but costing 4 makes that a lot less impressive. Becoming a 4/4 when it attacks is nice additional upside, but it isn’t that impressive, really.
Turret Ogre image 2.5 This has decent stats to begin with, and then it is a nice 4-power payoff that has 4-power itself, making it slot quite nicely into the RG deck especially.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a stat boost that will allow your creature to win almost all combats, and that’s the kind of trick most aggro decks feel okay about running.
Tranquil Cove image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Read the Tides
Light of Promise image 0.0 I would advise against play this. If you’re new to my set reviews, you may not know that I absolutely hate Auras that don’t give me some kind of value that actually adds to the board. This is an Aura that does absolutely nothing on its own. You have to have life gain around -- and even though the BW deck in this format is about gaining life, I’m still not interested in an Aura that makes me do extra work to get a bonus. Putting it on something with lifelink is tempting, but I’m going to resist that temptation. I realize that the creature gets absolutely huge as you gain more life, since it gets a counter for every single point of life you gain, but the investment here is huge, risky, and requires some serious help to be worth it. I’m not interested in all of that when I’m putting a 2-for-1 on the line.
Dire Fleet Warmonger image 3.5 So, this really pushes you in the direction of being a sacrifice deck, and he is pretty great for sacrificing things. On the surface, a 3-mana 3/3 is a good deal, and the fact you can cash in a creature every turn to make him a 5/5 with trample means that he is imposing on many board states. This Sacrifice effect doesn’t cost any mana either, so it can be particularly devastating to steal your opponent’s creature before combat and then sacrifice it to the Warbringer.
Read the Tides image 1.5 This has two modes, and while it doesn’t do either thing very efficiently, it is nice that it gives you options. Sometimes the bounce effect can win you the game, and when it can’t, you can use this to draw some cards. Now, if you’re behind your opponent it probably won’t help you much, but at parity of if you’re ahead, it is pretty nice.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This does enough different stuff that you can maindeck it without really being disappointed about it, but it is still generally better to bring in out of the sideboard.
Run Afoul image 0.5 This is mostly just a sideboard card. An edict for only flyers is a dead card too often, and even as a sideboard card it leaves a lot to be desired.
Thrill of Possibility image 1.5 This is an upgraded Tormenting Voice, and I’m all for that in a format with lots of spell payoffs! This lets you dig deeper into your deck and improve your card quality, so you’ll play that first copy a decent chunk of the time.
Village Rites image 1.5 I think it is fair to compare this to Tormenting Voice. Both cost you two cards to get you two cards. And yes, there are some differences -- the Rite needs a creature in play and it is an Instant, but I think this will serve a similar purpose. If you have lots of creature tokens, or use it in response to removal, or sacrifice a creature shut down by an Aura, it is going to feel pretty good -- and if you have sacrifice synergies it will be a little better to, but I think that it only makes the cut in your deck about half of the time, and usually just barely as a 23rd or 24th card.
Wishcoin Crab image 1.0 This has stats that line up reasonably well against early attackers, and if you’re in the market for that, you’ll probably play it.
Scoured Barrens image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Epitaph Golem
Chrome Replicator image 1.0 // 3.0 So, you mostly shouldn’t run this if you aren’t able to make its effect trigger a decent chunk of the time, and that usually means that you’re going to need a couple of pairs of duplicate non-token permanents. It is fine if you aren’t ALWAYS getting that extra 4/4, and you wont be, even in a deck with enough duplicates, but if you can get it sometimes you’re going to be in business, as when it works out this feels kind of like a bomb!
Epitaph Golem image 0.5 This has bad stats and an ability that isn’t especially again, unless you’re matched up against a Teferi’s Tutelage deck.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This does enough different stuff that you can maindeck it without really being disappointed about it, but it is still generally better to bring in out of the sideboard.
Radiant Fountain image 0.0 Even in the life gain deck this isn’t worth it. It does huge damage to your mana base, and gaining 2 life doesn’t make up for that.
Burn Bright image 1.0 I never love this kind of mass pump effect in Limited. I like to get a toughness boost too, because that makes it far more flexible. If your creature was dead when your opponent blocked, it still will be even if you use this, and that means that this is really only worthwhile when you can do straight up lethal, really limiting its prospects.
Walking Corpse image 1.0 This is a vanilla two drop that you’ll play only out of desperation.
Vodalian Arcanist image 2.0 This two-mana 1/3 does a good job of blocking early, and then gives you some nice extra mana to utilize.
Wind-Scarred Crag image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Defiant Strike
Chandra's Pyreling image 2.5 So, two mana 1/3s are borderline playables most of the time, and this does come with some upside -- noncombat damage turning this into a ⅔ double striker is no joke, and just the threat of that happening will often mean your opponent is unable to block it effectively, so they have to risk getting hit for 4. As we’ve already seen, there are ways to do noncombat damage -- like the Magemutt and various burn spells, so it isn’t a pipe dream to make that happen. That said, you also will be hard-pressed to end up with a legit burn deck in Limited that can trigger this all the time -- instead, its somewhere in the middle.
Caged Zombie image 1.5 It seems like this ability would be a nice way to close out games, and it is sometimes, but it is more challenging to set up than it looks at first, since you need a creature to die and you need to have mana available to use the ability.
Destructive Tampering image 0. 5 // 2.0 This is mostly a sideboard card, but if you’re in a really aggressive deck, consider playing one of them because they give you a way to win a game even if your opponent stabilizes.
Alpine Watchdog image 1.5 So, a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance is pretty passable. This guy does have some small additional synergies as a result of being a card that the RW signpost uncommon can search up, and that does increase his value for sure.
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Defiant Strike image 0.5 If White doesn’t have some sort of theme built around spells or combat tricks, this card is usually not very good. Sure, it does replace itself, but the stats boost is meaningless or may as well be far too often for me to play this most of the time.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Bone Pit Brute
Dire Fleet Warmonger image 3.5 So, this really pushes you in the direction of being a sacrifice deck, and he is pretty great for sacrificing things. On the surface, a 3-mana 3/3 is a good deal, and the fact you can cash in a creature every turn to make him a 5/5 with trample means that he is imposing on many board states. This Sacrifice effect doesn’t cost any mana either, so it can be particularly devastating to steal your opponent’s creature before combat and then sacrifice it to the Warbringer.
Celestial Enforcer image 2.5 If you don’t have fliers, you probably hope you don’t play this, but as long as you have 4 or 5 Flyers, this probably gets into the playable range, and that isn’t a crazy thing to achieve. Tap down effects are always nice in Limited, and even a situational one like this is well worth playing.
Goblin Arsonist image 2.0 So, this is a one mana creature that can trade up for X/2s, and even threaten 2-for-1s when your opponent has two X/1s in play. It can also just ping the opponent for one when that is going to be meaningful. It also has a little bit of extra value in the Sacrifice deck, since it will give you some sort of value in addition to whatever the sacrifice effect gives you.
Alpine Watchdog image 1.5 So, a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance is pretty passable. This guy does have some small additional synergies as a result of being a card that the RW signpost uncommon can search up, and that does increase his value for sure.
Bone Pit Brute image 1.5 This isn’t terrible to have at the top of your curve. His own stats aren’t great, but at least he has Menace! The fact he gives +4/+0 to something when he comes down is what keeps him from being completely terrible, though. That will often make an attack happen that just couldn’t before.
Mountain image
Pack 3 Pick 11: Thrill of Possibility
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Gnarled Sage image 2.0 This has some decent stats and keywords, and sometimes it gets bigger. It is a surprisingly good road block for decks in this format.
Thrill of Possibility image 1.5 This is an upgraded Tormenting Voice, and I’m all for that in a format with lots of spell payoffs! This lets you dig deeper into your deck and improve your card quality, so you’ll play that first copy a decent chunk of the time.
Forest image
Pack 3 Pick 12: Mind Rot
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Vodalian Arcanist image 2.0 This two-mana 1/3 does a good job of blocking early, and then gives you some nice extra mana to utilize.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Swamp image
Pack 3 Pick 13: Onakke Ogre
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Onakke Ogre image 1.5 3-mana 4/2s are borderline playables, and this set has various payoffs for 4 power, so you’ll play this a little more than you might think.
Destructive Tampering image 0. 5 // 2.0 This is mostly a sideboard card, but if you’re in a really aggressive deck, consider playing one of them because they give you a way to win a game even if your opponent stabilizes.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Duress
Duress image 0.5 This is too narrow of a discard spell to every play in your main deck.
Tranquil Cove image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 15: Wishcoin Crab
Wishcoin Crab image 1.0 This has stats that line up reasonably well against early attackers, and if you’re in the market for that, you’ll probably play it.
Draft Pick Overview