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Premier Draft LTR 29 June 2023

29 June 07:21 - VZ 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (7)
2 Claim the Precious image
2 Shadow Summoning image
1 Now for Wrath, Now for Ruin! image
1 Sam's Desperate Rescue image
1 Nasty End image
Creature (16)
1 Samwise the Stouthearted image
1 Easterling Vanguard image
1 Mordor Trebuchet image
1 Troll of Khazad-dûm image
1 Eastfarthing Farmer image
2 Haunt of the Dead Marshes image
1 Dunland Crebain image
2 Mirkwood Bats image
1 Errand-Rider of Gondor image
1 Esquire of the King image
1 Protector of Gondor image
1 Uruk-hai Berserker image
1 Stalwarts of Osgiliath image
1 Westfold Rider image
Land (17)
1 Barad-dûr image
8 Swamp image
8 Plains image
Sideboard
1 Pippin, Guard of the Citadel image
1 East-Mark Cavalier image
1 Théoden, King of Rohan image
1 Soldier of the Grey Host image
1 Olog-hai Crusher image
1 Shelob's Ambush image
1 Sam's Desperate Rescue image
1 Pippin's Bravery image
1 Fiery Inscription image
1 Orcish Medicine image
1 Second Breakfast image
1 Lembas image
1 Arwen's Gift image
1 Inherited Envelope image
1 The Black Breath image
1 Morgul-Knife Wound image
1 Wizard's Rockets image
1 Shire Terrace image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Pippin, Guard of the Citadel
Pippin, Guard of the Citadel image 3.5 A two mana 2/2 with Vigilance and Ward 1 isn’t a bad starting point, and Pippin comes with a heck of an ability! Protection from an entire card type is pretty great, and means that Pippin can not only help your creatures dodge removal, he can also make your creatures unblockable in the right situation. Of course, he can’t use his ability on himself, so most of the time your opponent will prioritize getting rid of him, but at least Ward 1 makes that a little bit more challenging. Still, the fail case here is a nice card, and the ability to protect stuff is quite good
Butterbur, Bree Innkeeper image 3.0 The stats aren’t good, but being able to get a food token any time you don’t have one seems pretty nice, especially if you have something to sacrifice it to every turn. You can also just sacrifice it to gain life every turn too, of course.
The Mouth of Sauron image 3.5 If you get Amass 2 or more out of this, it is going to feel like a great deal, and by the later stages of the game it could make your Army absolutely massive or just create a massive Army for you. There will be some awkward times where you can only Amass 0 or 1, but you do have two separate graveyards to rely on, so your chances of getting good value out of this are pretty high
Théoden, King of Rohan image 3.5 I would already be in on a three mana ⅔ that gives something double strike when it ETBs, so the fact this triggers for your other humans – which you’ll have a lot of in Red-White – is pretty awesome.
Birthday Escape image 2.5 This seems like a nice deal for only a single Blue mana. Most of the time getting two effects for one mana ends up being pretty nice, and I think that’s the case here.
Treason of Isengard image 2.0 A three mana 2/2 that puts a spell on top of your library is an okay card. This is an effect players often overrate, as they imagine getting back a really great spell – and when you can do that it is pretty good. However, the fact you have to wait to draw that card really makes it significantly worse
Enraged Huorn image 2.0 A 5-mana 4/5 Trample is probably a 1.5 these days, but the ring tempting you does mean that at the very least, you can give the Huorn some extra abilities – or do the same for some other creature
Hithlain Knots image 2.0 This does a bunch of little stuff that will play reasonably well in multiple decks in the format. Whether you’re interesting in drawing extra cards, casting spells, or Scrying, this has you covered!
Now for Wrath, Now for Ruin! image 1.0 // 3.0 This is a nice payoff for going wide. Vigilance is a great addition to the counters, because it makes it a lot easier for you to play offense and defense with your newly buffed board. The Ring Tempting you will usually also mean you get to upgrade one of your creatures too. This probably needs a build around grade. Because if you aren’t a deck playing tons of creatures and cards that make multiple bodies, you probably don’t play this most of the time, and if you are a deck that’s good at that, you probably always want the first copy of this.
The Black Breath image 0.5 A one-sided -1/-1 effect can be good in the right match-up, but I mostly think this needs a sideboard grade. If you’re not able to take down creatures with it consistently it just isn’t going to be worth it, as the Ring tempts you alone just won’t be enough for the cost.
Morgul-Knife Wound image 0.0 I don’t think this is very good. I know it looks like a really cheap removal spell, but it has some serious problems. It is basically a Black version of the kind of removal spell Blue usually gets that makes a creature into a 0/2 or whatever, and those are always pretty underwhelming. So, let’s go through this card’s problems: The biggest thing is that it it doesn’t entirely remove a creature on its own. That effectively means you’re going down a card, and not taking a full card from your opponent.. Just lowering a creature’s power means that it can still block – perhaps even really effectively since its toughness is unaffected. It can also use all of its abilities. And heck, if it has high enough power it might still be a decent attacker! All of that is bad news. Additionally, giving your opponent an option about whether to pay life or exile the creature is way worse than it looks, because your opponent can always choose whichever option doesn’t really matter for them, and most of the time – neither of them will matter. Basically, even when this does operate as removal it isn’t going to give you a full card of value, and there will be plenty of times where it is far worse than that
Oliphaunt image 2.0 A 6-mana 6/4 with Trample isn’t very good, but offering +2/+0 and Trample to something else when it attacks can result in some pretty potent attacks. Adding Mountcycling for only one mana to the mix is a big deal though, as it means you can use this to help you hit a land drop early, and if you get it later in the game it can come down and impact the board
Shire Terrace image 2.5 This can’t grab you a land for no mana the way Evolving Wilds can, but the fact it can tap for mana in the mean time makes up for that.
Mirrormere Guardian image 2.5 3-mana 4/2s tend to be reasonable, and in this set there are several cards that like it when you have a creature with 4 or more power, and this is one of the earliest ways you can meet that requirement. The ring tempting you when it dies is some very nice additional upside, too
Pack 1 Pick 2: Claim the Precious
Saruman's Trickery image 2.5 I don’t love the stat-line here, even with Ward 2, but getting to Amass every time you cast a second spell is great.
Stone of Erech image 0.5 There’s some graveyard stuff going on in this format, but not really enough for this to be main deck material. Sure, it replaces itself in a worst case, but that’s not really enough
Shadowfax, Lord of Horses image 2.5 This is nothing fancy, but it is a pretty amazing rate. They do enter tapped, which matters – as this will feel pretty miserable when you’re behind. Playing this on turn two will apply some serious pressure on your opponent, though
East-Mark Cavalier image 1.5 This has passable stats as a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance, but the other upside it has is very underwhelming. There will be some occasions where it lines up nicely since it can trade with a larger Goblin or Orc, but a lot of the time the ability doesn’t matter, and even when your opponent does have a creature with one of those types, they are often already just going to trade with the cavalier.
Grey Havens Navigator image 2.0 We’ve seen three mana 3/2s with Flash that Scry a lot lately, and they haven’t been that good – but in the other sets there wasn’t a Scry deck like there is in this one. That probably does enough for this to be solid
Mirkwood Bats image 3.0 This stat-line is well below rate these days, but this ability has the potential to be fairly strong, especially if you have some Food or Treasure tokens around since they are tokens that you create with built-in sacrifice effects
Claim the Precious image 3.5 This is Murder, except it gets downgraded to a Sorcery and you get tempted by the ring in exchange. Either way, this is definitely premium removal as it can deal with almost anything efficiently while giving you a bonus effect. It does cost double black, and that does actually matter on premium removal, because the ones that only have one colored symbol are easily splashable, and that won’t be the case here
Galadhrim Guide image 2.0 Stats aren’t good, but there are enough Scry payoffs for the first copy of this to make the cut pretty often
Oliphaunt image 2.0 A 6-mana 6/4 with Trample isn’t very good, but offering +2/+0 and Trample to something else when it attacks can result in some pretty potent attacks. Adding Mountcycling for only one mana to the mix is a big deal though, as it means you can use this to help you hit a land drop early, and if you get it later in the game it can come down and impact the board
Mushroom Watchdogs image 3.0 This is a pretty solid food payoff. The Watchdogs can quickly become a problem, and the fact that they gain Vigilance can really help out in a race. I’m giving this a 3.
Nasty End image 1.5 This type of spell is never amazing, but it does often find a niche. If you have a legendary creature that is worth sacrificing this can feel particularly good, but the problem with this kind of card is always that you don’t always have something worth giving up. Using it in response to removal is often the ideal situation, and that can potentially be quite impressive. However, it still ends up being too situational to be anything special.
Elven Farsight image 2.5 This is a surprisingly powerful draw spell for green. You get to see up to four cards and you should be able to make sure you draw a creature most of the time when you play it. On top of that, Scrying is something you’re going to want to do a lot of when you’re playing Green. It doesn’t effect the board, but this feels like it is going to do such a good job of making your draws smoother and more consistent for so little mana that I’m tempted to go all the way up to a 3
Eastfarthing Farmer image 2.5 A three mana ⅔ that makes a food is probably already playable, so giving +1/+1 to something when this ETBs is nice too, and sometimes it will be more than +1/+1!
Pack 1 Pick 3: Samwise the Stouthearted
Samwise the Stouthearted image 3.5 This might look completely insane at first, but we’ve seen these sort of reanimator effects before and they are usually worse than they look. There is only a very narrow window in which you can reanimate something with this, and even with Flash you’re going to find yourself with no target for the effect pretty often. That said, even if Samwise doesn’t reanimate something, the ring tempting you is definitely worth some value! The times where this is a 2-for-1 it will seem nuts, but even the fail case is fairly reasonable.
Shire Shirriff image 3.5 You won’t always be able to exile something with the Sheriff, but there are enough tokens in this set that this will function as removal often enough, and the baseline isn’t a terrible card anyway. Obviously giving up food is the ideal thing, but sometimes giving up a 1/1 or an Army will be worth it too.
Gwaihir the Windlord image 3.0 If this always costs 6 mana, it would probably be a 1.5. There are some other birds to give vigilance too, and a 6-mana 4/4 with Flying and Vigilance isn’t a disaster, though it also isn’t something that will always make your deck. The good news is, paying 4 for this is pretty awesome, and that’s fairly easy to do in a Blue-White deck. The bad news is, you probably had to spend some extra mana to draw that extra card, so that probably still means this won’t be coming down on turn 4 all that often, instead, it will be something that helps you double spell on turn 6 or so. Your ringbearer may help you draw that extra card too
Arwen's Gift image 2.0 Having two legendary creatures in play is very doable in this set, but you also shouldn’t always expect to be able to cast this for three. At four mana it is definitely a little bit clunky, but at least you can see up to 4 cards – which is a ton in Limited.
Erebor Flamesmith image 2.5 We see this type of spell payoff pretty often, and they are always pretty reasonable, especially when you can get multiples of them. Pinging your opponent can really add up if you’re doing a good job casting instants and sorceries.
Many Partings image 2.5 This offers some quality fixing while also helping you up your deck’s Food count, something that certainly matters in Green
Shelob's Ambush image 2.5 This is a really nice trick. Death touch and the toughness boost for only one mana means many creatures will be capable of taking down an opposing creature and surviving to tell the tale, and that’s likely to give you some pretty awesome tempo since it only costs a single mana. Its great that you also get some Food out of the deal!
Lothlórien Lookout image 1.5 This card’s pretty awkward, because 1/3 doesn’t exactly scream “Attack with me!” While Scrying is definitely important for Green decks in the format, there are lots of better ways to do it, so I don’t think this will usually make the cut unless you’re desperate for the synergy or two drops
Cast into the Fire image 0.5 This has two modes that aren’t useful often enough, and while the fact that you can choose between them helps offset how narrow each effect is, we’re still looking at a card that won’t do anything meaningful far too often. This feels like sideboard material.
East-Mark Cavalier image 1.5 This has passable stats as a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance, but the other upside it has is very underwhelming. There will be some occasions where it lines up nicely since it can trade with a larger Goblin or Orc, but a lot of the time the ability doesn’t matter, and even when your opponent does have a creature with one of those types, they are often already just going to trade with the cavalier.
Inherited Envelope image 1.5 Manalith doesn’t tend to be very good in Limited. Using up a card just for inefficient fixing and ramp can be rough, though adding “The Ring Tempts You” to the mix probably does enough for this to be fixing you turn to when you’re desperate
Relentless Rohirrim image 2.5 These aren’t great stats these days, but because the ring tempts you on ETB you are at worst going to give this one extra ability – although if it’s the first time the ring has tempted you it isn’t going to feel very good. If it is the second time or later though, the Rohirrim will feel like a solid card
Pack 1 Pick 4: Easterling Vanguard
Long List of the Ents image 1.0 This is a really neat and flavorful design, and sometimes it will give you a ton of value. Imagine playing it on turn one with a hand that can curve out. Theoretically, if you name the right creatures, you can have all of those come down with extra counters. Of course, problem is, getting this late makes it pretty close to a dead card, and it will really only shine if you play it on turn one and have a hand full of creatures. That makes it too narrow
Samwise the Stouthearted image 3.5 This might look completely insane at first, but we’ve seen these sort of reanimator effects before and they are usually worse than they look. There is only a very narrow window in which you can reanimate something with this, and even with Flash you’re going to find yourself with no target for the effect pretty often. That said, even if Samwise doesn’t reanimate something, the ring tempting you is definitely worth some value! The times where this is a 2-for-1 it will seem nuts, but even the fail case is fairly reasonable.
Nasty End image 1.5 This type of spell is never amazing, but it does often find a niche. If you have a legendary creature that is worth sacrificing this can feel particularly good, but the problem with this kind of card is always that you don’t always have something worth giving up. Using it in response to removal is often the ideal situation, and that can potentially be quite impressive. However, it still ends up being too situational to be anything special.
Slip On the Ring image 1.0 This is cheaper than most versions of this effect that we see, but most versions of this effect also draw you a card, and The Ring Tempts You isn’t quite as good as that. Still, this will be effective in decks that end up with enough cards with ETBs. It is a bit of a bummer it can only hit creatures, as blinking Sagas can be particularly valuable. You can of course use it to help a creature dodge removal and stuff like that too. But Still, it seems like this type of card basically never makes the cut in Limited formats these days. It isn’t a disaster in the right deck, but actually generating a card of value with it is harder than you think. We’ve seen this be the case with basically every version of this effect in countless Limited formats at this point. While the list of situations where this is good seems long, the percentage of the time they come up just isn’t enough.
Ithilien Kingfisher image 3.0 This isn’t quite as good as a three mana 2/1 with Flying that draws when it enters the battlefield, but it is still quite good. It is a reasonable threat in the air, and it can deliver a two-for-one pretty often.
Brandywine Farmer image 2.0 The stat-line is horrendous, but getting two foods out of one card is a nice thing in Green, and especially in Green-White, where you can find many uses for Food
Easterling Vanguard image 2.0 You get three 3/2 worth of stats for two mana here. And sure, you don’t get it all at the same time, but this still looks like a solid two drop.
Olog-hai Crusher image 2.5 This isn’t exactly the Goblin/Orc payoff you’re hoping for, but a 4-mana 4/4 Trampler is fairly formidable, and it will often be capable of blocking
Bombadil's Song image 2.5 The stats boost here isn’t great, and that means there are a more narrow number of creatures who can win a previously unwinnable combat with the help of Bombadil’s Song. It makes up for that some by also being capable of blanking removal spells and tempting you with the ring, so in the end I think you get a reasonable return on your investment
Westfold Rider image 2.0 This has passable base stats and an ability that will actually do something sometimes. It is nice to be able to have a Disenchant in your main deck without having to pay much of a cost.
Sam's Desperate Rescue image 2.0 One mana to return a creature from your graveyard to your hand is a passable card, though I’d usually pay three mana to get two things back, as that gives you a more significant advantage by the later stages of the game. That said, paying one will often mean you can play the thing you get back right away, and getting tempted by the ring even makes this have a decent fail case if you don’t have something in your graveyard
Pack 1 Pick 5: Mordor Trebuchet
Ent-Draught Basin image 0.0 This looks pretty bad. Sure, one mana to put a counter on a 1/1 isn’t a terrible deal, and as a mana sink you could do worse, but it will eventually be fairly expensive to put counters on things, and the fact it does it only at Sorcery speed is a pretty big problem too. This just seems too clunky
Mirkwood Bats image 3.0 This stat-line is well below rate these days, but this ability has the potential to be fairly strong, especially if you have some Food or Treasure tokens around since they are tokens that you create with built-in sacrifice effects
Birthday Escape image 2.5 This seems like a nice deal for only a single Blue mana. Most of the time getting two effects for one mana ends up being pretty nice, and I think that’s the case here.
Mordor Trebuchet image 2.0 Obviously you’re going to be happiest with this in a Black-Red deck, but in that deck this seems like a pretty legit payoff. A three mana ¼ isn’t anything to write home about, but throwing a 2/1 Boulder at your opponent every time you attack with a Goblin or Orc is pretty sweet. It also works quite well alongside sacrifice outlets
Second Breakfast image 2.0 Sometimes this kind of trick can generate a 2-for-1, which is obviously great – but with a toughness boost of only one, more often than not at least one of the creatures is going to die. Three mana is a lot to spend on a trick too! It is nice it gives you some food at least.
Generous Ent image 2.5 A 6-mana 5/7 with Reach that gives you a treasure isn’t a terrible late game play. In fact, it is the kind of body that can help you stablize, especially because the Food can gain you life! And if you draw it early and need a land drop, you can always cycle it away
Glorious Gale image 2.5 This is a strictly better Essence Scatter, and Essence Scatter is always decent in Limited. It is cheap and counters the most common type of spell in your typical game.
Eastfarthing Farmer image 2.5 A three mana ⅔ that makes a food is probably already playable, so giving +1/+1 to something when this ETBs is nice too, and sometimes it will be more than +1/+1!
East-Mark Cavalier image 1.5 This has passable stats as a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance, but the other upside it has is very underwhelming. There will be some occasions where it lines up nicely since it can trade with a larger Goblin or Orc, but a lot of the time the ability doesn’t matter, and even when your opponent does have a creature with one of those types, they are often already just going to trade with the cavalier.
Snarling Warg image 2.5 A 4-mana ¾ Menace isn’t the worst stat-line, and this will be a 4/4 sometimes
Pack 1 Pick 6: Troll of Khazad-dûm
Forge Anew image 0.0 There is certainly Equipment in this set, but this card is so all in on it that it just won’t do enough in your typical White deck in the format. It isn’t like Equipment regularly ends up in the graveyard, so mostly what you’re going to get here is something that makes Equipping things a lot more flexible and efficient.
Easterling Vanguard image 2.0 You get three 3/2 worth of stats for two mana here. And sure, you don’t get it all at the same time, but this still looks like a solid two drop.
Pippin's Bravery image 2.0 One mana for +2/+2 is usually a decent enough trick, and the food upside here is very real. This can allow your creature to win combat very efficiently, and that’s always what you want from a combat trick
Sam's Desperate Rescue image 2.0 One mana to return a creature from your graveyard to your hand is a passable card, though I’d usually pay three mana to get two things back, as that gives you a more significant advantage by the later stages of the game. That said, paying one will often mean you can play the thing you get back right away, and getting tempted by the ring even makes this have a decent fail case if you don’t have something in your graveyard
Mushroom Watchdogs image 3.0 This is a pretty solid food payoff. The Watchdogs can quickly become a problem, and the fact that they gain Vigilance can really help out in a race. I’m giving this a 3.
Banish from Edoras image 2.0 This is passable removal, but certainly not premium. 5 mana is a lot to exile a creature at sorcery speed, and even though it gets a discount on a tapped creature, cards that can only kill tapped creatures at Sorcery speed are kind of rough, because it usually means your opponent got to hit you with the thing that you want to remove. It is still removal, and answers pretty much all creatures, but its so clunky it isn’t the kind of removal you’re going to prioritize.
Elven Farsight image 2.5 This is a surprisingly powerful draw spell for green. You get to see up to four cards and you should be able to make sure you draw a creature most of the time when you play it. On top of that, Scrying is something you’re going to want to do a lot of when you’re playing Green. It doesn’t effect the board, but this feels like it is going to do such a good job of making your draws smoother and more consistent for so little mana that I’m tempted to go all the way up to a 3
Nimrodel Watcher image 3.0 This is a nice Common payoff for scrying. There seems to be a critical mass of Scry at lower rarities, so imagining that you can get in with this an unblockable 3/1 a couple of times isn’t a pipe dream. Sometimes it will be a very real win condition.
Troll of Khazad-dûm image 2.0 This 6/5 is pretty tough to block and can alter combat even in the later stages of the game, and if you draw it early and you need a land, it can fetch one for you
Pack 1 Pick 7: Shire Terrace
Council's Deliberation image 3.5 This is kind of an interesting take on Think Twice and similar cards. Drawing a card for two mana isn’t really worth it, but if you have a few cards with Scry in your deck, this suddenly turns into an impressive 2-for-1 that you only spend two mana on. Scry is definitely available in the set too, and it seems very doable to make this work in most Blue decks.
The Black Breath image 0.5 A one-sided -1/-1 effect can be good in the right match-up, but I mostly think this needs a sideboard grade. If you’re not able to take down creatures with it consistently it just isn’t going to be worth it, as the Ring tempts you alone just won’t be enough for the cost.
Haradrim Spearmaster image 2.0 It is a little sad it can’t buff itself, as that would have made it significantly better, but offering +1/+0 to something every turn does do enough to improve combat for you often enough for this to be fine
Rush the Room image 1.5 +1/+0 and First Strike can help a creature win a decent number of combats, but not so many that I’m super excited about this as a trick. The extra Goblin/Orc upside is good, and occasionally giving something Haste will make a difference, but this seems pretty weak overall
Fog on the Barrow-Downs image 3.0 This is solid removal. Three mana Pacifisms tend to be fine, though they aren’t usually amazing because they don’t entirely get rid of 100% of creatures, since they don’t stop things like activated or triggered abilities. Enchantment-based removal also isn’t great against things like bounce or flicker effects. Still, this does shut down most creatures for a fairly reasonable cost.
Generous Ent image 2.5 A 6-mana 5/7 with Reach that gives you a treasure isn’t a terrible late game play. In fact, it is the kind of body that can help you stablize, especially because the Food can gain you life! And if you draw it early and need a land drop, you can always cycle it away
Shire Terrace image 2.5 This can’t grab you a land for no mana the way Evolving Wilds can, but the fact it can tap for mana in the mean time makes up for that.
Fire of Orthanc image 1.0 Demolish is almost never worth it in Limited, and tacking on this unblockable angle doesn’t do enough to change that.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Shadow Summoning
Shadow Summoning image 3.0 This is nothing fancy, but it is a pretty amazing rate. They do enter tapped, which matters – as this will feel pretty miserable when you’re behind. Playing this on turn two will apply some serious pressure on your opponent, though
Shelob's Ambush image 2.5 This is a really nice trick. Death touch and the toughness boost for only one mana means many creatures will be capable of taking down an opposing creature and surviving to tell the tale, and that’s likely to give you some pretty awesome tempo since it only costs a single mana. Its great that you also get some Food out of the deal!
Westfold Rider image 2.0 This has passable base stats and an ability that will actually do something sometimes. It is nice to be able to have a Disenchant in your main deck without having to pay much of a cost.
Eastfarthing Farmer image 2.5 A three mana ⅔ that makes a food is probably already playable, so giving +1/+1 to something when this ETBs is nice too, and sometimes it will be more than +1/+1!
Now for Wrath, Now for Ruin! image 1.0 // 3.0 This is a nice payoff for going wide. Vigilance is a great addition to the counters, because it makes it a lot easier for you to play offense and defense with your newly buffed board. The Ring Tempting you will usually also mean you get to upgrade one of your creatures too. This probably needs a build around grade. Because if you aren’t a deck playing tons of creatures and cards that make multiple bodies, you probably don’t play this most of the time, and if you are a deck that’s good at that, you probably always want the first copy of this.
Soothing of Sméagol image 2.0 Two mana to bounce a nontoken creature isn’t an amazing deal these days. Remember, you’re only getting tempo and are actually going down a card. Still, this does allow you to impact the board and getting tempted by the ring is never a bad thing.
Battle-Scarred Goblin image 2.5 This isn’t the most exciting upside, but it does mean it can trade with X/3s and it basically can’t be blocked at all by X/1s. It can also be kind of funny to pair with death touch. It also has a useful creature type, which matters.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Now for Wrath, Now for Ruin!
Now for Wrath, Now for Ruin! image 1.0 // 3.0 This is a nice payoff for going wide. Vigilance is a great addition to the counters, because it makes it a lot easier for you to play offense and defense with your newly buffed board. The Ring Tempting you will usually also mean you get to upgrade one of your creatures too. This probably needs a build around grade. Because if you aren’t a deck playing tons of creatures and cards that make multiple bodies, you probably don’t play this most of the time, and if you are a deck that’s good at that, you probably always want the first copy of this.
The Black Breath image 0.5 A one-sided -1/-1 effect can be good in the right match-up, but I mostly think this needs a sideboard grade. If you’re not able to take down creatures with it consistently it just isn’t going to be worth it, as the Ring tempts you alone just won’t be enough for the cost.
Morgul-Knife Wound image 0.0 I don’t think this is very good. I know it looks like a really cheap removal spell, but it has some serious problems. It is basically a Black version of the kind of removal spell Blue usually gets that makes a creature into a 0/2 or whatever, and those are always pretty underwhelming. So, let’s go through this card’s problems: The biggest thing is that it it doesn’t entirely remove a creature on its own. That effectively means you’re going down a card, and not taking a full card from your opponent.. Just lowering a creature’s power means that it can still block – perhaps even really effectively since its toughness is unaffected. It can also use all of its abilities. And heck, if it has high enough power it might still be a decent attacker! All of that is bad news. Additionally, giving your opponent an option about whether to pay life or exile the creature is way worse than it looks, because your opponent can always choose whichever option doesn’t really matter for them, and most of the time – neither of them will matter. Basically, even when this does operate as removal it isn’t going to give you a full card of value, and there will be plenty of times where it is far worse than that
Oliphaunt image 2.0 A 6-mana 6/4 with Trample isn’t very good, but offering +2/+0 and Trample to something else when it attacks can result in some pretty potent attacks. Adding Mountcycling for only one mana to the mix is a big deal though, as it means you can use this to help you hit a land drop early, and if you get it later in the game it can come down and impact the board
Shire Terrace image 2.5 This can’t grab you a land for no mana the way Evolving Wilds can, but the fact it can tap for mana in the mean time makes up for that.
Mirrormere Guardian image 2.5 3-mana 4/2s tend to be reasonable, and in this set there are several cards that like it when you have a creature with 4 or more power, and this is one of the earliest ways you can meet that requirement. The ring tempting you when it dies is some very nice additional upside, too
Pack 1 Pick 10: Eastfarthing Farmer
Stone of Erech image 0.5 There’s some graveyard stuff going on in this format, but not really enough for this to be main deck material. Sure, it replaces itself in a worst case, but that’s not really enough
East-Mark Cavalier image 1.5 This has passable stats as a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance, but the other upside it has is very underwhelming. There will be some occasions where it lines up nicely since it can trade with a larger Goblin or Orc, but a lot of the time the ability doesn’t matter, and even when your opponent does have a creature with one of those types, they are often already just going to trade with the cavalier.
Galadhrim Guide image 2.0 Stats aren’t good, but there are enough Scry payoffs for the first copy of this to make the cut pretty often
Nasty End image 1.5 This type of spell is never amazing, but it does often find a niche. If you have a legendary creature that is worth sacrificing this can feel particularly good, but the problem with this kind of card is always that you don’t always have something worth giving up. Using it in response to removal is often the ideal situation, and that can potentially be quite impressive. However, it still ends up being too situational to be anything special.
Eastfarthing Farmer image 2.5 A three mana ⅔ that makes a food is probably already playable, so giving +1/+1 to something when this ETBs is nice too, and sometimes it will be more than +1/+1!
Pack 1 Pick 11: Shelob's Ambush
Many Partings image 2.5 This offers some quality fixing while also helping you up your deck’s Food count, something that certainly matters in Green
Shelob's Ambush image 2.5 This is a really nice trick. Death touch and the toughness boost for only one mana means many creatures will be capable of taking down an opposing creature and surviving to tell the tale, and that’s likely to give you some pretty awesome tempo since it only costs a single mana. Its great that you also get some Food out of the deal!
Cast into the Fire image 0.5 This has two modes that aren’t useful often enough, and while the fact that you can choose between them helps offset how narrow each effect is, we’re still looking at a card that won’t do anything meaningful far too often. This feels like sideboard material.
Inherited Envelope image 1.5 Manalith doesn’t tend to be very good in Limited. Using up a card just for inefficient fixing and ramp can be rough, though adding “The Ring Tempts You” to the mix probably does enough for this to be fixing you turn to when you’re desperate
Pack 1 Pick 12: Sam's Desperate Rescue
Slip On the Ring image 1.0 This is cheaper than most versions of this effect that we see, but most versions of this effect also draw you a card, and The Ring Tempts You isn’t quite as good as that. Still, this will be effective in decks that end up with enough cards with ETBs. It is a bit of a bummer it can only hit creatures, as blinking Sagas can be particularly valuable. You can of course use it to help a creature dodge removal and stuff like that too. But Still, it seems like this type of card basically never makes the cut in Limited formats these days. It isn’t a disaster in the right deck, but actually generating a card of value with it is harder than you think. We’ve seen this be the case with basically every version of this effect in countless Limited formats at this point. While the list of situations where this is good seems long, the percentage of the time they come up just isn’t enough.
Olog-hai Crusher image 2.5 This isn’t exactly the Goblin/Orc payoff you’re hoping for, but a 4-mana 4/4 Trampler is fairly formidable, and it will often be capable of blocking
Sam's Desperate Rescue image 2.0 One mana to return a creature from your graveyard to your hand is a passable card, though I’d usually pay three mana to get two things back, as that gives you a more significant advantage by the later stages of the game. That said, paying one will often mean you can play the thing you get back right away, and getting tempted by the ring even makes this have a decent fail case if you don’t have something in your graveyard
Pack 1 Pick 13: East-Mark Cavalier
Ent-Draught Basin image 0.0 This looks pretty bad. Sure, one mana to put a counter on a 1/1 isn’t a terrible deal, and as a mana sink you could do worse, but it will eventually be fairly expensive to put counters on things, and the fact it does it only at Sorcery speed is a pretty big problem too. This just seems too clunky
East-Mark Cavalier image 1.5 This has passable stats as a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance, but the other upside it has is very underwhelming. There will be some occasions where it lines up nicely since it can trade with a larger Goblin or Orc, but a lot of the time the ability doesn’t matter, and even when your opponent does have a creature with one of those types, they are often already just going to trade with the cavalier.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Pippin's Bravery
Pippin's Bravery image 2.0 One mana for +2/+2 is usually a decent enough trick, and the food upside here is very real. This can allow your creature to win combat very efficiently, and that’s always what you want from a combat trick
Pack 2 Pick 1: Haunt of the Dead Marshes
Merry, Esquire of Rohan image 3.0 This seems like a nice card. Drawing a card with it and giving it First Strike are fairly obtainable things, even if they aren’t necessarily always going to happen, and a 2/2 Haste as the baseline isn’t bad
Bilbo, Retired Burglar image 3.5 Bilbo is going to be tough to block most of the time, since once the Ring tempts you a single time, your ring-bearer becomes very difficult to block. This means getting treasure out of Bilbo is fairly easy, and its great that even if he goes down, he makes sure you can get an additional effect and choose a new ring-bearer.
Meriadoc Brandybuck image 3.0 Meriadoc itself is a Halfling so at worst it is a two mana 2/2 that makes a food when it attacks, and that’s a solid card to have around. It gets even better when you’ve got more Halflings and food payoffs, and neither of those seems like a big stretch for Green
You Cannot Pass! image 1.5 It is a little sad that they chose this card to represent such an epic moment, because it is mediocre at best. Even in a set with lots of legendaries, this sort of removal spell tends to just be too narrow, even at one mana! This set has lots of legendaries, and making your creature into a ring-bearer also makes it legendary, but you still can’t always count on having one around, and even when you do, setting up an advantageous situation where this actually does something can be a challenge.
Mushroom Watchdogs image 3.0 This is a pretty solid food payoff. The Watchdogs can quickly become a problem, and the fact that they gain Vigilance can really help out in a race. I’m giving this a 3.
Pelargir Survivor image 2.0 Fixing and ramp for spells is alright, though even in a spell-heavy deck it always seems that this spell-specific ramp underperforms. The other ability is even less meaningful for the most part, as it costs a ton of mana and won’t do something meaningful most of the time.
Rush the Room image 1.5 +1/+0 and First Strike can help a creature win a decent number of combats, but not so many that I’m super excited about this as a trick. The extra Goblin/Orc upside is good, and occasionally giving something Haste will make a difference, but this seems pretty weak overall
Shire Terrace image 2.5 This can’t grab you a land for no mana the way Evolving Wilds can, but the fact it can tap for mana in the mean time makes up for that.
Mordor Trebuchet image 2.0 Obviously you’re going to be happiest with this in a Black-Red deck, but in that deck this seems like a pretty legit payoff. A three mana ¼ isn’t anything to write home about, but throwing a 2/1 Boulder at your opponent every time you attack with a Goblin or Orc is pretty sweet. It also works quite well alongside sacrifice outlets
Wose Pathfinder image 3.0 This is fragile and inefficient when it comes to stats, but it also fixes and ramps your mana, and in the extreme late game it has an effect that isn’t a terrible one to sink your mana into
Westfold Rider image 2.0 This has passable base stats and an ability that will actually do something sometimes. It is nice to be able to have a Disenchant in your main deck without having to pay much of a cost.
Smite the Deathless image 4.0 As usual, Red has a really good Common removal spell. Two mana for 3 damage at instant speed is always premium, so the fact this can exile the things it kills and shut down indestructibility is just gravy
Esquire of the King image 1.5 This ability costing only three mana is pretty sweet, especially if you’ve gone wide enough – and doing that in White certainly seems doable. The bad news is, as a one mana 1/1 it is pretty irrelevant up until the point it can use its ability, and paying 5 for that ability isn’t nearly as appealing.
Haunt of the Dead Marshes image 2.0 Having a legendary creature isn’t a guarantee in this format, but it is easier than normal because of both the Ring Tempts You and a large number of legendary creatures in general. I like that you get to Scry 1 every time too!
Pack 2 Pick 2: Dunland Crebain
Mauhúr, Uruk-hai Captain image 3.5 This is mostly useful alongside Amass, but the good news is there’s a ton of that in Black and Red in this set. A two mana 2/2 with Menace that gives you some extra counters here and there definitely makes for a nice signpost Uncommon
Oath of the Grey Host image 2.5 I don’t love giving my opponent a Food token, but the end result of this card is very efficient. You get three 1/1 Flyers, a treasure token, your opponent loses 3 life, and you get a Food – though that part is kind of a wash because your opponent does too. So, its kind of slow, but each chapter does deliver real value, and getting those 1/1s at the end is going to feel great. They do enter tapped, which makes this a lot clunkier than it would otherwise be, but I still think this looks pretty nice
Théoden, King of Rohan image 3.5 I would already be in on a three mana ⅔ that gives something double strike when it ETBs, so the fact this triggers for your other humans – which you’ll have a lot of in Red-White – is pretty awesome.
Uruk-hai Berserker image 2.0 These are definitely below-rate stats these days, and if this didn’t do anything else it would be a 1.0, even with a useful creature type. Getting tempted by the Ring is real upside, but it also isn’t so insane that I’m thrilled about the idea of playing this
Lembas image 2.5 This seems pretty solid. Scry 1 + Draw 1 when it ETBs is nice, and it is nice that it is Food – not only because it can gain you life, but because the format has lots of payoffs for Food – as well as things like Historic and Artifacts more generally, which it helps you with. The Scry and the extra draw also works well with decks in the format
Gimli's Fury image 1.5 +3/+2 is a decent boost for two mana, but you do need to be getting trample out of this pretty often for it to be worth it.
Pelargir Survivor image 2.0 Fixing and ramp for spells is alright, though even in a spell-heavy deck it always seems that this spell-specific ramp underperforms. The other ability is even less meaningful for the most part, as it costs a ton of mana and won’t do something meaningful most of the time.
Eastfarthing Farmer image 2.5 A three mana ⅔ that makes a food is probably already playable, so giving +1/+1 to something when this ETBs is nice too, and sometimes it will be more than +1/+1!
Mirrormere Guardian image 2.5 3-mana 4/2s tend to be reasonable, and in this set there are several cards that like it when you have a creature with 4 or more power, and this is one of the earliest ways you can meet that requirement. The ring tempting you when it dies is some very nice additional upside, too
Smite the Deathless image 4.0 As usual, Red has a really good Common removal spell. Two mana for 3 damage at instant speed is always premium, so the fact this can exile the things it kills and shut down indestructibility is just gravy
Dunland Crebain image 3.5 This looks like a nice Common. A three mana 1/1 Flyer that also gives you a 2/2, or alternatively, puts two counters on a creature you already control, is a very nice rate.
Inherited Envelope image 1.5 Manalith doesn’t tend to be very good in Limited. Using up a card just for inefficient fixing and ramp can be rough, though adding “The Ring Tempts You” to the mix probably does enough for this to be fixing you turn to when you’re desperate
Galadhrim Guide image 2.0 Stats aren’t good, but there are enough Scry payoffs for the first copy of this to make the cut pretty often
Pack 2 Pick 3: Barad-dûr
Barad-dûr image 3.0 Even if you only Amass once with this, you’re going to feel pretty good, since it means you got a full card of value out of a land that has also been producing mana for you. That kind of value is pretty real! It will enter tapped a lot, but the upside is worth it
Gríma Wormtongue image 2.5 Shutting off lifegain isn’t that big of a deal in Limited, but the rest of the card seems reasonable. It has passable defensive stats and an ability that can be great if you have sacrifice fodder. One awkward thing about it is that you aren’t usually going to be interested in sacrificing legendary creatures to this effect. Most of the time holding on to your legendary creature will just be better than Amassing 2. So this is a case where you’ll only end up doing it in response to removal and things like that, and that narrows how good this ability can be.
Foray of Orcs image 3.5 At worst, this is a 4-mana 2/2 that does 2 to something. That’s a decent card, and this has the upside of sometimes doing significantly more damage, provided this isn’t the first time you’ve Amassed.
Shelob's Ambush image 2.5 This is a really nice trick. Death touch and the toughness boost for only one mana means many creatures will be capable of taking down an opposing creature and surviving to tell the tale, and that’s likely to give you some pretty awesome tempo since it only costs a single mana. Its great that you also get some Food out of the deal!
Nasty End image 1.5 This type of spell is never amazing, but it does often find a niche. If you have a legendary creature that is worth sacrificing this can feel particularly good, but the problem with this kind of card is always that you don’t always have something worth giving up. Using it in response to removal is often the ideal situation, and that can potentially be quite impressive. However, it still ends up being too situational to be anything special.
Wizard's Rockets image 1.5 If you need fixing, there are worse ways to do it. In total, you end up spending one more mana than you get back, but the fact that they replace themselves helps soften the blow. Still, it doesn’t really feel like this is a card that will make the cut in all of your decks or anything
Orcish Medicine image 1.5 This trick isn’t that likely to help your creature win combat, but it does blank an attack and gain you some life at worst, and the fact it blanks most removal isn’t too bad either. Add Amass to the mix and I think you have a card that makes the cut in your deck sometimes, but for a trick to really be worthwhile it does need to be more useful in combat than this is
The Black Breath image 0.5 A one-sided -1/-1 effect can be good in the right match-up, but I mostly think this needs a sideboard grade. If you’re not able to take down creatures with it consistently it just isn’t going to be worth it, as the Ring tempts you alone just won’t be enough for the cost.
Rush the Room image 1.5 +1/+0 and First Strike can help a creature win a decent number of combats, but not so many that I’m super excited about this as a trick. The extra Goblin/Orc upside is good, and occasionally giving something Haste will make a difference, but this seems pretty weak overall
Generous Ent image 2.5 A 6-mana 5/7 with Reach that gives you a treasure isn’t a terrible late game play. In fact, it is the kind of body that can help you stablize, especially because the Food can gain you life! And if you draw it early and need a land drop, you can always cycle it away
Esquire of the King image 1.5 This ability costing only three mana is pretty sweet, especially if you’ve gone wide enough – and doing that in White certainly seems doable. The bad news is, as a one mana 1/1 it is pretty irrelevant up until the point it can use its ability, and paying 5 for that ability isn’t nearly as appealing.
Second Breakfast image 2.0 Sometimes this kind of trick can generate a 2-for-1, which is obviously great – but with a toughness boost of only one, more often than not at least one of the creatures is going to die. Three mana is a lot to spend on a trick too! It is nice it gives you some food at least.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Fiery Inscription
Book of Mazarbul image 3.5 Paying three and getting Chapter 1 is going to feel pretty underwhelming, but the Book ends up delivering some really nice value over the next two turns. You end up getting way more than three mana’s worth of value, even if you do end up having to wait for it. Eventually your Army becomes more formidable, and Chapter III will do an excellent job of making almost any board a problem for your opponent. It is a little awkward that the Book itself doesn’t really help you go wide, but it does at least add one body to the board. Overall, I think this looks like it is going to end some games in favor of aggro decks
Meriadoc Brandybuck image 3.0 Meriadoc itself is a Halfling so at worst it is a two mana 2/2 that makes a food when it attacks, and that’s a solid card to have around. It gets even better when you’ve got more Halflings and food payoffs, and neither of those seems like a big stretch for Green
Fiery Inscription image 1.0 // 2.5 Obviously, this is a build around. You need a lot of instants or sorceries, because three mana to get tempted by the ring just isn’t enough. If you do end up in a spell deck – which is very possible in Red – and I’m talking like 7+ instants and sorceries, it does became a pretty nice win condition. However, I don’t thinkt he ceiling on it is that high, since it only hits players
Haradrim Spearmaster image 2.0 It is a little sad it can’t buff itself, as that would have made it significantly better, but offering +1/+0 to something every turn does do enough to improve combat for you often enough for this to be fine
Lembas image 2.5 This seems pretty solid. Scry 1 + Draw 1 when it ETBs is nice, and it is nice that it is Food – not only because it can gain you life, but because the format has lots of payoffs for Food – as well as things like Historic and Artifacts more generally, which it helps you with. The Scry and the extra draw also works well with decks in the format
Wizard's Rockets image 1.5 If you need fixing, there are worse ways to do it. In total, you end up spending one more mana than you get back, but the fact that they replace themselves helps soften the blow. Still, it doesn’t really feel like this is a card that will make the cut in all of your decks or anything
Erebor Flamesmith image 2.5 We see this type of spell payoff pretty often, and they are always pretty reasonable, especially when you can get multiples of them. Pinging your opponent can really add up if you’re doing a good job casting instants and sorceries.
Soldier of the Grey Host image 2.0 This has what are well below-rate stats these days, and while the enter the battlefield ability can be useful, it also isn’t anything special. This does have Flash, so sometimes it can work like a combat trick, but a +2/+0 boost isn’t exactly the sort of thing that helps your creature survive combat a large percentage of the time.
Elven Farsight image 2.5 This is a surprisingly powerful draw spell for green. You get to see up to four cards and you should be able to make sure you draw a creature most of the time when you play it. On top of that, Scrying is something you’re going to want to do a lot of when you’re playing Green. It doesn’t effect the board, but this feels like it is going to do such a good job of making your draws smoother and more consistent for so little mana that I’m tempted to go all the way up to a 3
Nimble Hobbit image 2.0 Tapping opposing creatures tends to be pretty good in aggro decks, but paying three for the effect is kind of rough. Giving up a Food is more appealing, but you’re still attacking with a 1/3, and there’s a pretty good chance that even when you tap down an opposing creature with this, your opponent can easily take it down in combat, especially after the early stages of the game.
Galadhrim Bow image 1.5 Thanks to Flash and the fact it attaches for free on ETB this can function as a trick. The bad news is, three mana for +1/+2, reach, and an untap normally isn’t very good. The good news is, that equation changes a bit when the +1/+2 and Reach, as well as an Equipment in general, sticks around.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Shadow Summoning
Mount Doom image 3.5 I’m always a pretty big fan of utility lands, and this one is pretty awesome! Lands that do something other than produce mana gives you back some significant value, plus Just having a land that can produce two colors of mana is nice in Limited, so the fact that this can also ping your opponent and then in the really late game basically give you a one-sided Wrath effect is pretty nice! Unfortunately having a legendary artifact to sacrifice is far from a guarantee, so we can’t really give this full credit for having this powerful effect. But still, it fixes your mana and gives you a way to do some extra damage, and on occasion it will completely bust a game wide open in your favor
Théoden, King of Rohan image 3.5 I would already be in on a three mana ⅔ that gives something double strike when it ETBs, so the fact this triggers for your other humans – which you’ll have a lot of in Red-White – is pretty awesome.
Shadow Summoning image 3.0 This is nothing fancy, but it is a pretty amazing rate. They do enter tapped, which matters – as this will feel pretty miserable when you’re behind. Playing this on turn two will apply some serious pressure on your opponent, though
Second Breakfast image 2.0 Sometimes this kind of trick can generate a 2-for-1, which is obviously great – but with a toughness boost of only one, more often than not at least one of the creatures is going to die. Three mana is a lot to spend on a trick too! It is nice it gives you some food at least.
Revive the Shire image 1.5 This type of effect usually isn’t anything special, as 9 times out of 10 you’d rather just be adding to the board, and the fact that this is almost a blank card in the early game is an issue. Using it to get back a bomb or some other powerful permanent is definitely nice, and the Food makes it a little more attractive, but this seems like the kind of card that just doesn’t make the cut most of the time because it doesn’t usually do enough
Nimble Hobbit image 2.0 Tapping opposing creatures tends to be pretty good in aggro decks, but paying three for the effect is kind of rough. Giving up a Food is more appealing, but you’re still attacking with a 1/3, and there’s a pretty good chance that even when you tap down an opposing creature with this, your opponent can easily take it down in combat, especially after the early stages of the game.
Soldier of the Grey Host image 2.0 This has what are well below-rate stats these days, and while the enter the battlefield ability can be useful, it also isn’t anything special. This does have Flash, so sometimes it can work like a combat trick, but a +2/+0 boost isn’t exactly the sort of thing that helps your creature survive combat a large percentage of the time.
Fire of Orthanc image 1.0 Demolish is almost never worth it in Limited, and tacking on this unblockable angle doesn’t do enough to change that.
Grey Havens Navigator image 2.0 We’ve seen three mana 3/2s with Flash that Scry a lot lately, and they haven’t been that good – but in the other sets there wasn’t a Scry deck like there is in this one. That probably does enough for this to be solid
Shire Scarecrow image 1.5 A two mana 0/3 defender doesn’t tend to be very good, but this does a reasonable job of filtering your mana
Pack 2 Pick 6: Mirkwood Bats
Uglúk of the White Hand image 3.0 Black-Red has lots of creatures with these types, and some sacrifice stuff going on, but I’m still kind of worried that growing this simply won’t be all that easy, and that’s a problem since it starts as a 4-mana 3/3
Arwen's Gift image 2.0 Having two legendary creatures in play is very doable in this set, but you also shouldn’t always expect to be able to cast this for three. At four mana it is definitely a little bit clunky, but at least you can see up to 4 cards – which is a ton in Limited.
Revive the Shire image 1.5 This type of effect usually isn’t anything special, as 9 times out of 10 you’d rather just be adding to the board, and the fact that this is almost a blank card in the early game is an issue. Using it to get back a bomb or some other powerful permanent is definitely nice, and the Food makes it a little more attractive, but this seems like the kind of card that just doesn’t make the cut most of the time because it doesn’t usually do enough
Mirkwood Bats image 3.0 This stat-line is well below rate these days, but this ability has the potential to be fairly strong, especially if you have some Food or Treasure tokens around since they are tokens that you create with built-in sacrifice effects
Olog-hai Crusher image 2.5 This isn’t exactly the Goblin/Orc payoff you’re hoping for, but a 4-mana 4/4 Trampler is fairly formidable, and it will often be capable of blocking
Lembas image 2.5 This seems pretty solid. Scry 1 + Draw 1 when it ETBs is nice, and it is nice that it is Food – not only because it can gain you life, but because the format has lots of payoffs for Food – as well as things like Historic and Artifacts more generally, which it helps you with. The Scry and the extra draw also works well with decks in the format
Morgul-Knife Wound image 0.0 I don’t think this is very good. I know it looks like a really cheap removal spell, but it has some serious problems. It is basically a Black version of the kind of removal spell Blue usually gets that makes a creature into a 0/2 or whatever, and those are always pretty underwhelming. So, let’s go through this card’s problems: The biggest thing is that it it doesn’t entirely remove a creature on its own. That effectively means you’re going down a card, and not taking a full card from your opponent.. Just lowering a creature’s power means that it can still block – perhaps even really effectively since its toughness is unaffected. It can also use all of its abilities. And heck, if it has high enough power it might still be a decent attacker! All of that is bad news. Additionally, giving your opponent an option about whether to pay life or exile the creature is way worse than it looks, because your opponent can always choose whichever option doesn’t really matter for them, and most of the time – neither of them will matter. Basically, even when this does operate as removal it isn’t going to give you a full card of value, and there will be plenty of times where it is far worse than that
East-Mark Cavalier image 1.5 This has passable stats as a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance, but the other upside it has is very underwhelming. There will be some occasions where it lines up nicely since it can trade with a larger Goblin or Orc, but a lot of the time the ability doesn’t matter, and even when your opponent does have a creature with one of those types, they are often already just going to trade with the cavalier.
Galadhrim Bow image 1.5 Thanks to Flash and the fact it attaches for free on ETB this can function as a trick. The bad news is, three mana for +1/+2, reach, and an untap normally isn’t very good. The good news is, that equation changes a bit when the +1/+2 and Reach, as well as an Equipment in general, sticks around.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Errand-Rider of Gondor
Mirror of Galadriel image 2.0 Even in a set with this many legendaries, it is hard to imagine getting the cost on this ability down low enough consistently enough to be super happy with this. I guess if you can get it down to 3 the effect will feel passable, but you really need to go to 2 or less for it to feel like you’re getting a good deal, and the floor on the card is pretty miserable
Book of Mazarbul image 3.5 Paying three and getting Chapter 1 is going to feel pretty underwhelming, but the Book ends up delivering some really nice value over the next two turns. You end up getting way more than three mana’s worth of value, even if you do end up having to wait for it. Eventually your Army becomes more formidable, and Chapter III will do an excellent job of making almost any board a problem for your opponent. It is a little awkward that the Book itself doesn’t really help you go wide, but it does at least add one body to the board. Overall, I think this looks like it is going to end some games in favor of aggro decks
Olog-hai Crusher image 2.5 This isn’t exactly the Goblin/Orc payoff you’re hoping for, but a 4-mana 4/4 Trampler is fairly formidable, and it will often be capable of blocking
Many Partings image 2.5 This offers some quality fixing while also helping you up your deck’s Food count, something that certainly matters in Green
Errand-Rider of Gondor image 2.5 If you don’t control a legendary creature this gives you some decent card selection, and if you do control one, we’re talking about a 2-for-1. Generally that seems like that means if you play this on turn three it is probably just card selection, but by the mid to late game it will usually draw you a card straight up. The stats aren’t great of course, but this definitely does enough to make the cut pretty often.
Eagles of the North image 2.5 The stat-line is ugly, but the ETB ability will often be enough to drastically alter combat. +1/+0 and First Strike together makes a whole lot of your board into effective attackers. Of course, you do need to have a significant board for it to really make a difference, but that’s not the biggest ask by the time you have six mana. The fact it has Plainscycling is really nice, because in the early game this is going to feel really bad in your opening hand, especially when you need to get your hands on some more land drops.
Swarming of Moria image 2.5 A three mana 2/2 that gives you a treasure is decent, as is a three mana spell that puts two counters on something and gives you a Treasure. It is always nice having fixing and ramp in Red, as it doesn’t always have access to it
Mordor Muster image 3.0 Two mana 1/1s that draw you a card are always solid in Limited, and that’s certainly the case here, especially because the format has extra Orc and Army synergy all over the place
Pack 2 Pick 8: Nasty End
Shire Scarecrow image 1.5 A two mana 0/3 defender doesn’t tend to be very good, but this does a reasonable job of filtering your mana
Lembas image 2.5 This seems pretty solid. Scry 1 + Draw 1 when it ETBs is nice, and it is nice that it is Food – not only because it can gain you life, but because the format has lots of payoffs for Food – as well as things like Historic and Artifacts more generally, which it helps you with. The Scry and the extra draw also works well with decks in the format
Nimrodel Watcher image 3.0 This is a nice Common payoff for scrying. There seems to be a critical mass of Scry at lower rarities, so imagining that you can get in with this an unblockable 3/1 a couple of times isn’t a pipe dream. Sometimes it will be a very real win condition.
Gimli's Axe image 2.0 +3/+0 and Menace is enough to make just about anything into a threat, but even in a set with this many legendaries, you aren’t going to be able to always count on that. After all, they only appear at Uncommon or higher, and when this isn’t granting menace it seems pretty bad, especially when you take the casting and equip cost into account.
Nasty End image 1.5 This type of spell is never amazing, but it does often find a niche. If you have a legendary creature that is worth sacrificing this can feel particularly good, but the problem with this kind of card is always that you don’t always have something worth giving up. Using it in response to removal is often the ideal situation, and that can potentially be quite impressive. However, it still ends up being too situational to be anything special.
Glorious Gale image 2.5 This is a strictly better Essence Scatter, and Essence Scatter is always decent in Limited. It is cheap and counters the most common type of spell in your typical game.
Galadhrim Bow image 1.5 Thanks to Flash and the fact it attaches for free on ETB this can function as a trick. The bad news is, three mana for +1/+2, reach, and an untap normally isn’t very good. The good news is, that equation changes a bit when the +1/+2 and Reach, as well as an Equipment in general, sticks around.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Esquire of the King
Merry, Esquire of Rohan image 3.0 This seems like a nice card. Drawing a card with it and giving it First Strike are fairly obtainable things, even if they aren’t necessarily always going to happen, and a 2/2 Haste as the baseline isn’t bad
You Cannot Pass! image 1.5 It is a little sad that they chose this card to represent such an epic moment, because it is mediocre at best. Even in a set with lots of legendaries, this sort of removal spell tends to just be too narrow, even at one mana! This set has lots of legendaries, and making your creature into a ring-bearer also makes it legendary, but you still can’t always count on having one around, and even when you do, setting up an advantageous situation where this actually does something can be a challenge.
Mushroom Watchdogs image 3.0 This is a pretty solid food payoff. The Watchdogs can quickly become a problem, and the fact that they gain Vigilance can really help out in a race. I’m giving this a 3.
Rush the Room image 1.5 +1/+0 and First Strike can help a creature win a decent number of combats, but not so many that I’m super excited about this as a trick. The extra Goblin/Orc upside is good, and occasionally giving something Haste will make a difference, but this seems pretty weak overall
Shire Terrace image 2.5 This can’t grab you a land for no mana the way Evolving Wilds can, but the fact it can tap for mana in the mean time makes up for that.
Esquire of the King image 1.5 This ability costing only three mana is pretty sweet, especially if you’ve gone wide enough – and doing that in White certainly seems doable. The bad news is, as a one mana 1/1 it is pretty irrelevant up until the point it can use its ability, and paying 5 for that ability isn’t nearly as appealing.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Théoden, King of Rohan
Théoden, King of Rohan image 3.5 I would already be in on a three mana ⅔ that gives something double strike when it ETBs, so the fact this triggers for your other humans – which you’ll have a lot of in Red-White – is pretty awesome.
Lembas image 2.5 This seems pretty solid. Scry 1 + Draw 1 when it ETBs is nice, and it is nice that it is Food – not only because it can gain you life, but because the format has lots of payoffs for Food – as well as things like Historic and Artifacts more generally, which it helps you with. The Scry and the extra draw also works well with decks in the format
Gimli's Fury image 1.5 +3/+2 is a decent boost for two mana, but you do need to be getting trample out of this pretty often for it to be worth it.
Mirrormere Guardian image 2.5 3-mana 4/2s tend to be reasonable, and in this set there are several cards that like it when you have a creature with 4 or more power, and this is one of the earliest ways you can meet that requirement. The ring tempting you when it dies is some very nice additional upside, too
Inherited Envelope image 1.5 Manalith doesn’t tend to be very good in Limited. Using up a card just for inefficient fixing and ramp can be rough, though adding “The Ring Tempts You” to the mix probably does enough for this to be fixing you turn to when you’re desperate
Pack 2 Pick 11: Orcish Medicine
Nasty End image 1.5 This type of spell is never amazing, but it does often find a niche. If you have a legendary creature that is worth sacrificing this can feel particularly good, but the problem with this kind of card is always that you don’t always have something worth giving up. Using it in response to removal is often the ideal situation, and that can potentially be quite impressive. However, it still ends up being too situational to be anything special.
Orcish Medicine image 1.5 This trick isn’t that likely to help your creature win combat, but it does blank an attack and gain you some life at worst, and the fact it blanks most removal isn’t too bad either. Add Amass to the mix and I think you have a card that makes the cut in your deck sometimes, but for a trick to really be worthwhile it does need to be more useful in combat than this is
Rush the Room image 1.5 +1/+0 and First Strike can help a creature win a decent number of combats, but not so many that I’m super excited about this as a trick. The extra Goblin/Orc upside is good, and occasionally giving something Haste will make a difference, but this seems pretty weak overall
Esquire of the King image 1.5 This ability costing only three mana is pretty sweet, especially if you’ve gone wide enough – and doing that in White certainly seems doable. The bad news is, as a one mana 1/1 it is pretty irrelevant up until the point it can use its ability, and paying 5 for that ability isn’t nearly as appealing.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Soldier of the Grey Host
Haradrim Spearmaster image 2.0 It is a little sad it can’t buff itself, as that would have made it significantly better, but offering +1/+0 to something every turn does do enough to improve combat for you often enough for this to be fine
Soldier of the Grey Host image 2.0 This has what are well below-rate stats these days, and while the enter the battlefield ability can be useful, it also isn’t anything special. This does have Flash, so sometimes it can work like a combat trick, but a +2/+0 boost isn’t exactly the sort of thing that helps your creature survive combat a large percentage of the time.
Galadhrim Bow image 1.5 Thanks to Flash and the fact it attaches for free on ETB this can function as a trick. The bad news is, three mana for +1/+2, reach, and an untap normally isn’t very good. The good news is, that equation changes a bit when the +1/+2 and Reach, as well as an Equipment in general, sticks around.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Second Breakfast
Second Breakfast image 2.0 Sometimes this kind of trick can generate a 2-for-1, which is obviously great – but with a toughness boost of only one, more often than not at least one of the creatures is going to die. Three mana is a lot to spend on a trick too! It is nice it gives you some food at least.
Soldier of the Grey Host image 2.0 This has what are well below-rate stats these days, and while the enter the battlefield ability can be useful, it also isn’t anything special. This does have Flash, so sometimes it can work like a combat trick, but a +2/+0 boost isn’t exactly the sort of thing that helps your creature survive combat a large percentage of the time.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Olog-hai Crusher
Olog-hai Crusher image 2.5 This isn’t exactly the Goblin/Orc payoff you’re hoping for, but a 4-mana 4/4 Trampler is fairly formidable, and it will often be capable of blocking
Pack 3 Pick 1: Protector of Gondor
Shelob, Child of Ungoliant image 4.5 This is a way above-rate creature that gives you food with upside every time one of your opponents creatures gets killed by it – and they are going to get killed, because Shelob has death touch and is absolutely massive. If you have other Spiders around things get sillier, but even on its own Shelob is a massive problem that your opponent has to deal with immediately
Book of Mazarbul image 3.5 Paying three and getting Chapter 1 is going to feel pretty underwhelming, but the Book ends up delivering some really nice value over the next two turns. You end up getting way more than three mana’s worth of value, even if you do end up having to wait for it. Eventually your Army becomes more formidable, and Chapter III will do an excellent job of making almost any board a problem for your opponent. It is a little awkward that the Book itself doesn’t really help you go wide, but it does at least add one body to the board. Overall, I think this looks like it is going to end some games in favor of aggro decks
Samwise the Stouthearted image 3.5 This might look completely insane at first, but we’ve seen these sort of reanimator effects before and they are usually worse than they look. There is only a very narrow window in which you can reanimate something with this, and even with Flash you’re going to find yourself with no target for the effect pretty often. That said, even if Samwise doesn’t reanimate something, the ring tempting you is definitely worth some value! The times where this is a 2-for-1 it will seem nuts, but even the fail case is fairly reasonable.
Gift of Strands image 2.5 When used as a combat trick, this can be pretty devastating. The stats boost is enough to make almost any creature win combat, and it of course sticks around in the form of an Aura. Four mana is kind of a lot, but if you can kill something with it when it comes down, you’re going to feel good about it, and it also means you won’t go behind on cards. Scry 2 is a nice bonus as well. All that said, it is still highly situational and very dangerous in situations where your opponent has mana up, so I don’t think it will be that great. You will have narrow windows to effectively use this, and that’s a problem
Claim the Precious image 3.5 This is Murder, except it gets downgraded to a Sorcery and you get tempted by the ring in exchange. Either way, this is definitely premium removal as it can deal with almost anything efficiently while giving you a bonus effect. It does cost double black, and that does actually matter on premium removal, because the ones that only have one colored symbol are easily splashable, and that won’t be the case here
Oliphaunt image 2.0 A 6-mana 6/4 with Trample isn’t very good, but offering +2/+0 and Trample to something else when it attacks can result in some pretty potent attacks. Adding Mountcycling for only one mana to the mix is a big deal though, as it means you can use this to help you hit a land drop early, and if you get it later in the game it can come down and impact the board
Generous Ent image 2.5 A 6-mana 5/7 with Reach that gives you a treasure isn’t a terrible late game play. In fact, it is the kind of body that can help you stablize, especially because the Food can gain you life! And if you draw it early and need a land drop, you can always cycle it away
Galadhrim Bow image 1.5 Thanks to Flash and the fact it attaches for free on ETB this can function as a trick. The bad news is, three mana for +1/+2, reach, and an untap normally isn’t very good. The good news is, that equation changes a bit when the +1/+2 and Reach, as well as an Equipment in general, sticks around.
Cast into the Fire image 0.5 This has two modes that aren’t useful often enough, and while the fact that you can choose between them helps offset how narrow each effect is, we’re still looking at a card that won’t do anything meaningful far too often. This feels like sideboard material.
Olog-hai Crusher image 2.5 This isn’t exactly the Goblin/Orc payoff you’re hoping for, but a 4-mana 4/4 Trampler is fairly formidable, and it will often be capable of blocking
Protector of Gondor image 2.5 We see versions of this card a lot, and its always fine. It is pretty much exactly what you expect to get from a 4-mana Common – 4/4 of stats spread across two bodies.
Arwen's Gift image 2.0 Having two legendary creatures in play is very doable in this set, but you also shouldn’t always expect to be able to cast this for three. At four mana it is definitely a little bit clunky, but at least you can see up to 4 cards – which is a ton in Limited.
Hobbit's Sting image 3.0 White has a decent amount of food and lots of cards that help it go wide, so this will often have no problem doing at leas three damage. There are of course the awkward times where your board isn’t where it needs to be to take full advantage, and that probably prevents this from being premium removal.
Quarrel's End image 1.5 This is an interesting take on the obligatory Tormenting Voice effect. It costs one more, but you also get to add something to the board, and I think that’s pretty nice. Still, it is the kind of card that gets cut a lot as it doesn’t actually do that much
Pack 3 Pick 2: Uruk-hai Berserker
Goldberry, River-Daughter image 2.5 If you have some counters around, she can be a pretty cool value engine. Moving counters to her is nice, especially if you can get a +1/+1 counter from one of your Armies or something – but her ability to move her counters from herself to other stuff while drawing you cards is what really intrigues me. Unfortunately, you end up having to have the right board state and the time to use both of these activated abilities before she really starts delivering, and that seems like a pretty big ask. Maybe the coolest thing you can do with her is remove lore counters from Sagas, so that you can keep triggering their effects. So, she has a passable baseline, and if you have enough counters you’ll probably play her. But even in those situations she won’t be amazing that often because she’s so slow.
Peregrin Took image 4.0 There are many ways to make tokens in this set, and lots of Food and Food payoffs, so Peregrin’s ability to give you more Food and cash in that food for cards is pretty impressive. The stats are underwhelming to be sure, but this is a very real value engine
Stew the Coneys image 3.5 This is a great removal spell. Sure, you need to have a big enough Green creature, but that’s never a huge ask. Even without the Food this would be a very nice Uncommon.
Birthday Escape image 2.5 This seems like a nice deal for only a single Blue mana. Most of the time getting two effects for one mana ends up being pretty nice, and I think that’s the case here.
Rohirrim Lancer image 2.0 A one mana 1/1 with Menace can get in for a few swings in the early game, and in the later game you can give this up to get tempted by the ring
Haradrim Spearmaster image 2.0 It is a little sad it can’t buff itself, as that would have made it significantly better, but offering +1/+0 to something every turn does do enough to improve combat for you often enough for this to be fine
Banish from Edoras image 2.0 This is passable removal, but certainly not premium. 5 mana is a lot to exile a creature at sorcery speed, and even though it gets a discount on a tapped creature, cards that can only kill tapped creatures at Sorcery speed are kind of rough, because it usually means your opponent got to hit you with the thing that you want to remove. It is still removal, and answers pretty much all creatures, but its so clunky it isn’t the kind of removal you’re going to prioritize.
Westfold Rider image 2.0 This has passable base stats and an ability that will actually do something sometimes. It is nice to be able to have a Disenchant in your main deck without having to pay much of a cost.
Errand-Rider of Gondor image 2.5 If you don’t control a legendary creature this gives you some decent card selection, and if you do control one, we’re talking about a 2-for-1. Generally that seems like that means if you play this on turn three it is probably just card selection, but by the mid to late game it will usually draw you a card straight up. The stats aren’t great of course, but this definitely does enough to make the cut pretty often.
Galadhrim Bow image 1.5 Thanks to Flash and the fact it attaches for free on ETB this can function as a trick. The bad news is, three mana for +1/+2, reach, and an untap normally isn’t very good. The good news is, that equation changes a bit when the +1/+2 and Reach, as well as an Equipment in general, sticks around.
Cast into the Fire image 0.5 This has two modes that aren’t useful often enough, and while the fact that you can choose between them helps offset how narrow each effect is, we’re still looking at a card that won’t do anything meaningful far too often. This feels like sideboard material.
Morgul-Knife Wound image 0.0 I don’t think this is very good. I know it looks like a really cheap removal spell, but it has some serious problems. It is basically a Black version of the kind of removal spell Blue usually gets that makes a creature into a 0/2 or whatever, and those are always pretty underwhelming. So, let’s go through this card’s problems: The biggest thing is that it it doesn’t entirely remove a creature on its own. That effectively means you’re going down a card, and not taking a full card from your opponent.. Just lowering a creature’s power means that it can still block – perhaps even really effectively since its toughness is unaffected. It can also use all of its abilities. And heck, if it has high enough power it might still be a decent attacker! All of that is bad news. Additionally, giving your opponent an option about whether to pay life or exile the creature is way worse than it looks, because your opponent can always choose whichever option doesn’t really matter for them, and most of the time – neither of them will matter. Basically, even when this does operate as removal it isn’t going to give you a full card of value, and there will be plenty of times where it is far worse than that
Uruk-hai Berserker image 2.0 These are definitely below-rate stats these days, and if this didn’t do anything else it would be a 1.0, even with a useful creature type. Getting tempted by the Ring is real upside, but it also isn’t so insane that I’m thrilled about the idea of playing this
Pack 3 Pick 3: Claim the Precious
Grond, the Gatebreaker image 2.0 If your deck can’t make an Army, this doesn’t look especially good. Crew 3 is higher than you might think, and the payoff – while certainly a large creature, isn’t exactly amazing. Even if you do have an Army, the absolute ceiling of this card is a 4-mana 5/5 Trampler – and that’s certainly efficient, but you have to keep in mind the times where you won’t be able to crew it and you don’t have an army. And, trust me, those times will come.
Gorbag of Minas Morgul image 3.0 This has decent base stats and a useful creature type, and the ability isn’t bad either. You aren’t always going to be in a spot to sacrifice a goblin or an orc for one of these effects, but there are definitely times where you’d be happy to turn a creature into a card or a Treasure
Shadow Summoning image 3.0 This is nothing fancy, but it is a pretty amazing rate. They do enter tapped, which matters – as this will feel pretty miserable when you’re behind. Playing this on turn two will apply some serious pressure on your opponent, though
Hithlain Knots image 2.0 This does a bunch of little stuff that will play reasonably well in multiple decks in the format. Whether you’re interesting in drawing extra cards, casting spells, or Scrying, this has you covered!
Generous Ent image 2.5 A 6-mana 5/7 with Reach that gives you a treasure isn’t a terrible late game play. In fact, it is the kind of body that can help you stablize, especially because the Food can gain you life! And if you draw it early and need a land drop, you can always cycle it away
Claim the Precious image 3.5 This is Murder, except it gets downgraded to a Sorcery and you get tempted by the ring in exchange. Either way, this is definitely premium removal as it can deal with almost anything efficiently while giving you a bonus effect. It does cost double black, and that does actually matter on premium removal, because the ones that only have one colored symbol are easily splashable, and that won’t be the case here
Inherited Envelope image 1.5 Manalith doesn’t tend to be very good in Limited. Using up a card just for inefficient fixing and ramp can be rough, though adding “The Ring Tempts You” to the mix probably does enough for this to be fixing you turn to when you’re desperate
Galadhrim Guide image 2.0 Stats aren’t good, but there are enough Scry payoffs for the first copy of this to make the cut pretty often
Cast into the Fire image 0.5 This has two modes that aren’t useful often enough, and while the fact that you can choose between them helps offset how narrow each effect is, we’re still looking at a card that won’t do anything meaningful far too often. This feels like sideboard material.
Dúnedain Blade image 2.5 If you are paying three to equip this, it is basically unplayable. If you’re paying one to equip it enough of the time, it becomes a solid playable. There are certainly enough Humans in White, as well as some equipment synergies in the set.
Took Reaper image 2.0 This has mediocre stats that would make it a 1.0 at best these days. Getting tempted by the ring is nice upside, and does mean you’ll come out ahead in most trades, but it also isn’t the type of upside to get that excited over.
Easterling Vanguard image 2.0 You get three 3/2 worth of stats for two mana here. And sure, you don’t get it all at the same time, but this still looks like a solid two drop.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Lembas
Shadow of the Enemy image 1.5 This can potentially give you a whole bunch of cards back. However, it is also a fairly expensive Sorcery that will usually not do anything the turn you cast it, and that seems like a pretty big liability. It has a really high ceiling, and a miserable floor.
Mirror of Galadriel image 2.0 Even in a set with this many legendaries, it is hard to imagine getting the cost on this ability down low enough consistently enough to be super happy with this. I guess if you can get it down to 3 the effect will feel passable, but you really need to go to 2 or less for it to feel like you’re getting a good deal, and the floor on the card is pretty miserable
Horses of the Bruinen image 1.0 You usually go down a card when you cast this without taking any cards away from your opponent. You might get some tempo, provided you bounce things that are expensive enough, but that is far from guaranteed. This can bounce Armies, which might feel pretty good when the Army is particularly large, but overall this doesn’t feel like it can consistently give you what it needs to when you’re spending 5 mana and using up a card.
Now for Wrath, Now for Ruin! image 1.0 // 3.0 This is a nice payoff for going wide. Vigilance is a great addition to the counters, because it makes it a lot easier for you to play offense and defense with your newly buffed board. The Ring Tempting you will usually also mean you get to upgrade one of your creatures too. This probably needs a build around grade. Because if you aren’t a deck playing tons of creatures and cards that make multiple bodies, you probably don’t play this most of the time, and if you are a deck that’s good at that, you probably always want the first copy of this.
Arwen's Gift image 2.0 Having two legendary creatures in play is very doable in this set, but you also shouldn’t always expect to be able to cast this for three. At four mana it is definitely a little bit clunky, but at least you can see up to 4 cards – which is a ton in Limited.
Inherited Envelope image 1.5 Manalith doesn’t tend to be very good in Limited. Using up a card just for inefficient fixing and ramp can be rough, though adding “The Ring Tempts You” to the mix probably does enough for this to be fixing you turn to when you’re desperate
Breaking of the Fellowship image 1.5 We have seen cards like this before, and they are always surprisingly difficult to set up correctly. First your opponent needs to have two creatures, second one has to be able to kill the other. That sounds simple enough, but the stat-lines don’t always line up correctly. The fact this is a Sorcery makes it even harder to make it work. Basically, this is a removal spell that asks too much to be very good. Especially because you don’t have that much control over what its asking for
The Black Breath image 0.5 A one-sided -1/-1 effect can be good in the right match-up, but I mostly think this needs a sideboard grade. If you’re not able to take down creatures with it consistently it just isn’t going to be worth it, as the Ring tempts you alone just won’t be enough for the cost.
Lórien Revealed image 2.0 5 mana to draw 3 at sorcery speed is often a little too clunky to be something every deck wants, but the fact this can island cycle earlier in the game helps make up for that a fairly significant amount. When you do have the time to cast this, the card advantage it can give you is pretty sweet too. The only problem is sometimes tapping out and not adding to the board can mean you’re going to die
Lembas image 2.5 This seems pretty solid. Scry 1 + Draw 1 when it ETBs is nice, and it is nice that it is Food – not only because it can gain you life, but because the format has lots of payoffs for Food – as well as things like Historic and Artifacts more generally, which it helps you with. The Scry and the extra draw also works well with decks in the format
Chance-Met Elves image 3.0 This looks like another quality Scry payoff. Starting as a 3/2 obviously isn’t very good, but there’s definitely a critical mass of Scry in the set, so this will do a good job of accumulating counters throughout the game.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Mirkwood Bats
Meriadoc Brandybuck image 3.0 Meriadoc itself is a Halfling so at worst it is a two mana 2/2 that makes a food when it attacks, and that’s a solid card to have around. It gets even better when you’ve got more Halflings and food payoffs, and neither of those seems like a big stretch for Green
Morgul-Knife Wound image 0.0 I don’t think this is very good. I know it looks like a really cheap removal spell, but it has some serious problems. It is basically a Black version of the kind of removal spell Blue usually gets that makes a creature into a 0/2 or whatever, and those are always pretty underwhelming. So, let’s go through this card’s problems: The biggest thing is that it it doesn’t entirely remove a creature on its own. That effectively means you’re going down a card, and not taking a full card from your opponent.. Just lowering a creature’s power means that it can still block – perhaps even really effectively since its toughness is unaffected. It can also use all of its abilities. And heck, if it has high enough power it might still be a decent attacker! All of that is bad news. Additionally, giving your opponent an option about whether to pay life or exile the creature is way worse than it looks, because your opponent can always choose whichever option doesn’t really matter for them, and most of the time – neither of them will matter. Basically, even when this does operate as removal it isn’t going to give you a full card of value, and there will be plenty of times where it is far worse than that
Bombadil's Song image 2.5 The stats boost here isn’t great, and that means there are a more narrow number of creatures who can win a previously unwinnable combat with the help of Bombadil’s Song. It makes up for that some by also being capable of blanking removal spells and tempting you with the ring, so in the end I think you get a reasonable return on your investment
Nimble Hobbit image 2.0 Tapping opposing creatures tends to be pretty good in aggro decks, but paying three for the effect is kind of rough. Giving up a Food is more appealing, but you’re still attacking with a 1/3, and there’s a pretty good chance that even when you tap down an opposing creature with this, your opponent can easily take it down in combat, especially after the early stages of the game.
Warbeast of Gorgoroth image 2.0 On its own, this is a 5-mana 5/4 that Amasses 2 when it dies. That’s not bad, but not really anything to write home about either. Obviously, it does get better the more 4 power or more creatures you have, and it makes any trades you make with those creatures into a pretty decent deal, but its still expensive and has mediocre stats
Mirkwood Bats image 3.0 This stat-line is well below rate these days, but this ability has the potential to be fairly strong, especially if you have some Food or Treasure tokens around since they are tokens that you create with built-in sacrifice effects
Soldier of the Grey Host image 2.0 This has what are well below-rate stats these days, and while the enter the battlefield ability can be useful, it also isn’t anything special. This does have Flash, so sometimes it can work like a combat trick, but a +2/+0 boost isn’t exactly the sort of thing that helps your creature survive combat a large percentage of the time.
Bewitching Leechcraft image 3.0 Obviously, this doesn’t work super well against Armies, since they will have counters to remove that allows this to untap, and there are other +1/+1 counters in the set too. However, I do think this will effectively lock down most creatures in the set, and it isn’t like if they have +1/+1 counters this goes away entirely anyway, because they have to keep removing counters from it to untap it. Obviously you want to use it on things that don’t have those counters at all, I’m just saying that even in the worst case it can be a problem for your opponent. I think this actually gets pretty close to being premium removal because it is so cheap, but even ignoring the whole +1/+1 counter part of the card, this doesn’t ever fully deal with a creature.
Swarming of Moria image 2.5 A three mana 2/2 that gives you a treasure is decent, as is a three mana spell that puts two counters on something and gives you a Treasure. It is always nice having fixing and ramp in Red, as it doesn’t always have access to it
Birthday Escape image 2.5 This seems like a nice deal for only a single Blue mana. Most of the time getting two effects for one mana ends up being pretty nice, and I think that’s the case here.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Stalwarts of Osgiliath
Meriadoc Brandybuck image 3.0 Meriadoc itself is a Halfling so at worst it is a two mana 2/2 that makes a food when it attacks, and that’s a solid card to have around. It gets even better when you’ve got more Halflings and food payoffs, and neither of those seems like a big stretch for Green
Wizard's Rockets image 1.5 If you need fixing, there are worse ways to do it. In total, you end up spending one more mana than you get back, but the fact that they replace themselves helps soften the blow. Still, it doesn’t really feel like this is a card that will make the cut in all of your decks or anything
Stalwarts of Osgiliath image 2.5 This starts out with bad stats, but it does have the ability to grow reasonably well. The fact the Ring tempts you could actually help you get the Stalwarts going too, since one of the Ring’s bonuses is that your creature loots when it attacks, which will mean the Stalwarts get a counter.
Bombadil's Song image 2.5 The stats boost here isn’t great, and that means there are a more narrow number of creatures who can win a previously unwinnable combat with the help of Bombadil’s Song. It makes up for that some by also being capable of blanking removal spells and tempting you with the ring, so in the end I think you get a reasonable return on your investment
Westfold Rider image 2.0 This has passable base stats and an ability that will actually do something sometimes. It is nice to be able to have a Disenchant in your main deck without having to pay much of a cost.
Morgul-Knife Wound image 0.0 I don’t think this is very good. I know it looks like a really cheap removal spell, but it has some serious problems. It is basically a Black version of the kind of removal spell Blue usually gets that makes a creature into a 0/2 or whatever, and those are always pretty underwhelming. So, let’s go through this card’s problems: The biggest thing is that it it doesn’t entirely remove a creature on its own. That effectively means you’re going down a card, and not taking a full card from your opponent.. Just lowering a creature’s power means that it can still block – perhaps even really effectively since its toughness is unaffected. It can also use all of its abilities. And heck, if it has high enough power it might still be a decent attacker! All of that is bad news. Additionally, giving your opponent an option about whether to pay life or exile the creature is way worse than it looks, because your opponent can always choose whichever option doesn’t really matter for them, and most of the time – neither of them will matter. Basically, even when this does operate as removal it isn’t going to give you a full card of value, and there will be plenty of times where it is far worse than that
Shire Scarecrow image 1.5 A two mana 0/3 defender doesn’t tend to be very good, but this does a reasonable job of filtering your mana
Nimrodel Watcher image 3.0 This is a nice Common payoff for scrying. There seems to be a critical mass of Scry at lower rarities, so imagining that you can get in with this an unblockable 3/1 a couple of times isn’t a pipe dream. Sometimes it will be a very real win condition.
Enraged Huorn image 2.0 A 5-mana 4/5 Trample is probably a 1.5 these days, but the ring tempting you does mean that at the very least, you can give the Huorn some extra abilities – or do the same for some other creature
Pack 3 Pick 7: Sam's Desperate Rescue
Shire Scarecrow image 1.5 A two mana 0/3 defender doesn’t tend to be very good, but this does a reasonable job of filtering your mana
Galadhrim Bow image 1.5 Thanks to Flash and the fact it attaches for free on ETB this can function as a trick. The bad news is, three mana for +1/+2, reach, and an untap normally isn’t very good. The good news is, that equation changes a bit when the +1/+2 and Reach, as well as an Equipment in general, sticks around.
Treason of Isengard image 2.0 A three mana 2/2 that puts a spell on top of your library is an okay card. This is an effect players often overrate, as they imagine getting back a really great spell – and when you can do that it is pretty good. However, the fact you have to wait to draw that card really makes it significantly worse
Shelob's Ambush image 2.5 This is a really nice trick. Death touch and the toughness boost for only one mana means many creatures will be capable of taking down an opposing creature and surviving to tell the tale, and that’s likely to give you some pretty awesome tempo since it only costs a single mana. Its great that you also get some Food out of the deal!
Gimli's Axe image 2.0 +3/+0 and Menace is enough to make just about anything into a threat, but even in a set with this many legendaries, you aren’t going to be able to always count on that. After all, they only appear at Uncommon or higher, and when this isn’t granting menace it seems pretty bad, especially when you take the casting and equip cost into account.
Sam's Desperate Rescue image 2.0 One mana to return a creature from your graveyard to your hand is a passable card, though I’d usually pay three mana to get two things back, as that gives you a more significant advantage by the later stages of the game. That said, paying one will often mean you can play the thing you get back right away, and getting tempted by the ring even makes this have a decent fail case if you don’t have something in your graveyard
Dreadful as the Storm image 1.0 Lately, we’ve finally been seeing cards with this type of effect actually be playable, but that’s because they have drawn a card. Once that’s the case, a boost like this can be a 2-for-1 and that’s a big deal! The Ring tempting you isn’t nearly as good as drawing a card, so I don’t think this does enough. The problem with this type of boost is that you end up overpaying for it on most creatures – like a 3/3 that gets +2/+2 from this is not a good deal. Sure, on 1/1s it feels better, but that makes this overly situational
Enraged Huorn image 2.0 A 5-mana 4/5 Trample is probably a 1.5 these days, but the ring tempting you does mean that at the very least, you can give the Huorn some extra abilities – or do the same for some other creature
Pack 3 Pick 8: Haunt of the Dead Marshes
Glorious Gale image 2.5 This is a strictly better Essence Scatter, and Essence Scatter is always decent in Limited. It is cheap and counters the most common type of spell in your typical game.
Haunt of the Dead Marshes image 2.0 Having a legendary creature isn’t a guarantee in this format, but it is easier than normal because of both the Ring Tempts You and a large number of legendary creatures in general. I like that you get to Scry 1 every time too!
Westfold Rider image 2.0 This has passable base stats and an ability that will actually do something sometimes. It is nice to be able to have a Disenchant in your main deck without having to pay much of a cost.
Rohirrim Lancer image 2.0 A one mana 1/1 with Menace can get in for a few swings in the early game, and in the later game you can give this up to get tempted by the ring
Deceive the Messenger image 2.0 Instants that temporary lower power usually aren’t very good, since they aren’t usually enough to help your creature win in combat or anything, instead they just feel like they delay the inevitable. However, Adding Amass to the mix does matter. If you think of this as a one mana 1/1 that gives a creature -3/-0 until end of turn, that sounds a lot better. It won’t always be that, but if it isn’t well, then it will put a counter on your Army, and that does increase the chances of this feeling more like a combat trick.
Lothlórien Lookout image 1.5 This card’s pretty awkward, because 1/3 doesn’t exactly scream “Attack with me!” While Scrying is definitely important for Green decks in the format, there are lots of better ways to do it, so I don’t think this will usually make the cut unless you’re desperate for the synergy or two drops
The Black Breath image 0.5 A one-sided -1/-1 effect can be good in the right match-up, but I mostly think this needs a sideboard grade. If you’re not able to take down creatures with it consistently it just isn’t going to be worth it, as the Ring tempts you alone just won’t be enough for the cost.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Arwen's Gift
Oliphaunt image 2.0 A 6-mana 6/4 with Trample isn’t very good, but offering +2/+0 and Trample to something else when it attacks can result in some pretty potent attacks. Adding Mountcycling for only one mana to the mix is a big deal though, as it means you can use this to help you hit a land drop early, and if you get it later in the game it can come down and impact the board
Generous Ent image 2.5 A 6-mana 5/7 with Reach that gives you a treasure isn’t a terrible late game play. In fact, it is the kind of body that can help you stablize, especially because the Food can gain you life! And if you draw it early and need a land drop, you can always cycle it away
Galadhrim Bow image 1.5 Thanks to Flash and the fact it attaches for free on ETB this can function as a trick. The bad news is, three mana for +1/+2, reach, and an untap normally isn’t very good. The good news is, that equation changes a bit when the +1/+2 and Reach, as well as an Equipment in general, sticks around.
Cast into the Fire image 0.5 This has two modes that aren’t useful often enough, and while the fact that you can choose between them helps offset how narrow each effect is, we’re still looking at a card that won’t do anything meaningful far too often. This feels like sideboard material.
Olog-hai Crusher image 2.5 This isn’t exactly the Goblin/Orc payoff you’re hoping for, but a 4-mana 4/4 Trampler is fairly formidable, and it will often be capable of blocking
Arwen's Gift image 2.0 Having two legendary creatures in play is very doable in this set, but you also shouldn’t always expect to be able to cast this for three. At four mana it is definitely a little bit clunky, but at least you can see up to 4 cards – which is a ton in Limited.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Westfold Rider
Haradrim Spearmaster image 2.0 It is a little sad it can’t buff itself, as that would have made it significantly better, but offering +1/+0 to something every turn does do enough to improve combat for you often enough for this to be fine
Westfold Rider image 2.0 This has passable base stats and an ability that will actually do something sometimes. It is nice to be able to have a Disenchant in your main deck without having to pay much of a cost.
Galadhrim Bow image 1.5 Thanks to Flash and the fact it attaches for free on ETB this can function as a trick. The bad news is, three mana for +1/+2, reach, and an untap normally isn’t very good. The good news is, that equation changes a bit when the +1/+2 and Reach, as well as an Equipment in general, sticks around.
Cast into the Fire image 0.5 This has two modes that aren’t useful often enough, and while the fact that you can choose between them helps offset how narrow each effect is, we’re still looking at a card that won’t do anything meaningful far too often. This feels like sideboard material.
Morgul-Knife Wound image 0.0 I don’t think this is very good. I know it looks like a really cheap removal spell, but it has some serious problems. It is basically a Black version of the kind of removal spell Blue usually gets that makes a creature into a 0/2 or whatever, and those are always pretty underwhelming. So, let’s go through this card’s problems: The biggest thing is that it it doesn’t entirely remove a creature on its own. That effectively means you’re going down a card, and not taking a full card from your opponent.. Just lowering a creature’s power means that it can still block – perhaps even really effectively since its toughness is unaffected. It can also use all of its abilities. And heck, if it has high enough power it might still be a decent attacker! All of that is bad news. Additionally, giving your opponent an option about whether to pay life or exile the creature is way worse than it looks, because your opponent can always choose whichever option doesn’t really matter for them, and most of the time – neither of them will matter. Basically, even when this does operate as removal it isn’t going to give you a full card of value, and there will be plenty of times where it is far worse than that
Pack 3 Pick 11: Inherited Envelope
Hithlain Knots image 2.0 This does a bunch of little stuff that will play reasonably well in multiple decks in the format. Whether you’re interesting in drawing extra cards, casting spells, or Scrying, this has you covered!
Inherited Envelope image 1.5 Manalith doesn’t tend to be very good in Limited. Using up a card just for inefficient fixing and ramp can be rough, though adding “The Ring Tempts You” to the mix probably does enough for this to be fixing you turn to when you’re desperate
Galadhrim Guide image 2.0 Stats aren’t good, but there are enough Scry payoffs for the first copy of this to make the cut pretty often
Cast into the Fire image 0.5 This has two modes that aren’t useful often enough, and while the fact that you can choose between them helps offset how narrow each effect is, we’re still looking at a card that won’t do anything meaningful far too often. This feels like sideboard material.
Pack 3 Pick 12: The Black Breath
Inherited Envelope image 1.5 Manalith doesn’t tend to be very good in Limited. Using up a card just for inefficient fixing and ramp can be rough, though adding “The Ring Tempts You” to the mix probably does enough for this to be fixing you turn to when you’re desperate
Breaking of the Fellowship image 1.5 We have seen cards like this before, and they are always surprisingly difficult to set up correctly. First your opponent needs to have two creatures, second one has to be able to kill the other. That sounds simple enough, but the stat-lines don’t always line up correctly. The fact this is a Sorcery makes it even harder to make it work. Basically, this is a removal spell that asks too much to be very good. Especially because you don’t have that much control over what its asking for
The Black Breath image 0.5 A one-sided -1/-1 effect can be good in the right match-up, but I mostly think this needs a sideboard grade. If you’re not able to take down creatures with it consistently it just isn’t going to be worth it, as the Ring tempts you alone just won’t be enough for the cost.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Morgul-Knife Wound
Morgul-Knife Wound image 0.0 I don’t think this is very good. I know it looks like a really cheap removal spell, but it has some serious problems. It is basically a Black version of the kind of removal spell Blue usually gets that makes a creature into a 0/2 or whatever, and those are always pretty underwhelming. So, let’s go through this card’s problems: The biggest thing is that it it doesn’t entirely remove a creature on its own. That effectively means you’re going down a card, and not taking a full card from your opponent.. Just lowering a creature’s power means that it can still block – perhaps even really effectively since its toughness is unaffected. It can also use all of its abilities. And heck, if it has high enough power it might still be a decent attacker! All of that is bad news. Additionally, giving your opponent an option about whether to pay life or exile the creature is way worse than it looks, because your opponent can always choose whichever option doesn’t really matter for them, and most of the time – neither of them will matter. Basically, even when this does operate as removal it isn’t going to give you a full card of value, and there will be plenty of times where it is far worse than that
Nimble Hobbit image 2.0 Tapping opposing creatures tends to be pretty good in aggro decks, but paying three for the effect is kind of rough. Giving up a Food is more appealing, but you’re still attacking with a 1/3, and there’s a pretty good chance that even when you tap down an opposing creature with this, your opponent can easily take it down in combat, especially after the early stages of the game.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Wizard's Rockets
Wizard's Rockets image 1.5 If you need fixing, there are worse ways to do it. In total, you end up spending one more mana than you get back, but the fact that they replace themselves helps soften the blow. Still, it doesn’t really feel like this is a card that will make the cut in all of your decks or anything
Draft Pick Overview