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Premier Draft WOE 30 September 2023

30 September 04:51 - Carrane 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (17)
1 Faunsbane Troll image
1 Stormkeld Vanguard image
1 Ferocious Werefox image
1 Mintstrosity image
1 Realm-Scorcher Hellkite image
1 Decadent Dragon image
1 Ruby, Daring Tracker image
1 Boundary Lands Ranger image
3 Callous Sell-Sword image
1 Gruff Triplets image
1 Rootrider Faun image
1 Redcap Thief image
1 Heartflame Duelist image
1 Grabby Giant image
1 Cruel Somnophage image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (6)
1 Welcome to Sweettooth image
1 Virtue of Persistence image
1 Torch the Tower image
1 Stonesplitter Bolt image
1 Taken by Nightmares image
1 Shatter the Oath image
Land (17)
5 Swamp image
6 Mountain image
6 Forest image
Sideboard
1 Ferocious Werefox image
1 Charmed Clothier image
1 Voracious Vermin image
1 Embereth Veteran image
1 Merry Bards image
1 Warehouse Tabby image
1 Troublemaker Ouphe image
1 Edgewall Pack image
1 Splashy Spellcaster image
2 Witch's Mark image
1 Vampiric Rites image
1 Rat Out image
1 Ground Seal image
1 Gnawing Crescendo image
1 Soul-Guide Lantern image
1 The Irencrag image
1 Spider Food image
1 Leaping Ambush image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Faunsbane Troll
Intangible Virtue image 0.0 // 3.0 There are enough tokens in this set for this to be good in some decks. Rat tokens are probably the most plentiful, and if you’re pairing White with Black or Red, you’re likely to have some of those – in addition to Knight tokens, Bird Tokens, and Human tokens
Faunsbane Troll image 4.5 It is effectively a 4-mana 5/5 with Trample, something that will give your opponent pause on most boards, and it comes with the ability to shed the Role that is attached to it to fight something. As a 4/4, the Troll is likely to be able to take something down on most board states. If you wait to play it on 5, it will often feel like a 5-mana 4/4 that just kills something, and that’s quite strong. If you can get some more auras on the Troll – something that is very doable in this format – it can even do it more than once, at which point it will feel truly absurd
Obyra, Dreaming Duelist image 4.0 A two mana 2/2 with Flash and Flying always makes the cut, so the fact that this will also chip in and make your opponent lose life while you play out other Faeries is nice, especially because so many Faeries are evasive that chipping in for one damage here and there makes it a lot easier for them to do lethal
Frolicking Familiar image 4.0 You’ll often be able to pick off something small with the Adventure, and that means you’re talking about a potential 2-for-1. Then you get a 2/2 Flyer that can become a real problem of an attacker, especially when you leave your mana up, because your opponent has no idea exactly how big the Familiar is going to be
Redtooth Vanguard image 3.5 This 3/1 trampler is going to be able to come back from the graveyard a ton in this format, and while you won’t always have the mana to make it happen, bringing this back constantly does represent a major problem for your opponent, whether you’re behind or ahead. If you’re ahead it can attack for free in some decks, and when you’re behind it can block and trade forever. The fact it doesn’t enter tapped like some recursive creatures is a pretty big deal too
Vantress Transmuter image 3.0 This doesn’t quite give you two cards, but I think it gets close enough, even with Croaking Curse being Sorcery speed. It lets you downgrade a creature and up your ability to attack, and then you get a decent creature on a future turn
Grand Ball Guest image 2.0 A vanilla two mana 2/2 is probably a 1.0 these days, and while I think triggering celebration is doable, it isn’t going to happen so much that this will be a 3/3 with trample every turn or anything
Charmed Clothier image 2.5 A 5-mana 3/3 flyer is not a good rate. Getting a role token does make a difference, and a card like this also triggers Celebration, so it does some nice stuff for a couple different decks in the format.
Sugar Rush image 1.5 This replaces itself, but the buff is highly unlikely to be that useful in combat. Sure, it probably lets you kill something, but most of the time whatever you cast this on will die two. Drawing the card does keep you from getting 2-for-1’d, but it doesn’t really make up for the tempo you lose. It does get a little better with Rat tokens, but I’d still steer clear of it most of the time
Armory Mice image 2.0 A two mana 3/1 is usually acceptable, and this will be a 3/3 some percentage of the time. I’m giving this a 2.
Slumbering Keepguard image 2.0 It is kind of nice that this is a one-drop that can threaten to get significantly larger late, as that means it maintains some relevance all game long. The incidental Scry you get doesn’t hurt either
Curse of the Werefox image 3.0 It effectively gives +1/+1 to the thing you fight with, and a stats boost always makes fighting a little more appealing. Now, it does have some significant downsides. Namely, that if your opponent has any way to interact in response you probably get wrecked – whether it’s a removal spell or a combat trick on their creature – and that means you get yourself 2-for-1’d. So you have to pick your spots with this, especially because it’s a Sorcery
Moment of Valor image 1.5 Neither of these modes is very good on its own, and probably wouldn’t be a card that made the cut. This is just too expensive for this narrow of effects. But, stapling two narrow effects on to a single card does make a huge difference, and that modality is enough for this to make the cut in your deck sometimes
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
Pack 1 Pick 2: Welcome to Sweettooth
Stab Wound image 3.0 This has been a nice Limited card every time we’ve seen it. It feels good to outright kill something with it, but it feels even better to put it on a creature that doesn’t die because the Aura usually does enough to make that creature irrelevant while it also starts quickly pressuring your opponent’s life
Picnic Ruiner image 3.5 When it has a big enough friend around, it is going to be an intimidating attacker on any board – and that alone is enough for the Ruiner to be relevant almost all game long. This is a case where I think you probably do play this as a two drop when you have it on turn two, because while the Adventure is a nice bit of value to have, making sure you get it isn’t that important. Obviously, like a lot of these, it is fun how it synergizes with itself, as Stolen Goodies is likely to make one of your creatures have 4 or more power so that the Ruiner can do its thing. Basically, if you draw this later you’ll probably cast both halves, but if you have it early, you’re probably just playing it as a creature. Both of those options feel pretty good, though
Welcome to Sweettooth image 3.5 This looks really good to me as it delivers so much value for the cost. You get to add to the board up front, then you get some food, and then you get a very real permanent buff
Solitary Sanctuary image 1.0 // 3.0 Three mana for a stun counter and a +1/+1 counter all on its own would be a card that is pretty close to playable, and the fact this adds a counter to every tap effect definitely makes this intriguing. It probably needs a build around grade though, as your typical White deck probably just won’t be tapping things enough to make this really do its thing.
Cut In image 2.5 A 4-mana deal 4 sorcery isn’t premium removal, and I don’t think adding a Young Hero Role token to the mix gets this there. Still, it can kill a decent number of things and it does add to the board a tiny bit too.
Witch's Mark image 2.0 This is a nice Tormenting Voice variant. Even without the Role token this card is usually in the D+ or C- range, especially in a format with some graveyard stuff and a spell deck, and that’s true in this format. Actually adding to the board while digging deeper into your deck is going to feel pretty nice. You probably don’t desperately want more than one of these, although perhaps if you’re in the spell deck going deeper than that first copy might be worth it
Kellan's Lightblades image 2.5 This kind of removal is never amazing, since it is as restrictive as it is. For example, if you’re trying to be aggressive, something that can only target an attacker of blocker is a lot worse. And that’s definitely true here. The Bargain upside is nice, as it makes it less restrictive. It can only kill attackers or blockers, but at least it can take down those with more than three toughness. Still, this isn’t premium removal, though it does get closer to being that in a slower deck
Into the Fae Court image 1.5 A draw spell that adds to the board sounds attractive. It’s too bad that the thing it adds to the board is so insignificant though, and it makes me think this is probably a little bit too clunky to be something that always makes the cut in your Blue decks
Aquatic Alchemist image 1.5 Unfortunately, putting an instant or sorcery on top of your library from your graveyard isn’t a great effect all on its own. In fact, it’s card disadvantage. You go down a card and don’t get one back. This makes up for that some by also giving you a creature, I’m not really blown away by it either. We’ve seen cards with this same instant or sorcery trigger do pretty well, but most of the time they don’t have a restriction on how many times they can get buffed in a turn. Basically, both sides of this are fairly weak and not very impactful
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 This is pretty solid every time we see it. It’s not going to be as good here as it would be an artifact-heavy set, but it replaces itself and does an okay job of fixing your mana
Conceited Witch image 3.0 A 3 mana ⅔ with Menace is passable, and you can augment one of your creatures with this on an earlier turn – or the same turn, if you have happen to have four mana. It just seems like plenty of value to get out of a single card, and it even seems reasonably efficient
Warehouse Tabby image 1.5 Take away the Enchantment part of this card and it’s…pretty bad. A one mana 1/1 with death touch is usually pretty solid, as it can trade for anything. This has the capacity to do that, but because you have to have mana up to do it and because you spend extra mana to make it do it, it is way worse than a one mana 1/1 that always has death touch. The fact it cranks out a few 1/1s is nice, but even in this format I don’t imagine this just giving you 1/1 after 1/1.
Beanstalk Wurm image 2.0 Extra land effects rarely play well in Limited, especially when not accompanied by a way to draw cards, so the adventure here is often not going to be good. If you have it on turn two and have nothing else to do, it might help you ramp a bit. Even then it isn’t guaranteed though, as a missed land drop makes that advantage disintegrates and by the later stages of the game it is increasingly meaningless, and if you don’t have the extra land to begin with it’s always meaningless. The other side is a passable creature, but I think the overall package here is underwhelming
Pack 1 Pick 3: Stormkeld Vanguard
Knightly Valor image 3.0 I’ve liked this Aura every time we’ve seen it. This is because it adds a body to the board in addition to offering a significant buff. Because of that body, this Aura helps get around the inherent downside they have, as it becomes much harder for you to get 2-for-1’d when the Aura gives you a token. It also triggers Celebration
Stormkeld Vanguard image 4.0 Speaking of main deck ways to destroy artifacts and enchantments….this card looks great. It’s very easy to hit something with Bear Down, and in the case of this card even hitting a token of some kind is acceptable, because you don’t use up an entire card to do it, since later in the game you get an efficient creature that is hard to block. This will generate 2-for-1s a decent chunk of the time too
The Princess Takes Flight image 2.0 Temporarily exiling something with Chapter 1 can be used to get an opposing creature out of the way for a bit, and it can also be a slow way to blink something, but the fact that Chapter 1 and 3 are basically part of the same effect makes the value this can generate pretty low. Chapter 2 isn’t bad, but I think the whole package here seems pretty medium. I think the best way to use this is to cast something with Bargain after Chapter II, that way you permanently rid yourself of an opposing creature. While you can certainly make that happen, when it doesn’t line up that way, it seems very mediocre
Tanglespan Lookout image 3.5 An Enchantress effect is looking pretty good in this format, even on a card that specifically cares about Auras. One of the big mechanics in the set just makes Aura tokens, so the Lookout is going ot be able to drw you a card pretty often. It’s also nice that it is a ⅔, as I feel like often times we’d get a 2/2 with this text box. That 3rd toughness makes a pretty huge difference in making the card’s baseline a lot less miserable
Voracious Vermin image 2.0 Three mana for a 2/1 and a 1/1 isn’t bad, and this will definitely be growing, especially in Black/Red where you throw rats at your opponent a lot of the time. Just blocking those rats will make the Vermin grow.
Skybeast Tracker image 1.5 A 4-mana 2/4 with Reach is not very good these days, though you could do worse if you need something defensive. This will make some food sometimes, which certainly has its uses in the format
Archon's Glory image 2.0 One mana for +2/+2 generally makes for a decent trick that will allow a creature to win combat fairly often – and at a very low cost, and the added bargain upside here will come up sometimes. It sort of gives it a mode where you can send a creature into the air to do lethal.
Gingerbrute image 2.5 He’s back! He wasn’t too bad as a beater last time around, and that will be pretty true here too with all of the Role tokens. Putting one on him and going to town with him is definitely going to be a way to close out a game
Barrow Naughty image 2.0 A two mana 1/3 with lifelink is a solid card, and that’s what this well be a decent chunk of the time, especially in Blue-Black. The buff effect is expensive and really only the kind of thing you use when you have nothing else to do
Ice Out image 2.0 This is Cancel when you don’t Bargain it, and Counterspell when you do. 1 mana may not seem like much, but the chasm between those two cards is massive. The fact this has double blue in the cost really matters too, as Limited mana bases aren’t good enough for you to consistently be able to leave up two Blue mana for this.
Sugar Rush image 1.5 This replaces itself, but the buff is highly unlikely to be that useful in combat. Sure, it probably lets you kill something, but most of the time whatever you cast this on will die two. Drawing the card does keep you from getting 2-for-1’d, but it doesn’t really make up for the tempo you lose. It does get a little better with Rat tokens, but I’d still steer clear of it most of the time
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 This is pretty solid every time we see it. It’s not going to be as good here as it would be an artifact-heavy set, but it replaces itself and does an okay job of fixing your mana
Pack 1 Pick 4: Ferocious Werefox
Vampiric Rites image 3.0 This is a pretty nice sacrifice outlet, and Black in this format has access to many rat tokens that will feel particularly good to sacrifice to this
Dream Spoilers image 1.0 4-mana 2/2 flyer do not fair well in Limited. This is mostly because there are multiple one mana spells in each set that can deal with them, so paying FOUR often results in a huge tempo hit. The ability here is nice, especially if you can cast multiple spells, but triggering it is far from automatic and even when you do sometimes it won’t do anything. I don’t think this makes the cut very often
Picklock Prankster image 3.0 There is a chance you miss with Free the Fae. You have a pretty good chance of not missing, especially in Blue/Red and Blue/Black, but this isn’t the kind of effect that will only miss on rare occasions. I think expecting it to wiff entirely a third of the time is reasonable. When you can get a card out of it it’s going to feel pretty good, especially because you also get a reasonable flyer. A creature with these two keywords goes great with the various Role tokens in the set too.
Conceited Witch image 3.0 A 3 mana ⅔ with Menace is passable, and you can augment one of your creatures with this on an earlier turn – or the same turn, if you have happen to have four mana. It just seems like plenty of value to get out of a single card, and it even seems reasonably efficient
Johann's Stopgap image 2.5 4 mana to bounce something and draw a card is usually playable. It lets you break even on cards while setting your opponent back a little. With bargain in the mix, this moves up another notch – probably to the point where the first copy is something you feel decent about having in all of your Blue decks
Hamlet Glutton image 3.0 I always love a big ol’ green creature that gains me life when it ETBs, because it allows slower decks to stabilize. If this always cost 7 it would be overcosted, but because Bargaining this looks so doable, it will often cost 5 and you won’t have to give up much to make it happen. Red-Green and Blue-Green will both always want at least one copy of this
Archon's Glory image 2.0 One mana for +2/+2 generally makes for a decent trick that will allow a creature to win combat fairly often – and at a very low cost, and the added bargain upside here will come up sometimes. It sort of gives it a mode where you can send a creature into the air to do lethal.
Savior of the Sleeping image 2.5 As we’ve seen there are a decent number of ways to get enchantments in the graveyard, so it isn’t that unreasonable to think getting a counter or two on this is doable
Sugar Rush image 1.5 This replaces itself, but the buff is highly unlikely to be that useful in combat. Sure, it probably lets you kill something, but most of the time whatever you cast this on will die two. Drawing the card does keep you from getting 2-for-1’d, but it doesn’t really make up for the tempo you lose. It does get a little better with Rat tokens, but I’d still steer clear of it most of the time
Edgewall Pack image 3.0 A 4-mana 3/3 menace that makes a 1/1 that can’t block is pretty decent. Worth noting that it triggers card swith Celebration on its own, and there are definitely some curve outs where you play a two drop and a three drop with Celebration, where then playing the Pack would make for a pretty spicy turn 4.
Ferocious Werefox image 3.5 Buffing a creature at instant speed earlier and getting a reasonable 4-drop later means this delivers some serious value for a Common
Pack 1 Pick 5: Ruby, Daring Tracker
Ruby, Daring Tracker image 3.5 It can ramp your mana quite effectively, and that makes it more likely that you can get a creature with power 4 or great into play quickly, at which point Ruby herself becomes a significantly better attacker. There will also be times in the mid to late game when you draw her and can already trigger her ability, in which case she becomes a two mana ¾ with Haste, which is going to feel pretty good
Tuinvale Guide image 2.5 This is mediocre without Celebration, and pretty nice when it is a 3/3 flying lifelinker. Triggering celebration is something you can do, but not so often that this will be anything special
Ice Out image 2.0 This is Cancel when you don’t Bargain it, and Counterspell when you do. 1 mana may not seem like much, but the chasm between those two cards is massive. The fact this has double blue in the cost really matters too, as Limited mana bases aren’t good enough for you to consistently be able to leave up two Blue mana for this.
Not Dead After All image 1.5 This is an interesting take on this type of effect since the creature gets to return with a buff. Unfortunately, when we see this effect completely absent of an upfront power boost, it hasn’t really played super well. It does work well against removal, but not working that well in combat is a an issue.
Snaremaster Sprite image 3.0 Three mana for a 1/1 flyer that stuns something is probably already a playable card – especially in a format with a Faerie deck and some payoffs for tapping things, so the fact that you also have the option of just playing this on turn one makes this a nice Common
Rat Out image 2.0 The Rat not being able to block here is obviously a big deal, but if you can pick off an X/1 with this while adding something to your board that’s not…too bad. The problem is a 1/1 that can’t block isn’t exactly the most significant thing to add to your board. In fact, it’s pretty close to the least significant thing you can add
Water Wings image 2.0 This looks like a solid trick. It gives a big enough buff that it will make your creature win most combats, and the hexproof part means it also works well against removal. Flying also gives it a third mode, where sometimes you can send a creature into the air to do lethal
Unruly Catapult image 1.0 // 3.0 This isn’t quite as impressive as Thermo-Alchemist, but it’s doing a decent impression. This will likely be a premiere payoff in the Blue/Red spells deck, and kind of unplayable everywhere else. It can inflict a ton of extra damage when you have lots of cheap spells, and an 0/4 body is decently stout.
Warehouse Tabby image 1.5 Take away the Enchantment part of this card and it’s…pretty bad. A one mana 1/1 with death touch is usually pretty solid, as it can trade for anything. This has the capacity to do that, but because you have to have mana up to do it and because you spend extra mana to make it do it, it is way worse than a one mana 1/1 that always has death touch. The fact it cranks out a few 1/1s is nice, but even in this format I don’t imagine this just giving you 1/1 after 1/1.
Return from the Wilds image 2.0 A three mana 1/1 that rampant growths is a solid enough card, and ramping does look fairly viable in this format. This can also give you food when you reach the part of the game where more lands doesn’t do you any good
Pack 1 Pick 6: Mintstrosity
Ground Seal image 0.0 There’s not enough of a reason to hate on the graveyard in this format
Ego Drain image 0.0 This card is awful when you don’t control a Faerie. When you do, it offers some powerful disruption, but it gets a lot less powerful when you aren’t able to use it on turn one. Even a Faerie deck will find itself without Faeries in play in the early game, and this card’s value certainly diminishes when you can’t cast it during that time.
Beluna's Gatekeeper image 2.5 A restricted Sorcery speed bounce effect isn’t amazing, but you’ll usually have something you can bounce with this early. Usually, a bounce effect is card disadvantage, but because you get a big vanilla creature out of this later, that isn’t really the case. While it doesn’t quite deliver the two cards of value that make some adventures really strong, this does do a whole lot for a single card
Toadstool Admirer image 0.0 This doesn’t seem very good to me. A one mana 1/1 with Ward 2 just…doesn’t matter, and even though this can eventually put counters on itself, it only does so in the extreme late game, and it will take it way too long for it to ever be relevant
Mintstrosity image 2.0 Two mana 3/1s tend to be solid for aggro decks, and getting a Food when this goes down is nice upside to have
Frostbridge Guard image 1.5 This has somewhat passable stats, and it has an ability that is useful, albeit expensive. Tapping things does bring some extra value in this format, but three for the effect is kind of brutal. I miss the days of Master Decoy
Water Wings image 2.0 This looks like a solid trick. It gives a big enough buff that it will make your creature win most combats, and the hexproof part means it also works well against removal. Flying also gives it a third mode, where sometimes you can send a creature into the air to do lethal
Ice Out image 2.0 This is Cancel when you don’t Bargain it, and Counterspell when you do. 1 mana may not seem like much, but the chasm between those two cards is massive. The fact this has double blue in the cost really matters too, as Limited mana bases aren’t good enough for you to consistently be able to leave up two Blue mana for this.
Verdant Outrider image 2.0 A three mana 4/2 usually has the big problem of dying to 2 power creatures, but obviously enough, Verdant Outrider can get around that. You won’t always have the time or mana to use that ability of course, but it definitely does enough for this to be solid filler
Pack 1 Pick 7: Ferocious Werefox
Garruk's Uprising image 2.5 The Red/Green and Blue/Green decks in this format can probably make decent use of this. One of the nice things about it is that it rewards you some for already having big things in play and then rewards you as well when you play them afterward, that means most of the time it will do something
Monstrous Rage image 2.5 We’ve seen one mana for +3/+1 and trample before, and it usually makes for a nice trick. It’s just so cheap and makes combat so much more devastating. And in this case the +1/+1 trample part stick around! A toughness boost of only one won’t always help your creature survive, but I think the Trample and Role upside make up for that. This looks like a trick you’ll probably want as many of as you can get your hands on in an aggressive red deck
Eriette's Whisper image 1.5 4 mana to Mind Rot isn’t great, even if you do get a Role out of the deal. Spending this much and adding minimally to the board is just something you want to do in most formats.
Moment of Valor image 1.5 Neither of these modes is very good on its own, and probably wouldn’t be a card that made the cut. This is just too expensive for this narrow of effects. But, stapling two narrow effects on to a single card does make a huge difference, and that modality is enough for this to make the cut in your deck sometimes
Ferocious Werefox image 3.5 Buffing a creature at instant speed earlier and getting a reasonable 4-drop later means this delivers some serious value for a Common
Witch's Mark image 2.0 This is a nice Tormenting Voice variant. Even without the Role token this card is usually in the D+ or C- range, especially in a format with some graveyard stuff and a spell deck, and that’s true in this format. Actually adding to the board while digging deeper into your deck is going to feel pretty nice. You probably don’t desperately want more than one of these, although perhaps if you’re in the spell deck going deeper than that first copy might be worth it
Territorial Witchstalker image 1.5 A two mana 2/3 with defender isn’t great, but in a defensive deck it isn’t unplayable, but the ceiling on this card just isn’t very high, and neither is the floor.
Cut In image 2.5 A 4-mana deal 4 sorcery isn’t premium removal, and I don’t think adding a Young Hero Role token to the mix gets this there. Still, it can kill a decent number of things and it does add to the board a tiny bit too.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Boundary Lands Ranger
Boundary Lands Ranger image 2.5 This has solid base stats, and if you can get it to rummage every turn it will feel pretty impressive. A two mana 2/2 that just gave you the option of rummaging every combat would be nice. That’s some pretty great card selection that can really turn a game around for you. Obviously, this doesn’t quite get there, but it seems fine
Solitary Sanctuary image 1.0 // 3.0 Three mana for a stun counter and a +1/+1 counter all on its own would be a card that is pretty close to playable, and the fact this adds a counter to every tap effect definitely makes this intriguing. It probably needs a build around grade though, as your typical White deck probably just won’t be tapping things enough to make this really do its thing.
Grabby Giant image 2.0 This offers you some decent ramp early, and a mediocre body with an expensive activated ability late. Notably, he can ramp into himself, if you cast the adventure and then him and a 4/3 with Reach on turn three isn’t too bad.
Bespoke Battlegarb image 0.0 This doesn’t look good. Two mana to play and two to equip for +2/+0 just…isn’t where you want to be. The Celebration trigger on it will let you equip it for free, but even when that’s the case I’m not especially interested
Stingblade Assassin image 1.5 This ETB ability almost always underperforms. It’s just hard to consistently find a way to do damage to a creature without using up some resource you didn’t really want to use up. It might be interesting with Rat tokens, because your opponent is going to be willing to block those a lot with their 2/2s or whatever, but this probably doesn’t end up being able to destroy something often enough for this to be very good
Break the Spell image 2.0 This is probably going to be something that can stay in your main deck. There are many Enchantments in this set, including the Role tokens. Destroying those normally wouldn’t be that good, but because this draws you a card when you hit one, the effect is much better. The times where you hit a legitimate Enchantment are going to feel nice too. There are plenty of expendable enchantments around and sometimes you’ll just target one of yours for value too.
Slumbering Keepguard image 2.0 It is kind of nice that this is a one-drop that can threaten to get significantly larger late, as that means it maintains some relevance all game long. The incidental Scry you get doesn’t hurt either
Pack 1 Pick 9: Charmed Clothier
Intangible Virtue image 0.0 // 3.0 There are enough tokens in this set for this to be good in some decks. Rat tokens are probably the most plentiful, and if you’re pairing White with Black or Red, you’re likely to have some of those – in addition to Knight tokens, Bird Tokens, and Human tokens
Charmed Clothier image 2.5 A 5-mana 3/3 flyer is not a good rate. Getting a role token does make a difference, and a card like this also triggers Celebration, so it does some nice stuff for a couple different decks in the format.
Sugar Rush image 1.5 This replaces itself, but the buff is highly unlikely to be that useful in combat. Sure, it probably lets you kill something, but most of the time whatever you cast this on will die two. Drawing the card does keep you from getting 2-for-1’d, but it doesn’t really make up for the tempo you lose. It does get a little better with Rat tokens, but I’d still steer clear of it most of the time
Armory Mice image 2.0 A two mana 3/1 is usually acceptable, and this will be a 3/3 some percentage of the time. I’m giving this a 2.
Slumbering Keepguard image 2.0 It is kind of nice that this is a one-drop that can threaten to get significantly larger late, as that means it maintains some relevance all game long. The incidental Scry you get doesn’t hurt either
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
Pack 1 Pick 10: Witch's Mark
Solitary Sanctuary image 1.0 // 3.0 Three mana for a stun counter and a +1/+1 counter all on its own would be a card that is pretty close to playable, and the fact this adds a counter to every tap effect definitely makes this intriguing. It probably needs a build around grade though, as your typical White deck probably just won’t be tapping things enough to make this really do its thing.
Witch's Mark image 2.0 This is a nice Tormenting Voice variant. Even without the Role token this card is usually in the D+ or C- range, especially in a format with some graveyard stuff and a spell deck, and that’s true in this format. Actually adding to the board while digging deeper into your deck is going to feel pretty nice. You probably don’t desperately want more than one of these, although perhaps if you’re in the spell deck going deeper than that first copy might be worth it
Into the Fae Court image 1.5 A draw spell that adds to the board sounds attractive. It’s too bad that the thing it adds to the board is so insignificant though, and it makes me think this is probably a little bit too clunky to be something that always makes the cut in your Blue decks
Aquatic Alchemist image 1.5 Unfortunately, putting an instant or sorcery on top of your library from your graveyard isn’t a great effect all on its own. In fact, it’s card disadvantage. You go down a card and don’t get one back. This makes up for that some by also giving you a creature, I’m not really blown away by it either. We’ve seen cards with this same instant or sorcery trigger do pretty well, but most of the time they don’t have a restriction on how many times they can get buffed in a turn. Basically, both sides of this are fairly weak and not very impactful
Warehouse Tabby image 1.5 Take away the Enchantment part of this card and it’s…pretty bad. A one mana 1/1 with death touch is usually pretty solid, as it can trade for anything. This has the capacity to do that, but because you have to have mana up to do it and because you spend extra mana to make it do it, it is way worse than a one mana 1/1 that always has death touch. The fact it cranks out a few 1/1s is nice, but even in this format I don’t imagine this just giving you 1/1 after 1/1.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Voracious Vermin
Voracious Vermin image 2.0 Three mana for a 2/1 and a 1/1 isn’t bad, and this will definitely be growing, especially in Black/Red where you throw rats at your opponent a lot of the time. Just blocking those rats will make the Vermin grow.
Archon's Glory image 2.0 One mana for +2/+2 generally makes for a decent trick that will allow a creature to win combat fairly often – and at a very low cost, and the added bargain upside here will come up sometimes. It sort of gives it a mode where you can send a creature into the air to do lethal.
Gingerbrute image 2.5 He’s back! He wasn’t too bad as a beater last time around, and that will be pretty true here too with all of the Role tokens. Putting one on him and going to town with him is definitely going to be a way to close out a game
Sugar Rush image 1.5 This replaces itself, but the buff is highly unlikely to be that useful in combat. Sure, it probably lets you kill something, but most of the time whatever you cast this on will die two. Drawing the card does keep you from getting 2-for-1’d, but it doesn’t really make up for the tempo you lose. It does get a little better with Rat tokens, but I’d still steer clear of it most of the time
Pack 1 Pick 12: Vampiric Rites
Vampiric Rites image 3.0 This is a pretty nice sacrifice outlet, and Black in this format has access to many rat tokens that will feel particularly good to sacrifice to this
Dream Spoilers image 1.0 4-mana 2/2 flyer do not fair well in Limited. This is mostly because there are multiple one mana spells in each set that can deal with them, so paying FOUR often results in a huge tempo hit. The ability here is nice, especially if you can cast multiple spells, but triggering it is far from automatic and even when you do sometimes it won’t do anything. I don’t think this makes the cut very often
Sugar Rush image 1.5 This replaces itself, but the buff is highly unlikely to be that useful in combat. Sure, it probably lets you kill something, but most of the time whatever you cast this on will die two. Drawing the card does keep you from getting 2-for-1’d, but it doesn’t really make up for the tempo you lose. It does get a little better with Rat tokens, but I’d still steer clear of it most of the time
Pack 1 Pick 13: Rat Out
Not Dead After All image 1.5 This is an interesting take on this type of effect since the creature gets to return with a buff. Unfortunately, when we see this effect completely absent of an upfront power boost, it hasn’t really played super well. It does work well against removal, but not working that well in combat is a an issue.
Rat Out image 2.0 The Rat not being able to block here is obviously a big deal, but if you can pick off an X/1 with this while adding something to your board that’s not…too bad. The problem is a 1/1 that can’t block isn’t exactly the most significant thing to add to your board. In fact, it’s pretty close to the least significant thing you can add
Pack 1 Pick 14: Ground Seal
Ground Seal image 0.0 There’s not enough of a reason to hate on the graveyard in this format
Pack 2 Pick 1: Realm-Scorcher Hellkite
Hardened Scales image 0.0 Not enough +1/+1 counters in this format
Realm-Scorcher Hellkite image 5.0 A 6-mana 4/6 with Flying and Haste is already pretty impressive, and this activated ability is really strong and a great place to sink your mana. It can pick off creatures or finish off your opponent quite impressively, and because of Bargain, you have the option of giving up something to get four mana right away that you can use to do 1 damage twice the turn it comes down! Most of the time, that’s going to be a deal worth taking, especially if you have some Treasure or Food lying around. This thing will basically always give you an immediate impact that is powerful and then if it sticks around the game is well and truly over for your opponent
Stroke of Midnight image 3.0 We’ve seen cards like this a lot, and this kind of effect is generally worse than it looks in Limited. Destroying anything for three is nice and all, but in a lot of ways, you can look at this as an Aura that makes a nonland permanent into a 1/1 with no abilities. When you look at it that way, it is much less impressive. Sure, that’s almost always going to downgrade something, and it doesn’t make this card bad, but it also isn’t premium removal for that reason
Tanglespan Lookout image 3.5 An Enchantress effect is looking pretty good in this format, even on a card that specifically cares about Auras. One of the big mechanics in the set just makes Aura tokens, so the Lookout is going ot be able to drw you a card pretty often. It’s also nice that it is a ⅔, as I feel like often times we’d get a 2/2 with this text box. That 3rd toughness makes a pretty huge difference in making the card’s baseline a lot less miserable
Woodland Acolyte image 3.5 I would always play a three mana 2/2 that draws me a card, and this is a lot better than that. Because of the Adventure, you can really look at it as a potential 4-mana 2/2 that gets you a permanent back from your graveyard – and that is also a card I would probably always play. Even playing this in a deck that can never cast the Adventure sounds really good
Grand Ball Guest image 2.0 A vanilla two mana 2/2 is probably a 1.0 these days, and while I think triggering celebration is doable, it isn’t going to happen so much that this will be a 3/3 with trample every turn or anything
Eriette's Whisper image 1.5 4 mana to Mind Rot isn’t great, even if you do get a Role out of the deal. Spending this much and adding minimally to the board is just something you want to do in most formats.
Beluna's Gatekeeper image 2.5 A restricted Sorcery speed bounce effect isn’t amazing, but you’ll usually have something you can bounce with this early. Usually, a bounce effect is card disadvantage, but because you get a big vanilla creature out of this later, that isn’t really the case. While it doesn’t quite deliver the two cards of value that make some adventures really strong, this does do a whole lot for a single card
Hollow Scavenger image 2.5 There is a lot you can do with Food in this format, so paying one mana and like half a card for it is pretty reasonable. Especially when the creature side of this can take advantage of that food and make itself into a pretty sizable attacker
Hopeless Nightmare image 2.5 One mana to make your opponent discard and lose 2 life is an acceptable rate, and after that point the Nightmare is great fodder for cards with Bargain. It’s definitely a role-player, but something you probably want one of in Black if you have a few cards that Bargain
Plunge into Winter image 1.5 I think you end up with a decent rate when you cast this card, one that means you won’t feel bad about playing it. Tapping doesn’t always matter, but you do always get Scry 1 draw a card, and when tapping does matter – or even better – when you have a tap payoff in play – this gets significantly better.
Stormkeld Prowler image 1.5 Two +1/+1 counters is pretty nice! But a two-mana 2/1…isn’t, and by the time you play your 5-drop and make this a 4/3, it isn’t like it will be unbeatable. There will also be times where you can’t grow until well beyond that turn.
Witch's Mark image 2.0 This is a nice Tormenting Voice variant. Even without the Role token this card is usually in the D+ or C- range, especially in a format with some graveyard stuff and a spell deck, and that’s true in this format. Actually adding to the board while digging deeper into your deck is going to feel pretty nice. You probably don’t desperately want more than one of these, although perhaps if you’re in the spell deck going deeper than that first copy might be worth it
Evolving Wilds image 2.5 As usual, this provides nice fixing. Makes it pretty easy to splash a single card if you have one Evolving Wilds, since it effectively gives you two sources of your splash color
Pack 2 Pick 2: Virtue of Persistence
Aggravated Assault image 0.0 Paying a total of 8 mana for an extra combat step a good way to lose. There will be times where you can use that extra combat step to great effect, but there will be more when you have neither the time nor the mana, nor the board state to actually make this matter
Virtue of Persistence image 5.0 This is amazing. The adventure side is an excellent premium removal spell, and would be a B all on its own. Then, this removal spell turns into a value train in the late game and will definitely win you the game within a few turns
Callous Sell-Sword image 2.5 The Adventure side of this is…not good on it’s own, since it’s would be a 2-for-1. It’s basically a worse version of Bone Splinters, and it isn’t like Bone Splinters is an amazing card. Obviously, it does get better being attached to a two mana 2/2 with upside, and if you did use Burn Together to kill something that turn, it will be a 3/3. I will say that the Sell-Sword side of this is going to be harder than it looks to get counters on. We’ve seen creatures like this before – including some with Flash – and it is surprisingly difficult to manufacture situations where you end up with a sizable creature
Soul-Guide Lantern image 0.5 This can hate on the graveyard quite effectively, and in a pinch it can replace itself. It’s a sideboard card.
Obyra, Dreaming Duelist image 4.0 A two mana 2/2 with Flash and Flying always makes the cut, so the fact that this will also chip in and make your opponent lose life while you play out other Faeries is nice, especially because so many Faeries are evasive that chipping in for one damage here and there makes it a lot easier for them to do lethal
Savior of the Sleeping image 2.5 As we’ve seen there are a decent number of ways to get enchantments in the graveyard, so it isn’t that unreasonable to think getting a counter or two on this is doable
Stockpiling Celebrant image 1.5 This can be used to rebuy ETBs and Adventures, which is cool. But if it’s not doing not doing that? Well, you’re playing an inefficient creature
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
Gnawing Crescendo image 1.0 // 2.5 These effects don’t usually pan out that well in Limited. That said, this format looks like it can go wide in both Black/Red and Red/White, meaning this might have some more uses than usual. It is nice that you get something even if your creatures die, but the 1/1s that can’t block aren’t exactly going to help you on the back swing
Break the Spell image 2.0 This is probably going to be something that can stay in your main deck. There are many Enchantments in this set, including the Role tokens. Destroying those normally wouldn’t be that good, but because this draws you a card when you hit one, the effect is much better. The times where you hit a legitimate Enchantment are going to feel nice too. There are plenty of expendable enchantments around and sometimes you’ll just target one of yours for value too.
Into the Fae Court image 1.5 A draw spell that adds to the board sounds attractive. It’s too bad that the thing it adds to the board is so insignificant though, and it makes me think this is probably a little bit too clunky to be something that always makes the cut in your Blue decks
Sweettooth Witch image 3.0 Giving up food to hurt your opponent can definitely have a place, and even be a win condition, and the base line of the card as a three mana 3/2 that makes a food isn’t a disaster
Verdant Outrider image 2.0 A three mana 4/2 usually has the big problem of dying to 2 power creatures, but obviously enough, Verdant Outrider can get around that. You won’t always have the time or mana to use that ability of course, but it definitely does enough for this to be solid filler
Pack 2 Pick 3: Decadent Dragon
Dragon Mantle image 1.5 Giving a creature firebereathing isn’t particularly useful unless that creature was also pretty good, but this does replace itself, so that makes the floor on it pretty reasonable, especially for a one mana card. It isn’t a bad thing to sacrifice to Bargain either, since it will have already giving you a card
Decadent Dragon image 5.0 A 4-mana 4/4 with Flying and Trample that spits out treasure is already an excellent card. So, the fact you can cast this as an adventure at some point too is great, especially because an instant speed Divination-like effect is itself probably already playable. When you have the time to cast both halves, this is going to generate a 3-for-1 for you.
Frolicking Familiar image 4.0 You’ll often be able to pick off something small with the Adventure, and that means you’re talking about a potential 2-for-1. Then you get a 2/2 Flyer that can become a real problem of an attacker, especially when you leave your mana up, because your opponent has no idea exactly how big the Familiar is going to be
Succumb to the Cold image 1.5 This can be a nice tempo card that you can use to close out your opponent, and that’s especially true in Blue/White, which can get some extra value from the tapping. Still, it is fairly situational – if you can’t use it to finish your opponent off, or you have to use it defensively, it feels pretty bad
Quick Study image 2.0 Instant speed Divination isn’t too shabby, though it doesn’t add to the board and that can always be a problem in Limited.
Stockpiling Celebrant image 1.5 This can be used to rebuy ETBs and Adventures, which is cool. But if it’s not doing not doing that? Well, you’re playing an inefficient creature
Wicked Visitor image 2.0 This has passable base stats and a passable payoff for the Black/White deck, which will be the most adept at putting enchantments in the graveyard
Gnawing Crescendo image 1.0 // 2.5 These effects don’t usually pan out that well in Limited. That said, this format looks like it can go wide in both Black/Red and Red/White, meaning this might have some more uses than usual. It is nice that you get something even if your creatures die, but the 1/1s that can’t block aren’t exactly going to help you on the back swing
Shatter the Oath image 2.5 5 mana Sorcery speed removal isn’t anything special. It’s just too expensive and clunky for that to ever be the case. This can go after two card types and it does upgrade your board a tiny bit, but overall it still seems a little too slow to be anything special
Toadstool Admirer image 0.0 This doesn’t seem very good to me. A one mana 1/1 with Ward 2 just…doesn’t matter, and even though this can eventually put counters on itself, it only does so in the extreme late game, and it will take it way too long for it to ever be relevant
Rat Out image 2.0 The Rat not being able to block here is obviously a big deal, but if you can pick off an X/1 with this while adding something to your board that’s not…too bad. The problem is a 1/1 that can’t block isn’t exactly the most significant thing to add to your board. In fact, it’s pretty close to the least significant thing you can add
Grand Ball Guest image 2.0 A vanilla two mana 2/2 is probably a 1.0 these days, and while I think triggering celebration is doable, it isn’t going to happen so much that this will be a 3/3 with trample every turn or anything
Pack 2 Pick 4: Torch the Tower
Griffin Aerie image 0.0 // 3.0 I think this has potential, at least in some decks. Food isn’t that readily available in White, but if you’re paired with Black or Green, you’re going to have food – and this basically adds “make a 2/2 flying token” to your food getting sacrificed and that’s honestly…kind of insane. There are other ways to gain life in White too of course, but that’s the one that immediately springs to mind when you see a card that has a threshold of 3 life for it to do something. It needs a build around grade, since not all White decks will trigger it enough, but I think this can make a whole lot of tokens in the right deck
Monstrous Rage image 2.5 We’ve seen one mana for +3/+1 and trample before, and it usually makes for a nice trick. It’s just so cheap and makes combat so much more devastating. And in this case the +1/+1 trample part stick around! A toughness boost of only one won’t always help your creature survive, but I think the Trample and Role upside make up for that. This looks like a trick you’ll probably want as many of as you can get your hands on in an aggressive red deck
Syr Armont, the Redeemer image 4.0 It can’t put the Role on itself, but provided you have something else around Syr Armont is a 5-mana 4/4 that gives something else +2/+2 and trample and uh…that’s kind of crazy, and will usually mean that whatever you just put that Role on is suddenly a way more effective attacker than it was before. Sometimes it will turn something that couldn’t attack into an attacker, and I haven’t even mentioned how good this effect is when you have other Roles and Auras around on your board. I think this is an amazing signpost Uncommon
Ratcatcher Trainee image 3.0 A two mana 2/1 with first strike when it attacks is a great aggressive creature in Limited, and this one can make you a couple of 1/1s too. It is a bit odd as far as adventures go, because this is one where you probably cast it fairly often without ever using the Adventure part, where with most of them it makes a lot of sense to try to get the full value. Here, you’re not going to do that as often, but it still has big upside because if you draw it late you can get the tokens and the 2/1 all in a single turn. The Adventure side can also get celebration going all on its own
Torch the Tower image 4.0 This is premium removal. It would be without Bargain. With it it’s even better, as it can become a one mana deal 3. Sure, you do have to give something up, and sometimes that something will have to be real, but this format has a variety of tokens and other expendable things with these types, so Torch the Tower isn’t going to be that hard to get it to do 3 for a very low cost.
Mintstrosity image 2.0 Two mana 3/1s tend to be solid for aggro decks, and getting a Food when this goes down is nice upside to have
Mocking Sprite image 2.5 This has almost reasonable stats, and reducing the costs of spells has some extra weight in this format thanks to Adventures, in addition to the fact that it just plays well in any Blue/Red deck.
Gnawing Crescendo image 1.0 // 2.5 These effects don’t usually pan out that well in Limited. That said, this format looks like it can go wide in both Black/Red and Red/White, meaning this might have some more uses than usual. It is nice that you get something even if your creatures die, but the 1/1s that can’t block aren’t exactly going to help you on the back swing
Archon's Glory image 2.0 One mana for +2/+2 generally makes for a decent trick that will allow a creature to win combat fairly often – and at a very low cost, and the added bargain upside here will come up sometimes. It sort of gives it a mode where you can send a creature into the air to do lethal.
Troublemaker Ouphe image 2.5 This feels like a two drop you want one of in every Green deck, simply because it provides main deck hate against permanent types that are very common in this format. You won’t always have something to get Bargain going, but at least the fail case is a Bear
Merry Bards image 2.0 So you can play this as a 4-mana 3/2 with the Role token, which means it will become a 4/3 the next time it attacks, and then a 5/4. That’s not a bad investment, and the fact you can put the token somewhere else really matters, as you can stick in on something that can get value out of it the turn you play it. Just playing this as a vanilla creature is a lot less appealing, but it isn’t a bad fail case
Pack 2 Pick 5: Stonesplitter Bolt
Compulsion image 1.0 This is pretty bad. Sure, rummaging can be nice, but having to pay mana to do it is a big downside, and even though this can replace itself you have to invest 4 mana to get there.
Soul-Guide Lantern image 0.5 This can hate on the graveyard quite effectively, and in a pinch it can replace itself. It’s a sideboard card.
Stonesplitter Bolt image 4.0 An instant speed X damage spell is pretty sweet. It scales all game long and can kill pretty much anything, provided you have the mana – or the permanent to Bargain
Protective Parents image 2.5 This has passable stats and a decent death trigger.
Freeze in Place image 2.0 While it isn’t quite removal, stunning a creature for three turns will feel like it is sometimes. Scry 2 combines nicely too, because you can use it to find whatever it is you desperately need, now that you bought yourself some time. The Blue/White deck in the format likes tapping things too, so getting some additional value here isn’t impossible.
Feed the Cauldron image 2.0 This will never let you trade up, and that’s one of the best things to do with removal spells. With this, you’ll kill something that cost the same or less. Getting that Food helps, but you don’t even always get it.
Spider Food image 0.5 This format has a lot of targets for this, but there are also two lower rarity ways to Naturalize stuff in this format that are way better in the main deck. So, this is a sideboard card but one you probably won’t use very often
Stormkeld Prowler image 1.5 Two +1/+1 counters is pretty nice! But a two-mana 2/1…isn’t, and by the time you play your 5-drop and make this a 4/3, it isn’t like it will be unbeatable. There will also be times where you can’t grow until well beyond that turn.
Cooped Up image 2.5 Pacifism does not seem at its best in this format. There will be main deck ways to destroy Enchantments for one thing, for another all of the Adventure creatures feel pretty bad when you use up a whole card on them to remove them. It also has the usual downsides of pacifism that are true in every format – like the fact it doesn’t stop static abilities. It isn’t terrible – after all it’s removal, and it can put itself in the graveyard which the Black-White deck especially is interested in. But this feels well below “premium” removal these days.
Beluna's Gatekeeper image 2.5 A restricted Sorcery speed bounce effect isn’t amazing, but you’ll usually have something you can bounce with this early. Usually, a bounce effect is card disadvantage, but because you get a big vanilla creature out of this later, that isn’t really the case. While it doesn’t quite deliver the two cards of value that make some adventures really strong, this does do a whole lot for a single card
Pack 2 Pick 6: Taken by Nightmares
Vampiric Rites image 3.0 This is a pretty nice sacrifice outlet, and Black in this format has access to many rat tokens that will feel particularly good to sacrifice to this
Eerie Interference image 0.0 Fog effects are almost always bad in Limited, even when they become one-sided. The problem is that they have far too narrow of a use-case
Taken by Nightmares image 3.5 Even without the enchantment part, you’d always play it in your black decks. Exiling something for 4 at instant speed is just always going to be good. When you also get this to scry, it will feel amazing
Barrow Naughty image 2.0 A two mana 1/3 with lifelink is a solid card, and that’s what this well be a decent chunk of the time, especially in Blue-Black. The buff effect is expensive and really only the kind of thing you use when you have nothing else to do
Frostbridge Guard image 1.5 This has somewhat passable stats, and it has an ability that is useful, albeit expensive. Tapping things does bring some extra value in this format, but three for the effect is kind of brutal. I miss the days of Master Decoy
Living Lectern image 3.0 It feels like giving this up for a card and a Sorcerer role is going to generate some serious value, and the fact it can sit around as a reasonable blocker until you feel like doing that seems pretty good
Minecart Daredevil image 3.5 I like this a lot because it resembles some of the Adventures from last Eldraine that were huge overperformers. Yes, you’ve got a medicore trick on one side and a mediocre vanilla creature on the other, but you get both on one card, and both halves of this card can conceivably trade with something and that means you’re getting a 2-for-1.
Warehouse Tabby image 1.5 Take away the Enchantment part of this card and it’s…pretty bad. A one mana 1/1 with death touch is usually pretty solid, as it can trade for anything. This has the capacity to do that, but because you have to have mana up to do it and because you spend extra mana to make it do it, it is way worse than a one mana 1/1 that always has death touch. The fact it cranks out a few 1/1s is nice, but even in this format I don’t imagine this just giving you 1/1 after 1/1.
Spell Stutter image 1.0 // 2.5 One of the downsides with counter magic that gives your opponent the option of paying mana to ignore it is that it gets worse as the game goes longer, but the Faerie upside here helps hedge against that. This probably needs a build around grade though, because if you’re in Blue and you’re short on Faeries it’s a lot worse
Pack 2 Pick 7: Grabby Giant
Gallant Pie-Wielder image 3.5 A three mana ⅔ with First Strike is already a fairly nice card, especially in a set with a lot of Auras, and this will have double strike sometimes. Celebrating is pretty doable, but also not something that will happen every turn
Freeze in Place image 2.0 While it isn’t quite removal, stunning a creature for three turns will feel like it is sometimes. Scry 2 combines nicely too, because you can use it to find whatever it is you desperately need, now that you bought yourself some time. The Blue/White deck in the format likes tapping things too, so getting some additional value here isn’t impossible.
Armory Mice image 2.0 A two mana 3/1 is usually acceptable, and this will be a 3/3 some percentage of the time. I’m giving this a 2.
Grabby Giant image 2.0 This offers you some decent ramp early, and a mediocre body with an expensive activated ability late. Notably, he can ramp into himself, if you cast the adventure and then him and a 4/3 with Reach on turn three isn’t too bad.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 We’ve seen this a ton and it’s always a playable trick. It makes it so most creatures can win combat against most other creatures, and the stats boost is even good against some removal
Besotted Knight image 3.0 Neither half of this card is exactly something you’d play on its own, but the fact of the matter is you can get both of these things! Using the Adventure side is likely to augment one of your early game creatures and make it more of a problem, and then you just sort of have this Hill Giant sitting in your hand, ready to come into play as soon as you don’t have anything else to do with your mana. That might know sound exciting, but I think you definitely get enough value out of this in the end for it to be a nice Common. Worth remembering too that the Role tokens have a lot of synergies in the set.
Sugar Rush image 1.5 This replaces itself, but the buff is highly unlikely to be that useful in combat. Sure, it probably lets you kill something, but most of the time whatever you cast this on will die two. Drawing the card does keep you from getting 2-for-1’d, but it doesn’t really make up for the tempo you lose. It does get a little better with Rat tokens, but I’d still steer clear of it most of the time
Merfolk Coralsmith image 2.0 Creatures who can modulate their power always play a little better than they look, as that flexibility lets them do a wide range of things. This can trade with things that have as much as 4 toughness and hit pretty hard when you want it to. The Scry trigger is a nice additional effect too
Pack 2 Pick 8: Embereth Veteran
Ego Drain image 0.0 This card is awful when you don’t control a Faerie. When you do, it offers some powerful disruption, but it gets a lot less powerful when you aren’t able to use it on turn one. Even a Faerie deck will find itself without Faeries in play in the early game, and this card’s value certainly diminishes when you can’t cast it during that time.
Embereth Veteran image 3.0 A one mana 2/1 can get in for decent damage on the first couple of turns, but tends to become irrelevant fairly quickly. This helps overcome that by letting you put a Young Hero Role on something, and while it’s not the most amazing of the Roles, since it requires the creature to be small to get a buff from it, it does mean the Veteran can significantly augment your creatures in some situations
Kindled Heroism image 1.5 We’ve seen this trick many times before and it’s always kind of okay. The boost can allow your creature to win a decent number of combats, and when you can make that happen for only one mana it feels pretty amazing. Still, it is a combat trick and one that isn’t always very impactful
Titanic Growth image 2.0 We’ve seen this a ton and it’s always a playable trick. It makes it so most creatures can win combat against most other creatures, and the stats boost is even good against some removal
Skybeast Tracker image 1.5 A 4-mana 2/4 with Reach is not very good these days, though you could do worse if you need something defensive. This will make some food sometimes, which certainly has its uses in the format
Eriette's Whisper image 1.5 4 mana to Mind Rot isn’t great, even if you do get a Role out of the deal. Spending this much and adding minimally to the board is just something you want to do in most formats.
Plunge into Winter image 1.5 I think you end up with a decent rate when you cast this card, one that means you won’t feel bad about playing it. Tapping doesn’t always matter, but you do always get Scry 1 draw a card, and when tapping does matter – or even better – when you have a tap payoff in play – this gets significantly better.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Witch's Mark
Hardened Scales image 0.0 Not enough +1/+1 counters in this format
Stroke of Midnight image 3.0 We’ve seen cards like this a lot, and this kind of effect is generally worse than it looks in Limited. Destroying anything for three is nice and all, but in a lot of ways, you can look at this as an Aura that makes a nonland permanent into a 1/1 with no abilities. When you look at it that way, it is much less impressive. Sure, that’s almost always going to downgrade something, and it doesn’t make this card bad, but it also isn’t premium removal for that reason
Grand Ball Guest image 2.0 A vanilla two mana 2/2 is probably a 1.0 these days, and while I think triggering celebration is doable, it isn’t going to happen so much that this will be a 3/3 with trample every turn or anything
Eriette's Whisper image 1.5 4 mana to Mind Rot isn’t great, even if you do get a Role out of the deal. Spending this much and adding minimally to the board is just something you want to do in most formats.
Plunge into Winter image 1.5 I think you end up with a decent rate when you cast this card, one that means you won’t feel bad about playing it. Tapping doesn’t always matter, but you do always get Scry 1 draw a card, and when tapping does matter – or even better – when you have a tap payoff in play – this gets significantly better.
Witch's Mark image 2.0 This is a nice Tormenting Voice variant. Even without the Role token this card is usually in the D+ or C- range, especially in a format with some graveyard stuff and a spell deck, and that’s true in this format. Actually adding to the board while digging deeper into your deck is going to feel pretty nice. You probably don’t desperately want more than one of these, although perhaps if you’re in the spell deck going deeper than that first copy might be worth it
Pack 2 Pick 10: Callous Sell-Sword
Callous Sell-Sword image 2.5 The Adventure side of this is…not good on it’s own, since it’s would be a 2-for-1. It’s basically a worse version of Bone Splinters, and it isn’t like Bone Splinters is an amazing card. Obviously, it does get better being attached to a two mana 2/2 with upside, and if you did use Burn Together to kill something that turn, it will be a 3/3. I will say that the Sell-Sword side of this is going to be harder than it looks to get counters on. We’ve seen creatures like this before – including some with Flash – and it is surprisingly difficult to manufacture situations where you end up with a sizable creature
Savior of the Sleeping image 2.5 As we’ve seen there are a decent number of ways to get enchantments in the graveyard, so it isn’t that unreasonable to think getting a counter or two on this is doable
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
Gnawing Crescendo image 1.0 // 2.5 These effects don’t usually pan out that well in Limited. That said, this format looks like it can go wide in both Black/Red and Red/White, meaning this might have some more uses than usual. It is nice that you get something even if your creatures die, but the 1/1s that can’t block aren’t exactly going to help you on the back swing
Break the Spell image 2.0 This is probably going to be something that can stay in your main deck. There are many Enchantments in this set, including the Role tokens. Destroying those normally wouldn’t be that good, but because this draws you a card when you hit one, the effect is much better. The times where you hit a legitimate Enchantment are going to feel nice too. There are plenty of expendable enchantments around and sometimes you’ll just target one of yours for value too.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Gnawing Crescendo
Dragon Mantle image 1.5 Giving a creature firebereathing isn’t particularly useful unless that creature was also pretty good, but this does replace itself, so that makes the floor on it pretty reasonable, especially for a one mana card. It isn’t a bad thing to sacrifice to Bargain either, since it will have already giving you a card
Wicked Visitor image 2.0 This has passable base stats and a passable payoff for the Black/White deck, which will be the most adept at putting enchantments in the graveyard
Gnawing Crescendo image 1.0 // 2.5 These effects don’t usually pan out that well in Limited. That said, this format looks like it can go wide in both Black/Red and Red/White, meaning this might have some more uses than usual. It is nice that you get something even if your creatures die, but the 1/1s that can’t block aren’t exactly going to help you on the back swing
Grand Ball Guest image 2.0 A vanilla two mana 2/2 is probably a 1.0 these days, and while I think triggering celebration is doable, it isn’t going to happen so much that this will be a 3/3 with trample every turn or anything
Pack 2 Pick 12: Merry Bards
Gnawing Crescendo image 1.0 // 2.5 These effects don’t usually pan out that well in Limited. That said, this format looks like it can go wide in both Black/Red and Red/White, meaning this might have some more uses than usual. It is nice that you get something even if your creatures die, but the 1/1s that can’t block aren’t exactly going to help you on the back swing
Archon's Glory image 2.0 One mana for +2/+2 generally makes for a decent trick that will allow a creature to win combat fairly often – and at a very low cost, and the added bargain upside here will come up sometimes. It sort of gives it a mode where you can send a creature into the air to do lethal.
Merry Bards image 2.0 So you can play this as a 4-mana 3/2 with the Role token, which means it will become a 4/3 the next time it attacks, and then a 5/4. That’s not a bad investment, and the fact you can put the token somewhere else really matters, as you can stick in on something that can get value out of it the turn you play it. Just playing this as a vanilla creature is a lot less appealing, but it isn’t a bad fail case
Pack 2 Pick 13: Soul-Guide Lantern
Soul-Guide Lantern image 0.5 This can hate on the graveyard quite effectively, and in a pinch it can replace itself. It’s a sideboard card.
Spider Food image 0.5 This format has a lot of targets for this, but there are also two lower rarity ways to Naturalize stuff in this format that are way better in the main deck. So, this is a sideboard card but one you probably won’t use very often
Pack 2 Pick 14: Warehouse Tabby
Warehouse Tabby image 1.5 Take away the Enchantment part of this card and it’s…pretty bad. A one mana 1/1 with death touch is usually pretty solid, as it can trade for anything. This has the capacity to do that, but because you have to have mana up to do it and because you spend extra mana to make it do it, it is way worse than a one mana 1/1 that always has death touch. The fact it cranks out a few 1/1s is nice, but even in this format I don’t imagine this just giving you 1/1 after 1/1.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Cruel Somnophage
Spreading Seas image 0.0 This doesn’t do much in Limited. Sure, if your opponent happens to only have one land that can produce one of their colors and you stick this on it, it can be pretty hilarious, but most of the time that’s not going to happen to them. Replacing itself just isn’t’ enough these days, it needs to actually…do something too, and this just won’t
Cruel Somnophage image 2.5 If this didn’t have an adventure attached, it would be a borderline playable card. There will be times where it is big for sure, but a two drop that you probably can’t play on turn two isn’t exactly ideal, and the upside is still just a large vanilla creature. However, having the adventure here definitely matters, as it helps set up the Somnophage a lot more effectively. Milling yourself or your opponent is a pretty good effect in the format too. Still, there will be times where this is very awkward, and the upside isn’t exactly through the roof.
Ash, Party Crasher image 3.0 A two mana 2/2 with Haste is a solid starting point, and getting a +1/+1 counter or two on Ash is doable. You can get Celebration going relatively often in Red/White, with cards that make Monster Role Auras, cards that make food, or cards that make creature tokens. It isn’t automatic to get it going but even triggering this once seems pretty nice
Disdainful Stroke image 0.5 This is a sideboard card. Most opponents won’t have enough things you can counter with this for it to be worth it.
Icewrought Sentry image 3.0 This looks pretty good to me. Tapping opposing blockers is always really good, and while paying mana for it isn’t ideal the fact that the Sentry becomes a 4/4 when you do it helps offset that downside. Blue-White has some other cards that involve tapping and getting paid off for it too, making paying that mana all the more appealing. It also doesn’t hurt that simply the threat of activation makes your opponent play the game differently. They have to account for the Sentry when thinking about how they are going to attack on their own turn.
Barrow Naughty image 2.0 A two mana 1/3 with lifelink is a solid card, and that’s what this well be a decent chunk of the time, especially in Blue-Black. The buff effect is expensive and really only the kind of thing you use when you have nothing else to do
Quick Study image 2.0 Instant speed Divination isn’t too shabby, though it doesn’t add to the board and that can always be a problem in Limited.
Troublemaker Ouphe image 2.5 This feels like a two drop you want one of in every Green deck, simply because it provides main deck hate against permanent types that are very common in this format. You won’t always have something to get Bargain going, but at least the fail case is a Bear
Rimefur Reindeer image 2.5 This has some serious potential, as tapping down just one thing a turn is often pretty great at allowing your aggressive deck to rumble, and that’s especially true if the enchantment augmented one of your creatures. But, when you aren’t triggering this regularly, it is a well below rate creature.
Rat Out image 2.0 The Rat not being able to block here is obviously a big deal, but if you can pick off an X/1 with this while adding something to your board that’s not…too bad. The problem is a 1/1 that can’t block isn’t exactly the most significant thing to add to your board. In fact, it’s pretty close to the least significant thing you can add
Into the Fae Court image 1.5 A draw spell that adds to the board sounds attractive. It’s too bad that the thing it adds to the board is so insignificant though, and it makes me think this is probably a little bit too clunky to be something that always makes the cut in your Blue decks
Bespoke Battlegarb image 0.0 This doesn’t look good. Two mana to play and two to equip for +2/+0 just…isn’t where you want to be. The Celebration trigger on it will let you equip it for free, but even when that’s the case I’m not especially interested
Stormkeld Prowler image 1.5 Two +1/+1 counters is pretty nice! But a two-mana 2/1…isn’t, and by the time you play your 5-drop and make this a 4/3, it isn’t like it will be unbeatable. There will also be times where you can’t grow until well beyond that turn.
Candy Trail image 1.5 Scry 2 on turn one doesn’t sound like a bad idea in a lot of situations, although using up a whole card to do it definitely isn’t appealing. However, the fact you can cash this in for a card and life later means you don’t use up a whole card. Still, in a format without a big artifact theme, these artifacts that have tiny effects have been fairly underwhelming
Pack 3 Pick 2: Gruff Triplets
Gruff Triplets image 5.0 6 mana for three 3/3s is already a pretty nice rate – it adds a ton to the board and makes removal look bad, but things get even sillier thanks to this death trigger, which will make your other triplets larger and larger,a nd because they have trample that isn’t something your opponent can just ignore. The biggest downside here is the triple green as in limited it can sometimes be hard to produce that exactly when you need to
Graceful Takedown image 3.5 So, this is another Green removal spell that doesn’t result in your creatures taking damage. Even if you have 0 enchanted creatures, you can have one thing take part in the effect, and if you do have enchanted creatures, you’ll be able to take down almost anything. It also puts you in less danger if you are able to choose multiple creatures, because a blow out is a lot harder for your opponent to produce when multiple creatures are doing the biting
Witchstalker Frenzy image 4.0 Without the cost reduction effect, this would probably be a B-. 4 mana deal 5 at instant speed is definitely efficient enough to be a great card. And there will be many turns where you can cast it a lot more cheaply. Keep in mind, you can attack and then cast this for a reduced cost before your opponent ever declares blockers. Paying 2 or even 1 for this isn’t far-fetched, and when you’re doing that it’s going to feel pretty nuts because of how effectively you’re going to trade down.
Callous Sell-Sword image 2.5 The Adventure side of this is…not good on it’s own, since it’s would be a 2-for-1. It’s basically a worse version of Bone Splinters, and it isn’t like Bone Splinters is an amazing card. Obviously, it does get better being attached to a two mana 2/2 with upside, and if you did use Burn Together to kill something that turn, it will be a 3/3. I will say that the Sell-Sword side of this is going to be harder than it looks to get counters on. We’ve seen creatures like this before – including some with Flash – and it is surprisingly difficult to manufacture situations where you end up with a sizable creature
Edgewall Pack image 3.0 A 4-mana 3/3 menace that makes a 1/1 that can’t block is pretty decent. Worth noting that it triggers card swith Celebration on its own, and there are definitely some curve outs where you play a two drop and a three drop with Celebration, where then playing the Pack would make for a pretty spicy turn 4.
Hollow Scavenger image 2.5 There is a lot you can do with Food in this format, so paying one mana and like half a card for it is pretty reasonable. Especially when the creature side of this can take advantage of that food and make itself into a pretty sizable attacker
Frostbridge Guard image 1.5 This has somewhat passable stats, and it has an ability that is useful, albeit expensive. Tapping things does bring some extra value in this format, but three for the effect is kind of brutal. I miss the days of Master Decoy
Stingblade Assassin image 1.5 This ETB ability almost always underperforms. It’s just hard to consistently find a way to do damage to a creature without using up some resource you didn’t really want to use up. It might be interesting with Rat tokens, because your opponent is going to be willing to block those a lot with their 2/2s or whatever, but this probably doesn’t end up being able to destroy something often enough for this to be very good
Kellan's Lightblades image 2.5 This kind of removal is never amazing, since it is as restrictive as it is. For example, if you’re trying to be aggressive, something that can only target an attacker of blocker is a lot worse. And that’s definitely true here. The Bargain upside is nice, as it makes it less restrictive. It can only kill attackers or blockers, but at least it can take down those with more than three toughness. Still, this isn’t premium removal, though it does get closer to being that in a slower deck
Ferocious Werefox image 3.5 Buffing a creature at instant speed earlier and getting a reasonable 4-drop later means this delivers some serious value for a Common
Charmed Clothier image 2.5 A 5-mana 3/3 flyer is not a good rate. Getting a role token does make a difference, and a card like this also triggers Celebration, so it does some nice stuff for a couple different decks in the format.
Merfolk Coralsmith image 2.0 Creatures who can modulate their power always play a little better than they look, as that flexibility lets them do a wide range of things. This can trade with things that have as much as 4 toughness and hit pretty hard when you want it to. The Scry trigger is a nice additional effect too
Ice Out image 2.0 This is Cancel when you don’t Bargain it, and Counterspell when you do. 1 mana may not seem like much, but the chasm between those two cards is massive. The fact this has double blue in the cost really matters too, as Limited mana bases aren’t good enough for you to consistently be able to leave up two Blue mana for this.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Rootrider Faun
Hatching Plans image 3.0 This will be one of the absolute best things you can ever sacrifice to a Bargain card as you end up netting a bunch of cards and getting a bonus effect. Most decks in this format will have enough cards with Bargain to make this worth playing. The downside is, of course, that it does stone nothing when you can’t sacrifice it
Rowan, Scion of War image 3.0 A three mana 4/2 with Menace is a decent starting point. So how much extra value does the ability give you? Well…not much. Paying life is around in the format but it isn’t some huge theme, and you need to both pay life and have a card where it matters that you can reduce its cost
Archive Dragon image 2.5 A 6-mana 4/6 Flyer with Ward 2 seems…kind of okay. There’s not much in the format that can kill it efficiently between it’s size and the Ward tax, and obviously this body is good at attacking or blocking. The Scry 2 is a nice additional effect to have, but I do feel kind of like I should be getting a little extra something here, especially on an Uncommon. I think having one of these at the top of your curve in Blue seems like a good idea, though.
Discerning Financier image 3.0 If you miss a land drop he steps in and makes sure you don’t fall too far behind, and giving treasure to your opponent in the late game to draw cards is definitely going to be worth it. It does just end up being pretty close to vanilla a decent chunk of the time, though.
Voracious Vermin image 2.0 Three mana for a 2/1 and a 1/1 isn’t bad, and this will definitely be growing, especially in Black/Red where you throw rats at your opponent a lot of the time. Just blocking those rats will make the Vermin grow.
Edgewall Pack image 3.0 A 4-mana 3/3 menace that makes a 1/1 that can’t block is pretty decent. Worth noting that it triggers card swith Celebration on its own, and there are definitely some curve outs where you play a two drop and a three drop with Celebration, where then playing the Pack would make for a pretty spicy turn 4.
Return Triumphant image 2.0 This is a lot like recommission from The Brothers’ War. That card ended up being find, but nothing special. Both let you reanimate a mana value 3 or less card and then buff it when you do. The idea is that you increase your chances of reanimating something that is worth the mana thanks to the buff, but the card still requires enough set up that I’m not super excited about it
Verdant Outrider image 2.0 A three mana 4/2 usually has the big problem of dying to 2 power creatures, but obviously enough, Verdant Outrider can get around that. You won’t always have the time or mana to use that ability of course, but it definitely does enough for this to be solid filler
Freeze in Place image 2.0 While it isn’t quite removal, stunning a creature for three turns will feel like it is sometimes. Scry 2 combines nicely too, because you can use it to find whatever it is you desperately need, now that you bought yourself some time. The Blue/White deck in the format likes tapping things too, so getting some additional value here isn’t impossible.
Vantress Transmuter image 3.0 This doesn’t quite give you two cards, but I think it gets close enough, even with Croaking Curse being Sorcery speed. It lets you downgrade a creature and up your ability to attack, and then you get a decent creature on a future turn
Bespoke Battlegarb image 0.0 This doesn’t look good. Two mana to play and two to equip for +2/+0 just…isn’t where you want to be. The Celebration trigger on it will let you equip it for free, but even when that’s the case I’m not especially interested
Rootrider Faun image 3.0 This has decent stats, it offers decent ramp, and it offers decent fixing. None of the things it does are very exciting, but ramp does seem like a real strategy in Green
Pack 3 Pick 4: Callous Sell-Sword
Curiosity image 1.0 For this to do anything, the creature you put it on generally already has to be good, and when an Aura needs that from you it gets a lot worse. If you have a lot of flyers this isn’t a bad role player, but most of the time you won’t play it
Splashy Spellcaster image 3.5 This is a powerful spell payoff, and it has high enough toughness to be difficult to deal with and attack through. It is a little sad it can’t give itself a Sorcerer Role, but upgrading all your other stuff seems pretty good to me. I think this will feel like an impressive engine, even in a Blue deck with like five spells you’ll be running this.
Callous Sell-Sword image 2.5 The Adventure side of this is…not good on it’s own, since it’s would be a 2-for-1. It’s basically a worse version of Bone Splinters, and it isn’t like Bone Splinters is an amazing card. Obviously, it does get better being attached to a two mana 2/2 with upside, and if you did use Burn Together to kill something that turn, it will be a 3/3. I will say that the Sell-Sword side of this is going to be harder than it looks to get counters on. We’ve seen creatures like this before – including some with Flash – and it is surprisingly difficult to manufacture situations where you end up with a sizable creature
Stormkeld Prowler image 1.5 Two +1/+1 counters is pretty nice! But a two-mana 2/1…isn’t, and by the time you play your 5-drop and make this a 4/3, it isn’t like it will be unbeatable. There will also be times where you can’t grow until well beyond that turn.
Fell Horseman image 3.0 Like most of the Common adventure creatures, both sides of this look super underwhelming, but they do in fact often result in a 2-for-1, so it’s better than it looks
Witch's Mark image 2.0 This is a nice Tormenting Voice variant. Even without the Role token this card is usually in the D+ or C- range, especially in a format with some graveyard stuff and a spell deck, and that’s true in this format. Actually adding to the board while digging deeper into your deck is going to feel pretty nice. You probably don’t desperately want more than one of these, although perhaps if you’re in the spell deck going deeper than that first copy might be worth it
Harried Spearguard image 1.5 This is great in terms of sacrifice fodder, as it gives you two bodies for the price of 1. It also isn’t bad just based on the rate you get out of it. But it’s nothing special either. It will quickly get outclassed in most games and be relegated into chump block mode
Wicked Visitor image 2.0 This has passable base stats and a passable payoff for the Black/White deck, which will be the most adept at putting enchantments in the graveyard
Bellowing Bruiser image 2.0 I’m high on most of the Adventure creatures in the set – this one doesn’t seem quite as good as the others. This is because it doesn’t really generate 2-for-1 type value or even close to it. It isn’t bad by any means, but the Adventure side is a highly situational card. It can be powerful in the right spot of course, and if you ever 8 mana to cast both halves that will feel pretty awesome, but overall, I don’t see Beat a Path being that impressive, and the same is true of a 5-mana 4/4 Haste. It’s still a solid card that will make the cut a decent chunk of the time – but most of the adventures in this set are a little better than that
Commune with Nature image 1.5 We’ve seen this a lot. It usually lets you draw a card for one mana, and you see a huge chunk of your deck in Limited. But it just doesn’t always make the cut, you only have so much room for cards that don’t impact the board
Diminisher Witch image 2.5 Cursing an opposing creature isn’t the most powerful thing in the world, but when you Bargain this does upgrade your board and downgrade your opponents reasonably effectively.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Redcap Thief
Ashiok's Reaper image 2.5 This seems like it may be a little too clunky. The stats are bad, and while getting Enchantments into the graveyard is more doable in this format than most, it isn’t going to just happen so often that this entirely makes up for that very real problem.
Spell Stutter image 1.0 // 2.5 One of the downsides with counter magic that gives your opponent the option of paying mana to ignore it is that it gets worse as the game goes longer, but the Faerie upside here helps hedge against that. This probably needs a build around grade though, because if you’re in Blue and you’re short on Faeries it’s a lot worse
Bespoke Battlegarb image 0.0 This doesn’t look good. Two mana to play and two to equip for +2/+0 just…isn’t where you want to be. The Celebration trigger on it will let you equip it for free, but even when that’s the case I’m not especially interested
Freeze in Place image 2.0 While it isn’t quite removal, stunning a creature for three turns will feel like it is sometimes. Scry 2 combines nicely too, because you can use it to find whatever it is you desperately need, now that you bought yourself some time. The Blue/White deck in the format likes tapping things too, so getting some additional value here isn’t impossible.
Obyra's Attendants image 3.5 This has two-for-one potential, though it isn’t always going to be accessible. You need a board of some sort to turn Desperate Parry into a full card, but there are a number of ways you can. For example, you can triple block something and then use the Parry to make it so all your stuff survives and they lose their creature. Then you get a serviceable flyer later
Break the Spell image 2.0 This is probably going to be something that can stay in your main deck. There are many Enchantments in this set, including the Role tokens. Destroying those normally wouldn’t be that good, but because this draws you a card when you hit one, the effect is much better. The times where you hit a legitimate Enchantment are going to feel nice too. There are plenty of expendable enchantments around and sometimes you’ll just target one of yours for value too.
Redcap Thief image 2.5 This offers some nice fixing and ramp and can trigger celebration all on its own. That seems like something worth doing in Red decks in this format
Stingblade Assassin image 1.5 This ETB ability almost always underperforms. It’s just hard to consistently find a way to do damage to a creature without using up some resource you didn’t really want to use up. It might be interesting with Rat tokens, because your opponent is going to be willing to block those a lot with their 2/2s or whatever, but this probably doesn’t end up being able to destroy something often enough for this to be very good
Spider Food image 0.5 This format has a lot of targets for this, but there are also two lower rarity ways to Naturalize stuff in this format that are way better in the main deck. So, this is a sideboard card but one you probably won’t use very often
Bellowing Bruiser image 2.0 I’m high on most of the Adventure creatures in the set – this one doesn’t seem quite as good as the others. This is because it doesn’t really generate 2-for-1 type value or even close to it. It isn’t bad by any means, but the Adventure side is a highly situational card. It can be powerful in the right spot of course, and if you ever 8 mana to cast both halves that will feel pretty awesome, but overall, I don’t see Beat a Path being that impressive, and the same is true of a 5-mana 4/4 Haste. It’s still a solid card that will make the cut a decent chunk of the time – but most of the adventures in this set are a little better than that
Pack 3 Pick 6: Heartflame Duelist
Heartflame Duelist image 5.0 Like the Gingerbread Hunter we just looked at, this is removal on one side and that’s amazing – in fact, in this case the removal is far more efficient! On its own, that card is usually premium removal. The creature side is a little more underwhelming, but still not too shabby for two mana
Ego Drain image 0.0 This card is awful when you don’t control a Faerie. When you do, it offers some powerful disruption, but it gets a lot less powerful when you aren’t able to use it on turn one. Even a Faerie deck will find itself without Faeries in play in the early game, and this card’s value certainly diminishes when you can’t cast it during that time.
Not Dead After All image 1.5 This is an interesting take on this type of effect since the creature gets to return with a buff. Unfortunately, when we see this effect completely absent of an upfront power boost, it hasn’t really played super well. It does work well against removal, but not working that well in combat is a an issue.
Leaping Ambush image 1.0 They put a trick like this in almost every format, and it is almost always bad. Tricks are at their best when you use them offensively, because your opponent is less likely to have mana up to blow you out – so a trick that gets like 2/3s of its value from being used defensively just isn’t worth it
Skewer Slinger image 1.5 This makes X/1s pretty miserable as they can neither attack through it or block it effectively. Overall, it is definitely a defensive card more than anything, and that’s always a little awkward
Redtooth Genealogist image 3.0 This looks like a very good rate to me – it is basically a better version of a three mana 2/3 that puts a +1/+1 counter somewhere, and that card is usually quite good in Limited. I think this is one of Green’s best Commons
Wicked Visitor image 2.0 This has passable base stats and a passable payoff for the Black/White deck, which will be the most adept at putting enchantments in the graveyard
Johann's Stopgap image 2.5 4 mana to bounce something and draw a card is usually playable. It lets you break even on cards while setting your opponent back a little. With bargain in the mix, this moves up another notch – probably to the point where the first copy is something you feel decent about having in all of your Blue decks
Moment of Valor image 1.5 Neither of these modes is very good on its own, and probably wouldn’t be a card that made the cut. This is just too expensive for this narrow of effects. But, stapling two narrow effects on to a single card does make a huge difference, and that modality is enough for this to make the cut in your deck sometimes
Pack 3 Pick 7: The Irencrag
The Irencrag image 2.5 A two mana artifact that can tap for one colorless is actually a reasonable card in Limited. We almost never see it these days. Usually, it costs three to get one that will tap for a mana. The card’s other mode will come up too, and while it isn’t exactly the most amazing piece of Equipment in the world, it offers a big enough buff to be something your opponent has to be a little concerned about
Callous Sell-Sword image 2.5 The Adventure side of this is…not good on it’s own, since it’s would be a 2-for-1. It’s basically a worse version of Bone Splinters, and it isn’t like Bone Splinters is an amazing card. Obviously, it does get better being attached to a two mana 2/2 with upside, and if you did use Burn Together to kill something that turn, it will be a 3/3. I will say that the Sell-Sword side of this is going to be harder than it looks to get counters on. We’ve seen creatures like this before – including some with Flash – and it is surprisingly difficult to manufacture situations where you end up with a sizable creature
Korvold and the Noble Thief image 1.0 The turn you play this is going to feel really rough, because paying FOUR and not getting anything meaningful on the board is a pain. Especially because the next chapter does the same thing! But chapter III is a pretty nice payoff. You can use all that treasure to up your chances of playing your opponent’s stuff. It is a bit of a bummer that if you don’t make sure to hold on to that treasure, and your opponent is in different colors than you, you’re going to be out of luck when it comes to casting off-color things. Overall…I’m kind of skeptical here. I love the value Chapter III can generate, but it’s really slow, and I think that will make this a liability
Moment of Valor image 1.5 Neither of these modes is very good on its own, and probably wouldn’t be a card that made the cut. This is just too expensive for this narrow of effects. But, stapling two narrow effects on to a single card does make a huge difference, and that modality is enough for this to make the cut in your deck sometimes
Barrow Naughty image 2.0 A two mana 1/3 with lifelink is a solid card, and that’s what this well be a decent chunk of the time, especially in Blue-Black. The buff effect is expensive and really only the kind of thing you use when you have nothing else to do
Leaping Ambush image 1.0 They put a trick like this in almost every format, and it is almost always bad. Tricks are at their best when you use them offensively, because your opponent is less likely to have mana up to blow you out – so a trick that gets like 2/3s of its value from being used defensively just isn’t worth it
Tuinvale Guide image 2.5 This is mediocre without Celebration, and pretty nice when it is a 3/3 flying lifelinker. Triggering celebration is something you can do, but not so often that this will be anything special
Spider Food image 0.5 This format has a lot of targets for this, but there are also two lower rarity ways to Naturalize stuff in this format that are way better in the main deck. So, this is a sideboard card but one you probably won’t use very often
Pack 3 Pick 8: Shatter the Oath
Embereth Veteran image 3.0 A one mana 2/1 can get in for decent damage on the first couple of turns, but tends to become irrelevant fairly quickly. This helps overcome that by letting you put a Young Hero Role on something, and while it’s not the most amazing of the Roles, since it requires the creature to be small to get a buff from it, it does mean the Veteran can significantly augment your creatures in some situations
Skybeast Tracker image 1.5 A 4-mana 2/4 with Reach is not very good these days, though you could do worse if you need something defensive. This will make some food sometimes, which certainly has its uses in the format
Aquatic Alchemist image 1.5 Unfortunately, putting an instant or sorcery on top of your library from your graveyard isn’t a great effect all on its own. In fact, it’s card disadvantage. You go down a card and don’t get one back. This makes up for that some by also giving you a creature, I’m not really blown away by it either. We’ve seen cards with this same instant or sorcery trigger do pretty well, but most of the time they don’t have a restriction on how many times they can get buffed in a turn. Basically, both sides of this are fairly weak and not very impactful
Plunge into Winter image 1.5 I think you end up with a decent rate when you cast this card, one that means you won’t feel bad about playing it. Tapping doesn’t always matter, but you do always get Scry 1 draw a card, and when tapping does matter – or even better – when you have a tap payoff in play – this gets significantly better.
Eriette's Whisper image 1.5 4 mana to Mind Rot isn’t great, even if you do get a Role out of the deal. Spending this much and adding minimally to the board is just something you want to do in most formats.
Living Lectern image 3.0 It feels like giving this up for a card and a Sorcerer role is going to generate some serious value, and the fact it can sit around as a reasonable blocker until you feel like doing that seems pretty good
Shatter the Oath image 2.5 5 mana Sorcery speed removal isn’t anything special. It’s just too expensive and clunky for that to ever be the case. This can go after two card types and it does upgrade your board a tiny bit, but overall it still seems a little too slow to be anything special
Pack 3 Pick 9: Troublemaker Ouphe
Icewrought Sentry image 3.0 This looks pretty good to me. Tapping opposing blockers is always really good, and while paying mana for it isn’t ideal the fact that the Sentry becomes a 4/4 when you do it helps offset that downside. Blue-White has some other cards that involve tapping and getting paid off for it too, making paying that mana all the more appealing. It also doesn’t hurt that simply the threat of activation makes your opponent play the game differently. They have to account for the Sentry when thinking about how they are going to attack on their own turn.
Quick Study image 2.0 Instant speed Divination isn’t too shabby, though it doesn’t add to the board and that can always be a problem in Limited.
Troublemaker Ouphe image 2.5 This feels like a two drop you want one of in every Green deck, simply because it provides main deck hate against permanent types that are very common in this format. You won’t always have something to get Bargain going, but at least the fail case is a Bear
Into the Fae Court image 1.5 A draw spell that adds to the board sounds attractive. It’s too bad that the thing it adds to the board is so insignificant though, and it makes me think this is probably a little bit too clunky to be something that always makes the cut in your Blue decks
Bespoke Battlegarb image 0.0 This doesn’t look good. Two mana to play and two to equip for +2/+0 just…isn’t where you want to be. The Celebration trigger on it will let you equip it for free, but even when that’s the case I’m not especially interested
Candy Trail image 1.5 Scry 2 on turn one doesn’t sound like a bad idea in a lot of situations, although using up a whole card to do it definitely isn’t appealing. However, the fact you can cash this in for a card and life later means you don’t use up a whole card. Still, in a format without a big artifact theme, these artifacts that have tiny effects have been fairly underwhelming
Pack 3 Pick 10: Callous Sell-Sword
Callous Sell-Sword image 2.5 The Adventure side of this is…not good on it’s own, since it’s would be a 2-for-1. It’s basically a worse version of Bone Splinters, and it isn’t like Bone Splinters is an amazing card. Obviously, it does get better being attached to a two mana 2/2 with upside, and if you did use Burn Together to kill something that turn, it will be a 3/3. I will say that the Sell-Sword side of this is going to be harder than it looks to get counters on. We’ve seen creatures like this before – including some with Flash – and it is surprisingly difficult to manufacture situations where you end up with a sizable creature
Edgewall Pack image 3.0 A 4-mana 3/3 menace that makes a 1/1 that can’t block is pretty decent. Worth noting that it triggers card swith Celebration on its own, and there are definitely some curve outs where you play a two drop and a three drop with Celebration, where then playing the Pack would make for a pretty spicy turn 4.
Frostbridge Guard image 1.5 This has somewhat passable stats, and it has an ability that is useful, albeit expensive. Tapping things does bring some extra value in this format, but three for the effect is kind of brutal. I miss the days of Master Decoy
Merfolk Coralsmith image 2.0 Creatures who can modulate their power always play a little better than they look, as that flexibility lets them do a wide range of things. This can trade with things that have as much as 4 toughness and hit pretty hard when you want it to. The Scry trigger is a nice additional effect too
Ice Out image 2.0 This is Cancel when you don’t Bargain it, and Counterspell when you do. 1 mana may not seem like much, but the chasm between those two cards is massive. The fact this has double blue in the cost really matters too, as Limited mana bases aren’t good enough for you to consistently be able to leave up two Blue mana for this.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Edgewall Pack
Edgewall Pack image 3.0 A 4-mana 3/3 menace that makes a 1/1 that can’t block is pretty decent. Worth noting that it triggers card swith Celebration on its own, and there are definitely some curve outs where you play a two drop and a three drop with Celebration, where then playing the Pack would make for a pretty spicy turn 4.
Freeze in Place image 2.0 While it isn’t quite removal, stunning a creature for three turns will feel like it is sometimes. Scry 2 combines nicely too, because you can use it to find whatever it is you desperately need, now that you bought yourself some time. The Blue/White deck in the format likes tapping things too, so getting some additional value here isn’t impossible.
Vantress Transmuter image 3.0 This doesn’t quite give you two cards, but I think it gets close enough, even with Croaking Curse being Sorcery speed. It lets you downgrade a creature and up your ability to attack, and then you get a decent creature on a future turn
Bespoke Battlegarb image 0.0 This doesn’t look good. Two mana to play and two to equip for +2/+0 just…isn’t where you want to be. The Celebration trigger on it will let you equip it for free, but even when that’s the case I’m not especially interested
Pack 3 Pick 12: Splashy Spellcaster
Splashy Spellcaster image 3.5 This is a powerful spell payoff, and it has high enough toughness to be difficult to deal with and attack through. It is a little sad it can’t give itself a Sorcerer Role, but upgrading all your other stuff seems pretty good to me. I think this will feel like an impressive engine, even in a Blue deck with like five spells you’ll be running this.
Harried Spearguard image 1.5 This is great in terms of sacrifice fodder, as it gives you two bodies for the price of 1. It also isn’t bad just based on the rate you get out of it. But it’s nothing special either. It will quickly get outclassed in most games and be relegated into chump block mode
Wicked Visitor image 2.0 This has passable base stats and a passable payoff for the Black/White deck, which will be the most adept at putting enchantments in the graveyard
Pack 3 Pick 13: Spider Food
Break the Spell image 2.0 This is probably going to be something that can stay in your main deck. There are many Enchantments in this set, including the Role tokens. Destroying those normally wouldn’t be that good, but because this draws you a card when you hit one, the effect is much better. The times where you hit a legitimate Enchantment are going to feel nice too. There are plenty of expendable enchantments around and sometimes you’ll just target one of yours for value too.
Spider Food image 0.5 This format has a lot of targets for this, but there are also two lower rarity ways to Naturalize stuff in this format that are way better in the main deck. So, this is a sideboard card but one you probably won’t use very often
Pack 3 Pick 14: Leaping Ambush
Leaping Ambush image 1.0 They put a trick like this in almost every format, and it is almost always bad. Tricks are at their best when you use them offensively, because your opponent is less likely to have mana up to blow you out – so a trick that gets like 2/3s of its value from being used defensively just isn’t worth it
Draft Pick Overview