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Premier Draft WOE 9 October 2023

9 October 10:47 - dilmiester 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (11)
1 Taken by Nightmares image
1 Rankle's Prank image
1 Stab Wound image
1 Glass Casket image
1 Kellan's Lightblades image
1 Grasp of Fate image
1 Hopeless Nightmare image
2 Hopeful Vigil image
1 Faerie Fencing image
1 Feed the Cauldron image
Creature (12)
1 Neva, Stalked by Nightmares image
2 Mintstrosity image
3 Voracious Vermin image
1 Conceited Witch image
1 Cheeky House-Mouse image
1 Gumdrop Poisoner image
1 High Fae Negotiator image
2 Besotted Knight image
Land (17)
8 Plains image
9 Swamp image
Sideboard
1 Edgewall Pack image
1 Mocking Sprite image
2 Bellowing Bruiser image
1 Harried Spearguard image
1 Rimefur Reindeer image
1 Living Lectern image
1 Totentanz, Swarm Piper image
1 Stingblade Assassin image
1 Imodane, the Pyrohammer image
1 Unassuming Sage image
1 Merry Bards image
1 Wicked Visitor image
1 Stormkeld Prowler image
1 Rat Out image
1 Leaping Ambush image
1 Shatter the Oath image
1 Sleight of Hand image
1 Spreading Seas image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Taken by Nightmares
Karmic Justice image 0.0 Your opponent isn’t going to be destroying your noncreature permanents often enough for this to matter in Limited
Questing Druid image 3.0 One important thing to note here is that Seek the Beast doesn’t give you as much time to play the card as we’ve seen lately, as you only have until your next end step. The good news is, it’s an Instant, so you can cast it at the end of your opponent’s turn, and then take advantage of those cards you reveal with all the mana you still have. And obviously, if you can play the Druid and then a non-green card on that turn, it’s going to feel pretty good. I will say that buffing the druid isn’t really going to be that easy. Sure, a decent chunk of your deck will buff it – but far more of it won’t, and it’s an extremely unimpressive creature if you can’t buff it consistently. Still, this certainly has 3-for-1 potential and is quite efficient
Three Bowls of Porridge image 1.5 None of these modes is going to feel very efficient, but they do all do…something. Picking of a small creature will probably feel the best, but tapping things is certainly nice on the right board state, especially if you have a payoff for tapping something. Then it can of course do the Food thing. Still, the ability is expensive enough that having the mana around to actually use it isn’t guaranteed, and it isn’t like any of these modes is really going to make you feel like you’re getting there
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
Glass Casket image 3.5 This was in Eldraine the last time, and it was a card that just barely reached premium removal status. It can deal with lots of things efficiently, and the fact it exiles is usually upside
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
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
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
Flick a Coin image 2.0 Each thing this does individually isn’t that impressive but getting them all for three mana seems like a decent enough deal, especially if you’re in the market for fixing. Still, it’s a fairly low impact card that probably won’t always make the cut.
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.
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
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
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
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.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Rankle's Prank
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
Rankle's Prank image 2.5 This can have a huge impact on the game, and its modality means you can always choose only the things that hurt your opponent more than they hurt you. There will be situations where…none of these modes works that well for you, though. Like if you’re behind for example, these are all likely to hurt you more than they hurt your opponent. That probably just makes it a 2.5. There will be games where it feels far better than that grade implies, but there will be just as many where it’s significantly worse
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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
Pack 1 Pick 3: Stab Wound
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
Restless Bivouac image 3.5 One of the greatest things about a creature land, especially one that gives you good fixing like all of the ones in this cycle do, is that they become very real cards by the part of the game where you don’t really need lands anymore, something that isn’t true about typical lands. This becomes an effective attacker that can even put counters on itself and if it’s left unchecked it is definitely a land that can take over the game. Worth remembering creature lands also effectively dodge Sorcery speed removal!
Faerie Fencing image 4.0 Even without the Faerie upside this is an instant speed removal spell that scales all game long. If your deck has 0 Faeries you would always play it, but it does get far better if you do have some faeries around, as it becomes incredibly efficient. Heck, you can pay one to give something -3/-3 when you have a Faerie. There are enough faeries in black that setting this up for the extra value isn’t hard, and the baseline card is already really good
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
Scream Puff image 2.0 This is pretty beefy, although I think it would be much better if it made the food on ETB. That would allow it to be one of these big creatures that helps slower decks stabilize. It can still help you do that of course, but having to rumble with it in order to get food makes the card a little bit awkward
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
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.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Neva, Stalked by Nightmares
Neva, Stalked by Nightmares image 3.5 A gravedigger with Menace that can also get back enchantments is a card I’d already play, and this can also get larger. Keep in mind any time you put a role on a creature that already has one, it loses the one it had before, so that’s one of the built in ways in the format Neva can grow. Obviously, she works with Bargain too
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.
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
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
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
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
Unassuming Sage image 2.0 Neither of these modes is a model of efficiency, but the second mode does at least get synergy going for Celebration and Aura decks
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
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
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.
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 5: Glass Casket
Ground Seal image 0.0 There’s not enough of a reason to hate on the graveyard in this format
Glass Casket image 3.5 This was in Eldraine the last time, and it was a card that just barely reached premium removal status. It can deal with lots of things efficiently, and the fact it exiles is usually upside
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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 1 Pick 6: Mintstrosity
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
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
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
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.
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
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
Scream Puff image 2.0 This is pretty beefy, although I think it would be much better if it made the food on ETB. That would allow it to be one of these big creatures that helps slower decks stabilize. It can still help you do that of course, but having to rumble with it in order to get food makes the card a little bit awkward
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
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
Pack 1 Pick 7: Kellan's Lightblades
Rest in Peace image 0.0 Even though this replaces itself, there isn’t enough of a reason to hate on the graveyard in this format to ever make this matter
Scalding Viper image 4.0 While it’s not quite Brazen Borrower for a number of reasons, Scalding Viper is pretty good and will feel similar sometimes. After all, it’s a creature that can bounce a nonland permanent and then add to the board. A two mana 2/1 with the Viper’s ability is a pretty nice two drop for Limited, as it is reasonably likely to chip in some extra damage all game, so the fact this can also bounce something is nice
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
Frantic Firebolt image 3.5 The base form of this card is mediocre, but if you can just get it to do 3 damage you’re talking about premium removal. That’s not a huge ask at all, especially in Red decks in the format, and that also means it has a really high ceiling. Basically, this has a bad floor, but it will almost never be that bad, and I think that means it does enough to be premium removal you take highly
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.
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
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
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.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Rat Out
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
Galvanic Giant image 3.0 This Adventure is going to feel nice in the extreme late game. In the earlier stages of the game Galvanic Giant doesn’t seem terrible either. Sure, the stats are bad, but if you can follow it up with a five-mana card on the next turn, you’re going to be in business. Obviously, this is a case where the Adventure isn’t always going to get cast before the creature, but it’s nice having that late game ability to see a bunch of cards
Tattered Ratter image 2.5 Rats can often just be chump blocked, but Tattered Ratter makes sure that that’s going to be a lot harder. It will make your opponent just have to take damage from attacking rats pretty often, as a 3-power rat can take down a whole lot of blockers. Still, there are so many board states where this is just going to be a two mana 2/2, even if you have rats, because there are often situations where your opponent isn’t interested in blocking them anyway
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
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
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Voracious Vermin
Three Bowls of Porridge image 1.5 None of these modes is going to feel very efficient, but they do all do…something. Picking of a small creature will probably feel the best, but tapping things is certainly nice on the right board state, especially if you have a payoff for tapping something. Then it can of course do the Food thing. Still, the ability is expensive enough that having the mana around to actually use it isn’t guaranteed, and it isn’t like any of these modes is really going to make you feel like you’re getting there
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
Flick a Coin image 2.0 Each thing this does individually isn’t that impressive but getting them all for three mana seems like a decent enough deal, especially if you’re in the market for fixing. Still, it’s a fairly low impact card that probably won’t always make the cut.
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.
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
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.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Edgewall Pack
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.
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
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
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.
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
Pack 1 Pick 11: Mocking Sprite
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
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.
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
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.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Leaping Ambush
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.
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
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
Pack 1 Pick 13: Bellowing Bruiser
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
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 1 Pick 14: Harried Spearguard
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
Pack 2 Pick 1: Conceited Witch
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.
Bramble Familiar image 4.0 If you play it on two, you get a solid creature that can ramp your mana – and then once it’s outlived its usefulness, you can bounce it to your hand and cast it as a super clunky reanimation spell. Obviously paying 7 means it will be hard for you to get your mana back when you cast it that way, but the fact is, having the Adventure side means the Familiar actually stays useful in the extremely late game, something that wouldn’t be true otherwise
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.
Gadwick's First Duel image 1.5 // 3.5 Just getting a Cursed token for two mana isn’t terrible…though certainly not good either. It is very easy for your opponent to move the Cursed Role since all they have to do is use an effect that lets them put a role on one of their creatures. So, it’s a good thing it does some other stuff. Scry 2 helps set up chapter III in theory, and if you can copy something like a removal spell with chapter III this card is going to feel pretty insane, especially for two mana! Not all decks will do that consistently, though
Night of the Sweets' Revenge image 0.0 This has some serious potential. Turning all your food into mana can be pretty silly, especially because this has a pretty strong effect you can pump all that mana into. Unfortunately though, it doesn’t give your stuff trample, so there will be lots of situations where the buff doesn’t quite accomplish what you need it to. On top of that, add to it the fact that you really need a lot of Food in the first place and probably some other things to spend all that mana on – AND the fact that this doesn’t really add to the board at all and well…I think we’re talking about a pretty bad card. There are way better thing you can do with Food.
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Flick a Coin image 2.0 Each thing this does individually isn’t that impressive but getting them all for three mana seems like a decent enough deal, especially if you’re in the market for fixing. Still, it’s a fairly low impact card that probably won’t always make the cut.
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.
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 2 Pick 2: Grasp of Fate
Grasp of Fate image 3.5 This is an oblivion ring variant, and like all of them it is premium removal. Hitting multiple permanent types and exiling for three is just that good. There’s a risk it gets destroyed of course, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive
Will, Scion of Peace image 3.0 This has decent base stats, and there are some ways to make his ability actually do something – most notably, Food, but it doesn’t really feel to me like that things will line up consistently for Will to do anything special. You need both to gain life and have something where decreasing the cost actually matters, and that just won’t happen often enough for Will to be anything special
Up the Beanstalk image 2.5 Making it so this draws all on its own is a pretty big deal, because it means it’s never entirely useless. Then if you have enough big spells in your deck – something Red/Green and Blue/Green both want to do, this will turn into a pretty awesome value engine
Cheeky House-Mouse image 3.0 You can look at this as a two mana 2/1 with the Adventure side as an ETB ability, and that makes for a pretty nice card. Especially because it’s far more flexible than it would be if it was just a two drop.
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
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
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
Sleight of Hand image 2.0 Seeing two cards for one mana tends to be a nice rate, and this will be especially good in this format’s spell deck, but running the first copy of this seems decent in most Blue decks. It is true that you only have so much space for cards that don’t impact the board, but this is efficient enough that it will make the cut a decent chunk of the time.
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
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
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
Misleading Motes image 3.0 We just saw this card but with a Lord of the Ringsy name, and it ended up being solid. It’s a 4 mana instant that removes…pretty much any creature. Keep in mind it is your opponent who decides where the creature goes
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 2 Pick 3: Hopeless Nightmare
Lich-Knights' Conquest image 1.5 So, the idea here is to give up a bunch of expendable stuff and then reanimate some things. The problem is, even in this format, the fact you can only give up permanents of a few types is limiting, especially because this already asks for the set up cost of having something or a few somethings worth reanimating for 5 mana. That’s far from a guarantee
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
Greta, Sweettooth Scourge image 4.0 A three mana 3/3 that makes a Food is already close to a 3.0, so her other abilities are pretty amazing to have. Giving up food for cards is a very good deal, and sometimes buffing your creatures with Food is nice too. Keep in mind that the buff effect is only sorcery speed, while the draw a card effect is not. In the later stage of the game, you can look at this as a 5-mana 3/3 that draws you a card and you lose 1 life, which isn’t too shabby either. This looks like an excellent signpost Uncommon overall, with a great baseline and a very powerful effect on the game
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
Bestial Bloodline image 1.0 +2/+2 is a nice boost for the cost, but you still set yourself up for an ugly 2-for-1, and even though this can come back from your graveyard the cost is so high that it is only something you do when you have absolutely nothing else you can do. And even then, it isn’t going to feel great
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Hopeful Vigil
A Tale for the Ages image 1.0 Even with all the Auras in this format, I have a hard time getting behind a card that does nothing but buff those Enchanted creatures. This is because it does nothing to add to the board on its own, making for a pretty miserable fail-case – one that is likely to come up pretty often
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
Flick a Coin image 2.0 Each thing this does individually isn’t that impressive but getting them all for three mana seems like a decent enough deal, especially if you’re in the market for fixing. Still, it’s a fairly low impact card that probably won’t always make the cut.
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
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
Hopeful Vigil image 2.5 You get a reasonable body up front, and then you can sacrifice this to Bargain or other sacrifice effects. That does seem pretty doable, and the fact that you get a decent creature up front really makes this intriguing as far as two drops go. It also happens to trigger Celebration on its own.
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
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.
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
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
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.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Voracious Vermin
Impact Tremors image 0.0 // 2.5 Like Goblin Bombardment, if your deck can make a lot of bodies, this does represent a pretty big problem for your opponent, although it is a very awkward top deck unlike Bombardment. Bombardment rewards you for already having things in play, Impact Tremors doesn’t
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
Rowan's Grim Search image 2.0 This is a nice take on the usual Black card raw spell we get. If you don’t bargain, we’re talking about an instant speed draw 2 lose 2, which is playable in all but the fastest of formats. If you have something expendable to bargain, you’re looking at a card that lets you see a ton of cards for the cost – up to six of them, which is dang impressive. It helps you load the graveyard too. Now…it is still a card that doesn’t really impact the board, and you won’t always want to Bargain it, so it isn’t amazing or anything
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Voracious Vermin
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
Sleight of Hand image 2.0 Seeing two cards for one mana tends to be a nice rate, and this will be especially good in this format’s spell deck, but running the first copy of this seems decent in most Blue decks. It is true that you only have so much space for cards that don’t impact the board, but this is efficient enough that it will make the cut a decent chunk of the time.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Faerie Fencing
Leyline of Anticipation image 0.0 Giving all your spells flash is a decent upgrade…but not usually one you want to spend an entire card on in Limited
Faerie Fencing image 4.0 Even without the Faerie upside this is an instant speed removal spell that scales all game long. If your deck has 0 Faeries you would always play it, but it does get far better if you do have some faeries around, as it becomes incredibly efficient. Heck, you can pay one to give something -3/-3 when you have a Faerie. There are enough faeries in black that setting this up for the extra value isn’t hard, and the baseline card is already really good
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Mintstrosity
Season of Growth image 2.0 The Scry effect alone isn’t enough to run this, but the good news is there are several green cards in the set that will trigger this, even at lower rarities. They are combat tricks of course, but this also works pretty well with all the fight and bite spells, as it will make them into 2-for-1s, which is actually pretty nuts. So, I think you can actually play one of these in most Green decks and have it do something, and in some of them it might be really nuts
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
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
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
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
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
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 2 Pick 9: Shatter the Oath
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.
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
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
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
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.
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 2 Pick 10: Cheeky House-Mouse
Cheeky House-Mouse image 3.0 You can look at this as a two mana 2/1 with the Adventure side as an ETB ability, and that makes for a pretty nice card. Especially because it’s far more flexible than it would be if it was just a two drop.
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
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
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
Misleading Motes image 3.0 We just saw this card but with a Lord of the Ringsy name, and it ended up being solid. It’s a 4 mana instant that removes…pretty much any creature. Keep in mind it is your opponent who decides where the creature goes
Pack 2 Pick 11: Rimefur Reindeer
Bestial Bloodline image 1.0 +2/+2 is a nice boost for the cost, but you still set yourself up for an ugly 2-for-1, and even though this can come back from your graveyard the cost is so high that it is only something you do when you have absolutely nothing else you can do. And even then, it isn’t going to feel great
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.
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
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.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Bellowing Bruiser
Flick a Coin image 2.0 Each thing this does individually isn’t that impressive but getting them all for three mana seems like a decent enough deal, especially if you’re in the market for fixing. Still, it’s a fairly low impact card that probably won’t always make the cut.
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
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
Pack 2 Pick 13: Living Lectern
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
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.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Sleight of Hand
Sleight of Hand image 2.0 Seeing two cards for one mana tends to be a nice rate, and this will be especially good in this format’s spell deck, but running the first copy of this seems decent in most Blue decks. It is true that you only have so much space for cards that don’t impact the board, but this is efficient enough that it will make the cut a decent chunk of the time.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Gumdrop Poisoner
Utopia Sprawl image 3.0 This offers nice fixing and ramp at a very efficient rate. It lets you play three mana things on turn two which is always nice. It does only Enchant forests, which comes up sometimes, but this is still a pretty great way to get a mana advantage early. It does get worse later in the game when mana is less meaningful, but that early game upside is enough for this to be pretty good
Gumdrop Poisoner image 4.5 Obviously, the idea is that her food token can help set her up later in the game, and the format has plenty of other Food around too – so, casting the Poisoner and giving something -2/-2 until end of turn really isn’t going to be that difficult. You do need to spend extra mana to gain that life usually, but that type of turn is still going to feel powerful.
Totentanz, Swarm Piper image 3.5 As usual, Black-Red is into having things die, whether as a result of sacrificing them or otherwise. On its own, Totentanz is a three mana ⅔ that leaves behind a 1/1 that can’t block. That’s an okay card, but the fact that Totentanz can potentially become a Rat engine is pretty exciting to me
Up the Beanstalk image 2.5 Making it so this draws all on its own is a pretty big deal, because it means it’s never entirely useless. Then if you have enough big spells in your deck – something Red/Green and Blue/Green both want to do, this will turn into a pretty awesome value engine
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
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
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
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.
Bestial Bloodline image 1.0 +2/+2 is a nice boost for the cost, but you still set yourself up for an ugly 2-for-1, and even though this can come back from your graveyard the cost is so high that it is only something you do when you have absolutely nothing else you can do. And even then, it isn’t going to feel great
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
Unassuming Sage image 2.0 Neither of these modes is a model of efficiency, but the second mode does at least get synergy going for Celebration and Aura decks
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
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
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 3 Pick 2: Totentanz, Swarm Piper
Dark Tutelage image 1.5 Drawing extra cards is good, but mana values get high enough in most Limited decks that this might be a problem. If you have a really low curve this can end up being quite the card advantage engine, but I’m skeptical you’ll end up in a deck like that very often
The Apprentice's Folly image 3.5 Those first two chapters can deliver some pretty absurd value, as making a hasty token copy of your best and then second-best creature can be a pretty serious beating. The first one will even get to attack twice! The bad news is, if you can’t take advantage of those tokens in time, you’re in trouble, because the Folly ultimately takes them away from you. Still, it seems like you should be able to get enough value out of those two tokens before the Folly goes away. Worth noting that you can sacrifice this to something with bargain before you reach chapter 3, in which case the downside goes away entirely. That’s where the power really is. It will feel pretty close to a bomb if you can do it consistently
Two-Headed Hunter image 4.5 This looks really good. The combat trick side will alter combat significantly, usually enough for it to be in your favor, and then in the later game you get a reasonably efficient creature. This is another Adventure that has very real 2-for-1 potential.
Totentanz, Swarm Piper image 3.5 As usual, Black-Red is into having things die, whether as a result of sacrificing them or otherwise. On its own, Totentanz is a three mana ⅔ that leaves behind a 1/1 that can’t block. That’s an okay card, but the fact that Totentanz can potentially become a Rat engine is pretty exciting to me
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
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
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
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
Crystal Grotto image 1.0 Mana filter lands usually aren’t very good in Limited. It’s just really costly to have to tap two lands for one mana, and that’s effectively what happens when you need to filter using a land. The fact that Prophetic Prism and that Scarecrow are in the set probably also means that the demand for this will be even lower, as those two can filter your mana and you only have to tap one land to do it. Crystal Grotto is usually a 1.5, and with better Common colorless fixing around, this will probably drop down to a 1.0
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
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.
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
Misleading Motes image 3.0 We just saw this card but with a Lord of the Ringsy name, and it ended up being solid. It’s a 4 mana instant that removes…pretty much any creature. Keep in mind it is your opponent who decides where the creature goes
Pack 3 Pick 3: Hopeful Vigil
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Brave the Wilds image 2.0 One green mana to search up a basic land is a borderline playable, especially if you’re playing more than two colors. The upside of animating a land means it can add to the board sometimes too
Hopeful Vigil image 2.5 You get a reasonable body up front, and then you can sacrifice this to Bargain or other sacrifice effects. That does seem pretty doable, and the fact that you get a decent creature up front really makes this intriguing as far as two drops go. It also happens to trigger Celebration on its own.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Feed the Cauldron
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
Royal Treatment image 2.0 This is really good against removal, less good in combat. +1/+1 just isn’t a boost that will help your creature succeed often enough
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
Unassuming Sage image 2.0 Neither of these modes is a model of efficiency, but the second mode does at least get synergy going for Celebration and Aura decks
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
Pack 3 Pick 5: High Fae Negotiator
High Fae Negotiator image 3.5 That ETB really is powerful, as the gap in life between you and your opponent becomes 6, and that can drastically alter a race. Then this big body can attack and block reasonably well
Back for Seconds image 3.5 I would already be interested in having one copy of this in every Black deck without Bargain. This type of card just always does a great job of helping you win long games by giving you back your two best creatures from the graveyard. So the fact that this can effectively reanimate something small when you do bargain it is pretty amazing. You still probably don’t really want more than one of these because they are so bad early, but I’d value that first copy pretty highly
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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 3 Pick 6: Besotted Knight
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
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
Brave the Wilds image 2.0 One green mana to search up a basic land is a borderline playable, especially if you’re playing more than two colors. The upside of animating a land means it can add to the board sometimes too
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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 3 Pick 7: Stingblade Assassin
Fraying Sanity image 0.0 To make Fraying Sanity work you usually need some other mill around, and while there’s a little bit of that in this format, there isn’t enough to support this
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
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
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
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
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
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
Pack 3 Pick 8: Imodane, the Pyrohammer
Imodane, the Pyrohammer image 2.5 This has solid stats and Red has enough commons and uncommon instants and sorceries that target things for her ability to do its thing sometimes and when she can, she’s going to be a pretty big pain for your opponent. Still, she’s going to just be a 4-mana 4/4 a decent chunk of the time
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
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
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
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
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
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.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Unassuming Sage
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
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
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.
Bestial Bloodline image 1.0 +2/+2 is a nice boost for the cost, but you still set yourself up for an ugly 2-for-1, and even though this can come back from your graveyard the cost is so high that it is only something you do when you have absolutely nothing else you can do. And even then, it isn’t going to feel great
Unassuming Sage image 2.0 Neither of these modes is a model of efficiency, but the second mode does at least get synergy going for Celebration and Aura decks
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 3 Pick 10: Merry Bards
Dark Tutelage image 1.5 Drawing extra cards is good, but mana values get high enough in most Limited decks that this might be a problem. If you have a really low curve this can end up being quite the card advantage engine, but I’m skeptical you’ll end up in a deck like that very often
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
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
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
Misleading Motes image 3.0 We just saw this card but with a Lord of the Ringsy name, and it ended up being solid. It’s a 4 mana instant that removes…pretty much any creature. Keep in mind it is your opponent who decides where the creature goes
Pack 3 Pick 11: Spreading Seas
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
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
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
Brave the Wilds image 2.0 One green mana to search up a basic land is a borderline playable, especially if you’re playing more than two colors. The upside of animating a land means it can add to the board sometimes too
Pack 3 Pick 12: Besotted Knight
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
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Wicked Visitor
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
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 14: Stormkeld Prowler
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.
Draft Pick Overview