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Quick Draft WOE 19 December 2023

19 December 02:47 - robkabob 7 Wins - 1 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (16)
1 Unruly Catapult image
1 Stingblade Assassin image
1 Scarecrow Guide image
1 Redcap Thief image
1 Twisted Sewer-Witch image
2 Spellscorn Coven image
1 Voracious Vermin image
2 Wicked Visitor image
2 Ratcatcher Trainee image
2 Belligerent of the Ball image
2 Grand Ball Guest image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (8)
1 Gnawing Crescendo image
1 Cut In image
1 Torch the Tower image
1 Feed the Cauldron image
1 Monstrous Rage image
1 Candy Grapple image
1 Rowan's Grim Search image
1 Song of Totentanz image
Land (16)
8 Swamp image
8 Mountain image
Sideboard
1 Snaremaster Sprite image
1 Mintstrosity image
1 Bellowing Bruiser image
1 Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer image
1 Skewer Slinger image
1 Dream Spoilers image
1 Stingblade Assassin image
1 Living Lectern image
1 Twisted Fealty image
1 Season of Growth image
1 Dragon Mantle image
2 Kindled Heroism image
1 Raid Bombardment image
1 Gnawing Crescendo image
1 Bespoke Battlegarb image
1 Disdainful Stroke image
1 Evolving Wilds image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Song of Totentanz
Prismatic Omen image 2.5 If you need fixing, you could do worse than this as it obviously gives you some pretty perfect mana. You aren’t always in the market for fixing of course, but if you are this works pretty nicely
Song of Totentanz image 3.5 They can’t block, but who cares? This gives all those Rats haste, which means they can immediately pressure your opponent. Now, the bad news about this card is that in the early game it isn’t going to feel that good, but I guess paying 2 for X isn’t all that bad either. It also doesn’t help that much if you’re behind since the rats can’t block. It seems really good late and kind of mediocre up until that point, but the upside is pretty real and the floor gets higher the more Rat and sacrifice synergy you have
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.
Twisted Fealty image 1.5 This format doesn’t really have a sacrifice deck, and that’s usually the place for a Threaten effect. It isn’t unplayable, though. It will have a home in some really aggressive decks
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
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.
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
Spell Stutter image 1.0 // 2.5 One of the downsides with counter magic that gives your opponent the option of paying mana to ignore it is that it gets worse as the game goes longer, but the Faerie upside here helps hedge against that. This probably needs a build around grade though, because if you’re in Blue and you’re short on Faeries it’s a lot worse
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
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
Hamlet Glutton image 3.0 I always love a big ol’ green creature that gains me life when it ETBs, because it allows slower decks to stabilize. If this always cost 7 it would be overcosted, but because Bargaining this looks so doable, it will often cost 5 and you won’t have to give up much to make it happen. Red-Green and Blue-Green will both always want at least one copy of this
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
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.
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 1 Pick 2: Season of Growth
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
Syr Armont, the Redeemer image 4.0 It can’t put the Role on itself, but provided you have something else around Syr Armont is a 5-mana 4/4 that gives something else +2/+2 and trample and uh…that’s kind of crazy, and will usually mean that whatever you just put that Role on is suddenly a way more effective attacker than it was before. Sometimes it will turn something that couldn’t attack into an attacker, and I haven’t even mentioned how good this effect is when you have other Roles and Auras around on your board. I think this is an amazing signpost Uncommon
Edgewall Inn image 3.0 This looks like a very nice land. Sure it enters tapped, but unlike a lot of utility lands we see, this one can produce colored mana so it isn’t a liability for your mana base. And that’s great, because the late game ability this has is pretty big. Getting back an Adventure late is going to be something that really helps you grind out a long game, since you often get a card that gives you impressive value when you do. You don’t really want more than one, but I think most decks will have enough adventures to make that first copy pretty nice
Dream Spoilers image 1.0 4-mana 2/2 flyer do not fair well in Limited. This is mostly because there are multiple one mana spells in each set that can deal with them, so paying FOUR often results in a huge tempo hit. The ability here is nice, especially if you can cast multiple spells, but triggering it is far from automatic and even when you do sometimes it won’t do anything. I don’t think this makes the cut very often
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.
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
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.
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
Grand Ball Guest image 2.0 A vanilla two mana 2/2 is probably a 1.0 these days, and while I think triggering celebration is doable, it isn’t going to happen so much that this will be a 3/3 with trample every turn or anything
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
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
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.
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
Pack 1 Pick 3: Spellscorn Coven
Forced Fruition image 0.0 The idea is to make your opponent mill themselves out before they can beat you with their overwhelming card advantage. The problem with that is if you ever play this when you’re behind or at parity, you’re probably going to lose. If you play it when you’re ahead your opponent probably can’t dig themselves out of milling themselves before they stabilize, but that still means this is a pretty big dud most of the time.
Spellscorn Coven image 3.5 As with most of these, if you take the adventure away, we’re talking about a playable card. A 4-mana 2/3 flyer that forces your opponent to discard is exactly that, and in the earlier part of the game the fact that this bounces a spell is pretty nice. That effect normally isn’t that impressive, mostly because you would go down a card for tempo alone, but because you have the Coven to play later, that isn’t true in this case. That makes the effect a heck of a lot more powerful
Chancellor of Tales image 4.0 This seems really strong, so much so that I wouldn’t have been shocked if it were a rare. There are a lot of Adventures in this set and doubling them is huge. Your normal deck will have more than enough adventures to take advantage of the chancellor. The one downside the card has is its fairly inefficient stat-line, but honestly, given how strong this is, that hardly matters
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
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.
Vantress Transmuter image 3.0 This doesn’t quite give you two cards, but I think it gets close enough, even with Croaking Curse being Sorcery speed. It lets you downgrade a creature and up your ability to attack, and then you get a decent creature on a future turn
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
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
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
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
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
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
Pack 1 Pick 4: Candy Grapple
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
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
Evolving Wilds image 2.5 As usual, this provides nice fixing. Makes it pretty easy to splash a single card if you have one Evolving Wilds, since it effectively gives you two sources of your splash color
Stormkeld Prowler image 1.5 Two +1/+1 counters is pretty nice! But a two-mana 2/1…isn’t, and by the time you play your 5-drop and make this a 4/3, it isn’t like it will be unbeatable. There will also be times where you can’t grow until well beyond that turn.
Candy Grapple image 4.0 Without Bargain this is premium removal, with it, it’s one of Black’s best commons. It can deal with so much when you Bargain, and there’s plenty of fodder around
Voracious Vermin image 2.0 Three mana for a 2/1 and a 1/1 isn’t bad, and this will definitely be growing, especially in Black/Red where you throw rats at your opponent a lot of the time. Just blocking those rats will make the Vermin grow.
Skybeast Tracker image 1.5 A 4-mana 2/4 with Reach is not very good these days, though you could do worse if you need something defensive. This will make some food sometimes, which certainly has its uses in the format
Archon's Glory image 2.0 One mana for +2/+2 generally makes for a decent trick that will allow a creature to win combat fairly often – and at a very low cost, and the added bargain upside here will come up sometimes. It sort of gives it a mode where you can send a creature into the air to do lethal.
Gingerbrute image 2.5 He’s back! He wasn’t too bad as a beater last time around, and that will be pretty true here too with all of the Role tokens. Putting one on him and going to town with him is definitely going to be a way to close out a game
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
Barrow Naughty image 2.0 A two mana 1/3 with lifelink is a solid card, and that’s what this well be a decent chunk of the time, especially in Blue-Black. The buff effect is expensive and really only the kind of thing you use when you have nothing else to do
Pack 1 Pick 5: Voracious Vermin
Dragon Mantle image 1.5 Giving a creature firebereathing isn’t particularly useful unless that creature was also pretty good, but this does replace itself, so that makes the floor on it pretty reasonable, especially for a one mana card. It isn’t a bad thing to sacrifice to Bargain either, since it will have already giving you a card
Faerie Dreamthief image 3.5 think I’m already in on a one mana 1/1 flyer that Surveils 1. So, the fact this can cash itself in from the graveyard and give you back a whole card is nice
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Grand Ball Guest image 2.0 A vanilla two mana 2/2 is probably a 1.0 these days, and while I think triggering celebration is doable, it isn’t going to happen so much that this will be a 3/3 with trample every turn or anything
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
Pack 1 Pick 6: Mintstrosity
Dragon Mantle image 1.5 Giving a creature firebereathing isn’t particularly useful unless that creature was also pretty good, but this does replace itself, so that makes the floor on it pretty reasonable, especially for a one mana card. It isn’t a bad thing to sacrifice to Bargain either, since it will have already giving you a card
Obyra, Dreaming Duelist image 4.0 A two mana 2/2 with Flash and Flying always makes the cut, so the fact that this will also chip in and make your opponent lose life while you play out other Faeries is nice, especially because so many Faeries are evasive that chipping in for one damage here and there makes it a lot easier for them to do lethal
Collector's Vault image 1.5 This is probably a little too clunky to be worth it. Looting and treasure is nice of course, but the number of turns where you have the time and mana to activated this ability will be surprisingly limited
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
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
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
Evolving Wilds image 2.5 As usual, this provides nice fixing. Makes it pretty easy to splash a single card if you have one Evolving Wilds, since it effectively gives you two sources of your splash color
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
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
Pack 1 Pick 7: Kindled Heroism
Griffin Aerie image 0.0 // 3.0 I think this has potential, at least in some decks. Food isn’t that readily available in White, but if you’re paired with Black or Green, you’re going to have food – and this basically adds “make a 2/2 flying token” to your food getting sacrificed and that’s honestly…kind of insane. There are other ways to gain life in White too of course, but that’s the one that immediately springs to mind when you see a card that has a threshold of 3 life for it to do something. It needs a build around grade, since not all White decks will trigger it enough, but I think this can make a whole lot of tokens in the right deck
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.
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
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.
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.
Territorial Witchstalker image 1.5 A two mana 2/3 with defender isn’t great, but in a defensive deck it isn’t unplayable, but the ceiling on this card just isn’t very high, and neither is the floor.
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
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
Pack 1 Pick 8: Ratcatcher Trainee
Knight of Doves image 1.0 // 3.5 White has lots of expendable enchantments in the form of Role tokens, and Black-White in particular is interested in getting Enchantments into the graveyard and getting value out of them, so getting a few tokens out of this isn’t farfetched. However, I also don’t think it’s going to be automatic. This probably needs a build around grade. Your typical deck will probably struggle to make even one token with the Knight, but some decks will turn it into a real engine.
Eriette's Tempting Apple image 1.0 A 4-mana Threaten isn’t amazing, but as usual, if you can sacrifice the thing that you steal we’re talking about a potentially powerful card. But the apple’s other two effects aren’t particularly good either
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
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
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
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.
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
Pack 1 Pick 9: Twisted Fealty
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.
Twisted Fealty image 1.5 This format doesn’t really have a sacrifice deck, and that’s usually the place for a Threaten effect. It isn’t unplayable, though. It will have a home in some really aggressive decks
Spell Stutter image 1.0 // 2.5 One of the downsides with counter magic that gives your opponent the option of paying mana to ignore it is that it gets worse as the game goes longer, but the Faerie upside here helps hedge against that. This probably needs a build around grade though, because if you’re in Blue and you’re short on Faeries it’s a lot worse
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
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.
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 1 Pick 10: Unruly Catapult
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.
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
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.
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
Bespoke Battlegarb image 0.0 This doesn’t look good. Two mana to play and two to equip for +2/+0 just…isn’t where you want to be. The Celebration trigger on it will let you equip it for free, but even when that’s the case I’m not especially interested
Pack 1 Pick 11: Snaremaster Sprite
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.
Vantress Transmuter image 3.0 This doesn’t quite give you two cards, but I think it gets close enough, even with Croaking Curse being Sorcery speed. It lets you downgrade a creature and up your ability to attack, and then you get a decent creature on a future turn
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
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
Pack 1 Pick 12: Evolving Wilds
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.
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
Evolving Wilds image 2.5 As usual, this provides nice fixing. Makes it pretty easy to splash a single card if you have one Evolving Wilds, since it effectively gives you two sources of your splash color
Pack 1 Pick 13: Rowan's Grim Search
Dragon Mantle image 1.5 Giving a creature firebereathing isn’t particularly useful unless that creature was also pretty good, but this does replace itself, so that makes the floor on it pretty reasonable, especially for a one mana card. It isn’t a bad thing to sacrifice to Bargain either, since it will have already giving you a card
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
Pack 1 Pick 14: Dragon Mantle
Dragon Mantle image 1.5 Giving a creature firebereathing isn’t particularly useful unless that creature was also pretty good, but this does replace itself, so that makes the floor on it pretty reasonable, especially for a one mana card. It isn’t a bad thing to sacrifice to Bargain either, since it will have already giving you a card
Pack 2 Pick 1: Bellowing Bruiser
Raid Bombardment image 0.0 // 2.5 Another Enchantment that rewards you for having lots of small creatures – things might get interesting if you can get your hands on impact tremors and goblin bombardment along with this. Anyway, like those this probably needs a specific deck – one that makes lots of Rats seems the most appealing. But if you can do that, you can quickly damage your opponent. It’s probably an F in most decks, and a C in a deck that got there on small stuff
Sleep-Cursed Faerie image 2.5 I don’t hate the idea of playing this on turn one and just letting it sit around a bit before it becomes an actual problem. You get a pretty good for your investment. The bad news is that you’ll draw it late sometimes, and you’ll have to pay a bunch of mana and spend significant time for it to become relevant. The good news is, a 3/3 flyer is good on most boards, but this does seem a little slow if you play it in the mid-to-late game.
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
Splashy Spellcaster image 3.5 This is a powerful spell payoff, and it has high enough toughness to be difficult to deal with and attack through. It is a little sad it can’t give itself a Sorcerer Role, but upgrading all your other stuff seems pretty good to me. I think this will feel like an impressive engine, even in a Blue deck with like five spells you’ll be running this.
Sharae of Numbing Depths image 3.5 It’s a 4-mana 2/3 that stuns something down and draws you a card. I’m always playing that. Stunning something isn’t quite as good as bouncing, but it feels pretty close! Then it works well with other tap effects too
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
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.
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.
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
Territorial Witchstalker image 1.5 A two mana 2/3 with defender isn’t great, but in a defensive deck it isn’t unplayable, but the ceiling on this card just isn’t very high, and neither is the floor.
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
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
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
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
Pack 2 Pick 2: Cut In
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
Redtooth Vanguard image 3.5 This 3/1 trampler is going to be able to come back from the graveyard a ton in this format, and while you won’t always have the mana to make it happen, bringing this back constantly does represent a major problem for your opponent, whether you’re behind or ahead. If you’re ahead it can attack for free in some decks, and when you’re behind it can block and trade forever. The fact it doesn’t enter tapped like some recursive creatures is a pretty big deal too
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
Tenacious Tomeseeker image 3.5 I like this. Getting a spell to your hand when you play a creature with passable stats sounds really good, and there are enough expendable things around in this format for that to work out pretty well. I will say Blue is probably lighter on expendable things to Bargain than any other color – it doesn’t have much in the way of treasure or food, and it even has fewer role tokens, so this won’t work out quite as well as some other Bargain cards in other colors. That said, you won’t be playing monoblue, so you may have access to that stuff anyway, and when you give up something like that, Tenacious Tomeseeker is going to be a 2-for-1
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
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
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.
Protective Parents image 2.5 This has passable stats and a decent death trigger.
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.
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
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
Cut In image 2.5 A 4-mana deal 4 sorcery isn’t premium removal, and I don’t think adding a Young Hero Role token to the mix gets this there. Still, it can kill a decent number of things and it does add to the board a tiny bit too.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Belligerent of the Ball
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.
Twisted Fealty image 1.5 This format doesn’t really have a sacrifice deck, and that’s usually the place for a Threaten effect. It isn’t unplayable, though. It will have a home in some really aggressive decks
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
Belligerent of the Ball image 2.5 This has solid base stats, and on turns when you get celebration going it is going to make one of your attackers significantly better. Importantly, it can target itself. +1/+0 Menace has a surprisingly big impact on some board states
Grand Ball Guest image 2.0 A vanilla two mana 2/2 is probably a 1.0 these days, and while I think triggering celebration is doable, it isn’t going to happen so much that this will be a 3/3 with trample every turn or anything
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.
Kindled Heroism image 1.5 We’ve seen this trick many times before and it’s always kind of okay. The boost can allow your creature to win a decent number of combats, and when you can make that happen for only one mana it feels pretty amazing. Still, it is a combat trick and one that isn’t always very impactful
Titanic Growth image 2.0 We’ve seen this a ton and it’s always a playable trick. It makes it so most creatures can win combat against most other creatures, and the stats boost is even good against some removal
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
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
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
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.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Torch the Tower
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
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.
Chancellor of Tales image 4.0 This seems really strong, so much so that I wouldn’t have been shocked if it were a rare. There are a lot of Adventures in this set and doubling them is huge. Your normal deck will have more than enough adventures to take advantage of the chancellor. The one downside the card has is its fairly inefficient stat-line, but honestly, given how strong this is, that hardly matters
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
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
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
Torch the Tower image 4.0 This is premium removal. It would be without Bargain. With it it’s even better, as it can become a one mana deal 3. Sure, you do have to give something up, and sometimes that something will have to be real, but this format has a variety of tokens and other expendable things with these types, so Torch the Tower isn’t going to be that hard to get it to do 3 for a very low cost.
Break the Spell image 2.0 This is probably going to be something that can stay in your main deck. There are many Enchantments in this set, including the Role tokens. Destroying those normally wouldn’t be that good, but because this draws you a card when you hit one, the effect is much better. The times where you hit a legitimate Enchantment are going to feel nice too. There are plenty of expendable enchantments around and sometimes you’ll just target one of yours for value too.
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
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
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: Spellscorn Coven
Spellscorn Coven image 3.5 As with most of these, if you take the adventure away, we’re talking about a playable card. A 4-mana 2/3 flyer that forces your opponent to discard is exactly that, and in the earlier part of the game the fact that this bounces a spell is pretty nice. That effect normally isn’t that impressive, mostly because you would go down a card for tempo alone, but because you have the Coven to play later, that isn’t true in this case. That makes the effect a heck of a lot more powerful
Tenacious Tomeseeker image 3.5 I like this. Getting a spell to your hand when you play a creature with passable stats sounds really good, and there are enough expendable things around in this format for that to work out pretty well. I will say Blue is probably lighter on expendable things to Bargain than any other color – it doesn’t have much in the way of treasure or food, and it even has fewer role tokens, so this won’t work out quite as well as some other Bargain cards in other colors. That said, you won’t be playing monoblue, so you may have access to that stuff anyway, and when you give up something like that, Tenacious Tomeseeker is going to be a 2-for-1
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
Territorial Witchstalker image 1.5 A two mana 2/3 with defender isn’t great, but in a defensive deck it isn’t unplayable, but the ceiling on this card just isn’t very high, and neither is the floor.
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.
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
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
Grand Ball Guest image 2.0 A vanilla two mana 2/2 is probably a 1.0 these days, and while I think triggering celebration is doable, it isn’t going to happen so much that this will be a 3/3 with trample every turn or anything
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.
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 2 Pick 6: Wicked Visitor
Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer image 3.5 This effect is really powerful, even when limited to once per turn. If your deck has enough instants and sorceries in it, this will end up drawing you an extra card on many turns and that’s just crazy. This gets even better if you use draw effects or other things to manipulate the top of your library, as you increase your chances of getting that card on top. I like the high toughness here too, as it means Johann is an engine that isn’t super easy to kill
Solitary Sanctuary image 1.0 // 3.0 Three mana for a stun counter and a +1/+1 counter all on its own would be a card that is pretty close to playable, and the fact this adds a counter to every tap effect definitely makes this intriguing. It probably needs a build around grade though, as your typical White deck probably just won’t be tapping things enough to make this really do its thing.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
Frostbridge Guard image 1.5 This has somewhat passable stats, and it has an ability that is useful, albeit expensive. Tapping things does bring some extra value in this format, but three for the effect is kind of brutal. I miss the days of Master Decoy
Pack 2 Pick 7: Belligerent of the Ball
Belligerent of the Ball image 2.5 This has solid base stats, and on turns when you get celebration going it is going to make one of your attackers significantly better. Importantly, it can target itself. +1/+0 Menace has a surprisingly big impact on some board states
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
Pack 2 Pick 8: Gnawing Crescendo
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
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
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.
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
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.
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
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 This is pretty solid every time we see it. It’s not going to be as good here as it would be an artifact-heavy set, but it replaces itself and does an okay job of fixing your mana
Pack 2 Pick 9: Raid Bombardment
Raid Bombardment image 0.0 // 2.5 Another Enchantment that rewards you for having lots of small creatures – things might get interesting if you can get your hands on impact tremors and goblin bombardment along with this. Anyway, like those this probably needs a specific deck – one that makes lots of Rats seems the most appealing. But if you can do that, you can quickly damage your opponent. It’s probably an F in most decks, and a C in a deck that got there on small stuff
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
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.
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
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
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
Pack 2 Pick 10: Scarecrow Guide
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
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.
Protective Parents image 2.5 This has passable stats and a decent death trigger.
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.
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
Pack 2 Pick 11: Kindled Heroism
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.
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
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
Bespoke Battlegarb image 0.0 This doesn’t look good. Two mana to play and two to equip for +2/+0 just…isn’t where you want to be. The Celebration trigger on it will let you equip it for free, but even when that’s the case I’m not especially interested
Pack 2 Pick 12: Bespoke Battlegarb
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
Break the Spell image 2.0 This is probably going to be something that can stay in your main deck. There are many Enchantments in this set, including the Role tokens. Destroying those normally wouldn’t be that good, but because this draws you a card when you hit one, the effect is much better. The times where you hit a legitimate Enchantment are going to feel nice too. There are plenty of expendable enchantments around and sometimes you’ll just target one of yours for value too.
Bespoke Battlegarb image 0.0 This doesn’t look good. Two mana to play and two to equip for +2/+0 just…isn’t where you want to be. The Celebration trigger on it will let you equip it for free, but even when that’s the case I’m not especially interested
Pack 2 Pick 13: Skewer Slinger
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
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
Pack 2 Pick 14: Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer
Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer image 3.5 This effect is really powerful, even when limited to once per turn. If your deck has enough instants and sorceries in it, this will end up drawing you an extra card on many turns and that’s just crazy. This gets even better if you use draw effects or other things to manipulate the top of your library, as you increase your chances of getting that card on top. I like the high toughness here too, as it means Johann is an engine that isn’t super easy to kill
Pack 3 Pick 1: Grand Ball Guest
Ground Seal image 0.0 There’s not enough of a reason to hate on the graveyard in this format
Restless Vinestalk image 4.0 This is the beefiest of all the creature lands in this set, and it does not disappoint. A 5/5 trampler is an imposing presence virtually all game, and this can even buff one of your other creatures! It might take longer to get going than the other 4, but once it does get going, it is certainly the one in the cycle that is the most imposing
Dream Spoilers image 1.0 4-mana 2/2 flyer do not fair well in Limited. This is mostly because there are multiple one mana spells in each set that can deal with them, so paying FOUR often results in a huge tempo hit. The ability here is nice, especially if you can cast multiple spells, but triggering it is far from automatic and even when you do sometimes it won’t do anything. I don’t think this makes the cut very often
Chancellor of Tales image 4.0 This seems really strong, so much so that I wouldn’t have been shocked if it were a rare. There are a lot of Adventures in this set and doubling them is huge. Your normal deck will have more than enough adventures to take advantage of the chancellor. The one downside the card has is its fairly inefficient stat-line, but honestly, given how strong this is, that hardly matters
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
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
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
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
Titanic Growth image 2.0 We’ve seen this a ton and it’s always a playable trick. It makes it so most creatures can win combat against most other creatures, and the stats boost is even good against some removal
Besotted Knight image 3.0 Neither half of this card is exactly something you’d play on its own, but the fact of the matter is you can get both of these things! Using the Adventure side is likely to augment one of your early game creatures and make it more of a problem, and then you just sort of have this Hill Giant sitting in your hand, ready to come into play as soon as you don’t have anything else to do with your mana. That might know sound exciting, but I think you definitely get enough value out of this in the end for it to be a nice Common. Worth remembering too that the Role tokens have a lot of synergies in the set.
Grand Ball Guest image 2.0 A vanilla two mana 2/2 is probably a 1.0 these days, and while I think triggering celebration is doable, it isn’t going to happen so much that this will be a 3/3 with trample every turn or anything
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.
Ice Out image 2.0 This is Cancel when you don’t Bargain it, and Counterspell when you do. 1 mana may not seem like much, but the chasm between those two cards is massive. The fact this has double blue in the cost really matters too, as Limited mana bases aren’t good enough for you to consistently be able to leave up two Blue mana for this.
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 3 Pick 2: Twisted Sewer-Witch
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
Twisted Sewer-Witch image 4.5 This reminds me a little of Diregraf Horde, and that’s very good company to keep. You pay 5 mana here for at least 5/6 worth of stats across two bodies. And sure, one of those bodies can’t block, but that’s still completely insane! Especially because should you have any other Rats around, the Witch buffs them too. And…I think it’s safe to say you’ll have at least one other one a huge chunk of the time when you play her. This may just be the best Uncommon in the set.
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
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
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
Protective Parents image 2.5 This has passable stats and a decent death trigger.
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
Evolving Wilds image 2.5 As usual, this provides nice fixing. Makes it pretty easy to splash a single card if you have one Evolving Wilds, since it effectively gives you two sources of your splash color
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.
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
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
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.
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
Pack 3 Pick 3: Stingblade Assassin
Disdainful Stroke image 0.5 This is a sideboard card. Most opponents won’t have enough things you can counter with this for it to be worth it.
Welcome to Sweettooth image 3.5 This looks really good to me as it delivers so much value for the cost. You get to add to the board up front, then you get some food, and then you get a very real permanent buff
Knight of Doves image 1.0 // 3.5 White has lots of expendable enchantments in the form of Role tokens, and Black-White in particular is interested in getting Enchantments into the graveyard and getting value out of them, so getting a few tokens out of this isn’t farfetched. However, I also don’t think it’s going to be automatic. This probably needs a build around grade. Your typical deck will probably struggle to make even one token with the Knight, but some decks will turn it into a real engine.
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
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
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
Frostbridge Guard image 1.5 This has somewhat passable stats, and it has an ability that is useful, albeit expensive. Tapping things does bring some extra value in this format, but three for the effect is kind of brutal. I miss the days of Master Decoy
Beanstalk Wurm image 2.0 Extra land effects rarely play well in Limited, especially when not accompanied by a way to draw cards, so the adventure here is often not going to be good. If you have it on turn two and have nothing else to do, it might help you ramp a bit. Even then it isn’t guaranteed though, as a missed land drop makes that advantage disintegrates and by the later stages of the game it is increasingly meaningless, and if you don’t have the extra land to begin with it’s always meaningless. The other side is a passable creature, but I think the overall package here is underwhelming
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
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.
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.
Ice Out image 2.0 This is Cancel when you don’t Bargain it, and Counterspell when you do. 1 mana may not seem like much, but the chasm between those two cards is massive. The fact this has double blue in the cost really matters too, as Limited mana bases aren’t good enough for you to consistently be able to leave up two Blue mana for this.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Grand Ball Guest
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
Chancellor of Tales image 4.0 This seems really strong, so much so that I wouldn’t have been shocked if it were a rare. There are a lot of Adventures in this set and doubling them is huge. Your normal deck will have more than enough adventures to take advantage of the chancellor. The one downside the card has is its fairly inefficient stat-line, but honestly, given how strong this is, that hardly matters
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
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
Grand Ball Guest image 2.0 A vanilla two mana 2/2 is probably a 1.0 these days, and while I think triggering celebration is doable, it isn’t going to happen so much that this will be a 3/3 with trample every turn or anything
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
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
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
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
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
Pack 3 Pick 5: Monstrous Rage
Griffin Aerie image 0.0 // 3.0 I think this has potential, at least in some decks. Food isn’t that readily available in White, but if you’re paired with Black or Green, you’re going to have food – and this basically adds “make a 2/2 flying token” to your food getting sacrificed and that’s honestly…kind of insane. There are other ways to gain life in White too of course, but that’s the one that immediately springs to mind when you see a card that has a threshold of 3 life for it to do something. It needs a build around grade, since not all White decks will trigger it enough, but I think this can make a whole lot of tokens in the right deck
Monstrous Rage image 2.5 We’ve seen one mana for +3/+1 and trample before, and it usually makes for a nice trick. It’s just so cheap and makes combat so much more devastating. And in this case the +1/+1 trample part stick around! A toughness boost of only one won’t always help your creature survive, but I think the Trample and Role upside make up for that. This looks like a trick you’ll probably want as many of as you can get your hands on in an aggressive red deck
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
Pack 3 Pick 6: Ratcatcher Trainee
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
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
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
Evolving Wilds image 2.5 As usual, this provides nice fixing. Makes it pretty easy to splash a single card if you have one Evolving Wilds, since it effectively gives you two sources of your splash color
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.
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
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
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
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 7: Redcap Thief
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
Tenacious Tomeseeker image 3.5 I like this. Getting a spell to your hand when you play a creature with passable stats sounds really good, and there are enough expendable things around in this format for that to work out pretty well. I will say Blue is probably lighter on expendable things to Bargain than any other color – it doesn’t have much in the way of treasure or food, and it even has fewer role tokens, so this won’t work out quite as well as some other Bargain cards in other colors. That said, you won’t be playing monoblue, so you may have access to that stuff anyway, and when you give up something like that, Tenacious Tomeseeker is going to be a 2-for-1
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
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
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
Break the Spell image 2.0 This is probably going to be something that can stay in your main deck. There are many Enchantments in this set, including the Role tokens. Destroying those normally wouldn’t be that good, but because this draws you a card when you hit one, the effect is much better. The times where you hit a legitimate Enchantment are going to feel nice too. There are plenty of expendable enchantments around and sometimes you’ll just target one of yours for value too.
Protective Parents image 2.5 This has passable stats and a decent death trigger.
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
Pack 3 Pick 8: Feed the Cauldron
Dream Spoilers image 1.0 4-mana 2/2 flyer do not fair well in Limited. This is mostly because there are multiple one mana spells in each set that can deal with them, so paying FOUR often results in a huge tempo hit. The ability here is nice, especially if you can cast multiple spells, but triggering it is far from automatic and even when you do sometimes it won’t do anything. I don’t think this makes the cut very often
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Dream Spoilers
Dream Spoilers image 1.0 4-mana 2/2 flyer do not fair well in Limited. This is mostly because there are multiple one mana spells in each set that can deal with them, so paying FOUR often results in a huge tempo hit. The ability here is nice, especially if you can cast multiple spells, but triggering it is far from automatic and even when you do sometimes it won’t do anything. I don’t think this makes the cut very often
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
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
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
Ice Out image 2.0 This is Cancel when you don’t Bargain it, and Counterspell when you do. 1 mana may not seem like much, but the chasm between those two cards is massive. The fact this has double blue in the cost really matters too, as Limited mana bases aren’t good enough for you to consistently be able to leave up two Blue mana for this.
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 3 Pick 10: Wicked Visitor
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
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
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
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
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 3 Pick 11: Disdainful Stroke
Disdainful Stroke image 0.5 This is a sideboard card. Most opponents won’t have enough things you can counter with this for it to be worth it.
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
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.
Ice Out image 2.0 This is Cancel when you don’t Bargain it, and Counterspell when you do. 1 mana may not seem like much, but the chasm between those two cards is massive. The fact this has double blue in the cost really matters too, as Limited mana bases aren’t good enough for you to consistently be able to leave up two Blue mana for this.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Stingblade Assassin
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
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
Scarecrow Guide image 2.0 This is another way to fix your mana that is solid, but certainly not exciting
Pack 3 Pick 13: Gnawing Crescendo
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
Bespoke Battlegarb image 0.0 This doesn’t look good. Two mana to play and two to equip for +2/+0 just…isn’t where you want to be. The Celebration trigger on it will let you equip it for free, but even when that’s the case I’m not especially interested
Pack 3 Pick 14: 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
Draft Pick Overview