Glint-Sleeve Siphoner
3.5 A two mana 2/1 Menace is a decent deal, and this one can draw you cards if you have energy. It won’t always be able to attack to set up the draw, but it will be able to often enough – especially if you play it on turn two, since your opponent almost definitely won’t be blocking it on that first attack.
Shielded Aether Thief
2.5 This blocks a lot of stuff in this format pretty well, and makes you energy while doing it! Drawing a card with energy is a pretty nice payoff too.
Armorcraft Judge
3.5 This draws you one card often enough to be a reasonably high pick. And, while sometimes it will just be a Hill Giant, it will also draw you 2+ cards sometimes too!
Aether Meltdown
3.0 This can pretty much shut down a lot of creatures – and vehicles – in the format for only two mana, while also giving you a bit of Energy to use with other cards. It is of course frustrating that things can still block once you use this, and that keeps it from being amazing, but it does a pretty good job.
Prophetic Prism
3.0 The fac this replaces itself is a pretty big deal. Most of the time filter artifacts aren’t worth a card, but this is literally worth a card and then some because of that. And, this format really cares about artifacts.
Aether Inspector
2.0 This whole cycle is pretty nice, but the Inspector is probably the worst of the bunch. It starts out with worse stats and feels a little bit overcosted. But still, it’s a reasonable playable.
Revolutionary Rebuff
1.0 This is cheap, but it also isn’t anywhere close to a hard counter, and the fact that it can’t counter artifacts definitely matters in this set.
Nimble Innovator
1.5 4-mana for a 2/2 is pretty ugly, but at least it draws you a card. It can give you a 2-for-1 often enough to make the cut sometimes.
Subtle Strike
2.5 This can often give you a 2-for-1 for only two mana, and that’s great! It won’t always line up that way, but even when it doesn’t it tends to do a pretty good job of making combat go your way.
Audacious Infiltrator
2.5 This ability comes up more than you might think with all the thopters and servos running around. One of the big downsides about being an X/1 is usually that you die to something like a token, but that’s not a problem here, so it is just a creature with a decent aggressive statline.
Spireside Infiltrator
2.5 This can crew most of the vehicles worth playing in the format while also doing 1 damage to your opponent, and even if it isn’t crewing, it is a 3-mana 3/2 that does 1 to the opponent every time it attacks. It does surprisingly well in aggressive decks.
Foundry Screecher
2.5 This has passable stats to begin with, and becomes a 3/1 flyer for 3 if you have an Artifact, and that’s a pretty legitimate threat in the air.
Shipwreck Moray
1.0 This probably isn’t the Energy payoff you were looking for. It has really mediocre starting stats, and takes a ton of energy to ever actually do anything.
Wildest Dreams
2.5 This is pretty slow, but by the late game in can get you back a whole bunch of cards. Now, granted, you have to tap out and not add to the board when you do it most of the time, but that’s okay. And, in a fail case, you can just pay three with it to return one thing to your hand, and that’s not too shabby in a pinch. So yeah, reasonable floor here and an insane ceiling.
Siege Modification
1.0 So, this is a crazy swingy card. If you get a vehicle down early and slap this on it, your opponent just dies if they don’t have an answer. Problem is, if they do have that answer, you probably lose as a result of the devastating 2-for-1 you just endured that probably left you with almost no board state. That’s generally too risky for me.
Maulfist Revolutionary
4.0 This has great stats + trample, and also gives you extra +1/+1 counters and energy, both things Green decks are interested in.
Revolutionary Rebuff
1.0 This is cheap, but it also isn’t anywhere close to a hard counter, and the fact that it can’t counter artifacts definitely matters in this set.
Peema Outrider
3.5 The choice between a 4-mana 4/4 Trample and a 4-mana 3/3 Trample with a 1/1 Servo token is a good decision to have to make, because either option is giving you a great deal.
Mind Rot
1.0 This is basically never good in Limited, and that’s not different here!
Precise Strike
1.5 This is one mana, and can help enough creatures win combat that it is a semi-reasonable inclusion in aggro decks.
Druid of the Cowl
2.5 This has decent stats and ramps your mana, which makes it a solid card.
Consulate Skygate
0.5 Yeah, you mostly won’t play this. It just doesn’t do anything but block, and it doesn’t even do that very well.
Eddytrail Hawk
2.5 Giving other stuff flying can have a pretty big impact, and the Hawk can do it twice without any outside help, making it a decent card.
Night Market Aeronaut
1.5 There is a big difference between a 4-mana 2/2 flyer and a 4-mana 3/3 flyer, and Revolt can be difficult enough to get going that this isn’t that great.
Fourth Bridge Prowler
1.5 You can play this and kill something with the ETB a decent chunk of the time, but it does tend to get worse as the game goes on.
Propeller Pioneer
3.0 This is another nice card that really gets you going wide, and having the option to make it a 4-mana 3/2 Flyer when that’s what you need is pretty nice.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Essence Extraction
Essence Extraction
4.0 Doing 3 to something and gaining 3 is great, and even though this can’t hit your opponent, you are going to feel pretty pretty much every time you cast it. Even if you’re behind, killing an X/3 and gaining 3 is enough to pull you back to parity most of the time.
Quicksmith Genius
2.5 A three mana 3/2 that rummages sometimes is fine, but not much more than that.
Glint-Sleeve Artisan
3.0 This is one of White’s best commons. A 3-mana 3/3 or a 3-mana 2/2 and a 1/1 is quite nice, especially because White has lots of ways to pay you off for going wide.
Rush of Vitality
1.5 This is a decent trick that you’ll run in some of your aggro decks.
Aether Theorist
2.0 This has decent stats and can improve your draws for no mana – in addition to the fact that it might give you energy to use elsewhere. Its pretty decent.
Consulate Skygate
0.5 Yeah, you mostly won’t play this. It just doesn’t do anything but block, and it doesn’t even do that very well.
Countless Gears Renegade
2.5 You’ll get the 1/1 out of this like half the time, and it will feel great when you do. When that doesn’t work out, it will feel pretty mediocre.
Mobile Garrison
2.0 This isn’t as impressive stats-wise as some other vehicles, but it crews for 2 and untaps an artifact or creature when it attacks, which can include whatever crewed it, and that ends up being pretty decent.
Maulfist Squad
2.5 Like most of the Fabricate creatures, this is pretty solid, as both options are pretty reasonable. A 4-mana 4/2 with Menace is nice on boards where you are the beat down and your opponent won’t be blocking it any time soon, and 4 mana for a 3/1 and a 1/1 is pretty good when you’re behind.
Appetite for the Unnatural
2.0 This is a passable main deck card in this format since there are plenty of targets.
Reckless Fireweaver
2.5 This has alright stats and does often chip in a few damage with its ability, especially if you’re making servos.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Riparian Tiger
Renegade Rallier
3.0 This asks for a significant amount of work, but it isn’t impossible to set up. For example, if you attack with your two-drop and trade with the opponent, you can just play the Rallier and get it back! That’s a sequence that feels pretty good, and it isn’t outrageous or anything like that. However, sometimes you can’t get Revolt going, or don’t have the right creatures in your graveyard, and in those cases, the Rallier can be a bummer.
Engineered Might
2.5 This card is such a bummer as far as signposts go. Luckily, GW has other ways to pump the whole board that are better, because if this was the card that you were counting on to win you the game when you go wide, you’d be in trouble! Being a sorcery for 5 mana is just really rough, and gives your opponent way more information than you’d like. Pumping one creature as a secondary option is alright I guess, but its still a sorcery that can be easily responded to. I don’t think you even always play this in your GW decks, and that’s pretty sad.
Nimble Innovator
1.5 4-mana for a 2/2 is pretty ugly, but at least it draws you a card. It can give you a 2-for-1 often enough to make the cut sometimes.
Kujar Seedsculptor
3.0 You have to be careful with this, because your opponent killing the creature you put the counter on will just blow you out of the game. However, when the coast is clear, permanently pumping a creature and killing an opposing creature is quite strong, especially in a set that has +1/+1 counter payoffs.
Self-Assembler
0.5 // 3.0 If you have one Self Assembler, don’t play it. If you manage to get a second one, you’re actually kind of in business. A 5-mana 4/4 isn’t good, but it does draw you another one, and making sure you have those plays on back to back turns is pretty nice. Because of the mana cost running more than 3 probably isn’t a great idea, but chaining those three together is pretty nice, even with mediocre stats.
Sky Skiff
2.5 The mana and crew cost here are both quite low, and thanks to Flying this can attack pretty much all game long.
Riparian Tiger
2.0 This isn’t the greatest finisher ever for Green energy decks, but you could do worse too. Even without any other help, it is a 5-mana 4/4 Trampler that attacks as a 6/6 the first time it attacks, and that’s a creature that is very difficult to effectively block.
Rush of Vitality
1.5 This is a decent trick that you’ll run in some of your aggro decks.
Countless Gears Renegade
2.5 You’ll get the 1/1 out of this like half the time, and it will feel great when you do. When that doesn’t work out, it will feel pretty mediocre.
Defiant Salvager
1.5 Only being able to sacrifice things at Sorcery speed is rough, even in a format that has a lot of Servos to gobble up.
Precise Strike
1.5 This is one mana, and can help enough creatures win combat that it is a semi-reasonable inclusion in aggro decks.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Die Young
Unbridled Growth
1.0 This is something you’ll play if you’re really hard up for fixing, but will avoid most of the time.
Fen Hauler
2.5 This is a solid finisher for Black decks with a decent number of Artifacts. It is quite large, paying 5 for it is pretty realistic, and it can’t be blacked by a ton of creatures in the format, including most of the creature tokens.
Die Young
3.0 This is a nice removal spell. At worst, it is two mana to give something -2/-2, and if you have other energy around, it can take down larger things.
Herald of the Fair
2.0 This has mediocre stats, but an ETB ability that often lets you attack more effectively. Still, it is pretty replaceable and not remotely impressive.
Pendulum of Patterns
0.5 Yeah, this isn’t really worth it. Early on it gains you some life, but that doesn’t matter a whole lot in this format. Then, later, you can cash it in for a card for a wopping 5 mana. Even in a format that loves artifacts, there isn’t much of a reason to play this thing.
Built to Smash
2.0 This is a really nice trick for aggro decks, as +3/+3 for one mana is enough to win just about any combat. When you can give an artifact creature Trample, it feels especially absurd! Obviously, since the trick only works on attackers, you’ve really gotta be the beatdown to take advantage of it.
Mobile Garrison
2.0 This isn’t as impressive stats-wise as some other vehicles, but it crews for 2 and untaps an artifact or creature when it attacks, which can include whatever crewed it, and that ends up being pretty decent.
Built to Last
2.0 This is a decent trick that gets even better if you’re rumbling with artifact creatures. It is a decent inclusion in aggro decks.
Ruinous Gremlin
1.5 This is passable in your main deck because there are enough Artifacts it can target, but you sort of hope you have some better artifact hate.
Metallic Rebuke
1.0 Even in an artifact deck, this isn’t great. Not being a hard counter gives it diminishing returns as the game goes on.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Hunt the Weak
Peema Aether-Seer
2.0 This has pretty ugly stats for the cost, the ability is pretty expensive and situational. Sometimes it will let you take down an opponent’s key creature, but chances are good that they’re attacking with their best creature anyway, so it isn’t like it will always be able to do something. Plus, you have to have a creature large enough to win combat with the creature you target, which is also far from guaranteed.
Defiant Salvager
1.5 Only being able to sacrifice things at Sorcery speed is rough, even in a format that has a lot of Servos to gobble up.
Maulfist Squad
2.5 Like most of the Fabricate creatures, this is pretty solid, as both options are pretty reasonable. A 4-mana 4/2 with Menace is nice on boards where you are the beat down and your opponent won’t be blocking it any time soon, and 4 mana for a 3/1 and a 1/1 is pretty good when you’re behind.
Hunt the Weak
3.0 You have to be careful with this, because your opponent killing the creature you put the counter on will just blow you out of the game. However, when the coast is clear, permanently pumping a creature and killing an opposing creature is quite strong, especially in a set that has +1/+1 counter payoffs.
Weldfast Monitor
2.5 Like the rest of this cycle, this is a pretty solid creature to have in your Red decks.
Thriving Turtle
2.5 If you play this on turn one, it can become a very real creature on the board. It generally won’t be able to attack forever because its power starts so low, but by the time it has to stop attacking, it has the kind of size that isn’t easy to attack through.
Herald of the Fair
2.0 This has mediocre stats, but an ETB ability that often lets you attack more effectively. Still, it is pretty replaceable and not remotely impressive.
Foundry Screecher
2.5 This has passable stats to begin with, and becomes a 3/1 flyer for 3 if you have an Artifact, and that’s a pretty legitimate threat in the air.
Narnam Cobra
2.5 Like the rest of this cycle, this is reasonably costed, is an artifact, and can gain a useful keyword. In this case, it can trade.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Thriving Rhino
Defiant Salvager
1.5 Only being able to sacrifice things at Sorcery speed is rough, even in a format that has a lot of Servos to gobble up.
Self-Assembler
0.5 // 3.0 If you have one Self Assembler, don’t play it. If you manage to get a second one, you’re actually kind of in business. A 5-mana 4/4 isn’t good, but it does draw you another one, and making sure you have those plays on back to back turns is pretty nice. Because of the mana cost running more than 3 probably isn’t a great idea, but chaining those three together is pretty nice, even with mediocre stats.
Precise Strike
1.5 This is one mana, and can help enough creatures win combat that it is a semi-reasonable inclusion in aggro decks.
Thriving Rhino
3.0 This is the best card in the “Thriving” cycle. The first time it attacks it becomes a ¾, and that’s a pretty real body – especially on turn 4, but even in the later part of the game.
Nimble Innovator
1.5 4-mana for a 2/2 is pretty ugly, but at least it draws you a card. It can give you a 2-for-1 often enough to make the cut sometimes.
Dawnfeather Eagle
3.5 This is one of the sets best Commons. It just has such a massive impact on virtually any board state, and that’s a lot to say about a Common! +1/+1 and Vigilance to your whole team while you also add a flying threat to the table is amazing. The stats boost + Vigilance makes it so you can suddenly attack your opponent, both because your creatures get larger and because they have vigilance, making it much harder for your opponent to kill you on the back swing. This is excellent top curve for aggressive White decks in this format, and the best decks often have at least two of these.
Fen Hauler
2.5 This is a solid finisher for Black decks with a decent number of Artifacts. It is quite large, paying 5 for it is pretty realistic, and it can’t be blacked by a ton of creatures in the format, including most of the creature tokens.
Prophetic Prism
3.0 The fac this replaces itself is a pretty big deal. Most of the time filter artifacts aren’t worth a card, but this is literally worth a card and then some because of that. And, this format really cares about artifacts.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Narnam Cobra
Engineered Might
2.5 This card is such a bummer as far as signposts go. Luckily, GW has other ways to pump the whole board that are better, because if this was the card that you were counting on to win you the game when you go wide, you’d be in trouble! Being a sorcery for 5 mana is just really rough, and gives your opponent way more information than you’d like. Pumping one creature as a secondary option is alright I guess, but its still a sorcery that can be easily responded to. I don’t think you even always play this in your GW decks, and that’s pretty sad.
Weldfast Monitor
2.5 Like the rest of this cycle, this is a pretty solid creature to have in your Red decks.
Maulfist Squad
2.5 Like most of the Fabricate creatures, this is pretty solid, as both options are pretty reasonable. A 4-mana 4/2 with Menace is nice on boards where you are the beat down and your opponent won’t be blocking it any time soon, and 4 mana for a 3/1 and a 1/1 is pretty good when you’re behind.
Tezzeret's Ambition
1.5 This is a really clunky draw spell, but some decks will be interested in paying 5 to draw 3 with this.
Hijack
1.0 While there are aggressive decks in this format, I haven’t really found that Hijack is worth it most of the time, even in them. It is basically a blank card until you can use it to do lethal, and that’s too inconsistent.
Narnam Cobra
2.5 Like the rest of this cycle, this is reasonably costed, is an artifact, and can gain a useful keyword. In this case, it can trade.
Conviction
1.0 This Aura just isn’t worth it. The stats boost isn’t great, and being able to return it to your hand doesn’t really help make it much better.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Highspire Infusion
Revolutionary Rebuff
1.0 This is cheap, but it also isn’t anywhere close to a hard counter, and the fact that it can’t counter artifacts definitely matters in this set.
Nimble Innovator
1.5 4-mana for a 2/2 is pretty ugly, but at least it draws you a card. It can give you a 2-for-1 often enough to make the cut sometimes.
Audacious Infiltrator
2.5 This ability comes up more than you might think with all the thopters and servos running around. One of the big downsides about being an X/1 is usually that you die to something like a token, but that’s not a problem here, so it is just a creature with a decent aggressive statline.
Spireside Infiltrator
2.5 This can crew most of the vehicles worth playing in the format while also doing 1 damage to your opponent, and even if it isn’t crewing, it is a 3-mana 3/2 that does 1 to the opponent every time it attacks. It does surprisingly well in aggressive decks.
Shipwreck Moray
1.0 This probably isn’t the Energy payoff you were looking for. It has really mediocre starting stats, and takes a ton of energy to ever actually do anything.
Revolutionary Rebuff
1.0 This is cheap, but it also isn’t anywhere close to a hard counter, and the fact that it can’t counter artifacts definitely matters in this set.
Mind Rot
1.0 This is basically never good in Limited, and that’s not different here!
Precise Strike
1.5 This is one mana, and can help enough creatures win combat that it is a semi-reasonable inclusion in aggro decks.
Consulate Skygate
0.5 Yeah, you mostly won’t play this. It just doesn’t do anything but block, and it doesn’t even do that very well.
Propeller Pioneer
3.0 This is another nice card that really gets you going wide, and having the option to make it a 4-mana 3/2 Flyer when that’s what you need is pretty nice.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Rush of Vitality
Glint-Sleeve Artisan
3.0 This is one of White’s best commons. A 3-mana 3/3 or a 3-mana 2/2 and a 1/1 is quite nice, especially because White has lots of ways to pay you off for going wide.
Rush of Vitality
1.5 This is a decent trick that you’ll run in some of your aggro decks.
Consulate Skygate
0.5 Yeah, you mostly won’t play this. It just doesn’t do anything but block, and it doesn’t even do that very well.
Mobile Garrison
2.0 This isn’t as impressive stats-wise as some other vehicles, but it crews for 2 and untaps an artifact or creature when it attacks, which can include whatever crewed it, and that ends up being pretty decent.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Rush of Vitality
Engineered Might
2.5 This card is such a bummer as far as signposts go. Luckily, GW has other ways to pump the whole board that are better, because if this was the card that you were counting on to win you the game when you go wide, you’d be in trouble! Being a sorcery for 5 mana is just really rough, and gives your opponent way more information than you’d like. Pumping one creature as a secondary option is alright I guess, but its still a sorcery that can be easily responded to. I don’t think you even always play this in your GW decks, and that’s pretty sad.
Rush of Vitality
1.5 This is a decent trick that you’ll run in some of your aggro decks.
Precise Strike
1.5 This is one mana, and can help enough creatures win combat that it is a semi-reasonable inclusion in aggro decks.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Pendulum of Patterns
Pendulum of Patterns
0.5 Yeah, this isn’t really worth it. Early on it gains you some life, but that doesn’t matter a whole lot in this format. Then, later, you can cash it in for a card for a wopping 5 mana. Even in a format that loves artifacts, there isn’t much of a reason to play this thing.
Ruinous Gremlin
1.5 This is passable in your main deck because there are enough Artifacts it can target, but you sort of hope you have some better artifact hate.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Maulfist Squad
Maulfist Squad
2.5 Like most of the Fabricate creatures, this is pretty solid, as both options are pretty reasonable. A 4-mana 4/2 with Menace is nice on boards where you are the beat down and your opponent won’t be blocking it any time soon, and 4 mana for a 3/1 and a 1/1 is pretty good when you’re behind.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Bristling Hydra
Bristling Hydra
4.5 This is a 4-mana 4/3 that threatens to gain a counter and gain hexproof from the moment it hits the table, and that’s really good. It means your opponent’s removal is almost useless against it, and its size is also a problem as both a blocker or attacker, and if your deck is good at producing energy, it becomes even more of a problem.
Sly Requisitioner
2.0 I really wanted this to be awesome, because it seems like a lot of fun as a value-engine type card, but it just doesn’t get there as often as you’d like. It is expensive for such a mediocre statline, even with Improvise, and cranking out 1/1s with it is harder to do than you might think, especially because it only counts nontokens.
Arborback Stomper
4.0 It is kind of amazing how much this does for you. The fairly efficient trampling body coupled with +5 life is just a big deal, and often enough to get you back at parity from behind. It really helps you stabilize against the format’s aggro decks.
Restoration Gearsmith
4.0 This almost always has something to get back for you, and that means it is almost always an easy 2-for-1.
Implement of Malice
2.0 If you consistently can use this to make an opponent discard and you draw, it feels alright. It just won’t always do that. Still, at least it isn’t blank in the late game, since you can basically cash it in for a card. It also gets revolt going.
Wild Wanderer
2.5 This actually provides some reasonable fixing and ramp, and is large enough to trade.
Prophetic Prism
3.0 The fac this replaces itself is a pretty big deal. Most of the time filter artifacts aren’t worth a card, but this is literally worth a card and then some because of that. And, this format really cares about artifacts.
Inspired Charge
0.5 // 2.5 You would definitely prefer to get Dawnfeather Eagle, but with all of the Servos in White, you end up going wide enough to make this work in a decent chunk of decks, and it can definitely sub in for the eagle in those decks. If you aren’t good at going wide, it is pretty unplayable.
Cogworker's Puzzleknot
2.5 This can really help you go wide in a hurry, which is useful for White decks, and it also gives you two artifacts on turn two, which can really help out cards with Improvise.
Gearseeker Serpent
3.0 This is a very nice Common for Blue decks in this format, which really like Artifacts. It often costs 4 or 5 mana, and is a great finisher in this format thanks to its bulk and potential evasiveness.
Prakhata Pillar-Bug
2.5 Yet another efficient artifact creature that can gain a useful keyword, and yet another 2.5.
Fourth Bridge Prowler
1.5 You can play this and kill something with the ETB a decent chunk of the time, but it does tend to get worse as the game goes on.
Hijack
1.0 While there are aggressive decks in this format, I haven’t really found that Hijack is worth it most of the time, even in them. It is basically a blank card until you can use it to do lethal, and that’s too inconsistent.
Alley Evasion
1.0 This set does have lots of ETB abilities, but this card is still mostly just a dud. Both modes are underpowered and situational.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Essence Extraction
Essence Extraction
4.0 Doing 3 to something and gaining 3 is great, and even though this can’t hit your opponent, you are going to feel pretty pretty much every time you cast it. Even if you’re behind, killing an X/3 and gaining 3 is enough to pull you back to parity most of the time.
Aetherborn Marauder
3.0 If you can move even one counter to this, it becomes quite potent. Even with 0 counters, it is at least passable, and sometimes it will get even scarier!
Ornithopter
1.0 There aren’t really any shenanigans you can do with Ornithopter in this format, so you mostly don’t play it.
Glint-Sleeve Artisan
3.0 This is one of White’s best commons. A 3-mana 3/3 or a 3-mana 2/2 and a 1/1 is quite nice, especially because White has lots of ways to pay you off for going wide.
Fen Hauler
2.5 This is a solid finisher for Black decks with a decent number of Artifacts. It is quite large, paying 5 for it is pretty realistic, and it can’t be blacked by a ton of creatures in the format, including most of the creature tokens.
Aether Theorist
2.0 This has decent stats and can improve your draws for no mana – in addition to the fact that it might give you energy to use elsewhere. Its pretty decent.
Bastion Mastodon
2.5 Being an artifact matters in this set, and this offers a decent body that can gain Vigilance. Like the rest of this cycle, Bastion Mastodon is pretty solid.
Reservoir Walker
1.5 3 life and 3 energy isn’t really enough to offset the bad stats this has. It isn’t unplayable, but you won’t play it very often.
Frontline Rebel
2.0 The aggressive decks in the format tend to feel fine about including this in their deck, even if it is a 3-mana 3/3 with downside.
Cogworker's Puzzleknot
2.5 This can really help you go wide in a hurry, which is useful for White decks, and it also gives you two artifacts on turn two, which can really help out cards with Improvise.
Consulate Turret
1.0 This format has some nice Energy payoffs. This isn’t one of them. Only hitting players is a big problem, and even though it can just tap to give you energy, it usually doesn’t feel like its worth a card.
Foundry Screecher
2.5 This has passable stats to begin with, and becomes a 3/1 flyer for 3 if you have an Artifact, and that’s a pretty legitimate threat in the air.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Arborback Stomper
Arborback Stomper
4.0 It is kind of amazing how much this does for you. The fairly efficient trampling body coupled with +5 life is just a big deal, and often enough to get you back at parity from behind. It really helps you stabilize against the format’s aggro decks.
Ballista Charger
2.5 This isn’t as exciting as some of the other vehicles in the set, but it is big and can pick off small creatures or damage the opponent when it attacks.
Lathnu Sailback
0.5 You’re almost never desperate enough to stick this in your deck. A 5-mana 5/4 just doesn’t do anything in this format.
Consulate Skygate
0.5 Yeah, you mostly won’t play this. It just doesn’t do anything but block, and it doesn’t even do that very well.
Gearseeker Serpent
3.0 This is a very nice Common for Blue decks in this format, which really like Artifacts. It often costs 4 or 5 mana, and is a great finisher in this format thanks to its bulk and potential evasiveness.
Implement of Malice
2.0 If you consistently can use this to make an opponent discard and you draw, it feels alright. It just won’t always do that. Still, at least it isn’t blank in the late game, since you can basically cash it in for a card. It also gets revolt going.
Chandra's Revolution
3.0 4 mana for 4 damage at Sorcery speed isn’t the most amazing thing, and the land tap down part of the card doesn’t give it much of an upgrade. Still, it is reasonably efficient removal.
Consulate Turret
1.0 This format has some nice Energy payoffs. This isn’t one of them. Only hitting players is a big problem, and even though it can just tap to give you energy, it usually doesn’t feel like its worth a card.
Daring Demolition
4.0 4 mana to kill any creature or artifact is great in this format, even at Sorcery speed. This is premium removal.
Dukhara Peafowl
2.5 This is an artifact in a set that cares about that, and has decent stats and the ability to gain flying. You’ll play this pretty often in Blue.
Wild Wanderer
2.5 This actually provides some reasonable fixing and ramp, and is large enough to trade.
Built to Last
2.0 This is a decent trick that gets even better if you’re rumbling with artifact creatures. It is a decent inclusion in aggro decks.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Subtle Strike
Weaponcraft Enthusiast
3.5 If this just also had its ETB effect, it would be completely insane, since you would just add a 3-mana 3/2 to the board and kill something. Obviously, the Revolt requirement makes it significantly less insane, and this will just be the 3/2 a little more often than you’d like. Still, when you do get Revolt going, it will still feel like you’re doing something amazing.
Aeronaut Admiral
3.0 This has almost passable stats, and the ability to give Vehicles flying is pretty relevant in the format.
Conviction
1.0 This Aura just isn’t worth it. The stats boost isn’t great, and being able to return it to your hand doesn’t really help make it much better.
Chandra's Revolution
3.0 4 mana for 4 damage at Sorcery speed isn’t the most amazing thing, and the land tap down part of the card doesn’t give it much of an upgrade. Still, it is reasonably efficient removal.
Mind Rot
1.0 This is basically never good in Limited, and that’s not different here!
Subtle Strike
2.5 This can often give you a 2-for-1 for only two mana, and that’s great! It won’t always line up that way, but even when it doesn’t it tends to do a pretty good job of making combat go your way.
Inventor's Goggles
3.0 This gives a kind of passable boost for the casting and Equip cost, but what really makes it a nice card is the fact that it equips for free to an Artificer when it enters the battlefield, and this format has a ton of them. Playing this on turn one and an Artificer on turn two happens all the time in this format, and is a pretty amazing start.
Ruinous Gremlin
1.5 This is passable in your main deck because there are enough Artifacts it can target, but you sort of hope you have some better artifact hate.
Aether Tradewinds
1.0 This effect is supposed to be here to help you abuse ETB abilities, but it often just isn’t worth going down a card to do this.
Dawnfeather Eagle
3.5 This is one of the sets best Commons. It just has such a massive impact on virtually any board state, and that’s a lot to say about a Common! +1/+1 and Vigilance to your whole team while you also add a flying threat to the table is amazing. The stats boost + Vigilance makes it so you can suddenly attack your opponent, both because your creatures get larger and because they have vigilance, making it much harder for your opponent to kill you on the back swing. This is excellent top curve for aggressive White decks in this format, and the best decks often have at least two of these.
Alley Strangler
1.5 This has alright stats and an evasive keyword ability. You’ll play it sometimes.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Riparian Tiger
Minister of Inquiries
1.0 There’s not really a mill deck in this format, though sometimes a deck with a lot of energy and a few Ministers can pull it off. Mostly, though, it is a strategy to be avoided in this format.
Subtle Strike
2.5 This can often give you a 2-for-1 for only two mana, and that’s great! It won’t always line up that way, but even when it doesn’t it tends to do a pretty good job of making combat go your way.
Aether Chaser
3.5 This has great stats to begin with, so adding the ability to make Servo tokens is great. A 2/1 first striker is often relevant pretty much all game, whether you’re the one attacking or blocking, so having that Energy/servo upside is great, especially because going wide is very viable in this set.
Dukhara Peafowl
2.5 This is an artifact in a set that cares about that, and has decent stats and the ability to gain flying. You’ll play this pretty often in Blue.
Riparian Tiger
2.0 This isn’t the greatest finisher ever for Green energy decks, but you could do worse too. Even without any other help, it is a 5-mana 4/4 Trampler that attacks as a 6/6 the first time it attacks, and that’s a creature that is very difficult to effectively block.
Eager Construct
1.5 If you need a two drop or an Artifact, you could do worse.
Prakhata Pillar-Bug
2.5 Yet another efficient artifact creature that can gain a useful keyword, and yet another 2.5.
Lifecraft Cavalry
2.0 This is kind of alright even when you don’t revolt, and pretty scary when you can. It isn’t terrible top curve.
Night Market Lookout
1.5 If you’re really aggressive or plan on crewing vehicles a lot – or both – this can be an alright inclusion, but most of the time you’ll stay away from it.
Tezzeret's Ambition
1.5 This is a really clunky draw spell, but some decks will be interested in paying 5 to draw 3 with this.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Embraal Bruiser
Fateful Showdown
1.5 This card is hard to set up in most Limited games. First, you have to be holding on to cards in your hand for it do anything – and most of the time in the late game you have like 0-1 cards in your hand, so it isn’t exactly going to be lighting up a creature or anything. Now, if you have this in your deck, you are obviously going to be a little more inclined to hold on to cards in your hand, but still – 4mana to do 2 damage and rummage twice just isn’t that good, and won’t even always have a relevant target.
Embraal Bruiser
3.0 This is often a two mana 3/1 with Menace, and that’s a pretty real threat – not just something your opponent can just disregard. It is hard to effectively stop this thing early.
Aether Swooper
3.5 This often feels like a two mana ½ that makes a 1/1 token on ETB, and that is a very powerful card. If you play this on turn two, you are virtually guaranteed to get that token, and if you can generate a little bit more Energy, it can really get going. It is also a great place to put Artificer’s Goggles!
Alley Strangler
1.5 This has alright stats and an evasive keyword ability. You’ll play it sometimes.
Cathartic Reunion
1.0 This mostly isn’t worth it. It is just some clunky card selection that asks for significant set up. There isn’t enough of a graveyard theme in the format for it to be more than that.
Conviction
1.0 This Aura just isn’t worth it. The stats boost isn’t great, and being able to return it to your hand doesn’t really help make it much better.
Precise Strike
1.5 This is one mana, and can help enough creatures win combat that it is a semi-reasonable inclusion in aggro decks.
Nimble Innovator
1.5 4-mana for a 2/2 is pretty ugly, but at least it draws you a card. It can give you a 2-for-1 often enough to make the cut sometimes.
Implement of Examination
2.0 So, you basically pay a total of 4 mana for two cards, which isn’t completely terrible – and you can spread it out over a couple of turns. It is also an artifact, and one that can get Revolt going.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Subtle Strike
Sly Requisitioner
2.0 I really wanted this to be awesome, because it seems like a lot of fun as a value-engine type card, but it just doesn’t get there as often as you’d like. It is expensive for such a mediocre statline, even with Improvise, and cranking out 1/1s with it is harder to do than you might think, especially because it only counts nontokens.
Chandra's Revolution
3.0 4 mana for 4 damage at Sorcery speed isn’t the most amazing thing, and the land tap down part of the card doesn’t give it much of an upgrade. Still, it is reasonably efficient removal.
Herald of the Fair
2.0 This has mediocre stats, but an ETB ability that often lets you attack more effectively. Still, it is pretty replaceable and not remotely impressive.
Alley Evasion
1.0 This set does have lots of ETB abilities, but this card is still mostly just a dud. Both modes are underpowered and situational.
Subtle Strike
2.5 This can often give you a 2-for-1 for only two mana, and that’s great! It won’t always line up that way, but even when it doesn’t it tends to do a pretty good job of making combat go your way.
Dukhara Peafowl
2.5 This is an artifact in a set that cares about that, and has decent stats and the ability to gain flying. You’ll play this pretty often in Blue.
Mobile Garrison
2.0 This isn’t as impressive stats-wise as some other vehicles, but it crews for 2 and untaps an artifact or creature when it attacks, which can include whatever crewed it, and that ends up being pretty decent.
Tezzeret's Ambition
1.5 This is a really clunky draw spell, but some decks will be interested in paying 5 to draw 3 with this.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Riparian Tiger
Lathnu Sailback
0.5 You’re almost never desperate enough to stick this in your deck. A 5-mana 5/4 just doesn’t do anything in this format.
Mobile Garrison
2.0 This isn’t as impressive stats-wise as some other vehicles, but it crews for 2 and untaps an artifact or creature when it attacks, which can include whatever crewed it, and that ends up being pretty decent.
Destructive Tampering
0.5 // 2.5 This looks like something you’d never play in most formats, but two things make this actually an okay card in really aggressive decks. One of these is simply the fact that it often has targets to destroy with the first option, the other is just that turning off (almost) all blockers is often enough for the aggro decks to finish off an opponent who has stabilized. You really only want it in that one deck, but you’re kind of always on the look out for that one copy if that’s what your deck looks like.
Aether Theorist
2.0 This has decent stats and can improve your draws for no mana – in addition to the fact that it might give you energy to use elsewhere. Its pretty decent.
Riparian Tiger
2.0 This isn’t the greatest finisher ever for Green energy decks, but you could do worse too. Even without any other help, it is a 5-mana 4/4 Trampler that attacks as a 6/6 the first time it attacks, and that’s a creature that is very difficult to effectively block.
Night Market Lookout
1.5 If you’re really aggressive or plan on crewing vehicles a lot – or both – this can be an alright inclusion, but most of the time you’ll stay away from it.
Weldfast Wingsmith
2.0 This has mediocre starting stats, but it does gain Flying often enough to be a decent inclusion in artifact-heavy decks.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Wild Wanderer
Wild Wanderer
2.5 This actually provides some reasonable fixing and ramp, and is large enough to trade.
Inspired Charge
0.5 // 2.5 You would definitely prefer to get Dawnfeather Eagle, but with all of the Servos in White, you end up going wide enough to make this work in a decent chunk of decks, and it can definitely sub in for the eagle in those decks. If you aren’t good at going wide, it is pretty unplayable.
Prakhata Pillar-Bug
2.5 Yet another efficient artifact creature that can gain a useful keyword, and yet another 2.5.
Fourth Bridge Prowler
1.5 You can play this and kill something with the ETB a decent chunk of the time, but it does tend to get worse as the game goes on.
Hijack
1.0 While there are aggressive decks in this format, I haven’t really found that Hijack is worth it most of the time, even in them. It is basically a blank card until you can use it to do lethal, and that’s too inconsistent.
Alley Evasion
1.0 This set does have lots of ETB abilities, but this card is still mostly just a dud. Both modes are underpowered and situational.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Foundry Screecher
Ornithopter
1.0 There aren’t really any shenanigans you can do with Ornithopter in this format, so you mostly don’t play it.
Glint-Sleeve Artisan
3.0 This is one of White’s best commons. A 3-mana 3/3 or a 3-mana 2/2 and a 1/1 is quite nice, especially because White has lots of ways to pay you off for going wide.
Fen Hauler
2.5 This is a solid finisher for Black decks with a decent number of Artifacts. It is quite large, paying 5 for it is pretty realistic, and it can’t be blacked by a ton of creatures in the format, including most of the creature tokens.
Bastion Mastodon
2.5 Being an artifact matters in this set, and this offers a decent body that can gain Vigilance. Like the rest of this cycle, Bastion Mastodon is pretty solid.
Foundry Screecher
2.5 This has passable stats to begin with, and becomes a 3/1 flyer for 3 if you have an Artifact, and that’s a pretty legitimate threat in the air.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Gearseeker Serpent
Lathnu Sailback
0.5 You’re almost never desperate enough to stick this in your deck. A 5-mana 5/4 just doesn’t do anything in this format.
Gearseeker Serpent
3.0 This is a very nice Common for Blue decks in this format, which really like Artifacts. It often costs 4 or 5 mana, and is a great finisher in this format thanks to its bulk and potential evasiveness.
Dukhara Peafowl
2.5 This is an artifact in a set that cares about that, and has decent stats and the ability to gain flying. You’ll play this pretty often in Blue.
Built to Last
2.0 This is a decent trick that gets even better if you’re rumbling with artifact creatures. It is a decent inclusion in aggro decks.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Mind Rot
Mind Rot
1.0 This is basically never good in Limited, and that’s not different here!
Ruinous Gremlin
1.5 This is passable in your main deck because there are enough Artifacts it can target, but you sort of hope you have some better artifact hate.
Aether Tradewinds
1.0 This effect is supposed to be here to help you abuse ETB abilities, but it often just isn’t worth going down a card to do this.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Night Market Lookout
Night Market Lookout
1.5 If you’re really aggressive or plan on crewing vehicles a lot – or both – this can be an alright inclusion, but most of the time you’ll stay away from it.
Tezzeret's Ambition
1.5 This is a really clunky draw spell, but some decks will be interested in paying 5 to draw 3 with this.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Precise Strike
Precise Strike
1.5 This is one mana, and can help enough creatures win combat that it is a semi-reasonable inclusion in aggro decks.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Rogue Refiner
Electrostatic Pummeler
1.0 There just aren’t enough way to pump the pummeler or to make a ton of energy for this to be worth it in most of the time.
Rogue Refiner
4.0 This does a whole lot for only three mana! A 3-mana 3/2 that draws you a card would already be quite impressive, so the addition of Energy is great. This helps power your energy synergies while also just being a 2-for-1.
Skyship Plunderer
3.0 This has nice evasive stats, and it can give you some extra Energy, which is no small thing.
Wispweaver Angel
3.5 There are lots of ETBs in this set – and remember that includes Fabricate creatures – so playing this on turn 6 as a 4/4 Flyer that gives you another ETB trigger happens pretty often, and that’s a pretty great deal.
Built to Last
2.0 This is a decent trick that gets even better if you’re rumbling with artifact creatures. It is a decent inclusion in aggro decks.
Kujar Seedsculptor
3.0 You have to be careful with this, because your opponent killing the creature you put the counter on will just blow you out of the game. However, when the coast is clear, permanently pumping a creature and killing an opposing creature is quite strong, especially in a set that has +1/+1 counter payoffs.
Prakhata Pillar-Bug
2.5 Yet another efficient artifact creature that can gain a useful keyword, and yet another 2.5.
Leave in the Dust
2.5 Bounce + Draw a card is pretty solid, since it actually lets you go 1-for-1 with your opponent in addition to the tempo.
Sweatworks Brawler
2.5 A 4-mana 3/3 with Menace is kind of alright, and you’ll find yourself playing this for three mana pretty often.
Fortuitous Find
2.0 If your deck has a good mix of artifacts and creatures – and ideally, artifact creatures, this feels pretty good, since you can pay 3 to get two creatures back, and that’s a nice little play in the late game. Pretty much a dead card early, and if your graveyard doesn’t have the right composition, its pretty bad.
Commencement of Festivities
0.5 Fog is slightly better in this format than in most, where I would give it a 0.0. This is because there are decks in the format that try to win the game in a single swing either after pumping their whole board or casting Destructive Revelry, and siding this in against those decks is actually kind of reasonable.
Gearseeker Serpent
3.0 This is a very nice Common for Blue decks in this format, which really like Artifacts. It often costs 4 or 5 mana, and is a great finisher in this format thanks to its bulk and potential evasiveness.
Conviction
1.0 This Aura just isn’t worth it. The stats boost isn’t great, and being able to return it to your hand doesn’t really help make it much better.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Fabrication Module
Refurbish
1.0 Even in a set with this many Artifacts, you don’t often have one in your graveyard that is worth paying 4 mana to reanimate.
Fabrication Module
3.5 If you’re good at making Energy, this is a pretty darn powerful payoff for it, as getting those +1/+1 counters is a big deal. In the late game, its ability basically gives you an energy AND a +1/+1 counter too, and that’s not a terrible mana sink.
Thopter Arrest
4.0 This can exile most stuff in the format very efficiently. And sure, if your opponent gets rid of it they get their card back, but you’ll still have disrupted them a ton and traded 1-for-1 in the process. And, oftentimes, they just can’t deal with it.
Subtle Strike
2.5 This can often give you a 2-for-1 for only two mana, and that’s great! It won’t always line up that way, but even when it doesn’t it tends to do a pretty good job of making combat go your way.
Eager Construct
1.5 If you need a two drop or an Artifact, you could do worse.
Appetite for the Unnatural
2.0 This is a passable main deck card in this format since there are plenty of targets.
Universal Solvent
1.5 If you really need Artifacts and/or removal, you can play this, but most of the time you won’t.
Spireside Infiltrator
2.5 This can crew most of the vehicles worth playing in the format while also doing 1 damage to your opponent, and even if it isn’t crewing, it is a 3-mana 3/2 that does 1 to the opponent every time it attacks. It does surprisingly well in aggressive decks.
Leave in the Dust
2.5 Bounce + Draw a card is pretty solid, since it actually lets you go 1-for-1 with your opponent in addition to the tempo.
Welding Sparks
4.0 This is a great Common, one that would be really good even if it always does 3, but will be doing 4+ pretty often.
Glint-Sleeve Artisan
3.0 This is one of White’s best commons. A 3-mana 3/3 or a 3-mana 2/2 and a 1/1 is quite nice, especially because White has lots of ways to pay you off for going wide.
Attune with Aether
3.0 This card is sneaky good. It is basically one mana to draw a card and gain two energy, and that’s a great deal. And sure, the card you draw is a land, but that’s fine! It basically lets you play fewer lands in your deck, gives you energy for all the cards that care about that and fixes your mana. It just does so much for only one Green.
Conviction
1.0 This Aura just isn’t worth it. The stats boost isn’t great, and being able to return it to your hand doesn’t really help make it much better.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Daring Demolition
Creeping Mold
1.0 This does kill a lot of Artifacts, but as a 4 mana Sorcery, it is too clunky to be worth it most of the time.
Aether Hub
3.5 This gives you really good fixing, especially because having more energy to use on it really isn’t that hard.
Fourth Bridge Prowler
1.5 You can play this and kill something with the ETB a decent chunk of the time, but it does tend to get worse as the game goes on.
Revoke Privileges
4.0 This is a really effective removal spell, capable of completely shutting down a whole lot of cards in the format for only three mana. The fact it stops Crewing from happening is really important.
Attune with Aether
3.0 This card is sneaky good. It is basically one mana to draw a card and gain two energy, and that’s a great deal. And sure, the card you draw is a land, but that’s fine! It basically lets you play fewer lands in your deck, gives you energy for all the cards that care about that and fixes your mana. It just does so much for only one Green.
Ruinous Gremlin
1.5 This is passable in your main deck because there are enough Artifacts it can target, but you sort of hope you have some better artifact hate.
Dukhara Peafowl
2.5 This is an artifact in a set that cares about that, and has decent stats and the ability to gain flying. You’ll play this pretty often in Blue.
Tezzeret's Ambition
1.5 This is a really clunky draw spell, but some decks will be interested in paying 5 to draw 3 with this.
Aether Chaser
3.5 This has great stats to begin with, so adding the ability to make Servo tokens is great. A 2/1 first striker is often relevant pretty much all game, whether you’re the one attacking or blocking, so having that Energy/servo upside is great, especially because going wide is very viable in this set.
Daring Demolition
4.0 4 mana to kill any creature or artifact is great in this format, even at Sorcery speed. This is premium removal.
Alley Strangler
1.5 This has alright stats and an evasive keyword ability. You’ll play it sometimes.
Night Market Aeronaut
1.5 There is a big difference between a 4-mana 2/2 flyer and a 4-mana 3/3 flyer, and Revolt can be difficult enough to get going that this isn’t that great.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Die Young
Engineered Might
2.5 This card is such a bummer as far as signposts go. Luckily, GW has other ways to pump the whole board that are better, because if this was the card that you were counting on to win you the game when you go wide, you’d be in trouble! Being a sorcery for 5 mana is just really rough, and gives your opponent way more information than you’d like. Pumping one creature as a secondary option is alright I guess, but its still a sorcery that can be easily responded to. I don’t think you even always play this in your GW decks, and that’s pretty sad.
Aetherborn Marauder
3.0 If you can move even one counter to this, it becomes quite potent. Even with 0 counters, it is at least passable, and sometimes it will get even scarier!
Die Young
3.0 This is a nice removal spell. At worst, it is two mana to give something -2/-2, and if you have other energy around, it can take down larger things.
Sage of Shaila's Claim
1.5 Energy is important in this format and all, but this two drop still doesn’t usually feel like its worth the card.
Aether Theorist
2.0 This has decent stats and can improve your draws for no mana – in addition to the fact that it might give you energy to use elsewhere. Its pretty decent.
Herald of the Fair
2.0 This has mediocre stats, but an ETB ability that often lets you attack more effectively. Still, it is pretty replaceable and not remotely impressive.
Eager Construct
1.5 If you need a two drop or an Artifact, you could do worse.
Countless Gears Renegade
2.5 You’ll get the 1/1 out of this like half the time, and it will feel great when you do. When that doesn’t work out, it will feel pretty mediocre.
Ruinous Gremlin
1.5 This is passable in your main deck because there are enough Artifacts it can target, but you sort of hope you have some better artifact hate.
Consulate Turret
1.0 This format has some nice Energy payoffs. This isn’t one of them. Only hitting players is a big problem, and even though it can just tap to give you energy, it usually doesn’t feel like its worth a card.
Narnam Cobra
2.5 Like the rest of this cycle, this is reasonably costed, is an artifact, and can gain a useful keyword. In this case, it can trade.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Ornamental Courage
Fragmentize
2.0 This is actually mainboardable in this format, as there are plenty of targets for it. In an ideal world, you probably start it in your sideboard in best of 3, though.
Fen Hauler
2.5 This is a solid finisher for Black decks with a decent number of Artifacts. It is quite large, paying 5 for it is pretty realistic, and it can’t be blacked by a ton of creatures in the format, including most of the creature tokens.
Bastion Mastodon
2.5 Being an artifact matters in this set, and this offers a decent body that can gain Vigilance. Like the rest of this cycle, Bastion Mastodon is pretty solid.
Propeller Pioneer
3.0 This is another nice card that really gets you going wide, and having the option to make it a 4-mana 3/2 Flyer when that’s what you need is pretty nice.
Reckless Fireweaver
2.5 This has alright stats and does often chip in a few damage with its ability, especially if you’re making servos.
Ornamental Courage
1.0 This isn’t a great trick. The small power boost doesn’t help you win very many combats.
Weldfast Wingsmith
2.0 This has mediocre starting stats, but it does gain Flying often enough to be a decent inclusion in artifact-heavy decks.
Prakhata Pillar-Bug
2.5 Yet another efficient artifact creature that can gain a useful keyword, and yet another 2.5.
Lifecraft Cavalry
2.0 This is kind of alright even when you don’t revolt, and pretty scary when you can. It isn’t terrible top curve.
Night Market Lookout
1.5 If you’re really aggressive or plan on crewing vehicles a lot – or both – this can be an alright inclusion, but most of the time you’ll stay away from it.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Maulfist Squad
Maulfist Squad
2.5 Like most of the Fabricate creatures, this is pretty solid, as both options are pretty reasonable. A 4-mana 4/2 with Menace is nice on boards where you are the beat down and your opponent won’t be blocking it any time soon, and 4 mana for a 3/1 and a 1/1 is pretty good when you’re behind.
Fireforger's Puzzleknot
1.5 So, this can kill a couple of X/1s or an X/2 for 4 mana. That’s not exactly incredible, but hey – its an artifact, and that helps elevate it a bit.
Aether Theorist
2.0 This has decent stats and can improve your draws for no mana – in addition to the fact that it might give you energy to use elsewhere. Its pretty decent.
Wild Wanderer
2.5 This actually provides some reasonable fixing and ramp, and is large enough to trade.
Defiant Salvager
1.5 Only being able to sacrifice things at Sorcery speed is rough, even in a format that has a lot of Servos to gobble up.
Built to Last
2.0 This is a decent trick that gets even better if you’re rumbling with artifact creatures. It is a decent inclusion in aggro decks.
Foundry Screecher
2.5 This has passable stats to begin with, and becomes a 3/1 flyer for 3 if you have an Artifact, and that’s a pretty legitimate threat in the air.
Irontread Crusher
2.0 This vehicle isn’t as exciting as some of the others, but it can do the job.
Destructive Tampering
0.5 // 2.5 This looks like something you’d never play in most formats, but two things make this actually an okay card in really aggressive decks. One of these is simply the fact that it often has targets to destroy with the first option, the other is just that turning off (almost) all blockers is often enough for the aggro decks to finish off an opponent who has stabilized. You really only want it in that one deck, but you’re kind of always on the look out for that one copy if that’s what your deck looks like.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Consulate Turret
Demolition Stomper
1.0 Most of the vehicles in this set are solid or better. This isn’t one of them. Yeah, its huge when it gets going, but Crew 5 is massive and even if really small creatures can’t block it, its still very chumpable, and takes a lot of set up.
Rush of Vitality
1.5 This is a decent trick that you’ll run in some of your aggro decks.
Commencement of Festivities
0.5 Fog is slightly better in this format than in most, where I would give it a 0.0. This is because there are decks in the format that try to win the game in a single swing either after pumping their whole board or casting Destructive Revelry, and siding this in against those decks is actually kind of reasonable.
Woodweaver's Puzzleknot
1.5 If you’re interested in energy, this can give you 6 all on its own while also gaining you 6 life. That life gain actually matters too, because playing this and sacrificing this is pretty slow, but the life gain does offset that a bit. You won’t play this in any but the most all-in energy decks.
Weldfast Monitor
2.5 Like the rest of this cycle, this is a pretty solid creature to have in your Red decks.
Revolutionary Rebuff
1.0 This is cheap, but it also isn’t anywhere close to a hard counter, and the fact that it can’t counter artifacts definitely matters in this set.
Aether Inspector
2.0 This whole cycle is pretty nice, but the Inspector is probably the worst of the bunch. It starts out with worse stats and feels a little bit overcosted. But still, it’s a reasonable playable.
Consulate Turret
1.0 This format has some nice Energy payoffs. This isn’t one of them. Only hitting players is a big problem, and even though it can just tap to give you energy, it usually doesn’t feel like its worth a card.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Live Fast
Irontread Crusher
2.0 This vehicle isn’t as exciting as some of the others, but it can do the job.
Fortuitous Find
2.0 If your deck has a good mix of artifacts and creatures – and ideally, artifact creatures, this feels pretty good, since you can pay 3 to get two creatures back, and that’s a nice little play in the late game. Pretty much a dead card early, and if your graveyard doesn’t have the right composition, its pretty bad.
Reckless Fireweaver
2.5 This has alright stats and does often chip in a few damage with its ability, especially if you’re making servos.
Thriving Turtle
2.5 If you play this on turn one, it can become a very real creature on the board. It generally won’t be able to attack forever because its power starts so low, but by the time it has to stop attacking, it has the kind of size that isn’t easy to attack through.
Impeccable Timing
2.5 This is situational, but the format does have a significant number of small creatures, and people will inevitably be attacking or blocking, so you’ll find yourself playing this a decent chunk of the time.
Frontline Rebel
2.0 The aggressive decks in the format tend to feel fine about including this in their deck, even if it is a 3-mana 3/3 with downside.
Live Fast
2.0 Drawing some cards and getting some energy is something you’ll want in some Black decks, but not all of them.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Gearseeker Serpent
Built to Last
2.0 This is a decent trick that gets even better if you’re rumbling with artifact creatures. It is a decent inclusion in aggro decks.
Prakhata Pillar-Bug
2.5 Yet another efficient artifact creature that can gain a useful keyword, and yet another 2.5.
Leave in the Dust
2.5 Bounce + Draw a card is pretty solid, since it actually lets you go 1-for-1 with your opponent in addition to the tempo.
Commencement of Festivities
0.5 Fog is slightly better in this format than in most, where I would give it a 0.0. This is because there are decks in the format that try to win the game in a single swing either after pumping their whole board or casting Destructive Revelry, and siding this in against those decks is actually kind of reasonable.
Gearseeker Serpent
3.0 This is a very nice Common for Blue decks in this format, which really like Artifacts. It often costs 4 or 5 mana, and is a great finisher in this format thanks to its bulk and potential evasiveness.
Conviction
1.0 This Aura just isn’t worth it. The stats boost isn’t great, and being able to return it to your hand doesn’t really help make it much better.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Leave in the Dust
Appetite for the Unnatural
2.0 This is a passable main deck card in this format since there are plenty of targets.
Universal Solvent
1.5 If you really need Artifacts and/or removal, you can play this, but most of the time you won’t.
Spireside Infiltrator
2.5 This can crew most of the vehicles worth playing in the format while also doing 1 damage to your opponent, and even if it isn’t crewing, it is a 3-mana 3/2 that does 1 to the opponent every time it attacks. It does surprisingly well in aggressive decks.
Leave in the Dust
2.5 Bounce + Draw a card is pretty solid, since it actually lets you go 1-for-1 with your opponent in addition to the tempo.
Conviction
1.0 This Aura just isn’t worth it. The stats boost isn’t great, and being able to return it to your hand doesn’t really help make it much better.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Creeping Mold
Creeping Mold
1.0 This does kill a lot of Artifacts, but as a 4 mana Sorcery, it is too clunky to be worth it most of the time.
Dukhara Peafowl
2.5 This is an artifact in a set that cares about that, and has decent stats and the ability to gain flying. You’ll play this pretty often in Blue.
Alley Strangler
1.5 This has alright stats and an evasive keyword ability. You’ll play it sometimes.
Night Market Aeronaut
1.5 There is a big difference between a 4-mana 2/2 flyer and a 4-mana 3/3 flyer, and Revolt can be difficult enough to get going that this isn’t that great.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Consulate Turret
Herald of the Fair
2.0 This has mediocre stats, but an ETB ability that often lets you attack more effectively. Still, it is pretty replaceable and not remotely impressive.
Ruinous Gremlin
1.5 This is passable in your main deck because there are enough Artifacts it can target, but you sort of hope you have some better artifact hate.
Consulate Turret
1.0 This format has some nice Energy payoffs. This isn’t one of them. Only hitting players is a big problem, and even though it can just tap to give you energy, it usually doesn’t feel like its worth a card.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Night Market Lookout
Fen Hauler
2.5 This is a solid finisher for Black decks with a decent number of Artifacts. It is quite large, paying 5 for it is pretty realistic, and it can’t be blacked by a ton of creatures in the format, including most of the creature tokens.
Night Market Lookout
1.5 If you’re really aggressive or plan on crewing vehicles a lot – or both – this can be an alright inclusion, but most of the time you’ll stay away from it.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Built to Last
Built to Last
2.0 This is a decent trick that gets even better if you’re rumbling with artifact creatures. It is a decent inclusion in aggro decks.