Gravestone Strider
2.5 When one mana filtering is attached to a creature, it has performed pretty well, and this even comes with the addition of graveyard hate, something that certainly matters in the format.
Lamplight Phoenix
4.5 A three mana 3/3 Flyer is great, and this one can refuse to die when you have some action in the graveyard, and bringing this back the first time doesn’t seem like a huge stretch in many situations. I think this sneaks into the lower bomb range – it’s hard not to love a creature this efficient that isn’t that hard to keep around.
Intrude on the Mind
5 This will usually either be a 5-mana 2/2 with Flash that draws 3, or a 5-mana 3/3 with Flash that draws 2, and in both cases it also stocks the graveyard. That's nuts.
Cornered Crook
4 There are no shortage of Clues in the format, and even giving up a full card for the bolt effect is going to be worthwhile a big chunk of the time. This will feel like a 2-for-1 when you can give up a clue, and you’ll still come out ahead most of the time if you have to give up something else.
Cease
2.5 The Cease side lets you hate on the graveyard while replacing itself which…probably wouldn’t be good enough to make the main deck in this format. The Desist side is more situational, but there are definitely going to be board states in this format where it really impacts the board, and most of the time when you get to 6 mana it has a pretty good chance at destroying something, just…hopefully not your stuff.
Flourishing Bloom-Kin
3 This is best in a heavy green deck, but even outside of that, it helps you ramp your mana and will be a reasonable size.
Slime Against Humanity
0.0 // 3.0 You need at least three of these before they are worth playing, and 4 is better.
Pick Your Poison
0.5 Even at one mana and with all these modes, this still feels like it won't do enough far too often. I think it's a sideboard card.
On the Job
1.5 // 3.0 As usual with Inspiring Charge effects, this is a build around. Red/White decks look the most well-positioned for this as they can go the widest, but you really need to be all in on curving out and going wide, or this isn’t worth it, even with the clue. It’s probably a D in your typical White deck, but a card you’re usually going to be happy with one of in your more aggressive decks.
Fanatical Strength
3 We’ve seen Run Amok in the past, and it has a strictly worse text box because it can only target attacking creatures, and Run Amok was an absolute beating in aggro decks. I think this will be too. The stats boost + trample can just wreck combat in so many ways, and make damage lethal out of nowhere. The boost is enough to save a creature from some removal spells in a pinch too. You’re going to want to keep this card in the back of your mind any time you’re playing someone who is in Green.
Offender at Large
2 Just playing this face up is going to be the play more often than not, and when you do it has a reasonable shot at giving you an attack you didn’t have before. This is the type of disguise creature you probably only play face down when you’ve got nothing else going on on turn three. Either way, this card looks like it will have trouble making the cut sometimes.
Dramatic Accusation
2.5 Three mana Blue Auras that tap a creature down usually aren’t anything special. The problem is that they don’t entirely remove the creature in all situations, so abilities are still relevant, and if your opponent has a way to sacrifice or otherwise utilize the tapped down creature you end up feeling like you’re really far behind. The Accusation’s activated ability adds an interesting wrinkle to this, since now you can get rid of the creature if it has problematic abilities and everything. The downside is your opponent might draw it again later.
Slice from the Shadows
3.5 Uncounterability actually matters in this set because of all the Disguise creatures with Ward. –X/-X is never going to feel super efficient, but it’s an instant and it scales all game, so I think it’s premium.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Private Eye
Topiary Panther
2.5 This fixes your mana well and sets up Collect Evidence 6 in the early game, and in the late game it's a passable creature.
Case of the Gorgon's Kiss
2.5 If you can solve this the value is insane, and it can certainly set that up for you. On the flip side, it also the potential to do absolutely nothing.
Private Eye
3.5 The set has plenty of detectives to buff, and plenty of clues that will help you make detectives unblockable. If yo’ure in Blue-White, it’s going to be hard for this not to buff a huge chunk of your deck.
Soul Search
1.5 This hits a wide enough variety of things to not to be an entirely useless discard spell, and the fact that sometimes you can get a token is pretty sweet.
Mistway Spy
3.5 Playing this on turn one is pretty acceptable, because it has evasion and a useful creature type – but the Disguise ability here is pretty impressive too. It counts every creature that hits your opponent, so you can get more than one clue. Obviously enough, because the Spy has evasion itself, you can turn it face up, crack in with it and get that Clue, which seems like a pretty normal play pattern.
Granite Witness
2.5 A 4-mana 3/2 with Flying and Vigilance is sort of passable, so the Disguise upside here is a nice thing to have around. Tapping or untapping things isn’t always gonna be useful, but when it is, it can be pretty awesome.
Slice from the Shadows
3.5 Uncounterability actually matters in this set because of all the Disguise creatures with Ward. –X/-X is never going to feel super efficient, but it’s an instant and it scales all game, so I think it’s premium.
Red Herring
1.5 This can do some serious work if you play it on turn two, and if you get it later in the game you can give it up to get a card. It’s an artifact and a clue, so it’s got some synergy in the format too, especially in Blue-Red. Still…the card’s fail case doesn’t exactly excite me. Paying 4 to draw a card, even in installments isn’t exactly awesome.
Seasoned Consultant
2 This will feel pretty nice attacking as a 3/3, but it probably won’t be doing that until turn 4 at the earliest, so it isn’t going to be lighting the world on fire either.
Cerebral Confiscation
1 So…this is either Mind Rot or Coercion, and neither of those is a great card these days, mostly because they don’t do anything in the late game and don’t add to the board.
Bite Down on Crime
3.5 If you aren't collecting evidence, this is pretty darn clunky. And clunky is dangerous on a removal spell like this, since your opponent interacting can 2-for-1 you. Still, if you choose your spot carefully, this is likely to kill most opposing stuff, and the stats boost might also really improve your attacks. Combine that with the Evidence upside and I think this manages to just sneak into “premium removal” range.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Crimestopper Sprite
Case of the Pilfered Proof
1.5 I don't think this is very good. You have to play it ahead of your detectives to get the counters, and there’s where most of the value is, because getting an extra clue here and there isn’t the most impressive payoff.
Rope
1.5 I think this is the worst card in this cycle. The buffs it offers are underwhelming, especially when you’re paying 3 to equip.
Lightning Helix
4 This is a pretty sweet reprint, and an incredibly powerful removal spell. Don’t underestimate just how good it is to simultaneously remove a creature and gain life. That can alter a game in your favor in a big way, and it can even go after the opponent. It’s certainly premium removal.
Presumed Dead
2.5 This type of trick always performs fairly well, as it does enough to make a creature punch above it’s weight class, yet it still survives. It even works well against removal, and it gets particularly interesting with creatures that have ETB abilities. Suspect won’t always feel like upside, but I think it will more often than not.
Undercover Crocodelf
2 So…without Disguise this wouldn’t be very good. A 6-mana 5/5 just doesn’t move the needle, especially one that can only do something if it hits your opponent. Disguise does enough to make this playable, though, because you can get it on the board much earlier of course, but you can also find a way to sneak it in and get that clue more easily.
Rot Farm Mortipede
3 The boost that the Mortipede gets is legit, as a 4/4 menace lifelinker is far better than a ¾. Getting stuff to leave your graveyard isn’t a huge ask in the format either, as the entire “Collect Evidence” mechanic is all about doing that. Putting cards from your graveyard to your hand and all of that will trigger this too. I think most Black decks will realistically be able to trigger this once or twice a game, and that’s really all you need for this to pull its weight.
Suspicious Detonation
2.5 If this was always 5 mana, it’d probably be a 1.5. That’s a really clunky Sorcery that usually can’t trade up. But, this will cost two fairly often in Red decks. Sacrificing a Clue is all you need to be able to do, and as we’ve seen there are otherwise to sacrifice artifacts too. It can also go after Disguised creatures since it can’t be countered.
Crimestopper Sprite
2.5 A three mana 2/2 flyer isn’t too bad, and one that stuns something on ETB is probably a 3.0, it’s just a great tempo play to add to the board while getting a creature out of the way. This won’t always stun stuff, and isn’t that likely to do it on turn three, but I think it will do it often enough.
Nervous Gardener
3 A two mana 2/2 isn’t what it used to be, but that’s the fail case here, and this has the upside of fixing your mana. Note, by the way, that it can grab this format’s dual lands, should you pick one up.
Thinking Cap
2 If this were always 1 to Equip, it would probably be a 2.5, just because that’s a fairly efficient boost – one that’s easy to move around. Detectives are plentiful enough in this format that this still looks solid.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Case of the Pilfered Proof
Crimestopper Sprite
2.5 A three mana 2/2 flyer isn’t too bad, and one that stuns something on ETB is probably a 3.0, it’s just a great tempo play to add to the board while getting a creature out of the way. This won’t always stun stuff, and isn’t that likely to do it on turn three, but I think it will do it often enough.
Tin Street Gossip
3.5 A 4-mana 4/4 with Vigilance is a great starting point, and this has upside that is very useful in this format. Red-Green especially has an interest in big ol’ Disguise creatures too. That Vigilance of course means it can swing and then tap for mana in the same turn, which is a nice combination.
Case of the Pilfered Proof
1.5 I don't think this is very good. You have to play it ahead of your detectives to get the counters, and there’s where most of the value is, because getting an extra clue here and there isn’t the most impressive payoff.
Sanguine Savior
3 A three mana 2/1 with Flying and Lifelink is pretty solid. It won’t always be able to get in there, but it will fairly often, and evasive lifelinkers are pretty sweet because they really shift a race in your favor. So, the fact that you can also play it first down first and give something else lifelink too is nice upside.
Loxodon Eavesdropper
2.5 5 mana for three 1/1s isn't great, but you can attack with all three tokens the next turn and really give your opponent a headache. At that point, you are definitely getting your mana's worth.
Out Cold
2 I’m not always a huge fan of cards that just Stun things, as it often doesn’t feel like they do enough to be worth a card. Sure, you can get two creatures out of the way for two attacks and two blocks, but if you don’t have the game in-hand by the time they untap, you’re going to be in trouble. But because this gives you a Clue, it gives you that card back. I still don’t really think you want more than one, but this looks like a pretty good version of this effect. It can even hit Disguised creatures without you having to worry about Ward.
Gearbane Orangutan
1.5 If you can either destroy an opposing artifact, or give up an expendable artifact when you play this, it’ll be fine. Ideally of course, you give up a clue. Still, I think there are going to be enough situations where neither mode is useful and this is a miserable card when that happens.
Public Thoroughfare
2.5 This is another nice source of fixing, even if it does require you to jump through a few hoops. Being able to only tap a Clue or something once when you play it is nice.
Basilica Stalker
2.5 It's never going to feel like you’re getting great value with the Stalker, whether you disguise it first or otherwise. But it probably won't feel bad either.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Griffnaut Tracker
Pompous Gadabout
2.5 This can't be blocked by disguised creatures, and you can use tricks on it without any fear of interaction.
Festerleech
3 This is going to feel quite nice on turn one, especially because if you’re in Black you’re probably a graveyard deck, and this certainly enables things early. You’re almost guaranteed an attack on turn two, since even if your opponent played their own one drop, they aren’t going to be able to block this when you have two mana up, and a 3/3 can stay relevant pretty much all game long, though it does have somewhat diminishing returns the later the game goes.
Kraul Whipcracker
2.5 There are lots of tokens in this set for sure, but destroying most of them isn't typically worth a card, and this won't have a target that often on turn two. The stat-line isn't really above rate these days either.
Concealed Weapon
1.5 +3/+0 can make just about any creature into a better attacker, but the lack of a toughness boost limits just how useful it can be, unless you’re equipping an evasive creature. Adding Disguise to the mix is important, because the worst thing in the world is drawing Equipment when you have nothing worth equipping it too, so this gives you a decent fail case, and can even work as a combat trick later in the game.
Dramatic Accusation
2.5 Three mana Blue Auras that tap a creature down usually aren’t anything special. The problem is that they don’t entirely remove the creature in all situations, so abilities are still relevant, and if your opponent has a way to sacrifice or otherwise utilize the tapped down creature you end up feeling like you’re really far behind. The Accusation’s activated ability adds an interesting wrinkle to this, since now you can get rid of the creature if it has problematic abilities and everything. The downside is your opponent might draw it again later.
They Went This Way
2 I like that this can ultimately give you a 2-for-1. I don’t like that it’s a Sorcery that doesn’t add to the board in any meaningful way. It definitely fixes your mana, and in games that go long enough that Clue is gonna feel pretty nice, but not doing anything to add to the board on turn three has been a liability in most formats of late. I kind of hope this is a format where you can do stuff like this, but I’m going to err on the side of caution.
Unscrupulous Agent
3 We see this card a lot lately, and it’s always pretty nice. Goes after a card in your opponents hand while adding to the board, and then you can sacrifice it or otherwise utilize it for other purposes, sometimes it even feels like you’re getting a 2-for-1.
Innocent Bystander
1.5 A two mana 2/1 that always gives you a clue when it dies is probably a C, but obviously enough this doesn’t always do it. In fact, in a lot of situations where it takes three, your opponent’s creature probably survives. That means this will often just be trading with another two drop or, worse – a 1/1 token.
Griffnaut Tracker
2 4-mana 3/2 flyers aren’t what they once were, but hating on the graveyard has value, and the stat-line isn’t a complete disaster. I’m giving this a C.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Jaded Analyst
Magnetic Snuffler
2.5 This set does have some Equipment that sacrifice themselves and draw you a card, and that’s kind of what it’s supposed to interact with. There’s also a decent amount of self-mill in the format. But…I still wouldn’t count on triggering that ETB all that often. When you can, it will feel nice. I think most of the value of the Snuffler comes from the fact that it grows when you sacrifice clues or other artifacts – but, the fact it starts out so inefficiently makes it hard for me to really feel great about this card.
Hedge Whisperer
2.5 This ability is reasonably powerful once you get there, but in the meantime you’ve got a one mana 0/3, something that just isn’t relevant on most boards. It’s also a little annoying the ability is as expensive as it is, and you can still only have one animated land at a time. You have to jump through some very real hoops and play an otherwise sub-par creature.
Forum Familiar
2.5 This is a Disguise creature that you’re going to want to play face down about 99% of the time., since if you don’t, it’s just a vanilla one mana 1/1 and those tend to get irrelevant quickly. However, if you play this face down it’s going to be pretty darn relevant thanks to its ability to bounce your permanents. You can do this to rebuy ETBs or help a creature dodge removal and stuff like that, but you can even just return a land if you just want the Familiar to be a 2/2. Obviously that’s not optimal, but it’s something. I think this will lie in wait and have big impacts on many games. This also gives us back-to-back white Disguise creatures who can turn face up and blank removal, so that’s something your’e going to have to keep in mind.
Rot Farm Mortipede
3 The boost that the Mortipede gets is legit, as a 4/4 menace lifelinker is far better than a ¾. Getting stuff to leave your graveyard isn’t a huge ask in the format either, as the entire “Collect Evidence” mechanic is all about doing that. Putting cards from your graveyard to your hand and all of that will trigger this too. I think most Black decks will realistically be able to trigger this once or twice a game, and that’s really all you need for this to pull its weight.
Innocent Bystander
1.5 A two mana 2/1 that always gives you a clue when it dies is probably a C, but obviously enough this doesn’t always do it. In fact, in a lot of situations where it takes three, your opponent’s creature probably survives. That means this will often just be trading with another two drop or, worse – a 1/1 token.
Bite Down on Crime
3.5 If you aren't collecting evidence, this is pretty darn clunky. And clunky is dangerous on a removal spell like this, since your opponent interacting can 2-for-1 you. Still, if you choose your spot carefully, this is likely to kill most opposing stuff, and the stats boost might also really improve your attacks. Combine that with the Evidence upside and I think this manages to just sneak into “premium removal” range.
Jaded Analyst
1.5 It feels like every single one of these creatures that has defender but loses defender when X happens has been really unimpressive, and I kind of thing this is too. I get it, you can give up a clue and attack with it, but by the time you can set that up, it isn’t like a 3/2 is going to light the world on fire. Most of the time this type of card is a 3/3, so at least it is a reasonable blocker, but a 3/2 is substantially worse.
Magnifying Glass
1 This is a bad mana rock that is way too slow at making Clues.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Jaded Analyst
Polygraph Orb
1 We usually see this card draw effect at or even 3 mana, so paying five for it, and at Sorcery speed is rough. It does load your graveyard to set up Collect Evidence, which it itself has, but I’m not that impressed with the activated ability either. Giving your opponent three options on this kind of effect oftens amounts to them being able to choose one that just doesn’t do anything. Speaking of not doing anything, that’s what this card does when it comes to the board, so I think this is kind of a liability.
Curious Inquiry
2.5 Auras that cost one blue and give a creature +1/+1 and the ability to draw you a card when they hit your opponent have a pretty good track record in Limited. This is because it can allow you to ensure that you’re going to at least break even on cards even by hitting your opponent once, and the card advantage can quickly bury your opponent. Getting a clue is a bit worse than drawing a card straight up, even in a format with clue payoffs, but this still looks like a nice card, especially in decks that have cheap evasive creatures.
Sanguine Savior
3 A three mana 2/1 with Flying and Lifelink is pretty solid. It won’t always be able to get in there, but it will fairly often, and evasive lifelinkers are pretty sweet because they really shift a race in your favor. So, the fact that you can also play it first down first and give something else lifelink too is nice upside.
Public Thoroughfare
2.5 This is another nice source of fixing, even if it does require you to jump through a few hoops. Being able to only tap a Clue or something once when you play it is nice.
Goblin Maskmaker
2 So, if you get this on exactly turn one and you have some Disguise creatures in your hand, this can feel pretty good – as dropping a 2/2 Ward 2 on turn two – one that will have all kinds of upside – is pretty awesome. The problem is that this has diminishing returns as the game goes on, especially because it has to attack to give you that discount.
Repeat Offender
2 This has an almost-passable baseline and ability that will make for a good mana sink in the later stages of the game. I like that you can use it at instant speed, so threat of activation will be pretty real.
Jaded Analyst
1.5 It feels like every single one of these creatures that has defender but loses defender when X happens has been really unimpressive, and I kind of thing this is too. I get it, you can give up a clue and attack with it, but by the time you can set that up, it isn’t like a 3/2 is going to light the world on fire. Most of the time this type of card is a 3/3, so at least it is a reasonable blocker, but a 3/2 is substantially worse.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Curious Inquiry
Expose the Culprit
0 This is too narrow, and the effect it typically gives you won't be worth a card.
Festerleech
3 This is going to feel quite nice on turn one, especially because if you’re in Black you’re probably a graveyard deck, and this certainly enables things early. You’re almost guaranteed an attack on turn two, since even if your opponent played their own one drop, they aren’t going to be able to block this when you have two mana up, and a 3/3 can stay relevant pretty much all game long, though it does have somewhat diminishing returns the later the game goes.
Curious Inquiry
2.5 Auras that cost one blue and give a creature +1/+1 and the ability to draw you a card when they hit your opponent have a pretty good track record in Limited. This is because it can allow you to ensure that you’re going to at least break even on cards even by hitting your opponent once, and the card advantage can quickly bury your opponent. Getting a clue is a bit worse than drawing a card straight up, even in a format with clue payoffs, but this still looks like a nice card, especially in decks that have cheap evasive creatures.
Fanatical Strength
3 We’ve seen Run Amok in the past, and it has a strictly worse text box because it can only target attacking creatures, and Run Amok was an absolute beating in aggro decks. I think this will be too. The stats boost + trample can just wreck combat in so many ways, and make damage lethal out of nowhere. The boost is enough to save a creature from some removal spells in a pinch too. You’re going to want to keep this card in the back of your mind any time you’re playing someone who is in Green.
Slime Against Humanity
0.0 // 3.0 You need at least three of these before they are worth playing, and 4 is better.
Slice from the Shadows
3.5 Uncounterability actually matters in this set because of all the Disguise creatures with Ward. –X/-X is never going to feel super efficient, but it’s an instant and it scales all game, so I think it’s premium.
Pack 1 Pick 9: On the Job
Gravestone Strider
2.5 When one mana filtering is attached to a creature, it has performed pretty well, and this even comes with the addition of graveyard hate, something that certainly matters in the format.
Pick Your Poison
0.5 Even at one mana and with all these modes, this still feels like it won't do enough far too often. I think it's a sideboard card.
On the Job
1.5 // 3.0 As usual with Inspiring Charge effects, this is a build around. Red/White decks look the most well-positioned for this as they can go the widest, but you really need to be all in on curving out and going wide, or this isn’t worth it, even with the clue. It’s probably a D in your typical White deck, but a card you’re usually going to be happy with one of in your more aggressive decks.
Fanatical Strength
3 We’ve seen Run Amok in the past, and it has a strictly worse text box because it can only target attacking creatures, and Run Amok was an absolute beating in aggro decks. I think this will be too. The stats boost + trample can just wreck combat in so many ways, and make damage lethal out of nowhere. The boost is enough to save a creature from some removal spells in a pinch too. You’re going to want to keep this card in the back of your mind any time you’re playing someone who is in Green.
Offender at Large
2 Just playing this face up is going to be the play more often than not, and when you do it has a reasonable shot at giving you an attack you didn’t have before. This is the type of disguise creature you probably only play face down when you’ve got nothing else going on on turn three. Either way, this card looks like it will have trouble making the cut sometimes.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Slice from the Shadows
Topiary Panther
2.5 This fixes your mana well and sets up Collect Evidence 6 in the early game, and in the late game it's a passable creature.
Case of the Gorgon's Kiss
2.5 If you can solve this the value is insane, and it can certainly set that up for you. On the flip side, it also the potential to do absolutely nothing.
Soul Search
1.5 This hits a wide enough variety of things to not to be an entirely useless discard spell, and the fact that sometimes you can get a token is pretty sweet.
Slice from the Shadows
3.5 Uncounterability actually matters in this set because of all the Disguise creatures with Ward. –X/-X is never going to feel super efficient, but it’s an instant and it scales all game, so I think it’s premium.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Thinking Cap
Presumed Dead
2.5 This type of trick always performs fairly well, as it does enough to make a creature punch above it’s weight class, yet it still survives. It even works well against removal, and it gets particularly interesting with creatures that have ETB abilities. Suspect won’t always feel like upside, but I think it will more often than not.
Thinking Cap
2 If this were always 1 to Equip, it would probably be a 2.5, just because that’s a fairly efficient boost – one that’s easy to move around. Detectives are plentiful enough in this format that this still looks solid.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Out Cold
Out Cold
2 I’m not always a huge fan of cards that just Stun things, as it often doesn’t feel like they do enough to be worth a card. Sure, you can get two creatures out of the way for two attacks and two blocks, but if you don’t have the game in-hand by the time they untap, you’re going to be in trouble. But because this gives you a Clue, it gives you that card back. I still don’t really think you want more than one, but this looks like a pretty good version of this effect. It can even hit Disguised creatures without you having to worry about Ward.
Public Thoroughfare
2.5 This is another nice source of fixing, even if it does require you to jump through a few hoops. Being able to only tap a Clue or something once when you play it is nice.
Pack 1 Pick 13: They Went This Way
They Went This Way
2 I like that this can ultimately give you a 2-for-1. I don’t like that it’s a Sorcery that doesn’t add to the board in any meaningful way. It definitely fixes your mana, and in games that go long enough that Clue is gonna feel pretty nice, but not doing anything to add to the board on turn three has been a liability in most formats of late. I kind of hope this is a format where you can do stuff like this, but I’m going to err on the side of caution.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Wojek Investigator
Unscrupulous Agent
3 We see this card a lot lately, and it’s always pretty nice. Goes after a card in your opponents hand while adding to the board, and then you can sacrifice it or otherwise utilize it for other purposes, sometimes it even feels like you’re getting a 2-for-1.
Wojek Investigator
4.5 A three mana 2/4 with Flying and Vigilance is easily a 3.5, and this can crank out Clues a decent chunk of the time.
Tin Street Gossip
3.5 A 4-mana 4/4 with Vigilance is a great starting point, and this has upside that is very useful in this format. Red-Green especially has an interest in big ol’ Disguise creatures too. That Vigilance of course means it can swing and then tap for mana in the same turn, which is a nice combination.
Krovod Haunch
2.5 One to play and two to equip for +2/+0 is kind of alright, and when it isn’t meaningful enough for you, this basically becomes 4 mana to make two 1/1 tokens and gain you three life. Neither mode is crazy of course, but the modality this gives you makes it a decent inclusion. I’m giving it a C.
Long Goodbye
3.5 The uncounterable part actually matters in limited, because it means this can hit Disguise creatures and you don’t have to worry about Ward. Apart from that, this can trade up for stuff in general. It’s premium removal.
Agency Coroner
2 This is a lot of mana for the usual sacrifice a creature draw a card effect, but the fact you’ll sometimes draw two helps soften that blow.
Griffnaut Tracker
2 4-mana 3/2 flyers aren’t what they once were, but hating on the graveyard has value, and the stat-line isn’t a complete disaster. I’m giving this a C.
Shady Informant
2.5 If you could only play this face up, it would be a pretty nice card. It has high enough power to trade with a whole lot of stuff, and the death trigger is likely to let you kill something else too – and that’s a 2-for-1. So, the fact you can get it on the board earlier in the game without your opponent knowing it’s lurking there makes it even nicer.
Innocent Bystander
1.5 A two mana 2/1 that always gives you a clue when it dies is probably a C, but obviously enough this doesn’t always do it. In fact, in a lot of situations where it takes three, your opponent’s creature probably survives. That means this will often just be trading with another two drop or, worse – a 1/1 token.
Dramatic Accusation
2.5 Three mana Blue Auras that tap a creature down usually aren’t anything special. The problem is that they don’t entirely remove the creature in all situations, so abilities are still relevant, and if your opponent has a way to sacrifice or otherwise utilize the tapped down creature you end up feeling like you’re really far behind. The Accusation’s activated ability adds an interesting wrinkle to this, since now you can get rid of the creature if it has problematic abilities and everything. The downside is your opponent might draw it again later.
Shock
3.5 Shock is a 3.5 as it usual is. It’s definitely premium because you can spend only a single mana to kill significantly more expensive creatures – and you can do it at instant speed! Plus, it can even finish off your opponent.
Undercover Crocodelf
2 So…without Disguise this wouldn’t be very good. A 6-mana 5/5 just doesn’t move the needle, especially one that can only do something if it hits your opponent. Disguise does enough to make this playable, though, because you can get it on the board much earlier of course, but you can also find a way to sneak it in and get that clue more easily.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Karlov Watchdog
Case of the Gateway Express
4 The ETB will be a reasonable removal spell most of the time, and sometimes a really good one – and this case is easier to solve than most. The reward isn’t exactly game-breaking, but it’s certainly relevant, especially because it’s effectively stapled to a solid removal spell.
Case of the Locked Hothouse
2.5 Solving this is inevitable in many Magic games, and once you do it’s pretty darn powerful. It even lets you get more than one card per turn! But, here’s the problem: This is an awful Enchantment that doesn’t add to the board up until that point, and that’s a pretty big liability for a 4-mana card. Extra land drops are very hard to take advantage of in Limited, especially by the turn you play this, because you just run out of lands to play. Basically, this is great in the late game and awful the rest of the game, and that makes it really hard for it to get a great grade.
Push
4 The Push half is where you’re going to get about 90% of the value here, as it’s a solid removal spell. But…having the Pull half is definitely upside, because in the right situation it can just end the game.
Karlov Watchdog
3 This is a pretty nice Battalion trigger. Red/White in the format should be able to get this going pretty effectively, and obviously the boost it gives is at its best when you have a bunch of creatures anyway. The stats boost also makes it very likely that you’ll keep enough stuff alive to do it all over again the next turn. The card’s big downside is being a 4-mana card with 2-toughness that can be killed by almost every removal spell in the format, many of which cost one mana or are stapled to creatures, and that’s a miserable feeling.
Case File Auditor
2.5 So, if can consistently get a hit with this ETB, it’s going to be plenty good. This format has enough Enchantments – including cases – for that to happen a decent chunk of the time. If you have like 5 Enchantments, I think you’ll hit often enough for it to work, and obviously you’re going to need Cases to get the full value out of this, but they aren’t so plentiful that that’s always going to be easy.
Topiary Panther
2.5 This fixes your mana well and sets up Collect Evidence 6 in the early game, and in the late game it's a passable creature.
Repeat Offender
2 This has an almost-passable baseline and ability that will make for a good mana sink in the later stages of the game. I like that you can use it at instant speed, so threat of activation will be pretty real.
Tunnel Tipster
4 A two mana 1/1 that can tap for green is already a C-level card, and this has legitimate potential to grow throughout the game, which means it can stay more relevant than most mana dorks. Of course, if you draw it late it isn’t the most impressive thing ever, but playing this on turn two and playing a couple of Disguise creatures seems like a super common play pattern. This Common looks quite good.
Out Cold
2 I’m not always a huge fan of cards that just Stun things, as it often doesn’t feel like they do enough to be worth a card. Sure, you can get two creatures out of the way for two attacks and two blocks, but if you don’t have the game in-hand by the time they untap, you’re going to be in trouble. But because this gives you a Clue, it gives you that card back. I still don’t really think you want more than one, but this looks like a pretty good version of this effect. It can even hit Disguised creatures without you having to worry about Ward.
Magnifying Glass
1 This is a bad mana rock that is way too slow at making Clues.
Marketwatch Phantom
3 This feels like a very important common for aggressive White decks. That type of deck will have tons of cards that trigger this. It doesn't seem like it will be rare for this to crack in as a flyer on turns 3 and 4.
Goblin Maskmaker
2 So, if you get this on exactly turn one and you have some Disguise creatures in your hand, this can feel pretty good – as dropping a 2/2 Ward 2 on turn two – one that will have all kinds of upside – is pretty awesome. The problem is that this has diminishing returns as the game goes on, especially because it has to attack to give you that discount.
Culvert Ambusher
2 This kind of effect doesn’t always play well. There just aren’t always situations where it matters. Still, when it does matter, it feels a bit like situational removal, and it’s stapled to a creature with okayish stats, not to mention Disguise upside.
Knife
2 +1/+0 and first strike does make almost any creature into a decent attacker, but the fact this is irrelevant on your opponent's turn is a bummer. There are definitely payoffs for sacrificing artifacts though, and this triggers those while always doing something by drawing you a card. D138
Persuasive Interrogators
2.5 There’s not enough poison in this format for the Interrogators to poison someone out very often. Obviously, you’re going to need a ton of Clues to get there. So, most of the card’s value is just being a 6-mana ⅚ that Investigates and that’s…passable, especially with the poison upside.
Faerie Snoop
3 A three mana ¼ flyer isn’t a disaster, and the Disguise upside here is pretty real. Drawing a card is always nice, and there’s plenty of incentive for putting things in the graveyard too. These hybrid Disguise costs also mean these are going to be playable in a wider variety of decks than just Blue-Black.
Person of Interest
3.5 4-mana for a 2/2 and a 2/2 Menace that can’t block is a pretty amazing rate. Not much more to say there, but this is a really good Common.
Undercover Crocodelf
2 So…without Disguise this wouldn’t be very good. A 6-mana 5/5 just doesn’t move the needle, especially one that can only do something if it hits your opponent. Disguise does enough to make this playable, though, because you can get it on the board much earlier of course, but you can also find a way to sneak it in and get that clue more easily.
Riftburst Hellion
2.5 This isn’t going to feel amazing either way you get the 6/7 with Reach, but the fact that it IS a huge creature with the upside of being castable as a three mana 2/2 Ward 2 makes it worthwhile.
Museum Nightwatch
2.5 Spending 4 mana to get a 3/2 and a 2/2 is decent, and you can Disguise this to keep your opponent from knowing that it will leave value behind.
Granite Witness
2.5 A 4-mana 3/2 with Flying and Vigilance is sort of passable, so the Disguise upside here is a nice thing to have around. Tapping or untapping things isn’t always gonna be useful, but when it is, it can be pretty awesome.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Granite Witness
Rune-Brand Juggler
3.5 Suspecting your creature might mean you get a good attack right away, and if nothing else the Juggler can suspect itself. It is nice that it’s a “may” trigger, if you’re in a spot where you need to block. The activated ability is pretty good, especially if you’re making tokens into suspects, something that doesn’t seem particularly far-fetched. It won’t feel quite as good to give up real creatures with that ability, but that’s not a bad fail-case either. If you have a Suspect in play and mana up, your opponent is going to be in a nightmare scenario.
Cease
2.5 The Cease side lets you hate on the graveyard while replacing itself which…probably wouldn’t be good enough to make the main deck in this format. The Desist side is more situational, but there are definitely going to be board states in this format where it really impacts the board, and most of the time when you get to 6 mana it has a pretty good chance at destroying something, just…hopefully not your stuff.
Caught Red-Handed
1 At first an instant speed threaten sounds really good, but because this one suspects the creature you grab, it can’t actually be used to block an opposing attacker or anything like that, so it being an instant isn’t a huge deal. 5 mana for a threaten just feels like too much, even if the creature does get menace. The “can’t be countered” line of text does mean you can go after Disguise creatures, but this format doesn’t even have that prominent of a creature sacrifice them.
Offender at Large
2 Just playing this face up is going to be the play more often than not, and when you do it has a reasonable shot at giving you an attack you didn’t have before. This is the type of disguise creature you probably only play face down when you’ve got nothing else going on on turn three. Either way, this card looks like it will have trouble making the cut sometimes.
Fanatical Strength
3 We’ve seen Run Amok in the past, and it has a strictly worse text box because it can only target attacking creatures, and Run Amok was an absolute beating in aggro decks. I think this will be too. The stats boost + trample can just wreck combat in so many ways, and make damage lethal out of nowhere. The boost is enough to save a creature from some removal spells in a pinch too. You’re going to want to keep this card in the back of your mind any time you’re playing someone who is in Green.
On the Job
1.5 // 3.0 As usual with Inspiring Charge effects, this is a build around. Red/White decks look the most well-positioned for this as they can go the widest, but you really need to be all in on curving out and going wide, or this isn’t worth it, even with the clue. It’s probably a D in your typical White deck, but a card you’re usually going to be happy with one of in your more aggressive decks.
Extract a Confession
3.5 This looks like a great common. Edicts tend to be at their best when your opponent has the fewest creatures. That usually means the early game. But thanks to collevt evidence here, this stays pretty good by the mid to late game, as getting rid of your opponents highest power creature will also mean their best creature loke 80 percent of the time.
Slime Against Humanity
0.0 // 3.0 You need at least three of these before they are worth playing, and 4 is better.
Granite Witness
2.5 A 4-mana 3/2 with Flying and Vigilance is sort of passable, so the Disguise upside here is a nice thing to have around. Tapping or untapping things isn’t always gonna be useful, but when it is, it can be pretty awesome.
Undercover Crocodelf
2 So…without Disguise this wouldn’t be very good. A 6-mana 5/5 just doesn’t move the needle, especially one that can only do something if it hits your opponent. Disguise does enough to make this playable, though, because you can get it on the board much earlier of course, but you can also find a way to sneak it in and get that clue more easily.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Haazda Vigilante
A Killer Among Us
2.5 A 4-mana 3/3 that makes a Clue is fine, and this will be a 4/4 Vigilance from time to time.
Repulsive Mutation
3 because leaving up mana and hoping your opponent plays into it can be a really serious problem. You have to be careful about using them.
Festerleech
3 This is going to feel quite nice on turn one, especially because if you’re in Black you’re probably a graveyard deck, and this certainly enables things early. You’re almost guaranteed an attack on turn two, since even if your opponent played their own one drop, they aren’t going to be able to block this when you have two mana up, and a 3/3 can stay relevant pretty much all game long, though it does have somewhat diminishing returns the later the game goes.
Due Diligence
2 Without the ETB this would be really bad. If you throw the ETB in the mix, it gets more interesting. There are going to be times where you cast this and end up with two great attacks as a result, and the Vigilance makes it so you don’t have to give up on defending yourself either, so chances are better than normal that those attacks are worth taking. Alternatively, making one thing get +4/+4 and Vigilance for a turn doesn’t sound bad either. You do need to be careful about casting this, as you do with most Auras, but this one does enough to be make the cut a decent chunk of the time.
Pick Your Poison
0.5 Even at one mana and with all these modes, this still feels like it won't do enough far too often. I think it's a sideboard card.
Rot Farm Mortipede
3 The boost that the Mortipede gets is legit, as a 4/4 menace lifelinker is far better than a ¾. Getting stuff to leave your graveyard isn’t a huge ask in the format either, as the entire “Collect Evidence” mechanic is all about doing that. Putting cards from your graveyard to your hand and all of that will trigger this too. I think most Black decks will realistically be able to trigger this once or twice a game, and that’s really all you need for this to pull its weight.
Macabre Reconstruction
2.5 Paying two for this is very doable, and when you do that it feels great. You probably don't want more than one, though.
Benthic Criminologists
2.5 These are some medium stats, but giving up Clues or other artifacts to draw cards is certainly worthwhile. And this can do it a couple of times in most cases.
Haazda Vigilante
2.5 If you can get a counter of this, the rate on this will feel fine. Doing so doesn’t seem like a big stretch with all the Disguise creatures, either. It’s nice he does it on attacks too, so getting two counters of him is a real possibility.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Novice Inspector
Dog Walker
3.5 Obviously, you get the most value out of just casting it face down and turning it face up – at which point you paid 5 mana for a 3/1 Vigilance and two 1/1s, and paying it in installments will make it feel more efficient than that. But, the fact you can just slam it on turn two if you’re more interested in curving out is pretty nice.
Branch of Vitu-Ghazi
2.5 If you just need the mana right away, you can play it, but this has two other really nice functions. First, it's flood insurance. The last thing you want to do in the late game is draw a land - but thud one can be a creature when that's the case. And in the mid-game, when you might need the fixing, you can turn it face up. Remember you can do weird stuff like assign this to block and turn it face up, at which point you get the mana and the creature it blocked is still considered blocked, but you don't lose the land.
Case of the Pilfered Proof
1.5 I don't think this is very good. You have to play it ahead of your detectives to get the counters, and there’s where most of the value is, because getting an extra clue here and there isn’t the most impressive payoff.
Slice from the Shadows
3.5 Uncounterability actually matters in this set because of all the Disguise creatures with Ward. –X/-X is never going to feel super efficient, but it’s an instant and it scales all game, so I think it’s premium.
Novice Inspector
3.5 This is a functional reprint of Thraben Inspector, which was amazing. Two pieces of material for one mana is awesome.
Escape Tunnel
3 This is Evolving Wilds with upside, and that upside can allow you send in an unblockable Disguise creature.
Pick Your Poison
0.5 Even at one mana and with all these modes, this still feels like it won't do enough far too often. I think it's a sideboard card.
Felonious Rage
2 We've seen this card before, more or less, and it’s a nice trick. The power boost lets your creature take down most stuff, and you come out ahead thanks to the token, and at only one mana it is really priced to move.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Out Cold
Out Cold
2 I’m not always a huge fan of cards that just Stun things, as it often doesn’t feel like they do enough to be worth a card. Sure, you can get two creatures out of the way for two attacks and two blocks, but if you don’t have the game in-hand by the time they untap, you’re going to be in trouble. But because this gives you a Clue, it gives you that card back. I still don’t really think you want more than one, but this looks like a pretty good version of this effect. It can even hit Disguised creatures without you having to worry about Ward.
Cease
2.5 The Cease side lets you hate on the graveyard while replacing itself which…probably wouldn’t be good enough to make the main deck in this format. The Desist side is more situational, but there are definitely going to be board states in this format where it really impacts the board, and most of the time when you get to 6 mana it has a pretty good chance at destroying something, just…hopefully not your stuff.
Felonious Rage
2 We've seen this card before, more or less, and it’s a nice trick. The power boost lets your creature take down most stuff, and you come out ahead thanks to the token, and at only one mana it is really priced to move.
Toxin Analysis
1.5 This is really cheap, and cheap tricks are often real good for their ability to punch above their weight class – and this one even gives you a clue! But…there’s a problem. It doesn’t offer anything that can help your creature survive combat. Sure, your creature can always trade thanks to this, but it’s still going to feel close enough to a 2-for-1 to sting when you have to use it that way. It does work nicely with Suspect, but I don't think that's enough.
Bubble Smuggler
2 If you need to play a two drop well…it is one. A pretty bad one, but one nonetheless. Then if you need something on three you can disguise it, and then in the late game it can become a big monster. Now, this card isn’t ever going to make you feel like you’re doing something busted, as it’s kind of medium at all three points in the game, but the fact it can do all those things is enough for it to be fine.
Fanatical Strength
3 We’ve seen Run Amok in the past, and it has a strictly worse text box because it can only target attacking creatures, and Run Amok was an absolute beating in aggro decks. I think this will be too. The stats boost + trample can just wreck combat in so many ways, and make damage lethal out of nowhere. The boost is enough to save a creature from some removal spells in a pinch too. You’re going to want to keep this card in the back of your mind any time you’re playing someone who is in Green.
Suspicious Detonation
2.5 If this was always 5 mana, it’d probably be a 1.5. That’s a really clunky Sorcery that usually can’t trade up. But, this will cost two fairly often in Red decks. Sacrificing a Clue is all you need to be able to do, and as we’ve seen there are otherwise to sacrifice artifacts too. It can also go after Disguised creatures since it can’t be countered.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Curious Inquiry
Sumala Sentry
4 Two counters is a big deal, and the fact you can turn them face up at instant speed can really make this a beating.
Curious Inquiry
2.5 Auras that cost one blue and give a creature +1/+1 and the ability to draw you a card when they hit your opponent have a pretty good track record in Limited. This is because it can allow you to ensure that you’re going to at least break even on cards even by hitting your opponent once, and the card advantage can quickly bury your opponent. Getting a clue is a bit worse than drawing a card straight up, even in a format with clue payoffs, but this still looks like a nice card, especially in decks that have cheap evasive creatures.
Behind the Mask
1 This type of card rarely works out in Limited, and I think even at one mana I’m not super interested in this. It’s easy to look at this and see it as a trick with multiple modes – and that is what it is, but reducing a creature to 1/1 or growing a creature to 4/3, or turning a clue into a 4/3, while possibilities is only useful situationally. You need stat-lines to line up just right, and if you’re turning your 2/2 or something into a 4/3 it’s really not worth it. Furthermore, shrinking an opposing creature to a 1/1 is only relevant or useful when your opponent attacks with the right creature that you actually want to remove. Basically, this is too situational to do something worthwhile very often.
Thinking Cap
2 If this were always 1 to Equip, it would probably be a 2.5, just because that’s a fairly efficient boost – one that’s easy to move around. Detectives are plentiful enough in this format that this still looks solid.
Benthic Criminologists
2.5 These are some medium stats, but giving up Clues or other artifacts to draw cards is certainly worthwhile. And this can do it a couple of times in most cases.
Unscrupulous Agent
3 We see this card a lot lately, and it’s always pretty nice. Goes after a card in your opponents hand while adding to the board, and then you can sacrifice it or otherwise utilize it for other purposes, sometimes it even feels like you’re getting a 2-for-1.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Undercover Crocodelf
Unscrupulous Agent
3 We see this card a lot lately, and it’s always pretty nice. Goes after a card in your opponents hand while adding to the board, and then you can sacrifice it or otherwise utilize it for other purposes, sometimes it even feels like you’re getting a 2-for-1.
Tin Street Gossip
3.5 A 4-mana 4/4 with Vigilance is a great starting point, and this has upside that is very useful in this format. Red-Green especially has an interest in big ol’ Disguise creatures too. That Vigilance of course means it can swing and then tap for mana in the same turn, which is a nice combination.
Krovod Haunch
2.5 One to play and two to equip for +2/+0 is kind of alright, and when it isn’t meaningful enough for you, this basically becomes 4 mana to make two 1/1 tokens and gain you three life. Neither mode is crazy of course, but the modality this gives you makes it a decent inclusion. I’m giving it a C.
Agency Coroner
2 This is a lot of mana for the usual sacrifice a creature draw a card effect, but the fact you’ll sometimes draw two helps soften that blow.
Undercover Crocodelf
2 So…without Disguise this wouldn’t be very good. A 6-mana 5/5 just doesn’t move the needle, especially one that can only do something if it hits your opponent. Disguise does enough to make this playable, though, because you can get it on the board much earlier of course, but you can also find a way to sneak it in and get that clue more easily.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Tunnel Tipster
Repeat Offender
2 This has an almost-passable baseline and ability that will make for a good mana sink in the later stages of the game. I like that you can use it at instant speed, so threat of activation will be pretty real.
Tunnel Tipster
4 A two mana 1/1 that can tap for green is already a C-level card, and this has legitimate potential to grow throughout the game, which means it can stay more relevant than most mana dorks. Of course, if you draw it late it isn’t the most impressive thing ever, but playing this on turn two and playing a couple of Disguise creatures seems like a super common play pattern. This Common looks quite good.
Magnifying Glass
1 This is a bad mana rock that is way too slow at making Clues.
Goblin Maskmaker
2 So, if you get this on exactly turn one and you have some Disguise creatures in your hand, this can feel pretty good – as dropping a 2/2 Ward 2 on turn two – one that will have all kinds of upside – is pretty awesome. The problem is that this has diminishing returns as the game goes on, especially because it has to attack to give you that discount.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Sanitation Automaton
Persuasive Interrogators
2.5 There’s not enough poison in this format for the Interrogators to poison someone out very often. Obviously, you’re going to need a ton of Clues to get there. So, most of the card’s value is just being a 6-mana ⅚ that Investigates and that’s…passable, especially with the poison upside.
Riftburst Hellion
2.5 This isn’t going to feel amazing either way you get the 6/7 with Reach, but the fact that it IS a huge creature with the upside of being castable as a three mana 2/2 Ward 2 makes it worthwhile.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Rune-Brand Juggler
Rune-Brand Juggler
3.5 Suspecting your creature might mean you get a good attack right away, and if nothing else the Juggler can suspect itself. It is nice that it’s a “may” trigger, if you’re in a spot where you need to block. The activated ability is pretty good, especially if you’re making tokens into suspects, something that doesn’t seem particularly far-fetched. It won’t feel quite as good to give up real creatures with that ability, but that’s not a bad fail-case either. If you have a Suspect in play and mana up, your opponent is going to be in a nightmare scenario.
Fanatical Strength
3 We’ve seen Run Amok in the past, and it has a strictly worse text box because it can only target attacking creatures, and Run Amok was an absolute beating in aggro decks. I think this will be too. The stats boost + trample can just wreck combat in so many ways, and make damage lethal out of nowhere. The boost is enough to save a creature from some removal spells in a pinch too. You’re going to want to keep this card in the back of your mind any time you’re playing someone who is in Green.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Macabre Reconstruction
Macabre Reconstruction
2.5 Paying two for this is very doable, and when you do that it feels great. You probably don't want more than one, though.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Case of the Gateway Express
Alley Assailant
2.5 Both modes seem fairly acceptable here, and I think the design is actually really interesting. Most of the time on turn 3 you’re probably just going to want to play it as a 3-mana 3/3 that enters tapped, but sometimes you’re in a spot where you really need to be able to block, and you can play it Disguised when that’s the case, and draining 3 life from your opponent is a pretty real effect.
Etrata, Deadly Fugitive
4 A ¼ death touch for three is a nice starting point, and her abilities are really interesting. Basically when she (or another assassin) hits an opponent, you make the top card of your opponent’s deck into a 2/2 with ward 2. That’s already something I love – but beyond that, you can actually turn those cards face up! And you can even cast them when they aren’t creatures! Basically, it’s like she gives you a token when that’s what you need, and a card in your hand when that’s what you need, and the combination is great.
Case of the Gateway Express
4 The ETB will be a reasonable removal spell most of the time, and sometimes a really good one – and this case is easier to solve than most. The reward isn’t exactly game-breaking, but it’s certainly relevant, especially because it’s effectively stapled to a solid removal spell.
Soul Search
1.5 This hits a wide enough variety of things to not to be an entirely useless discard spell, and the fact that sometimes you can get a token is pretty sweet.
Knife
2 +1/+0 and first strike does make almost any creature into a decent attacker, but the fact this is irrelevant on your opponent's turn is a bummer. There are definitely payoffs for sacrificing artifacts though, and this triggers those while always doing something by drawing you a card. D138
Sample Collector
2.5 This can be put the counter on itself, and it attacking as a ¾ on turn four doesn’t seem impossible but…it’s also not incredible. The ability to put the counter elsewhere does give you some nice flexibility, but the base stat-line here is mediocre and that’s kind of a problem for a creature that has to attack to be something more than a vanilla creature. Especially because you also need to set this up a bit.
Escape Tunnel
3 This is Evolving Wilds with upside, and that upside can allow you send in an unblockable Disguise creature.
Murder
3.5 Murder is still a pretty good Magic card in Limited. The double black can be a pain, but this is still premium.
Galvanize
4 Two mana instant deal threes are always great, and this one will do 5 a chunk of the time.
Make Your Move
2 We see this type of removal that only hits big creatures all the time, and it’s usually pretty mediocre, simply because its too narrow. They usually don’t even make the cut in your main deck. But, stapling Disenchant to it is a pretty big upgrade, especially in a set that has a fair number of both, probably makes this into a solid playable, and I think it even has a shot at being better than that.
Out Cold
2 I’m not always a huge fan of cards that just Stun things, as it often doesn’t feel like they do enough to be worth a card. Sure, you can get two creatures out of the way for two attacks and two blocks, but if you don’t have the game in-hand by the time they untap, you’re going to be in trouble. But because this gives you a Clue, it gives you that card back. I still don’t really think you want more than one, but this looks like a pretty good version of this effect. It can even hit Disguised creatures without you having to worry about Ward.
Bite Down on Crime
3.5 If you aren't collecting evidence, this is pretty darn clunky. And clunky is dangerous on a removal spell like this, since your opponent interacting can 2-for-1 you. Still, if you choose your spot carefully, this is likely to kill most opposing stuff, and the stats boost might also really improve your attacks. Combine that with the Evidence upside and I think this manages to just sneak into “premium removal” range.
Red Herring
1.5 This can do some serious work if you play it on turn two, and if you get it later in the game you can give it up to get a card. It’s an artifact and a clue, so it’s got some synergy in the format too, especially in Blue-Red. Still…the card’s fail case doesn’t exactly excite me. Paying 4 to draw a card, even in installments isn’t exactly awesome.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Wojek Investigator
Frantic Scapegoat
2.5 A one mana 1/1 with Haste and Menace is going to feel pretty great on turn one, and this can lend its suspect-status to other creatures, helping it stay relevant all game long.
Wojek Investigator
4.5 A three mana 2/4 with Flying and Vigilance is easily a 3.5, and this can crank out Clues a decent chunk of the time.
Concealed Weapon
1.5 +3/+0 can make just about any creature into a better attacker, but the lack of a toughness boost limits just how useful it can be, unless you’re equipping an evasive creature. Adding Disguise to the mix is important, because the worst thing in the world is drawing Equipment when you have nothing worth equipping it too, so this gives you a decent fail case, and can even work as a combat trick later in the game.
Neighborhood Guardian
2.5 The boost is nice and all but…it’s not amazing when you have to jump through some pretty specific hoops to make it happen. And sure, there’s lots of Diguise in this set that will trigger this, not to mention creature tokens and the like, but this still seems pretty medium.
Candlestick
2.5 The Cluequipments in Blue and Red might just be the best since the Blue-Red deck is so into sacrificing artifacts, but lots of decks in the format like Clues too, and this one can help set up collect evidence.
Airtight Alibi
2 When you can use this correctly, it can be an absolute beating. It can work as a decent trick that leaves the buff behind, and it can blank removal. Turning off Suspect will usually be more upside than downside, too. Still, it's tricky to leave up this much mana.
Bite Down on Crime
3.5 If you aren't collecting evidence, this is pretty darn clunky. And clunky is dangerous on a removal spell like this, since your opponent interacting can 2-for-1 you. Still, if you choose your spot carefully, this is likely to kill most opposing stuff, and the stats boost might also really improve your attacks. Combine that with the Evidence upside and I think this manages to just sneak into “premium removal” range.
Griffnaut Tracker
2 4-mana 3/2 flyers aren’t what they once were, but hating on the graveyard has value, and the stat-line isn’t a complete disaster. I’m giving this a C.
Felonious Rage
2 We've seen this card before, more or less, and it’s a nice trick. The power boost lets your creature take down most stuff, and you come out ahead thanks to the token, and at only one mana it is really priced to move.
Rot Farm Mortipede
3 The boost that the Mortipede gets is legit, as a 4/4 menace lifelinker is far better than a ¾. Getting stuff to leave your graveyard isn’t a huge ask in the format either, as the entire “Collect Evidence” mechanic is all about doing that. Putting cards from your graveyard to your hand and all of that will trigger this too. I think most Black decks will realistically be able to trigger this once or twice a game, and that’s really all you need for this to pull its weight.
Bubble Smuggler
2 If you need to play a two drop well…it is one. A pretty bad one, but one nonetheless. Then if you need something on three you can disguise it, and then in the late game it can become a big monster. Now, this card isn’t ever going to make you feel like you’re doing something busted, as it’s kind of medium at all three points in the game, but the fact it can do all those things is enough for it to be fine.
Topiary Panther
2.5 This fixes your mana well and sets up Collect Evidence 6 in the early game, and in the late game it's a passable creature.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Proft's Eidetic Memory
Proft's Eidetic Memory
3.5 The fact this draws a card up front is a pretty big deal, especially because if you play it before combat on your turn, this amounts to being a two mana draw 1 that puts a +1/+1 counter on something, and that in itself is a solid card. So, if you can combine this with Clues and other draw effects, it can really augment your board. Still, getting that going is easier said than done, and I think most of this card’s value comes from what it gives you on that first turn – but that’s a pretty nice baseline.
Case of the Crimson Pulse
4 This gives you a more expensive Tormenting Voice up front, and once you solve it, it becomes a pretty insane card advantage engine. If you’re a low-to-the-ground Red deck, it isn’t going to be that hard to solve this quickly, and the card’s baseline is already fairly acceptable – and once it’s fully unlocked it is very likely to win you the game. The card’s biggest downside is that it doesn’t impact the board, but the upside is so much that I think that's fine.
Hustle
3 Individually, each side of this is a little too situational to be particularly good on its own, but when you have two modes on one card, it’s different. The Hustle side is narrow, but the times when it lines up right, it will feel like removal. Bustle is also situational, but it’s also a game ender, as Overrun effects often are. Chances are pretty good you’ll get sufficient value out of one side of this card to make it worth playing.
Bolrac-Clan Basher
2.5 The Basher is a case where you’re most frequently want to play it face down, because turning it face up for 5 is a much better deal, and a double-striking trampler is the exact creature you want to surprise your opponent with. It can take down almost anything, and it can frequently survive while it does and chip in for some serious damage. This also makes it more likely the Basher does some work before going down, unlike if you play it face up.
Living Conundrum
2.5 A 5-mana ⅖ with Hexproof is pretty interesting, especially at Uncommon. As usual, pairing hexproof with Auras and other enhancements can be a real beating for your opponent. The rest of the card’s effect isn’t going to come up a ton in Limited, but Blue does have enough graveyard stuff going on that turning this into a 10/10 isn’t impossible, and obviously the hexproof keeps you from really getting punished for milling your whole library.
Gravestone Strider
2.5 When one mana filtering is attached to a creature, it has performed pretty well, and this even comes with the addition of graveyard hate, something that certainly matters in the format.
Sanguine Savior
3 A three mana 2/1 with Flying and Lifelink is pretty solid. It won’t always be able to get in there, but it will fairly often, and evasive lifelinkers are pretty sweet because they really shift a race in your favor. So, the fact that you can also play it first down first and give something else lifelink too is nice upside.
Macabre Reconstruction
2.5 Paying two for this is very doable, and when you do that it feels great. You probably don't want more than one, though.
Dramatic Accusation
2.5 Three mana Blue Auras that tap a creature down usually aren’t anything special. The problem is that they don’t entirely remove the creature in all situations, so abilities are still relevant, and if your opponent has a way to sacrifice or otherwise utilize the tapped down creature you end up feeling like you’re really far behind. The Accusation’s activated ability adds an interesting wrinkle to this, since now you can get rid of the creature if it has problematic abilities and everything. The downside is your opponent might draw it again later.
Goblin Maskmaker
2 So, if you get this on exactly turn one and you have some Disguise creatures in your hand, this can feel pretty good – as dropping a 2/2 Ward 2 on turn two – one that will have all kinds of upside – is pretty awesome. The problem is that this has diminishing returns as the game goes on, especially because it has to attack to give you that discount.
Jaded Analyst
1.5 It feels like every single one of these creatures that has defender but loses defender when X happens has been really unimpressive, and I kind of thing this is too. I get it, you can give up a clue and attack with it, but by the time you can set that up, it isn’t like a 3/2 is going to light the world on fire. Most of the time this type of card is a 3/3, so at least it is a reasonable blocker, but a 3/2 is substantially worse.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Thundering Falls
Break Out
3 This is a two mana card selection spell that gives you an option of adding to the board, and that's pretty awesome.
Forensic Researcher
3 The most useful thing this can do is ramp your mana, but untapping permanents has other uses too. Having access to the tap effect in the mid-to-late game is nice too, as it can start allowing you to really manufacture situations where you have great attacks no matter what your opponent is doing.
Case of the Gorgon's Kiss
2.5 If you can solve this the value is insane, and it can certainly set that up for you. On the flip side, it also the potential to do absolutely nothing.
Due Diligence
2 Without the ETB this would be really bad. If you throw the ETB in the mix, it gets more interesting. There are going to be times where you cast this and end up with two great attacks as a result, and the Vigilance makes it so you don’t have to give up on defending yourself either, so chances are better than normal that those attacks are worth taking. Alternatively, making one thing get +4/+4 and Vigilance for a turn doesn’t sound bad either. You do need to be careful about casting this, as you do with most Auras, but this one does enough to be make the cut a decent chunk of the time.
Basilica Stalker
2.5 It's never going to feel like you’re getting great value with the Stalker, whether you disguise it first or otherwise. But it probably won't feel bad either.
Felonious Rage
2 We've seen this card before, more or less, and it’s a nice trick. The power boost lets your creature take down most stuff, and you come out ahead thanks to the token, and at only one mana it is really priced to move.
Benthic Criminologists
2.5 These are some medium stats, but giving up Clues or other artifacts to draw cards is certainly worthwhile. And this can do it a couple of times in most cases.
Haazda Vigilante
2.5 If you can get a counter of this, the rate on this will feel fine. Doing so doesn’t seem like a big stretch with all the Disguise creatures, either. It’s nice he does it on attacks too, so getting two counters of him is a real possibility.
Rakish Scoundrel
2 A 4-mana 3/3 death touch is probably a 1.5. It can trade for anything, but that’s really only exciting on cheap death touchers, and this definitely isn’t one. And sure, this can grant indestructibility when it enters, or can do it at instant speed if you have the mana for disguise – which means that it will kill whatever blocks it and survive thanks to death touch and indestructibility, but it seems like you’re just paying too much mana for this no matter how you deploy it.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Sanguine Savior
Slimy Dualleech
2.5 This can buff itself, and if you have tokens or disguise creatures to send in, you can put your opponent in a pretty bad spot.
Crime Novelist
3 It has a pretty ugly starting point, but if you have Clues and other artifacts and sacrifice stuff, this can get big. And because Clues draw you cards, the mana might actually matter too.
Sumala Sentry
4 Two counters is a big deal, and the fact you can turn them face up at instant speed can really make this a beating.
Case of the Gorgon's Kiss
2.5 If you can solve this the value is insane, and it can certainly set that up for you. On the flip side, it also the potential to do absolutely nothing.
On the Job
1.5 // 3.0 As usual with Inspiring Charge effects, this is a build around. Red/White decks look the most well-positioned for this as they can go the widest, but you really need to be all in on curving out and going wide, or this isn’t worth it, even with the clue. It’s probably a D in your typical White deck, but a card you’re usually going to be happy with one of in your more aggressive decks.
Offender at Large
2 Just playing this face up is going to be the play more often than not, and when you do it has a reasonable shot at giving you an attack you didn’t have before. This is the type of disguise creature you probably only play face down when you’ve got nothing else going on on turn three. Either way, this card looks like it will have trouble making the cut sometimes.
Sanguine Savior
3 A three mana 2/1 with Flying and Lifelink is pretty solid. It won’t always be able to get in there, but it will fairly often, and evasive lifelinkers are pretty sweet because they really shift a race in your favor. So, the fact that you can also play it first down first and give something else lifelink too is nice upside.
Snarling Gorehound
2.5 A one mana 1/1 Menace feels pretty nice on turn one, and this is likely to give you some card selection and graveyard synergy throughout the game. Seems like nice value for one mana.
Goblin Maskmaker
2 So, if you get this on exactly turn one and you have some Disguise creatures in your hand, this can feel pretty good – as dropping a 2/2 Ward 2 on turn two – one that will have all kinds of upside – is pretty awesome. The problem is that this has diminishing returns as the game goes on, especially because it has to attack to give you that discount.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Deduce
Basilica Stalker
2.5 It's never going to feel like you’re getting great value with the Stalker, whether you disguise it first or otherwise. But it probably won't feel bad either.
Case of the Trampled Garden
3 What this gives you up front is fairly acceptable, and Green decks will certainly be capable of solving this. Once you do, buffing an attacking creature every turn is going to feel pretty good. Still, it doesn’t do a ton up front.
Convenient Target
1.5 One red for +1/+1 and Menace isn't the worst, and because you can get this back it isn't going to 2-for-1 you. You can also use it to get a blocker out of the way in a pinch.
Deduce
2.5 This is a nice little card draw spell, because it ultimately gives you a 2-for-1, and there’s lots of additional upside for making Clue tokens in the format. You probably don’t want too many of these because they don’t really add to the board.
Vitu-Ghazi Inspector
2.5 You're not usually going to be able to unlock this cards full power on turn two, and while a ⅓ with reach isn't a disaster for two mana, it isn't remotely close to good either. The good news is that the ETB is useful pretty much all game long.
The Chase Is On
2 This is expensive for a trick, but your creature is likely to win combat and you even get a 2-for-1 in the long run.
Behind the Mask
1 This type of card rarely works out in Limited, and I think even at one mana I’m not super interested in this. It’s easy to look at this and see it as a trick with multiple modes – and that is what it is, but reducing a creature to 1/1 or growing a creature to 4/3, or turning a clue into a 4/3, while possibilities is only useful situationally. You need stat-lines to line up just right, and if you’re turning your 2/2 or something into a 4/3 it’s really not worth it. Furthermore, shrinking an opposing creature to a 1/1 is only relevant or useful when your opponent attacks with the right creature that you actually want to remove. Basically, this is too situational to do something worthwhile very often.
Escape Tunnel
3 This is Evolving Wilds with upside, and that upside can allow you send in an unblockable Disguise creature.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Behind the Mask
Case of the Uneaten Feast
0.0 // 3.0 Solving this gives you an incredible payoff. The only problem is this format doesn’t have a major life gain theme, and the Feast doesn’t gain you enough life on its own to get it done. It’s not going to be impossible to solve this and start casting stuff from your graveyard, but this does need a build around grade. This life gain effect just doesn’t do enough when that’s all your card is doing. But, if you have a few ways to gain life, and maybe a few cards that make multiple bodies, you’re going to end up being able to make this work, though I think the chances of doing that are unfortunately kind of low.
Curious Cadaver
3 A 4-mana 3/1 Flyer is kind of a liability. Sure, it can hit the opponent reasonably hard for the cost, but it also dies to everything, including lots of cheap removal and creature ETB abilities. This offsets that a little bit because it can come back from your graveyard, but don’t underestimate how much of a pain it is that you have to keep recasting it every time. Still, it’s an evasive creature with reasonably high power that just doesn’t stay dead, and overall that’s something I’m interested in. I could see this underwhelming in the end if that 1 toughness is extra easy to deal with in this format.
Bolrac-Clan Basher
2.5 The Basher is a case where you’re most frequently want to play it face down, because turning it face up for 5 is a much better deal, and a double-striking trampler is the exact creature you want to surprise your opponent with. It can take down almost anything, and it can frequently survive while it does and chip in for some serious damage. This also makes it more likely the Basher does some work before going down, unlike if you play it face up.
Behind the Mask
1 This type of card rarely works out in Limited, and I think even at one mana I’m not super interested in this. It’s easy to look at this and see it as a trick with multiple modes – and that is what it is, but reducing a creature to 1/1 or growing a creature to 4/3, or turning a clue into a 4/3, while possibilities is only useful situationally. You need stat-lines to line up just right, and if you’re turning your 2/2 or something into a 4/3 it’s really not worth it. Furthermore, shrinking an opposing creature to a 1/1 is only relevant or useful when your opponent attacks with the right creature that you actually want to remove. Basically, this is too situational to do something worthwhile very often.
Alley Assailant
2.5 Both modes seem fairly acceptable here, and I think the design is actually really interesting. Most of the time on turn 3 you’re probably just going to want to play it as a 3-mana 3/3 that enters tapped, but sometimes you’re in a spot where you really need to be able to block, and you can play it Disguised when that’s the case, and draining 3 life from your opponent is a pretty real effect.
Person of Interest
3.5 4-mana for a 2/2 and a 2/2 Menace that can’t block is a pretty amazing rate. Not much more to say there, but this is a really good Common.
Repeat Offender
2 This has an almost-passable baseline and ability that will make for a good mana sink in the later stages of the game. I like that you can use it at instant speed, so threat of activation will be pretty real.
Pack 3 Pick 8: No More Lies
Forensic Researcher
3 The most useful thing this can do is ramp your mana, but untapping permanents has other uses too. Having access to the tap effect in the mid-to-late game is nice too, as it can start allowing you to really manufacture situations where you have great attacks no matter what your opponent is doing.
No More Lies
2 A harder to cast mana leak, even with exile upside, isn't that good in Limited. It can hit some stuff early, but being able to leave up this mana is far from a guarantee. Then, the longer the game goes on, the less useful it is, because your opponent is more likely to be able to pay the tax.
Sanguine Savior
3 A three mana 2/1 with Flying and Lifelink is pretty solid. It won’t always be able to get in there, but it will fairly often, and evasive lifelinkers are pretty sweet because they really shift a race in your favor. So, the fact that you can also play it first down first and give something else lifelink too is nice upside.
Rakish Scoundrel
2 A 4-mana 3/3 death touch is probably a 1.5. It can trade for anything, but that’s really only exciting on cheap death touchers, and this definitely isn’t one. And sure, this can grant indestructibility when it enters, or can do it at instant speed if you have the mana for disguise – which means that it will kill whatever blocks it and survive thanks to death touch and indestructibility, but it seems like you’re just paying too much mana for this no matter how you deploy it.
Agency Coroner
2 This is a lot of mana for the usual sacrifice a creature draw a card effect, but the fact you’ll sometimes draw two helps soften that blow.
The Chase Is On
2 This is expensive for a trick, but your creature is likely to win combat and you even get a 2-for-1 in the long run.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Make Your Move
Alley Assailant
2.5 Both modes seem fairly acceptable here, and I think the design is actually really interesting. Most of the time on turn 3 you’re probably just going to want to play it as a 3-mana 3/3 that enters tapped, but sometimes you’re in a spot where you really need to be able to block, and you can play it Disguised when that’s the case, and draining 3 life from your opponent is a pretty real effect.
Soul Search
1.5 This hits a wide enough variety of things to not to be an entirely useless discard spell, and the fact that sometimes you can get a token is pretty sweet.
Knife
2 +1/+0 and first strike does make almost any creature into a decent attacker, but the fact this is irrelevant on your opponent's turn is a bummer. There are definitely payoffs for sacrificing artifacts though, and this triggers those while always doing something by drawing you a card. D138
Escape Tunnel
3 This is Evolving Wilds with upside, and that upside can allow you send in an unblockable Disguise creature.
Make Your Move
2 We see this type of removal that only hits big creatures all the time, and it’s usually pretty mediocre, simply because its too narrow. They usually don’t even make the cut in your main deck. But, stapling Disenchant to it is a pretty big upgrade, especially in a set that has a fair number of both, probably makes this into a solid playable, and I think it even has a shot at being better than that.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Concealed Weapon
Concealed Weapon
1.5 +3/+0 can make just about any creature into a better attacker, but the lack of a toughness boost limits just how useful it can be, unless you’re equipping an evasive creature. Adding Disguise to the mix is important, because the worst thing in the world is drawing Equipment when you have nothing worth equipping it too, so this gives you a decent fail case, and can even work as a combat trick later in the game.
Airtight Alibi
2 When you can use this correctly, it can be an absolute beating. It can work as a decent trick that leaves the buff behind, and it can blank removal. Turning off Suspect will usually be more upside than downside, too. Still, it's tricky to leave up this much mana.
Bite Down on Crime
3.5 If you aren't collecting evidence, this is pretty darn clunky. And clunky is dangerous on a removal spell like this, since your opponent interacting can 2-for-1 you. Still, if you choose your spot carefully, this is likely to kill most opposing stuff, and the stats boost might also really improve your attacks. Combine that with the Evidence upside and I think this manages to just sneak into “premium removal” range.
Rot Farm Mortipede
3 The boost that the Mortipede gets is legit, as a 4/4 menace lifelinker is far better than a ¾. Getting stuff to leave your graveyard isn’t a huge ask in the format either, as the entire “Collect Evidence” mechanic is all about doing that. Putting cards from your graveyard to your hand and all of that will trigger this too. I think most Black decks will realistically be able to trigger this once or twice a game, and that’s really all you need for this to pull its weight.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Gravestone Strider
Hustle
3 Individually, each side of this is a little too situational to be particularly good on its own, but when you have two modes on one card, it’s different. The Hustle side is narrow, but the times when it lines up right, it will feel like removal. Bustle is also situational, but it’s also a game ender, as Overrun effects often are. Chances are pretty good you’ll get sufficient value out of one side of this card to make it worth playing.
Living Conundrum
2.5 A 5-mana ⅖ with Hexproof is pretty interesting, especially at Uncommon. As usual, pairing hexproof with Auras and other enhancements can be a real beating for your opponent. The rest of the card’s effect isn’t going to come up a ton in Limited, but Blue does have enough graveyard stuff going on that turning this into a 10/10 isn’t impossible, and obviously the hexproof keeps you from really getting punished for milling your whole library.
Gravestone Strider
2.5 When one mana filtering is attached to a creature, it has performed pretty well, and this even comes with the addition of graveyard hate, something that certainly matters in the format.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Case of the Gorgon's Kiss
Case of the Gorgon's Kiss
2.5 If you can solve this the value is insane, and it can certainly set that up for you. On the flip side, it also the potential to do absolutely nothing.
Benthic Criminologists
2.5 These are some medium stats, but giving up Clues or other artifacts to draw cards is certainly worthwhile. And this can do it a couple of times in most cases.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Crime Novelist
Crime Novelist
3 It has a pretty ugly starting point, but if you have Clues and other artifacts and sacrifice stuff, this can get big. And because Clues draw you cards, the mana might actually matter too.