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Quick Draft M21 11.januar 2021

11 January 09:58 - SorenMadsen 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (24)
1 Setessan Training image
1 Sanguine Indulgence image
1 Peer into the Abyss image
1 Track Down image
1 Crash Through image
3 Cancel image
1 Rewind image
2 Infernal Scarring image
1 Thrill of Possibility image
2 Village Rites image
3 Revitalize image
1 Bad Deal image
3 Mind Rot image
3 Read the Tides image
Creature (16)
1 Liliana's Steward image
1 Tome Anima image
2 Silversmote Ghoul image
1 Onakke Ogre image
2 Portcullis Vine image
1 Bone Pit Brute image
1 Baneslayer Angel image
1 Wall of Runes image
1 Crypt Lurker image
3 Garruk's Gorehorn image
1 Kinetic Augur image
1 Brash Taunter image
Sideboard
1 Liliana's Steward image
1 Archfiend's Vessel image
1 Rookie Mistake image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Brash Taunter
Brash Taunter image 4.0 A creature that can just block forever and can’t even kill most things in combat just isn’t worth it -- but the rest of the text here is nice, because it means that blocking forever is bad news for your opponent, since the Taunter will do some considerable damage to your opponent when it blocks their creatures. This is further augmented by the fact that you can fight with the Taunter, so even if your opponent stops attacking with their biggest creature out of fear, the Taunter will still pick a fight with it, and that is going to give you a source of some very serious damage. You can even Block something AND fight it all in the same turn -- which means he can actually take down X/2s, which might matter sometimes. He is tough to race, but not unbeatable – common Flyers and several common removal spells in this format can deal with him.
Carrion Grub image 2.5 So, how high does the power need to be here for you to feel like you’re doing alright? Well, honestly, a 4-mana ⅖ is a decent enough deal -- especially when it mills you four cards and enables ograveyard strategies like this can, and I think most of the time you won’t have a problem getting this to be a ⅖, and it will often be larger. It doesn’t have evasion or anything, but the self-mill and good blocker -- which can later become a better attacker potentially too -- is pretty nice. I like that they decided to let its power continue to change while it is in play, instead of simply having it check what the highest power is when it comes down, too. This may have some potential combat-trick-esque effect -- say, if you can sacrifice a creature or discard a card or mill yourself at instant speed, and suddenly bump its power up.
Thrashing Brontodon image 3.5 This creature has nice stats, and it has some nice utility, being able to blow up Artifacts and Enchantments. This lets you play a way to hate on those in your deck without playing a card that is horrible in situations where you aren’t up against those permanent types.
Epitaph Golem image 0.5 This has bad stats and an ability that isn’t especially again, unless you’re matched up against a Teferi’s Tutelage deck.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Destructive Tampering image 0. 5 // 2.0 This is mostly a sideboard card, but if you’re in a really aggressive deck, consider playing one of them because they give you a way to win a game even if your opponent stabilizes.
Concordia Pegasus image 1.5 This can attack early, but doesn’t exactly do anything super meaningful most of the time. This format does have +1/+1 counters and a flying archetype, and does help make it better. You will play this for sure, but you’ll also cut it a decent chunk of the time.
Makeshift Battalion image 2.0 This does a good job of supporting both the go-wide deck and the +1/+1 counter deck. But it isn’t stellar – a 3-mana 3/2 won’t be surviving more attacks, and while a 4/3 has a better shot – it isn’t exactly a juggernaut either.
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Daybreak Charger image 3.0 This is a nice aggressive two drop. It starts with reasonable enough stats and then has a very real ETB ability. Giving something +2/+0 is often enough to enable attack that you didn’t have before, and giving the boost to a creature token or an evasive creature feels particularly satisfying. This is a premiere two-drop for White aggressive decks.
Spined Megalodon image 1.5 // 2.5 Big hexproof guys like this usually can find a place in Limited. They are at their best in more controlling decks, as it provides a large Blocker who your opponent just can’t interact with. Hexproof creatures also tend to be good places to put Auras, since getting 2-for-1’d when you put it on a hexproof creature is so unlikely. It is a nice bit of additional value that this Scries when you attack with it, too. UB Reanimator is a very real deck in this format, and this is one of the Commons that you’re pretty happy to play there.
Rise Again image 3.0 5-mana to reanimate is not usually very good in Limited, but this format is the exception to that rule. There is a very real and well-supported reanimation deck, and this Common is one of the key cards for it.
Revitalize image 0.5 // 2.0 This card is normally not worth it. However, this does gain you 3 life, which several cards in this set check for, and if you’re in a deck with several of those payoffs, it is probably going to make the cut a reasonable chunk of the time.
Dismal Backwater image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Kinetic Augur
Kinetic Augur image 3.0 This gives you some nice card selection and in a spell deck can often actually represent a pretty real threat, too. It is a little bit awkward alongside the UR signpost, which returns instants or sorceries to your hand, which is a bit of a nonbo alongside the Augur, but I still like it.
Tide Skimmer image 2.5 A 4-mana ⅔ flyer is generally not worth playing unless you’re desperate – but this brings a pretty sweet ability to the table that can really turn into a card-drawing engine. Sure, you have to have other flyers around -- but even if you only have like 4 flyers in your deck, you will be playing Tide Skimmer. Obviously this pairs the best with White, because those are the two colors with the most flying, and sometimes this will really take over games in a deck with a ton of flyers.
Skyway Sniper image 1.0 This can pick off small flyers which is nice, but that doesn’t happen as often as you’d think in this format.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Shock image 3.5 This almost always trades up, and it can even do the last 2 damage to your opponent. This is premium removal.
Dub image 2.5 This Aura gives a big enough stats boost and a good enough keyword ability that it is worth the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. It is especially nice on lifelinkers or flyers. Aggro decks will virtually always play the first copy.
Rise Again image 3.0 5-mana to reanimate is not usually very good in Limited, but this format is the exception to that rule. There is a very real and well-supported reanimation deck, and this Common is one of the key cards for it.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Bone Pit Brute image 1.5 This isn’t terrible to have at the top of your curve. His own stats aren’t great, but at least he has Menace! The fact he gives +4/+0 to something when he comes down is what keeps him from being completely terrible, though. That will often make an attack happen that just couldn’t before.
Finishing Blow image 3.5 This is a little bit expensive, but it can kill pretty much everything and it does at Instant speed, so the 5 mana is well worth it.
Lofty Denial image 1.0 // 2.0 This is pretty terrible if you don’t have a flier, and if you do have one it is pretty passable, but still not great. Counterspells have serious issues in Limited because of how difficult it is to leave mana up for them, and this isn’t even a hard counter.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 3: Read the Tides
Sanctum of Tranquil Light image 0.5 // 2.0 Decks with 3+ Sanctums are a real thing in this format, but this is one of the more underwhelming ones, even when you get your Sanctum stuff going. Tapping stuff down is a good way to prolong the game, and sometimes helps you enable attacks, but the other Sanctums are all better than this one. You’re really only going to play it in a Sanctum deck.
Jeskai Elder image 2.5 A two mana ½ with Prowess isn’t the most amazing -- we have seen a few different two mana 1/3s with Prowess in the past -- but the damage trigger here letting you loot is pretty nice. That said, a ½ can’t really threaten a whole lot of creatures as an attacker, even with Prowess, and the elder will rapidly become irrelevant on many board states, because it just isn’t big enough. It is pretty nice on turn two, but after that it isn’t all that impressive.
Invigorating Surge image 2.0 On its own this is 3-mana for two +1/+1 counters at Instant speed, which is sort of okay. Obviously it gets better when you have other counters around.
Crypt Lurker image 3.0 This card really ended up overperforming. It helps you set up things for the reanimator deck, and its ¾ body lines up surprisingly well, and sacrificing a creature to this ends up making sense more often than you’d think too.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This does enough different stuff that you can maindeck it without really being disappointed about it, but it is still generally better to bring in out of the sideboard.
Pitchburn Devils image 1.5 This has terrible stats, but it has a death trigger which allows it to trade for things with 6 power, or – even better, can sometimes allow you to get a 2-for-1. That said, it is hard to overcome the inefficiency here.
Rousing Read image 3.0 I’m not usually a fan of Auras that don’t give you some sort of value to off-set their risks -- namely, the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. An Aura has to either give a pretty significant bonus, or off-set that risk with some additional value, to overcome being a card I won’t play. Rousing Read does enough for me to want to play it. It nets you a card when it comes down -- even giving you some card selection, and the bonus it gives is no joke either. +1/+1 and flying is the type of bonus that can dramatically alter a board state. Now, you do still need to be weary of casting this when your opponent has mana up and cards available, because if they kill the target you still get 2-for-1’d, but as long as you’re careful, you’re usually going to be okay with this. It will be particularly nasty on the Megalodon! I’m giving this a C+ -- I think Blue decks will play the first copy of this every time.
Read the Tides image 1.5 This has two modes, and while it doesn’t do either thing very efficiently, it is nice that it gives you options. Sometimes the bounce effect can win you the game, and when it can’t, you can use this to draw some cards. Now, if you’re behind your opponent it probably won’t help you much, but at parity of if you’re ahead, it is pretty nice.
Keen Glidemaster image 2.5 Its nice that this is a two-drop who can stay relevant all game long, since flying definitely allows that.
Legion's Judgment image 1.5 This being Sorcery speed is kind of sad, because sometimes when it is an Instant, you can use it after combat tricks and things resolve, which can really blow people out. It can kill big stuff, and most people have enough targets that it is a reasonable main deck card, but it is nowhere near premium removal with its major limitations.
Chandra's Magmutt image 3.0 This has Grizzly Bear stats and the ability to do 1 to the opponent every turn, and that ability means that the Magemutt stays relevant all game long, after being a decent play on turn two. This will end up threatening a lot of extra damage on the opponent.
Island image
Pack 1 Pick 4: Mind Rot
Dire Fleet Warmonger image 3.5 So, this really pushes you in the direction of being a sacrifice deck, and he is pretty great for sacrificing things. On the surface, a 3-mana 3/3 is a good deal, and the fact you can cash in a creature every turn to make him a 5/5 with trample means that he is imposing on many board states. This Sacrifice effect doesn’t cost any mana either, so it can be particularly devastating to steal your opponent’s creature before combat and then sacrifice it to the Warbringer.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Anointed Chorister image 2.5 So, a one mana 1/1 with lifelink is generally not a card worth playing – it just won’t be relevant for very long, but adding an activated ability here makes things interesting. It is by no means an efficient way to pump the chorister, but if you are flooding out it gives you a reasonable mana sink, one that can turn the Chorister into quite the scary attacker in the later part of the game. This format also has life gain payoffs, and that matters too!
Burn Bright image 1.0 I never love this kind of mass pump effect in Limited. I like to get a toughness boost too, because that makes it far more flexible. If your creature was dead when your opponent blocked, it still will be even if you use this, and that means that this is really only worthwhile when you can do straight up lethal, really limiting its prospects.
Daybreak Charger image 3.0 This is a nice aggressive two drop. It starts with reasonable enough stats and then has a very real ETB ability. Giving something +2/+0 is often enough to enable attack that you didn’t have before, and giving the boost to a creature token or an evasive creature feels particularly satisfying. This is a premiere two-drop for White aggressive decks.
Tome Anima image 1.0 This card seems like it would be solid, but it just isn’t. It has mediocre stats that make it a liability as a blocker in many situations, and even as an unblockable attacker it doesn’t really feel that great.
Wall of Runes image 1.0 This is a decent inclusion if you’re really defensive, but even there it isn’t great.
Run Afoul image 0.5 This is mostly just a sideboard card. An edict for only flyers is a dead card too often, and even as a sideboard card it leaves a lot to be desired.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Blood Glutton image 2.0 This doesn’t have great stats, but trading with it and gaining some life is surprisingly decent, and it is a way to repeatedly gain life, something that the life gain decks really want.
Tranquil Cove image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Bad Deal
Bad Deal image 0.5 This card is exactly what its name is. It is tempting to imagine the 4-for-1 this gives you in ideal scenarios, but it just doesn’t happen. It is mostly just a bad draw spell.
Snarespinner image 2.0 This blocks flyers well, outright killing many of them. Green often needs something like this to combat flyers, and the first copy makes the cut reasonably often.
Chandra's Magmutt image 3.0 This has Grizzly Bear stats and the ability to do 1 to the opponent every turn, and that ability means that the Magemutt stays relevant all game long, after being a decent play on turn two. This will end up threatening a lot of extra damage on the opponent.
Trufflesnout image 3.0 This is a nice little card. Either option is a card you’d probably play. Having an option to choose which of those is ideal makes this a nice Common, and one that has synergy for some of the life gain payoffs in the format, as well as the +1/+1 counter payoffs.
Skeleton Archer image 2.5 There are lots of X/1s in this format, so this really overperforms. Doesn’t hurt that it can go after the opponent too sometimes.
Vodalian Arcanist image 2.0 This two-mana 1/3 does a good job of blocking early, and then gives you some nice extra mana to utilize.
Teferi's Protege image 2.5 Looting is nice because it helps you get through your library and gives you nice card selection. This looter also comes with reasonable stats for the investment as a ⅔. It is somewhat limited as a looter since it asks for two mana every time you do it, but that’s ok -- it is a good place to be spending your mana as the game goes long, and it will definitely have a positive impact on the outcome of long games. This is a solid Blue common.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Legion's Judgment image 1.5 This being Sorcery speed is kind of sad, because sometimes when it is an Instant, you can use it after combat tricks and things resolve, which can really blow people out. It can kill big stuff, and most people have enough targets that it is a reasonable main deck card, but it is nowhere near premium removal with its major limitations.
Lofty Denial image 1.0 // 2.0 This is pretty terrible if you don’t have a flier, and if you do have one it is pretty passable, but still not great. Counterspells have serious issues in Limited because of how difficult it is to leave mana up for them, and this isn’t even a hard counter.
Plains image
Pack 1 Pick 6: Revitalize
Meteorite image 1.5 This is an expensive mana rock, but it is fixing, and it can even Shock something, so that helps make it a little more reasonable to play.
Dire Fleet Warmonger image 3.5 So, this really pushes you in the direction of being a sacrifice deck, and he is pretty great for sacrificing things. On the surface, a 3-mana 3/3 is a good deal, and the fact you can cash in a creature every turn to make him a 5/5 with trample means that he is imposing on many board states. This Sacrifice effect doesn’t cost any mana either, so it can be particularly devastating to steal your opponent’s creature before combat and then sacrifice it to the Warbringer.
Defiant Strike image 0.5 If White doesn’t have some sort of theme built around spells or combat tricks, this card is usually not very good. Sure, it does replace itself, but the stats boost is meaningless or may as well be far too often for me to play this most of the time.
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 I generally don’t like this when we see it. It does replace itself if the creature dies, but it just gives such an underwhelming statsboost. You’ll play it in more aggressive decks, but even then it won’t always make the cut.
Furor of the Bitten image 1.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, but probably not quite enough to be worth the risk of a 2-for-1, especially because you can end up setting yourself up for the 2-for-1 just by playing this, since it forces your creature to attack. It can also be used to force an opposing creature to attack, but that additional use still doesn’t make it very good.
Tome Anima image 1.0 This card seems like it would be solid, but it just isn’t. It has mediocre stats that make it a liability as a blocker in many situations, and even as an unblockable attacker it doesn’t really feel that great.
Colossal Dreadmaw image 2.0 Look, its the Dreadmaw! I’m not sure we’ve ever seen THIS card before. But if I had to guess, I’d say that a 6-mana 6/6 with Trample is a reasonable die, and a fine thing to top your curve with.
Revitalize image 0.5 // 2.0 This card is normally not worth it. However, this does gain you 3 life, which several cards in this set check for, and if you’re in a deck with several of those payoffs, it is probably going to make the cut a reasonable chunk of the time.
Turret Ogre image 2.5 This has decent stats to begin with, and then it is a nice 4-power payoff that has 4-power itself, making it slot quite nicely into the RG deck especially.
Swiftwater Cliffs image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Village Rites
Chandra's Pyreling image 2.5 So, two mana 1/3s are borderline playables most of the time, and this does come with some upside -- noncombat damage turning this into a ⅔ double striker is no joke, and just the threat of that happening will often mean your opponent is unable to block it effectively, so they have to risk getting hit for 4. As we’ve already seen, there are ways to do noncombat damage -- like the Magemutt and various burn spells, so it isn’t a pipe dream to make that happen. That said, you also will be hard-pressed to end up with a legit burn deck in Limited that can trigger this all the time -- instead, its somewhere in the middle.
Alchemist's Gift image 1.5 This is a decent trick, if you choose the deathtouch option you will be virtually guaranteeing that you kill the other creature, and that can be particularly spicy against a double block. You’ll choose the lifelink option if you just need the stats boost to win combat.
Vodalian Arcanist image 2.0 This two-mana 1/3 does a good job of blocking early, and then gives you some nice extra mana to utilize.
Village Rites image 1.5 I think it is fair to compare this to Tormenting Voice. Both cost you two cards to get you two cards. And yes, there are some differences -- the Rite needs a creature in play and it is an Instant, but I think this will serve a similar purpose. If you have lots of creature tokens, or use it in response to removal, or sacrifice a creature shut down by an Aura, it is going to feel pretty good -- and if you have sacrifice synergies it will be a little better to, but I think that it only makes the cut in your deck about half of the time, and usually just barely as a 23rd or 24th card.
Forgotten Sentinel image 1.0 This has bad stats and a textbox that is just downside, but it does have 4 power, and some decks care about that.
Makeshift Battalion image 2.0 This does a good job of supporting both the go-wide deck and the +1/+1 counter deck. But it isn’t stellar – a 3-mana 3/2 won’t be surviving more attacks, and while a 4/3 has a better shot – it isn’t exactly a juggernaut either.
Library Larcenist image 2.5 This card is a real overperformer. Blue has enough ways to get creatures through for damage that this draws you a card way more often than you might think on paper.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This does enough different stuff that you can maindeck it without really being disappointed about it, but it is still generally better to bring in out of the sideboard.
Forest image
Pack 1 Pick 8: Thrill of Possibility
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Dub image 2.5 This Aura gives a big enough stats boost and a good enough keyword ability that it is worth the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. It is especially nice on lifelinkers or flyers. Aggro decks will virtually always play the first copy.
Thrill of Possibility image 1.5 This is an upgraded Tormenting Voice, and I’m all for that in a format with lots of spell payoffs! This lets you dig deeper into your deck and improve your card quality, so you’ll play that first copy a decent chunk of the time.
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Makeshift Battalion image 2.0 This does a good job of supporting both the go-wide deck and the +1/+1 counter deck. But it isn’t stellar – a 3-mana 3/2 won’t be surviving more attacks, and while a 4/3 has a better shot – it isn’t exactly a juggernaut either.
Run Afoul image 0.5 This is mostly just a sideboard card. An edict for only flyers is a dead card too often, and even as a sideboard card it leaves a lot to be desired.
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Dismal Backwater image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Revitalize
Epitaph Golem image 0.5 This has bad stats and an ability that isn’t especially again, unless you’re matched up against a Teferi’s Tutelage deck.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Destructive Tampering image 0. 5 // 2.0 This is mostly a sideboard card, but if you’re in a really aggressive deck, consider playing one of them because they give you a way to win a game even if your opponent stabilizes.
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Revitalize image 0.5 // 2.0 This card is normally not worth it. However, this does gain you 3 life, which several cards in this set check for, and if you’re in a deck with several of those payoffs, it is probably going to make the cut a reasonable chunk of the time.
Dismal Backwater image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Garruk's Gorehorn
Skyway Sniper image 1.0 This can pick off small flyers which is nice, but that doesn’t happen as often as you’d think in this format.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 11: Crypt Lurker
Sanctum of Tranquil Light image 0.5 // 2.0 Decks with 3+ Sanctums are a real thing in this format, but this is one of the more underwhelming ones, even when you get your Sanctum stuff going. Tapping stuff down is a good way to prolong the game, and sometimes helps you enable attacks, but the other Sanctums are all better than this one. You’re really only going to play it in a Sanctum deck.
Crypt Lurker image 3.0 This card really ended up overperforming. It helps you set up things for the reanimator deck, and its ¾ body lines up surprisingly well, and sacrificing a creature to this ends up making sense more often than you’d think too.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This does enough different stuff that you can maindeck it without really being disappointed about it, but it is still generally better to bring in out of the sideboard.
Island image
Pack 1 Pick 12: Wall of Runes
Burn Bright image 1.0 I never love this kind of mass pump effect in Limited. I like to get a toughness boost too, because that makes it far more flexible. If your creature was dead when your opponent blocked, it still will be even if you use this, and that means that this is really only worthwhile when you can do straight up lethal, really limiting its prospects.
Wall of Runes image 1.0 This is a decent inclusion if you’re really defensive, but even there it isn’t great.
Run Afoul image 0.5 This is mostly just a sideboard card. An edict for only flyers is a dead card too often, and even as a sideboard card it leaves a lot to be desired.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Garruk's Gorehorn
Vodalian Arcanist image 2.0 This two-mana 1/3 does a good job of blocking early, and then gives you some nice extra mana to utilize.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Plains image
Pack 1 Pick 14: Infernal Scarring
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 I generally don’t like this when we see it. It does replace itself if the creature dies, but it just gives such an underwhelming statsboost. You’ll play it in more aggressive decks, but even then it won’t always make the cut.
Furor of the Bitten image 1.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, but probably not quite enough to be worth the risk of a 2-for-1, especially because you can end up setting yourself up for the 2-for-1 just by playing this, since it forces your creature to attack. It can also be used to force an opposing creature to attack, but that additional use still doesn’t make it very good.
Pack 1 Pick 15: Forest
Forest image
Pack 2 Pick 1: Baneslayer Angel
Baneslayer Angel image 4.5 This is a bomb every time we see it. It can come down and stabilize the board if you’re behind, pull you ahead if you’re at parity, and pretty much seal the game if you are ahead. She is difficult to attack through or block, and she gains you life while she does those things -- and lifelink is really what makes her capable of taking the game over, since she is impossible to race.
Skyway Sniper image 1.0 This can pick off small flyers which is nice, but that doesn’t happen as often as you’d think in this format.
Twinblade Assassins image 3.5 This can turn into a card-drawing engine, and definitely will cause problems for your opponent. The idea of chump blocking or even trading becomes a lot less palatable when they know you’re going to just draw a card at the end of your turn. It also has some pretty nice stats on top of all of that!
Garruk's Uprising image 1.5 // 3.5 This is definitely a build around, but a pretty good one. We have seen 3-mana Enchantments that draw you a card any time you play a power 4 or higher creature before -- this obviously blows that out of the water by having all sorts of other text. Drawing you a card when it comes down, provided you have the right creature in play, and giving trample to the whole board is a nice additional thing to add. That said, this will be very difficult to play in a deck that only has something like 3 creatures who have 4 or more power -- just giving trample to the whole board just won’t cut it -- you need to be drawing when it comes into play and/or a couple of times after it comes down, and even though this card is Green, I don’t think you’re guaranteed to pull that off.
Crypt Lurker image 3.0 This card really ended up overperforming. It helps you set up things for the reanimator deck, and its ¾ body lines up surprisingly well, and sacrificing a creature to this ends up making sense more often than you’d think too.
Capture Sphere image 3.0 This is always pretty good removal for Blue. It doesn’t shut off static abilities, but it does pretty much everything else you’d like from your removal spells.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a stat boost that will allow your creature to win almost all combats, and that’s the kind of trick most aggro decks feel okay about running.
Lofty Denial image 1.0 // 2.0 This is pretty terrible if you don’t have a flier, and if you do have one it is pretty passable, but still not great. Counterspells have serious issues in Limited because of how difficult it is to leave mana up for them, and this isn’t even a hard counter.
Skyscanner image 2.5 Casting this always feels pretty decent. It replaces itself and then gives you a body that you can do something with – whether that’s attacking, trading, chump blocking, or being sacrificed for an effect, it all feel likes gravy at that point.
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Alpine Watchdog image 1.5 So, a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance is pretty passable. This guy does have some small additional synergies as a result of being a card that the RW signpost uncommon can search up, and that does increase his value for sure.
Turret Ogre image 2.5 This has decent stats to begin with, and then it is a nice 4-power payoff that has 4-power itself, making it slot quite nicely into the RG deck especially.
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 I generally don’t like this when we see it. It does replace itself if the creature dies, but it just gives such an underwhelming statsboost. You’ll play it in more aggressive decks, but even then it won’t always make the cut.
Mountain image
Pack 2 Pick 2: Setessan Training
Sanctum of Fruitful Harvest image 1.0 // 3.0 This Sanctum fixes for you, which you might be in the market for in any deck, and in the Sanctum deck it can make it way easier for you to play multiple colors.
Epitaph Golem image 0.5 This has bad stats and an ability that isn’t especially again, unless you’re matched up against a Teferi’s Tutelage deck.
Soul Sear image 4.0 3-mana to do 5 at Instant speed is quite good, and certainly premium removal. That is not hard to trade up with, and it can really manufacture some blowouts thanks to it being an Instant. The “turn off indestructible” part of the card usually won’t make a huge difference, but it will matter sometimes.
Feat of Resistance image 3.0 Protection is just really powerful – the obvious way to use this is to win combat one way or another, by making your creature big enough and also giving it protection from whatever it is in combat with – but you can also use it in response to removal to save a creature, or if your opponent has only blockers of one color and you need evasion for lethal, it can do that too. Not to mention, it puts a +1/+1 counter on the creature, and there is synergy for that in this set. Now, your opponent can still respond to Feat with removal to 2-for-1 you, but the flexibility and upside is real enough that I don’t see a reason to cut the first couple of copies of this in most White decks.
Duress image 0.5 This is too narrow of a discard spell to every play in your main deck.
Portcullis Vine image 1.0 This can block some stuff early and then replace itself late. Neither of those are very exciting.
Onakke Ogre image 1.5 3-mana 4/2s are borderline playables, and this set has various payoffs for 4 power, so you’ll play this a little more than you might think.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Fetid Imp image 2.5 Creatures with death touch are always nice because they can trade with pretty much anything, and Fetid Imp can trade for way more than to having Flying! And, in the mean time, it isn’t a bad attacker in the air.
Hobblefiend image 2.5 This guy can starts out reasonable and can get progressively larger throughout the game, something that pairs quite well with Trample. It is a very reasonable card for setting up sacrifice payoffs, since it can do it so cheaply.
Setessan Training image 2.0 This gives a reasonable enough boost and replaces itself. It isn’t as good here as it was in Theros, where Enchantments came with a lot of upsides, but its still a fine card.
Gloom Sower image 1.0 // 2.0 This card is mostly not very good – it has low toughness for the cost and is very easy to take down. However, it does slot reasonably well into the UB reanimator deck, and that helps make it a more appealing card.
Frost Breath image 1.0 I am never a huge fan of this type of situational effect. Sure, you can use it offensive, to get some attacks in, or defensively, to make a creature miss two rounds of attacks, but there are too many situations where it doesn’t do anything. For these effects to be worth it they usually need something else going on.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 3: Rewind
Rewind image 1.0 4 mana for a counterspell is a ton, and while this is “free” in a sense, that fact won’t matter in the vast majority of Limited games. You just won’t have another instant or activated ability to spend that untapped mana on most of the time, so you’re just looking at what is basically a 4-mana hard counter, and that’s something that you don’t want to play in Limited. Your opponent playing around it is pretty devastating, and it is a lot harder to do well tempo-wise with a 4-mana counter. I can see decks coming together sometimes that are loaded up with instants and/or activated abilities, in which case it becomes a little better, but I think you steer clear most of the time.
Palladium Myr image 3.0 The mana boost this gives you is really nice, and while that sort of thing tends to only matter in the early game, this format does have some mana sinks around that can keep it relevant for longer. It does die to pretty much everything, but if you can just tap it for mana once I don’t think you care.
Carrion Grub image 2.5 So, how high does the power need to be here for you to feel like you’re doing alright? Well, honestly, a 4-mana ⅖ is a decent enough deal -- especially when it mills you four cards and enables ograveyard strategies like this can, and I think most of the time you won’t have a problem getting this to be a ⅖, and it will often be larger. It doesn’t have evasion or anything, but the self-mill and good blocker -- which can later become a better attacker potentially too -- is pretty nice. I like that they decided to let its power continue to change while it is in play, instead of simply having it check what the highest power is when it comes down, too. This may have some potential combat-trick-esque effect -- say, if you can sacrifice a creature or discard a card or mill yourself at instant speed, and suddenly bump its power up.
Frantic Inventory image 0.5 // 3.0 I actually enjoy these “Collect ‘em All” type cards in Limited, as they make for interesting decisions even later on in packs. Obviously, you don’t want to play this if you only have 1, it is woefully inefficient -- and even 2 isn’t really where you should be playing it. I think you need to get at least 3 before you start playing it, and any more than that and it becomes increasingly impressive. It doesn’t hurt that UG has payoffs for drawing cards, and UR has payoffs for spells either. Keep in mind, by the way -- in Limited you can play as many copies of something as you can get your hands on, so you can go higher than 4.
Sanguine Indulgence image 2.0 Most Black decks are after the first copy of this, even if they can’t get life gain going. Paying 4 to get back two creatures is pretty reasonable, and the kind of thing that can help you win the long game.
Crash Through image 1.0 // 2.0 This is nice in the spells deck, since it triggers a bunch of stuff and replaces itself, but pretty much unplayable everywhere else.
Alchemist's Gift image 1.5 This is a decent trick, if you choose the deathtouch option you will be virtually guaranteeing that you kill the other creature, and that can be particularly spicy against a double block. You’ll choose the lifelink option if you just need the stats boost to win combat.
Sabertooth Mauler image 2.5 He starts with some pretty mediocre stats, but growing every time something dies means he will overcome that limitation pretty quickly. Note by the way, it will get that counter at the end of the turn whether it is your creature or your opponent’s who died. It tends to get quite large and is able to attack on most turns since it will untap in a lot of different scenarios.
Burn Bright image 1.0 I never love this kind of mass pump effect in Limited. I like to get a toughness boost too, because that makes it far more flexible. If your creature was dead when your opponent blocked, it still will be even if you use this, and that means that this is really only worthwhile when you can do straight up lethal, really limiting its prospects.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Drowsing Tyrannodon image 3.0 A two-mana 3/3 is an excellent blocker in the early game that represents a real obstacle for aggressive opponents. Making into an attacker isn’t hard either, as he counts himself, so just putting one piece of equipment or one counter on the Tyrannodon makes it so he can rumble with his impressively efficient stats.
Dub image 2.5 This Aura gives a big enough stats boost and a good enough keyword ability that it is worth the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. It is especially nice on lifelinkers or flyers. Aggro decks will virtually always play the first copy.
Scoured Barrens image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Cancel
Palladium Myr image 3.0 The mana boost this gives you is really nice, and while that sort of thing tends to only matter in the early game, this format does have some mana sinks around that can keep it relevant for longer. It does die to pretty much everything, but if you can just tap it for mana once I don’t think you care.
Malefic Scythe image 4.0 A two mana Equipment that costs 1 to equip and gives +1/+1 would be a card that is already a borderline playable, and this thing just keeps getting better and more efficient as the game goes on.
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Hobblefiend image 2.5 This guy can starts out reasonable and can get progressively larger throughout the game, something that pairs quite well with Trample. It is a very reasonable card for setting up sacrifice payoffs, since it can do it so cheaply.
Keen Glidemaster image 2.5 Its nice that this is a two-drop who can stay relevant all game long, since flying definitely allows that.
Silent Dart image 1.5 This is the kind of thing that you run only if really light on removal. It just isn’t very efficient.
Swift Response image 2.5 Two mana to kill a creature at instant speed is a pretty good deal – even if this can only target tapped creatures. That does mean this is not an ideal removal spell for aggro decks, who want to get blockers out of the way – but in more mid-rangey or control decks, this will be a nice spell – one that will usually give you a tempo advantage, and one that can sometimes get blowouts out of the fact that your opponent uses a combat trick while attacking. Now, it is still situational, and as I said all decks don’t want it, so it definitely isn’t premium.
Rousing Read image 3.0 I’m not usually a fan of Auras that don’t give you some sort of value to off-set their risks -- namely, the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. An Aura has to either give a pretty significant bonus, or off-set that risk with some additional value, to overcome being a card I won’t play. Rousing Read does enough for me to want to play it. It nets you a card when it comes down -- even giving you some card selection, and the bonus it gives is no joke either. +1/+1 and flying is the type of bonus that can dramatically alter a board state. Now, you do still need to be weary of casting this when your opponent has mana up and cards available, because if they kill the target you still get 2-for-1’d, but as long as you’re careful, you’re usually going to be okay with this. It will be particularly nasty on the Megalodon! I’m giving this a C+ -- I think Blue decks will play the first copy of this every time.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This does enough different stuff that you can maindeck it without really being disappointed about it, but it is still generally better to bring in out of the sideboard.
Wind-Scarred Crag image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Cancel
Tavern Swindler image 1.5 // 3.0 This weird card is mostly here as another way to help the BW deck gain 3 or more life in a turn, thus triggering all the payoffs.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Dub image 2.5 This Aura gives a big enough stats boost and a good enough keyword ability that it is worth the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. It is especially nice on lifelinkers or flyers. Aggro decks will virtually always play the first copy.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Alpine Watchdog image 1.5 So, a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance is pretty passable. This guy does have some small additional synergies as a result of being a card that the RW signpost uncommon can search up, and that does increase his value for sure.
Onakke Ogre image 1.5 3-mana 4/2s are borderline playables, and this set has various payoffs for 4 power, so you’ll play this a little more than you might think.
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Forgotten Sentinel image 1.0 This has bad stats and a textbox that is just downside, but it does have 4 power, and some decks care about that.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Crypt Lurker image 3.0 This card really ended up overperforming. It helps you set up things for the reanimator deck, and its ¾ body lines up surprisingly well, and sacrificing a creature to this ends up making sense more often than you’d think too.
Rugged Highlands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Bone Pit Brute
Archfiend's Vessel image 1.0 // 3.5 So, this isn’t very good unless you’re in a reanimator deck. If that’s what you’re up to, this is a great uncommon for you, since reanimating the vessel gives you a huge flying demon token.
Meteorite image 1.5 This is an expensive mana rock, but it is fixing, and it can even Shock something, so that helps make it a little more reasonable to play.
Bone Pit Brute image 1.5 This isn’t terrible to have at the top of your curve. His own stats aren’t great, but at least he has Menace! The fact he gives +4/+0 to something when he comes down is what keeps him from being completely terrible, though. That will often make an attack happen that just couldn’t before.
Blood Glutton image 2.0 This doesn’t have great stats, but trading with it and gaining some life is surprisingly decent, and it is a way to repeatedly gain life, something that the life gain decks really want.
Rise Again image 3.0 5-mana to reanimate is not usually very good in Limited, but this format is the exception to that rule. There is a very real and well-supported reanimation deck, and this Common is one of the key cards for it.
Vodalian Arcanist image 2.0 This two-mana 1/3 does a good job of blocking early, and then gives you some nice extra mana to utilize.
Goblin Arsonist image 2.0 So, this is a one mana creature that can trade up for X/2s, and even threaten 2-for-1s when your opponent has two X/1s in play. It can also just ping the opponent for one when that is going to be meaningful. It also has a little bit of extra value in the Sacrifice deck, since it will give you some sort of value in addition to whatever the sacrifice effect gives you.
Alchemist's Gift image 1.5 This is a decent trick, if you choose the deathtouch option you will be virtually guaranteeing that you kill the other creature, and that can be particularly spicy against a double block. You’ll choose the lifelink option if you just need the stats boost to win combat.
Gnarled Sage image 2.0 This has some decent stats and keywords, and sometimes it gets bigger. It is a surprisingly good road block for decks in this format.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Cancel
Ranger's Guile image 2.0 This is a fairly decent combat trick for Limited. The stats boost isn’t hte mos impressive for the cost -- but Hexproof is where this gets some extra power, since it means you can no tonly use Guile to win combat, you can use it to save your creature.
Bone Pit Brute image 1.5 This isn’t terrible to have at the top of your curve. His own stats aren’t great, but at least he has Menace! The fact he gives +4/+0 to something when he comes down is what keeps him from being completely terrible, though. That will often make an attack happen that just couldn’t before.
Wishcoin Crab image 1.0 This has stats that line up reasonably well against early attackers, and if you’re in the market for that, you’ll probably play it.
Crash Through image 1.0 // 2.0 This is nice in the spells deck, since it triggers a bunch of stuff and replaces itself, but pretty much unplayable everywhere else.
Duress image 0.5 This is too narrow of a discard spell to every play in your main deck.
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Dub image 2.5 This Aura gives a big enough stats boost and a good enough keyword ability that it is worth the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. It is especially nice on lifelinkers or flyers. Aggro decks will virtually always play the first copy.
Destructive Tampering image 0. 5 // 2.0 This is mostly a sideboard card, but if you’re in a really aggressive deck, consider playing one of them because they give you a way to win a game even if your opponent stabilizes.
Forest image
Pack 2 Pick 8: Mind Rot
Canopy Stalker image 2.5 Creatures who force your opponent to block them are pretty nice, as they really complicate combat for an opponent. Life gain being attached to this is kind of nice too. But still, stats aren’t great here, and your opponent will frequently just put a 2/X in front of it and be fine. I think this is a solid playable, but not much more.
Setessan Training image 2.0 This gives a reasonable enough boost and replaces itself. It isn’t as good here as it was in Theros, where Enchantments came with a lot of upsides, but its still a fine card.
Burn Bright image 1.0 I never love this kind of mass pump effect in Limited. I like to get a toughness boost too, because that makes it far more flexible. If your creature was dead when your opponent blocked, it still will be even if you use this, and that means that this is really only worthwhile when you can do straight up lethal, really limiting its prospects.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Blood Glutton image 2.0 This doesn’t have great stats, but trading with it and gaining some life is surprisingly decent, and it is a way to repeatedly gain life, something that the life gain decks really want.
Furor of the Bitten image 1.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, but probably not quite enough to be worth the risk of a 2-for-1, especially because you can end up setting yourself up for the 2-for-1 just by playing this, since it forces your creature to attack. It can also be used to force an opposing creature to attack, but that additional use still doesn’t make it very good.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Jungle Hollow image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Infernal Scarring
Skyway Sniper image 1.0 This can pick off small flyers which is nice, but that doesn’t happen as often as you’d think in this format.
Lofty Denial image 1.0 // 2.0 This is pretty terrible if you don’t have a flier, and if you do have one it is pretty passable, but still not great. Counterspells have serious issues in Limited because of how difficult it is to leave mana up for them, and this isn’t even a hard counter.
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Alpine Watchdog image 1.5 So, a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance is pretty passable. This guy does have some small additional synergies as a result of being a card that the RW signpost uncommon can search up, and that does increase his value for sure.
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 I generally don’t like this when we see it. It does replace itself if the creature dies, but it just gives such an underwhelming statsboost. You’ll play it in more aggressive decks, but even then it won’t always make the cut.
Mountain image
Pack 2 Pick 10: Portcullis Vine
Epitaph Golem image 0.5 This has bad stats and an ability that isn’t especially again, unless you’re matched up against a Teferi’s Tutelage deck.
Duress image 0.5 This is too narrow of a discard spell to every play in your main deck.
Portcullis Vine image 1.0 This can block some stuff early and then replace itself late. Neither of those are very exciting.
Onakke Ogre image 1.5 3-mana 4/2s are borderline playables, and this set has various payoffs for 4 power, so you’ll play this a little more than you might think.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 11: Crash Through
Sanguine Indulgence image 2.0 Most Black decks are after the first copy of this, even if they can’t get life gain going. Paying 4 to get back two creatures is pretty reasonable, and the kind of thing that can help you win the long game.
Crash Through image 1.0 // 2.0 This is nice in the spells deck, since it triggers a bunch of stuff and replaces itself, but pretty much unplayable everywhere else.
Burn Bright image 1.0 I never love this kind of mass pump effect in Limited. I like to get a toughness boost too, because that makes it far more flexible. If your creature was dead when your opponent blocked, it still will be even if you use this, and that means that this is really only worthwhile when you can do straight up lethal, really limiting its prospects.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Scoured Barrens image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Track Down
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Silent Dart image 1.5 This is the kind of thing that you run only if really light on removal. It just isn’t very efficient.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This does enough different stuff that you can maindeck it without really being disappointed about it, but it is still generally better to bring in out of the sideboard.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Onakke Ogre
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Onakke Ogre image 1.5 3-mana 4/2s are borderline playables, and this set has various payoffs for 4 power, so you’ll play this a little more than you might think.
Forgotten Sentinel image 1.0 This has bad stats and a textbox that is just downside, but it does have 4 power, and some decks care about that.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Archfiend's Vessel
Archfiend's Vessel image 1.0 // 3.5 So, this isn’t very good unless you’re in a reanimator deck. If that’s what you’re up to, this is a great uncommon for you, since reanimating the vessel gives you a huge flying demon token.
Vodalian Arcanist image 2.0 This two-mana 1/3 does a good job of blocking early, and then gives you some nice extra mana to utilize.
Pack 2 Pick 15: Forest
Forest image
Pack 3 Pick 1: Peer into the Abyss
Peer into the Abyss image 1.5 Well, this is pretty wacky, and definitely a “Greatness at any cost” card for Black decks. So, a lot of the time this will help you reload your hand, and not only that, but you’ll end up with some insane card selection, keeping whatever cards are the best in the top half of your deck. Keep in mind, if you are spending the 7 on this, you probably aren’t doing anything else on your turn, so you won’t get to hold on to all of those cards, you’ll have to discard down to 7. The fact that this doesn’t do anything to change the board is a bit of a concern, as if you’re behind you’re just going to end up even further behind after you cast this. Sure, if you get to untap you might be ok, but it will be hard to find the time to cast this -- and don’t forget you’re also lowering your life while you’re at it. It seems too expensive to really be something most decks want.
Heartfire Immolator image 4.0 This is a strong Uncommon. You could take Prowess away from this and have it be good, or you could take the Sacrifice effect away and it would probably STILL be good. The two abilities together have synergy too, obviously, since Prowess will raise his power. Basically this is a two drop that is relevant all game long, can attack well and threaten to grow, and has an ability that can function as removal.
Bad Deal image 0.5 This card is exactly what its name is. It is tempting to imagine the 4-for-1 this gives you in ideal scenarios, but it just doesn’t happen. It is mostly just a bad draw spell.
Soul Sear image 4.0 3-mana to do 5 at Instant speed is quite good, and certainly premium removal. That is not hard to trade up with, and it can really manufacture some blowouts thanks to it being an Instant. The “turn off indestructible” part of the card usually won’t make a huge difference, but it will matter sometimes.
Chandra's Magmutt image 3.0 This has Grizzly Bear stats and the ability to do 1 to the opponent every turn, and that ability means that the Magemutt stays relevant all game long, after being a decent play on turn two. This will end up threatening a lot of extra damage on the opponent.
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Spined Megalodon image 1.5 // 2.5 Big hexproof guys like this usually can find a place in Limited. They are at their best in more controlling decks, as it provides a large Blocker who your opponent just can’t interact with. Hexproof creatures also tend to be good places to put Auras, since getting 2-for-1’d when you put it on a hexproof creature is so unlikely. It is a nice bit of additional value that this Scries when you attack with it, too. UB Reanimator is a very real deck in this format, and this is one of the Commons that you’re pretty happy to play there.
Colossal Dreadmaw image 2.0 Look, its the Dreadmaw! I’m not sure we’ve ever seen THIS card before. But if I had to guess, I’d say that a 6-mana 6/6 with Trample is a reasonable die, and a fine thing to top your curve with.
Celestial Enforcer image 2.5 If you don’t have fliers, you probably hope you don’t play this, but as long as you have 4 or 5 Flyers, this probably gets into the playable range, and that isn’t a crazy thing to achieve. Tap down effects are always nice in Limited, and even a situational one like this is well worth playing.
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 I generally don’t like this when we see it. It does replace itself if the creature dies, but it just gives such an underwhelming statsboost. You’ll play it in more aggressive decks, but even then it won’t always make the cut.
Grasp of Darkness image 4.0 This is premium removal, it kills things really efficiently. The one downside is that it costs double Black, but if you’re playing a Black deck that isn’t much of a downside.
Goblin Wizardry image 2.5 This slots in nicely into the spell deck, because it IS a spell that will trigger your spell payoffs, and it creates two tokens who are spell payoffs too.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Swamp image
Pack 3 Pick 2: Silversmote Ghoul
Meteorite image 1.5 This is an expensive mana rock, but it is fixing, and it can even Shock something, so that helps make it a little more reasonable to play.
Kitesail Freebooter image 3.0 This is a nice disruptive creature that also comes with some reasonable French Vanilla stats. Even though they get the creature back if they kill him, he will usually have disrupted their plan enough to really cause them problems, while also still getting traded for 1-for-1.
Silversmote Ghoul image 3.5 A 3-mana 3/1 that can sacrifice itself to draw a card is already solid, but this does a whole lot more. Gaining 3 life a turn is fairly attainable, and even just getting this guy back once is not going to be fun for your opponent, as it will usually represent a 2-for-1. Creatures who don’t stay dead, and just keep coming back and attacking -- even if they are somewhat fragile, like the Ghoul, are excellent in limited, because card advantage really is king, and that’s what he’ll generate for you. I really like that this has a reasonable floor, and an impressive ceiling.
Goblin Wizardry image 2.5 This slots in nicely into the spell deck, because it IS a spell that will trigger your spell payoffs, and it creates two tokens who are spell payoffs too.
Wishcoin Crab image 1.0 This has stats that line up reasonably well against early attackers, and if you’re in the market for that, you’ll probably play it.
Turret Ogre image 2.5 This has decent stats to begin with, and then it is a nice 4-power payoff that has 4-power itself, making it slot quite nicely into the RG deck especially.
Warded Battlements image 1.5 This is weird because it is a payoff for go-wide aggro decks, where the boost will be the most effective – but also weird because it has Defender, and that’s not usually what you’re looking for in an aggro deck. The Battlements are probably actually at their best in the UW skies deck – those decks usually need blockers on the ground while they attack in the air, and +1/+0 on a bunch of flyers is pretty nice. Still, you don’t even always run it in those decks.
Tome Anima image 1.0 This card seems like it would be solid, but it just isn’t. It has mediocre stats that make it a liability as a blocker in many situations, and even as an unblockable attacker it doesn’t really feel that great.
Secure the Scene image 1.5 The flexibility here is pretty nice. However, the mana cost and giving your opponent a 1/1 soldier aren’t so nice – it is especially clunky as a Sorcery. Removing something and then giving your opponent a creature, even a 1/1 creature, is just a huge downside. It really slows you down to not get a whole card of value out of this.
Run Afoul image 0.5 This is mostly just a sideboard card. An edict for only flyers is a dead card too often, and even as a sideboard card it leaves a lot to be desired.
Mistral Singer image 3.5 Wind Drake stats + Prowess = a very good Common for Blue. It will attack well and be a pain to interact with thanks to that Prowess.
Capture Sphere image 3.0 This is always pretty good removal for Blue. It doesn’t shut off static abilities, but it does pretty much everything else you’d like from your removal spells.
Masked Blackguard image 1.5 This is something you play sometimes, it is a two-drop that maintains some relevancy all game long because of its ability, even if the creature itself and its ability are pretty darn inefficient.
Jungle Hollow image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Silversmote Ghoul
Garruk's Uprising image 1.5 // 3.5 This is definitely a build around, but a pretty good one. We have seen 3-mana Enchantments that draw you a card any time you play a power 4 or higher creature before -- this obviously blows that out of the water by having all sorts of other text. Drawing you a card when it comes down, provided you have the right creature in play, and giving trample to the whole board is a nice additional thing to add. That said, this will be very difficult to play in a deck that only has something like 3 creatures who have 4 or more power -- just giving trample to the whole board just won’t cut it -- you need to be drawing when it comes into play and/or a couple of times after it comes down, and even though this card is Green, I don’t think you’re guaranteed to pull that off.
Silversmote Ghoul image 3.5 A 3-mana 3/1 that can sacrifice itself to draw a card is already solid, but this does a whole lot more. Gaining 3 life a turn is fairly attainable, and even just getting this guy back once is not going to be fun for your opponent, as it will usually represent a 2-for-1. Creatures who don’t stay dead, and just keep coming back and attacking -- even if they are somewhat fragile, like the Ghoul, are excellent in limited, because card advantage really is king, and that’s what he’ll generate for you. I really like that this has a reasonable floor, and an impressive ceiling.
Pestilent Haze image 1.5 This kind of card is usually not ultra impressive in Limited. It is hard to find situations where this really works -- you need it to impact your opponent’s side of the board more or it just isn’t worth it. And while the loyalty counters thing is a nice additional option, it won’t come up much in Limited.
Walking Corpse image 1.0 This is a vanilla two drop that you’ll play only out of desperation.
Makeshift Battalion image 2.0 This does a good job of supporting both the go-wide deck and the +1/+1 counter deck. But it isn’t stellar – a 3-mana 3/2 won’t be surviving more attacks, and while a 4/3 has a better shot – it isn’t exactly a juggernaut either.
Hunter's Edge image 3.5 We see cards like this a lot, and they’re always pretty good removal spells for Green decks. They come with the downside of usually being pretty clunky and risking a 2-for-1, so be careful when you cast it. The good news here is that this straight up does damage and isn’t a fight effect, so you don’t need to end up with a creature just the right size to survive fighting something else. It also means that the creature you use it on will be able to attack right away more easily, since it won’t have taken any damage.
Bone Pit Brute image 1.5 This isn’t terrible to have at the top of your curve. His own stats aren’t great, but at least he has Menace! The fact he gives +4/+0 to something when he comes down is what keeps him from being completely terrible, though. That will often make an attack happen that just couldn’t before.
Masked Blackguard image 1.5 This is something you play sometimes, it is a two-drop that maintains some relevancy all game long because of its ability, even if the creature itself and its ability are pretty darn inefficient.
Silent Dart image 1.5 This is the kind of thing that you run only if really light on removal. It just isn’t very efficient.
Sanguine Indulgence image 2.0 Most Black decks are after the first copy of this, even if they can’t get life gain going. Paying 4 to get back two creatures is pretty reasonable, and the kind of thing that can help you win the long game.
Gloom Sower image 1.0 // 2.0 This card is mostly not very good – it has low toughness for the cost and is very easy to take down. However, it does slot reasonably well into the UB reanimator deck, and that helps make it a more appealing card.
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Wind-Scarred Crag image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Read the Tides
Chandra's Pyreling image 2.5 So, two mana 1/3s are borderline playables most of the time, and this does come with some upside -- noncombat damage turning this into a ⅔ double striker is no joke, and just the threat of that happening will often mean your opponent is unable to block it effectively, so they have to risk getting hit for 4. As we’ve already seen, there are ways to do noncombat damage -- like the Magemutt and various burn spells, so it isn’t a pipe dream to make that happen. That said, you also will be hard-pressed to end up with a legit burn deck in Limited that can trigger this all the time -- instead, its somewhere in the middle.
Carrion Grub image 2.5 So, how high does the power need to be here for you to feel like you’re doing alright? Well, honestly, a 4-mana ⅖ is a decent enough deal -- especially when it mills you four cards and enables ograveyard strategies like this can, and I think most of the time you won’t have a problem getting this to be a ⅖, and it will often be larger. It doesn’t have evasion or anything, but the self-mill and good blocker -- which can later become a better attacker potentially too -- is pretty nice. I like that they decided to let its power continue to change while it is in play, instead of simply having it check what the highest power is when it comes down, too. This may have some potential combat-trick-esque effect -- say, if you can sacrifice a creature or discard a card or mill yourself at instant speed, and suddenly bump its power up.
Burn Bright image 1.0 I never love this kind of mass pump effect in Limited. I like to get a toughness boost too, because that makes it far more flexible. If your creature was dead when your opponent blocked, it still will be even if you use this, and that means that this is really only worthwhile when you can do straight up lethal, really limiting its prospects.
Valorous Steed image 3.0 This is a nice Common. 5-mana for 5/5 worth of Vigilance stats across two bodies is a nice deal, especially in a format with some nice go-wide payoffs. You probably don’t want more than two of these since they cost 5, but it will do some nice work for you in any deck.
Chandra's Magmutt image 3.0 This has Grizzly Bear stats and the ability to do 1 to the opponent every turn, and that ability means that the Magemutt stays relevant all game long, after being a decent play on turn two. This will end up threatening a lot of extra damage on the opponent.
Portcullis Vine image 1.0 This can block some stuff early and then replace itself late. Neither of those are very exciting.
Rise Again image 3.0 5-mana to reanimate is not usually very good in Limited, but this format is the exception to that rule. There is a very real and well-supported reanimation deck, and this Common is one of the key cards for it.
Hobblefiend image 2.5 This guy can starts out reasonable and can get progressively larger throughout the game, something that pairs quite well with Trample. It is a very reasonable card for setting up sacrifice payoffs, since it can do it so cheaply.
Read the Tides image 1.5 This has two modes, and while it doesn’t do either thing very efficiently, it is nice that it gives you options. Sometimes the bounce effect can win you the game, and when it can’t, you can use this to draw some cards. Now, if you’re behind your opponent it probably won’t help you much, but at parity of if you’re ahead, it is pretty nice.
Warded Battlements image 1.5 This is weird because it is a payoff for go-wide aggro decks, where the boost will be the most effective – but also weird because it has Defender, and that’s not usually what you’re looking for in an aggro deck. The Battlements are probably actually at their best in the UW skies deck – those decks usually need blockers on the ground while they attack in the air, and +1/+0 on a bunch of flyers is pretty nice. Still, you don’t even always run it in those decks.
Skyscanner image 2.5 Casting this always feels pretty decent. It replaces itself and then gives you a body that you can do something with – whether that’s attacking, trading, chump blocking, or being sacrificed for an effect, it all feel likes gravy at that point.
Bloodfell Caves image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Village Rites
Archfiend's Vessel image 1.0 // 3.5 So, this isn’t very good unless you’re in a reanimator deck. If that’s what you’re up to, this is a great uncommon for you, since reanimating the vessel gives you a huge flying demon token.
Falconer Adept image 3.0 While this has some mediocre stats, the plethora of tricks, +1/+1 counters, bounce spells, and more frequently allows this attack more than once, and if you can do that, you’re doing a really good job since that means you are getting 2 birds to come along for the right. You can go wide in a hurry with this.
Kitesail Freebooter image 3.0 This is a nice disruptive creature that also comes with some reasonable French Vanilla stats. Even though they get the creature back if they kill him, he will usually have disrupted their plan enough to really cause them problems, while also still getting traded for 1-for-1.
Village Rites image 1.5 I think it is fair to compare this to Tormenting Voice. Both cost you two cards to get you two cards. And yes, there are some differences -- the Rite needs a creature in play and it is an Instant, but I think this will serve a similar purpose. If you have lots of creature tokens, or use it in response to removal, or sacrifice a creature shut down by an Aura, it is going to feel pretty good -- and if you have sacrifice synergies it will be a little better to, but I think that it only makes the cut in your deck about half of the time, and usually just barely as a 23rd or 24th card.
Furor of the Bitten image 1.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, but probably not quite enough to be worth the risk of a 2-for-1, especially because you can end up setting yourself up for the 2-for-1 just by playing this, since it forces your creature to attack. It can also be used to force an opposing creature to attack, but that additional use still doesn’t make it very good.
Ranger's Guile image 2.0 This is a fairly decent combat trick for Limited. The stats boost isn’t hte mos impressive for the cost -- but Hexproof is where this gets some extra power, since it means you can no tonly use Guile to win combat, you can use it to save your creature.
Frantic Inventory image 0.5 // 3.0 I actually enjoy these “Collect ‘em All” type cards in Limited, as they make for interesting decisions even later on in packs. Obviously, you don’t want to play this if you only have 1, it is woefully inefficient -- and even 2 isn’t really where you should be playing it. I think you need to get at least 3 before you start playing it, and any more than that and it becomes increasingly impressive. It doesn’t hurt that UG has payoffs for drawing cards, and UR has payoffs for spells either. Keep in mind, by the way -- in Limited you can play as many copies of something as you can get your hands on, so you can go higher than 4.
Spellgorger Weird image 1.5 // 3.5 This is definitely a build around. Most decks can get away with playing it, but it will really only be the UR deck that can take full advantage, turning into a full-fledged win condition.
Library Larcenist image 2.5 This card is a real overperformer. Blue has enough ways to get creatures through for damage that this draws you a card way more often than you might think on paper.
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Swamp image
Pack 3 Pick 6: Read the Tides
Archfiend's Vessel image 1.0 // 3.5 So, this isn’t very good unless you’re in a reanimator deck. If that’s what you’re up to, this is a great uncommon for you, since reanimating the vessel gives you a huge flying demon token.
Sanctum of Calm Waters image 1.0 // 3.0 This Sanctum is kind of passable if you don’t have other Sanctums – or at least that’s true if you’re in a reanimator or Teferi’s Tutelage deck, both of which like the repeatable draw effect. It obviously gets significantly better if you’re packing some other Sanctums.
Hobblefiend image 2.5 This guy can starts out reasonable and can get progressively larger throughout the game, something that pairs quite well with Trample. It is a very reasonable card for setting up sacrifice payoffs, since it can do it so cheaply.
Concordia Pegasus image 1.5 This can attack early, but doesn’t exactly do anything super meaningful most of the time. This format does have +1/+1 counters and a flying archetype, and does help make it better. You will play this for sure, but you’ll also cut it a decent chunk of the time.
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Read the Tides image 1.5 This has two modes, and while it doesn’t do either thing very efficiently, it is nice that it gives you options. Sometimes the bounce effect can win you the game, and when it can’t, you can use this to draw some cards. Now, if you’re behind your opponent it probably won’t help you much, but at parity of if you’re ahead, it is pretty nice.
Snarespinner image 2.0 This blocks flyers well, outright killing many of them. Green often needs something like this to combat flyers, and the first copy makes the cut reasonably often.
Bone Pit Brute image 1.5 This isn’t terrible to have at the top of your curve. His own stats aren’t great, but at least he has Menace! The fact he gives +4/+0 to something when he comes down is what keeps him from being completely terrible, though. That will often make an attack happen that just couldn’t before.
Goblin Wizardry image 2.5 This slots in nicely into the spell deck, because it IS a spell that will trigger your spell payoffs, and it creates two tokens who are spell payoffs too.
Plains image
Pack 3 Pick 7: Revitalize
Witch's Cauldron image 1.5 This isn’t super well-positioned in this format. It is challenging to find yourself in situations where you can really abuse this, and it often just sits on the table doing very little.
Turn to Slag image 2.5 This is clunky as heck, but it does kill most things, and there is enough good Equipment in this format that you’ll even blow up some Equipment sometimes. It isn’t premium removal, but it is serviceable.
Anointed Chorister image 2.5 So, a one mana 1/1 with lifelink is generally not a card worth playing – it just won’t be relevant for very long, but adding an activated ability here makes things interesting. It is by no means an efficient way to pump the chorister, but if you are flooding out it gives you a reasonable mana sink, one that can turn the Chorister into quite the scary attacker in the later part of the game. This format also has life gain payoffs, and that matters too!
Concordia Pegasus image 1.5 This can attack early, but doesn’t exactly do anything super meaningful most of the time. This format does have +1/+1 counters and a flying archetype, and does help make it better. You will play this for sure, but you’ll also cut it a decent chunk of the time.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Goblin Wizardry image 2.5 This slots in nicely into the spell deck, because it IS a spell that will trigger your spell payoffs, and it creates two tokens who are spell payoffs too.
Revitalize image 0.5 // 2.0 This card is normally not worth it. However, this does gain you 3 life, which several cards in this set check for, and if you’re in a deck with several of those payoffs, it is probably going to make the cut a reasonable chunk of the time.
Scoured Barrens image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Garruk's Gorehorn
Furious Rise image 1.0 // 3.5 This is a nice 4-power payoff. It effectively draws you an extra card every turn, and that’s the kind of advantage that will win you the game after you trigger it a few times -- it is just hard for your opponent to keep up with that. It is obviously a build around -- an aggressive Red deck that doesn’t have creatures with high power won’t play this, and it is unlikely a UR spells type deck would either -- this is mostly here for the RG deck, which is all about 4 or more power.
Ornery Dilophosaur image 1.5 This card’s main downfall is that it costs 4 and frequently only has two toughness, which makes it die to a whole lot, and you’re usually losing tempo when it happens. It does have Deathtouch, which allows it to trade with whatever, but costing 4 makes that a lot less impressive. Becoming a 4/4 when it attacks is nice additional upside, but it isn’t that impressive, really.
Run Afoul image 0.5 This is mostly just a sideboard card. An edict for only flyers is a dead card too often, and even as a sideboard card it leaves a lot to be desired.
Garruk's Gorehorn image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with huge power and low toughness, and I’m not really looking to play that most of the time.
Blood Glutton image 2.0 This doesn’t have great stats, but trading with it and gaining some life is surprisingly decent, and it is a way to repeatedly gain life, something that the life gain decks really want.
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 I generally don’t like this when we see it. It does replace itself if the creature dies, but it just gives such an underwhelming statsboost. You’ll play it in more aggressive decks, but even then it won’t always make the cut.
Igneous Cur image 1.5 This thing is a borderline playable on its own, but it can be fetched by the RW signpost uncommon, increasing its value a little bit.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Mind Rot
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Spined Megalodon image 1.5 // 2.5 Big hexproof guys like this usually can find a place in Limited. They are at their best in more controlling decks, as it provides a large Blocker who your opponent just can’t interact with. Hexproof creatures also tend to be good places to put Auras, since getting 2-for-1’d when you put it on a hexproof creature is so unlikely. It is a nice bit of additional value that this Scries when you attack with it, too. UB Reanimator is a very real deck in this format, and this is one of the Commons that you’re pretty happy to play there.
Celestial Enforcer image 2.5 If you don’t have fliers, you probably hope you don’t play this, but as long as you have 4 or 5 Flyers, this probably gets into the playable range, and that isn’t a crazy thing to achieve. Tap down effects are always nice in Limited, and even a situational one like this is well worth playing.
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 I generally don’t like this when we see it. It does replace itself if the creature dies, but it just gives such an underwhelming statsboost. You’ll play it in more aggressive decks, but even then it won’t always make the cut.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Swamp image
Pack 3 Pick 10: Tome Anima
Meteorite image 1.5 This is an expensive mana rock, but it is fixing, and it can even Shock something, so that helps make it a little more reasonable to play.
Wishcoin Crab image 1.0 This has stats that line up reasonably well against early attackers, and if you’re in the market for that, you’ll probably play it.
Warded Battlements image 1.5 This is weird because it is a payoff for go-wide aggro decks, where the boost will be the most effective – but also weird because it has Defender, and that’s not usually what you’re looking for in an aggro deck. The Battlements are probably actually at their best in the UW skies deck – those decks usually need blockers on the ground while they attack in the air, and +1/+0 on a bunch of flyers is pretty nice. Still, you don’t even always run it in those decks.
Tome Anima image 1.0 This card seems like it would be solid, but it just isn’t. It has mediocre stats that make it a liability as a blocker in many situations, and even as an unblockable attacker it doesn’t really feel that great.
Run Afoul image 0.5 This is mostly just a sideboard card. An edict for only flyers is a dead card too often, and even as a sideboard card it leaves a lot to be desired.
Jungle Hollow image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Sanguine Indulgence
Walking Corpse image 1.0 This is a vanilla two drop that you’ll play only out of desperation.
Silent Dart image 1.5 This is the kind of thing that you run only if really light on removal. It just isn’t very efficient.
Sanguine Indulgence image 2.0 Most Black decks are after the first copy of this, even if they can’t get life gain going. Paying 4 to get back two creatures is pretty reasonable, and the kind of thing that can help you win the long game.
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Wind-Scarred Crag image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Portcullis Vine
Burn Bright image 1.0 I never love this kind of mass pump effect in Limited. I like to get a toughness boost too, because that makes it far more flexible. If your creature was dead when your opponent blocked, it still will be even if you use this, and that means that this is really only worthwhile when you can do straight up lethal, really limiting its prospects.
Portcullis Vine image 1.0 This can block some stuff early and then replace itself late. Neither of those are very exciting.
Warded Battlements image 1.5 This is weird because it is a payoff for go-wide aggro decks, where the boost will be the most effective – but also weird because it has Defender, and that’s not usually what you’re looking for in an aggro deck. The Battlements are probably actually at their best in the UW skies deck – those decks usually need blockers on the ground while they attack in the air, and +1/+0 on a bunch of flyers is pretty nice. Still, you don’t even always run it in those decks.
Bloodfell Caves image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Liliana's Steward
Furor of the Bitten image 1.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, but probably not quite enough to be worth the risk of a 2-for-1, especially because you can end up setting yourself up for the 2-for-1 just by playing this, since it forces your creature to attack. It can also be used to force an opposing creature to attack, but that additional use still doesn’t make it very good.
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Swamp image
Pack 3 Pick 14: Liliana's Steward
Liliana's Steward image 1.0 I don’t like this very much. Sure, it is a one drop that can kind of stay relevant all game, but its relevance is basically always very small. A one mana ½ is quickly outclassed in Limited, and giving this up to make your opponent discard a card of their choice doesn’t seem great to me either.
Plains image
Pack 3 Pick 15: Rookie Mistake
Rookie Mistake image 1.0 It is hard to line this up in an advantageous way, it is just so weird. However, it is cheap, and this format has spell payoffs, so that saves it from being completely unplayable.
Draft Pick Overview