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Quick Draft KHM 24.mars 2021

24 March 08:01 - Pankaktat 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (19)
2 Scorn Effigy image
1 Gnottvold Recluse image
2 Bloodsky Berserker image
1 Toski, Bearer of Secrets image
3 Guardian Gladewalker image
2 Jarl of the Forsaken image
1 Boreal Outrider image
1 Battlefield Raptor image
1 Sarulf's Packmate image
2 Infernal Pet image
1 Icehide Troll image
1 Ravenous Lindwurm image
1 Fynn, the Fangbearer image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (8)
1 Weigh Down image
1 Draugr's Helm image
1 Iron Verdict image
1 Snakeskin Veil image
1 Wings of the Cosmos image
2 Glittering Frost image
1 Mammoth Growth image
Other (1)
1 Fall of the Impostor image
Land (17)
6 Forest image
5 Swamp image
4 Plains image
1 Snow-Covered Swamp image
1 Arctic Treeline image
Sideboard
1 Karfell Harbinger image
1 Duskwielder image
1 Grizzled Outrider image
1 Doomskar Titan image
1 Undersea Invader image
1 Draugr Thought-Thief image
1 Berg Strider image
1 Koma's Faithful image
1 Niko Defies Destiny image
1 Crush the Weak image
1 Arachnoform image
1 Rune of Flight image
1 Mists of Littjara image
1 Broken Wings image
1 Gnottvold Slumbermound image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Toski, Bearer of Secrets
Toski, Bearer of Secrets image 4.0 This is kind of like a Green Bident of Thassa with a body. That type of “draw a card” effect for each creature that does combat damage to a player is super strong, and can really snowball things for you in a hurry -- the more cards you draw, the more creatures you can play who will draw you more cards when they hit your opponent. Toski isn’t easy to kill either, meaning the effect will normally stick around. Now, you do need SOME board state for Toski to be great, but at least Toski can block whatever it wants on the first turn, before attacking every turn after that. Toski will take over games thanks to the cards you get, though.
Koll, the Forgemaster image 3.5 This guy is pretty scary in RW decks, as making all of your Equipped and Enchanted creatures come back to your hand is a really big deal. The token pumping part comes up less often, but he’s still pretty good overall.
Basalt Ravager image 4.0 This is a 4-mana 4/2 that does 1 to something when it comes into play, even if it is all alone, and doing two with this isn’t far-fetched at all. 3+ might not be that common, but it will happen too. It is great that it can also hit players, as that is not something we always see on these red creatures with an ETB ability that damages something. I also love that it has high power, which means it can block and kill a whole lot of things, getting you that muc-needed 2-for-1. Typically, this will come down and add to your board while subtracting something from your opponents, and that type of creature is very good.
Saw It Coming image 2.5 This is the kind of card with Foretell that will undoubtedly have people saying “You’ve activated my trap card!” Because it is an instant, you can cast it directly from exile, and being able to do it for only two mana is pretty nice. Sure, your overall investment will have been 4 mana, which isn’t the best in terms of efficiency, but leaving up two mana for this is going to be far easier than leaving up 3. If you know me, I’m not usually a lover of counter magic in Limited, since you have to use it during a very specific window for it to actually do something, but I think this ends up being efficient enough in the end that it will be a counterspell you want to run a lot, especially in Foretell decks. It still has all the downsides counterspells have, but by decreasing the amount you pay to cast it from Foretell, that downside is drastically reduced.
Mistwalker image 3.5 This card will overperform for you. 3-mana 1/4s are usually already playable, but the Changeling status and the ability to pump power makes it so that Mistwalker can do a whole lot of stuff for a three drop. It counts for your Giant payoffs, blocks effectively, and can even attack pretty hard.
Valor of the Worthy image 2.0 I often complain about Auras that don’t give a good boost for the mana cost, as well as auras that don’t give you value to help a 2-for-1 not feel so bad. This does kind of okay on both of those fronts, but not super well on either. The efficiency here is pretty nice when you look at the whole package - one mana for a +1/+1 Aura and a 1/1 flyer if things go wrong, but I’m still not sure I like the risk of putting this on something. +1/+1 can have an impact, but it isn’t ultra likely to be game changing, and while you only spend a single White mana, you still have some risk here, as the 1/1 you get is probably worse than whatever you put it on.
Story Seeker image 2.0 Two mana 2/2s with Lifelink are always solid. Just being able to trade for another two drop and gaining you 2 life is a decent fail case, and if they are allowed to stick around they will end up gaining you significant life. Auras and Equipment are also your friend with a creature like this.
Horizon Seeker image 3.0 This card enables splashes, makes it easier to find your snow mana, and has pretty reasonable stats. He fits into any Green deck really, and that’s nice.
Feed the Serpent image 3.5 This has been surprisingly disappointing in this set. Black is a weak color overall and it isn’t easy to splash, and it is too slow to combat aggro decks. That doesn’t mean it isn’t still quite good, mind you, just that it would normally be even better. It is still easily Black’s best commons and can deal with a whole lot of stuff!
Craven Hulk image 2.0 This coward may not be good at blocking, but a 4-mana 4/4 is a good enough deal in Limited that I’m okay with that. Its also a Giant, and that is probably the creature type that matters the most in this set, as it is the most tribal of the color pairs.
Axgard Braggart image 2.0 So, this card will never really be efficient. I mean, it starts as a 4-mana 3/3, and even if you boast with it, you’ll have spent 6 mana on a 4/4. However, efficiency isn’t everything. The fact is that this creature can grow throughout the game, and just the threat of using the ability will be enough for people not to block it when it attacks. Boast creatures a lot of the time will just end up feeling like situational mana sinks, and that’s not necessarily bad. The pseudo-vigilance it gains when it Boasts isn’t bad either.
Snakeskin Veil image 1.5 This is a decent combat trick. It doesn’t give the biggest boost ever, even for one mana. Basically with tricks, you’re looking for the ones that can do the best job of helping your creature win combat, and you want to do it as efficiently as possible. One usually expects at least a +2/+2 boost from a one mana trick, and this doesn’t deliver there. However, it does grant a creature hexproof, and that means that it also has utility outside of combat -- plus, the boost it gives is permanent, so it isn’t SUPER far away from +2/+2.
Augury Raven image 3.0 A 4-mana 3/3 flyer is a great rate in Limited, and this little Common has more upside than that! Because of Foretell, you can spread the cost of the card across two different payments, and while it won’t always make sense to do that -- there will be times where it helps you be really efficient with your mana, like if you want to play a 3-drop and foretell this instead of casting it that turn, or if you have nothing to do on turn two or three, foretelling this lets you pay less mana for it on a later turn.
Priest of the Haunted Edge image 1.0 // 3.0 This is a snow payoff that DEMANDS you have a bunch of snow lands, and you won’t always have enough to make the Priest work. You probably need 7+ snow lands to do it. However, once you do, this becomes a reasonable early blocker than is a removal spell later on, and it is something you can get back from your graveyard fairly easily. It is not very good in other decks in the format, though.
Snow-Covered Plains image 2.0 This is the least valuable snow land because White doesn’t care much about Snow.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Draugr's Helm
Draugr's Helm image 3.0 Two to play and four to equip for +2/+2 and Menace is just too much mana -- especially the Equip part. The good news, though, is that this normally won’t just be the equipment. If you pay 5 for it, you get a 2/2 zombie token that is equipped with it -- which means 5 for a 4/4 with Menace. That’s a decent rate, especially because if the token does die, you still have the Equipment. And, yeah, that Equip cost is pretty steep, but it also makes most creature into a threat. And, it is really just upside on a 5-mana 4/4 with Menace, and that’s not too shabby.
Fynn, the Fangbearer image 3.0 A two-mana ⅓ with death touch is actually a very good statline. This is because it can actually block one and two drops and survive, while still killing them. Then, Fynn adds some crazy deathtouch upside to the mix -- death touch combat damage to a player turning into poison counters is no small thing, though Fynn being the only creature in the set that has a poison counter ability does make it a little bit less appealing. There are other ways to get deahtoutch in this set, especially in Green-Black, so he will help you win with poison on occasion. If you get two of these, things might get really silly – and at Uncommon, it could happen! Still, I think most of the time he’ll just be a two mana 1/3 with deathtouch, and that’s good enough for me.
Skemfar Elderhall image 3.5 This is a land that can turn into a removal spell and a couple of tokens in the late game, and I’m all about that.
Squash image 3.5 This is a very powerful removal spell if you’re in a Giant deck. 1R for 6 damage at instant speed is pretty incredibly efficient.. What’s nice is, 5 mana for 6 damage at instant speed isn’t completely horrendous either -- it isn’t great, mind you -- but it is the kind of removal that you’ll end up running one of a decent amount of the time. The goods news is, most Red decks will have at least a few Giants without even trying to take them, but the better news is, Giants is a very well-supported tribe in this set, and in those decks, this costing 1R won’t be that hard to achieve.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Strategic Planning image 1.0 For two mana you get some card selection and some help loading your graveyard. These type of spells that just let you go 1-for-1 are always easy to cut, as their effects are so minimal. They aren’t bad, but you’d probably rather have a two-drop creature most of the time.
Dread Rider image 1.0 This has some nice defensive stats and an activated ability that can close out games, but it tends to be too expensive and not powerful enough for even control decks to be interested in it.
Elderfang Disciple image 1.5 A two mana 1/1 that makes an opponent discard a card is nice, and because it does that, you’re at least starting out with a 1-for-1 in most cases. Then, if it can trade for an X/1, you’re getting some serious 2-for-1 value out of this card. Now, it won’t always line up that way, and in the late game the discard thing might not matter too much, and those are serious limitations, but this seems decent enough.
Draugr Recruiter image 1.5 So, this is definitely a Boast ability that is all about the late game. The boast is expensive, and also asks for cards in the graveyard, but if you do get to use this late, and attack with this Recruiter in a situation where the best your opponent can do is trade with it or chump block it, it is going to be pretty nice. That said, by the late game, a 4-mana 3/3 won’t always be capable of making that situation happen. Sometimes, if you have something good enough in your graveyard, it will be worth the bad attack, but it is still kind of a rough deal. I think I will probably cut this a little more than I play it.
Battlefield Raptor image 1.5 // 3.5 This is a key card for aggressive decks. It wears the cheap Equipment and Auras it he format well, and suiting it up early can often win games. If you’re an aggro deck, you’re never cutting this, and it will be one of the best things you can do on turn one. Obviously, it isn’t very good anywhere else, so keep that in mind.
Story Seeker image 2.0 Two mana 2/2s with Lifelink are always solid. Just being able to trade for another two drop and gaining you 2 life is a decent fail case, and if they are allowed to stick around they will end up gaining you significant life. Auras and Equipment are also your friend with a creature like this.
Withercrown image 1.0 So, I have a hard time ever calling removal “premium” if it still allows whatever you put it on to block, and this does have that problem. This is also weakened by the presence of Good Auras, +1/+1 Counters, and Equipment, since those all mean that the creature still won’t have 0 power. It doesn’t hurt that this makes your opponent lose life every turn or sacrifice the creature, at which point, you do actually get the blocker out of the way. That said, most of the time, you’ll probably play this and your opponent will just use the creature to block and die, as it allows them to get something out of the weakened creature. You generally only play this if you didn’t get better removal spells.
Depart the Realm image 2.0 Two mana to bounce nonland permanents at Instant speed is usually fine. Bounce spells won’t always straight up trade for a card, but the tempo they give you can be worth it – and, sometimes you can get one of your opponent’s cards with this, if you bounce something that they are using a trick on or putting an Aura on. This has Foretell too, but I still don’t think it is much more than “fine”.
Rimewood Falls image 3.0 Good Snow land. It gives you snow mana and fixing, and it is in colors that have some nice snow payoffs.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Guardian Gladewalker
Littjara Mirrorlake image 3.5 Making a copy of your best creature and making it a little bit better with a +1/+1 counter in the late game is no joke. This is a land that will add considerably to the board state in the late game, and that really shouldn’t be overlooked.
Vega, the Watcher image 3.5 Even if you only draw one card with Vega you are going to feel pretty good about your investment, since it has such reasonable stats to begin with. Drawing that one card isn’t too challenging, either!
Wings of the Cosmos image 1.0 This trick is mostly not worth playing. You can use it both offensively and defensively pretty effectively, and the fact it grants flying might mean sometimes it will also let you sneak in for lethal in the air. But -- a trick is a trick. It is situational, and its risky, and it doesn’t do a whole lot to make any of that less of a problem.
Raiders' Karve image 1.5 Crew 3 is kind of a lot for a 4/4 vehicle, but the fact that it will effectively ramp and draw you a card like 40% of the time does help make that look a little less ugly. If you can get the land off the top with this even once, you’re going to feel alright. That said, it isn’t exactly efficient, and I think you probably cut this a little more than you play it.
Karfell Harbinger image 1.5 So, we see two mana 1/3s who can tap for spells relatively often, and this is a more flexible version of those, since it can also use it to foretell a card. It won’t always make a difference, but it will often enough that you’ll probably play the first copy of this in decks that are interested in spells and/or foretell, which will be lots of Blue decks.
Goldvein Pick image 3.0 This card is super good in this format. There are lots of good creatures to equip and the fixing it gives is great. While it is definitely better in more aggressive decks, it can work in any deck with a reasonable number of creatures, and that means you can value it pretty highly.
King Harald's Revenge image 1.0 I don’t like this type of card. Sure, lure-type effects are nice, but they only really get powerful if they force EVERYTHING to block something, allowing the rest of your board to get through. This will just require one block. And yeah, sometimes this will make your creature absolutely massive, and adding Trample to that is nice -- but it still seems so clunky to me. You have to wait for the absolute right window for this to work out for you -- one where you have enough creatures for it to matter -- one where forcing the block makes a difference -- and one where your opponent doesn’t have cards in hand and mana up, since if they do, you have a good chance at getting completely blown out.
Seize the Spoils image 1.0 This is not an efficient way to dig deeper into your library, and while it also gives you a Treasure, you mostly should avoid playing this.
Guardian Gladewalker image 2.5 So, we see versions of this card all the time -- and they are always pretty nice commons for Green. The +1/+1 counter ETB trigger makes it so that it is relevant all game long -- often times a single counter is enough to enable attacks you just didn’t have before. And, you know, sometimes, this is just a two-mana 2/2, like in the early game. Adding changeling to the mix is significant upside on an already pretty good Green common.
Infernal Pet image 2.0 You probably need to trigger this at least once to make it worth it, and since it starts out as an inefficient 3-mana 2/2, you may even want to trigger it twice before you feel okay about stuff. While that is certainly doable, I don’t really think this is going to be one of the key double spell payoffs that you need for the deck.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Beskir Shieldmate image 3.0 This is a solid two-drop. A two mana 2/1 is far from ideal, but if you can trade with this and then get a token, you’re going to feel pretty good. Overall, this is a nice two drop that will pretty much always make the cut
Snow-Covered Island image 2.5 Blue has some nice snow payoffs, and that means you should be valuing this Snow land over most average cards.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Jarl of the Forsaken
Forging the Tyrite Sword image 0.5 You mostly don’t want to be playing this. It has little impact on the board early, and that’s not something RW is interested in – and neither is Treasure for the most part. The one situation where you do consider playing this is if you have Halvar in your deck, as he is one of the best cards in the format, and giving up some tempo to search him up in a couple turns is worth it.
Runed Crown image 3.0 You do need at least one Rune around to play this, but once you’re there, it is pretty nice because it searches up the Rune and draws you a card with that Runes ETB ability, and it also becomes a much better equipment once you do that, and usually paying 2 to Equip it feels fine once it has a Rune.
Deathknell Berserker image 2.0 There are a decent number of ways in this format to get the Berserker to 3 power, so he makes that 2/2 Zombie way more often than you might think! And when he does that, he feels quite good. That’s nice upside to have on an already okay creature stats-wise.
Icehide Troll image 3.0 This is a key common for Snow decks, as if you are able to pump this it becomes a pretty powerful threat. Because it asks for two snow that won’t work in every deck, but in the decks where the troll DOES work, it will be one of your best Commons.
Bind the Monster image 2.5 Blue does not often get super efficient Auras that are capable of getting a blocker out of the way with no problem, and in general it doesn’t usually get removal that can just straight up shut down most creatures – but that’s what this is. For one mana, this can deal entirely with most creatures, and sure – you’re going to take some damage, but I think it is worth it for the efficiency. Playing more than one of these can get a bit risky, since you only have so much life you can pay for an effect like this, but I think you pretty much always play the first copy, especially if you’re light on other removal.
Jarl of the Forsaken image 2.0 This type of removal effect is often underwhelming. Sure, when you do manage to trigger the effect it feels pretty good, but most of the time you had to give up a card to make that effect work in the first place, so it isn’t quite as good of a deal as it might seem at first. Now, adding Foretell here does matter -- because it means it will be easier to find a window where you can actually cast and use this, as spending 2 mana on the turn you actually cast the card is significantly better.
Raiders' Karve image 1.5 Crew 3 is kind of a lot for a 4/4 vehicle, but the fact that it will effectively ramp and draw you a card like 40% of the time does help make that look a little less ugly. If you can get the land off the top with this even once, you’re going to feel alright. That said, it isn’t exactly efficient, and I think you probably cut this a little more than you play it.
Koma's Faithful image 2.0 This seems solid. A 3-mana 3/1 with lifelink isn’t a terrible rate -- trading for an X/3 and gaining 3 life in the process isn’t bad, and it comes with some additional upside. Now, the graveyard isn’t a huge theme in this set, but there is some synergy to be had there.
Shackles of Treachery image 0.5 Even in the most aggressive of decks, this card tends to be too situational to be worthwhile, and there isn’t enough of a sacrifice theme in this set to really abuse it.
Battlefield Raptor image 1.5 // 3.5 This is a key card for aggressive decks. It wears the cheap Equipment and Auras it he format well, and suiting it up early can often win games. If you’re an aggro deck, you’re never cutting this, and it will be one of the best things you can do on turn one. Obviously, it isn’t very good anywhere else, so keep that in mind.
Tormentor's Helm image 2.5 Like Run Amok, this is a great card for aggressive decks, as it gives an efficient stats boost and can even help you close out a game because of the inevitable damage every time you attack, but it isn’t really very good anywhere else.
Woodland Chasm image 3.5 This is a Snow land to value fairly highly. It gives you snow mana and fixing, and it is in colors that have some nice snow payoffs at lower rarities.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Fall of the Impostor
Gnottvold Slumbermound image 3.5 Blowing up lands in this format is bigger than normal because of snow lands and this cycle, and being able to make a 4/4 at instant speed is pretty nice too.
Fall of the Impostor image 3.5 Three mana for a +1/+1 counter won’t make it feel like the greatest investment ever at first, and really -- even after you get the second counter it won’t feel great either -- but hey, it does impact the board a little bit at least! The most value the card gives you is with chapter three, which will typically take down your opponent’s best creature -- and that means you spent three mana for two +1/+1 counters and a removal spell, which is actually crazy efficient! It is, of course, slow -- and sometimes you’ll really wish you could just kill their creature first, but this is still really efficient.
Horizon Seeker image 3.0 This card enables splashes, makes it easier to find your snow mana, and has pretty reasonable stats. He fits into any Green deck really, and that’s nice.
Guardian Gladewalker image 2.5 So, we see versions of this card all the time -- and they are always pretty nice commons for Green. The +1/+1 counter ETB trigger makes it so that it is relevant all game long -- often times a single counter is enough to enable attacks you just didn’t have before. And, you know, sometimes, this is just a two-mana 2/2, like in the early game. Adding changeling to the mix is significant upside on an already pretty good Green common.
Mists of Littjara image 1.5 This type of Blue removal spell is always pretty alright. The fact you can’t use it to keep a creature from still being a good blocker can be annoying sometimes, but the fact it can also shut down vehicles and has Flash do make up for that a little bit. The Flash side of it will sometimes allow you to double block and kill something, while keeping both of your creatures, and when you can make this trade 1-for-1 it is going to feel good. That won’t be the regular occurrence, I don’t think – but it will happen often enough that you’ll play this if you need removal.
Draugr Thought-Thief image 1.5 If you’re going to be a 3-mana 3/2, you probably need to have something going on that makes those inefficient stats worth it -- and I don’t really see that here. You get some very minor card selection, and an effect that might help you put something in your graveyard. Or, alternatively, something that lets you control your opponent’s next draw a little bit, but neither of those things is that great. It is kind of equivalent to Scry 1, but in most ways, it isn’t as good as Scry 1. You will certainly play this sometimes, but you’ll also cut it a fair bit.
Karfell Harbinger image 1.5 So, we see two mana 1/3s who can tap for spells relatively often, and this is a more flexible version of those, since it can also use it to foretell a card. It won’t always make a difference, but it will often enough that you’ll probably play the first copy of this in decks that are interested in spells and/or foretell, which will be lots of Blue decks.
Priest of the Haunted Edge image 1.0 // 3.0 This is a snow payoff that DEMANDS you have a bunch of snow lands, and you won’t always have enough to make the Priest work. You probably need 7+ snow lands to do it. However, once you do, this becomes a reasonable early blocker than is a removal spell later on, and it is something you can get back from your graveyard fairly easily. It is not very good in other decks in the format, though.
Beskir Shieldmate image 3.0 This is a solid two-drop. A two mana 2/1 is far from ideal, but if you can trade with this and then get a token, you’re going to feel pretty good. Overall, this is a nice two drop that will pretty much always make the cut
Glittering Frost image 2.5 This card is pretty important in the 4 and 5 color Snow decks, as it helps enable your mana while also giving you two snow permanents with a single card. It is pretty much useless in aggro decks, though.
Ice Tunnel image 3.5 This is a Snow land to value fairly highly. It gives you snow mana and fixing, and it is in colors that have some nice snow payoffs at lower rarities.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Boreal Outrider
Boreal Outrider image 4.0 This seems like a really good snow payoff. On a base level, you have a 3-mana 3/2 that is a snow permanent, which isn’t a bad place to start -- but the fact that this will pump all of your creatures equal to the number of snow mana spent on them is no joke. Even if you only have one way to produce snow mana, having a couple creatures enter the battlefield with an additional counter each is a great return on the 3 mana that you spent. Keep in mind, that the Outrider triggers when the creature is cast, and that means that it won’t do its thing for itself -- just other creature spells. Over all, this seems really strong to me, as you will usually end up with more than one snow land lying around -- if you have two, it will really well...snowball.
Niko Defies Destiny image 1.0 This has been challenging to make work, simply because even with all the Foretell in the format, it is difficult to always benefit from the first two chapters on the card. When you can, it feels good, but this card is too inconsistent for me to want to play it in most decks.
Port of Karfell image 3.5 Reanimating something in the late game is a huge deal, and if you have a powerful creature in play and you have Karfell Port around too, your opponent is going to be in a lot of trouble. Now, sure, 6 mana to reanimate something isn’t the most efficient thing ever -- but that’s fine, since it is really just here as a late-game effect on one of your lands.
Open the Omenpaths image 0.0 This is a card a lot of people will play when they are desperate for fixing – but don’t do it. Ritual effects like this aren’t good in Limited, you two for one yourself for some fixing and a small mana boost, and that card disadvantage is likely to cause you to lose the game. The alternate mode this has doesn’t help make any more playable either.
King Harald's Revenge image 1.0 I don’t like this type of card. Sure, lure-type effects are nice, but they only really get powerful if they force EVERYTHING to block something, allowing the rest of your board to get through. This will just require one block. And yeah, sometimes this will make your creature absolutely massive, and adding Trample to that is nice -- but it still seems so clunky to me. You have to wait for the absolute right window for this to work out for you -- one where you have enough creatures for it to matter -- one where forcing the block makes a difference -- and one where your opponent doesn’t have cards in hand and mana up, since if they do, you have a good chance at getting completely blown out.
Berg Strider image 3.5 I always like this kind of creature that taps something down when it comes into play, but they are usually only at their best if they can lock the creature down for a turn too. Berg Strider won’t always do that, but it will do it often enough, and hey, at least it does something even if you don’t have the snow mana. It is also another snow payoff that doesn’t demand 10+ snow lands, you can run it with just a few. Tapping something down even without snow mana can often enable an attack you didn’t have otherwise, and tapping something down for a turn can really swing a race in your favor, since that creature won’t be blocking or attacking. This is certainly beefier than most of these tap-down creatures are too -- it has good enough stats to be imposing on some board states.
Karfell Kennel-Master image 2.5 This has been solid top-curve in Black decks. It often comes down and enables 1-2 attacks that you just couldn’t have done before, and a 4/4 body is pretty good in this format.
Revitalize image 0.5 This is an underwhelming reprint. A cantrip that gains you life isn’t bad, it is just one of those cards that will be the last card cut from your deck most of the time. Especially because this set doesn’t seem to have a strong life gain theme.
Raven Wings image 1.5 This is fine. 2 to play and 2 to equip is a bit steep, but giving evasion and +1/+0 to something will often make a pretty big difference -- sending your big guys into the air is particularly appealing.
Alpine Meadow image 3.0 This isn’t one of the more important snow lands around, because White and Red are the colors that care the least about Snow. Still, it does provide fixing and a snow permanent, and those are things that are pretty valuable in this set.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Arctic Treeline
Axgard Armory image 2.5 If you have the right deck composition, this is a nice utility land that can draw you 2 pretty meaningful cards in the late game.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Battlefield Raptor image 1.5 // 3.5 This is a key card for aggressive decks. It wears the cheap Equipment and Auras it he format well, and suiting it up early can often win games. If you’re an aggro deck, you’re never cutting this, and it will be one of the best things you can do on turn one. Obviously, it isn’t very good anywhere else, so keep that in mind.
King Harald's Revenge image 1.0 I don’t like this type of card. Sure, lure-type effects are nice, but they only really get powerful if they force EVERYTHING to block something, allowing the rest of your board to get through. This will just require one block. And yeah, sometimes this will make your creature absolutely massive, and adding Trample to that is nice -- but it still seems so clunky to me. You have to wait for the absolute right window for this to work out for you -- one where you have enough creatures for it to matter -- one where forcing the block makes a difference -- and one where your opponent doesn’t have cards in hand and mana up, since if they do, you have a good chance at getting completely blown out.
Undersea Invader image 1.0 One of the great things about flash is being able to ambush block, and you won't be doing that here because it enters tapped. It might be a giant, but it is mostly just an inefficient creature. If it wasn't a Giant you probably wouldn't play it all.
Raven Wings image 1.5 This is fine. 2 to play and 2 to equip is a bit steep, but giving evasion and +1/+0 to something will often make a pretty big difference -- sending your big guys into the air is particularly appealing.
Grizzled Outrider image 1.5 5-mana for a 5/5 is kind of alright. And that’s all there is to say about that.
Duskwielder image 1.0 You’ll play this in really aggressive Black decks, but even then you’re kind of hoping you’ll get a better one drop than this! Overall, this is quickly outclassed on the board, and the Boast effect doesn’t do enough to help that.
Arctic Treeline image 3.0 This is another snow land that isn’t super important because the colors it is in aren’t completely focused in on snow. However, it does provide fixing and a snow permanent, and those are valuable things
Pack 1 Pick 8: Iron Verdict
Elven Bow image 3.0 Generally, I think it is a bad plan to just straight up cast this as Equipment – when you do that, the bonus you get from them is not very good – 3 to equip is rough for +1/+2 and Reach. So normally, you want to cast this and make the elf token – which in effect, turns this into a 3-mana 2/3 with Reach that, if it dies, leaves equipment behind. And in a lot of ways, it is better than that – because you can move the Equipment before then if there’s a reason too, and even if your creature gets shut down by an Aura or bounced, you still have the Bow.
Frostpeak Yeti image 1.5 So, this is a Hill Giant that can become unblockable if you have some Snow mana. That certainly isn’t a good card, but if you are in a controlling Snow deck and you need a win condition well...you probably hope this isn’t it, but it can do the job if you need it to.
King Harald's Revenge image 1.0 I don’t like this type of card. Sure, lure-type effects are nice, but they only really get powerful if they force EVERYTHING to block something, allowing the rest of your board to get through. This will just require one block. And yeah, sometimes this will make your creature absolutely massive, and adding Trample to that is nice -- but it still seems so clunky to me. You have to wait for the absolute right window for this to work out for you -- one where you have enough creatures for it to matter -- one where forcing the block makes a difference -- and one where your opponent doesn’t have cards in hand and mana up, since if they do, you have a good chance at getting completely blown out.
Withercrown image 1.0 So, I have a hard time ever calling removal “premium” if it still allows whatever you put it on to block, and this does have that problem. This is also weakened by the presence of Good Auras, +1/+1 Counters, and Equipment, since those all mean that the creature still won’t have 0 power. It doesn’t hurt that this makes your opponent lose life every turn or sacrifice the creature, at which point, you do actually get the blocker out of the way. That said, most of the time, you’ll probably play this and your opponent will just use the creature to block and die, as it allows them to get something out of the weakened creature. You generally only play this if you didn’t get better removal spells.
Codespell Cleric image 1.0 // 2.5 So, since this is one mana, casting it as your second spell in a turn won’t be super challenging, especially in a format with Foretell. I mean, in the late game it will be a little harder, like if you’re in top deck mode, but in the early and mid-game it will just happen. For this to be worth it, it does need to be making that +1/+1 counter a significant chunk of the time, and it can do that in aggro decks. Like Battlefield Raptor, it is much better in aggressive decks than it is elsewhere.
Master Skald image 2.0 5-mana for a 4/4 that returns an artifact or enchantment is not a bad deal. And sure, you also need a creature in your graveyard to make it happen, but by turn 5 that won’t normally be an issue. There are lots of good Artifacts and Enchantments in this set, but the Skald is at his best with Sagas, since they are designed to eventually go to your graveyard in the first place. If you have at least one Saga, playing a Master Skald is usually a pretty good idea.
Dogged Pursuit image 1.0 Draining one life gives you inevitability, and because it is also gaining you life, it helps you to survive longer -- which in turn helps you drain more life. If you are a control deck, this seems like a decent win condition to me. Now, tapping out to play this on turn four will not always be smart, because you need to be building your board in the early game to not die, and that is a pretty significant downside. You’ll be cutting this a lot, it really takes the right deck for it to be worth it.
Iron Verdict image 2.5 This is another “Trap card” with foretell. So, in the past, 3-mana cards that do 5-damage to attacking creatures have been solid -- and this can actually work on any tapped creature, not just attacking ones. This is better than most of the other cards like that we’ve seen because of Foretell too. Being able to put this aside and use it for a single white mana later on in the game is great -- and this type of effect is situational, so putting it aside for awhile until you need it is going to work out pretty well. Now, I still don’t think this is quite “premium” removal -- you still are paying a total of 3 mana for the effect, and it is still pretty situational. But it is a nice White common.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Snakeskin Veil
Koll, the Forgemaster image 3.5 This guy is pretty scary in RW decks, as making all of your Equipped and Enchanted creatures come back to your hand is a really big deal. The token pumping part comes up less often, but he’s still pretty good overall.
Saw It Coming image 2.5 This is the kind of card with Foretell that will undoubtedly have people saying “You’ve activated my trap card!” Because it is an instant, you can cast it directly from exile, and being able to do it for only two mana is pretty nice. Sure, your overall investment will have been 4 mana, which isn’t the best in terms of efficiency, but leaving up two mana for this is going to be far easier than leaving up 3. If you know me, I’m not usually a lover of counter magic in Limited, since you have to use it during a very specific window for it to actually do something, but I think this ends up being efficient enough in the end that it will be a counterspell you want to run a lot, especially in Foretell decks. It still has all the downsides counterspells have, but by decreasing the amount you pay to cast it from Foretell, that downside is drastically reduced.
Story Seeker image 2.0 Two mana 2/2s with Lifelink are always solid. Just being able to trade for another two drop and gaining you 2 life is a decent fail case, and if they are allowed to stick around they will end up gaining you significant life. Auras and Equipment are also your friend with a creature like this.
Craven Hulk image 2.0 This coward may not be good at blocking, but a 4-mana 4/4 is a good enough deal in Limited that I’m okay with that. Its also a Giant, and that is probably the creature type that matters the most in this set, as it is the most tribal of the color pairs.
Axgard Braggart image 2.0 So, this card will never really be efficient. I mean, it starts as a 4-mana 3/3, and even if you boast with it, you’ll have spent 6 mana on a 4/4. However, efficiency isn’t everything. The fact is that this creature can grow throughout the game, and just the threat of using the ability will be enough for people not to block it when it attacks. Boast creatures a lot of the time will just end up feeling like situational mana sinks, and that’s not necessarily bad. The pseudo-vigilance it gains when it Boasts isn’t bad either.
Snakeskin Veil image 1.5 This is a decent combat trick. It doesn’t give the biggest boost ever, even for one mana. Basically with tricks, you’re looking for the ones that can do the best job of helping your creature win combat, and you want to do it as efficiently as possible. One usually expects at least a +2/+2 boost from a one mana trick, and this doesn’t deliver there. However, it does grant a creature hexproof, and that means that it also has utility outside of combat -- plus, the boost it gives is permanent, so it isn’t SUPER far away from +2/+2.
Priest of the Haunted Edge image 1.0 // 3.0 This is a snow payoff that DEMANDS you have a bunch of snow lands, and you won’t always have enough to make the Priest work. You probably need 7+ snow lands to do it. However, once you do, this becomes a reasonable early blocker than is a removal spell later on, and it is something you can get back from your graveyard fairly easily. It is not very good in other decks in the format, though.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Fynn, the Fangbearer
Fynn, the Fangbearer image 3.0 A two-mana ⅓ with death touch is actually a very good statline. This is because it can actually block one and two drops and survive, while still killing them. Then, Fynn adds some crazy deathtouch upside to the mix -- death touch combat damage to a player turning into poison counters is no small thing, though Fynn being the only creature in the set that has a poison counter ability does make it a little bit less appealing. There are other ways to get deahtoutch in this set, especially in Green-Black, so he will help you win with poison on occasion. If you get two of these, things might get really silly – and at Uncommon, it could happen! Still, I think most of the time he’ll just be a two mana 1/3 with deathtouch, and that’s good enough for me.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Strategic Planning image 1.0 For two mana you get some card selection and some help loading your graveyard. These type of spells that just let you go 1-for-1 are always easy to cut, as their effects are so minimal. They aren’t bad, but you’d probably rather have a two-drop creature most of the time.
Dread Rider image 1.0 This has some nice defensive stats and an activated ability that can close out games, but it tends to be too expensive and not powerful enough for even control decks to be interested in it.
Withercrown image 1.0 So, I have a hard time ever calling removal “premium” if it still allows whatever you put it on to block, and this does have that problem. This is also weakened by the presence of Good Auras, +1/+1 Counters, and Equipment, since those all mean that the creature still won’t have 0 power. It doesn’t hurt that this makes your opponent lose life every turn or sacrifice the creature, at which point, you do actually get the blocker out of the way. That said, most of the time, you’ll probably play this and your opponent will just use the creature to block and die, as it allows them to get something out of the weakened creature. You generally only play this if you didn’t get better removal spells.
Rimewood Falls image 3.0 Good Snow land. It gives you snow mana and fixing, and it is in colors that have some nice snow payoffs.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Wings of the Cosmos
Wings of the Cosmos image 1.0 This trick is mostly not worth playing. You can use it both offensively and defensively pretty effectively, and the fact it grants flying might mean sometimes it will also let you sneak in for lethal in the air. But -- a trick is a trick. It is situational, and its risky, and it doesn’t do a whole lot to make any of that less of a problem.
Raiders' Karve image 1.5 Crew 3 is kind of a lot for a 4/4 vehicle, but the fact that it will effectively ramp and draw you a card like 40% of the time does help make that look a little less ugly. If you can get the land off the top with this even once, you’re going to feel alright. That said, it isn’t exactly efficient, and I think you probably cut this a little more than you play it.
Karfell Harbinger image 1.5 So, we see two mana 1/3s who can tap for spells relatively often, and this is a more flexible version of those, since it can also use it to foretell a card. It won’t always make a difference, but it will often enough that you’ll probably play the first copy of this in decks that are interested in spells and/or foretell, which will be lots of Blue decks.
King Harald's Revenge image 1.0 I don’t like this type of card. Sure, lure-type effects are nice, but they only really get powerful if they force EVERYTHING to block something, allowing the rest of your board to get through. This will just require one block. And yeah, sometimes this will make your creature absolutely massive, and adding Trample to that is nice -- but it still seems so clunky to me. You have to wait for the absolute right window for this to work out for you -- one where you have enough creatures for it to matter -- one where forcing the block makes a difference -- and one where your opponent doesn’t have cards in hand and mana up, since if they do, you have a good chance at getting completely blown out.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Battlefield Raptor
Raiders' Karve image 1.5 Crew 3 is kind of a lot for a 4/4 vehicle, but the fact that it will effectively ramp and draw you a card like 40% of the time does help make that look a little less ugly. If you can get the land off the top with this even once, you’re going to feel alright. That said, it isn’t exactly efficient, and I think you probably cut this a little more than you play it.
Koma's Faithful image 2.0 This seems solid. A 3-mana 3/1 with lifelink isn’t a terrible rate -- trading for an X/3 and gaining 3 life in the process isn’t bad, and it comes with some additional upside. Now, the graveyard isn’t a huge theme in this set, but there is some synergy to be had there.
Shackles of Treachery image 0.5 Even in the most aggressive of decks, this card tends to be too situational to be worthwhile, and there isn’t enough of a sacrifice theme in this set to really abuse it.
Battlefield Raptor image 1.5 // 3.5 This is a key card for aggressive decks. It wears the cheap Equipment and Auras it he format well, and suiting it up early can often win games. If you’re an aggro deck, you’re never cutting this, and it will be one of the best things you can do on turn one. Obviously, it isn’t very good anywhere else, so keep that in mind.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Karfell Harbinger
Mists of Littjara image 1.5 This type of Blue removal spell is always pretty alright. The fact you can’t use it to keep a creature from still being a good blocker can be annoying sometimes, but the fact it can also shut down vehicles and has Flash do make up for that a little bit. The Flash side of it will sometimes allow you to double block and kill something, while keeping both of your creatures, and when you can make this trade 1-for-1 it is going to feel good. That won’t be the regular occurrence, I don’t think – but it will happen often enough that you’ll play this if you need removal.
Draugr Thought-Thief image 1.5 If you’re going to be a 3-mana 3/2, you probably need to have something going on that makes those inefficient stats worth it -- and I don’t really see that here. You get some very minor card selection, and an effect that might help you put something in your graveyard. Or, alternatively, something that lets you control your opponent’s next draw a little bit, but neither of those things is that great. It is kind of equivalent to Scry 1, but in most ways, it isn’t as good as Scry 1. You will certainly play this sometimes, but you’ll also cut it a fair bit.
Karfell Harbinger image 1.5 So, we see two mana 1/3s who can tap for spells relatively often, and this is a more flexible version of those, since it can also use it to foretell a card. It won’t always make a difference, but it will often enough that you’ll probably play the first copy of this in decks that are interested in spells and/or foretell, which will be lots of Blue decks.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Niko Defies Destiny
Niko Defies Destiny image 1.0 This has been challenging to make work, simply because even with all the Foretell in the format, it is difficult to always benefit from the first two chapters on the card. When you can, it feels good, but this card is too inconsistent for me to want to play it in most decks.
Revitalize image 0.5 This is an underwhelming reprint. A cantrip that gains you life isn’t bad, it is just one of those cards that will be the last card cut from your deck most of the time. Especially because this set doesn’t seem to have a strong life gain theme.
Pack 1 Pick 15: Duskwielder
Duskwielder image 1.0 You’ll play this in really aggressive Black decks, but even then you’re kind of hoping you’ll get a better one drop than this! Overall, this is quickly outclassed on the board, and the Boast effect doesn’t do enough to help that.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Sarulf's Packmate
Ascendant Spirit image 3.0 Snow mana is easy enough to come by in this format that it is very doable to find enough Snow mana to pump into the Spirit. Now, it does come with some inherent risks – like if your opponent blows it up after you spend a bunch of mana upgrading it – but those risks are mostly worth it because of the huge upside. You do need a lot of snow mana to play this, so keep that in mind, but when you can, it will demand an answer in many games – otherwise your opponent will lose.
Blizzard Brawl image 2.5 // 4.0 So, this is a strictly better Prey Upon, and Prey Upon is usually a solid but not great removal spell in the formats we’ve seen it in. Fight cards have a significant downside most other removal doesn’t -- if your opponent can interact at all, you can end up getting blown out. There’s also the fact that you need a decent number of sizable creatures to make it worth it. However, by only costing a single Green mana, finding a window where you can use this one isn’t too difficult. I think any Green deck probably plays the first copy of this, and if you can get enough snow permanents going, it will be one of the best cards in your deck, as +1/+0 and indestructible becoming part of the card is crazy good. That usually means that in addition to killing something, and making it harder for your opponent to interact with it, you’ll also have a free attack, and that type of turn will be devastating. I want to give this a build around grade, because I think the upgrade is super significant in a heavy snow deck. I’ll say this is a C in a regular Green deck, and a B in a deck that has enough snow permanents -- in those decks, this is premium removal.
Kardur, Doomscourge image 4.0 Kardur is strong, so it is kind of unfortunate that BR collectively isn’t really. You’ll mostly play him off a splash in other decks. Forcing all of your opponent’s creatures to attack you can make a big impact, not only because you can set up blocks to kill their creatures -- which, with Kardur in play, also means you’ll drain them 1 life -- but also because it opens your opponent up for a crack back that might just be lethal. In other words, Your opponent will have to attack in what is likely a less-than-optimal situation, while you’ll be able to attack in a pretty good one. Now, if your opponent’s board is significantly better than yours, things might not go so well, but if that’s true, well -- they were probably going to attack you with everything anyway! Note, by the way, that it doesn’t matter who controls an attacking creature for the drain life trigger, so it matters when you attack and when your opponent attacks.
Avalanche Caller image 4.0 This is a really powerful Snow payoff, and one that doesn’t demand you to have a ton of snow lands for it to be worthwhile. Now, the more you have, the better he gets, but it is nice that you don’t need 10+ snow lands to play this – more like just 3. Animating lands and swinging with them is great, and the hexproof really matters too! This is a two drop that can take over games, and that’s a pretty unique thing.
Master Skald image 2.0 5-mana for a 4/4 that returns an artifact or enchantment is not a bad deal. And sure, you also need a creature in your graveyard to make it happen, but by turn 5 that won’t normally be an issue. There are lots of good Artifacts and Enchantments in this set, but the Skald is at his best with Sagas, since they are designed to eventually go to your graveyard in the first place. If you have at least one Saga, playing a Master Skald is usually a pretty good idea.
Invoke the Divine image 1.5 This set has enough good artifacts and Enchantments that this ends up having a reasonable number of targets, making it an okay thing to run in your main deck.
Immersturm Raider image 1.5 We see this card a lot -- I mean, Fissure Wizard in Zendikar Rising is basically the same. It is a solid card, gives you some card selection -- which can even make it matter in the late game, and all of that makes it so that it can overcome the downside of its mediocre stats.
Demonic Gifts image 1.5 This type of trick is usually alright. The stats boost is enough to make your creature take down larger creatures in combat, and it doesn’t really have to “win” the combat, since the Gifts will bring your creature right back if it dies. This can get especially nasty if your creature has an ETB ability. It also doesn’t hurt that it does something against most removal too. It is still a trick, and the situational nature of them keeps most of them from ever being especially good.
Guardian Gladewalker image 2.5 So, we see versions of this card all the time -- and they are always pretty nice commons for Green. The +1/+1 counter ETB trigger makes it so that it is relevant all game long -- often times a single counter is enough to enable attacks you just didn’t have before. And, you know, sometimes, this is just a two-mana 2/2, like in the early game. Adding changeling to the mix is significant upside on an already pretty good Green common.
Depart the Realm image 2.0 Two mana to bounce nonland permanents at Instant speed is usually fine. Bounce spells won’t always straight up trade for a card, but the tempo they give you can be worth it – and, sometimes you can get one of your opponent’s cards with this, if you bounce something that they are using a trick on or putting an Aura on. This has Foretell too, but I still don’t think it is much more than “fine”.
Horizon Seeker image 3.0 This card enables splashes, makes it easier to find your snow mana, and has pretty reasonable stats. He fits into any Green deck really, and that’s nice.
Seize the Spoils image 1.0 This is not an efficient way to dig deeper into your library, and while it also gives you a Treasure, you mostly should avoid playing this.
Sarulf's Packmate image 4.0 This is a great common. A 4-mana 3/3 that draws you a card is already a good card. It is going to give you a two-for-one almost every time, especially because the stats it has are actually passable for the mana cost. Then, you add foretold to the mix, which in this case lets you pay for the card in two separate installments, and you have a card that is super powerful for a common.
Warhorn Blast image 1.0 // 3.0 So, mass pump spells always have some decks they will be good in -- obviously, the ones that are going wide -- but they are pretty bad in less aggressive decks. This one does add Foretell to the mix -- this is one of the foretell cards where the total investment is the same whether you Foretell it or not, so if you have the extra mana it will definitely be worth doing, since only paying three for this the turn you play it is no small thing. Still, this kind of card is always kind of a build around. If you’re an aggro deck that is good at going wide, you’re going to want one copy of this pretty often. Even in those decks it is situational, but the situation is much more likely to arise in those decks.
Snow-Covered Mountain image 2.0 Red isn’t overflowing with snow payoffs, but this is still a snow land and those are quite useful in this format.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Infernal Pet
Barkchannel Pathway image 2.5 This all provide good fixing, but the Snow duals in the set are actually way better!
Spirit of the Aldergard image 4.0 This is a great card for decks that either interested in snow or fixing -- both of which seem to be what Green is interested in this format, so it has that going for it. Now, in terms of fixing, you will need to have picked up snow dual lands in the draft to really get the full value out of it as a “fixer” but that probably won’t be a huge problem if you’re going hard into the Snow deck. It does have kind of terrible stats on a base level, but it will often be a 2/4 or larger on turn 4, and that’s not a bad deal, and then in the late game it can become downright formidable. This is one of the best Uncommons in the set.
Gnottvold Slumbermound image 3.5 Blowing up lands in this format is bigger than normal because of snow lands and this cycle, and being able to make a 4/4 at instant speed is pretty nice too.
Frostpeak Yeti image 1.5 So, this is a Hill Giant that can become unblockable if you have some Snow mana. That certainly isn’t a good card, but if you are in a controlling Snow deck and you need a win condition well...you probably hope this isn’t it, but it can do the job if you need it to.
Infernal Pet image 2.0 You probably need to trigger this at least once to make it worth it, and since it starts out as an inefficient 3-mana 2/2, you may even want to trigger it twice before you feel okay about stuff. While that is certainly doable, I don’t really think this is going to be one of the key double spell payoffs that you need for the deck.
Smashing Success image 0.0 Land destruction spells are almost never worth it in Limited. This is because it often has a negligible effect on the game -- if you get it late it basically does nothing, if you get it early it might do something, but even then there is about a 50% chance that your opponent still won’t be bothered by it. And yeah, this one is an instant, can hit artifacts, and makes a treasure when it destroys artifacts, but you still shouldn’t play it.
Beskir Shieldmate image 3.0 This is a solid two-drop. A two mana 2/1 is far from ideal, but if you can trade with this and then get a token, you’re going to feel pretty good. Overall, this is a nice two drop that will pretty much always make the cut
Dread Rider image 1.0 This has some nice defensive stats and an activated ability that can close out games, but it tends to be too expensive and not powerful enough for even control decks to be interested in it.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Gods' Hall Guardian image 2.0 This is a Foretell card that doesn’t end up costing you extra mana in the end.. You still pay a total of six mana, but having the flexibility to pay that mana in installments -- two on one turn, 4 on another -- is nice. Plus, like most foretell cards, it lets you play something ahead of curve -- getting this down on turn 4 is pretty legit. Now, 6-mana for a 3/6 with Vigilance is far from impressive – but it is already borderline playable. It is a good defensive body that can also pressure the opponent a little bit.
Behold the Multiverse image 3.5 4-mana for instant speed Scry 2 and draw 2 cards is usually pretty close to being a first pickable card when we’ve seen it in the past. It just does a great job of letting you see tons of cards, and is the kind of thing you’ll want one of in basically every Blue deck. Adding Foretell to the mix makes it even better, especially because, in this case, you’re not paying extra mana -- you pay the same amount, just in two installments, and that’s just great. Fortell is a lot like Morph or Suspend, in that it adds nice flexibility to a card, and lets you do something with any excess mana you might have -- like if you don’t have a two drop in the early game, you can just Fortell this, and that feels really good.
Demon Bolt image 4.0 This is a very good common. So, even if you take Foretell out of the mix, we are talking about premium removal. 4-mana for 3 damage at instant speed always plays pretty well. It does enough damage that trading up with it is no problem. Adding Foretell to the mix is no joke either, as you can use it to really maximize the efficiency of your mana. Like, if you want to play a creature on a turn rather than play this, but you have two extra mana -- so you Foretell it, and only have to pay one Red for it the turn you cast it. So yeah, that upside is very real. This is Red’s best Common.
Broken Wings image 1.5 This card is very mainboardable in this format because it has lots of good targets. It still isn’t great or anything, though.
Snow-Covered Island image 2.5 Blue has some nice snow payoffs, and that means you should be valuing this Snow land over most average cards.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Icehide Troll
Provoke the Trolls image 2.5 4-mana to do 3 to anything is not an amazing deal, and it is definitely kept out of the “premium” tier of removal, but at least it can do it at instant speed. The additional upside here is that you can also use this as a combat trick, by targeting one of your own creatures to give it +5/+0. And, while that is certainly upside, it isn’t that much upside. First, you need the creature you target with it to survive, so that means it has at least 4 toughness. Second, if you’re using it to help you kill a blocking or attacking creature in combat, well -- you just 2-for-1’d yourself. Third, if you’re interested in using it to help you do lethal, it isn’t actually that much more damage than the card can do as a burn spell, since the 3 damage can just go after the opponent. So, yeah, on occasion you’ll use it for that stats boost -- but most of the time, this is just an okay removal spell.
Crush the Weak image 2.5 These types of cards always feel sort of awkward to me. That’s because you will far too frequently have a board state where it doesn’t help at all -- either because your opponents board is too big, or because your board is too small. It is nice that it adds some extra graveyard hate to the mix, and has Foretell, making paying for it a little more manageable. It fits really nicely into Giant decks, which are mostly larger creatures.
Rune of Sustenance image 2.5 I think the whole Rune cycle is pretty solid. The problem is often that Auras are risky because they 2-for-1 you -- but by adding a cantrip to all the cards in the Rune cycle, they made sure you won’t normally get 2-for-1’d. Now, you do have to be concerned about an opponent killing what you target in response, but as long as it resolves, you’ll be in the clear. It is also interesting you can put this on any permanent, so in a pinch -- like stuck on two lands in the early game, you can effectively cycle these by putting them on a land or something. Now, that isn’t ideal -- but having that in a moment of desperation is definitely upside. It only does something more than draw you a card if it is on a creature or an Equipment though, and lifelink is pretty nice on either of those things. It isn’t quite an evasive ability, but it is one that can really wreak havoc on races. It is also worth noting there are lots of Aura and Enchantment payoffs in this set, which is going to make it a bit better. I think this is a card you’ll play the first copy of in most White decks.
Axgard Braggart image 2.0 So, this card will never really be efficient. I mean, it starts as a 4-mana 3/3, and even if you boast with it, you’ll have spent 6 mana on a 4/4. However, efficiency isn’t everything. The fact is that this creature can grow throughout the game, and just the threat of using the ability will be enough for people not to block it when it attacks. Boast creatures a lot of the time will just end up feeling like situational mana sinks, and that’s not necessarily bad. The pseudo-vigilance it gains when it Boasts isn’t bad either.
Koma's Faithful image 2.0 This seems solid. A 3-mana 3/1 with lifelink isn’t a terrible rate -- trading for an X/3 and gaining 3 life in the process isn’t bad, and it comes with some additional upside. Now, the graveyard isn’t a huge theme in this set, but there is some synergy to be had there.
Berg Strider image 3.5 I always like this kind of creature that taps something down when it comes into play, but they are usually only at their best if they can lock the creature down for a turn too. Berg Strider won’t always do that, but it will do it often enough, and hey, at least it does something even if you don’t have the snow mana. It is also another snow payoff that doesn’t demand 10+ snow lands, you can run it with just a few. Tapping something down even without snow mana can often enable an attack you didn’t have otherwise, and tapping something down for a turn can really swing a race in your favor, since that creature won’t be blocking or attacking. This is certainly beefier than most of these tap-down creatures are too -- it has good enough stats to be imposing on some board states.
Tuskeri Firewalker image 3.0 A 3-mana 3/2 isn’t great, but its Boast effect is pretty nice. You really need to only be able to play somethin off of it once to feel good about the situation, since at that point, you’re getting a 2-for-1 in most cases. It even lets you pay lands if you exile one of them. The downside with this type of effect is often that you are unable to cast the spell you exile, and that’ll happen, but I think it’ll work out often enough that this seems pretty nice to me. Even if you just attack with it and it dies in combat, if you get a card out of the Boast, you’re doing just fine. I think this is a pretty good Red common.
Run Ashore image 1.5 Blue often gets an expensive spell that lets you bounce a couple of things, and it is always a decent card, and I think that’s what we’re looking at here. One nice thing here is that one of the permanents will go back to the top of an opponent’s library, which means that you are actually trading one-for-one with Run Ashore, instead of just getting some tempo. Speaking of tempo, you can often find situations where paying 6 mana results in bouncing more than 6 mana worth of stuff for your opponent, and that’s nice too. You can, of course, also use it on your own stuff if you can get benefits out of it, and that sometimes is the case. This can really help a Blue deck stabilize, or potentially end the game. Take note also that it is an instant -- lots of previous similar cards have been sorceries -- and that does open up the chance for some more significant blowouts. That said, it is super expensive and fairly situational, and not really something you can ever afford to play more than one of.
Annul image 0.0 This is a reprint, and it isn’t really one that is here to be played in Limited -- it is for constructed sideboards. It will be a rare thing in this format for people to have enough targets for this for it to be worth running, you might bring it out of your sideboard on occasion, but even then it doesn’t seem that likely to me. It is way better to have cards that destroy this type of permanent rather than counter them, because you can draw the removal after the fact and be okay. You have to have this in your hand at the exact right time for it to do something.
Icehide Troll image 3.0 This is a key common for Snow decks, as if you are able to pump this it becomes a pretty powerful threat. Because it asks for two snow that won’t work in every deck, but in the decks where the troll DOES work, it will be one of your best Commons.
Depart the Realm image 2.0 Two mana to bounce nonland permanents at Instant speed is usually fine. Bounce spells won’t always straight up trade for a card, but the tempo they give you can be worth it – and, sometimes you can get one of your opponent’s cards with this, if you bounce something that they are using a trick on or putting an Aura on. This has Foretell too, but I still don’t think it is much more than “fine”.
Duskwielder image 1.0 You’ll play this in really aggressive Black decks, but even then you’re kind of hoping you’ll get a better one drop than this! Overall, this is quickly outclassed on the board, and the Boast effect doesn’t do enough to help that.
Snow-Covered Plains image 2.0 This is the least valuable snow land because White doesn’t care much about Snow.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Glittering Frost
Saw It Coming image 2.5 This is the kind of card with Foretell that will undoubtedly have people saying “You’ve activated my trap card!” Because it is an instant, you can cast it directly from exile, and being able to do it for only two mana is pretty nice. Sure, your overall investment will have been 4 mana, which isn’t the best in terms of efficiency, but leaving up two mana for this is going to be far easier than leaving up 3. If you know me, I’m not usually a lover of counter magic in Limited, since you have to use it during a very specific window for it to actually do something, but I think this ends up being efficient enough in the end that it will be a counterspell you want to run a lot, especially in Foretell decks. It still has all the downsides counterspells have, but by decreasing the amount you pay to cast it from Foretell, that downside is drastically reduced.
Giant's Amulet image 3.0 This is something of a split card. You can play it early as just the Equipment, like if you desperately need to give Hexproof to something -- but most of the time you’ll want to wait until later, when it amounts to being a 5-mana ⅘ with Hexproof about half the time, and then it leaves Equipment behind. That said, this creature doesn’t come with evasion at all, and the actual Equipment boost is a little underwhelming.
Crush the Weak image 2.5 These types of cards always feel sort of awkward to me. That’s because you will far too frequently have a board state where it doesn’t help at all -- either because your opponents board is too big, or because your board is too small. It is nice that it adds some extra graveyard hate to the mix, and has Foretell, making paying for it a little more manageable. It fits really nicely into Giant decks, which are mostly larger creatures.
Goldmaw Champion image 3.0 This really helps aggro decks in the format run over the slow, plodding control decks. They often don't have very many creatures in play, and that drastically increases how powerful the Champions ability is. It just enables all kinds of attack you wouldn't have without it.
Littjara Kinseekers image 1.5 A 4-mana 2/4 isn’t very good. But, if you can trigger its ETB ability, you’re going to be pretty happy -- as a 4-mana ⅗ that scries one is a pretty good deal. Now, because it has Changeling, you will just need two other creatures with matching creature types to trigger it, and while that isn’t always going to be what your board looks like, I imagine that in the late game it won’t be that hard to trigger. The ideal thing to do would be to curve out with creatures with the same types, but that won’t always be doable. Still, this being a reasonable 4-mana 2/4 changeling in the early game, and a much more impressive card in the later part of the game makes me think this is a pretty solid common for Blue.
Glittering Frost image 2.5 This card is pretty important in the 4 and 5 color Snow decks, as it helps enable your mana while also giving you two snow permanents with a single card. It is pretty much useless in aggro decks, though.
Wings of the Cosmos image 1.0 This trick is mostly not worth playing. You can use it both offensively and defensively pretty effectively, and the fact it grants flying might mean sometimes it will also let you sneak in for lethal in the air. But -- a trick is a trick. It is situational, and its risky, and it doesn’t do a whole lot to make any of that less of a problem.
Dwarven Reinforcements image 2.0 Normally when you pay 4 mana for a couple of tokens, you expect a couple of 2/2s -- and that isn’t what you get here. However, Foretell does mean you can pay for this in two separate installments, which does help overcome that downside.
Annul image 0.0 This is a reprint, and it isn’t really one that is here to be played in Limited -- it is for constructed sideboards. It will be a rare thing in this format for people to have enough targets for this for it to be worth running, you might bring it out of your sideboard on occasion, but even then it doesn’t seem that likely to me. It is way better to have cards that destroy this type of permanent rather than counter them, because you can draw the removal after the fact and be okay. You have to have this in your hand at the exact right time for it to do something.
Arachnoform image 1.0 This set has a lot of nice Auras, but Arachnoform isn’t one of them. It doesn’t mitigate agains the 2-for-1, and the bonus it grants is not significant enough for me to be interested in taking a risk. +2/+2, reach, and changeling status just doesn’t do it for me.
Tormentor's Helm image 2.5 Like Run Amok, this is a great card for aggressive decks, as it gives an efficient stats boost and can even help you close out a game because of the inevitable damage every time you attack, but it isn’t really very good anywhere else.
Rimewood Falls image 3.0 Good Snow land. It gives you snow mana and fixing, and it is in colors that have some nice snow payoffs.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Ravenous Lindwurm
Gates of Istfell image 3.5 It is great having a land that can draw you some cards and gain you some life in the late game – most lands become useless at that point! But not this one.
Doomskar Titan image 3.5 He might cost 6 mana, but he’s going to add a whole lot of damage to the board often enough that he is well worth it! And, if you foretell him on an earlier turn where you have mana around to do it, he’ll come down a turn earlier! Now, the downside here, is that on his own, he can’t do a ton, but keep in mind, his ability affects him too -- he becomes a 5/4 with Haste, and that isn’t the worst fail case ever -- and how often will your board be empty anyway? He does need you to be really going at least somewhat wide to do his best work, but he will have an impact even if you just have a couple of creatures.
Dual Strike image 0.5 Copying a cheap spell with this will be easier than it is with most Fork effects because of Foretell – you can set this aside in the early game and then wait for the opportune moment to copy a spell, and you only need one Red left over. Now, this won’t be giving you super insane value or anything, but copying something like a removal spell or card draw spell will be pretty nice. Still, you need things to line up right and this often ends up being a dead card, so I don’t think you normally want to play it.
Jaspera Sentinel image 2.0 The fixing this offers is a big deal for the decks trying to play 3+ colors. It doesn’t have the greatest stats, and Reach isn’t very exciting, but the mana production here is nice.
Frost Bite image 3.5 So, at the base level, this is a shock that can’t hit players. 2 damage for one mana is pretty nice, as it is very likely to allow you to trade up, and because it is an instant, you can occasionally get some pretty amazing blowouts for a very low cost. Then, it is a Snow spell that is a Snow payoff, and if you have enough Snow going on and this does 3 damage, you’re really in business.
Raiders' Karve image 1.5 Crew 3 is kind of a lot for a 4/4 vehicle, but the fact that it will effectively ramp and draw you a card like 40% of the time does help make that look a little less ugly. If you can get the land off the top with this even once, you’re going to feel alright. That said, it isn’t exactly efficient, and I think you probably cut this a little more than you play it.
Icehide Troll image 3.0 This is a key common for Snow decks, as if you are able to pump this it becomes a pretty powerful threat. Because it asks for two snow that won’t work in every deck, but in the decks where the troll DOES work, it will be one of your best Commons.
Raise the Draugr image 2.0 Black always seems to get a common spell that lets you return creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and here is the Kaldheim version of that! Cards in the past with similar effects are basically always something you want to run a single copy of, because they give your deck some late game punch, and allow you to get extra uses out of the best creatures in your deck, which is pretty awesome. You don’t usually want more of this type of card because they are so useless early, but that first copy is something I always want. I think this one is particularly nice, because it is an instant -- we normally see this effect at Sorcery speed. And sure, it asks for a little bit of help to get going -- you really only want to play this if you are consistently getting the two creatures back, just getting one is not a great deal. But, with that in mind, I think your typical black deck in the format will have enough creatures that share creature types that this will get two things back by the mid to late game most of the time.
Village Rites image 1.0 This is a reprint, and not one that I thought was particularly good in Limited. For this type of card to really be something special, you need for there to be a significant sacrifice or token sub-theme, and neither seems to be an overwhelming focus of this set, though the Elf deck might do the best of taking advantage of this. It is nice that it is an instant, so you can sacrifice something after you declare a block, or in response to an opponent’s removal, but you’re basically still just doing the same sort of thing that Tormenting Voice does. Giving up two cards to get two back. And that’s not bad it just isn’t the kind of thing you will always have roomf or in your deck. Mostly, I think you’ll only play this if you’re short on playables.
Ravenous Lindwurm image 2.5 This is this format’s premier Common finisher. The efficient stats and life gain it grants you can turn around a lot of games, and if you’re in a mid-range or slow Green deck, you’ll be pretty happy with the Lindwurm.
Mistwalker image 3.5 This card will overperform for you. 3-mana 1/4s are usually already playable, but the Changeling status and the ability to pump power makes it so that Mistwalker can do a whole lot of stuff for a three drop. It counts for your Giant payoffs, blocks effectively, and can even attack pretty hard.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Mammoth Growth
The World Tree image 3.5 This gives you great fixing, and that’s hard to say no to in this format.
Provoke the Trolls image 2.5 4-mana to do 3 to anything is not an amazing deal, and it is definitely kept out of the “premium” tier of removal, but at least it can do it at instant speed. The additional upside here is that you can also use this as a combat trick, by targeting one of your own creatures to give it +5/+0. And, while that is certainly upside, it isn’t that much upside. First, you need the creature you target with it to survive, so that means it has at least 4 toughness. Second, if you’re using it to help you kill a blocking or attacking creature in combat, well -- you just 2-for-1’d yourself. Third, if you’re interested in using it to help you do lethal, it isn’t actually that much more damage than the card can do as a burn spell, since the 3 damage can just go after the opponent. So, yeah, on occasion you’ll use it for that stats boost -- but most of the time, this is just an okay removal spell.
Brinebarrow Intruder image 1.0 This doesn’t seem especially good. It is easy to imagine situations where you flash it in and killed a 3/1 or something, but it is mostly too situational to be worth playing. That decrease to power just doesn’t do enough often enough. You mostly won’t play this.
Guardian Gladewalker image 2.5 So, we see versions of this card all the time -- and they are always pretty nice commons for Green. The +1/+1 counter ETB trigger makes it so that it is relevant all game long -- often times a single counter is enough to enable attacks you just didn’t have before. And, you know, sometimes, this is just a two-mana 2/2, like in the early game. Adding changeling to the mix is significant upside on an already pretty good Green common.
Funeral Longboat image 1.5 This is a decent vehicle. Crew 1 is just so easy to do, that this is going to just feel like a two mana 3/3 with Vigilance some of the time. And, the fact it is so easy to crew AND has vigilance, means your opponent also has to take into account while attacking you.
Dwarven Reinforcements image 2.0 Normally when you pay 4 mana for a couple of tokens, you expect a couple of 2/2s -- and that isn’t what you get here. However, Foretell does mean you can pay for this in two separate installments, which does help overcome that downside.
Revitalize image 0.5 This is an underwhelming reprint. A cantrip that gains you life isn’t bad, it is just one of those cards that will be the last card cut from your deck most of the time. Especially because this set doesn’t seem to have a strong life gain theme.
Sculptor of Winter image 3.0 A two-mana 2/2 is passable. Additionally, the fact it can untap snow lands is pretty nice too, since it will allow you to ramp, and produce two snow mana off of one snow land, which matters for many cards in this set.
Undersea Invader image 1.0 One of the great things about flash is being able to ambush block, and you won't be doing that here because it enters tapped. It might be a giant, but it is mostly just an inefficient creature. If it wasn't a Giant you probably wouldn't play it all.
Mammoth Growth image 1.5 This is a decent trick. Paying the three mana up front isn’t the greatest deal, but the stats boost it gives is enough that it can help almost any creature win combat. The downside is the massive tempo hit you can take if your opponent can do something in response, so like with all tricks, be as careful as you can with this. Adding foretell to the mix does help reduce the downside a little bit -- since you only pay one Green mana the turn you actually use it, and you probably decided to Foretell it on a turn when you couldn’t do anything with your mana anyway, so if you do get blown out the tempo won’t be so bad.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Grizzled Outrider
Withercrown image 1.0 So, I have a hard time ever calling removal “premium” if it still allows whatever you put it on to block, and this does have that problem. This is also weakened by the presence of Good Auras, +1/+1 Counters, and Equipment, since those all mean that the creature still won’t have 0 power. It doesn’t hurt that this makes your opponent lose life every turn or sacrifice the creature, at which point, you do actually get the blocker out of the way. That said, most of the time, you’ll probably play this and your opponent will just use the creature to block and die, as it allows them to get something out of the weakened creature. You generally only play this if you didn’t get better removal spells.
Snakeskin Veil image 1.5 This is a decent combat trick. It doesn’t give the biggest boost ever, even for one mana. Basically with tricks, you’re looking for the ones that can do the best job of helping your creature win combat, and you want to do it as efficiently as possible. One usually expects at least a +2/+2 boost from a one mana trick, and this doesn’t deliver there. However, it does grant a creature hexproof, and that means that it also has utility outside of combat -- plus, the boost it gives is permanent, so it isn’t SUPER far away from +2/+2.
Draugr Thought-Thief image 1.5 If you’re going to be a 3-mana 3/2, you probably need to have something going on that makes those inefficient stats worth it -- and I don’t really see that here. You get some very minor card selection, and an effect that might help you put something in your graveyard. Or, alternatively, something that lets you control your opponent’s next draw a little bit, but neither of those things is that great. It is kind of equivalent to Scry 1, but in most ways, it isn’t as good as Scry 1. You will certainly play this sometimes, but you’ll also cut it a fair bit.
Grizzled Outrider image 1.5 5-mana for a 5/5 is kind of alright. And that’s all there is to say about that.
Invoke the Divine image 1.5 This set has enough good artifacts and Enchantments that this ends up having a reasonable number of targets, making it an okay thing to run in your main deck.
Pilfering Hawk image 2.0 This is a snow creature that can loot for a single snow mana, and that seems pretty alright to me! Looting is always a solid effect in Limited, as it lets you drastically improve your card quality over the course of the game. On top of that, It is evasive, which means it can chip in some damage early, and it of course will be well-positioned in any deck that cares about Snow. I think this is a solid card.
Vault Robber image 1.0 This is something you mostly won’t play. You could do worse if you are desperate for fixing, but the fact he is reliant on stuff in the graveyard to make Treasure can be rough, and his stats aren’t very good.
Tormentor's Helm image 2.5 Like Run Amok, this is a great card for aggressive decks, as it gives an efficient stats boost and can even help you close out a game because of the inevitable damage every time you attack, but it isn’t really very good anywhere else.
Snow-Covered Forest image 2.5 Green has some nice snow payoffs, and that means you should be valuing this Snow land over most average cards.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Glittering Frost
Fearless Liberator image 3.0 I like that this creature populates the board with its Boast ability. Now, it doesn’t do it efficiently, and frequently this 2/1 is going to die when it attacks, but having the option when it attacks to make a token is definitely not a bad thing. Also another great place to put equipment, +1/+1 counters, and Auras. If this attacks more than once, it will go a long way towards improving your chance of winning.
Shackles of Treachery image 0.5 Even in the most aggressive of decks, this card tends to be too situational to be worthwhile, and there isn’t enough of a sacrifice theme in this set to really abuse it.
Glittering Frost image 2.5 This card is pretty important in the 4 and 5 color Snow decks, as it helps enable your mana while also giving you two snow permanents with a single card. It is pretty much useless in aggro decks, though.
Master Skald image 2.0 5-mana for a 4/4 that returns an artifact or enchantment is not a bad deal. And sure, you also need a creature in your graveyard to make it happen, but by turn 5 that won’t normally be an issue. There are lots of good Artifacts and Enchantments in this set, but the Skald is at his best with Sagas, since they are designed to eventually go to your graveyard in the first place. If you have at least one Saga, playing a Master Skald is usually a pretty good idea.
Priest of the Haunted Edge image 1.0 // 3.0 This is a snow payoff that DEMANDS you have a bunch of snow lands, and you won’t always have enough to make the Priest work. You probably need 7+ snow lands to do it. However, once you do, this becomes a reasonable early blocker than is a removal spell later on, and it is something you can get back from your graveyard fairly easily. It is not very good in other decks in the format, though.
Raise the Draugr image 2.0 Black always seems to get a common spell that lets you return creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and here is the Kaldheim version of that! Cards in the past with similar effects are basically always something you want to run a single copy of, because they give your deck some late game punch, and allow you to get extra uses out of the best creatures in your deck, which is pretty awesome. You don’t usually want more of this type of card because they are so useless early, but that first copy is something I always want. I think this one is particularly nice, because it is an instant -- we normally see this effect at Sorcery speed. And sure, it asks for a little bit of help to get going -- you really only want to play this if you are consistently getting the two creatures back, just getting one is not a great deal. But, with that in mind, I think your typical black deck in the format will have enough creatures that share creature types that this will get two things back by the mid to late game most of the time.
Frostpeak Yeti image 1.5 So, this is a Hill Giant that can become unblockable if you have some Snow mana. That certainly isn’t a good card, but if you are in a controlling Snow deck and you need a win condition well...you probably hope this isn’t it, but it can do the job if you need it to.
Volatile Fjord image 3.5 This is a Snow land to value fairly highly. It gives you snow mana and fixing, and it is in colors that have some nice snow payoffs at lower rarities.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Guardian Gladewalker
Invoke the Divine image 1.5 This set has enough good artifacts and Enchantments that this ends up having a reasonable number of targets, making it an okay thing to run in your main deck.
Immersturm Raider image 1.5 We see this card a lot -- I mean, Fissure Wizard in Zendikar Rising is basically the same. It is a solid card, gives you some card selection -- which can even make it matter in the late game, and all of that makes it so that it can overcome the downside of its mediocre stats.
Demonic Gifts image 1.5 This type of trick is usually alright. The stats boost is enough to make your creature take down larger creatures in combat, and it doesn’t really have to “win” the combat, since the Gifts will bring your creature right back if it dies. This can get especially nasty if your creature has an ETB ability. It also doesn’t hurt that it does something against most removal too. It is still a trick, and the situational nature of them keeps most of them from ever being especially good.
Guardian Gladewalker image 2.5 So, we see versions of this card all the time -- and they are always pretty nice commons for Green. The +1/+1 counter ETB trigger makes it so that it is relevant all game long -- often times a single counter is enough to enable attacks you just didn’t have before. And, you know, sometimes, this is just a two-mana 2/2, like in the early game. Adding changeling to the mix is significant upside on an already pretty good Green common.
Depart the Realm image 2.0 Two mana to bounce nonland permanents at Instant speed is usually fine. Bounce spells won’t always straight up trade for a card, but the tempo they give you can be worth it – and, sometimes you can get one of your opponent’s cards with this, if you bounce something that they are using a trick on or putting an Aura on. This has Foretell too, but I still don’t think it is much more than “fine”.
Seize the Spoils image 1.0 This is not an efficient way to dig deeper into your library, and while it also gives you a Treasure, you mostly should avoid playing this.
Snow-Covered Mountain image 2.0 Red isn’t overflowing with snow payoffs, but this is still a snow land and those are quite useful in this format.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Gnottvold Slumbermound
Gnottvold Slumbermound image 3.5 Blowing up lands in this format is bigger than normal because of snow lands and this cycle, and being able to make a 4/4 at instant speed is pretty nice too.
Frostpeak Yeti image 1.5 So, this is a Hill Giant that can become unblockable if you have some Snow mana. That certainly isn’t a good card, but if you are in a controlling Snow deck and you need a win condition well...you probably hope this isn’t it, but it can do the job if you need it to.
Smashing Success image 0.0 Land destruction spells are almost never worth it in Limited. This is because it often has a negligible effect on the game -- if you get it late it basically does nothing, if you get it early it might do something, but even then there is about a 50% chance that your opponent still won’t be bothered by it. And yeah, this one is an instant, can hit artifacts, and makes a treasure when it destroys artifacts, but you still shouldn’t play it.
Dread Rider image 1.0 This has some nice defensive stats and an activated ability that can close out games, but it tends to be too expensive and not powerful enough for even control decks to be interested in it.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Broken Wings image 1.5 This card is very mainboardable in this format because it has lots of good targets. It still isn’t great or anything, though.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Crush the Weak
Provoke the Trolls image 2.5 4-mana to do 3 to anything is not an amazing deal, and it is definitely kept out of the “premium” tier of removal, but at least it can do it at instant speed. The additional upside here is that you can also use this as a combat trick, by targeting one of your own creatures to give it +5/+0. And, while that is certainly upside, it isn’t that much upside. First, you need the creature you target with it to survive, so that means it has at least 4 toughness. Second, if you’re using it to help you kill a blocking or attacking creature in combat, well -- you just 2-for-1’d yourself. Third, if you’re interested in using it to help you do lethal, it isn’t actually that much more damage than the card can do as a burn spell, since the 3 damage can just go after the opponent. So, yeah, on occasion you’ll use it for that stats boost -- but most of the time, this is just an okay removal spell.
Crush the Weak image 2.5 These types of cards always feel sort of awkward to me. That’s because you will far too frequently have a board state where it doesn’t help at all -- either because your opponents board is too big, or because your board is too small. It is nice that it adds some extra graveyard hate to the mix, and has Foretell, making paying for it a little more manageable. It fits really nicely into Giant decks, which are mostly larger creatures.
Axgard Braggart image 2.0 So, this card will never really be efficient. I mean, it starts as a 4-mana 3/3, and even if you boast with it, you’ll have spent 6 mana on a 4/4. However, efficiency isn’t everything. The fact is that this creature can grow throughout the game, and just the threat of using the ability will be enough for people not to block it when it attacks. Boast creatures a lot of the time will just end up feeling like situational mana sinks, and that’s not necessarily bad. The pseudo-vigilance it gains when it Boasts isn’t bad either.
Run Ashore image 1.5 Blue often gets an expensive spell that lets you bounce a couple of things, and it is always a decent card, and I think that’s what we’re looking at here. One nice thing here is that one of the permanents will go back to the top of an opponent’s library, which means that you are actually trading one-for-one with Run Ashore, instead of just getting some tempo. Speaking of tempo, you can often find situations where paying 6 mana results in bouncing more than 6 mana worth of stuff for your opponent, and that’s nice too. You can, of course, also use it on your own stuff if you can get benefits out of it, and that sometimes is the case. This can really help a Blue deck stabilize, or potentially end the game. Take note also that it is an instant -- lots of previous similar cards have been sorceries -- and that does open up the chance for some more significant blowouts. That said, it is super expensive and fairly situational, and not really something you can ever afford to play more than one of.
Annul image 0.0 This is a reprint, and it isn’t really one that is here to be played in Limited -- it is for constructed sideboards. It will be a rare thing in this format for people to have enough targets for this for it to be worth running, you might bring it out of your sideboard on occasion, but even then it doesn’t seem that likely to me. It is way better to have cards that destroy this type of permanent rather than counter them, because you can draw the removal after the fact and be okay. You have to have this in your hand at the exact right time for it to do something.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Arachnoform
Saw It Coming image 2.5 This is the kind of card with Foretell that will undoubtedly have people saying “You’ve activated my trap card!” Because it is an instant, you can cast it directly from exile, and being able to do it for only two mana is pretty nice. Sure, your overall investment will have been 4 mana, which isn’t the best in terms of efficiency, but leaving up two mana for this is going to be far easier than leaving up 3. If you know me, I’m not usually a lover of counter magic in Limited, since you have to use it during a very specific window for it to actually do something, but I think this ends up being efficient enough in the end that it will be a counterspell you want to run a lot, especially in Foretell decks. It still has all the downsides counterspells have, but by decreasing the amount you pay to cast it from Foretell, that downside is drastically reduced.
Littjara Kinseekers image 1.5 A 4-mana 2/4 isn’t very good. But, if you can trigger its ETB ability, you’re going to be pretty happy -- as a 4-mana ⅗ that scries one is a pretty good deal. Now, because it has Changeling, you will just need two other creatures with matching creature types to trigger it, and while that isn’t always going to be what your board looks like, I imagine that in the late game it won’t be that hard to trigger. The ideal thing to do would be to curve out with creatures with the same types, but that won’t always be doable. Still, this being a reasonable 4-mana 2/4 changeling in the early game, and a much more impressive card in the later part of the game makes me think this is a pretty solid common for Blue.
Annul image 0.0 This is a reprint, and it isn’t really one that is here to be played in Limited -- it is for constructed sideboards. It will be a rare thing in this format for people to have enough targets for this for it to be worth running, you might bring it out of your sideboard on occasion, but even then it doesn’t seem that likely to me. It is way better to have cards that destroy this type of permanent rather than counter them, because you can draw the removal after the fact and be okay. You have to have this in your hand at the exact right time for it to do something.
Arachnoform image 1.0 This set has a lot of nice Auras, but Arachnoform isn’t one of them. It doesn’t mitigate agains the 2-for-1, and the bonus it grants is not significant enough for me to be interested in taking a risk. +2/+2, reach, and changeling status just doesn’t do it for me.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Doomskar Titan
Gates of Istfell image 3.5 It is great having a land that can draw you some cards and gain you some life in the late game – most lands become useless at that point! But not this one.
Doomskar Titan image 3.5 He might cost 6 mana, but he’s going to add a whole lot of damage to the board often enough that he is well worth it! And, if you foretell him on an earlier turn where you have mana around to do it, he’ll come down a turn earlier! Now, the downside here, is that on his own, he can’t do a ton, but keep in mind, his ability affects him too -- he becomes a 5/4 with Haste, and that isn’t the worst fail case ever -- and how often will your board be empty anyway? He does need you to be really going at least somewhat wide to do his best work, but he will have an impact even if you just have a couple of creatures.
Dual Strike image 0.5 Copying a cheap spell with this will be easier than it is with most Fork effects because of Foretell – you can set this aside in the early game and then wait for the opportune moment to copy a spell, and you only need one Red left over. Now, this won’t be giving you super insane value or anything, but copying something like a removal spell or card draw spell will be pretty nice. Still, you need things to line up right and this often ends up being a dead card, so I don’t think you normally want to play it.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Undersea Invader
Brinebarrow Intruder image 1.0 This doesn’t seem especially good. It is easy to imagine situations where you flash it in and killed a 3/1 or something, but it is mostly too situational to be worth playing. That decrease to power just doesn’t do enough often enough. You mostly won’t play this.
Undersea Invader image 1.0 One of the great things about flash is being able to ambush block, and you won't be doing that here because it enters tapped. It might be a giant, but it is mostly just an inefficient creature. If it wasn't a Giant you probably wouldn't play it all.
Pack 2 Pick 15: Draugr Thought-Thief
Draugr Thought-Thief image 1.5 If you’re going to be a 3-mana 3/2, you probably need to have something going on that makes those inefficient stats worth it -- and I don’t really see that here. You get some very minor card selection, and an effect that might help you put something in your graveyard. Or, alternatively, something that lets you control your opponent’s next draw a little bit, but neither of those things is that great. It is kind of equivalent to Scry 1, but in most ways, it isn’t as good as Scry 1. You will certainly play this sometimes, but you’ll also cut it a fair bit.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Bloodsky Berserker
Realmwalker image 3.5 So, this 3-mana ⅔ comes with some very significant upside. First, it can be whatever creature type you need it to be. But where it really gets sweet is when you get to cast stuff off the top of your library -- something that is very significant card advantage. Now, I would guess that on average you’ll get like one free card out of that, but that’s a great deal -- and sometimes it might take over games. You do have to be smart when naming creature types, but many decks in this format will have lots of creatures that share a type, so it won’t be that difficult to make it happen. Plus, changelings will be really great with this.
Bloodsky Berserker image 3.5 Just triggering the ability once will be enough to feel like your investment was worth it, and if you do it more than that, this Berserker will get silly in a hurry. You won’t always be able to double spell, but you’ll be able to often enough that this is a very real threat, despite only being a two drop. I mean, if on turn four you play this and another two drop, that’s a pretty darn good turn four, even if you won’t get to take advantage of the menace side of things. This card, like a lot of BW cards in this set, incentivizes having a low curve and/or a lot of Foretell. Now, he does start out very vulnerable, and there will be times where you can’t get him going, or he dies to a one-mana removal spell -- but that’s fine.
The Three Seasons image 1.0 This has not been very good. It seems like it might be an okay snow payoff, but it turns out that getting the most out of Chapter II is difficult, and that’s not great news when Chapter I has no immediate impact on the board. Then, Chapter III is kind of a bummer, because you have to give your opponent back some cards. Now, you can choose their worst ones and all that, but I’ve seen that side of the card backfire a lot.
Fearless Liberator image 3.0 I like that this creature populates the board with its Boast ability. Now, it doesn’t do it efficiently, and frequently this 2/1 is going to die when it attacks, but having the option when it attacks to make a token is definitely not a bad thing. Also another great place to put equipment, +1/+1 counters, and Auras. If this attacks more than once, it will go a long way towards improving your chance of winning.
Grim Draugr image 2.0 This is fine. It has alright stats and it can gain some evasion in the later part of the game, giving it continued relevance.
Arachnoform image 1.0 This set has a lot of nice Auras, but Arachnoform isn’t one of them. It doesn’t mitigate agains the 2-for-1, and the bonus it grants is not significant enough for me to be interested in taking a risk. +2/+2, reach, and changeling status just doesn’t do it for me.
Disdainful Stroke image 1.0 This is a card we’ve seen a lot of, and generally I don’t like running it. It is super weird in this format too, because you’ll go up against aggro decks who have 0-2 targets for this, and against snow decks who will have like 7+. I think that really means you have to start it in your sideboard, since it will be so bad against a big part of the metagame.
Behold the Multiverse image 3.5 4-mana for instant speed Scry 2 and draw 2 cards is usually pretty close to being a first pickable card when we’ve seen it in the past. It just does a great job of letting you see tons of cards, and is the kind of thing you’ll want one of in basically every Blue deck. Adding Foretell to the mix makes it even better, especially because, in this case, you’re not paying extra mana -- you pay the same amount, just in two installments, and that’s just great. Fortell is a lot like Morph or Suspend, in that it adds nice flexibility to a card, and lets you do something with any excess mana you might have -- like if you don’t have a two drop in the early game, you can just Fortell this, and that feels really good.
Dread Rider image 1.0 This has some nice defensive stats and an activated ability that can close out games, but it tends to be too expensive and not powerful enough for even control decks to be interested in it.
Valor of the Worthy image 2.0 I often complain about Auras that don’t give a good boost for the mana cost, as well as auras that don’t give you value to help a 2-for-1 not feel so bad. This does kind of okay on both of those fronts, but not super well on either. The efficiency here is pretty nice when you look at the whole package - one mana for a +1/+1 Aura and a 1/1 flyer if things go wrong, but I’m still not sure I like the risk of putting this on something. +1/+1 can have an impact, but it isn’t ultra likely to be game changing, and while you only spend a single White mana, you still have some risk here, as the 1/1 you get is probably worse than whatever you put it on.
Berg Strider image 3.5 I always like this kind of creature that taps something down when it comes into play, but they are usually only at their best if they can lock the creature down for a turn too. Berg Strider won’t always do that, but it will do it often enough, and hey, at least it does something even if you don’t have the snow mana. It is also another snow payoff that doesn’t demand 10+ snow lands, you can run it with just a few. Tapping something down even without snow mana can often enable an attack you didn’t have otherwise, and tapping something down for a turn can really swing a race in your favor, since that creature won’t be blocking or attacking. This is certainly beefier than most of these tap-down creatures are too -- it has good enough stats to be imposing on some board states.
Iron Verdict image 2.5 This is another “Trap card” with foretell. So, in the past, 3-mana cards that do 5-damage to attacking creatures have been solid -- and this can actually work on any tapped creature, not just attacking ones. This is better than most of the other cards like that we’ve seen because of Foretell too. Being able to put this aside and use it for a single white mana later on in the game is great -- and this type of effect is situational, so putting it aside for awhile until you need it is going to work out pretty well. Now, I still don’t think this is quite “premium” removal -- you still are paying a total of 3 mana for the effect, and it is still pretty situational. But it is a nice White common.
Goldvein Pick image 3.0 This card is super good in this format. There are lots of good creatures to equip and the fixing it gives is great. While it is definitely better in more aggressive decks, it can work in any deck with a reasonable number of creatures, and that means you can value it pretty highly.
Vault Robber image 1.0 This is something you mostly won’t play. You could do worse if you are desperate for fixing, but the fact he is reliant on stuff in the graveyard to make Treasure can be rough, and his stats aren’t very good.
Snow-Covered Swamp image 2.5 Black has some nice snow payoffs, so you should value this over most average cards.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Infernal Pet
Battle of Frost and Fire image 4.5 Chances are good that if you’re in UR, you’ve got a decent number of giants, so Chapter 1 will almost always hurt your opponent more than it hurts you. Chapter II doesn’t have quite the impact on the board, but Scry 3 can really help you set up optimal draws -- and that’s especially useful because chapter 3 lets you draw two cards and discard one if you play something that has a CMC of 5 or greater -- which is pretty likely after you Scry 3. I like that this Saga has its big game-changing chapter as chapter one, instead of chapter three like most of them. And yeah, sometimes, your opponent will be a giant deck too and it won’t be so good, but most of the time? This is going to be really great for the player who casts it.
Valkyrie's Sword image 3.0 This is part of a whole cycle of Equipment that lets you pay mana to make a creature for the Equipment to attach to. Overall here, you pay 7 mana to get a 6/5 with flying and Vigilance, which is an alright deal -- thought not a stellar one. But if you look at this as a 7-drop creature with a bunch of additional upside and flexibility, it does get a little better. Afterall, you can play it early if you need to -- though the cost of playing it and equipping it isn’t very pretty. I think ideally, you hold on to this until you can pay the extra mana, and then you get that large Angel who happens to leave behind some Equipment. It is really expensive to play this, but it does not seem like a bad top curve to me.
Niko Defies Destiny image 1.0 This has been challenging to make work, simply because even with all the Foretell in the format, it is difficult to always benefit from the first two chapters on the card. When you can, it feels good, but this card is too inconsistent for me to want to play it in most decks.
Dwarven Hammer image 3.5 So, if you cast this and pay for the Dwarf, you’re going to get a 5-mana 5/1 with Trample. That is...not the most exciting thing in the world. However, like with this whole cycle, if we look at these as effectively being creatures who leave inefficient Equipment behind, it looks much better. Once that Dwarf does die, the Hammer can make any creature you have into a threat, and that’s pretty awesome.
Frostpeak Yeti image 1.5 So, this is a Hill Giant that can become unblockable if you have some Snow mana. That certainly isn’t a good card, but if you are in a controlling Snow deck and you need a win condition well...you probably hope this isn’t it, but it can do the job if you need it to.
Smashing Success image 0.0 Land destruction spells are almost never worth it in Limited. This is because it often has a negligible effect on the game -- if you get it late it basically does nothing, if you get it early it might do something, but even then there is about a 50% chance that your opponent still won’t be bothered by it. And yeah, this one is an instant, can hit artifacts, and makes a treasure when it destroys artifacts, but you still shouldn’t play it.
Codespell Cleric image 1.0 // 2.5 So, since this is one mana, casting it as your second spell in a turn won’t be super challenging, especially in a format with Foretell. I mean, in the late game it will be a little harder, like if you’re in top deck mode, but in the early and mid-game it will just happen. For this to be worth it, it does need to be making that +1/+1 counter a significant chunk of the time, and it can do that in aggro decks. Like Battlefield Raptor, it is much better in aggressive decks than it is elsewhere.
Karfell Kennel-Master image 2.5 This has been solid top-curve in Black decks. It often comes down and enables 1-2 attacks that you just couldn’t have done before, and a 4/4 body is pretty good in this format.
Horizon Seeker image 3.0 This card enables splashes, makes it easier to find your snow mana, and has pretty reasonable stats. He fits into any Green deck really, and that’s nice.
Infernal Pet image 2.0 You probably need to trigger this at least once to make it worth it, and since it starts out as an inefficient 3-mana 2/2, you may even want to trigger it twice before you feel okay about stuff. While that is certainly doable, I don’t really think this is going to be one of the key double spell payoffs that you need for the deck.
Run Amok image 2.5 This is a key card for aggro decks in this format. If you’re going hard in that direction, this becomes a pretty high pick. It often lets you run over an opposing creature and do opposing damage, and can result in lethal out of nowhere. It isn’t especially good in other decks, though.
Withercrown image 1.0 So, I have a hard time ever calling removal “premium” if it still allows whatever you put it on to block, and this does have that problem. This is also weakened by the presence of Good Auras, +1/+1 Counters, and Equipment, since those all mean that the creature still won’t have 0 power. It doesn’t hurt that this makes your opponent lose life every turn or sacrifice the creature, at which point, you do actually get the blocker out of the way. That said, most of the time, you’ll probably play this and your opponent will just use the creature to block and die, as it allows them to get something out of the weakened creature. You generally only play this if you didn’t get better removal spells.
Brinebarrow Intruder image 1.0 This doesn’t seem especially good. It is easy to imagine situations where you flash it in and killed a 3/1 or something, but it is mostly too situational to be worth playing. That decrease to power just doesn’t do enough often enough. You mostly won’t play this.
Snow-Covered Swamp image 2.5 Black has some nice snow payoffs, so you should value this over most average cards.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Guardian Gladewalker
Port of Karfell image 3.5 Reanimating something in the late game is a huge deal, and if you have a powerful creature in play and you have Karfell Port around too, your opponent is going to be in a lot of trouble. Now, sure, 6 mana to reanimate something isn’t the most efficient thing ever -- but that’s fine, since it is really just here as a late-game effect on one of your lands.
Rune of Flight image 3.0 The Runes are all nice, and I think this one may be the best of the bunch. The cycle overcomes the downside of Auras by having cantrips attached to the effect, so getting 2-for-1’d is much less likely. We’ve seen two mana Auras that grant flying and cantrip in other sets, and they have been at around a C – and this is strictly better than that. For one thing, it can also go on Equipment, which will sometimes be the right thing to do, since being able to move Flying around is a big deal. For another thing, in a really dire situation, you can actually attach this to a land to draw the card – like if you’re stuck on two mana and in trouble. Like I said, I think this is the best Rune of the cycle – Flying is just so much better than the other key words.
Doomskar Titan image 3.5 He might cost 6 mana, but he’s going to add a whole lot of damage to the board often enough that he is well worth it! And, if you foretell him on an earlier turn where you have mana around to do it, he’ll come down a turn earlier! Now, the downside here, is that on his own, he can’t do a ton, but keep in mind, his ability affects him too -- he becomes a 5/4 with Haste, and that isn’t the worst fail case ever -- and how often will your board be empty anyway? He does need you to be really going at least somewhat wide to do his best work, but he will have an impact even if you just have a couple of creatures.
Hagi Mob image 1.5 This seems alright. A 5-mana 5/4 isn’t great, but it isn’t abysmal either -- and its Boast ability is fine. Doing 1 damage to a creature is the ideal scenario, but if you can use it to make blocking harder for your opponent, or to ping your opponent because they are close to dead, that works too. It isn’t super efficient at any of the stuff it does, and it isn’t very exciting, but it seems like an alright top curve card for Red decks.
Augury Raven image 3.0 A 4-mana 3/3 flyer is a great rate in Limited, and this little Common has more upside than that! Because of Foretell, you can spread the cost of the card across two different payments, and while it won’t always make sense to do that -- there will be times where it helps you be really efficient with your mana, like if you want to play a 3-drop and foretell this instead of casting it that turn, or if you have nothing to do on turn two or three, foretelling this lets you pay less mana for it on a later turn.
Guardian Gladewalker image 2.5 So, we see versions of this card all the time -- and they are always pretty nice commons for Green. The +1/+1 counter ETB trigger makes it so that it is relevant all game long -- often times a single counter is enough to enable attacks you just didn’t have before. And, you know, sometimes, this is just a two-mana 2/2, like in the early game. Adding changeling to the mix is significant upside on an already pretty good Green common.
Annul image 0.0 This is a reprint, and it isn’t really one that is here to be played in Limited -- it is for constructed sideboards. It will be a rare thing in this format for people to have enough targets for this for it to be worth running, you might bring it out of your sideboard on occasion, but even then it doesn’t seem that likely to me. It is way better to have cards that destroy this type of permanent rather than counter them, because you can draw the removal after the fact and be okay. You have to have this in your hand at the exact right time for it to do something.
Stalwart Valkyrie image 3.0 So, a 4-mana 3/2 with Flying is already a kind of ok card in Limited. So, if you’re paying two for this consistently, that’s going to be pretty nice. Especially because as we’ve seen, BW is interested in casting multiple spells in a turn, and this also helps on that front. Now, using the alternate cost won’t come up a ton in the early game, but it is worth noting that if you trade your 2/2 for theirs, you’re probably going to get more value out of that trade than they will thanks to your Valkyrie. But yeah, from the mid-game on, the alternate casting cost here will become increasingly easy to accomplish, and on a lot of boards a 3/2 with Flying is always relevant.
Berg Strider image 3.5 I always like this kind of creature that taps something down when it comes into play, but they are usually only at their best if they can lock the creature down for a turn too. Berg Strider won’t always do that, but it will do it often enough, and hey, at least it does something even if you don’t have the snow mana. It is also another snow payoff that doesn’t demand 10+ snow lands, you can run it with just a few. Tapping something down even without snow mana can often enable an attack you didn’t have otherwise, and tapping something down for a turn can really swing a race in your favor, since that creature won’t be blocking or attacking. This is certainly beefier than most of these tap-down creatures are too -- it has good enough stats to be imposing on some board states.
Horizon Seeker image 3.0 This card enables splashes, makes it easier to find your snow mana, and has pretty reasonable stats. He fits into any Green deck really, and that’s nice.
Jaspera Sentinel image 2.0 The fixing this offers is a big deal for the decks trying to play 3+ colors. It doesn’t have the greatest stats, and Reach isn’t very exciting, but the mana production here is nice.
Deathknell Berserker image 2.0 There are a decent number of ways in this format to get the Berserker to 3 power, so he makes that 2/2 Zombie way more often than you might think! And when he does that, he feels quite good. That’s nice upside to have on an already okay creature stats-wise.
Invoke the Divine image 1.5 This set has enough good artifacts and Enchantments that this ends up having a reasonable number of targets, making it an okay thing to run in your main deck.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Scorn Effigy
Narfi, Betrayer King image 4.0 In most UB decks, Narfi will likely be able to pump at least half of your creatures, and that’s more than enough for Narfi to be pretty powerful. His recursion ability won’t always be something you can use, but the good news is that he is going to be nice to bring back even in the late game, and you can do it over and over. Note, by the way, that you can do it at instant speed, and you may be able to take advantage of that to really surprise your opponent with the additional stats boost for your creatures.
Hailstorm Valkyrie image 2.0 A 4-mana 2/2 with flying and trample is not good. By adding the ability to pump snow mana into this, you get something that is certainly better. Oftentimes your opponent will just have to take a hit from this because of the threat of activation of that ability. That said, being able to do it more than once in this format is far from a forgone conclusion, and because it has such a bad baseline, the upside doesn’t do enough to make it a whole lot better.
Rune of Flight image 3.0 The Runes are all nice, and I think this one may be the best of the bunch. The cycle overcomes the downside of Auras by having cantrips attached to the effect, so getting 2-for-1’d is much less likely. We’ve seen two mana Auras that grant flying and cantrip in other sets, and they have been at around a C – and this is strictly better than that. For one thing, it can also go on Equipment, which will sometimes be the right thing to do, since being able to move Flying around is a big deal. For another thing, in a really dire situation, you can actually attach this to a land to draw the card – like if you’re stuck on two mana and in trouble. Like I said, I think this is the best Rune of the cycle – Flying is just so much better than the other key words.
Draugr Recruiter image 1.5 So, this is definitely a Boast ability that is all about the late game. The boast is expensive, and also asks for cards in the graveyard, but if you do get to use this late, and attack with this Recruiter in a situation where the best your opponent can do is trade with it or chump block it, it is going to be pretty nice. That said, by the late game, a 4-mana 3/3 won’t always be capable of making that situation happen. Sometimes, if you have something good enough in your graveyard, it will be worth the bad attack, but it is still kind of a rough deal. I think I will probably cut this a little more than I play it.
Shackles of Treachery image 0.5 Even in the most aggressive of decks, this card tends to be too situational to be worthwhile, and there isn’t enough of a sacrifice theme in this set to really abuse it.
Gnottvold Recluse image 2.0 Most spiders we see come with low power and high toughness. This makes them good at repeatedly blocking smaller flyers, but not so good at actually killing them. Gnottvold Recluse is different, in that it has higher power and lower toughness. This means it is going to be better at blocking and killing larger flyers, but a lot worse at repeatedly blocking flyers. 3-mana for a 4/2 line is often a borderline playable card even without Reach, and I think adding Reach to the mix here means you will feel fine about playing the first copy of this. Though, it would be nice if it were a snow permanent or something.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Scorn Effigy image 1.0 This is efficient, but it doesn’t have impressive stats in the end. It can help decks with lots of double-spell payoffs, but that’s really the only place its worth it.
Beskir Shieldmate image 3.0 This is a solid two-drop. A two mana 2/1 is far from ideal, but if you can trade with this and then get a token, you’re going to feel pretty good. Overall, this is a nice two drop that will pretty much always make the cut
Karfell Kennel-Master image 2.5 This has been solid top-curve in Black decks. It often comes down and enables 1-2 attacks that you just couldn’t have done before, and a 4/4 body is pretty good in this format.
Draugr Thought-Thief image 1.5 If you’re going to be a 3-mana 3/2, you probably need to have something going on that makes those inefficient stats worth it -- and I don’t really see that here. You get some very minor card selection, and an effect that might help you put something in your graveyard. Or, alternatively, something that lets you control your opponent’s next draw a little bit, but neither of those things is that great. It is kind of equivalent to Scry 1, but in most ways, it isn’t as good as Scry 1. You will certainly play this sometimes, but you’ll also cut it a fair bit.
Snow-Covered Mountain image 2.0 Red isn’t overflowing with snow payoffs, but this is still a snow land and those are quite useful in this format.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Bloodsky Berserker
Bloodsky Berserker image 3.5 Just triggering the ability once will be enough to feel like your investment was worth it, and if you do it more than that, this Berserker will get silly in a hurry. You won’t always be able to double spell, but you’ll be able to often enough that this is a very real threat, despite only being a two drop. I mean, if on turn four you play this and another two drop, that’s a pretty darn good turn four, even if you won’t get to take advantage of the menace side of things. This card, like a lot of BW cards in this set, incentivizes having a low curve and/or a lot of Foretell. Now, he does start out very vulnerable, and there will be times where you can’t get him going, or he dies to a one-mana removal spell -- but that’s fine.
King Harald's Revenge image 1.0 I don’t like this type of card. Sure, lure-type effects are nice, but they only really get powerful if they force EVERYTHING to block something, allowing the rest of your board to get through. This will just require one block. And yeah, sometimes this will make your creature absolutely massive, and adding Trample to that is nice -- but it still seems so clunky to me. You have to wait for the absolute right window for this to work out for you -- one where you have enough creatures for it to matter -- one where forcing the block makes a difference -- and one where your opponent doesn’t have cards in hand and mana up, since if they do, you have a good chance at getting completely blown out.
Withercrown image 1.0 So, I have a hard time ever calling removal “premium” if it still allows whatever you put it on to block, and this does have that problem. This is also weakened by the presence of Good Auras, +1/+1 Counters, and Equipment, since those all mean that the creature still won’t have 0 power. It doesn’t hurt that this makes your opponent lose life every turn or sacrifice the creature, at which point, you do actually get the blocker out of the way. That said, most of the time, you’ll probably play this and your opponent will just use the creature to block and die, as it allows them to get something out of the weakened creature. You generally only play this if you didn’t get better removal spells.
Karfell Harbinger image 1.5 So, we see two mana 1/3s who can tap for spells relatively often, and this is a more flexible version of those, since it can also use it to foretell a card. It won’t always make a difference, but it will often enough that you’ll probably play the first copy of this in decks that are interested in spells and/or foretell, which will be lots of Blue decks.
Run Amok image 2.5 This is a key card for aggro decks in this format. If you’re going hard in that direction, this becomes a pretty high pick. It often lets you run over an opposing creature and do opposing damage, and can result in lethal out of nowhere. It isn’t especially good in other decks, though.
Mists of Littjara image 1.5 This type of Blue removal spell is always pretty alright. The fact you can’t use it to keep a creature from still being a good blocker can be annoying sometimes, but the fact it can also shut down vehicles and has Flash do make up for that a little bit. The Flash side of it will sometimes allow you to double block and kill something, while keeping both of your creatures, and when you can make this trade 1-for-1 it is going to feel good. That won’t be the regular occurrence, I don’t think – but it will happen often enough that you’ll play this if you need removal.
Raiders' Karve image 1.5 Crew 3 is kind of a lot for a 4/4 vehicle, but the fact that it will effectively ramp and draw you a card like 40% of the time does help make that look a little less ugly. If you can get the land off the top with this even once, you’re going to feel alright. That said, it isn’t exactly efficient, and I think you probably cut this a little more than you play it.
Elderleaf Mentor image 2.5 This is fine. . Creatures who make two bodies are always nice -- and in the end here you get a solid deal -- 4 -mana for 4/3 worth of stats spread across two bodies. Unfortunately, the Elf deck in this format is hard to make work, and that holds it back a little bit.
Dwarven Reinforcements image 2.0 Normally when you pay 4 mana for a couple of tokens, you expect a couple of 2/2s -- and that isn’t what you get here. However, Foretell does mean you can pay for this in two separate installments, which does help overcome that downside.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Wings of the Cosmos image 1.0 This trick is mostly not worth playing. You can use it both offensively and defensively pretty effectively, and the fact it grants flying might mean sometimes it will also let you sneak in for lethal in the air. But -- a trick is a trick. It is situational, and its risky, and it doesn’t do a whole lot to make any of that less of a problem.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Jarl of the Forsaken
The Bloodsky Massacre image 3.5 Chapter one gives you a reasonably efficient creature, while chapter two and three have tribal effects that will make that creature give you some extra value. Drawing a card off your attacking Berserker on turn two, and then getting one Red mana off of it is good – and while “Berserker” isn’t exactly the “archetype” for BR, just because there are not enough payoffs for that to really be the case – the color pair does have a whole lot of Berserkers, so this is normally going to do some more impressive things than simply get value out of the Berserker token it makes. This will do a ton of work for only three mana.
Rootless Yew image 3.0 This card has been worse than it looks, largely because there aren’t that many common or uncommon creatures it can grab for you. However, it does have reasonable stats, and being able to grab a Lindwurm with this is pretty sweet.
Raise the Draugr image 2.0 Black always seems to get a common spell that lets you return creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and here is the Kaldheim version of that! Cards in the past with similar effects are basically always something you want to run a single copy of, because they give your deck some late game punch, and allow you to get extra uses out of the best creatures in your deck, which is pretty awesome. You don’t usually want more of this type of card because they are so useless early, but that first copy is something I always want. I think this one is particularly nice, because it is an instant -- we normally see this effect at Sorcery speed. And sure, it asks for a little bit of help to get going -- you really only want to play this if you are consistently getting the two creatures back, just getting one is not a great deal. But, with that in mind, I think your typical black deck in the format will have enough creatures that share creature types that this will get two things back by the mid to late game most of the time.
Horizon Seeker image 3.0 This card enables splashes, makes it easier to find your snow mana, and has pretty reasonable stats. He fits into any Green deck really, and that’s nice.
Pilfering Hawk image 2.0 This is a snow creature that can loot for a single snow mana, and that seems pretty alright to me! Looting is always a solid effect in Limited, as it lets you drastically improve your card quality over the course of the game. On top of that, It is evasive, which means it can chip in some damage early, and it of course will be well-positioned in any deck that cares about Snow. I think this is a solid card.
Koma's Faithful image 2.0 This seems solid. A 3-mana 3/1 with lifelink isn’t a terrible rate -- trading for an X/3 and gaining 3 life in the process isn’t bad, and it comes with some additional upside. Now, the graveyard isn’t a huge theme in this set, but there is some synergy to be had there.
Jarl of the Forsaken image 2.0 This type of removal effect is often underwhelming. Sure, when you do manage to trigger the effect it feels pretty good, but most of the time you had to give up a card to make that effect work in the first place, so it isn’t quite as good of a deal as it might seem at first. Now, adding Foretell here does matter -- because it means it will be easier to find a window where you can actually cast and use this, as spending 2 mana on the turn you actually cast the card is significantly better.
Draugr Thought-Thief image 1.5 If you’re going to be a 3-mana 3/2, you probably need to have something going on that makes those inefficient stats worth it -- and I don’t really see that here. You get some very minor card selection, and an effect that might help you put something in your graveyard. Or, alternatively, something that lets you control your opponent’s next draw a little bit, but neither of those things is that great. It is kind of equivalent to Scry 1, but in most ways, it isn’t as good as Scry 1. You will certainly play this sometimes, but you’ll also cut it a fair bit.
Funeral Longboat image 1.5 This is a decent vehicle. Crew 1 is just so easy to do, that this is going to just feel like a two mana 3/3 with Vigilance some of the time. And, the fact it is so easy to crew AND has vigilance, means your opponent also has to take into account while attacking you.
Giant Ox image 1.0 This is kind of a cool design. A two mana 0/6 is a card that you’ll play sometimes in really controlling decks, but this guy is also capable of crewing basically everything despite being only two mana. That said, this set isn’t exactly brimming with quality Vehicles – something I am pretty disappointed about, so I still don’t think most decks will be playing him – though, pairing him with the Plow is pretty funny.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Weigh Down
Gates of Istfell image 3.5 It is great having a land that can draw you some cards and gain you some life in the late game – most lands become useless at that point! But not this one.
Kaya's Onslaught image 3.0 Three mana for +1/+1 and double strike is something that you’ll play sometimes, and that’s what this is at a base level. That type of boost makes it very likely that your creature will be able to win combat, and it can also manufacture lethal damage out of nowhere. The problem that all tricks have, though, is that you can really get blown out if your opponent can interact in response, and if you have to pay all three mana for this in a single turn, it also makes it harder for you to play another spell on the same turn. But, by splitting this into two payments, you will more easily find windows where it is worth the risk, since paying a single White mana is way easier than paying three in the same turn. Now, as I often say -- it is still a trick, and even this one has the problems all tricks have: they are highly situational, and you are risking a blowout. That said, this is a nice enough trick that you’ll almost always run it in a White deck with a reasonable number of creatures. It can win the game out of nowhere sometimes!
Starnheim Courser image 2.5 This has the always-okay Wind Drake stats and reasonable upside. Good Equipment and Auras are plentiful in the set, so that upside does come up!
Weigh Down image 3.0 -3/-3 for one Black mana is super efficient. Having to have a creature in the graveyard does mean this will often be dead in the early game, and sometimes even later than that -- but, all you have to do to make it work is trade with something, and if you’re doing that and getting the additional value out of that creature by exiling it to pay for this, it will feel pretty good. I think the first copy of this tends to really feel like premium removal, but you generally don’t want to run too many of them, as there is only so much fuel in your graveyard.
King Harald's Revenge image 1.0 I don’t like this type of card. Sure, lure-type effects are nice, but they only really get powerful if they force EVERYTHING to block something, allowing the rest of your board to get through. This will just require one block. And yeah, sometimes this will make your creature absolutely massive, and adding Trample to that is nice -- but it still seems so clunky to me. You have to wait for the absolute right window for this to work out for you -- one where you have enough creatures for it to matter -- one where forcing the block makes a difference -- and one where your opponent doesn’t have cards in hand and mana up, since if they do, you have a good chance at getting completely blown out.
Broken Wings image 1.5 This card is very mainboardable in this format because it has lots of good targets. It still isn’t great or anything, though.
Smashing Success image 0.0 Land destruction spells are almost never worth it in Limited. This is because it often has a negligible effect on the game -- if you get it late it basically does nothing, if you get it early it might do something, but even then there is about a 50% chance that your opponent still won’t be bothered by it. And yeah, this one is an instant, can hit artifacts, and makes a treasure when it destroys artifacts, but you still shouldn’t play it.
Scorn Effigy image 1.0 This is efficient, but it doesn’t have impressive stats in the end. It can help decks with lots of double-spell payoffs, but that’s really the only place its worth it.
Master Skald image 2.0 5-mana for a 4/4 that returns an artifact or enchantment is not a bad deal. And sure, you also need a creature in your graveyard to make it happen, but by turn 5 that won’t normally be an issue. There are lots of good Artifacts and Enchantments in this set, but the Skald is at his best with Sagas, since they are designed to eventually go to your graveyard in the first place. If you have at least one Saga, playing a Master Skald is usually a pretty good idea.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Scorn Effigy
Axgard Armory image 2.5 If you have the right deck composition, this is a nice utility land that can draw you 2 pretty meaningful cards in the late game.
Littjara Mirrorlake image 3.5 Making a copy of your best creature and making it a little bit better with a +1/+1 counter in the late game is no joke. This is a land that will add considerably to the board state in the late game, and that really shouldn’t be overlooked.
Open the Omenpaths image 0.0 This is a card a lot of people will play when they are desperate for fixing – but don’t do it. Ritual effects like this aren’t good in Limited, you two for one yourself for some fixing and a small mana boost, and that card disadvantage is likely to cause you to lose the game. The alternate mode this has doesn’t help make any more playable either.
Priest of the Haunted Edge image 1.0 // 3.0 This is a snow payoff that DEMANDS you have a bunch of snow lands, and you won’t always have enough to make the Priest work. You probably need 7+ snow lands to do it. However, once you do, this becomes a reasonable early blocker than is a removal spell later on, and it is something you can get back from your graveyard fairly easily. It is not very good in other decks in the format, though.
Elderleaf Mentor image 2.5 This is fine. . Creatures who make two bodies are always nice -- and in the end here you get a solid deal -- 4 -mana for 4/3 worth of stats spread across two bodies. Unfortunately, the Elf deck in this format is hard to make work, and that holds it back a little bit.
Story Seeker image 2.0 Two mana 2/2s with Lifelink are always solid. Just being able to trade for another two drop and gaining you 2 life is a decent fail case, and if they are allowed to stick around they will end up gaining you significant life. Auras and Equipment are also your friend with a creature like this.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Scorn Effigy image 1.0 This is efficient, but it doesn’t have impressive stats in the end. It can help decks with lots of double-spell payoffs, but that’s really the only place its worth it.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Berg Strider
The Three Seasons image 1.0 This has not been very good. It seems like it might be an okay snow payoff, but it turns out that getting the most out of Chapter II is difficult, and that’s not great news when Chapter I has no immediate impact on the board. Then, Chapter III is kind of a bummer, because you have to give your opponent back some cards. Now, you can choose their worst ones and all that, but I’ve seen that side of the card backfire a lot.
Arachnoform image 1.0 This set has a lot of nice Auras, but Arachnoform isn’t one of them. It doesn’t mitigate agains the 2-for-1, and the bonus it grants is not significant enough for me to be interested in taking a risk. +2/+2, reach, and changeling status just doesn’t do it for me.
Disdainful Stroke image 1.0 This is a card we’ve seen a lot of, and generally I don’t like running it. It is super weird in this format too, because you’ll go up against aggro decks who have 0-2 targets for this, and against snow decks who will have like 7+. I think that really means you have to start it in your sideboard, since it will be so bad against a big part of the metagame.
Dread Rider image 1.0 This has some nice defensive stats and an activated ability that can close out games, but it tends to be too expensive and not powerful enough for even control decks to be interested in it.
Valor of the Worthy image 2.0 I often complain about Auras that don’t give a good boost for the mana cost, as well as auras that don’t give you value to help a 2-for-1 not feel so bad. This does kind of okay on both of those fronts, but not super well on either. The efficiency here is pretty nice when you look at the whole package - one mana for a +1/+1 Aura and a 1/1 flyer if things go wrong, but I’m still not sure I like the risk of putting this on something. +1/+1 can have an impact, but it isn’t ultra likely to be game changing, and while you only spend a single White mana, you still have some risk here, as the 1/1 you get is probably worse than whatever you put it on.
Berg Strider image 3.5 I always like this kind of creature that taps something down when it comes into play, but they are usually only at their best if they can lock the creature down for a turn too. Berg Strider won’t always do that, but it will do it often enough, and hey, at least it does something even if you don’t have the snow mana. It is also another snow payoff that doesn’t demand 10+ snow lands, you can run it with just a few. Tapping something down even without snow mana can often enable an attack you didn’t have otherwise, and tapping something down for a turn can really swing a race in your favor, since that creature won’t be blocking or attacking. This is certainly beefier than most of these tap-down creatures are too -- it has good enough stats to be imposing on some board states.
Vault Robber image 1.0 This is something you mostly won’t play. You could do worse if you are desperate for fixing, but the fact he is reliant on stuff in the graveyard to make Treasure can be rough, and his stats aren’t very good.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Snow-Covered Swamp
Niko Defies Destiny image 1.0 This has been challenging to make work, simply because even with all the Foretell in the format, it is difficult to always benefit from the first two chapters on the card. When you can, it feels good, but this card is too inconsistent for me to want to play it in most decks.
Frostpeak Yeti image 1.5 So, this is a Hill Giant that can become unblockable if you have some Snow mana. That certainly isn’t a good card, but if you are in a controlling Snow deck and you need a win condition well...you probably hope this isn’t it, but it can do the job if you need it to.
Codespell Cleric image 1.0 // 2.5 So, since this is one mana, casting it as your second spell in a turn won’t be super challenging, especially in a format with Foretell. I mean, in the late game it will be a little harder, like if you’re in top deck mode, but in the early and mid-game it will just happen. For this to be worth it, it does need to be making that +1/+1 counter a significant chunk of the time, and it can do that in aggro decks. Like Battlefield Raptor, it is much better in aggressive decks than it is elsewhere.
Karfell Kennel-Master image 2.5 This has been solid top-curve in Black decks. It often comes down and enables 1-2 attacks that you just couldn’t have done before, and a 4/4 body is pretty good in this format.
Brinebarrow Intruder image 1.0 This doesn’t seem especially good. It is easy to imagine situations where you flash it in and killed a 3/1 or something, but it is mostly too situational to be worth playing. That decrease to power just doesn’t do enough often enough. You mostly won’t play this.
Snow-Covered Swamp image 2.5 Black has some nice snow payoffs, so you should value this over most average cards.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Rune of Flight
Rune of Flight image 3.0 The Runes are all nice, and I think this one may be the best of the bunch. The cycle overcomes the downside of Auras by having cantrips attached to the effect, so getting 2-for-1’d is much less likely. We’ve seen two mana Auras that grant flying and cantrip in other sets, and they have been at around a C – and this is strictly better than that. For one thing, it can also go on Equipment, which will sometimes be the right thing to do, since being able to move Flying around is a big deal. For another thing, in a really dire situation, you can actually attach this to a land to draw the card – like if you’re stuck on two mana and in trouble. Like I said, I think this is the best Rune of the cycle – Flying is just so much better than the other key words.
Hagi Mob image 1.5 This seems alright. A 5-mana 5/4 isn’t great, but it isn’t abysmal either -- and its Boast ability is fine. Doing 1 damage to a creature is the ideal scenario, but if you can use it to make blocking harder for your opponent, or to ping your opponent because they are close to dead, that works too. It isn’t super efficient at any of the stuff it does, and it isn’t very exciting, but it seems like an alright top curve card for Red decks.
Annul image 0.0 This is a reprint, and it isn’t really one that is here to be played in Limited -- it is for constructed sideboards. It will be a rare thing in this format for people to have enough targets for this for it to be worth running, you might bring it out of your sideboard on occasion, but even then it doesn’t seem that likely to me. It is way better to have cards that destroy this type of permanent rather than counter them, because you can draw the removal after the fact and be okay. You have to have this in your hand at the exact right time for it to do something.
Jaspera Sentinel image 2.0 The fixing this offers is a big deal for the decks trying to play 3+ colors. It doesn’t have the greatest stats, and Reach isn’t very exciting, but the mana production here is nice.
Invoke the Divine image 1.5 This set has enough good artifacts and Enchantments that this ends up having a reasonable number of targets, making it an okay thing to run in your main deck.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Gnottvold Recluse
Gnottvold Recluse image 2.0 Most spiders we see come with low power and high toughness. This makes them good at repeatedly blocking smaller flyers, but not so good at actually killing them. Gnottvold Recluse is different, in that it has higher power and lower toughness. This means it is going to be better at blocking and killing larger flyers, but a lot worse at repeatedly blocking flyers. 3-mana for a 4/2 line is often a borderline playable card even without Reach, and I think adding Reach to the mix here means you will feel fine about playing the first copy of this. Though, it would be nice if it were a snow permanent or something.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Karfell Kennel-Master image 2.5 This has been solid top-curve in Black decks. It often comes down and enables 1-2 attacks that you just couldn’t have done before, and a 4/4 body is pretty good in this format.
Draugr Thought-Thief image 1.5 If you’re going to be a 3-mana 3/2, you probably need to have something going on that makes those inefficient stats worth it -- and I don’t really see that here. You get some very minor card selection, and an effect that might help you put something in your graveyard. Or, alternatively, something that lets you control your opponent’s next draw a little bit, but neither of those things is that great. It is kind of equivalent to Scry 1, but in most ways, it isn’t as good as Scry 1. You will certainly play this sometimes, but you’ll also cut it a fair bit.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Mists of Littjara
Mists of Littjara image 1.5 This type of Blue removal spell is always pretty alright. The fact you can’t use it to keep a creature from still being a good blocker can be annoying sometimes, but the fact it can also shut down vehicles and has Flash do make up for that a little bit. The Flash side of it will sometimes allow you to double block and kill something, while keeping both of your creatures, and when you can make this trade 1-for-1 it is going to feel good. That won’t be the regular occurrence, I don’t think – but it will happen often enough that you’ll play this if you need removal.
Roots of Wisdom image 1.0 So, this card helps you mill yourself, and then gets an elf or land back from the graveyard most of the time – but not always, especially early. I do like that you get to draw a card if you can’t get a land or elf, which means that you don’t have to have a huge number of elves for it to be super okay. I do kind of wish that it would let you make the choice -- like, if you have an elf and/or land in your graveyard, you could still choose to draw, but it doesn’t work that way -- you only draw if there is nothing to get back. But yeah, like Anticipate, and Tormenting Voice and other cards like this, I imagine you’ll cut this more than you’ll play it. Frankly, it just doesn’t do a whole lot. It doesn’t help that the Elf deck isn’t very impressive.
Wings of the Cosmos image 1.0 This trick is mostly not worth playing. You can use it both offensively and defensively pretty effectively, and the fact it grants flying might mean sometimes it will also let you sneak in for lethal in the air. But -- a trick is a trick. It is situational, and its risky, and it doesn’t do a whole lot to make any of that less of a problem.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Koma's Faithful
Koma's Faithful image 2.0 This seems solid. A 3-mana 3/1 with lifelink isn’t a terrible rate -- trading for an X/3 and gaining 3 life in the process isn’t bad, and it comes with some additional upside. Now, the graveyard isn’t a huge theme in this set, but there is some synergy to be had there.
Giant Ox image 1.0 This is kind of a cool design. A two mana 0/6 is a card that you’ll play sometimes in really controlling decks, but this guy is also capable of crewing basically everything despite being only two mana. That said, this set isn’t exactly brimming with quality Vehicles – something I am pretty disappointed about, so I still don’t think most decks will be playing him – though, pairing him with the Plow is pretty funny.
Pack 3 Pick 15: Broken Wings
Broken Wings image 1.5 This card is very mainboardable in this format because it has lots of good targets. It still isn’t great or anything, though.
Draft Pick Overview