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Quick Draft ZNR 03.januar 2021

3 January 04:11 - skeletoneyes 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (8)
1 Roiling Regrowth image
1 Into the Roil image
2 Nissa's Zendikon image
2 Spare Supplies image
1 Rabid Bite image
1 Lullmage's Domination image
Creature (15)
1 Seafloor Stalker image
1 Windrider Wizard image
1 Lotus Cobra image
2 Tazeem Roilmage image
1 Cunning Geysermage image
1 Tangled Florahedron image
1 Kazandu Stomper image
2 Territorial Scythecat image
1 Turntimber Ascetic image
1 Living Tempest image
1 Taunting Arbormage image
1 Sea Gate Colossus image
1 Expedition Diviner image
Land (17)
9 Forest image
8 Island image
Sideboard
1 Tazeem Roilmage image
1 Cunning Geysermage image
2 Cleric of Chill Depths image
1 Kazandu Stomper image
1 Tajuru Blightblade image
1 Stonework Packbeast image
1 Skyclave Sentinel image
1 Dreadwurm image
1 Cliffhaven Kitesail image
1 Shell Shield image
1 Concerted Defense image
1 Disenchant image
1 Scale the Heights image
3 Strength of Solidarity image
1 Practiced Tactics image
1 Smite the Monstrous image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Lotus Cobra
Lotus Cobra image 4.0 Fixing and ramp is always nice, and the Cobra does both for you, in addition to its semi-reasonable body. If you haven’t had the pleasure of playing this Snake before, you’ll be amazed at how much value you can get out of the extra mana and fixing. It is still a vulnerable little guy, and certainly not a bomb -- but most of the time you see this, you’re going to take it.
Springmantle Cleric image 2.0 // 3.0 In a typical two color deck this is fine, and if you get there on a 3+ color deck, it improves to be a very efficient creature.
Ruin Crab image 3.5 So, for Limited purposes, this is mostly just a better Hedron Crab. The O.G. landfall crab can also mill you if you want it to, but you’re not doing that most of the time in Limited anyway. I think Ruin Crab seems reasonable, and is certainly the kind of card that can enable an entire mill archetype -- kind of like Teferi’s Tutelage did in M21. The UB deck in this format is both about Rogues AND milling, so the Crab will have a ready made home. It will likely be the card in this format that is capable of milling the most cards. One really cool thing about this format is that there are mill “payoff” cards that do something before your opponent’s library is empty, and that’s a big deal -- because that’s the usual downside of mill, that it does nothing for a long time.
Sejiri Shelter image 3.0 Like the other DFC Land spells, this makes mana screw AND flooding feel less terrible, because it can help you out with either situation. The spell part of the card is woefully inefficient here, but it does have situations where it can shine -- saving a creature from removal, making a creature unblockable in a key situation, etc., so at least this land DOES something if you’re flooded out.
Guul Draz Mucklord image 2.0 This has reasonable stats, and it is nice it leaves a counter behind when it dies. Obviously, that isn’t quite worth a whole card, but trading with this and getting that counter of the deal won’t feel too bad.
Bubble Snare image 3.5 Getting away with just paying one for this on a creature that is already tapped is going to feel great, and when you are the more defensive player, that is probably often how you’ll use it, since it will enable you to do some other things on your turn. Sometimes, you need to just be able to lock down an opposing creature, and you can pay the Kicker when that’s necessary to get a blocker out of the way, or a creature your opponent just won’t attack with that is cause you all kinds of problems.
Tazeem Roilmage image 3.0 A two mana 2/1 is a D+ at best these days, we just expect better stats for a two mana investment. However, the kicker upside here is quite strong in the late game.
Blood Beckoning image 2.0 Black gets a card like this in every set -- one that returns two creatures from the graveyard -- and it is always a decent card to have one of, since in the late game it often does enough to pull you ahead -- it is of course balanced out by being pretty useless early though. 4 mana for that effect is a bit steep, but the fact that it can cost one in situations where that is worthwhile does enough to keep this as a solid playable.
Cliffhaven Kitesail image 1.5 This seems fine. 1 mana to give something Flying is a reasonable rate, especially because it sticks around to give your other guys flying if they need it. It will, of course, be especially attractive in the RW deck that’s all about Equipment, but I think it is a reasonable inclusion anywhere.
Subtle Strike image 2.5 Because you can both weaken a creature and make yours bigger, it has two-for-one potential, and that can’t be overlooked. That situation won’t always be how it works out -- but sometimes, you’ll be able to kill an X/1 and pump your creature to win combat against something else, and it is great that the boost is permanent. Even if that doesn’t line up, the flexibility of this card does usually mean it will help your creatures win combat one way or another.
Nissa's Zendikon image 1.0 These types of Auras always underperform. It seems like it would be really efficient to put this on a land, but it doesn’t generally pan out that way. The land does come back, which in a roundabout way can help you trigger landfall, but this just asks for too much effort.
Hagra Constrictor image 2.5 On its own, the Constrictor is a 3-mana 2/2 with Menace. However, this set has enough +1/+1 stuff going on, with BG as the +1/+1 counter deck this time going around, that the Constrictor will often immediately impact the board, making one of your other creatures much more difficult to block effectively.
Dauntless Unity image 2.0 This is basically a better Inspired Charged – when you kick it, it is identical to the Charge, and it has the upside of also being usable for a slightly weaker effect for two mana.
Fissure Wizard image 2.5 This is pretty unexciting. It does a bunch of meh stuff. It has bad stats for the cost, it lets you rummage, and it has a creature type that matters in this format. While none of that is exciting, it coming all together does make it a decent enough playable.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Into the Roil
Veteran Adventurer image 3.5 As a 6-mana 5/5 with Vigilance that can fill whichever party role you need, this would probably be a C, perhaps even a C+ -- but it of course can also reduce its cost, and it isn’t crazy to imagine playing this for 5 mana, and playing it for 4 won’t be super rare either, and in those cases this is going to feel really good. A creature this size with Vigilance is always really nice in Limited, as it really makes it harder for opponents to effectively race you if you have a big creature who can play both offense and defense.
Sure-Footed Infiltrator image 3.5 These sort of “infiltration” creatures that draw you a card when they do damage are just great, because they really snowball. The more cards you draw, the more likely you’ll be able to find a way to keep getting in with the creature. And, in this case -- the more likely you are to find Rogues who can make it unblockable.
Kabira Takedown image 3.5 I like the idea behind the uncommon Cycle of DFCs too, as they do the same sort of thing the Mythic ones do -- obviously, they are generally less powerful, and the land side comes into play tapped down, but having a card that is nice whether you are flooding or mana screwed is just good. And the spell side of this one is actually a removal spell. Sure, it is somewhat conditional, and wants you to have creatures in play to work, but as long as you are doing 2+ with it, you’re actually going to feel alright about it. Especially because if it isn’t any good with how your board is shaping up, you can just play it as a land.
Subtle Strike image 2.5 Because you can both weaken a creature and make yours bigger, it has two-for-one potential, and that can’t be overlooked. That situation won’t always be how it works out -- but sometimes, you’ll be able to kill an X/1 and pump your creature to win combat against something else, and it is great that the boost is permanent. Even if that doesn’t line up, the flexibility of this card does usually mean it will help your creatures win combat one way or another.
Pressure Point image 0.5 We have seen this before, and it was not very impressive. Tapping a creature is sometimes a useful effect, but it is very rarely worth a whole card, and it is quite situational. Adding a cantrip does keep this from being completely dismal, but I think you don’t play this very often.
Risen Riptide image 2.5 This is a surprisingly serviceable payoff for the Kicker deck, as getting whatever value out of what you kicked AND making this a 5/5 feels great, as it is often a very difficult creature to block effectively.
Spitfire Lagac image 1.5 This has underwhelming stats and unimpressive landfall trigger. You’ll play it less than you’ll cut it.
Oblivion's Hunger image 1.0 This doesn’t even seem to be worth it in +1/+1 counter decks, as it is still too situational.
Kabira Outrider image 2.0 Those Hill Giant stats aren’t pretty, and that ETB isn’t super impressive either, though it can often enable an attack you just didn’t have before. But the Party upside here is nice, if you can get +2/+2 out of the trigger you end up with a much nicer card, and obviously, there’s a chance you can go even bigger. I think this is decent enough for White decks to play the first copy most of the time.
Shell Shield image 2.5 Because of all the kicker payoffs in this format, Shell Shield really overperforms. It allows you to save your creatures fairly cheaply, and it can sometimes also work more as a combat trick.
Adventure Awaits image 1.0 We see a Green card like this in most sets, and they are always kind of meh. They give you some nice card selection, and it is also kind of nice that if you wiff on a creature, you still get a card out of it. Whiffing on a creature is unlikely in most limited decks, but it DOES happen sometimes, so having protection from this doing absolutely nothing is nice. That said, this type of card, especially at two mana, generally feels like it is easy to cut in most decks.
Into the Roil image 3.0 Two mana for an Instant that bounces nonland permanents is always a playable card. Adding Kicker here is just great, because if you kick it, into the Roil goes from being a card that gets you some tempo to being a card that actually trades for a whole card. And obviously as an instant, youc an sometimes blow out Auras or combat tricks too.
Disenchant image 0.5 Look everyone, Disenchant is back! This format has a reasonable number of Enchantments and Artifacts, but probably not enough that you feel ok about mainboarding this. This is a sideboard card, and if you are playing it in your deck, you are probably pretty desperate.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Tazeem Roilmage
Mind Carver image 1.0 This can give a pretty big boost in the late game, but is incredibly mediocre early and expensive to equip. The Rogue decks just generally don’t need this, as they have way better payoffs and evasion.
Kabira Takedown image 3.5 I like the idea behind the uncommon Cycle of DFCs too, as they do the same sort of thing the Mythic ones do -- obviously, they are generally less powerful, and the land side comes into play tapped down, but having a card that is nice whether you are flooding or mana screwed is just good. And the spell side of this one is actually a removal spell. Sure, it is somewhat conditional, and wants you to have creatures in play to work, but as long as you are doing 2+ with it, you’re actually going to feel alright about it. Especially because if it isn’t any good with how your board is shaping up, you can just play it as a land.
Shepherd of Heroes image 3.5 On its own, this is a 5-mana ¾ flyer that gains you 2 life. That is a card that will make the cut more often than it won’t, but certainly nothing special. Frequently this will gain you 4 life, and it will also rarely gain you 6 to 8 life. This reminds me a little bit of of Archway Angel -- a card that really overperformed when we saw it. This has the same stats for less mana, but is also a little more challenging to gain absurd amounts of life with, but I can see it playing a similar role in the format, but it probably won’t be quite the overperformer the Archway Angel was.
Ardent Electromancer image 3.0 This is a key common for party decks, and it can really help you set up a double-spell turn three, which often is what you need to quickly win a game.
Spare Supplies image 1.0 Two mana to draw a card, and 4 to draw two over the course of a couple of turns is..a thing? But in a set without artifact or sacrifice payoffs, I don’t see this making the cut most of the time.
Fissure Wizard image 2.5 This is pretty unexciting. It does a bunch of meh stuff. It has bad stats for the cost, it lets you rummage, and it has a creature type that matters in this format. While none of that is exciting, it coming all together does make it a decent enough playable.
Cliffhaven Sell-Sword image 1.5 Two mana 3/1s tend to be fine for aggro decks. This one is also a Warrior, so it gives you some Party synergy.
Kor Celebrant image 3.0 This has nice defensive stats, and it is one of the key Commons for the BW Cleric deck. It provides you with a repeatable source of life gain, which triggers all sorts of powerful cards. Even outside of that deck, this is serviceable as a defensive creature.
Mind Drain image 1.5 So, here is a strictly better Mind Rot! It adds draining life and milling a card to the mix, in addition to making your opponent discard the two cards. Playing it early is sometimes a liability because it means you aren’t adding to the board on turn three, and getting it late can be bad too, because your opponent is in top deck mode. Mid-game or so is usually where it is at its best. Mind Drain adds enough extra stuff to the mix to overcome Mind Rot’s usual problem though -- it will do something no matter what. And sure, draining your opponent for 1 and milling their top card for three isn’t a good deal, but it is a heck of a lot better than a dead card, which Mind Rot often is.
Tazeem Roilmage image 3.0 A two mana 2/1 is a D+ at best these days, we just expect better stats for a two mana investment. However, the kicker upside here is quite strong in the late game.
Gnarlid Colony image 3.0 This is a nice Common. Having a Grizzly Bear with a +1/+1 counter payoff as a base form isn’t bad when you have other late game option of paying 5-mana for a 4/4 with Trample. Neither side of this is especially efficient -- but that often doesn’t matter with creatures who have Kicker, as we’ve seen in the past. Just having an alternate option in the late game to make this a more imposing creature is nice, even if the rate isn’t great.
Chilling Trap image 0.0 // 2.0 If you can’t consistently turn this into a cantrip it is unplayable. But, if you’re a UR deck that is interested in both spells and Wizards, this is a solid playable.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Cunning Geysermage
Allied Assault image 1.5 My main problem with tricks like this is that they are so situational and risky, so I need some efficiency or big upside to ever get excited about this one. Allied Assault does one of the things that gets me pretty interested in tricks – it can get you a 2-for-1. A trick that pumps two separate creatures interest me, at least initially. It does require a bit of set up to really be potent though, which makes it even more situational, which makes the 2-for-1 potential a little less impressive.
Paired Tactician image 3.0 His seems like a nice, if not incredible Warrior payoff. The Tactician will often still find itself to be vulnerable to an easy trade on its first attack even in situations where it attacks with a friend, as a 4/3 attacking on turn 4 isn’t exactly game-breaking -- but it can definitely snowball if you can support it.
Cunning Geysermage image 2.5 This isn’t quite Roaming Ghostlight, but it seems alright. Early it can be a not completely horrible 3-mana 3/2, and in the later part of the game you can pay 6 for a 3/2 that bounces something That rate is admittedly not great, but any time you can add to the board while subtracting from your opponents’ feels pretty great.
Farsight Adept image 2.5 This kind of card is usually better than it looks. You and your opponent are both drawing cards, which means you are breaking even -- but you are adding to the board as well with this 3-mana 3/3, so you really are the one coming out ahead for the most part. Your opponent will often have the first crack at using that new card, but that’s a fair trade overall.
Marauding Blight-Priest image 3.0 This is a key common for the BW cleric deck, and can often do some serious damage to the opponent, as those decks frequently have a critical mass of ways to gain life.
Dauntless Survivor image 2.5 We have seen this card a lot, and it is always solid. At worst, it is a two mana 2/2 -- and it has the upside of being able to make some other more relevant creature get a +1/+1 counter in the later part of the game. The BG deck in this format also has +1/+1 counter synergies, AND it has a creature type relevant for partying, so it will be a nice two drop in multiple decks in this format.
Reclaim the Wastes image 2.5 This is a nice card for fixing if you’re a base Green deck. Any time we see this type of card in Limited it is always something you go after if you need fixing, but you probably don’t go after it otherwise. But, having the ability to splash things is inherently powerful in Limited -- provided you’re splashing something that is WORTH splashing -- so I think this should be valued as at least an average card.
Sea Gate Colossus image 1.5 You have to be a party deck to really take advantage, because if you are paying any more than 5 for this it isn’t going to feel very good, and even then it is just a big guy with no evasion.
Molten Blast image 1.5 3-mana to do two damage at instant speed is not so good – I mean, it is removal, but it is not efficient – you’ll basically always be trading down with it. But the modality here really matters. This set has plenty of good artifacts – not like, a million of them or anything – but enough that this will be blowing up artifacts on occasion too, and being able to have that in your main deck is real upside.
Kazandu Stomper image 2.0 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Hagra Constrictor image 2.5 On its own, the Constrictor is a 3-mana 2/2 with Menace. However, this set has enough +1/+1 stuff going on, with BG as the +1/+1 counter deck this time going around, that the Constrictor will often immediately impact the board, making one of your other creatures much more difficult to block effectively.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Cleric of Chill Depths
Concerted Defense image 0.0 This doesn’t counter enough things and it is too situational.
Song-Mad Treachery image 2.5 So, Threaten effects are super situational, and this one is wayyy overcosted. Stealing one of your opponent’s guys for a turn just doesn’t matter in scenarios where you aren’t either killing your opponent, setting them up to be killed on the next turn, or sacrificing the creature you steal. If this was just straight up the spell half of the card, I think this would be an F. But luckily for Song-Mad Treachery -- it has another side, that is a land. This is roughly equivalent to having an overcosted Threaten effect in your deck with Cycling, and that always makes something like this more bearable.
Cleric of Chill Depths image 1.5 Look it is a creature that is a really good chump blocker! Unfortunately, that’s not really the kind of card you’ll want most of the time. If you need a two drop, and you’re trying to get there on party, you’ll play it.
Anticognition image 0.0 // 2.5 This ends up being a hard counter a significant chunk of the time, especially in UB which does a good job of milling. If you can’t consistently get this to be a hard counter, you probably don’t play it, but if you can it ends being a pretty nice card to have around.
Kabira Outrider image 2.0 Those Hill Giant stats aren’t pretty, and that ETB isn’t super impressive either, though it can often enable an attack you just didn’t have before. But the Party upside here is nice, if you can get +2/+2 out of the trigger you end up with a much nicer card, and obviously, there’s a chance you can go even bigger. I think this is decent enough for White decks to play the first copy most of the time.
Scale the Heights image 2.0 This does several little things, and they are generally enough for this to make the cut in your deck a significant chunk of the time, but they are also little enough that you won’t always play this.
Tormenting Voice image 1.5 As usual this is fine as the last card in your deck. It is probably a little less good in this set because of the DFC lands, and landfall, because the main thing it is nice for is to avoid flooding out – but flooding out is going to be harder than normal in this format. This is a little appealing in the UR deck because it gives you a spell trigger, but you’ll cut it more than you play it.
Molten Blast image 1.5 3-mana to do two damage at instant speed is not so good – I mean, it is removal, but it is not efficient – you’ll basically always be trading down with it. But the modality here really matters. This set has plenty of good artifacts – not like, a million of them or anything – but enough that this will be blowing up artifacts on occasion too, and being able to have that in your main deck is real upside.
Mesa Lynx image 1.5 This is a 2-mana 2/1 as an attacker, and a two-mana ⅔ as a blocker. In this day and age, even a vanilla two-mana ⅔ would probably not be much more than a C, so a card that is only one half of the time is considerably worse. I would actually prefer it was a ⅔ during your turn than the other way around, since White is more often than not a color that wants to be attacking well early.
Subtle Strike image 2.5 Because you can both weaken a creature and make yours bigger, it has two-for-one potential, and that can’t be overlooked. That situation won’t always be how it works out -- but sometimes, you’ll be able to kill an X/1 and pump your creature to win combat against something else, and it is great that the boost is permanent. Even if that doesn’t line up, the flexibility of this card does usually mean it will help your creatures win combat one way or another.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Tangled Florahedron
Kitesail Cleric image 3.0 I like one mana 1/1 flyers who have some late game utility. They can do damage early if that’s what you need, and then in the late game have an effect that will have a larger impact. For the Cleric, that involves Kicking it, at which point it becomes a 4-mana 1/1 Flyer that taps down two opposing creatures.
Tangled Florahedron image 3.5 This double-faced creature-land is kind of funny, because no matter which side you pick, it gives you mana! Most of the cards in this cycle give you something that can at least be a little more impactful in the late game -- though most of them are also more situational than this -- so it is probably a wash. Basically, you’ll play this as a creature if you already played a land on turn and you want to ramp, and you’ll play it as a land if you really need one of those. This might not feel quite as good to draw late as the other card sin the cycle, but the fact remains that in the late game, this is a land that you can draw and still have it actually add to the board.
Strength of Solidarity image 1.0 This can potentially give you a whole lot for only one mana! But…it can also potentially be blank card. The likelihood of it being blank is about as likely as it is that you have a full party. On average, it will probably give somewhere between 1 and 2 tokens, and that hardly seems worth it to me.
Skyclave Sentinel image 1.5 So, this is mostly a payoff for decks that can put counters on stuff. This is mostly going to be BG, but White has some ways to do it too. It is kind of ok in the absence of +1/+1 counter stuff, as a 3-mana 2/3 with Flying and Defender with the possible option of being a 7 mana ¾ with Flying in the late game.
Marauding Blight-Priest image 3.0 This is a key common for the BW cleric deck, and can often do some serious damage to the opponent, as those decks frequently have a critical mass of ways to gain life.
Kazandu Stomper image 2.0 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Seafloor Stalker image 2.5 A 3-mana ⅔ isn’t good, and paying 4 to make it unblockable and give it a power boost does mean it stays relevant in the late game. And obviously you can end up paying even less -- paying 3 or 2 for the boost is much better, and obviously turning this into Blue firebreathing with a full party is kind of funny. This isn’t a bad way to close out games in this format.
Pyroclastic Hellion image 2.5 This seems solid enough. Returning a land is a may clause here, so you only need to do it when you really want those 2 damage, or if returning a land otherwise benefits you.
Spare Supplies image 1.0 Two mana to draw a card, and 4 to draw two over the course of a couple of turns is..a thing? But in a set without artifact or sacrifice payoffs, I don’t see this making the cut most of the time.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Tazeem Roilmage
Allied Assault image 1.5 My main problem with tricks like this is that they are so situational and risky, so I need some efficiency or big upside to ever get excited about this one. Allied Assault does one of the things that gets me pretty interested in tricks – it can get you a 2-for-1. A trick that pumps two separate creatures interest me, at least initially. It does require a bit of set up to really be potent though, which makes it even more situational, which makes the 2-for-1 potential a little less impressive.
Tazeem Roilmage image 3.0 A two mana 2/1 is a D+ at best these days, we just expect better stats for a two mana investment. However, the kicker upside here is quite strong in the late game.
Shell Shield image 2.5 Because of all the kicker payoffs in this format, Shell Shield really overperforms. It allows you to save your creatures fairly cheaply, and it can sometimes also work more as a combat trick.
Ardent Electromancer image 3.0 This is a key common for party decks, and it can really help you set up a double-spell turn three, which often is what you need to quickly win a game.
Angelheart Protector image 2.0 Decent stats and a decent ETB trigger here. It won’t always do something -- but I think more often than not, it will give you an attack you didn’t have before you played the Protector. That, plus okayish stats make this a fine inclusion in White decks.
Disenchant image 0.5 Look everyone, Disenchant is back! This format has a reasonable number of Enchantments and Artifacts, but probably not enough that you feel ok about mainboarding this. This is a sideboard card, and if you are playing it in your deck, you are probably pretty desperate.
Drana's Silencer image 1.0 This doesn’t line up well very often, and just tends to be expensive and not have much of an impact.
Might of Murasa image 1.5 So, this is an overcosted Giant Growth without kicker, and with it -- well, it still isn’t all that efficient. 5-mana for +5/+5 doesn’t really do it for me. Sure, sometimes it will turn damage lethal and all that, and it will certainly win combat for you, but to go that route you usually have to give up on developing the board for a turn, which just won’t be worth it a lot.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Nissa's Zendikon
Blood Price image 1.5 Black always gets a draw spell like this one, and this one is a little overcosted. Two cards for two life and four mana just doesn’t seem worth it to me for the most part.
Cascade Seer image 1.5 I think this is fine. A 4-mana 3/3 that scries 1 would probably be a C-. We recently had Octoprophet, which was a 4-mana 3/3 that always Scried 2, and that was definitely a solid C -- and that’s what this will be a decent chunk of the time. Obviously with a full party it gets better, but you shouldn’t really look at this as doing that very often, because it won’t.
Teeterpeak Ambusher image 2.0 This has decent starting stats, a party creature type, and an ability that can keep it relevant. Seems fine.
Dreadwurm image 2.0 This will be indestructible sometimes, and that’s nice – but it will often also just be a 5-mana 5/4, and that’s not so nice.
Oblivion's Hunger image 1.0 This doesn’t even seem to be worth it in +1/+1 counter decks, as it is still too situational.
Nissa's Zendikon image 1.0 These types of Auras always underperform. It seems like it would be really efficient to put this on a land, but it doesn’t generally pan out that way. The land does come back, which in a roundabout way can help you trigger landfall, but this just asks for too much effort.
Scavenged Blade image 2.0 Two mana to give something +2/+0 isn’t an awesome rate, but you can kind of think of it as an Aura that sticks around to be used elsewhere in the later part of the game. Then, you factor in the fact that Equipment is a pretty big theme in this set in Red – and especially in Red/White, and this definitely is a card that will make the cut in your deck a decent chunk of the time.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Cliffhaven Kitesail
Springmantle Cleric image 2.0 // 3.0 In a typical two color deck this is fine, and if you get there on a 3+ color deck, it improves to be a very efficient creature.
Guul Draz Mucklord image 2.0 This has reasonable stats, and it is nice it leaves a counter behind when it dies. Obviously, that isn’t quite worth a whole card, but trading with this and getting that counter of the deal won’t feel too bad.
Cliffhaven Kitesail image 1.5 This seems fine. 1 mana to give something Flying is a reasonable rate, especially because it sticks around to give your other guys flying if they need it. It will, of course, be especially attractive in the RW deck that’s all about Equipment, but I think it is a reasonable inclusion anywhere.
Nissa's Zendikon image 1.0 These types of Auras always underperform. It seems like it would be really efficient to put this on a land, but it doesn’t generally pan out that way. The land does come back, which in a roundabout way can help you trigger landfall, but this just asks for too much effort.
Hagra Constrictor image 2.5 On its own, the Constrictor is a 3-mana 2/2 with Menace. However, this set has enough +1/+1 stuff going on, with BG as the +1/+1 counter deck this time going around, that the Constrictor will often immediately impact the board, making one of your other creatures much more difficult to block effectively.
Dauntless Unity image 2.0 This is basically a better Inspired Charged – when you kick it, it is identical to the Charge, and it has the upside of also being usable for a slightly weaker effect for two mana.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Shell Shield
Pressure Point image 0.5 We have seen this before, and it was not very impressive. Tapping a creature is sometimes a useful effect, but it is very rarely worth a whole card, and it is quite situational. Adding a cantrip does keep this from being completely dismal, but I think you don’t play this very often.
Spitfire Lagac image 1.5 This has underwhelming stats and unimpressive landfall trigger. You’ll play it less than you’ll cut it.
Shell Shield image 2.5 Because of all the kicker payoffs in this format, Shell Shield really overperforms. It allows you to save your creatures fairly cheaply, and it can sometimes also work more as a combat trick.
Adventure Awaits image 1.0 We see a Green card like this in most sets, and they are always kind of meh. They give you some nice card selection, and it is also kind of nice that if you wiff on a creature, you still get a card out of it. Whiffing on a creature is unlikely in most limited decks, but it DOES happen sometimes, so having protection from this doing absolutely nothing is nice. That said, this type of card, especially at two mana, generally feels like it is easy to cut in most decks.
Disenchant image 0.5 Look everyone, Disenchant is back! This format has a reasonable number of Enchantments and Artifacts, but probably not enough that you feel ok about mainboarding this. This is a sideboard card, and if you are playing it in your deck, you are probably pretty desperate.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Spare Supplies
Mind Carver image 1.0 This can give a pretty big boost in the late game, but is incredibly mediocre early and expensive to equip. The Rogue decks just generally don’t need this, as they have way better payoffs and evasion.
Ardent Electromancer image 3.0 This is a key common for party decks, and it can really help you set up a double-spell turn three, which often is what you need to quickly win a game.
Spare Supplies image 1.0 Two mana to draw a card, and 4 to draw two over the course of a couple of turns is..a thing? But in a set without artifact or sacrifice payoffs, I don’t see this making the cut most of the time.
Chilling Trap image 0.0 // 2.0 If you can’t consistently turn this into a cantrip it is unplayable. But, if you’re a UR deck that is interested in both spells and Wizards, this is a solid playable.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Kazandu Stomper
Sea Gate Colossus image 1.5 You have to be a party deck to really take advantage, because if you are paying any more than 5 for this it isn’t going to feel very good, and even then it is just a big guy with no evasion.
Kazandu Stomper image 2.0 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Hagra Constrictor image 2.5 On its own, the Constrictor is a 3-mana 2/2 with Menace. However, this set has enough +1/+1 stuff going on, with BG as the +1/+1 counter deck this time going around, that the Constrictor will often immediately impact the board, making one of your other creatures much more difficult to block effectively.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Concerted Defense
Concerted Defense image 0.0 This doesn’t counter enough things and it is too situational.
Tormenting Voice image 1.5 As usual this is fine as the last card in your deck. It is probably a little less good in this set because of the DFC lands, and landfall, because the main thing it is nice for is to avoid flooding out – but flooding out is going to be harder than normal in this format. This is a little appealing in the UR deck because it gives you a spell trigger, but you’ll cut it more than you play it.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Spare Supplies
Spare Supplies image 1.0 Two mana to draw a card, and 4 to draw two over the course of a couple of turns is..a thing? But in a set without artifact or sacrifice payoffs, I don’t see this making the cut most of the time.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Lullmage's Domination
Myriad Construct image 4.0 It is a 4-mana 4/4 that, sure, dies to any spell targeting it – but it makes 1/1s when that happens, so it is really more upside than it is downside. Additionally, the kicker on it will really matter in this format. With all the modal spell/lands this will end up making a 1/1 token at least most of the time you kick it, and sometimes it will be even sillier! Basically, no matter what your opponent does, this is going to leave something behind on the board, in addition to being a relatively efficient creature on top of that.
Lullmage's Domination image 4.5 Mind control effects are always great in Limited, as they add to your board and subtract from your opponents. Even if this didn’t have the const reduction effect, it would be good, and with it, its great!
Taunting Arbormage image 2.5 A three mana ⅔ is usually not very good in Limited, but adding a good Kicker effect is a good way to make a card like that worthwhile. Now, make no mistake, kicking this wont’ always be worthwhile -- Lure effects are highly situational, and sometimes it will be useless. But sometimes it will also be gamebreaking, because it makes the rest of your board unblocked, or wipes out your opponent’s board by forcing them to block.
Spikefield Hazard image 3.0 One mana to do one to something is not usually a great card in Limited, it just doesn’t kill enough stuff. This card can at least hit players or planeswalkers too, but that’s still not that great. Even adding the Exile clause doesn’t help a whole lot. But you know what does help? Having a land on the other side! When you can’t really kill anything with the spell side, having a land isn’t a terrible back up.
Cliffhaven Kitesail image 1.5 This seems fine. 1 mana to give something Flying is a reasonable rate, especially because it sticks around to give your other guys flying if they need it. It will, of course, be especially attractive in the RW deck that’s all about Equipment, but I think it is a reasonable inclusion anywhere.
Utility Knife image 1.0 Even with an Equipment deck in this format, Utility Knife isn’t really worth it. It gives an okay boost to start with, but the equip cost after that is just exorbitant.
Broken Wings image 1.5 This seems like it can target enough things that it is a reasonable main deck inclusion, though if you are playing Best of 3, you would probably much rather bring it in out of the sideboard.
Bubble Snare image 3.5 Getting away with just paying one for this on a creature that is already tapped is going to feel great, and when you are the more defensive player, that is probably often how you’ll use it, since it will enable you to do some other things on your turn. Sometimes, you need to just be able to lock down an opposing creature, and you can pay the Kicker when that’s necessary to get a blocker out of the way, or a creature your opponent just won’t attack with that is cause you all kinds of problems.
Prowling Felidar image 2.5 This starts as a rather inefficient creature, but it will get larger throughout the game. Vigilance is always nice on a creature that is both a good attacker and a blocker, and this will certainly become that. I think in an ideal scenario, you play this and then a land in the same turn, that way you put it out of range of a bunch of removal. It does start fragile and inefficient, but it’s a nice Common.
Anticognition image 0.0 // 2.5 This ends up being a hard counter a significant chunk of the time, especially in UB which does a good job of milling. If you can’t consistently get this to be a hard counter, you probably don’t play it, but if you can it ends being a pretty nice card to have around.
Skyclave Sentinel image 1.5 So, this is mostly a payoff for decks that can put counters on stuff. This is mostly going to be BG, but White has some ways to do it too. It is kind of ok in the absence of +1/+1 counter stuff, as a 3-mana 2/3 with Flying and Defender with the possible option of being a 7 mana ¾ with Flying in the late game.
Synchronized Spellcraft image 2.0 Removal this is, but premium it is not. 5 mana to do 4 at instant speed just isn’t going to get you there most of the time -- you will frequently be trading down. And sure, it has party upside, and yeah if you are doing 2+ to your opponent at the same time you are ending up with a more reasonable spell, but even with a full party, this isn’t incredible -- and good luck setting that up.
Sea Gate Banneret image 2.0 This is a one drop with a Party creature type, and that has some nice value in this set. Additionally, in the late game it has an ability that can have a significant impact.
Deadly Alliance image 4.0 So, having to pay 5 for this is a little bit short of premium. You just usually will be trading down with it, and that’s always rough -- even if it is an instant that can kill just about anything. But the good news is, you can reduce the cost of this to 4 pretty easily, and in Magical Christmas Land, this might only cost one Black mana! Ok, that last part won’t happen very often, but it IS upside.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Rabid Bite
Spoils of Adventure image 3.0 So, 6-mana to draw 3 and gain 3 at instant speed would actually already be a playable card in control decks. Now, it wouldn’t be more than something kind of mediocre, but still, that’s our base level here. I like expensive draw spells that gain you life, because they tend to mitigate against the big downside of using a whole turn to cast it, something that usually costs you life since your opponent will probably be attacking you. I really think once you have this down to 5 mana you’re in business, and anything less than that and it will get pretty silly.
Fearless Fledgling image 3.5 This is pretty good. It might start out as a fragile 1/1, but if you drop this on turn two and trigger landfall the next 3 or so turns, you’re going to be in business, because this thing will take the sky and get larger, doing tons of damage in the process. It is vulnerable to be sure, but also a two drop that can win games.
Thundering Rebuke image 4.0 This is premium removal. Two mana to do 4 is always a great rate – it is efficient enough that you can pretty much always trade up with it.
Expedition Skulker image 2.5 This is a decent little two drop. It has a relevant creature type for the format, and it will have deathtouch pretty often.
Rabid Bite image 3.5 We have seen this several times, and it has always been premium removal for Green and one of the color’s best Commons, if not THE best. Green has creatures that are large enough that paying two for this is often a great deal, since you’ll be taking down something that cost way more mana than that. Now, you have to be careful when you use it -- because you get 2-for-1’d by a removal spell, and even though it is just a 1-for-1, you don’t really want your opponent to save their creature with a trick either. But if you pick your spots, Rabid Bite is going to be great removal.
Tuktuk Rubblefort image 0.5 I’m not the biggest fan of creatures with defender who want you to be aggressive – as those two things seem odd together, so I’m not interested.
Kazandu Nectarpot image 1.5 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Dauntless Unity image 2.0 This is basically a better Inspired Charged – when you kick it, it is identical to the Charge, and it has the upside of also being usable for a slightly weaker effect for two mana.
Utility Knife image 1.0 Even with an Equipment deck in this format, Utility Knife isn’t really worth it. It gives an okay boost to start with, but the equip cost after that is just exorbitant.
Tazeem Raptor image 3.0 This has decent stats and it lets you return lands to your hand, which is useful for trigger landfall, and useful for returning MDFC lands.
Joraga Visionary image 3.5 Cantrip creatures are always good when they are reasonably costed, and a 3/2 body is big enough that it can represent something that is actually relevant on the board, and is perfectly capable of trading, and it’s a 2-for-1 when you can make that happen.
Cleric of Chill Depths image 1.5 Look it is a creature that is a really good chump blocker! Unfortunately, that’s not really the kind of card you’ll want most of the time. If you need a two drop, and you’re trying to get there on party, you’ll play it.
Sea Gate Colossus image 1.5 You have to be a party deck to really take advantage, because if you are paying any more than 5 for this it isn’t going to feel very good, and even then it is just a big guy with no evasion.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Territorial Scythecat
Kor Blademaster image 3.0 So, a two mana 1/1 with double strike is actually a reasonable rate -- it is effectively a 2/1 with upside, in that it can just outright kill X/1s in combat and is a great place to stick Equipment and Auras, and use combat tricks. This is already good with equipment, but the Equipped Warriors get double strike thing makes it even better. Now, you can’t really count on that always coming up, but obviously the RW deck will be the best at using it. It also means that playing it will sometimes immediately impact the board, since it may make your attacking creatures way scarier!
Acquisitions Expert image 2.5 I’ve always been a fan of Ravenous Rats and Kitesail Freebooters -- creatures who go after the opponent’s hand are nicely disruptive. This isn’t as good as the Freebooter, but is definitely better than Ravenous Rats. Like the Rats, on its own, it will just get rid of the card your opponent cares the least about. But sometimes, especially late, your opponent will only have one card anyway. Plus, it has the Party upside, which will sometimes make it a considerably more disruptive effect.
Akoum Warrior image 3.5 If you get this early and you need a land, it does the job. Sure, it comes into play tapped, but having that option is inherently powerful. If this big guy had Cycling you would definitely Cycle him away early to help you find a land or something else. Well, in this case, he can just BE the land! And, if you get him late, you’d much rather play the creature than have a land. He isn’t efficient by any stretch, but he’s no slouch either.
Oblivion's Hunger image 1.0 This doesn’t even seem to be worth it in +1/+1 counter decks, as it is still too situational.
Scavenged Blade image 2.0 Two mana to give something +2/+0 isn’t an awesome rate, but you can kind of think of it as an Aura that sticks around to be used elsewhere in the later part of the game. Then, you factor in the fact that Equipment is a pretty big theme in this set in Red – and especially in Red/White, and this definitely is a card that will make the cut in your deck a decent chunk of the time.
Dauntless Survivor image 2.5 We have seen this card a lot, and it is always solid. At worst, it is a two mana 2/2 -- and it has the upside of being able to make some other more relevant creature get a +1/+1 counter in the later part of the game. The BG deck in this format also has +1/+1 counter synergies, AND it has a creature type relevant for partying, so it will be a nice two drop in multiple decks in this format.
Territorial Scythecat image 3.0 This will get large without a whole lot of effort, and that is really nice because it also happens to have Trample! It does die to just about everything initially, and sometimes it will be better to play it and then a land in the same turn to make it so fewer spells can take it down.
Cleansing Wildfire image 1.0 Two mana land destruction, with a cantrip! That would be super crazy if it didn’t also let your opponent replace the land that they lose. Now, that mostly means that, in terms of destroying opposing lands, it will mostly only be worth it if your opponent has powerful non-basics, and while there are some of those in this format, there aren’t enough for this to be used that way very often. In those situations, it is mostly just a cantrip. However, it is kind of a modal card. You can use it to destroy one of your own land to search up a basic land you might need -- like if you’re splashing. That isn’t amazing, but it does give Red decks a way to fix, and tacking a cantrip on to it makes it a little less painful. It can also trigger landfall, but the whole thing is just too situational.
Cleric of Chill Depths image 1.5 Look it is a creature that is a really good chump blocker! Unfortunately, that’s not really the kind of card you’ll want most of the time. If you need a two drop, and you’re trying to get there on party, you’ll play it.
Dreadwurm image 2.0 This will be indestructible sometimes, and that’s nice – but it will often also just be a 5-mana 5/4, and that’s not so nice.
Angelheart Protector image 2.0 Decent stats and a decent ETB trigger here. It won’t always do something -- but I think more often than not, it will give you an attack you didn’t have before you played the Protector. That, plus okayish stats make this a fine inclusion in White decks.
Mesa Lynx image 1.5 This is a 2-mana 2/1 as an attacker, and a two-mana ⅔ as a blocker. In this day and age, even a vanilla two-mana ⅔ would probably not be much more than a C, so a card that is only one half of the time is considerably worse. I would actually prefer it was a ⅔ during your turn than the other way around, since White is more often than not a color that wants to be attacking well early.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Turntimber Ascetic
Skyclave Shadowcat image 3.0 It starts out as a Hill Giant, but it can get larger, while also potentially drawing you extra cards, especially in the BG deck which is all about counters. Note, by the way, that you can sacrifice the creature at any time for the Shadowcat -- lately I feel like we’ve seen a lot of “you can only do this as a sorcery” on cards like this, but that’s not here. Additionally, the cat does count itself, so provided it gets 1 counter on it -- which it can make happen on its own -- it will replace itself when it dies.
Springmantle Cleric image 2.0 // 3.0 In a typical two color deck this is fine, and if you get there on a 3+ color deck, it improves to be a very efficient creature.
Turntimber Ascetic image 2.5 Decent stats +3 life, this will sometimes pull you out of a fire thanks to slowing down an aggressive assault and the life it gives you.
Akoum Hellhound image 1.5 This is going to be decent in really aggressive decks in this format, since it will usually attack on turn two as a ⅔ with no problem. But it isn’t going to be easy to trigger landfall multiple times a turn in this format, and that means that the Hellhound is going to become irrelevant somewhere around turn three in most cases. That means that less aggressive decks won’t want it at all, and even in the aggro decks it isn’t going to be incredible.
Pyroclastic Hellion image 2.5 This seems solid enough. Returning a land is a may clause here, so you only need to do it when you really want those 2 damage, or if returning a land otherwise benefits you.
Molten Blast image 1.5 3-mana to do two damage at instant speed is not so good – I mean, it is removal, but it is not efficient – you’ll basically always be trading down with it. But the modality here really matters. This set has plenty of good artifacts – not like, a million of them or anything – but enough that this will be blowing up artifacts on occasion too, and being able to have that in your main deck is real upside.
Cleric of Chill Depths image 1.5 Look it is a creature that is a really good chump blocker! Unfortunately, that’s not really the kind of card you’ll want most of the time. If you need a two drop, and you’re trying to get there on party, you’ll play it.
Kazandu Nectarpot image 1.5 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Resolute Strike image 1.5 One mana for +2/+2 is a pretty reasonable trick even if it has nothing else going on. It will usually make your creature win combat, and it will do it cheaply. The additional Warrior and Equipment upside here is nice, and any time you can Equip a creature for free with this you’re going to feel really great.
Expedition Champion image 2.5 A 4/3 for three mana is a decent creature for sure, though it isn’t really going to be taking over the game or anything like that, and it will still be a ⅔ some of the time. Seems like a solid card for Red Warrior decks, but not much more than that.
Angelheart Protector image 2.0 Decent stats and a decent ETB trigger here. It won’t always do something -- but I think more often than not, it will give you an attack you didn’t have before you played the Protector. That, plus okayish stats make this a fine inclusion in White decks.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Tajuru Blightblade
Paired Tactician image 3.0 His seems like a nice, if not incredible Warrior payoff. The Tactician will often still find itself to be vulnerable to an easy trade on its first attack even in situations where it attacks with a friend, as a 4/3 attacking on turn 4 isn’t exactly game-breaking -- but it can definitely snowball if you can support it.
Kazandu Stomper image 2.0 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Nimana Skydancer image 2.5 A 3-mana 2/1 with Flying and Flash is already a reasonable card, but this is also a Rogue that mills your opponent, and that’s something that the UB decks are pretty interested in.
Dreadwurm image 2.0 This will be indestructible sometimes, and that’s nice – but it will often also just be a 5-mana 5/4, and that’s not so nice.
Disenchant image 0.5 Look everyone, Disenchant is back! This format has a reasonable number of Enchantments and Artifacts, but probably not enough that you feel ok about mainboarding this. This is a sideboard card, and if you are playing it in your deck, you are probably pretty desperate.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
Tajuru Blightblade image 2.5 We see this card in lots of sets, and it is always fine. It can trade for anything, giving it relevance all game long, but it is never particularly impactful.
Dauntless Unity image 2.0 This is basically a better Inspired Charged – when you kick it, it is identical to the Charge, and it has the upside of also being usable for a slightly weaker effect for two mana.
Sneaking Guide image 1.5 There are definitely some sweet creatures you can make unblockable with this, and maybe if you get some of those it will be worth it. But you cut this a lot.
Nissa's Zendikon image 1.0 These types of Auras always underperform. It seems like it would be really efficient to put this on a land, but it doesn’t generally pan out that way. The land does come back, which in a roundabout way can help you trigger landfall, but this just asks for too much effort.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Territorial Scythecat
Mind Carver image 1.0 This can give a pretty big boost in the late game, but is incredibly mediocre early and expensive to equip. The Rogue decks just generally don’t need this, as they have way better payoffs and evasion.
Akoum Hellhound image 1.5 This is going to be decent in really aggressive decks in this format, since it will usually attack on turn two as a ⅔ with no problem. But it isn’t going to be easy to trigger landfall multiple times a turn in this format, and that means that the Hellhound is going to become irrelevant somewhere around turn three in most cases. That means that less aggressive decks won’t want it at all, and even in the aggro decks it isn’t going to be incredible.
Deliberate image 1.5 So, this is pretty similar to Anticipate – though it is likely a bit better. It is an Instant speed Preordain that costs twice as much. You get to see up to 3 cards when you use it, and if you happen to have two things on top of your library you really want, you can leave them both there, which is nice. And if you don’t want either, well, you can smooth out your draws – you get the picture. This kind of card often just feel very replaceable.
Disenchant image 0.5 Look everyone, Disenchant is back! This format has a reasonable number of Enchantments and Artifacts, but probably not enough that you feel ok about mainboarding this. This is a sideboard card, and if you are playing it in your deck, you are probably pretty desperate.
Blood Price image 1.5 Black always gets a draw spell like this one, and this one is a little overcosted. Two cards for two life and four mana just doesn’t seem worth it to me for the most part.
Molten Blast image 1.5 3-mana to do two damage at instant speed is not so good – I mean, it is removal, but it is not efficient – you’ll basically always be trading down with it. But the modality here really matters. This set has plenty of good artifacts – not like, a million of them or anything – but enough that this will be blowing up artifacts on occasion too, and being able to have that in your main deck is real upside.
Territorial Scythecat image 3.0 This will get large without a whole lot of effort, and that is really nice because it also happens to have Trample! It does die to just about everything initially, and sometimes it will be better to play it and then a land in the same turn to make it so fewer spells can take it down.
Kazandu Nectarpot image 1.5 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Tajuru Blightblade image 2.5 We see this card in lots of sets, and it is always fine. It can trade for anything, giving it relevance all game long, but it is never particularly impactful.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Cunning Geysermage
Kazandu Stomper image 2.0 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Sea Gate Banneret image 2.0 This is a one drop with a Party creature type, and that has some nice value in this set. Additionally, in the late game it has an ability that can have a significant impact.
Prowling Felidar image 2.5 This starts as a rather inefficient creature, but it will get larger throughout the game. Vigilance is always nice on a creature that is both a good attacker and a blocker, and this will certainly become that. I think in an ideal scenario, you play this and then a land in the same turn, that way you put it out of range of a bunch of removal. It does start fragile and inefficient, but it’s a nice Common.
Scale the Heights image 2.0 This does several little things, and they are generally enough for this to make the cut in your deck a significant chunk of the time, but they are also little enough that you won’t always play this.
Spare Supplies image 1.0 Two mana to draw a card, and 4 to draw two over the course of a couple of turns is..a thing? But in a set without artifact or sacrifice payoffs, I don’t see this making the cut most of the time.
Teeterpeak Ambusher image 2.0 This has decent starting stats, a party creature type, and an ability that can keep it relevant. Seems fine.
Cunning Geysermage image 2.5 This isn’t quite Roaming Ghostlight, but it seems alright. Early it can be a not completely horrible 3-mana 3/2, and in the later part of the game you can pay 6 for a 3/2 that bounces something That rate is admittedly not great, but any time you can add to the board while subtracting from your opponents’ feels pretty great.
Mesa Lynx image 1.5 This is a 2-mana 2/1 as an attacker, and a two-mana ⅔ as a blocker. In this day and age, even a vanilla two-mana ⅔ would probably not be much more than a C, so a card that is only one half of the time is considerably worse. I would actually prefer it was a ⅔ during your turn than the other way around, since White is more often than not a color that wants to be attacking well early.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Living Tempest
Living Tempest image 2.5 This is a functional reprint of cards like Stormrider Spirit and Wind Strider -- and those cards were probably slightly better, because both of them had creature types that had a tribal archetype in those formats, and Living Tempest does not. That said, it is still pretty decent. Flash has serious upside for any deck looking to cast expensive instants or hold up activated abilities, and even if you don’t have that stuff going on, this is large enough that it can flash in and gobble up a 2/2 or something like that, and then threaten the opponent in the air. It isn’t a special card or anything -- it is a solid playable.
Resolute Strike image 1.5 One mana for +2/+2 is a pretty reasonable trick even if it has nothing else going on. It will usually make your creature win combat, and it will do it cheaply. The additional Warrior and Equipment upside here is nice, and any time you can Equip a creature for free with this you’re going to feel really great.
Cleric of Chill Depths image 1.5 Look it is a creature that is a really good chump blocker! Unfortunately, that’s not really the kind of card you’ll want most of the time. If you need a two drop, and you’re trying to get there on party, you’ll play it.
Highborn Vampire image 1.5 So yeah, this is a vanilla creature, who comes with some upside because he has a creature type that fits into a “party.” A 4-mana 4/3 isn’t the worst rate for Limited, and I think the Warrior upside does enough to make this a card you’ll play a little more than you won’t.
Sizzling Barrage image 1.0 This removal is way too conditional, you should only be running if it you have no other removal.
Strength of Solidarity image 1.0 This can potentially give you a whole lot for only one mana! But…it can also potentially be blank card. The likelihood of it being blank is about as likely as it is that you have a full party. On average, it will probably give somewhere between 1 and 2 tokens, and that hardly seems worth it to me.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Taunting Arbormage
Taunting Arbormage image 2.5 A three mana ⅔ is usually not very good in Limited, but adding a good Kicker effect is a good way to make a card like that worthwhile. Now, make no mistake, kicking this wont’ always be worthwhile -- Lure effects are highly situational, and sometimes it will be useless. But sometimes it will also be gamebreaking, because it makes the rest of your board unblocked, or wipes out your opponent’s board by forcing them to block.
Cliffhaven Kitesail image 1.5 This seems fine. 1 mana to give something Flying is a reasonable rate, especially because it sticks around to give your other guys flying if they need it. It will, of course, be especially attractive in the RW deck that’s all about Equipment, but I think it is a reasonable inclusion anywhere.
Utility Knife image 1.0 Even with an Equipment deck in this format, Utility Knife isn’t really worth it. It gives an okay boost to start with, but the equip cost after that is just exorbitant.
Broken Wings image 1.5 This seems like it can target enough things that it is a reasonable main deck inclusion, though if you are playing Best of 3, you would probably much rather bring it in out of the sideboard.
Anticognition image 0.0 // 2.5 This ends up being a hard counter a significant chunk of the time, especially in UB which does a good job of milling. If you can’t consistently get this to be a hard counter, you probably don’t play it, but if you can it ends being a pretty nice card to have around.
Skyclave Sentinel image 1.5 So, this is mostly a payoff for decks that can put counters on stuff. This is mostly going to be BG, but White has some ways to do it too. It is kind of ok in the absence of +1/+1 counter stuff, as a 3-mana 2/3 with Flying and Defender with the possible option of being a 7 mana ¾ with Flying in the late game.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Sea Gate Colossus
Tuktuk Rubblefort image 0.5 I’m not the biggest fan of creatures with defender who want you to be aggressive – as those two things seem odd together, so I’m not interested.
Dauntless Unity image 2.0 This is basically a better Inspired Charged – when you kick it, it is identical to the Charge, and it has the upside of also being usable for a slightly weaker effect for two mana.
Utility Knife image 1.0 Even with an Equipment deck in this format, Utility Knife isn’t really worth it. It gives an okay boost to start with, but the equip cost after that is just exorbitant.
Cleric of Chill Depths image 1.5 Look it is a creature that is a really good chump blocker! Unfortunately, that’s not really the kind of card you’ll want most of the time. If you need a two drop, and you’re trying to get there on party, you’ll play it.
Sea Gate Colossus image 1.5 You have to be a party deck to really take advantage, because if you are paying any more than 5 for this it isn’t going to feel very good, and even then it is just a big guy with no evasion.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Dreadwurm
Oblivion's Hunger image 1.0 This doesn’t even seem to be worth it in +1/+1 counter decks, as it is still too situational.
Scavenged Blade image 2.0 Two mana to give something +2/+0 isn’t an awesome rate, but you can kind of think of it as an Aura that sticks around to be used elsewhere in the later part of the game. Then, you factor in the fact that Equipment is a pretty big theme in this set in Red – and especially in Red/White, and this definitely is a card that will make the cut in your deck a decent chunk of the time.
Cleansing Wildfire image 1.0 Two mana land destruction, with a cantrip! That would be super crazy if it didn’t also let your opponent replace the land that they lose. Now, that mostly means that, in terms of destroying opposing lands, it will mostly only be worth it if your opponent has powerful non-basics, and while there are some of those in this format, there aren’t enough for this to be used that way very often. In those situations, it is mostly just a cantrip. However, it is kind of a modal card. You can use it to destroy one of your own land to search up a basic land you might need -- like if you’re splashing. That isn’t amazing, but it does give Red decks a way to fix, and tacking a cantrip on to it makes it a little less painful. It can also trigger landfall, but the whole thing is just too situational.
Dreadwurm image 2.0 This will be indestructible sometimes, and that’s nice – but it will often also just be a 5-mana 5/4, and that’s not so nice.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Cleric of Chill Depths
Springmantle Cleric image 2.0 // 3.0 In a typical two color deck this is fine, and if you get there on a 3+ color deck, it improves to be a very efficient creature.
Cleric of Chill Depths image 1.5 Look it is a creature that is a really good chump blocker! Unfortunately, that’s not really the kind of card you’ll want most of the time. If you need a two drop, and you’re trying to get there on party, you’ll play it.
Kazandu Nectarpot image 1.5 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Nissa's Zendikon
Disenchant image 0.5 Look everyone, Disenchant is back! This format has a reasonable number of Enchantments and Artifacts, but probably not enough that you feel ok about mainboarding this. This is a sideboard card, and if you are playing it in your deck, you are probably pretty desperate.
Nissa's Zendikon image 1.0 These types of Auras always underperform. It seems like it would be really efficient to put this on a land, but it doesn’t generally pan out that way. The land does come back, which in a roundabout way can help you trigger landfall, but this just asks for too much effort.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Disenchant
Disenchant image 0.5 Look everyone, Disenchant is back! This format has a reasonable number of Enchantments and Artifacts, but probably not enough that you feel ok about mainboarding this. This is a sideboard card, and if you are playing it in your deck, you are probably pretty desperate.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Stonework Packbeast
Felidar Retreat image 5.0 This is really good. Sure, it is an Enchantment that, at least initially, doesn’t actually do anything, but the landfall triggers it offers are both very, very powerful. If you wait until a turn where you can play it AND play a land, it will be adding to the board immediately. If you have a nice board already, great – make it bigger and give it Vigilance until end of turn! If you’re lacking in board presence, that’s fine too – make a Cat token. This just gives you too much value for you to lose.
Rockslide Sorcerer image 4.0 This is a strong Uncommon. As I’ve said about other “Wizard, Instant, Sorcery” payoffs, I think they’re going to perform really well, especially in the UR deck. Having a deck with 10+ cards that can trigger this is not a far-fetched scenario, and that means this can ping a ton in a single game, which can allow you to pick off small creatures or go for your opponent’s dome. If you can play multiple cards to trigger it in the same turn, it will get really silly.
Shadow Stinger image 2.5 A ¼ with deathtouch is usually a pretty nice body -- it really prevents opponents from being able to swing with their ground creatures in many scenarios, and it attacks reasonably well too. This won’t always have it though, and overall isn’t that impressive. Yes, it mills some stuff, and the UB deck is certainly interested in doing that, but I think this card isn’t much more than solid, and if you can threaten death touch it will often get in for damage.
Silundi Vision image 2.0 Like most of these, one side is kind of inefficient and narrow, while the other side is a land -- and while that might not sound too great, it is way better than it looks. And it isn’t like you need a ton of instants and sorceries to make the spell side worth it, top 6 cards is a lot -- you could have 4 or 5 and have this be a land with upside.
Pyroclastic Hellion image 2.5 This seems solid enough. Returning a land is a may clause here, so you only need to do it when you really want those 2 damage, or if returning a land otherwise benefits you.
Skyclave Sentinel image 1.5 So, this is mostly a payoff for decks that can put counters on stuff. This is mostly going to be BG, but White has some ways to do it too. It is kind of ok in the absence of +1/+1 counter stuff, as a 3-mana 2/3 with Flying and Defender with the possible option of being a 7 mana ¾ with Flying in the late game.
Expedition Champion image 2.5 A 4/3 for three mana is a decent creature for sure, though it isn’t really going to be taking over the game or anything like that, and it will still be a ⅔ some of the time. Seems like a solid card for Red Warrior decks, but not much more than that.
Practiced Tactics image 3.0 It bothers me a ton that sometimes it will literally be a blank card, but that won’t happen a TON, and it also has some serious upside - though it is too bad they didn’t decide to make this one of the DFC lands. It is situational, but if it is typically doing 4 damage for one mana to a blocking or attacking creature, well, you’re getting a great deal.
Nimana Skitter-Sneak image 2.0 So, a 4-mana ¾ is kind of okayish, especially with a decent creature type. Then, if you are milling your opponent a bit, this can become a 4-mana 4/4 with Menace, which can make it into a real threat.
Stonework Packbeast image 3.5 This is a huge overachiever. It helps tie together Tribal or Party decks, and even the fixing it offers can be quite helpful.
Adventure Awaits image 1.0 We see a Green card like this in most sets, and they are always kind of meh. They give you some nice card selection, and it is also kind of nice that if you wiff on a creature, you still get a card out of it. Whiffing on a creature is unlikely in most limited decks, but it DOES happen sometimes, so having protection from this doing absolutely nothing is nice. That said, this type of card, especially at two mana, generally feels like it is easy to cut in most decks.
Shell Shield image 2.5 Because of all the kicker payoffs in this format, Shell Shield really overperforms. It allows you to save your creatures fairly cheaply, and it can sometimes also work more as a combat trick.
Tuktuk Rubblefort image 0.5 I’m not the biggest fan of creatures with defender who want you to be aggressive – as those two things seem odd together, so I’m not interested.
Sea Gate Banneret image 2.0 This is a one drop with a Party creature type, and that has some nice value in this set. Additionally, in the late game it has an ability that can have a significant impact.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Expedition Diviner
Kor Blademaster image 3.0 So, a two mana 1/1 with double strike is actually a reasonable rate -- it is effectively a 2/1 with upside, in that it can just outright kill X/1s in combat and is a great place to stick Equipment and Auras, and use combat tricks. This is already good with equipment, but the Equipped Warriors get double strike thing makes it even better. Now, you can’t really count on that always coming up, but obviously the RW deck will be the best at using it. It also means that playing it will sometimes immediately impact the board, since it may make your attacking creatures way scarier!
Skyclave Pick-Axe image 2.0 Sometimes this won’t give your creature a boost at all, and that will hurt, but on most turns early, this will be giving a creature +2/+2 for an initial investment of two mana, and if your deck has ways to abuse landfall, giving your creature +4/+4 on occasion won’t be that hard either! Like all the equipment in this set that equips for free the first time, this does have a steep Equip cost after that first time, but I think the initial Equip being free is enough to sort of counteract that.
Malakir Rebirth image 3.0 So, like most of these, it has one side that is pretty situational -- you have to have a creature die on your turn for it to even do anything, but when things line up that way, getting your creature back can feel pretty nice, especially if that creature has an ETB ability, because this will trigger it again, which is some sweet value. But things won’t always line up that way, and sometimes you’ll use this to save a creature, but you’re going down a card to do it since your creature can’t win combat anyway. But, you can just play it as a land if that’s true!
Expedition Diviner image 3.0 This is a nice common. A 4-mana 3/2 Flyer with the Wizard creature type would probably already be at least a C- in this format, and maybe even a C. Those stats are reasonable enough. But, by adding the “draw a card” Wizard payoff, you end up with a card that will be a 2-for-1 a decent chunk of the time, and I definitely like that.
Tajuru Blightblade image 2.5 We see this card in lots of sets, and it is always fine. It can trade for anything, giving it relevance all game long, but it is never particularly impactful.
Ardent Electromancer image 3.0 This is a key common for party decks, and it can really help you set up a double-spell turn three, which often is what you need to quickly win a game.
Nimana Skitter-Sneak image 2.0 So, a 4-mana ¾ is kind of okayish, especially with a decent creature type. Then, if you are milling your opponent a bit, this can become a 4-mana 4/4 with Menace, which can make it into a real threat.
Negate image 0.5 This doesn’t counter enough things to be something you want in your main deck.
Strength of Solidarity image 1.0 This can potentially give you a whole lot for only one mana! But…it can also potentially be blank card. The likelihood of it being blank is about as likely as it is that you have a full party. On average, it will probably give somewhere between 1 and 2 tokens, and that hardly seems worth it to me.
Ghastly Gloomhunter image 2.0 This isn’t very efficient cast normally OR with Kicker, but the flexibility to choose either is enough to make that inefficiency matter less, as is the fact that it can gain you some life, which the BW deck really cares about.
Expedition Skulker image 2.5 This is a decent little two drop. It has a relevant creature type for the format, and it will have deathtouch pretty often.
Scorch Rider image 2.0 So, a 4-man 4/3 is generally a C- these days. It is reasonable stats to be sure, but not anything special either. The Kicker here isn’t super exciting either, as a 6-mana 4/3 with Haste is not especially good -- BUT that’s not really the way to look at cards with Kicker. If it has a reasonable base line, as this does -- the fact it can have Haste later in the game is just upside.
Cliffhaven Sell-Sword image 1.5 Two mana 3/1s tend to be fine for aggro decks. This one is also a Warrior, so it gives you some Party synergy.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Windrider Wizard
Confounding Conundrum image 0.5 Since this thing, at worst, is a blank card with Cycling, I think it does avoid being 100% unplayable. That said, even in a set with a bunch of landfalls, the additional text on this card just won’t come up much.
Windrider Wizard image 3.5 This has decent stats and a pretty good Wizard payoff, looting is always a good way to improve your draws.
Khalni Ambush image 3.5 This is one of the better uncommon modal DFCs in this set. That’s because one side of it is a removal spell. Sure, it is Pounce for one more mana -- but the fact it can be removal when that works out for you, or a land when that’s what you need is just super good. Being an Instant also means that the Fight side of the card will find more windows than Sorcery speed versions of that effect.
Kazandu Stomper image 2.0 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Molten Blast image 1.5 3-mana to do two damage at instant speed is not so good – I mean, it is removal, but it is not efficient – you’ll basically always be trading down with it. But the modality here really matters. This set has plenty of good artifacts – not like, a million of them or anything – but enough that this will be blowing up artifacts on occasion too, and being able to have that in your main deck is real upside.
Anticognition image 0.0 // 2.5 This ends up being a hard counter a significant chunk of the time, especially in UB which does a good job of milling. If you can’t consistently get this to be a hard counter, you probably don’t play it, but if you can it ends being a pretty nice card to have around.
Blood Price image 1.5 Black always gets a draw spell like this one, and this one is a little overcosted. Two cards for two life and four mana just doesn’t seem worth it to me for the most part.
Expedition Diviner image 3.0 This is a nice common. A 4-mana 3/2 Flyer with the Wizard creature type would probably already be at least a C- in this format, and maybe even a C. Those stats are reasonable enough. But, by adding the “draw a card” Wizard payoff, you end up with a card that will be a 2-for-1 a decent chunk of the time, and I definitely like that.
Vanquish the Weak image 2.5 This can kill stuff at Instant speed, but it is a bit situational. It falls short of premium removal.
Resolute Strike image 1.5 One mana for +2/+2 is a pretty reasonable trick even if it has nothing else going on. It will usually make your creature win combat, and it will do it cheaply. The additional Warrior and Equipment upside here is nice, and any time you can Equip a creature for free with this you’re going to feel really great.
Smite the Monstrous image 2.0 We see this a lot. It is always an ok removal spell. It is conditional, but at least it is an instant, and it can kill some big stuff.
Strength of Solidarity image 1.0 This can potentially give you a whole lot for only one mana! But…it can also potentially be blank card. The likelihood of it being blank is about as likely as it is that you have a full party. On average, it will probably give somewhere between 1 and 2 tokens, and that hardly seems worth it to me.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Tazeem Roilmage
Rockslide Sorcerer image 4.0 This is a strong Uncommon. As I’ve said about other “Wizard, Instant, Sorcery” payoffs, I think they’re going to perform really well, especially in the UR deck. Having a deck with 10+ cards that can trigger this is not a far-fetched scenario, and that means this can ping a ton in a single game, which can allow you to pick off small creatures or go for your opponent’s dome. If you can play multiple cards to trigger it in the same turn, it will get really silly.
Thwart the Grave image 4.0 Even if you have 0 party members, this will usually be reanimating two things from your graveyard. Sure, to get two things back you will need at least one creature with a party creature type in your graveyard, but that isn’t exactly a hard ask in this format. Paying the full six mana for two reanimated creatures is definitely worth it, and if that’s all this was, I would think it would be a solid playable. It is a bit costly, and requires some set up, but it has a very big impact. But this is actually better than that, because you will frequently be casting it for 5 or less mana.
Shadow Stinger image 2.5 A ¼ with deathtouch is usually a pretty nice body -- it really prevents opponents from being able to swing with their ground creatures in many scenarios, and it attacks reasonably well too. This won’t always have it though, and overall isn’t that impressive. Yes, it mills some stuff, and the UB deck is certainly interested in doing that, but I think this card isn’t much more than solid, and if you can threaten death touch it will often get in for damage.
Tazeem Roilmage image 3.0 A two mana 2/1 is a D+ at best these days, we just expect better stats for a two mana investment. However, the kicker upside here is quite strong in the late game.
Cleansing Wildfire image 1.0 Two mana land destruction, with a cantrip! That would be super crazy if it didn’t also let your opponent replace the land that they lose. Now, that mostly means that, in terms of destroying opposing lands, it will mostly only be worth it if your opponent has powerful non-basics, and while there are some of those in this format, there aren’t enough for this to be used that way very often. In those situations, it is mostly just a cantrip. However, it is kind of a modal card. You can use it to destroy one of your own land to search up a basic land you might need -- like if you’re splashing. That isn’t amazing, but it does give Red decks a way to fix, and tacking a cantrip on to it makes it a little less painful. It can also trigger landfall, but the whole thing is just too situational.
Malakir Blood-Priest image 3.0 This is a key common for party decks, as draining 2+ life with it is pretty easy to do in those decks, even just play it on curve.
Stonework Packbeast image 3.5 This is a huge overachiever. It helps tie together Tribal or Party decks, and even the fixing it offers can be quite helpful.
Prowling Felidar image 2.5 This starts as a rather inefficient creature, but it will get larger throughout the game. Vigilance is always nice on a creature that is both a good attacker and a blocker, and this will certainly become that. I think in an ideal scenario, you play this and then a land in the same turn, that way you put it out of range of a bunch of removal. It does start fragile and inefficient, but it’s a nice Common.
Smite the Monstrous image 2.0 We see this a lot. It is always an ok removal spell. It is conditional, but at least it is an instant, and it can kill some big stuff.
Living Tempest image 2.5 This is a functional reprint of cards like Stormrider Spirit and Wind Strider -- and those cards were probably slightly better, because both of them had creature types that had a tribal archetype in those formats, and Living Tempest does not. That said, it is still pretty decent. Flash has serious upside for any deck looking to cast expensive instants or hold up activated abilities, and even if you don’t have that stuff going on, this is large enough that it can flash in and gobble up a 2/2 or something like that, and then threaten the opponent in the air. It isn’t a special card or anything -- it is a solid playable.
Hagra Constrictor image 2.5 On its own, the Constrictor is a 3-mana 2/2 with Menace. However, this set has enough +1/+1 stuff going on, with BG as the +1/+1 counter deck this time going around, that the Constrictor will often immediately impact the board, making one of your other creatures much more difficult to block effectively.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Kazandu Stomper
Kitesail Cleric image 3.0 I like one mana 1/1 flyers who have some late game utility. They can do damage early if that’s what you need, and then in the late game have an effect that will have a larger impact. For the Cleric, that involves Kicking it, at which point it becomes a 4-mana 1/1 Flyer that taps down two opposing creatures.
Anticognition image 0.0 // 2.5 This ends up being a hard counter a significant chunk of the time, especially in UB which does a good job of milling. If you can’t consistently get this to be a hard counter, you probably don’t play it, but if you can it ends being a pretty nice card to have around.
Sea Gate Banneret image 2.0 This is a one drop with a Party creature type, and that has some nice value in this set. Additionally, in the late game it has an ability that can have a significant impact.
Cleric of Chill Depths image 1.5 Look it is a creature that is a really good chump blocker! Unfortunately, that’s not really the kind of card you’ll want most of the time. If you need a two drop, and you’re trying to get there on party, you’ll play it.
Kazandu Nectarpot image 1.5 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Subtle Strike image 2.5 Because you can both weaken a creature and make yours bigger, it has two-for-one potential, and that can’t be overlooked. That situation won’t always be how it works out -- but sometimes, you’ll be able to kill an X/1 and pump your creature to win combat against something else, and it is great that the boost is permanent. Even if that doesn’t line up, the flexibility of this card does usually mean it will help your creatures win combat one way or another.
Cliffhaven Sell-Sword image 1.5 Two mana 3/1s tend to be fine for aggro decks. This one is also a Warrior, so it gives you some Party synergy.
Kazandu Stomper image 2.0 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Practiced Tactics image 3.0 It bothers me a ton that sometimes it will literally be a blank card, but that won’t happen a TON, and it also has some serious upside - though it is too bad they didn’t decide to make this one of the DFC lands. It is situational, but if it is typically doing 4 damage for one mana to a blocking or attacking creature, well, you’re getting a great deal.
Mind Drain image 1.5 So, here is a strictly better Mind Rot! It adds draining life and milling a card to the mix, in addition to making your opponent discard the two cards. Playing it early is sometimes a liability because it means you aren’t adding to the board on turn three, and getting it late can be bad too, because your opponent is in top deck mode. Mid-game or so is usually where it is at its best. Mind Drain adds enough extra stuff to the mix to overcome Mind Rot’s usual problem though -- it will do something no matter what. And sure, draining your opponent for 1 and milling their top card for three isn’t a good deal, but it is a heck of a lot better than a dead card, which Mind Rot often is.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Roiling Regrowth
Roiling Regrowth image 2.0 This is a strictly worse Harrow -- but Harrow is a pretty nice card, so that’s an ok place to be. Roiling Regrowth gives you fixing, even potentially enabling you to splash a card with double-colored mana, and that is pretty nice. In addition to that, as you might have heard, this set has a bunch of landfall, and triggering landfall twice at instant speed is pretty powerful.
Skyclave Sentinel image 1.5 So, this is mostly a payoff for decks that can put counters on stuff. This is mostly going to be BG, but White has some ways to do it too. It is kind of ok in the absence of +1/+1 counter stuff, as a 3-mana 2/3 with Flying and Defender with the possible option of being a 7 mana ¾ with Flying in the late game.
Strength of Solidarity image 1.0 This can potentially give you a whole lot for only one mana! But…it can also potentially be blank card. The likelihood of it being blank is about as likely as it is that you have a full party. On average, it will probably give somewhere between 1 and 2 tokens, and that hardly seems worth it to me.
Kazandu Nectarpot image 1.5 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Fissure Wizard image 2.5 This is pretty unexciting. It does a bunch of meh stuff. It has bad stats for the cost, it lets you rummage, and it has a creature type that matters in this format. While none of that is exciting, it coming all together does make it a decent enough playable.
Mesa Lynx image 1.5 This is a 2-mana 2/1 as an attacker, and a two-mana ⅔ as a blocker. In this day and age, even a vanilla two-mana ⅔ would probably not be much more than a C, so a card that is only one half of the time is considerably worse. I would actually prefer it was a ⅔ during your turn than the other way around, since White is more often than not a color that wants to be attacking well early.
Shell Shield image 2.5 Because of all the kicker payoffs in this format, Shell Shield really overperforms. It allows you to save your creatures fairly cheaply, and it can sometimes also work more as a combat trick.
Ardent Electromancer image 3.0 This is a key common for party decks, and it can really help you set up a double-spell turn three, which often is what you need to quickly win a game.
Kazandu Stomper image 2.0 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Seafloor Stalker
Ghastly Gloomhunter image 2.0 This isn’t very efficient cast normally OR with Kicker, but the flexibility to choose either is enough to make that inefficiency matter less, as is the fact that it can gain you some life, which the BW deck really cares about.
Seafloor Stalker image 2.5 A 3-mana ⅔ isn’t good, and paying 4 to make it unblockable and give it a power boost does mean it stays relevant in the late game. And obviously you can end up paying even less -- paying 3 or 2 for the boost is much better, and obviously turning this into Blue firebreathing with a full party is kind of funny. This isn’t a bad way to close out games in this format.
Nissa's Zendikon image 1.0 These types of Auras always underperform. It seems like it would be really efficient to put this on a land, but it doesn’t generally pan out that way. The land does come back, which in a roundabout way can help you trigger landfall, but this just asks for too much effort.
Sneaking Guide image 1.5 There are definitely some sweet creatures you can make unblockable with this, and maybe if you get some of those it will be worth it. But you cut this a lot.
Tazeem Raptor image 3.0 This has decent stats and it lets you return lands to your hand, which is useful for trigger landfall, and useful for returning MDFC lands.
Cleansing Wildfire image 1.0 Two mana land destruction, with a cantrip! That would be super crazy if it didn’t also let your opponent replace the land that they lose. Now, that mostly means that, in terms of destroying opposing lands, it will mostly only be worth it if your opponent has powerful non-basics, and while there are some of those in this format, there aren’t enough for this to be used that way very often. In those situations, it is mostly just a cantrip. However, it is kind of a modal card. You can use it to destroy one of your own land to search up a basic land you might need -- like if you’re splashing. That isn’t amazing, but it does give Red decks a way to fix, and tacking a cantrip on to it makes it a little less painful. It can also trigger landfall, but the whole thing is just too situational.
Angelheart Protector image 2.0 Decent stats and a decent ETB trigger here. It won’t always do something -- but I think more often than not, it will give you an attack you didn’t have before you played the Protector. That, plus okayish stats make this a fine inclusion in White decks.
Spitfire Lagac image 1.5 This has underwhelming stats and unimpressive landfall trigger. You’ll play it less than you’ll cut it.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Scale the Heights
Resolute Strike image 1.5 One mana for +2/+2 is a pretty reasonable trick even if it has nothing else going on. It will usually make your creature win combat, and it will do it cheaply. The additional Warrior and Equipment upside here is nice, and any time you can Equip a creature for free with this you’re going to feel really great.
Anticognition image 0.0 // 2.5 This ends up being a hard counter a significant chunk of the time, especially in UB which does a good job of milling. If you can’t consistently get this to be a hard counter, you probably don’t play it, but if you can it ends being a pretty nice card to have around.
Sneaking Guide image 1.5 There are definitely some sweet creatures you can make unblockable with this, and maybe if you get some of those it will be worth it. But you cut this a lot.
Kazandu Stomper image 2.0 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Utility Knife image 1.0 Even with an Equipment deck in this format, Utility Knife isn’t really worth it. It gives an okay boost to start with, but the equip cost after that is just exorbitant.
Mind Drain image 1.5 So, here is a strictly better Mind Rot! It adds draining life and milling a card to the mix, in addition to making your opponent discard the two cards. Playing it early is sometimes a liability because it means you aren’t adding to the board on turn three, and getting it late can be bad too, because your opponent is in top deck mode. Mid-game or so is usually where it is at its best. Mind Drain adds enough extra stuff to the mix to overcome Mind Rot’s usual problem though -- it will do something no matter what. And sure, draining your opponent for 1 and milling their top card for three isn’t a good deal, but it is a heck of a lot better than a dead card, which Mind Rot often is.
Scale the Heights image 2.0 This does several little things, and they are generally enough for this to make the cut in your deck a significant chunk of the time, but they are also little enough that you won’t always play this.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Skyclave Sentinel
Skyclave Sentinel image 1.5 So, this is mostly a payoff for decks that can put counters on stuff. This is mostly going to be BG, but White has some ways to do it too. It is kind of ok in the absence of +1/+1 counter stuff, as a 3-mana 2/3 with Flying and Defender with the possible option of being a 7 mana ¾ with Flying in the late game.
Practiced Tactics image 3.0 It bothers me a ton that sometimes it will literally be a blank card, but that won’t happen a TON, and it also has some serious upside - though it is too bad they didn’t decide to make this one of the DFC lands. It is situational, but if it is typically doing 4 damage for one mana to a blocking or attacking creature, well, you’re getting a great deal.
Adventure Awaits image 1.0 We see a Green card like this in most sets, and they are always kind of meh. They give you some nice card selection, and it is also kind of nice that if you wiff on a creature, you still get a card out of it. Whiffing on a creature is unlikely in most limited decks, but it DOES happen sometimes, so having protection from this doing absolutely nothing is nice. That said, this type of card, especially at two mana, generally feels like it is easy to cut in most decks.
Shell Shield image 2.5 Because of all the kicker payoffs in this format, Shell Shield really overperforms. It allows you to save your creatures fairly cheaply, and it can sometimes also work more as a combat trick.
Tuktuk Rubblefort image 0.5 I’m not the biggest fan of creatures with defender who want you to be aggressive – as those two things seem odd together, so I’m not interested.
Sea Gate Banneret image 2.0 This is a one drop with a Party creature type, and that has some nice value in this set. Additionally, in the late game it has an ability that can have a significant impact.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Strength of Solidarity
Ardent Electromancer image 3.0 This is a key common for party decks, and it can really help you set up a double-spell turn three, which often is what you need to quickly win a game.
Nimana Skitter-Sneak image 2.0 So, a 4-mana ¾ is kind of okayish, especially with a decent creature type. Then, if you are milling your opponent a bit, this can become a 4-mana 4/4 with Menace, which can make it into a real threat.
Negate image 0.5 This doesn’t counter enough things to be something you want in your main deck.
Strength of Solidarity image 1.0 This can potentially give you a whole lot for only one mana! But…it can also potentially be blank card. The likelihood of it being blank is about as likely as it is that you have a full party. On average, it will probably give somewhere between 1 and 2 tokens, and that hardly seems worth it to me.
Scorch Rider image 2.0 So, a 4-man 4/3 is generally a C- these days. It is reasonable stats to be sure, but not anything special either. The Kicker here isn’t super exciting either, as a 6-mana 4/3 with Haste is not especially good -- BUT that’s not really the way to look at cards with Kicker. If it has a reasonable base line, as this does -- the fact it can have Haste later in the game is just upside.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Strength of Solidarity
Kazandu Stomper image 2.0 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Blood Price image 1.5 Black always gets a draw spell like this one, and this one is a little overcosted. Two cards for two life and four mana just doesn’t seem worth it to me for the most part.
Smite the Monstrous image 2.0 We see this a lot. It is always an ok removal spell. It is conditional, but at least it is an instant, and it can kill some big stuff.
Strength of Solidarity image 1.0 This can potentially give you a whole lot for only one mana! But…it can also potentially be blank card. The likelihood of it being blank is about as likely as it is that you have a full party. On average, it will probably give somewhere between 1 and 2 tokens, and that hardly seems worth it to me.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Smite the Monstrous
Cleansing Wildfire image 1.0 Two mana land destruction, with a cantrip! That would be super crazy if it didn’t also let your opponent replace the land that they lose. Now, that mostly means that, in terms of destroying opposing lands, it will mostly only be worth it if your opponent has powerful non-basics, and while there are some of those in this format, there aren’t enough for this to be used that way very often. In those situations, it is mostly just a cantrip. However, it is kind of a modal card. You can use it to destroy one of your own land to search up a basic land you might need -- like if you’re splashing. That isn’t amazing, but it does give Red decks a way to fix, and tacking a cantrip on to it makes it a little less painful. It can also trigger landfall, but the whole thing is just too situational.
Smite the Monstrous image 2.0 We see this a lot. It is always an ok removal spell. It is conditional, but at least it is an instant, and it can kill some big stuff.
Hagra Constrictor image 2.5 On its own, the Constrictor is a 3-mana 2/2 with Menace. However, this set has enough +1/+1 stuff going on, with BG as the +1/+1 counter deck this time going around, that the Constrictor will often immediately impact the board, making one of your other creatures much more difficult to block effectively.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Practiced Tactics
Cleric of Chill Depths image 1.5 Look it is a creature that is a really good chump blocker! Unfortunately, that’s not really the kind of card you’ll want most of the time. If you need a two drop, and you’re trying to get there on party, you’ll play it.
Practiced Tactics image 3.0 It bothers me a ton that sometimes it will literally be a blank card, but that won’t happen a TON, and it also has some serious upside - though it is too bad they didn’t decide to make this one of the DFC lands. It is situational, but if it is typically doing 4 damage for one mana to a blocking or attacking creature, well, you’re getting a great deal.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Strength of Solidarity
Strength of Solidarity image 1.0 This can potentially give you a whole lot for only one mana! But…it can also potentially be blank card. The likelihood of it being blank is about as likely as it is that you have a full party. On average, it will probably give somewhere between 1 and 2 tokens, and that hardly seems worth it to me.
Draft Pick Overview