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Quick Draft ZNR 04.januar 2021

4 January 04:35 - Madigio 7 Wins - 1 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (13)
1 Ghastly Gloomhunter image
1 Seafloor Stalker image
1 Thieving Skydiver image
1 Joraga Visionary image
1 Ruin Crab image
1 Merfolk Windrobber image
1 Nimana Skitter-Sneak image
1 Lullmage's Familiar image
3 Tazeem Roilmage image
1 Kazandu Stomper image
1 Cunning Geysermage image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (10)
1 Blood Price image
1 Anticognition image
1 Mind Drain image
1 Might of Murasa image
1 Hagra Mauling image
1 Roost of Drakes image
1 Roiling Regrowth image
1 Blood Beckoning image
1 Bloodchief's Thirst image
1 Reclaim the Wastes image
Land (17)
7 Forest image
6 Island image
4 Swamp image
Sideboard
1 Skyclave Geopede image
2 Zulaport Duelist image
1 Pyroclastic Hellion image
1 Scorch Rider image
1 Spitfire Lagac image
1 Dauntless Survivor image
1 Marauding Blight-Priest image
1 Cleric of Chill Depths image
1 Dreadwurm image
1 Murasa Brute image
1 Mesa Lynx image
1 Might of Murasa image
2 Cleansing Wildfire image
1 Relic Vial image
1 Nissa's Zendikon image
1 Adventure Awaits image
1 Spare Supplies image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Thieving Skydiver
Thieving Skydiver image 3.5 So, two mana 2/1 flyers tend to be pretty solid but this comes with some very real upside since if you Kick it you can steal Artifacts. This set isn’t filled with artifacts -- if it were, this would be a bomb -- but I think there are enough artifacts, including Equipment that it equips to itself for free, that this will probably manage to steal you an artifact once or twice during a draft -- and that’s some good upside on an efficient evasive creature.
Iridescent Hornbeetle image 3.5 This is a pretty sweet +1/+1 counter payoff. Keep in mind it gives you a creature token for each +1/+1 counter. We frequently see effects like this that only count instances of counters, but the Hornbeetle counts each counter individually, so it will be producing a nice little army for you. Now, it is important to remember that it isn’t a trigger that happens right away, it only triggers at the end of your turn, so players will be able to kill this before it spits out the tokens sometimes.
Murasa Rootgrazer image 3.0 The goal here is to abuse Landfall with this Beast, and if past visits to Zendikar are any indication, triggering landfall a bunch is a good way to win.
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.
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.
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.
Makindi Ox image 1.5 This is too expensive for the aggro decks that might normally be interested in tapping something down, and not impactful enough for control deck, so you don’t play it very often.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Skyclave Geopede
Skyclave Geopede image 3.0 This creature is going to be pretty scary on the board in the early game. It will typically be a 5/3 with Trample, and if you can back it up with removal and/or tricks it is going to wreck face. Still, only 3 toughness on an attacking creature on turn 4 isn’t exactly incredible, so you will frequently need those other cards to really back it up.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 3: Joraga Visionary
Base Camp image 1.5 So this can be an okay land if you’re in a Party deck – those decks will predominately be UW and BR, colors that normally don’t have access to fixing – but if you have a couple of these, you can gain access to a lot of interesting party members.
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.
Zof Consumption image 3.0 I think a lot of people will come into this format underestimating just how good it is to have a land that can actually do something impactful in the late game. It is not dissimilar from having a non-basic land with a sacrifice ability that comes up in the late game -- and that upside is always great. Sure, paying 6 to draw your opponent 4 life would not be a good card if that’s all this was, but the fact that this can also just be a regular old land for you early is a huge upgrade -- just as the fact that it can do something in the later game is a huge upgrade.
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.
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.
Expedition Healer image 3.0 This just turns out to have lifelink a significant chunk of the time, and with the powerful lifegain payoffs around, that feels pretty good.
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.
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.
Grotag Bug-Catcher image 3.0 This is a key common for aggressive Party decks. It often attacks as a 3/2 on turn two, and in the later game can big enough to just keep swinging.
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.
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.
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 1 Pick 4: Ruin Crab
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Merfolk Windrobber
Attended Healer image 3.5 This is a powerful life gain AND cleric payoff. Getting a cat token the first time you gain life each turn is nice, especially because the Healer can make sure you are gaining that life, provided there are some other Clerics lying around. The activated ability isn’t exactly cheap, so I think that for the Healer to really shine, you are hoping to have some other ways to trigger the life gain clause. The good news is that is very doable in this format.
Merfolk Windrobber image 3.0 This is a nice one drop, especially for the Rogue deck, because it lets you get in some damage early and start stocking up the graveyard. Then, in the late game, you can cash it in to draw a card, which gives it utility even when it can no longer attack.
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.
Spitfire Lagac image 1.5 This has underwhelming stats and unimpressive landfall trigger. You’ll play it less than you’ll cut it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Skyclave Squid image 1.5 So, a two mana 3/2 – even if it could attack all the time – isn’t actually super incredible in Limited. Don’t get me wrong, that’s obviously better than a 2-mana 2/2 – but in this day and age a vanilla grizzly bear just isn’t good. Adding one power is better, but it isn’t so efficient that it doesn’t still die to pretty much all the two drops in combat.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Nimana Skitter-Sneak
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sizzling Barrage image 1.0 This removal is way too conditional, you should only be running if it you have no other removal.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Zulaport Duelist
Cinderclasm image 2.0 Being able to do one to everything at instant speed for one mana, or two to everything for three, seems like an okay deal to me. Obviously, if your deck is loaded up with little guys you’re going to want to be playing it, but if you are in a grinder Red deck, this will feel pretty good. Just killing one thing with it is kind of ok, and doing more than that will feel really good.
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.
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.
Zulaport Duelist image 2.0 This isn’t Faerie Duelist, but its kind of a similar creature. You can sometimes use it to really mess up combat for your opponent, and even when you can’t you do at least get a creature that can prevent some damage while also milling a bit.
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.
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.
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.
Spitfire Lagac image 1.5 This has underwhelming stats and unimpressive landfall trigger. You’ll play it less than you’ll cut it.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Pyroclastic Hellion
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Mind Drain
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.
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.
Makindi Ox image 1.5 This is too expensive for the aggro decks that might normally be interested in tapping something down, and not impactful enough for control deck, so you don’t play it very often.
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.
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.
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 1 Pick 10: Scorch Rider
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.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
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 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.
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 11: Might of Murasa
Base Camp image 1.5 So this can be an okay land if you’re in a Party deck – those decks will predominately be UW and BR, colors that normally don’t have access to fixing – but if you have a couple of these, you can gain access to a lot of interesting party members.
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.
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.
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 12: Cleansing Wildfire
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Spitfire Lagac
Spitfire Lagac image 1.5 This has underwhelming stats and unimpressive landfall trigger. You’ll play it less than you’ll cut it.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Cleansing Wildfire
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.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Hagra Mauling
Hagra Mauling image 4.0 4-mana to kill a creature at instant speed is premium removal. Now, To be clear, it will never, ever cost three mana in Limited, because your opponent controlling 0 basic lands just won’t happen, but it can also be a land if that’s what you need!
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.
Relic Axe image 3.5 This reminds me of Pirate’s Cutlass, and that’s a very good place to be, as that was one of the best non-rare piece of Equipment we have seen in Limited in a long time. This actually costs one less than the Cutlass, and when you have a Warrior in play, it will be even better! Where it isn’t quite as good as the Cutlass is in the fact that it does not give the same pump to non Warriors. Still, it actually has a pretty reasonable Equip cost after that first one you get as a freebe.
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!
Canopy Baloth image 2.5 This has decent starting stats and attacks pretty hard when you trigger landfall. It is a solid Common.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sizzling Barrage image 1.0 This removal is way too conditional, you should only be running if it you have no other removal.
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.
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.
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.
Zulaport Duelist image 2.0 This isn’t Faerie Duelist, but its kind of a similar creature. You can sometimes use it to really mess up combat for your opponent, and even when you can’t you do at least get a creature that can prevent some damage while also milling a bit.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Roost of Drakes
Lullmage's Familiar image 3.5 This has reasonable defensive stats, helps you ramp, and gives you a reasonable Kicker payoff. And, obviously, the ramp part of the card helps you kick things in the first place.
Roost of Drakes image 5.0 This is a huge bomb, not something we often see at Uncommon, but that’s what this is. There is a lot of Kicker int his set, and not ending up with like 5 cards with it is pretty unheard of, and even if that’s all you have, this is a very good card in your deck. It won’t feel like a bomb in those situations, but it will still be a great card! At worst, this is a 4-mana 2/2 with Flying that comes with that kicker pay off, and at best, it completely takes over the game and overwhelms your opponent – and that last part happens way more often than you might think.
Iridescent Hornbeetle image 3.5 This is a pretty sweet +1/+1 counter payoff. Keep in mind it gives you a creature token for each +1/+1 counter. We frequently see effects like this that only count instances of counters, but the Hornbeetle counts each counter individually, so it will be producing a nice little army for you. Now, it is important to remember that it isn’t a trigger that happens right away, it only triggers at the end of your turn, so players will be able to kill this before it spits out the tokens sometimes.
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.
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.
Spitfire Lagac image 1.5 This has underwhelming stats and unimpressive landfall trigger. You’ll play it less than you’ll cut it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 2 Pick 3: Cunning Geysermage
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Expedition Healer image 3.0 This just turns out to have lifelink a significant chunk of the time, and with the powerful lifegain payoffs around, that feels pretty good.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Inordinate Rage image 1.5 This is an alright trick. You’ll run it in super aggressive decks but not anywhere else.
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 4: Lullmage's Familiar
Lullmage's Familiar image 3.5 This has reasonable defensive stats, helps you ramp, and gives you a reasonable Kicker payoff. And, obviously, the ramp part of the card helps you kick things in the first place.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Skyclave Squid image 1.5 So, a two mana 3/2 – even if it could attack all the time – isn’t actually super incredible in Limited. Don’t get me wrong, that’s obviously better than a 2-mana 2/2 – but in this day and age a vanilla grizzly bear just isn’t good. Adding one power is better, but it isn’t so efficient that it doesn’t still die to pretty much all the two drops in combat.
Tajuru Snarecaster image 1.5 We see this card in lots of sets -- it is just usually a Spider. Like all those times, this is something you’ll play in your Green decks because you tend to not have great ways of dealing with flyers, but it won’t even always make the cut.
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.
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.
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 5: Tazeem Roilmage
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.
Relic Amulet image 3.5 This doesn’t have to sacrifice to use its ability, so in a UR deck it often becomes a repeatable source of removal that is difficult for your opponent to overcome. It can be a bit slow, but this is great in those decks.
Negate image 0.5 This doesn’t counter enough things to be something you want in your main deck.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
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 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.
Pack 2 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.
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.
Glacial Grasp image 2.0 So, on a base level, this is Divination, a card that is a decent playable in most Limited formats -- somewhere between a C- and a C. But, this becomes more powerful in the late game, drawing you three cards if you have the spare mana around to do it. Now, 6-mana at Sorcery speed to draw 3 cards is pretty clunky, but it is attached to what is already a reasonable card, which means being able to cast it with Kicker is all upside.
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.
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.
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.
Sizzling Barrage image 1.0 This removal is way too conditional, you should only be running if it you have no other removal.
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.
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 2 Pick 7: Blood Beckoning
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Relic Vial
Relic Vial image 3.0 This is a great Cleric payoff, as it makes it very difficult for your opponent to race you. If you attack with a board full of clerics, this creates a nightmare situation. There are plenty of payoffs in this set for gaining life, and that’s what really puts the Vial over the edge.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Zulaport Duelist
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.
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.
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.
Sizzling Barrage image 1.0 This removal is way too conditional, you should only be running if it you have no other removal.
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.
Zulaport Duelist image 2.0 This isn’t Faerie Duelist, but its kind of a similar creature. You can sometimes use it to really mess up combat for your opponent, and even when you can’t you do at least get a creature that can prevent some damage while also milling a bit.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Tazeem Roilmage
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.
Spitfire Lagac image 1.5 This has underwhelming stats and unimpressive landfall trigger. You’ll play it less than you’ll cut it.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Marauding Blight-Priest
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.
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.
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.
Inordinate Rage image 1.5 This is an alright trick. You’ll run it in super aggressive decks but not anywhere else.
Pack 2 Pick 12: 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.
Tajuru Snarecaster image 1.5 We see this card in lots of sets -- it is just usually a Spider. Like all those times, this is something you’ll play in your Green decks because you tend to not have great ways of dealing with flyers, but it won’t even always make the cut.
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 13: Might of Murasa
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.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Adventure Awaits
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.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Bloodchief's Thirst
Shatterskull Charger image 4.0 A 3-mana 4/3 with Haste and Trample that has to return to your hand every turn would be playable – while returning to your hand is part downside, your opponent also usually has to alter their plan just because of the threat of it coming down. Kicking this is obviously better though – then it becomes a 5-mana 5/4 with Trample and Haste, and that’s pretty nice. This is mostly a 5-mana 5/4 with Trample and Haste, but one that has the upside of being able to Dash in and do some damage before he’s ready to stick around on the board.
Canyon Jerboa image 3.5 Well, this seems like a strong uncommon. Sure, he’s a little guy who dies to a lot, but the potential of pumping your entire team multiple times should not be overlooked. You can even get around the danger of it dying before you get to trigger it, at least in the late game, by playing it, and playing a land to get the trigger right away. You do need some board state for this to really shine, but even just pumping 2-3 creatures +1/+1 on multiple turns is pretty awesome for the mana investment.
Bloodchief's Thirst image 4.0 This is premium removal. One mana to kill things that are two mana or less would be a fine card, and this is hage huge upside. This can kill anything in the later part of the game, and that’s usually what you want anyway in the later part. Sometimes you have a 4-mana Sorcery speed spell that kills something and your opponent plays a cheap creature you desperately want to kill, and it doesn’t feel so good -- Bloodchief’s Thirst gives you the best of both worlds.
Pelakka Predation image 2.5 The effect here, if it were its own card, would not be particularly good -- but flexibility is an amazing thing! If casting it doesn’t do you any good, you can still play it as a land, and when you feel like you have a good chance of hitting a card with it, you can cast 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Reclaim the Wastes
Ravager's Mace image 3.0 This gives a nice bonus for the cost when you first play it. It will usually at least be giving +1/+0 and Menace, and giving more than that isn’t far-fetched. Three mana for that boost isn’t too shabby. Now, having to pay four to equip it after that is a bit steep, but the free equip to start things off helps make up for that, as does the fact that it will frequently give a larger boost.
Journey to Oblivion image 4.0 If it were always 5 mana, it would probably be decent -- even though it can hit anything, it would be a little bit too clunky to consider premium. But, at 4 mana it gets into premium territory, and at 3 it is even better than that.
Makindi Stampede image 2.5 The downside about a mass pump spell is generally that they don’t do anything too often. Well, when that’s the case, you can have this be a much-needed land. And you still get the upside of having a card that is awesome when you have a good board state.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Teeterpeak Ambusher image 2.0 This has decent starting stats, a party creature type, and an ability that can keep it relevant. Seems fine.
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.
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.
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.
Feed the Swarm image 3.5 Look, a Black card that can hit Enchantments! That’s pretty weird. Anyway, this is a good removal spell. It is cheap and kills two permanent types, no questions asked. Now, the damage it does to you certainly matters -- but if you are paying two mana to blow up their 5 drop, paying 5 life for that is a reasonable cost most of the time. Now, playing more than one of these can be a little risky – you only have so much life after all, but value the first copy pretty highly.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Dauntless Survivor
Demon's Disciple image 2.0 This kind of card is always great when you are the one with more creatures -- making your opponent give up a key creature while you lose something irrelevant is a nice feeling. BUT, it won’t always work out that way. Sometimes you’ll just wish you could play this for the body, but you can’t always, since if it is your only creature, it sacrifices itself. Sometimes your opponent will have the better board than you, and them losing one thing won’t hurt them a whole lot.
Kargan Warleader image 3.5 Lords are always good if they have enough things to pump – and Kargan Warleader definitely does. RW is obviously the Warrior archetype, as this signpost uncommon is telling you, so much of your board will get a boost out of this creature which is also already a 3-mana 3/3.
Beyeen Veil image 2.5 The reason this type of effect isn’t great is because it doesn’t do anything, or does far too little way more often than it actually does do something. However, when that window does open, it can do some nasty stuff, like completely wreck combat for your opponent. But, if it is clear it isn’t going to be much use, you can play it as a land to get more mana, and maybe even trigger landfall.
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.
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.
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.
Tajuru Snarecaster image 1.5 We see this card in lots of sets -- it is just usually a Spider. Like all those times, this is something you’ll play in your Green decks because you tend to not have great ways of dealing with flyers, but it won’t even always make the cut.
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.
Sizzling Barrage image 1.0 This removal is way too conditional, you should only be running if it you have no other removal.
Inordinate Rage image 1.5 This is an alright trick. You’ll run it in super aggressive decks but not anywhere else.
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.
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 3 Pick 4: Tazeem Roilmage
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
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.
Sizzling Barrage image 1.0 This removal is way too conditional, you should only be running if it you have no other removal.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Kazandu Stomper
Ravager's Mace image 3.0 This gives a nice bonus for the cost when you first play it. It will usually at least be giving +1/+0 and Menace, and giving more than that isn’t far-fetched. Three mana for that boost isn’t too shabby. Now, having to pay four to equip it after that is a bit steep, but the free equip to start things off helps make up for that, as does the fact that it will frequently give a larger boost.
Relic Vial image 3.0 This is a great Cleric payoff, as it makes it very difficult for your opponent to race you. If you attack with a board full of clerics, this creates a nightmare situation. There are plenty of payoffs in this set for gaining life, and that’s what really puts the Vial over the edge.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 6: Seafloor Stalker
Relic Vial image 3.0 This is a great Cleric payoff, as it makes it very difficult for your opponent to race you. If you attack with a board full of clerics, this creates a nightmare situation. There are plenty of payoffs in this set for gaining life, and that’s what really puts the Vial over the edge.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
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 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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Ghastly Gloomhunter
Lithoform Blight image 1.0 If you’re desperate for fixing, this does the job. If you’re not, don’t play it.
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.
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.
Zulaport Duelist image 2.0 This isn’t Faerie Duelist, but its kind of a similar creature. You can sometimes use it to really mess up combat for your opponent, and even when you can’t you do at least get a creature that can prevent some damage while also milling a bit.
Spitfire Lagac image 1.5 This has underwhelming stats and unimpressive landfall trigger. You’ll play it less than you’ll cut it.
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.
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.
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 8: Cleric of Chill Depths
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.
Negate image 0.5 This doesn’t counter enough things to be something you want in your main deck.
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.
Sizzling Barrage image 1.0 This removal is way too conditional, you should only be running if it you have no other removal.
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.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Dreadwurm
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Anticognition
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.
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.
Teeterpeak Ambusher image 2.0 This has decent starting stats, a party creature type, and an ability that can keep it relevant. Seems fine.
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Blood Price
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.
Tajuru Snarecaster image 1.5 We see this card in lots of sets -- it is just usually a Spider. Like all those times, this is something you’ll play in your Green decks because you tend to not have great ways of dealing with flyers, but it won’t even always make the cut.
Sizzling Barrage image 1.0 This removal is way too conditional, you should only be running if it you have no other removal.
Inordinate Rage image 1.5 This is an alright trick. You’ll run it in super aggressive decks but not anywhere else.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Murasa Brute
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.
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.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Mesa Lynx
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.
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 3 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.
Draft Pick Overview