Tracker App

Quick Draft ZNR 19 July 2021

19 July 10:02 - Torna 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (17)
2 Kazandu Nectarpot image
1 Mesa Lynx image
1 Canopy Baloth image
1 Fearless Fledgling image
3 Prowling Felidar image
1 Kazandu Stomper image
1 Skyclave Apparition image
1 Attended Healer image
1 Tajuru Snarecaster image
1 Canyon Jerboa image
1 Expedition Healer image
1 Sea Gate Banneret image
1 Tajuru Blightblade image
1 Makindi Ox image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (6)
1 Smite the Monstrous image
1 Skyclave Pick-Axe image
1 Cliffhaven Kitesail image
1 Practiced Tactics image
1 Nahiri's Binding image
1 Dauntless Unity image
Land (17)
10 Plains image
7 Forest image
Sideboard
1 Grotag Bug-Catcher image
1 Tuktuk Rubblefort image
1 Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats image
1 Paired Tactician image
2 Sneaking Guide image
1 Valakut Exploration image
1 Relic Axe image
1 Nissa's Zendikon image
2 Scavenged Blade image
2 Adventure Awaits image
1 Resolute Strike image
1 Scale the Heights image
1 Strength of Solidarity image
1 Jwari Disruption image
2 Inordinate Rage image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Valakut Exploration
Valakut Exploration image 3.5 I like this card a lot -- I always love these Red card advantage engines, and that’s what we have here. You won’t exactly be triggering it ever turn, but you will get landfall going often enough that it is going to really help you win games. One kind of cool thing about this version is that it doesn’t exile the cards forever -- you get them in your graveyard, and that might actually matter. The fact it does damage when you don’t cast things from Exile is nice too -- especially because if you hit a land off of this, you’re not going to be able to play it -- since you already triggered landfall, and thus have played your land for the turn. So basically, this does 1 damage to your opponent when you hit a land, and draws you a card when you hit anything else.
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.
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.
Akoum Warrior image 3.5 If you get this early and you need a land, it does the job. Sure, it comes into play tapped, but having that option is inherently powerful. If this big guy had Cycling you would definitely Cycle him away early to help you find a land or something else. Well, in this case, he can just BE the land! And, if you get him late, you’d much rather play the creature than have a land. He isn’t efficient by any stretch, but he’s no slouch either.
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.
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.
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.
Expedition Champion image 2.5 A 4/3 for three mana is a decent creature for sure, though it isn’t really going to be taking over the game or anything like that, and it will still be a ⅔ some of the time. Seems like a solid card for Red Warrior decks, but not much more than that.
Practiced Tactics image 3.0 It bothers me a ton that sometimes it will literally be a blank card, but that won’t happen a TON, and it also has some serious upside - though it is too bad they didn’t decide to make this one of the DFC lands. It is situational, but if it is typically doing 4 damage for one mana to a blocking or attacking creature, well, you’re getting a great deal.
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.
Utility Knife image 1.0 Even with an Equipment deck in this format, Utility Knife isn’t really worth it. It gives an okay boost to start with, but the equip cost after that is just exorbitant.
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.
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.
Highborn Vampire image 1.5 So yeah, this is a vanilla creature, who comes with some upside because he has a creature type that fits into a “party.” A 4-mana 4/3 isn’t the worst rate for Limited, and I think the Warrior upside does enough to make this a card you’ll play a little more than you won’t.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Fearless Fledgling
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.
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.
Jwari Disruption image 3.0 This seems pretty good. It isn’t that far from being Cancel -- a card with the same effect and cost of the Perturbation, but it has Cycling instead of a land on the other side, but what makes Cancel a nice card in Limited also makes this nice. Counterspells can be problematic in Limited because of the tempo hit you take by leaving mana up sometimes, and that gets even truer about a card like this -- which gets worse as the game goes on, since your opponent having that extra mana is likely. However, once you reach that point of the game, you can just play this as a land, and that is some nice upside.
Subtle Strike image 2.5 Because you can both weaken a creature and make yours bigger, it has two-for-one potential, and that can’t be overlooked. That situation won’t always be how it works out -- but sometimes, you’ll be able to kill an X/1 and pump your creature to win combat against something else, and it is great that the boost is permanent. Even if that doesn’t line up, the flexibility of this card does usually mean it will help your creatures win combat one way or another.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Relic Axe
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.
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.
Jwari Disruption image 3.0 This seems pretty good. It isn’t that far from being Cancel -- a card with the same effect and cost of the Perturbation, but it has Cycling instead of a land on the other side, but what makes Cancel a nice card in Limited also makes this nice. Counterspells can be problematic in Limited because of the tempo hit you take by leaving mana up sometimes, and that gets even truer about a card like this -- which gets worse as the game goes on, since your opponent having that extra mana is likely. However, once you reach that point of the game, you can just play this as a land, and that is some nice upside.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Negate image 0.5 This doesn’t counter enough things to be something you want in your main deck.
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.
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 1 Pick 4: Skyclave Pick-Axe
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.
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.
Kazuul's Fury image 3.0 So the spell side of this is an overcosted Fling. It is highly situational, but it can feel especially nice to sacrifice something your opponent is trying to kill, and it feels even nicer when it just happens to give you the lethal you need. But you just don’t always have something relevant to sacrifice. But this can be a land where the other side doesn’t help you, and that’s nice.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ardent Electromancer image 3.0 This is a key common for party decks, and it can really help you set up a double-spell turn three, which often is what you need to quickly win a game.
Highborn Vampire image 1.5 So yeah, this is a vanilla creature, who comes with some upside because he has a creature type that fits into a “party.” A 4-mana 4/3 isn’t the worst rate for Limited, and I think the Warrior upside does enough to make this a card you’ll play a little more than you won’t.
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.
Shepherd of Heroes image 3.5 On its own, this is a 5-mana ¾ flyer that gains you 2 life. That is a card that will make the cut more often than it won’t, but certainly nothing special. Frequently this will gain you 4 life, and it will also rarely gain you 6 to 8 life. This reminds me a little bit of of Archway Angel -- a card that really overperformed when we saw it. This has the same stats for less mana, but is also a little more challenging to gain absurd amounts of life with, but I can see it playing a similar role in the format, but it probably won’t be quite the overperformer the Archway Angel was.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Grotag Bug-Catcher
Throne of Makindi image 1.5 So, if you’re playing several spells with Kicker, this can work. It gives you a mana boost and even lets you splash some powerful spells that you want to kick! If you only have a few spells with kicker, I’m not sure the hit to your mana base is worth it though.
Akoum Warrior image 3.5 If you get this early and you need a land, it does the job. Sure, it comes into play tapped, but having that option is inherently powerful. If this big guy had Cycling you would definitely Cycle him away early to help you find a land or something else. Well, in this case, he can just BE the land! And, if you get him late, you’d much rather play the creature than have a land. He isn’t efficient by any stretch, but he’s no slouch either.
Cleric of Chill Depths image 1.5 Look it is a creature that is a really good chump blocker! Unfortunately, that’s not really the kind of card you’ll want most of the time. If you need a two drop, and you’re trying to get there on party, you’ll play it.
Kazandu 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Cliffhaven Kitesail
Umara Wizard image 3.5 This is a creature when you are flooding out, and a land when you are mana screwed, and that’s really nice. The creature side here is actually a pretty reasonable card too, since it will have flying pretty frequently in a UR deck.
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.
Field Research image 2.5 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Scavenged Blade image 2.0 Two mana to give something +2/+0 isn’t an awesome rate, but you can kind of think of it as an Aura that sticks around to be used elsewhere in the later part of the game. Then, you factor in the fact that Equipment is a pretty big theme in this set in Red – and especially in Red/White, and this definitely is a card that will make the cut in your deck a decent chunk of the time.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Prowling Felidar
Grotag Night-Runner image 2.5 The damage trigger here is nice, but with the stats it has, it really isn’t that easy to get in with it.
Silundi Vision image 2.0 Like most of these, one side is kind of inefficient and narrow, while the other side is a land -- and while that might not sound too great, it is way better than it looks. And it isn’t like you need a ton of instants and sorceries to make the spell side worth it, top 6 cards is a lot -- you could have 4 or 5 and have this be a land with upside.
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.
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.
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.
Teeterpeak Ambusher image 2.0 This has decent starting stats, a party creature type, and an ability that can keep it relevant. Seems fine.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Kazandu Stomper
Concerted Defense image 0.0 This doesn’t counter enough things and it is 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Practiced Tactics
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.
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.
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.
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.
Utility Knife image 1.0 Even with an Equipment deck in this format, Utility Knife isn’t really worth it. It gives an okay boost to start with, but the equip cost after that is just exorbitant.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Jwari Disruption
Jwari Disruption image 3.0 This seems pretty good. It isn’t that far from being Cancel -- a card with the same effect and cost of the Perturbation, but it has Cycling instead of a land on the other side, but what makes Cancel a nice card in Limited also makes this nice. Counterspells can be problematic in Limited because of the tempo hit you take by leaving mana up sometimes, and that gets even truer about a card like this -- which gets worse as the game goes on, since your opponent having that extra mana is likely. However, once you reach that point of the game, you can just play this as a land, and that is some nice upside.
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.
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.
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.
Spare Supplies image 1.0 Two mana to draw a card, and 4 to draw two over the course of a couple of turns is..a thing? But in a set without artifact or sacrifice payoffs, I don’t see this making the cut most of the time.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Nissa's Zendikon
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.
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.
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.
Negate image 0.5 This doesn’t counter enough things to be something you want in your main deck.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Scavenged Blade
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.
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.
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 13: Adventure Awaits
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.
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 1 Pick 14: Tuktuk Rubblefort
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 2 Pick 1: Skyclave Apparition
Skyclave Apparition image 4.0 This type of creature is always great -- it adds to your board while subtracting from your opponent’s. This is an interesting take on it though, because instead of your opponent getting the card back, they instead get a token. I would say that the majority of the time, the token will be worse than whatever you exiled. That means you won’t feel quite as bad when your opponent kills your Apparition, since you have still disrupted them considerably -- and if they don’t kill it, you’re looking at a 2-for-1.
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.
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!
Khalni Ambush image 3.5 This is one of the better uncommon modal DFCs in this set. That’s because one side of it is a removal spell. Sure, it is Pounce for one more mana -- but the fact it can be removal when that works out for you, or a land when that’s what you need is just super good. Being an Instant also means that the Fight side of the card will find more windows than Sorcery speed versions of that effect.
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.
Bubble Snare image 3.5 Getting away with just paying one for this on a creature that is already tapped is going to feel great, and when you are the more defensive player, that is probably often how you’ll use it, since it will enable you to do some other things on your turn. Sometimes, you need to just be able to lock down an opposing creature, and you can pay the Kicker when that’s necessary to get a blocker out of the way, or a creature your opponent just won’t attack with that is cause you all kinds of problems.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Scale the Heights image 2.0 This does several little things, and they are generally enough for this to make the cut in your deck a significant chunk of the time, but they are also little enough that you won’t always play this.
Spare Supplies image 1.0 Two mana to draw a card, and 4 to draw two over the course of a couple of turns is..a thing? But in a set without artifact or sacrifice payoffs, I don’t see this making the cut most of the time.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats
Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats image 5.0 This guy is real good. Even if you couldn’t reduce the cost at all, you’d be looking at a great card. It can attack right away in the sky, and also shakes up the rest of the board by giving it deathtouch. It is going to feel real bad to see your opponent slam this on the table because it will just change the game, and even if you untap and kill it, the damage will often already be done. Then, you have to consider that casting this for 5 will probably be a common occurrence, and casting it for 4 isn’t even that far-fetched. And cheaper than that isn’t entirely impossible. The planeswalker clause here isn’t going to come up a whole lot, obviously, but hey, it is more upside. I think this is just a bomb.
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.
Silundi Vision image 2.0 Like most of these, one side is kind of inefficient and narrow, while the other side is a land -- and while that might not sound too great, it is way better than it looks. And it isn’t like you need a ton of instants and sorceries to make the spell side worth it, top 6 cards is a lot -- you could have 4 or 5 and have this be a land with upside.
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.
Highborn Vampire image 1.5 So yeah, this is a vanilla creature, who comes with some upside because he has a creature type that fits into a “party.” A 4-mana 4/3 isn’t the worst rate for Limited, and I think the Warrior upside does enough to make this a card you’ll play a little more than you won’t.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Spitfire Lagac image 1.5 This has underwhelming stats and unimpressive landfall trigger. You’ll play it less than you’ll cut it.
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.
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.
Mesa Lynx image 1.5 This is a 2-mana 2/1 as an attacker, and a two-mana ⅔ as a blocker. In this day and age, even a vanilla two-mana ⅔ would probably not be much more than a C, so a card that is only one half of the time is considerably worse. I would actually prefer it was a ⅔ during your turn than the other way around, since White is more often than not a color that wants to be attacking well early.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Nahiri's Binding
Acquisitions Expert image 2.5 I’ve always been a fan of Ravenous Rats and Kitesail Freebooters -- creatures who go after the opponent’s hand are nicely disruptive. This isn’t as good as the Freebooter, but is definitely better than Ravenous Rats. Like the Rats, on its own, it will just get rid of the card your opponent cares the least about. But sometimes, especially late, your opponent will only have one card anyway. Plus, it has the Party upside, which will sometimes make it a considerably more disruptive effect.
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!
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.
Farsight Adept image 2.5 This kind of card is usually better than it looks. You and your opponent are both drawing cards, which means you are breaking even -- but you are adding to the board as well with this 3-mana 3/3, so you really are the one coming out ahead for the most part. Your opponent will often have the first crack at using that new card, but that’s a fair trade overall.
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.
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.
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.
Nahiri's Binding image 4.0 This is basically arrest – it is a little harder to cast, but it can also go after planeswalkers. That upside won’t come up much, but that’s fine – having an Enchantment removal spell that can shut down just about everything about a creature is great. As awesome as Pacifism always is, it can sometimes be really frustrating that you can’t take away a powerful activated ability with it, and Binding does that!
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.
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.
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.
Field Research image 2.5 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.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Makindi Ox
Cleric of Life's Bond image 3.5 So, the signpost uncommon for BW want you to be both gaining life, and playing Clerics, since it pays you off for both! It gets larger when you gain life, and playing clerics gains you life, so you don’t really have to go out of your way for the +1/+1 counter part of the card to trigger, though obviously having some other ways to gain life will make it better.
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.
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.
Shepherd of Heroes image 3.5 On its own, this is a 5-mana ¾ flyer that gains you 2 life. That is a card that will make the cut more often than it won’t, but certainly nothing special. Frequently this will gain you 4 life, and it will also rarely gain you 6 to 8 life. This reminds me a little bit of of Archway Angel -- a card that really overperformed when we saw it. This has the same stats for less mana, but is also a little more challenging to gain absurd amounts of life with, but I can see it playing a similar role in the format, but it probably won’t be quite the overperformer the Archway Angel was.
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.
Anticognition image 0.0 // 2.5 This ends up being a hard counter a significant chunk of the time, especially in UB which does a good job of milling. If you can’t consistently get this to be a hard counter, you probably don’t play it, but if you can it ends being a pretty nice card to have around.
Blood 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.
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.
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.
Angelheart Protector image 2.0 Decent stats and a decent ETB trigger here. It won’t always do something -- but I think more often than not, it will give you an attack you didn’t have before you played the Protector. That, plus okayish stats make this a fine inclusion in White decks.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Resolute Strike
Fireblade Charger image 3.5 Woo boy, talk about an Equipment payoff! So, a one mana 1/1 that does 1 damage to something when it dies is passable. It provides a nice little creature that can trade up for X/2s, and really make your opponent rethinking attacking or blocking when they have a couple of X/1s. But this will get absolutely insane with equipment – or combat tricks for that matter. It is going to be doing 3+ damage with regularity in this format – there’s enough good Equipment around for that to be the case, and that means it will have Haste reasonably often too. Basically, it is good on turn one – and if you get in the late game and can give it some Equipment, it is going to be great.
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.
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.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
Subtle Strike image 2.5 Because you can both weaken a creature and make yours bigger, it has two-for-one potential, and that can’t be overlooked. That situation won’t always be how it works out -- but sometimes, you’ll be able to kill an X/1 and pump your creature to win combat against something else, and it is great that the boost is permanent. Even if that doesn’t line up, the flexibility of this card does usually mean it will help your creatures win combat one way or another.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 2 Pick 6: Attended Healer
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Negate image 0.5 This doesn’t counter enough things to be something you want in your main deck.
Nahiri's Binding image 4.0 This is basically arrest – it is a little harder to cast, but it can also go after planeswalkers. That upside won’t come up much, but that’s fine – having an Enchantment removal spell that can shut down just about everything about a creature is great. As awesome as Pacifism always is, it can sometimes be really frustrating that you can’t take away a powerful activated ability with it, and Binding does that!
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 7: Dauntless Unity
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.
Hagra Constrictor image 2.5 On its own, the Constrictor is a 3-mana 2/2 with Menace. However, this set has enough +1/+1 stuff going on, with BG as the +1/+1 counter deck this time going around, that the Constrictor will often immediately impact the board, making one of your other creatures much more difficult to block effectively.
Dauntless Unity image 2.0 This is basically a better Inspired Charged – when you kick it, it is identical to the Charge, and it has the upside of also being usable for a slightly weaker effect for two mana.
Expedition Champion image 2.5 A 4/3 for three mana is a decent creature for sure, though it isn’t really going to be taking over the game or anything like that, and it will still be a ⅔ some of the time. Seems like a solid card for Red Warrior decks, but not much more than that.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Tajuru Snarecaster
Inordinate Rage image 1.5 This is an alright trick. You’ll run it in super aggressive decks but not anywhere else.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Scale the Heights
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.
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.
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.
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.
Scale the Heights image 2.0 This does several little things, and they are generally enough for this to make the cut in your deck a significant chunk of the time, but they are also little enough that you won’t always play this.
Spare Supplies image 1.0 Two mana to draw a card, and 4 to draw two over the course of a couple of turns is..a thing? But in a set without artifact or sacrifice payoffs, I don’t see this making the cut most of the time.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Adventure Awaits
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.
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.
Spitfire Lagac image 1.5 This has underwhelming stats and unimpressive landfall trigger. You’ll play it less than you’ll cut it.
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.
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 11: Strength of Solidarity
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.
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.
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.
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 12: Sneaking Guide
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.
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.
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 2 Pick 13: Scavenged Blade
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.
Scavenged Blade image 2.0 Two mana to give something +2/+0 isn’t an awesome rate, but you can kind of think of it as an Aura that sticks around to be used elsewhere in the later part of the game. Then, you factor in the fact that Equipment is a pretty big theme in this set in Red – and especially in Red/White, and this definitely is a card that will make the cut in your deck a decent chunk of the time.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Inordinate Rage
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 1: Paired Tactician
Maddening Cacophony image 1.5 This format does have a mill deck, but it is mostly interested in just getting eight cards in the graveyard. This does do that singlehandedly, but those decks are already capable of doing it with cards that actually add to the board, so you don’t normally need this.
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.
Lullmage's Domination image 4.5 Mind control effects are always great in Limited, as they add to your board and subtract from your opponents. Even if this didn’t have the const reduction effect, it would be good, and with it, its great!
Blackbloom Rogue image 4.0 This is a really card in this cycle. It gives you the usual benefits this whole cycle gives you -- which is the flexibility to have this be a land when you are manascrewed, and a creature when you are flooding. A 3-mana ⅔ with Menace that in the late game is pretty good!
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.
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.
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.
Akoum Hellhound image 1.5 This is going to be decent in really aggressive decks in this format, since it will usually attack on turn two as a ⅔ with no problem. But it isn’t going to be easy to trigger landfall multiple times a turn in this format, and that means that the Hellhound is going to become irrelevant somewhere around turn three in most cases. That means that less aggressive decks won’t want it at all, and even in the aggro decks it isn’t going to be incredible.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Prowling Felidar
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.
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.
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.
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.
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
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.
Nahiri's Binding image 4.0 This is basically arrest – it is a little harder to cast, but it can also go after planeswalkers. That upside won’t come up much, but that’s fine – having an Enchantment removal spell that can shut down just about everything about a creature is great. As awesome as Pacifism always is, it can sometimes be really frustrating that you can’t take away a powerful activated ability with it, and Binding does that!
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.
Shell Shield image 2.5 Because of all the kicker payoffs in this format, Shell Shield really overperforms. It allows you to save your creatures fairly cheaply, and it can sometimes also work more as a combat trick.
Ardent Electromancer image 3.0 This is a key common for party decks, and it can really help you set up a double-spell turn three, which often is what you need to quickly win a game.
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.
Prowling Felidar image 2.5 This starts as a rather inefficient creature, but it will get larger throughout the game. Vigilance is always nice on a creature that is both a good attacker and a blocker, and this will certainly become that. I think in an ideal scenario, you play this and then a land in the same turn, that way you put it out of range of a bunch of removal. It does start fragile and inefficient, but it’s a nice Common.
Smite the Monstrous image 2.0 We see this a lot. It is always an ok removal spell. It is conditional, but at least it is an instant, and it can kill some big stuff.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Canyon Jerboa
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Roil Eruption image 4.0 Two mana to do 3 to something is premium removal, even as a Sorcery. You’re just going to trade up with it a lot, and that feels great, and hey, sometimes you can go after your opponent and end the game that way. Obviously the kicked version of this is far from efficient, but it is really just upside tacked on to an already premium removal spell, and having a direct damage spell that can do 5 is going to end some games.
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.
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 4: Expedition Healer
Vine Gecko image 4.0 The Kicker deck is very real, and Vine Gecko is part of the reason for that. If this could JUST reduce the cost of Kicker spells, or JUST gained the counter, it would be good – but it does both, making it pretty great. It can become your win condition if you need it to, as well as enabling Kicker in general.
Umara Wizard image 3.5 This is a creature when you are flooding out, and a land when you are mana screwed, and that’s really nice. The creature side here is actually a pretty reasonable card too, since it will have flying pretty frequently in a UR deck.
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.
Utility Knife image 1.0 Even with an Equipment deck in this format, Utility Knife isn’t really worth it. It gives an okay boost to start with, but the equip cost after that is just exorbitant.
Mind Drain image 1.5 So, here is a strictly better Mind Rot! It adds draining life and milling a card to the mix, in addition to making your opponent discard the two cards. Playing it early is sometimes a liability because it means you aren’t adding to the board on turn three, and getting it late can be bad too, because your opponent is in top deck mode. Mid-game or so is usually where it is at its best. Mind Drain adds enough extra stuff to the mix to overcome Mind Rot’s usual problem though -- it will do something no matter what. And sure, draining your opponent for 1 and milling their top card for three isn’t a good deal, but it is a heck of a lot better than a dead card, which Mind Rot often is.
Negate image 0.5 This doesn’t counter enough things to be something you want in your main deck.
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.
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.
Tuktuk Rubblefort image 0.5 I’m not the biggest fan of creatures with defender who want you to be aggressive – as those two things seem odd together, so I’m not interested.
Kazandu Nectarpot image 1.5 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
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 3 Pick 5: Sea Gate Banneret
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Inordinate Rage image 1.5 This is an alright trick. You’ll run it in super aggressive decks but not anywhere else.
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.
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 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.
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 3 Pick 6: Prowling Felidar
Tangled Florahedron image 3.5 This double-faced creature-land is kind of funny, because no matter which side you pick, it gives you mana! Most of the cards in this cycle give you something that can at least be a little more impactful in the late game -- though most of them are also more situational than this -- so it is probably a wash. Basically, you’ll play this as a creature if you already played a land on turn and you want to ramp, and you’ll play it as a land if you really need one of those. This might not feel quite as good to draw late as the other card sin the cycle, but the fact remains that in the late game, this is a land that you can draw and still have it actually add to the board.
Inordinate Rage image 1.5 This is an alright trick. You’ll run it in super aggressive decks but not anywhere else.
Utility Knife image 1.0 Even with an Equipment deck in this format, Utility Knife isn’t really worth it. It gives an okay boost to start with, but the equip cost after that is just exorbitant.
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.
Bubble Snare image 3.5 Getting away with just paying one for this on a creature that is already tapped is going to feel great, and when you are the more defensive player, that is probably often how you’ll use it, since it will enable you to do some other things on your turn. Sometimes, you need to just be able to lock down an opposing creature, and you can pay the Kicker when that’s necessary to get a blocker out of the way, or a creature your opponent just won’t attack with that is cause you all kinds of problems.
Subtle Strike image 2.5 Because you can both weaken a creature and make yours bigger, it has two-for-one potential, and that can’t be overlooked. That situation won’t always be how it works out -- but sometimes, you’ll be able to kill an X/1 and pump your creature to win combat against something else, and it is great that the boost is permanent. Even if that doesn’t line up, the flexibility of this card does usually mean it will help your creatures win combat one way or another.
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.
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.
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 3 Pick 7: Tajuru Blightblade
Kazuul's Fury image 3.0 So the spell side of this is an overcosted Fling. It is highly situational, but it can feel especially nice to sacrifice something your opponent is trying to kill, and it feels even nicer when it just happens to give you the lethal you need. But you just don’t always have something relevant to sacrifice. But this can be a land where the other side doesn’t help you, and that’s nice.
Akoum Hellhound image 1.5 This is going to be decent in really aggressive decks in this format, since it will usually attack on turn two as a ⅔ with no problem. But it isn’t going to be easy to trigger landfall multiple times a turn in this format, and that means that the Hellhound is going to become irrelevant somewhere around turn three in most cases. That means that less aggressive decks won’t want it at all, and even in the aggro decks it isn’t going to be incredible.
Ardent Electromancer image 3.0 This is a key common for party decks, and it can really help you set up a double-spell turn three, which often is what you need to quickly win a game.
Hagra Constrictor image 2.5 On its own, the Constrictor is a 3-mana 2/2 with Menace. However, this set has enough +1/+1 stuff going on, with BG as the +1/+1 counter deck this time going around, that the Constrictor will often immediately impact the board, making one of your other creatures much more difficult to block effectively.
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.
Field Research image 2.5 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.
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Canopy Baloth
Scion of the Swarm image 3.0 This is a decent payoff for the Cleric decks. It is expensive for what it starts as, and you will often find your opponent kills it for way less mana, but if it is left unchecked it can really take over the skies.
Canopy Baloth image 2.5 This has decent starting stats and attacks pretty hard when you trigger landfall. It is a solid Common.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Spare Supplies image 1.0 Two mana to draw a card, and 4 to draw two over the course of a couple of turns is..a thing? But in a set without artifact or sacrifice payoffs, I don’t see this making the cut most of the time.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Kazandu Nectarpot
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Skyclave Sentinel image 1.5 So, this is mostly a payoff for decks that can put counters on stuff. This is mostly going to be BG, but White has some ways to do it too. It is kind of ok in the absence of +1/+1 counter stuff, as a 3-mana 2/3 with Flying and Defender with the possible option of being a 7 mana ¾ with Flying in the late game.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Smite the Monstrous
Murasa Brute image 1.5 This has decent stats and a party creature type, so it will make the cut sometimes.
Shell Shield image 2.5 Because of all the kicker payoffs in this format, Shell Shield really overperforms. It allows you to save your creatures fairly cheaply, and it can sometimes also work more as a combat trick.
Ardent Electromancer image 3.0 This is a key common for party decks, and it can really help you set up a double-spell turn three, which often is what you need to quickly win a game.
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.
Smite the Monstrous image 2.0 We see this a lot. It is always an ok removal spell. It is conditional, but at least it is an instant, and it can kill some big stuff.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Mesa Lynx
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.
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.
Molten Blast image 1.5 3-mana to do two damage at instant speed is not so good – I mean, it is removal, but it is not efficient – you’ll basically always be trading down with it. But the modality here really matters. This set has plenty of good artifacts – not like, a million of them or anything – but enough that this will be blowing up artifacts on occasion too, and being able to have that in your main deck is real upside.
Mesa Lynx image 1.5 This is a 2-mana 2/1 as an attacker, and a two-mana ⅔ as a blocker. In this day and age, even a vanilla two-mana ⅔ would probably not be much more than a C, so a card that is only one half of the time is considerably worse. I would actually prefer it was a ⅔ during your turn than the other way around, since White is more often than not a color that wants to be attacking well early.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Kazandu Nectarpot
Negate image 0.5 This doesn’t counter enough things to be something you want in your main deck.
Tuktuk Rubblefort image 0.5 I’m not the biggest fan of creatures with defender who want you to be aggressive – as those two things seem odd together, so I’m not interested.
Kazandu Nectarpot image 1.5 This is a surprisingly decent card for stalling if you’re in a controlling deck, as the statline and the life help make you harder to kill.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Inordinate Rage
Inordinate Rage image 1.5 This is an alright trick. You’ll run it in super aggressive decks but not anywhere else.
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 3 Pick 14: Sneaking Guide
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.
Draft Pick Overview