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Premier Draft AKR 11 August 2021

11 August 04:06 - joeldmtz 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (18)
2 Pathmaker Initiate image
2 Thresher Lizard image
1 Burning-Fist Minotaur image
2 Rhonas's Stalwart image
1 Bitterbow Sharpshooters image
1 Khenra Scrapper image
1 Hooded Brawler image
1 Battlefield Scavenger image
1 Hope Tender image
2 Initiate's Companion image
1 Samut, Voice of Dissent image
1 Ramunap Excavator image
1 Harsh Mentor image
1 Ahn-Crop Crasher image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (5)
1 Collected Company image
1 Heaven // Earth image
1 Blur of Blades image
1 Magma Spray image
1 Abrade image
Land (17)
8 Forest image
9 Mountain image
Sideboard
2 Nimble-Blade Khenra image
2 Cryptic Serpent image
1 Merciless Javelineer image
1 Doomed Dissenter image
1 Supply Caravan image
1 Mouth image
1 Chandra's Defeat image
1 Unburden image
1 Doomfall image
1 Supreme Will image
1 Beneath the Sands image
1 Struggle image
1 Tormenting Voice image
1 Brute Strength image
1 Crypt of the Eternals image
1 Fetid Pools image
1 Ipnu Rivulet image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Collected Company
Collected Company image 3.5 The composition of most Green decks in this format means you have a pretty good chance of hitting two creatures with it. Now, sometimes you’ll only get one, and that won’t feel great for 4 mana, but I think this will get you two creatures at instant speed often enough to be worth a reasonably high pick.
Defiant Greatmaw image 3.0 On its own, this is a 3-mana 2/3..which isn’t great, but the fact it can also remove other -1/-1 counters actually makes it pretty good in the BG deck.
Supreme Will image 2.5 Neither mode here is an especially good card in Limited, but having the option between them really means you can utilize whichever one is optimal. Countering a spell when you can is great, but if that option doesn’t present itself, you’ll usually go for the card draw.
Chandra's Defeat image 0.5 Like the rest of this cycle, this is great out of your sideboard, but terrible too often to put anywhere else.
Gust Walker image 3.5 This is an excellent two drop. It can simply attack as a two mana 2/2 early, and then once its necessary, it can start Exerting itself to continue attacking in the air. This two drop is relevant all game long, and is very nice in aggressive decks.
Spellweaver Eternal image 3.0 Afflict and Prowess on a two mana 2/1 is a pretty good deal. The Eternal will make sure it does damage to the opponent one way or another in most scenarios, and because of Prowess your opponent has to be pretty careful about how they block. This is yet another impressive two drop in a format that is loaded up with them!
Feral Prowler image 2.0 It is unfortunately pretty hard to trade Feral Prowler for anything, since basically all the best small creatures in the format can evade it or get to big when they are exerted. That doesn’t make it terrible, but it is definitely worse here than in most sets.
Impeccable Timing image 2.5 This is too situational to be “premium” removal, but it does a pretty nice job in a format with lots of small creatures.
Naga Oracle image 1.0 This isn’t very good. A 4-mana 2/4 needs to do something pretty relevant to be good, and it just doesn’t. It gives you a bit of card selection/graveyard stocking, but that’s not really enough.
Unquenchable Thirst image 3.0 It isn’t that difficult to get enough deserts for this to do the more powerful thing. Not tapping the creature when you don’t have a desert definitely isn’t great, but that is a pretty reasonable floor on a card that can shut down most creatures in the format for only two mana.
Supernatural Stamina image 2.5 This is a pretty impressive combat trigger. The +2/+0 is enough to make many creatures capable of trading when they couldn’t before, and the additional effect on the card makes it so you get that creature back anyway. This can feel especially powerful on an ETB creature. The low cost here is great, and can really accomplish a lot.
Dissenter's Deliverance image 1.0 There aren’t a ton of Artifacts in this set, but this does Cycle, so you’ll put it in your main deck some.
Floodwaters image 1.5 This kind of card is always kind of unimpressive. Sure, it can really enable a great attack, but until the extreme late game it won’t really do anything, and even then bouncing two creatures just won’t matter often enough. However, because this has Cycling, you can utilize this card when it is at its best, and just Cycle it away when it isn’t.
Crash Through image 1.5 In the UR spell deck this is okay, as just triggering all your Prowess stuff and drawing a card, AND giving trample to your board is worth the one mana.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Burning-Fist Minotaur
Aven Wind Guide image 3.5 A 4-mana 2/3 with Flying and Vigilance is already a decent thing to have, so granting those keywords to all of your tokens is pretty nice – especially because embalmed and Eternalized things are creature tokens! And of course, the Wind Guide itself comes with Embalm too.
Burning-Fist Minotaur image 4.0 A two mana 2/1 with First Strike is something you always sign up for, and this one has the ability to pump its power. That’s something your opponent has to pretty much always respect, making it quite challenging to attack through or block the Minotaur. Of course, sometimes if they don’t block, you can also do lethal, so you put your opponent in a really rough situation.
Vizier of the Anointed image 3.0 As long as you have at least a couple of Embalm/Eternalize creatures, Vizier of the Anointed is going ot be pretty darn good. He searches one of them up – ideally one you can use from the graveyard on your next turn, at which point you not only get value out of a card in your graveyard, you also get to draw an additional card! It isn’t that easy to turn the Vizier into a straight up engine – doing the card draw more than once doesn’t happen very often – but its pretty good even when that’s the case.
Blur of Blades image 1.5 Sometimes this will get a blocker out of the way and damage your opponent, and suddenly their dead to an Alpha strike. That makes it a reasonable inclusion in aggressive decks, especially because it will always have a pretty decent effect in those decks.
Final Reward image 3.0 This is expensive, but it also answers any creature – and because it exiles them, it can even shut down annoying cards with Embalm. This is premium removal.
Dauntless Aven image 2.5 A 3-mana 2/1 flyer is reasonably playable already, so adding the ability to untap something definitely matters. You can use this on the Aven itself, or more ideally, use it on an Exert creature so it can attack and Exert again on the very next turn.
Desert of the Fervent image 3.0 Deserts are pretty important in this format. Not only do they provide some significant flood insurance thanks to Cycling, they also power up several cards in the format that pay you off for having Deserts. As a result, you should actually value them relatively highly, taking them over most medium cards.
Aven of Enduring Hope image 2.5 A 5-mana 3/3 flyer isn’t great, but the +3 life effect plays surprisingly well in this format, and can help you stabilize while adding a flying threat to the board.
Greater Sandwurm image 2.5 This is a solid finisher, and when he’s not what you’re looking for, you can just cycle him away.
Floodwaters image 1.5 This kind of card is always kind of unimpressive. Sure, it can really enable a great attack, but until the extreme late game it won’t really do anything, and even then bouncing two creatures just won’t matter often enough. However, because this has Cycling, you can utilize this card when it is at its best, and just Cycle it away when it isn’t.
Evolving Wilds image 3.0 As usual, the Wilds provides some nice fixing for you, and is even quite good for your mana in a two-color deck.
Solitary Camel image 2.0 A 3-mana 3/2 that will have lifelink a decent chunk of the time is fine.
Hekma Sentinels image 2.0 Opponents do have to respect that this might turn into a ¾ out of nowhere, but it isn’t exactly like a ¾ is a world beater to begin with.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Rhonas's Stalwart
Farm image 3.5 This is a pretty impressive card. Neither half of these are exactly efficiently costed, but the fact that this card does both of these things is great. Farm lets you kill any attacking or blocking creature, and while htat’s somewhat restrictive, it does deal with anything that decides to enter combat in one way or another, and there’s a whole lot of that in this format. The Farm part likely would be a solid playable all on its own, so the Market half giving you a double loot effect in the later part of the game is really nice, and will improve your card quality.
Struggle image 4.0 The Struggle half is where almost all the value for this card comes from. It is a premium removal spell that scales all game long. The Survive half rarely comes up, but hey, sometimes you need to not draw the last card in your library.
Final Reward image 3.0 This is expensive, but it also answers any creature – and because it exiles them, it can even shut down annoying cards with Embalm. This is premium removal.
Rhonas's Stalwart image 3.5 Look, yet another really good common two-drop with Exert! Like the others, this has a fine baseline that can attack reasonably well, and then in the later game in can start exerting to make itself larger and more evasive.
Evolving Wilds image 3.0 As usual, the Wilds provides some nice fixing for you, and is even quite good for your mana in a two-color deck.
Compulsory Rest image 3.5 This is a premium removal spell. It is a little bit worse than Pacifism, since you do give your opponent the option of sacrificing the creature and gaining life, but that’s mostly negligible. This shuts down most creatures very effectively.
Unburden image 2.0 Mind Rot usually isn’t very good in Limited, but you can use that part of the card when its good, and Cycle it away when its not, which makes it somewhat playable.
Those Who Serve image 1.0 You’ll play this if you have enough Zombie synergies, but that’s pretty much it.
Puncturing Blow image 3.5 This is definitely a clunky sorcery, but it also kills almost everything in the format, and the “Exile” clause actually matters in this format. This gets into the lower range of “premium” removal for me.
Soulstinger image 2.5 All on its own, Soulstinger is a 4-mana 2/3 that puts two -1/-1 counters on something when it dies. That’s the kind of card that can really create 2-for-1s, and that’s sort of the baseline here. You can also just play the Soulstinger as a larger creature if that’s what you need, and put the counters somewhere else.
Unquenchable Thirst image 3.0 It isn’t that difficult to get enough deserts for this to do the more powerful thing. Not tapping the creature when you don’t have a desert definitely isn’t great, but that is a pretty reasonable floor on a card that can shut down most creatures in the format for only two mana.
Anointer Priest image 2.5 This is a solid little token/embalm payoff. A two mana 1/3 isn’t great, but the bit of life gain it gets + the fact it comes back from the graveyard in the late game is pretty nice.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Fetid Pools
Fetid Pools image 3.0 These all add two colors mana, which is great fixing, and if you get them at a point in the game where you no longer need lands, you can just Cycle them away. Don’t underestimate how good that is. Just imagine every time you’ve flooded out in a game of Magic, now imagine you can just throw away some of those lands for new cards, and you’ll know what I mean.
Bontu's Monument image 1.5 Reducing the cost of your black creature spells and draining your opponent for every creature spell you cast isn’t too bad, though sometimes it won’t really add up enough to feel like you’re getting a full card worth of value.
Cryptic Serpent image 3.0 Lowering the cost of this to around 5 isn’t too difficult, and sometimes you’ll be able to go even lower. Still, it isn’t like you’ll be slamming this on turn three or four or anything like that.
Seeker of Insight image 2.0 This doesn’t have the most impressive spell payoff effect there is, but looting with this sometimes is solid.
Nimble-Blade Khenra image 2.0 This is fine if you have enough spells, but even when you do, it isn’t exactly the most incredible prowess creature.
Naga Vitalist image 2.5 This is pretty decent at ramping you, and sometimes you’ll be interested in that.
Oasis Ritualist image 3.5 This card is really nice. It has enough toughness to stand up to most common Exert creatures, and it provides significant fixing and ramp.
Tormenting Voice image 1.5 This kind of effect is always very replaceable, as you’re just getting some card selection and not impacting the board. It can be at its best, though, in UR spells, as it can trigger your spell payoffs while also hopefully finding you more spells.
Seer of the Last Tomorrow image 1.0 Not really a mill deck in this format, and that makes this pretty bad.
Scarab Feast image 1.0 This format has a lot of graveyard stuff, but you still mostly won’t play this. The only reason it isn’t just a sideboard card is because of Cycling.
Those Who Serve image 1.0 You’ll play this if you have enough Zombie synergies, but that’s pretty much it.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Heaven
Heaven image 2.5 One card being both Hurricane and Earthquake is a neat design, and it seems like a pretty solid card. You might not always be able to go after flying creatures, but the Earth half will almost always make an impact on the board in one way or another.
Vizier of Tumbling Sands image 3.0 The ability to untap permanents is pretty nice, as you can use it to help you ramp, or give creatures pseudo-vigilance, or ambush block an opponent. That’s especially nice because it also has Cycling, which will also let you untap a permanent. Sometimes – like in the late game – you just might not need the Vizier, so trying to find something else is pretty nice.
Countervailing Winds image 2.0 This will sometimes perform quite well as a counterspell, and if you’re in a situation where it doesn’t, you can just Cycle it away.
Hekma Sentinels image 2.0 Opponents do have to respect that this might turn into a ¾ out of nowhere, but it isn’t exactly like a ¾ is a world beater to begin with.
Solitary Camel image 2.0 A 3-mana 3/2 that will have lifelink a decent chunk of the time is fine.
Tormenting Voice image 1.5 This kind of effect is always very replaceable, as you’re just getting some card selection and not impacting the board. It can be at its best, though, in UR spells, as it can trigger your spell payoffs while also hopefully finding you more spells.
Pitiless Vizier image 2.5 This guy has a very real threat of activation. A 4/2 hits hard, and there aren’t that many creatuers that can block this and survive, and in those situations your opponent has to gauge whether or not you have the Cycling card that just blows them out entirely.
Final Reward image 3.0 This is expensive, but it also answers any creature – and because it exiles them, it can even shut down annoying cards with Embalm. This is premium removal.
Khenra Scrapper image 3.0 Like a lot of these Exert creatures, once this starts Exerting itself, it is difficult to block effectively, and a 4/3 with Menace can do a ton of damage in a hurry.
Stinging Shot image 1.5 This is good at hating on flyers, and because it has cycling, you can get away with in your main deck.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Nimble-Blade Khenra
Vile Manifestation image 2.0 This underwhelms as a Cycling payoff for the most part. This is largely because it doesn’t have any evasion to speak of. It will often start life as a two mana 0/4 and slowly grow, which isn’t terrible of course, but it is a pretty intense build around with a pretty mediocre ceiling.
Crypt of the Eternals image 1.0 Filter lands very rarely impress me, and this one can only filter into the Grixis colors, making it worse than most versions of this we’ve seen before! Gaining 1 life doesn’t make enough of a difference. If you need fixing in these colors, you might play this, but otherwise, steer clear.
Evolving Wilds image 3.0 As usual, the Wilds provides some nice fixing for you, and is even quite good for your mana in a two-color deck.
Those Who Serve image 1.0 You’ll play this if you have enough Zombie synergies, but that’s pretty much it.
Nimble-Blade Khenra image 2.0 This is fine if you have enough spells, but even when you do, it isn’t exactly the most incredible prowess creature.
Cartouche of Knowledge image 3.5 This Cartouche draws you a card to get around the risk of getting 2-for-1’d, and I’m all for that. This actually gives you a lot for only two mana, as Flying and +1/+1 is no joke.
Oashra Cultivator image 1.0 This isn’t very good. An 0/3 body just doesn’t stand up very well in this format, since all the Exert creatures can just manhandle it, and its ability to search up a basic land is clunky and slow. Sure, if you need fixing and/or ramp, you’ll play the cultivator, but you kind of hope you end up with some of the better ramp in the set, like Oasis Ritualist.
Wasteland Scorpion image 2.5 Deathtouchers can trade with anything, and that’s pretty nice! That does mostly make this a defensive card, though. And, like a lot of cards in the set, you can also cycle this away when it isn’t very good.
Scarab Feast image 1.0 This format has a lot of graveyard stuff, but you still mostly won’t play this. The only reason it isn’t just a sideboard card is because of Cycling.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Bitterbow Sharpshooters
Wasteland Scorpion image 2.5 Deathtouchers can trade with anything, and that’s pretty nice! That does mostly make this a defensive card, though. And, like a lot of cards in the set, you can also cycle this away when it isn’t very good.
Seer of the Last Tomorrow image 1.0 Not really a mill deck in this format, and that makes this pretty bad.
Bitterbow Sharpshooters image 2.5 This thing has pretty good size to stop many of the creatures in this format, and also attacks pretty well.
Puncturing Blow image 3.5 This is definitely a clunky sorcery, but it also kills almost everything in the format, and the “Exile” clause actually matters in this format. This gets into the lower range of “premium” removal for me.
Winds of Rebuke image 2.5 Two mana to bounce a nonland permanent is always an okay card in Limited. It doesn’t let you trade 1-for-1 all the time, but the tempo is sometimes worth it. On occasion, you may also mill something useful into your graveyard.
Fan Bearer image 3.5 Master Decoy-type creatures are good in most Limited formats, and this one comes with a relevant creature type.
Countervailing Winds image 2.0 This will sometimes perform quite well as a counterspell, and if you’re in a situation where it doesn’t, you can just Cycle it away.
Desert of the Mindful image 3.0 Deserts are pretty important in this format. Not only do they provide some significant flood insurance thanks to Cycling, they also power up several cards in the format that pay you off for having Deserts. As a result, you should actually value them relatively highly, taking them over most medium cards.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Khenra Scrapper
Countervailing Winds image 2.0 This will sometimes perform quite well as a counterspell, and if you’re in a situation where it doesn’t, you can just Cycle it away.
Ancient Crab image 1.0 This format has lots of cheap creature who can gain evasion or stats boosts as a result of exerting or other effects, and that makes Ancient Crab pretty unimpressive here.
Marauding Boneslasher image 2.0 This has decent stats and a useful creature type, so you’ll play it a decent amount of the time.
Djeru's Resolve image 1.0 Without Cycling, this would pretty much be unplayable. With cycling…well, you’ll play it on really rare occasions.
Festering Mummy image 1.5 This can create 2-for-1 situations on some board states – like when your opponent has two X/1s, and it has both Zombie and -1/-1 counter upside.
Khenra Scrapper image 3.0 Like a lot of these Exert creatures, once this starts Exerting itself, it is difficult to block effectively, and a 4/3 with Menace can do a ton of damage in a hurry.
Stinging Shot image 1.5 This is good at hating on flyers, and because it has cycling, you can get away with in your main deck.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Chandra's Defeat
Chandra's Defeat image 0.5 Like the rest of this cycle, this is great out of your sideboard, but terrible too often to put anywhere else.
Spellweaver Eternal image 3.0 Afflict and Prowess on a two mana 2/1 is a pretty good deal. The Eternal will make sure it does damage to the opponent one way or another in most scenarios, and because of Prowess your opponent has to be pretty careful about how they block. This is yet another impressive two drop in a format that is loaded up with them!
Naga Oracle image 1.0 This isn’t very good. A 4-mana 2/4 needs to do something pretty relevant to be good, and it just doesn’t. It gives you a bit of card selection/graveyard stocking, but that’s not really enough.
Supernatural Stamina image 2.5 This is a pretty impressive combat trigger. The +2/+0 is enough to make many creatures capable of trading when they couldn’t before, and the additional effect on the card makes it so you get that creature back anyway. This can feel especially powerful on an ETB creature. The low cost here is great, and can really accomplish a lot.
Dissenter's Deliverance image 1.0 There aren’t a ton of Artifacts in this set, but this does Cycle, so you’ll put it in your main deck some.
Floodwaters image 1.5 This kind of card is always kind of unimpressive. Sure, it can really enable a great attack, but until the extreme late game it won’t really do anything, and even then bouncing two creatures just won’t matter often enough. However, because this has Cycling, you can utilize this card when it is at its best, and just Cycle it away when it isn’t.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Blur of Blades
Blur of Blades image 1.5 Sometimes this will get a blocker out of the way and damage your opponent, and suddenly their dead to an Alpha strike. That makes it a reasonable inclusion in aggressive decks, especially because it will always have a pretty decent effect in those decks.
Desert of the Fervent image 3.0 Deserts are pretty important in this format. Not only do they provide some significant flood insurance thanks to Cycling, they also power up several cards in the format that pay you off for having Deserts. As a result, you should actually value them relatively highly, taking them over most medium cards.
Floodwaters image 1.5 This kind of card is always kind of unimpressive. Sure, it can really enable a great attack, but until the extreme late game it won’t really do anything, and even then bouncing two creatures just won’t matter often enough. However, because this has Cycling, you can utilize this card when it is at its best, and just Cycle it away when it isn’t.
Evolving Wilds image 3.0 As usual, the Wilds provides some nice fixing for you, and is even quite good for your mana in a two-color deck.
Hekma Sentinels image 2.0 Opponents do have to respect that this might turn into a ¾ out of nowhere, but it isn’t exactly like a ¾ is a world beater to begin with.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Unburden
Final Reward image 3.0 This is expensive, but it also answers any creature – and because it exiles them, it can even shut down annoying cards with Embalm. This is premium removal.
Unburden image 2.0 Mind Rot usually isn’t very good in Limited, but you can use that part of the card when its good, and Cycle it away when its not, which makes it somewhat playable.
Those Who Serve image 1.0 You’ll play this if you have enough Zombie synergies, but that’s pretty much it.
Puncturing Blow image 3.5 This is definitely a clunky sorcery, but it also kills almost everything in the format, and the “Exile” clause actually matters in this format. This gets into the lower range of “premium” removal for me.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Cryptic Serpent
Cryptic Serpent image 3.0 Lowering the cost of this to around 5 isn’t too difficult, and sometimes you’ll be able to go even lower. Still, it isn’t like you’ll be slamming this on turn three or four or anything like that.
Tormenting Voice image 1.5 This kind of effect is always very replaceable, as you’re just getting some card selection and not impacting the board. It can be at its best, though, in UR spells, as it can trigger your spell payoffs while also hopefully finding you more spells.
Seer of the Last Tomorrow image 1.0 Not really a mill deck in this format, and that makes this pretty bad.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Tormenting Voice
Countervailing Winds image 2.0 This will sometimes perform quite well as a counterspell, and if you’re in a situation where it doesn’t, you can just Cycle it away.
Tormenting Voice image 1.5 This kind of effect is always very replaceable, as you’re just getting some card selection and not impacting the board. It can be at its best, though, in UR spells, as it can trigger your spell payoffs while also hopefully finding you more spells.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Crypt of the Eternals
Crypt of the Eternals image 1.0 Filter lands very rarely impress me, and this one can only filter into the Grixis colors, making it worse than most versions of this we’ve seen before! Gaining 1 life doesn’t make enough of a difference. If you need fixing in these colors, you might play this, but otherwise, steer clear.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Mouth
Mouth image 3.5 3-mana to make a 3/3 token is a fine deal, and then in the later part of the game you can cast Feed from your graveyard to draw a few cards. That’s some nice value.
Unconventional Tactics image 1.5 +3/+3 and flying for three mana isn’t that great at Sorcery speed. It is tempting to look at this as giving you that effect every turn or something, but even with all the Zombies around, it just won’t happen that often. Plus, it isn’t that hard for your opponent to respond to.
Trial of Zeal image 4.0 3 mana for 3 damage to anything is great, and with the Cartouche upside here, Trial of Zeal can get completely insane.
Appeal image 2.0 If you can cast both halves of this in the same turn, this can have a pretty big impact, since one of your creatures will get a decent boost and trample, two opposing blockers will be tapped, and your creatures will have vigilance. Still, you did not some decent set up for this to do that ideal thing, including a decent number of creatures. And, in the end, you use up a card here for temporary effects that don’t permanently add to the board in any way, and I don’t love that.
Cartouche of Zeal image 3.0 There aren’t enough artifacts in this set for this to be remotely worth putting in your main deck.
Dauntless Aven image 2.5 A 3-mana 2/1 flyer is reasonably playable already, so adding the ability to untap something definitely matters. You can use this on the Aven itself, or more ideally, use it on an Exert creature so it can attack and Exert again on the very next turn.
Initiate's Companion image 2.0 Thing is fine. A two mana 3/1 is, as usual, a decent aggro creature, and its combat damage to a player effect kind of matters. Its most notable use is untapping an exerted creature.
Slither Blade image 1.5 This is a great place to put Cartouches and stuff like that since its unblockable, but it is pretty unimpressive in most other decks.
Greater Sandwurm image 2.5 This is a solid finisher, and when he’s not what you’re looking for, you can just cycle him away.
Djeru's Resolve image 1.0 Without Cycling, this would pretty much be unplayable. With cycling…well, you’ll play it on really rare occasions.
Cartouche of Ambition image 3.5 Sticking a -1/-1 counter somewhere, +1/+1 and lifelink is a pretty good deal for three mana, and the whole package usually makes it so one of your creatures can rumble that just couldn’t before. Sometimes the counter part of the card will outright kill something too, in which case you’re going to feel pretty great about things.
Beneath the Sands image 2.0 This can help you fix and ramp, which some decks wants, and unlike a lot of ramp spells – which are terrible late game top decks – you can Cycle away Beneath the Sands.
Gust Walker image 3.5 This is an excellent two drop. It can simply attack as a two mana 2/2 early, and then once its necessary, it can start Exerting itself to continue attacking in the air. This two drop is relevant all game long, and is very nice in aggressive decks.
Strategic Planning image 1.0 You just won’t want to do this most of the time. It has a very minimal effect that doesn’t impact on the board, and it is very replaceable.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Battlefield Scavenger
Driven image 2.5 If you have a decent board state, both halves of this card can be pretty potent, especially when cast on the same turn! Four mana for Trample + Menace that draws you a couple cards and makes your opponent discard a couple can be pretty back-breaking. The problem is that you do need to have set up your board pretty well, or this just feels like a blank card.
Ipnu Rivulet image 2.5 This is the weakest of the cycle, mostly because milling isn’t that relevant in the format, but it is still a desert with some upside.
Battlefield Scavenger image 2.5 On its own, this is a two mana 2/2 that can Exert itself to Rummage. If you have more Exert creatures, it will rummage even more! It isn’t exactly the biggest payoff for exerting, but its fine.
Doomfall image 2.5 This is either an overcasted edict effect or Coercion. While neither side is great on its own, there is some real value in putting both on the same card, since you can always choose the best option.
Pouncing Cheetah image 1.5 This is kind of okay. It can flash in and ambush block stuff, but there’s not much that it can survive blocking because of its mediocre stats.
Sunscorched Desert image 1.0 So, you mostly don’t play this Desert, since it isn’t good for your mana at all. However, sometimes you might end up in a mono-colored deck, and if its an aggressive mono-colored deck that has a few Desert payoffs, Sunscorched Desert actually makes the cut. That doesn’t happen a ton, but I’ve seen it happen a few times.
Open Fire image 4.0 This kills a ton of creatures in this format, and it can even go to the dome, so its definitely premium removal.
Zealot of the God-Pharaoh image 2.5 A 4-mana 4/3 is reasonable, and this has an ability that is a solid enough mana sink.
Gilded Cerodon image 1.5 While effects that make something unable to block play pretty well in this format, the Cerodon is a little too expensive to be in the same class as something like Ahn-Crop Crasher.
Djeru's Resolve image 1.0 Without Cycling, this would pretty much be unplayable. With cycling…well, you’ll play it on really rare occasions.
Shimmerscale Drake image 3.0 A 5-mana ¾ flyer is solid, and you can cycle this one away in situations where that doesn’t help you.
Supply Caravan image 2.0 A 5-mana 3/5 isn’t something you want, but this will give you a 1/1 token like half of the time, and that makes it decent.
Wander in Death image 2.5 The first copy of this type of effect is solid in virtually every Limited format. This is because they give you some serious gas in the later part of the game. And, the nice thing here, is that you can cycle it when its useless in the earlier part of the game. There are some serious diminishing returns after that first copy though, even with Cycling.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Ahn-Crop Crasher
Cryptic Serpent image 3.0 Lowering the cost of this to around 5 isn’t too difficult, and sometimes you’ll be able to go even lower. Still, it isn’t like you’ll be slamming this on turn three or four or anything like that.
Ahn-Crop Crasher image 4.0 This guy is a beating, and will lead to a whole lot of games ending quickly. A 3-mana 3/2 with Haste is already fine, but his Exert trigger is where things really get silly. Making your opponent’s best blocker unable to block out of nowhere can just completely alter a game a huge chunk of the time, and if you ever get to attack with the Crasher again, its probably game over for your opponent.
Bloodlust Inciter image 2.5 This kind of card isn’t always very good, but this format is fast enough that the Inciter is actually pretty decent. Giving Haste to every creature you play is quite nice, especially the ones that have scary Exert effects.
Cartouche of Zeal image 3.0 There aren’t enough artifacts in this set for this to be remotely worth putting in your main deck.
Blighted Bat image 2.0 A 3-mana 2/1 that can gain Haste is alright, and it comes with a useful creature type!
Evolving Wilds image 3.0 As usual, the Wilds provides some nice fixing for you, and is even quite good for your mana in a two-color deck.
Splendid Agony image 2.5 This is pretty solid, though not premium. There are enough small creatures in this set that it sometimes give you a 2-for-1, but it isn’t that impressive against larger creatures, though weakening them still has some value.
Quarry Hauler image 3.0 Quarry Hauler brings a decent body to the table, and its ETB trigger will be useful a surprising chunk of the time. You can use it to add -1/-1 counters to opposing things, subtract them from yours, add +1/+1 counters, and so forth.
Aven Initiate image 2.5 4-mana 3/2 flyers are okayish. Adding Embalm here is quite nice, since it will give you another copy of the Initiate in the late game, albeit at a very steep price.
Gust Walker image 3.5 This is an excellent two drop. It can simply attack as a two mana 2/2 early, and then once its necessary, it can start Exerting itself to continue attacking in the air. This two drop is relevant all game long, and is very nice in aggressive decks.
Initiate's Companion image 2.0 Thing is fine. A two mana 3/1 is, as usual, a decent aggro creature, and its combat damage to a player effect kind of matters. Its most notable use is untapping an exerted creature.
Brute Strength image 1.5 This is a decent trick. The small toughness boost is a bit of a bummer, and means that sometimes you won’t be able to avert a 2-for-1 when you use it, but it can also result in a ton of unexpected damage for your opponent.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Merciless Javelineer
Merciless Javelineer image 3.0 This card is a little bit disappointing. It seems like it would be able to make your aggro deck do all kinds of awesome stuff, and sometimes it does – but both the mana and the card are very real costs, and you’ll find yourself in situations where you just don’t want to be doing that.
Supreme Will image 2.5 Neither mode here is an especially good card in Limited, but having the option between them really means you can utilize whichever one is optimal. Countering a spell when you can is great, but if that option doesn’t present itself, you’ll usually go for the card draw.
Desert of the Fervent image 3.0 Deserts are pretty important in this format. Not only do they provide some significant flood insurance thanks to Cycling, they also power up several cards in the format that pay you off for having Deserts. As a result, you should actually value them relatively highly, taking them over most medium cards.
Pursue Glory image 2.0 This is a very inefficient Trumpet Blast, but unlike Trumpet Blast it can actually do something even when you aren’t able to do lethal with it! You can cycle it away.
Haze of Pollen image 0.5 Fog effects are bad in Limited – usually unplayable. Even adding cycling doesn’t help that out a whole lot.
Aven Initiate image 2.5 4-mana 3/2 flyers are okayish. Adding Embalm here is quite nice, since it will give you another copy of the Initiate in the late game, albeit at a very steep price.
Puncturing Blow image 3.5 This is definitely a clunky sorcery, but it also kills almost everything in the format, and the “Exile” clause actually matters in this format. This gets into the lower range of “premium” removal for me.
Compulsory Rest image 3.5 This is a premium removal spell. It is a little bit worse than Pacifism, since you do give your opponent the option of sacrificing the creature and gaining life, but that’s mostly negligible. This shuts down most creatures very effectively.
Unquenchable Thirst image 3.0 It isn’t that difficult to get enough deserts for this to do the more powerful thing. Not tapping the creature when you don’t have a desert definitely isn’t great, but that is a pretty reasonable floor on a card that can shut down most creatures in the format for only two mana.
Supply Caravan image 2.0 A 5-mana 3/5 isn’t something you want, but this will give you a 1/1 token like half of the time, and that makes it decent.
Pitiless Vizier image 2.5 This guy has a very real threat of activation. A 4/2 hits hard, and there aren’t that many creatuers that can block this and survive, and in those situations your opponent has to gauge whether or not you have the Cycling card that just blows them out entirely.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Magma Spray
Shefet Dunes image 3.0 Pumping your whole board is a pretty nice thing for a nice unassuming land to do, and if you have multiple deserts, you can do it on back to back turns, which is pretty awesome.
Ipnu Rivulet image 2.5 This is the weakest of the cycle, mostly because milling isn’t that relevant in the format, but it is still a desert with some upside.
Cartouche of Strength image 4.0 The whole Cartouche cycle is good, but Cartouche of Strength is the best of the bunch. Giving a creature +1/+1 and trample, and punching an opposing creature is amazing, and often enough to really change the complection of a game.
Binding Mummy image 3.0 This has a baseline of a 2-mana 2/2 and it has some very real upside. This set is loaded up with Zombies – and remember, anything that is Embalmed comes back as a zombie too, so the Binding Mummy tends to be quite good at tapping down blockers and letting you go all out.
Magma Spray image 3.5 One mana for 2 damage is pretty much always premium, and Magma Spray can even deal with pesky embalm creatures permanently.
Evolving Wilds image 3.0 As usual, the Wilds provides some nice fixing for you, and is even quite good for your mana in a two-color deck.
Soulstinger image 2.5 All on its own, Soulstinger is a 4-mana 2/3 that puts two -1/-1 counters on something when it dies. That’s the kind of card that can really create 2-for-1s, and that’s sort of the baseline here. You can also just play the Soulstinger as a larger creature if that’s what you need, and put the counters somewhere else.
Stinging Shot image 1.5 This is good at hating on flyers, and because it has cycling, you can get away with in your main deck.
Oasis Ritualist image 3.5 This card is really nice. It has enough toughness to stand up to most common Exert creatures, and it provides significant fixing and ramp.
Striped Riverwinder image 2.5 A 7-mana 5/5 isn’t great, even with Hexproof, but the fact you can Cycle this away early is pretty awesome. Then, in the late game, it is pretty difficult to interact with and not the worst finisher ever.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Hope Tender
Appeal image 2.0 If you can cast both halves of this in the same turn, this can have a pretty big impact, since one of your creatures will get a decent boost and trample, two opposing blockers will be tapped, and your creatures will have vigilance. Still, you did not some decent set up for this to do that ideal thing, including a decent number of creatures. And, in the end, you use up a card here for temporary effects that don’t permanently add to the board in any way, and I don’t love that.
Hope Tender image 3.0 If you’re not exerting this, it doesn’t do a whole lot other than be a 2-mana 2/2. Simply untapping a single land just isn’t that big of a deal, you’re essentially just filtering mana. Still, it can ramp for you when it exerts and it has fine base line stats.
Doomed Dissenter image 2.5 On the face of it, Doomed Dissenter is a solid little card – he gives you a 1/1 and a 2/2 for only two mana, and that’s quite the deal, even if you don’t get them both at the same time. In addition to that, he has some added utility in this format. First, he makes a Zombie – that means BW likes him. Second, he gives you value when you dies, and that makes him an awesome place to stick -1/-1 counters in the BG deck, where you’ll effectively get to ignore that downside on those creatures.
Beneath the Sands image 2.0 This can help you fix and ramp, which some decks wants, and unlike a lot of ramp spells – which are terrible late game top decks – you can Cycle away Beneath the Sands.
Desert Cerodon image 2.5 Like a lot of creatures with cycling, this doesn’t have great stats, but the fact you can throw it away for a new card when the 6/4 isn’t worth it makes it pretty solid.
Cartouche of Knowledge image 3.5 This Cartouche draws you a card to get around the risk of getting 2-for-1’d, and I’m all for that. This actually gives you a lot for only two mana, as Flying and +1/+1 is no joke.
Mighty Leap image 1.5 This is always a decent trick that has the upside of giving you some reach in the late game.
Unquenchable Thirst image 3.0 It isn’t that difficult to get enough deserts for this to do the more powerful thing. Not tapping the creature when you don’t have a desert definitely isn’t great, but that is a pretty reasonable floor on a card that can shut down most creatures in the format for only two mana.
Desert of the Glorified image 3.0 Deserts are pretty important in this format. Not only do they provide some significant flood insurance thanks to Cycling, they also power up several cards in the format that pay you off for having Deserts. As a result, you should actually value them relatively highly, taking them over most medium cards.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Rhonas's Stalwart
Liliana's Defeat image 0.5 This will be great against Black and terrible against everyone else. Leave this in your sideboard.
Feral Prowler image 2.0 It is unfortunately pretty hard to trade Feral Prowler for anything, since basically all the best small creatures in the format can evade it or get to big when they are exerted. That doesn’t make it terrible, but it is definitely worse here than in most sets.
Disposal Mummy image 1.0 This set has a graveyard sub-theme, but Disposal Mummy is too inefficient and situational with its effect to really be worth it most of the time.
Slither Blade image 1.5 This is a great place to put Cartouches and stuff like that since its unblockable, but it is pretty unimpressive in most other decks.
Rhonas's Stalwart image 3.5 Look, yet another really good common two-drop with Exert! Like the others, this has a fine baseline that can attack reasonably well, and then in the later game in can start exerting to make itself larger and more evasive.
Ancient Crab image 1.0 This format has lots of cheap creature who can gain evasion or stats boosts as a result of exerting or other effects, and that makes Ancient Crab pretty unimpressive here.
Essence Scatter image 2.5 Creature spells are the most common type of spell in Magic, so Essence Scatter always tends to be a pretty solid playable in Limited. Its easy to cast and has lots of targets.
Floodwaters image 1.5 This kind of card is always kind of unimpressive. Sure, it can really enable a great attack, but until the extreme late game it won’t really do anything, and even then bouncing two creatures just won’t matter often enough. However, because this has Cycling, you can utilize this card when it is at its best, and just Cycle it away when it isn’t.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Cryptic Serpent
Cryptic Serpent image 3.0 Lowering the cost of this to around 5 isn’t too difficult, and sometimes you’ll be able to go even lower. Still, it isn’t like you’ll be slamming this on turn three or four or anything like that.
Liliana's Defeat image 0.5 This will be great against Black and terrible against everyone else. Leave this in your sideboard.
Tormenting Voice image 1.5 This kind of effect is always very replaceable, as you’re just getting some card selection and not impacting the board. It can be at its best, though, in UR spells, as it can trigger your spell payoffs while also hopefully finding you more spells.
Essence Scatter image 2.5 Creature spells are the most common type of spell in Magic, so Essence Scatter always tends to be a pretty solid playable in Limited. Its easy to cast and has lots of targets.
Beneath the Sands image 2.0 This can help you fix and ramp, which some decks wants, and unlike a lot of ramp spells – which are terrible late game top decks – you can Cycle away Beneath the Sands.
Desert of the Mindful image 3.0 Deserts are pretty important in this format. Not only do they provide some significant flood insurance thanks to Cycling, they also power up several cards in the format that pay you off for having Deserts. As a result, you should actually value them relatively highly, taking them over most medium cards.
Slither Blade image 1.5 This is a great place to put Cartouches and stuff like that since its unblockable, but it is pretty unimpressive in most other decks.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Initiate's Companion
Initiate's Companion image 2.0 Thing is fine. A two mana 3/1 is, as usual, a decent aggro creature, and its combat damage to a player effect kind of matters. Its most notable use is untapping an exerted creature.
Slither Blade image 1.5 This is a great place to put Cartouches and stuff like that since its unblockable, but it is pretty unimpressive in most other decks.
Greater Sandwurm image 2.5 This is a solid finisher, and when he’s not what you’re looking for, you can just cycle him away.
Djeru's Resolve image 1.0 Without Cycling, this would pretty much be unplayable. With cycling…well, you’ll play it on really rare occasions.
Beneath the Sands image 2.0 This can help you fix and ramp, which some decks wants, and unlike a lot of ramp spells – which are terrible late game top decks – you can Cycle away Beneath the Sands.
Strategic Planning image 1.0 You just won’t want to do this most of the time. It has a very minimal effect that doesn’t impact on the board, and it is very replaceable.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Doomfall
Ipnu Rivulet image 2.5 This is the weakest of the cycle, mostly because milling isn’t that relevant in the format, but it is still a desert with some upside.
Doomfall image 2.5 This is either an overcasted edict effect or Coercion. While neither side is great on its own, there is some real value in putting both on the same card, since you can always choose the best option.
Gilded Cerodon image 1.5 While effects that make something unable to block play pretty well in this format, the Cerodon is a little too expensive to be in the same class as something like Ahn-Crop Crasher.
Djeru's Resolve image 1.0 Without Cycling, this would pretty much be unplayable. With cycling…well, you’ll play it on really rare occasions.
Shimmerscale Drake image 3.0 A 5-mana ¾ flyer is solid, and you can cycle this one away in situations where that doesn’t help you.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Initiate's Companion
Cryptic Serpent image 3.0 Lowering the cost of this to around 5 isn’t too difficult, and sometimes you’ll be able to go even lower. Still, it isn’t like you’ll be slamming this on turn three or four or anything like that.
Evolving Wilds image 3.0 As usual, the Wilds provides some nice fixing for you, and is even quite good for your mana in a two-color deck.
Initiate's Companion image 2.0 Thing is fine. A two mana 3/1 is, as usual, a decent aggro creature, and its combat damage to a player effect kind of matters. Its most notable use is untapping an exerted creature.
Brute Strength image 1.5 This is a decent trick. The small toughness boost is a bit of a bummer, and means that sometimes you won’t be able to avert a 2-for-1 when you use it, but it can also result in a ton of unexpected damage for your opponent.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Supreme Will
Supreme Will image 2.5 Neither mode here is an especially good card in Limited, but having the option between them really means you can utilize whichever one is optimal. Countering a spell when you can is great, but if that option doesn’t present itself, you’ll usually go for the card draw.
Pursue Glory image 2.0 This is a very inefficient Trumpet Blast, but unlike Trumpet Blast it can actually do something even when you aren’t able to do lethal with it! You can cycle it away.
Haze of Pollen image 0.5 Fog effects are bad in Limited – usually unplayable. Even adding cycling doesn’t help that out a whole lot.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Ipnu Rivulet
Ipnu Rivulet image 2.5 This is the weakest of the cycle, mostly because milling isn’t that relevant in the format, but it is still a desert with some upside.
Striped Riverwinder image 2.5 A 7-mana 5/5 isn’t great, even with Hexproof, but the fact you can Cycle this away early is pretty awesome. Then, in the late game, it is pretty difficult to interact with and not the worst finisher ever.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Beneath the Sands
Beneath the Sands image 2.0 This can help you fix and ramp, which some decks wants, and unlike a lot of ramp spells – which are terrible late game top decks – you can Cycle away Beneath the Sands.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Samut, Voice of Dissent
Samut, Voice of Dissent image 5.0 Samut is a pretty scary creature to have to face down. 5-mana for a ¾ with Flash, Double Strike, Vigilance, and Haste is just great. Flashing her in to ambush block and kill something really isn’t that hard with those stats and all those keywords, and then the fact that she grants haste to all your stuff is amazing. That means you can flash her in on your opponent’s turn, and then untap and every creature you play has Haste! So you end up adding a ton to the board that makes an immediate impact out of nowhere! She also has the ability to untap another creature, which is nice additional upside, but don’t really feel obligated to find a way to fit White into your deck just for that ability, it just isn’t that important.
Wayward Servant image 3.0 Draining an opponent every time you have a Zombie ETB is pretty nice, and keep in mind it includes embalmed and eternalized creatures!
Oketra's Attendant image 3.5 A 5-mana 3/3 Flyer isn’t great, but this one has both Cycling and Embalm, and that makes it way better. Embalm tends to be pretty nice because it effectively gives you two cards worth of value over the course of the game, and the fact you can cycle this away early to find a land drop, and then still Embalm it late is pretty nice.
Merciless Javelineer image 3.0 This card is a little bit disappointing. It seems like it would be able to make your aggro deck do all kinds of awesome stuff, and sometimes it does – but both the mana and the card are very real costs, and you’ll find yourself in situations where you just don’t want to be doing that.
Tah-Crop Elite image 2.5 This has an Exert trigger that can be quite impressive on the right board. The downside is that the board won’t always be right for it. The fact it dies to pretty much all the removal in the set despite costing 4 mana is also pretty rough.
Spellweaver Eternal image 3.0 Afflict and Prowess on a two mana 2/1 is a pretty good deal. The Eternal will make sure it does damage to the opponent one way or another in most scenarios, and because of Prowess your opponent has to be pretty careful about how they block. This is yet another impressive two drop in a format that is loaded up with them!
Sidewinder Naga image 2.0 This will sometimes be a 4/2 with Trample, which is fine, but it wouldn’t be an incredible card even if it was always a 4/2 with trample.
Desert of the Mindful image 3.0 Deserts are pretty important in this format. Not only do they provide some significant flood insurance thanks to Cycling, they also power up several cards in the format that pay you off for having Deserts. As a result, you should actually value them relatively highly, taking them over most medium cards.
Trespasser's Curse image 0.5 This doesn’t do anything apart from the life drain effect, and that just isn’t going to be worth a card most of the time.
Wander in Death image 2.5 The first copy of this type of effect is solid in virtually every Limited format. This is because they give you some serious gas in the later part of the game. And, the nice thing here, is that you can cycle it when its useless in the earlier part of the game. There are some serious diminishing returns after that first copy though, even with Cycling.
Wall of Forgotten Pharaohs image 2.0 As a 0/4, this can actually block many of the exerters in the format, and its Desert payoff ability isn’t the worst way to slowly win a game, either. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t great, but if you’re in a slower deck, this often ends up being a pretty solid card for you.
Horror of the Broken Lands image 3.0 In the early game, you can cycle this away, and in the late game it can be a very legitimate finisher in a deck with a reasonable amount of Cycling. It has a very reasonable floor, and a decent enough ceiling.
Desert of the Indomitable image 3.0 Deserts are pretty important in this format. Not only do they provide some significant flood insurance thanks to Cycling, they also power up several cards in the format that pay you off for having Deserts. As a result, you should actually value them relatively highly, taking them over most medium cards.
Pathmaker Initiate image 2.0 Making small creatures unblockable definitely has a place in this format, especially when you can exert them to make them bigger after you make them unblockable.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Ramunap Excavator
Ramunap Excavator image 2.5 Playing lands from the graveyard does matter a little in this format. Both the cycling deserts and the Uncommon desert cycle tend to end up in the graveyard, and getting those back can have some serious value.
Crocodile of the Crossing image 3.0 On its own, this is basically a 4-mana 4/3 with Haste, something quite reasonable! And of course, like all of these -1/-1 counter cards, you can put the counter on a different creature to make the Crocodile even larger.
Vizier of Remedies image 1.0 This is a two mana 2/1 with some very minor upside for the format. You’ll play it if you really need a two drop, but that’s about it.
Bontu's Monument image 1.5 Reducing the cost of your black creature spells and draining your opponent for every creature spell you cast isn’t too bad, though sometimes it won’t really add up enough to feel like you’re getting a full card worth of value.
Sunscorched Desert image 1.0 So, you mostly don’t play this Desert, since it isn’t good for your mana at all. However, sometimes you might end up in a mono-colored deck, and if its an aggressive mono-colored deck that has a few Desert payoffs, Sunscorched Desert actually makes the cut. That doesn’t happen a ton, but I’ve seen it happen a few times.
Trespasser's Curse image 0.5 This doesn’t do anything apart from the life drain effect, and that just isn’t going to be worth a card most of the time.
Life Goes On image 0.5 This is sideboard material that you might bring in against a really aggressive deck, where the life gain legitimately makes it hard for them to win. That’s not going to go down very often, though.
Splendid Agony image 2.5 This is pretty solid, though not premium. There are enough small creatures in this set that it sometimes give you a 2-for-1, but it isn’t that impressive against larger creatures, though weakening them still has some value.
Open Fire image 4.0 This kills a ton of creatures in this format, and it can even go to the dome, so its definitely premium removal.
Mighty Leap image 1.5 This is always a decent trick that has the upside of giving you some reach in the late game.
Essence Scatter image 2.5 Creature spells are the most common type of spell in Magic, so Essence Scatter always tends to be a pretty solid playable in Limited. Its easy to cast and has lots of targets.
Doomed Dissenter image 2.5 On the face of it, Doomed Dissenter is a solid little card – he gives you a 1/1 and a 2/2 for only two mana, and that’s quite the deal, even if you don’t get them both at the same time. In addition to that, he has some added utility in this format. First, he makes a Zombie – that means BW likes him. Second, he gives you value when you dies, and that makes him an awesome place to stick -1/-1 counters in the BG deck, where you’ll effectively get to ignore that downside on those creatures.
Magma Spray image 3.5 One mana for 2 damage is pretty much always premium, and Magma Spray can even deal with pesky embalm creatures permanently.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Abrade
Torment of Hailfire image 1.0 You need to pump a ton of mana into this for it to be worth it, and even when you do it won’t always be enough, since your opponent can make whatever decision is optimal to them, and there will often be one mode on this card that just doesn’t effect them much.
Reduce image 1.5 On one side, you have a mediocre counterspell. On the other, you have a card that can deprive your opponent of mana for a single turn. While some of these cards overcome being inefficient or situational by being split cards, that doesn’t really happen here. Both sides are quite situational and expensive, with Rubble especially being useless a huge chunk of the time.
Abrade image 4.0 Two mana for 3 damage at Instant speed is always premium, and the added upside of hitting an Artifact with it sometimes is nice.
Gilded Cerodon image 1.5 While effects that make something unable to block play pretty well in this format, the Cerodon is a little too expensive to be in the same class as something like Ahn-Crop Crasher.
Pathmaker Initiate image 2.0 Making small creatures unblockable definitely has a place in this format, especially when you can exert them to make them bigger after you make them unblockable.
Blur of Blades image 1.5 Sometimes this will get a blocker out of the way and damage your opponent, and suddenly their dead to an Alpha strike. That makes it a reasonable inclusion in aggressive decks, especially because it will always have a pretty decent effect in those decks.
Supernatural Stamina image 2.5 This is a pretty impressive combat trigger. The +2/+0 is enough to make many creatures capable of trading when they couldn’t before, and the additional effect on the card makes it so you get that creature back anyway. This can feel especially powerful on an ETB creature. The low cost here is great, and can really accomplish a lot.
Naga Vitalist image 2.5 This is pretty decent at ramping you, and sometimes you’ll be interested in that.
Cartouche of Strength image 4.0 The whole Cartouche cycle is good, but Cartouche of Strength is the best of the bunch. Giving a creature +1/+1 and trample, and punching an opposing creature is amazing, and often enough to really change the complection of a game.
Unquenchable Thirst image 3.0 It isn’t that difficult to get enough deserts for this to do the more powerful thing. Not tapping the creature when you don’t have a desert definitely isn’t great, but that is a pretty reasonable floor on a card that can shut down most creatures in the format for only two mana.
Dauntless Aven image 2.5 A 3-mana 2/1 flyer is reasonably playable already, so adding the ability to untap something definitely matters. You can use this on the Aven itself, or more ideally, use it on an Exert creature so it can attack and Exert again on the very next turn.
Oasis Ritualist image 3.5 This card is really nice. It has enough toughness to stand up to most common Exert creatures, and it provides significant fixing and ramp.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Harsh Mentor
Harsh Mentor image 2.5 This two mana 2/2 will punish your opponent often enough to make it a decent two-drop.
Sixth Sense image 1.0 This kind of Aura is always sort of hard to get behind. Because it gives no stats boost, the creature you put it on has to already be capable of getting in to draw you the card, and you’ll find yourself unable to create that situation pretty frequently.
Shed Weakness image 1.5 This is an alright trick. One mana for +2/+2 is fairly passable, and sometimes you’ll also get rid of a -1/-1 counter, which will make it feel like Giant Growth!
Thorned Moloch image 2.5 When this attacks, it isn’t very hard for it to be a 3/3 with First Strike, and that’s not an easy creature to block.
Naga Vitalist image 2.5 This is pretty decent at ramping you, and sometimes you’ll be interested in that.
Desert of the Fervent image 3.0 Deserts are pretty important in this format. Not only do they provide some significant flood insurance thanks to Cycling, they also power up several cards in the format that pay you off for having Deserts. As a result, you should actually value them relatively highly, taking them over most medium cards.
Slither Blade image 1.5 This is a great place to put Cartouches and stuff like that since its unblockable, but it is pretty unimpressive in most other decks.
Sunscorched Desert image 1.0 So, you mostly don’t play this Desert, since it isn’t good for your mana at all. However, sometimes you might end up in a mono-colored deck, and if its an aggressive mono-colored deck that has a few Desert payoffs, Sunscorched Desert actually makes the cut. That doesn’t happen a ton, but I’ve seen it happen a few times.
Splendid Agony image 2.5 This is pretty solid, though not premium. There are enough small creatures in this set that it sometimes give you a 2-for-1, but it isn’t that impressive against larger creatures, though weakening them still has some value.
Nimble-Blade Khenra image 2.0 This is fine if you have enough spells, but even when you do, it isn’t exactly the most incredible prowess creature.
Hooded Brawler image 2.5 This 3-mana 3/2 can swing as a 5/4 once his base stats aren’t doing it for you anymore, and that’s enough size to be relevant all game long.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Thresher Lizard
Supply Caravan image 2.0 A 5-mana 3/5 isn’t something you want, but this will give you a 1/1 token like half of the time, and that makes it decent.
Djeru's Resolve image 1.0 Without Cycling, this would pretty much be unplayable. With cycling…well, you’ll play it on really rare occasions.
Sidewinder Naga image 2.0 This will sometimes be a 4/2 with Trample, which is fine, but it wouldn’t be an incredible card even if it was always a 4/2 with trample.
Blighted Bat image 2.0 A 3-mana 2/1 that can gain Haste is alright, and it comes with a useful creature type!
Final Reward image 3.0 This is expensive, but it also answers any creature – and because it exiles them, it can even shut down annoying cards with Embalm. This is premium removal.
Winds of Rebuke image 2.5 Two mana to bounce a nonland permanent is always an okay card in Limited. It doesn’t let you trade 1-for-1 all the time, but the tempo is sometimes worth it. On occasion, you may also mill something useful into your graveyard.
Magma Spray image 3.5 One mana for 2 damage is pretty much always premium, and Magma Spray can even deal with pesky embalm creatures permanently.
Thresher Lizard image 2.0 This is a 3-mana 3/2 in the early game, and it becomes a 4/4 late. That’s fine, though not something you’ll always be playing in your red decks.
Sacred Cat image 2.5 A one mana 1/1 with lifelink isn’t usually anything special, but this effectively ends up being two mana for 2 1/1s with Lifelink, and that’s actually quite nice.
Marauding Boneslasher image 2.0 This has decent stats and a useful creature type, so you’ll play it a decent amount of the time.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Struggle
Ipnu Rivulet image 2.5 This is the weakest of the cycle, mostly because milling isn’t that relevant in the format, but it is still a desert with some upside.
Struggle image 4.0 The Struggle half is where almost all the value for this card comes from. It is a premium removal spell that scales all game long. The Survive half rarely comes up, but hey, sometimes you need to not draw the last card in your library.
Haze of Pollen image 0.5 Fog effects are bad in Limited – usually unplayable. Even adding cycling doesn’t help that out a whole lot.
Cartouche of Ambition image 3.5 Sticking a -1/-1 counter somewhere, +1/+1 and lifelink is a pretty good deal for three mana, and the whole package usually makes it so one of your creatures can rumble that just couldn’t before. Sometimes the counter part of the card will outright kill something too, in which case you’re going to feel pretty great about things.
Those Who Serve image 1.0 You’ll play this if you have enough Zombie synergies, but that’s pretty much it.
Brute Strength image 1.5 This is a decent trick. The small toughness boost is a bit of a bummer, and means that sometimes you won’t be able to avert a 2-for-1 when you use it, but it can also result in a ton of unexpected damage for your opponent.
Unburden image 2.0 Mind Rot usually isn’t very good in Limited, but you can use that part of the card when its good, and Cycle it away when its not, which makes it somewhat playable.
Soulstinger image 2.5 All on its own, Soulstinger is a 4-mana 2/3 that puts two -1/-1 counters on something when it dies. That’s the kind of card that can really create 2-for-1s, and that’s sort of the baseline here. You can also just play the Soulstinger as a larger creature if that’s what you need, and put the counters somewhere else.
Striped Riverwinder image 2.5 A 7-mana 5/5 isn’t great, even with Hexproof, but the fact you can Cycle this away early is pretty awesome. Then, in the late game, it is pretty difficult to interact with and not the worst finisher ever.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Hooded Brawler
Bitterbow Sharpshooters image 2.5 This thing has pretty good size to stop many of the creatures in this format, and also attacks pretty well.
Pitiless Vizier image 2.5 This guy has a very real threat of activation. A 4/2 hits hard, and there aren’t that many creatuers that can block this and survive, and in those situations your opponent has to gauge whether or not you have the Cycling card that just blows them out entirely.
Essence Scatter image 2.5 Creature spells are the most common type of spell in Magic, so Essence Scatter always tends to be a pretty solid playable in Limited. Its easy to cast and has lots of targets.
Miasmic Mummy image 1.5 The symmetrical discard isn’t something you’re all that interested in in the format, and this is just a 2/2. It is a Zombie, so that matters, but you won’t play this all that often.
Gilded Cerodon image 1.5 While effects that make something unable to block play pretty well in this format, the Cerodon is a little too expensive to be in the same class as something like Ahn-Crop Crasher.
In Oketra's Name image 1.5 This just doesn’t pan out most of the time. Sure, if you have a bunch of Zombies and you’re going wide, it gives a nice boost for the cost, but having both of those things happen isn’t guaranteed.
Haze of Pollen image 0.5 Fog effects are bad in Limited – usually unplayable. Even adding cycling doesn’t help that out a whole lot.
Hooded Brawler image 2.5 This 3-mana 3/2 can swing as a 5/4 once his base stats aren’t doing it for you anymore, and that’s enough size to be relevant all game long.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Thresher Lizard
Shadow of the Grave image 0.0 You won’t be able to do much with this in Limited.
Feral Prowler image 2.0 It is unfortunately pretty hard to trade Feral Prowler for anything, since basically all the best small creatures in the format can evade it or get to big when they are exerted. That doesn’t make it terrible, but it is definitely worse here than in most sets.
Thresher Lizard image 2.0 This is a 3-mana 3/2 in the early game, and it becomes a 4/4 late. That’s fine, though not something you’ll always be playing in your red decks.
Slither Blade image 1.5 This is a great place to put Cartouches and stuff like that since its unblockable, but it is pretty unimpressive in most other decks.
Shimmerscale Drake image 3.0 A 5-mana ¾ flyer is solid, and you can cycle this one away in situations where that doesn’t help you.
Khenra Eternal image 2.5 This has okay stats, an okay keyword ability, and it’s a Zombie, so its perfectly fine.
Seer of the Last Tomorrow image 1.0 Not really a mill deck in this format, and that makes this pretty bad.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Pathmaker Initiate
Wayward Servant image 3.0 Draining an opponent every time you have a Zombie ETB is pretty nice, and keep in mind it includes embalmed and eternalized creatures!
Tah-Crop Elite image 2.5 This has an Exert trigger that can be quite impressive on the right board. The downside is that the board won’t always be right for it. The fact it dies to pretty much all the removal in the set despite costing 4 mana is also pretty rough.
Sidewinder Naga image 2.0 This will sometimes be a 4/2 with Trample, which is fine, but it wouldn’t be an incredible card even if it was always a 4/2 with trample.
Desert of the Mindful image 3.0 Deserts are pretty important in this format. Not only do they provide some significant flood insurance thanks to Cycling, they also power up several cards in the format that pay you off for having Deserts. As a result, you should actually value them relatively highly, taking them over most medium cards.
Wander in Death image 2.5 The first copy of this type of effect is solid in virtually every Limited format. This is because they give you some serious gas in the later part of the game. And, the nice thing here, is that you can cycle it when its useless in the earlier part of the game. There are some serious diminishing returns after that first copy though, even with Cycling.
Pathmaker Initiate image 2.0 Making small creatures unblockable definitely has a place in this format, especially when you can exert them to make them bigger after you make them unblockable.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Doomed Dissenter
Bontu's Monument image 1.5 Reducing the cost of your black creature spells and draining your opponent for every creature spell you cast isn’t too bad, though sometimes it won’t really add up enough to feel like you’re getting a full card worth of value.
Sunscorched Desert image 1.0 So, you mostly don’t play this Desert, since it isn’t good for your mana at all. However, sometimes you might end up in a mono-colored deck, and if its an aggressive mono-colored deck that has a few Desert payoffs, Sunscorched Desert actually makes the cut. That doesn’t happen a ton, but I’ve seen it happen a few times.
Trespasser's Curse image 0.5 This doesn’t do anything apart from the life drain effect, and that just isn’t going to be worth a card most of the time.
Life Goes On image 0.5 This is sideboard material that you might bring in against a really aggressive deck, where the life gain legitimately makes it hard for them to win. That’s not going to go down very often, though.
Doomed Dissenter image 2.5 On the face of it, Doomed Dissenter is a solid little card – he gives you a 1/1 and a 2/2 for only two mana, and that’s quite the deal, even if you don’t get them both at the same time. In addition to that, he has some added utility in this format. First, he makes a Zombie – that means BW likes him. Second, he gives you value when you dies, and that makes him an awesome place to stick -1/-1 counters in the BG deck, where you’ll effectively get to ignore that downside on those creatures.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Pathmaker Initiate
Sixth Sense image 1.0 This kind of Aura is always sort of hard to get behind. Because it gives no stats boost, the creature you put it on has to already be capable of getting in to draw you the card, and you’ll find yourself unable to create that situation pretty frequently.
Shed Weakness image 1.5 This is an alright trick. One mana for +2/+2 is fairly passable, and sometimes you’ll also get rid of a -1/-1 counter, which will make it feel like Giant Growth!
Nimble-Blade Khenra image 2.0 This is fine if you have enough spells, but even when you do, it isn’t exactly the most incredible prowess creature.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Nimble-Blade Khenra
Sixth Sense image 1.0 This kind of Aura is always sort of hard to get behind. Because it gives no stats boost, the creature you put it on has to already be capable of getting in to draw you the card, and you’ll find yourself unable to create that situation pretty frequently.
Shed Weakness image 1.5 This is an alright trick. One mana for +2/+2 is fairly passable, and sometimes you’ll also get rid of a -1/-1 counter, which will make it feel like Giant Growth!
Nimble-Blade Khenra image 2.0 This is fine if you have enough spells, but even when you do, it isn’t exactly the most incredible prowess creature.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Supply Caravan
Supply Caravan image 2.0 A 5-mana 3/5 isn’t something you want, but this will give you a 1/1 token like half of the time, and that makes it decent.
Winds of Rebuke image 2.5 Two mana to bounce a nonland permanent is always an okay card in Limited. It doesn’t let you trade 1-for-1 all the time, but the tempo is sometimes worth it. On occasion, you may also mill something useful into your graveyard.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Brute Strength
Brute Strength image 1.5 This is a decent trick. The small toughness boost is a bit of a bummer, and means that sometimes you won’t be able to avert a 2-for-1 when you use it, but it can also result in a ton of unexpected damage for your opponent.
Draft Pick Overview