Tracker App

Premier Draft AKR 14 August 2021

14 August 06:51 - DrLakis 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (7)
1 Crested Sunmare image
1 Angel of Sanctions image
1 Steward of Solidarity image
3 Oketra's Attendant image
1 Aven of Enduring Hope image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (16)
1 Sunset Pyramid image
1 Unconventional Tactics image
1 Cruel Reality image
1 Lethal Sting image
1 Mighty Leap image
1 Compulsory Rest image
1 Start // Finish image
1 Unburden image
1 Bontu's Last Reckoning image
1 Supernatural Stamina image
1 Desert's Hold image
1 Farm // Market image
1 Impeccable Timing image
1 Doomfall image
2 Forsake the Worldly image
Land (17)
3 Plains image
6 Swamp image
1 Swamp image
1 Desert of the Glorified image
1 Plains image
5 Plains image
Sideboard
1 Aven of Enduring Hope image
1 Anointer Priest image
3 Dauntless Aven image
1 Watchers of the Dead image
1 Wayward Servant image
1 Seer of the Last Tomorrow image
2 Seeker of Insight image
1 Sacred Cat image
1 Pitiless Vizier image
1 Trespasser's Curse image
1 Djeru's Resolve image
1 Desert of the Mindful image
1 Hashep Oasis image
1 Scavenger Grounds image
1 Ipnu Rivulet image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Cruel Reality
Cruel Reality image 2.0 If I’m paying 7 mana for something, it had better win the game in a hurry. And…Cruel Reality just…doesn’t. It really needs time to accumulate value and snowball, and it certainly does win you the game eventually, but your opponent will often have spare creatures to sacrifice to this, and it won’t really impact them for a couple of turns. This certainly isn’t unplayable – after all, it does win the game eventually! But it is so slow at doing it that it isn’t something you should take very highly.
Bone Picker image 3.5 A 4-mana 3/2 with Flying and Deathtouch is the fail case here, and that’s a very playable fail case! Sometimes, it will only cost a single Black mana, and when that happens, you’ll really feel like you’re getting there.
Start image 3.5 Three mana for two 1/1 tokens with Vigilance isn’t a bad deal, and having an expensive Bone Splinters sitting around in your graveyard isn’t too shabby either. Because the Start half is an Instant, you can also pretty easily cast this on your opponent’s turn, and then untap and use Finish to give up one of those tokens and kill their best creature.
By Force image 0.5 There aren’t enough artifacts in this set for this to be remotely worth putting in your main deck.
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.
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.
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.
Mighty Leap image 1.5 This is always a decent trick that has the upside of giving you some reach in the late game.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ornery Kudu image 2.0 On its own, this is a 3-mana 2/3, which isn’t very good. If you put the -1/-1 counter somewhere else, especially somewhere where you get some nice value, it will feel pretty good.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Steward of Solidarity
Steward of Solidarity image 3.5 In the early game, this can just attack as a two mana 2/2, and in the late game in can give you a 1/1 token every other turn, which is a very relevant ability.
Fervent Paincaster image 2.5 A 3-mana 3/1 that can ping the opponent is kind of okay, and adding the ability to exert to ping anything is pretty nice, and certainly a problem for any deck with lots of X/1s.
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.
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.
Lethal Sting image 2.5 This is a cheap way to kill any creature, and the downside can turn into upside in some situations. Still, the set up is real, and that makes it hard for it to be premium.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Oketra's Avenger image 3.5 When this is Exerted, it is pretty darn hard to block – and that’s true pretty much all game long, making this an excellent two drop.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Lethal Sting
Rhonas's Monument image 2.5 This is pretty decent, especially compared to the non-Oketra monuments. +2/+2 and trample is a pretty real boost, and often enough to make a creature able to attack that just couldn’t before.
Trial of Strength image 2.5 3-mana for a 4/2 is fine, and you might find yourself casting this more than once over the course of the game, which feels pretty nice.
Lethal Sting image 2.5 This is a cheap way to kill any creature, and the downside can turn into upside in some situations. Still, the set up is real, and that makes it hard for it to be premium.
Ornery Kudu image 2.0 On its own, this is a 3-mana 2/3, which isn’t very good. If you put the -1/-1 counter somewhere else, especially somewhere where you get some nice value, it will feel pretty good.
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.
Hieroglyphic Illumination image 2.5 4 mana to draw 2 at instant speed isn’t the greatest thing ever, but this has an alternate mode where you pay a single Blue to draw a card, and having both of those options is pretty nice.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Oketra's Attendant
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.
Ominous Sphinx image 3.5 This has nice stats and a pretty decent Cycling payoff effect that can really wreak havoc on your opponent, especially during combat.
Ornery Kudu image 2.0 On its own, this is a 3-mana 2/3, which isn’t very good. If you put the -1/-1 counter somewhere else, especially somewhere where you get some nice value, it will feel pretty good.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Khenra Eternal image 2.5 This has okay stats, an okay keyword ability, and it’s a Zombie, so its perfectly fine.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Aven of Enduring Hope
Spring image 3.0 This can ramp and fix early, and draw you some much-needed gas late, and that’s something I really like.
Hashep Oasis image 3.0 These Desert utility lands are all pretty nice! In addition to counting as deserts for several cards in the set, they come into play completely untapped and can give you colored mana – even if you do have to pay life for it. If you don’t want that mana, it can also just tap for cololorless. Then, they can all do a thing by giving up a Desert. In this case, you get to pump a creature. And sure, it is only at Sorcery speed, but keep in mind that this thing has been a nice land for you all game, and in the late game it is having a very real impact! If you have enough deserts, you can do these effects repeatedly, which is sometimes nice.
Consign image 3.0 Thing thing really over performs. In the early game, you can bounce a problem permanent to slow your opponent down, or maybe blow them out when they try to use a trick or something, and then in the late game you have a Mind Rot sitting around in your graveyard. Basically, the consign half of this is already a solid playable, and the Oblivion half gives you some nice late game value. Now, your opponent won’t always have the cards to discard, but they do often enough that this card often feels like a steal.
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.
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 True 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.
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.
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.
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.
Forsake the Worldly image 1.5 Because of Cycling you can main deck this and have it be kind of okay. In an ideal world, you probably still start in your sideboard.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Anointer Priest
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 1 Pick 7: Mighty Leap
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hieroglyphic Illumination image 2.5 4 mana to draw 2 at instant speed isn’t the greatest thing ever, but this has an alternate mode where you pay a single Blue to draw a card, and having both of those options is pretty nice.
Mighty Leap image 1.5 This is always a decent trick that has the upside of giving you some reach in the late game.
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 1 Pick 8: Compulsory Rest
Protection of the Hekma image 1.0 If you play this, obviously you’ll be winning the game. Unfortunately, that’s a pretty big “if,” in this format.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 9: Start
Start image 3.5 Three mana for two 1/1 tokens with Vigilance isn’t a bad deal, and having an expensive Bone Splinters sitting around in your graveyard isn’t too shabby either. Because the Start half is an Instant, you can also pretty easily cast this on your opponent’s turn, and then untap and use Finish to give up one of those tokens and kill their best creature.
By Force image 0.5 There aren’t enough artifacts in this set for this to be remotely worth putting in your main deck.
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.
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.
Mighty Leap image 1.5 This is always a decent trick that has the upside of giving you some reach in the late game.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Dauntless Aven
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.
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.
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.
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.
Oketra's Avenger image 3.5 When this is Exerted, it is pretty darn hard to block – and that’s true pretty much all game long, making this an excellent two drop.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Trespasser's Curse
Ornery Kudu image 2.0 On its own, this is a 3-mana 2/3, which isn’t very good. If you put the -1/-1 counter somewhere else, especially somewhere where you get some nice value, it will feel pretty good.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Djeru's Resolve
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.
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.
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.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Forsake the Worldly
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.
Forsake the Worldly image 1.5 Because of Cycling you can main deck this and have it be kind of okay. In an ideal world, you probably still start in your sideboard.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Unburden
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.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Bontu's Last Reckoning
Bontu's Last Reckoning image 3.0 This obviously has a massive downside, but three mana for a Wrath is a good deal. Now, the problem wraths usually have is that your opponent will get to rebuild first, and that problem is even more pronounced here, since you don’t get to untap lands on the next turn! However, because Reckoning is so cheap, that won’t always mean that all your lands are tapped, and sometimes you’ll even be able to cast it and drop like a 4-drop right away. Still, that downside is very real, but the effect here is undeniably powerful.
Hashep Oasis image 3.0 These Desert utility lands are all pretty nice! In addition to counting as deserts for several cards in the set, they come into play completely untapped and can give you colored mana – even if you do have to pay life for it. If you don’t want that mana, it can also just tap for cololorless. Then, they can all do a thing by giving up a Desert. In this case, you get to pump a creature. And sure, it is only at Sorcery speed, but keep in mind that this thing has been a nice land for you all game, and in the late game it is having a very real impact! If you have enough deserts, you can do these effects repeatedly, which is sometimes nice.
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.
Gravedigger image 3.5 Gravedigger is always a pretty nice card in Limited, as he is very easy to create 2-for-1s with. In this format, he also has a very nice creature type!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Firebrand Archer image 2.5 This performs surprisingly well as a spell payoff, and can really chip in a ton of additional damage, while also providing pretty good reach in the later part of the game.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 2: Supernatural Stamina
Pact of Negation image 1.5 Being able to counter any spell without leaving mana up can definitely feel pretty good, but of course this isn’t quite as flexible as that sounds, since you’d better have 5 mana in play on your next turn, or you risk losing the game.
Trial of Solidarity image 3.0 Cards that pump your whole board and give it Vigilance tend to be quite nice, since they drastically alter the state of a race. You’re suddenly doing way more damage, your creatures are harder to block, and your creatures can hang back to block. The Cartouche clause comes up more often than you’d think here too!
Khenra Charioteer image 3.0 This kind is a little underwhelming as far as signpost uncommons go, but he is very efficient and grants your creatures a nice keyword, so its still a pretty nice 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Desert's Hold
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.
Desert's Hold image 4.0 This is a premium removal spell, and one that it isn’t that hard to trigger the “Desert” clause on. This shuts down most creatures entirely and will gain you life like half the time, and that’s pretty great.
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.
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.
Dune Beetle image 1.0 If you need a defensive two drop, you could do worse than this I guess.
Fan Bearer image 3.5 Master Decoy-type creatures are good in most Limited formats, and this one comes with a relevant creature type.
Naga Vitalist image 2.5 This is pretty decent at ramping you, and sometimes you’ll be interested in that.
Those Who Serve image 1.0 You’ll play this if you have enough Zombie synergies, but that’s pretty much it.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Wayward Servant
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Seer of the Last Tomorrow image 1.0 Not really a mill deck in this format, and that makes this pretty bad.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Desert of the Mindful
Exemplar of Strength image 2.0 If you play this on turn two, it can potentially get out of hand, but for a lot of the game, it is basically just a two mana 1/1 that becomes a 2/2 and gains you 1 life when it attacks. That’s…not great, even in a format with various -1/-1 counter synergies.
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.
Obelisk Spider image 3.5 This X-costed planeswalker can come down whenever you want her too, and she packs some pretty nice abilities. Her +2 doesn’t net you a card or anything, but it does Scry 2, which is some nice selection. Her 0 ability does net you cards, and can even put some into play for free! Meanwhile, her ultimate is quite easy to reach, and it can do 10 damage to your opponent out of nowhere, which is often enough to just end the game. She is challenging to take over the game with all alone though, and for that reason I don’t think she’s quite a bomb.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Seer of the Last Tomorrow image 1.0 Not really a mill deck in this format, and that makes this pretty bad.
Ornery Kudu image 2.0 On its own, this is a 3-mana 2/3, which isn’t very good. If you put the -1/-1 counter somewhere else, especially somewhere where you get some nice value, it will feel pretty good.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Oketra's Attendant
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!
Trial of Knowledge image 2.5 Paying four mana for an effect that doesn’t immediately impact the board isn’t great in this format, but this does give you a pretty nice effect.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Aerial Guide image 3.5 This is a great Common. Wind Drake stats are kind of passable, and giving another attacker Flying is a pretty big deal, and Aerial Guide can quickly account for a ton of damage as a result of that ability.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Watchers of the Dead
Watchers of the Dead image 2.0 This is a two-mana 2/2 that can hate on the graveyard a bit in a set that has graveyard stuff, so its fine.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Forsake the Worldly
Shadowstorm Vizier image 3.0 This can do some decent damage in the air when combined with discard and cycling effects, and there are certainly enough of those in this format for the Vizier to be pretty good – though it may be the most underwhelming of this cycle of signpost uncommons.
Watchers of the Dead image 2.0 This is a two-mana 2/2 that can hate on the graveyard a bit in a set that has graveyard stuff, so its fine.
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.
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.
Forsake the Worldly image 1.5 Because of Cycling you can main deck this and have it be kind of okay. In an ideal world, you probably still start in your sideboard.
Solitary Camel image 2.0 A 3-mana 3/2 that will have lifelink a decent chunk of the time is fine.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Hashep Oasis
Hashep Oasis image 3.0 These Desert utility lands are all pretty nice! In addition to counting as deserts for several cards in the set, they come into play completely untapped and can give you colored mana – even if you do have to pay life for it. If you don’t want that mana, it can also just tap for cololorless. Then, they can all do a thing by giving up a Desert. In this case, you get to pump a creature. And sure, it is only at Sorcery speed, but keep in mind that this thing has been a nice land for you all game, and in the late game it is having a very real impact! If you have enough deserts, you can do these effects repeatedly, which is sometimes nice.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Dauntless Aven
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Farm
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.
Those Who Serve image 1.0 You’ll play this if you have enough Zombie synergies, but that’s pretty much it.
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.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Seer of the Last Tomorrow
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.
Seer of the Last Tomorrow image 1.0 Not really a mill deck in this format, and that makes this pretty bad.
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.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Seeker of Insight
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.
Seer of the Last Tomorrow image 1.0 Not really a mill deck in this format, and that makes this pretty bad.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Impeccable Timing
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.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Scavenger Grounds
Scavenger Grounds image 0.5 Graveyard hate isn't worth the hit to your mana, though you might find yourself sideboarding it in sometimes.
Trial of Knowledge image 2.5 Paying four mana for an effect that doesn’t immediately impact the board isn’t great in this format, but this does give you a pretty nice effect.
Khenra Charioteer image 3.0 This kind is a little underwhelming as far as signpost uncommons go, but he is very efficient and grants your creatures a nice keyword, so its still a pretty nice card.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dune Beetle image 1.0 If you need a defensive two drop, you could do worse than this I guess.
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.
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.
Seer of the Last Tomorrow image 1.0 Not really a mill deck in this format, and that makes this pretty bad.
Hieroglyphic Illumination image 2.5 4 mana to draw 2 at instant speed isn’t the greatest thing ever, but this has an alternate mode where you pay a single Blue to draw a card, and having both of those options is pretty nice.
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.
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 3 Pick 2: Doomfall
Nimble Obstructionist image 3.5 A 3-mana 3/1 with Flash and Flying is already something you’d always play, so adding Cycling to the mix is nice, especially because sometimes it will le you counter an activated or triggered ability. Still, because this is so cheap and aggressive, you’ll usually just cast it.
River Hoopoe image 3.0 If you can get to the part of the game where River Hoopoe can start using that ability, you’re going to feel pretty great. The life gain really helps you stabilize, and the cards you draw will allow you to ultimately overwhelm your opponent. The problem is, getting to that point of the game isn’t always easy, and if that’s the case, this is just a two mana 1/3 Flyer – and that’s not a body that is particularly good at blocking in this format. Still, the mid-to-late-game upside is very real.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Khenra Eternal image 2.5 This has okay stats, an okay keyword ability, and it’s a Zombie, so its perfectly fine.
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.
Lethal Sting image 2.5 This is a cheap way to kill any creature, and the downside can turn into upside in some situations. Still, the set up is real, and that makes it hard for it to be premium.
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 3 Pick 3: Angel of Sanctions
Angel of Sanctions image 5.0 Normally when we get a creature that can exile something when it ETBs, it is a rather small one, but Angel of Sanctions bucks that trend. A 5-mana ¾ Flyer is already fairly playable, so one that is also a removal spell is amazing, and that alone would probably be enough for this to be a bomb. But, in addition to all that, it also has Embalm, so it can come back late, exile something, and pressure your opponent in the sky again.
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.
Trial of Ambition image 3.0 Playing this on turn two to kill your opponent’s only creature feels great, and all game long it will at least subtract from the opposing board some. Because it is so cheap, it also isn’t that difficult to play a cartouche and replay the Trial in the same turn, which will feel pretty great.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 4: Crested Sunmare
Crested Sunmare image 2.5 // 4.5 This is a 5-mana 5/5 all on its own, which is decently playable anyway, but if you end up with any life gain at all, he comes with the insane upside of making more Horse tokens, and all you need is that single Horse token to feel like you’re getting there. If you get anything more than that, you’ll be unstoppable. It has a very reasonable baseline and an insane ceiling, so I think taking it early is usually a good idea. It will make your White deck no matter what, and with like 4+ ways to gain life, it will become a bomb.
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.
Fan Bearer image 3.5 Master Decoy-type creatures are good in most Limited formats, and this one comes with a relevant creature type.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Unconventional Tactics
Honored Crop-Captain image 3.5 RW is very aggressive int his format, and Honored Crop-Captain is a big part of that! It has great stats as a two mana 3/2, and pumping the power of your whole board is quite potent, especially in combination with exert.
Ahn-Crop Champion image 3.0 This has nice stats as a 4-mana 4/4, and its exert ability has some nice uses. One can simply use it to grant the other creatures something akin to vigilance, or more ideally, you can use it to untap exerted creatures, who will then be able to exert themselves and become better attackers on a subsequent turn.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Seer of the Last Tomorrow image 1.0 Not really a mill deck in this format, and that makes this pretty bad.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Desert of the Glorified
Protection of the Hekma image 1.0 If you play this, obviously you’ll be winning the game. Unfortunately, that’s a pretty big “if,” in this format.
Firebrand Archer image 2.5 This performs surprisingly well as a spell payoff, and can really chip in a ton of additional damage, while also providing pretty good reach in the later part of the game.
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.
Those Who Serve image 1.0 You’ll play this if you have enough Zombie synergies, but that’s pretty much it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Aven of Enduring Hope
Shadowstorm Vizier image 3.0 This can do some decent damage in the air when combined with discard and cycling effects, and there are certainly enough of those in this format for the Vizier to be pretty good – though it may be the most underwhelming of this cycle of signpost uncommons.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Firebrand Archer image 2.5 This performs surprisingly well as a spell payoff, and can really chip in a ton of additional damage, while also providing pretty good reach in the later part of the game.
Ornery Kudu image 2.0 On its own, this is a 3-mana 2/3, which isn’t very good. If you put the -1/-1 counter somewhere else, especially somewhere where you get some nice value, it will feel pretty good.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Sunset Pyramid
Sunset Pyramid image 1.0 This can slowly draw you some cards, and then start Scrying, but cards that don’t impact the board in any way ever are a pretty big liability in this format.
Ahn-Crop Champion image 3.0 This has nice stats as a 4-mana 4/4, and its exert ability has some nice uses. One can simply use it to grant the other creatures something akin to vigilance, or more ideally, you can use it to untap exerted creatures, who will then be able to exert themselves and become better attackers on a subsequent turn.
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.
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.
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.
Hieroglyphic Illumination image 2.5 4 mana to draw 2 at instant speed isn’t the greatest thing ever, but this has an alternate mode where you pay a single Blue to draw a card, and having both of those options is pretty nice.
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 3 Pick 9: Sacred Cat
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.
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.
Dune Beetle image 1.0 If you need a defensive two drop, you could do worse than this I guess.
Seer of the Last Tomorrow image 1.0 Not really a mill deck in this format, and that makes this pretty bad.
Hieroglyphic Illumination image 2.5 4 mana to draw 2 at instant speed isn’t the greatest thing ever, but this has an alternate mode where you pay a single Blue to draw a card, and having both of those options is pretty nice.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 10: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 3 Pick 11: Pitiless Vizier
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.
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.
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.
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 12: Oketra's Attendant
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.
Fan Bearer image 3.5 Master Decoy-type creatures are good in most Limited formats, and this one comes with a relevant creature type.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Dauntless Aven
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.
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.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Seeker of Insight
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.
Draft Pick Overview