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Premier Draft ELD 25 October 2022

25 October 01:43 - CookieJar 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (15)
1 Keeper of Fables image
1 Lovestruck Beast image
1 Maraleaf Pixie image
2 Maraleaf Rider image
2 Steelgaze Griffin image
2 Hypnotic Sprite image
1 Syr Elenora, the Discerning image
1 Wishful Merfolk image
2 Tome Raider image
2 Fierce Witchstalker image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (8)
1 Didn't Say Please image
1 Once and Future image
2 Charmed Sleep image
1 Outmuscle image
1 Unexplained Vision image
1 Turn into a Pumpkin image
1 Run Away Together image
Land (17)
8 Forest image
9 Island image
Sideboard
2 Vantress Paladin image
1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch image
1 Steelgaze Griffin image
1 Wishful Merfolk image
1 Tuinvale Treefolk image
1 Garenbrig Paladin image
1 Moonlit Scavengers image
1 Trail of Crumbs image
2 Rosethorn Halberd image
1 Wolf's Quarry image
1 Ferocity of the Wilds image
1 Lucky Clover image
1 Mirrormade image
1 Tall as a Beanstalk image
1 Fell the Pheasant image
1 So Tiny image
1 Insatiable Appetite image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Keeper of Fables
Vantress Paladin image 2.5 The difference between a 4-mana 2/2 flyer and a 4-mana 3/3 flyer is pretty big in terms of efficiency. This is a card that will be awesome in a deck that is mostly Blue, and a card that will be kind of ok in a deck that is at least half Blue.
Tempting Witch image 2.5 She seems alright to me. A 3-mana ⅓ is pretty abyssmal on the vanilla test, but since she also gives you Food, AND is a food payoff, I can let that slide. She can give your deck some nice reach in the late game if you have food laying around, and she represents a nice clock for Food decks.
Garenbrig Paladin image 2.0 A 5-mana 4/4 that can’t be blocked by small dudes is kind of ok. The more Green your deck is though, the better this gets.
Wolf's Quarry image 0.5 This is just too expensive for what it does. The Boars might give you food, but that doesn’t help this card out very much.
Raging Redcap image 2.0 So, a 3-mana ½ with Double Strike is an ok deal. This set also has a pretty heavy theme of auras and equipment, and he is a good place to put those.
Weaselback Redcap image 1.5 I’m not usually interested in cards like this. Sure, it is a one mana 1/1 with upside, but the upside it has isn’t especially good. People often overrate cards like this – but what makes it not so good is that literally any creature blocking it kills it, and you might think you can trade up with this, but in most cases, the total mana you spend on your Weaselback Redcap to take down a creature with more than one toughness will almost always be more than your opponent spent on that creature, so really – in most scenarios you’re coming out behind.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This is reasonably mainboardable in this format, as it often has a target. Still an easy cut, though, and better in your sideboard.
Reaper of Night image 2.0 This can be a decent discard spell early, and then a very real threat late. It isn’t super good at being either of those things, but it isn’t too shabby.
True Love's Kiss image 1.0 This set has enough targets for this that you can main deck it sometimes. It gives you a 2-for-1 when you have a target, which is pretty nice. It is probably still better out of your sideboard, though.
Eye Collector image 1.5 In general, one mana 1/1 flyers that don’t do anything else – and this mostly doesn’t do anything else – aren’t that good. This is sort of reasonable in the mill deck, but that’s about it.
Keeper of Fables image 4.0 This is really good. 5 mana 4/5s are solid in Limited, and the fact that this draws you extra cards is great. Even if you have 0 other non-humans in your deck (which isn’t going to happen), but even if it did, this would be a great card, since it is a non-human and will draw you a card when it hits the opponent. Now, make sure you’re aware that you are only going to be drawing a maximum of one card per combat damage because of the way it is worded, but that’s fine. The Keeper can singlehandedly take over games thanks to the card it draws you.
Arcanist's Owl image 3.5 A 4-mana 3/3 flyer is already great, and this one will draw you a card a decent chunk of the time, since UW decks will already be loaded up with artifacts and enchantments for other purposes.
Mad Ratter image 0.0 // 3.0 4 mana for a ½ Is horrible, so you just aren’t running this unless you get enough ways to draw extra cards that you get to make the Rat tokens. It will be pretty nice in a deck that gets there, but I think it is still hard for it to be incredible because of how small it is and how much mana it costs. Still, it is one of the better common or uncommon payoffs in the set for drawing extra cards.
Castle Garenbrig image 3.0 This is basically a forest with big upside, and that’s always nice. It can help you ramp a little bit, and that’s always welcome in a Green deck! Sometimes people underrate just how good non-basic lands that can actually do stuff later in the game are – turns out, upgrading one of your lands from Forest to something like this Castle is a pretty big deal! This one helps you ramp, which is nice.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Lovestruck Beast
Bake into a Pie image 4.0 This is a premium. 4 mana instant speed removal is already in the premium range, and the fact that this makes a Food token is some nice additional value. You can use that token to gain some life on a later turn, or use it with a card that takes advantage of the tokens in some other way.
True Love's Kiss image 1.0 This set has enough targets for this that you can main deck it sometimes. It gives you a 2-for-1 when you have a target, which is pretty nice. It is probably still better out of your sideboard, though.
Searing Barrage image 2.5 This is solid removal for Red, but like to Reduce to Ashes and command the Storm before that, it isn’t premium. Costing 5 is a ton, and most of the time it is going to feel a little clunky. It will frequently cost more mana than whatever you kill with it, and that does put you behind the eight ball a little bit.
Embereth Paladin image 1.5 A 4-mana 4/1 with Haste isn’t anything special these days – you have to find the right opening for it to do something significant, or risk it just being traded with by a much cheaper creature. Even when you add Adamant to the mix, you’re getting a 5/2 with Haste for 4, which if that’s what this was 100% of the time would be solid, but it just won’t be.
Gingerbread Cabin image 2.5 If your deck has 10+ Forests in it, you’ll run this for the upside of getting Food, which might actually synergize more broadly with your deck.
Charmed Sleep image 3.0 This is a nice removal spell for Blue decks. This has all the problems Aura-based removal tends to have of course -- bounce spells and sacrifice effects make it look pretty bad, and it doesn’t turn off static abilities.
Opt image 2.0 Opt is pretty much the definition of a fine but easily cuttable Limited card. It gives you some card selection, but doesn’t impact the board or give you card advantage. This set doesn’t really have a spell theme, or it would be a little better.
Barge In image 2.0 This trick only works if you are attacking, which does hurt it a little bit, because losing the flexibility to save a creature from some removal spells, or using it when you’re blocking matters – but like 90% of the time you use a trick, you’re attacking anyway, so it isn’t a huge hit. And I think it mostly makes up for that problem with the fact that it can grant all your non-human creatures trample, which is a nice additional line of text to have.
Wildwood Tracker image 2.0 In the early game, this can be a nice attacker. I the later parts of the game it just won’t matter much that it becomes a 2/2.
Locthwain Gargoyle image 1.0 A one mana 0/3 can block sort of decently in the early going, and this isn’t a terrible mana sink in the late game, when the Gargoyle can start threatening the opponent in the air. This format also has some artifact synergy going around, especially in UW, so having one of these in that deck seems fine. Still, I don’t think you play this unless you’re in desperation mode for early creature or artifacts.
Cauldron Familiar image 0.0 // 2.5 So, a one mana 1/1 that just drains life probably isn’t playable. This one is an interesting food build around, though, and if your deck can make a critical mass of Food, you have a Cat that won’t stay dead, and drains your opponent one life over and over again. This is a build around, one you should avoid unless you have like 6 or more ways to make Food.
Embereth Shieldbreaker image 3.0 So, here we have some Artifact hate that is actually mainboardable – and that’s probably a good thing, because there are a decent number of artifacts in this set. We can think of this as a 3-mana 2/1 that destroys an Artifact – and that’s a nice deal, pretty easy to get a 2-for-1 if you actually get to destroy the artifact. There are enough Artifacts in this set to make the Shieldbreaker quite good.
Lovestruck Beast image 3.5 A 3-mana 5/5 is pretty good. If we just take away the Adventure part of the card, and assume this is a 3-mana 5/5 with Defender – that would still be a good card in a lot of decks, since that is a pretty frightening blocker. The fact that he can attack if you have a 1/1 in play is some nice additional value, especially because you can send him on an Adventure on turn 1 or so, and then actually cast him on turn 3. Here your total investment is pretty drawn nice, since it is 4 mana for a 5/5 and a 1/1!
Pack 1 Pick 3: Maraleaf Pixie
So Tiny image 1.0 // 2.5 This isn’t a great removal spell, and is pretty close to unplayable if you’re not a mill deck. -2/-0 just isn’t enough to deal with most creatures, so you end up spending a card just to downgrade one. If you can consistently get it to -6/-0, like you can in the mill deck, it gets better – but you are still downgrading a creature, not removing it.
Queen of Ice image 2.5 This is no Frost Lynx, but it can do a pretty good impression. Like with all ADventures, you have lots of different ways you can use this. You can cast each half on separate turns, or -- if you get it later in the game, you can play this as a 5-mana ⅔ that taps down one of your opponent’s creatures for a turn. That’s not awesome, but it is nice that it can work that way late. She also makes sure to give you some value, even when she chump blocks, since she’ll lock that creature down for a turn at least.
Giant's Skewer image 2.0 This Equipment gives a fairly efficient boost, and the fact that it can give you Food is pretty nice. While that’s not quite lifelink, it does feel that way sometimes.
True Love's Kiss image 1.0 This set has enough targets for this that you can main deck it sometimes. It gives you a 2-for-1 when you have a target, which is pretty nice. It is probably still better out of your sideboard, though.
Dwarven Mine image 2.0 If your deck has 10+ Mountains in it, you’ll run this for the upside of getting a 1/1 token.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This is reasonably mainboardable in this format, as it often has a target. Still an easy cut, though, and better in your sideboard.
Forever Young image 2.0 This is kind of like a Black Anticipate. For two mana you aren’t really gaining card advantage, but you will be improving your future draws, and you will draw one of the cards you put on top right away. Sometimes it will feel amazing because of cards in your graveyard, other times it won’t do much – but hey, you get to draw the card either way so the fail case could be worse. This is the kind of effect people frequently overrate, because their mind immediately goes to the scenario where you put your bomb back on top of your deck – but there will certainly be times you have this and nothing in your graveyard is worth putting on top.
Blow Your House Down image 1.0 This is the kind of effect hyper aggressive decks will be able to end the game with. The problem with a card like this, though, is that it is only good in a specific situation – one where you can deal lethal, basically, and mediocre at all other times. It is sort of nice it can blow up Walls – there are a few playable ones in this format (we’re about to see one shortly, actually), but still, this is the kind of corner-case cards that only the most aggro decks around will want to play.
Wicked Guardian image 2.0 So, a 4-mana 4/2 that damages one of your guys and draws you a card is sort of an interesting design. Sure, it might kill your guy, but I think a 4-mana 4/2 that sacrifices a creature and draws you a card would be a solid card, and this is better than that, because sometimes it won’t actually kill your creature at all, in which case you’re just netting a straight-up 2-for-1.
Deafening Silence image 0.0. This is unplayable, because it was printed to be a sideboard card in constructed formats. Most opponents just won’t have enough non-creature spells for this to do anything relevant.
Maraleaf Pixie image 3.5 Everything this does, it does super efficiently. Two mana 2/2 flyer is good, two mana mana dork also good – it can win you games attacking in the air, or by helping you ramp out fatties.
Emry, Lurker of the Loch image 0.0 // 3.0 If your deck has 0 artifacts in it, and 0 ways of taking advantage of cards going in your graveyard, she is unplayable. However, if your deck has a few artifacts in it -- like even just 3 -- she gets to be interesting, because straight up casting artifacts from your graveyard is no joke -- that is a very powerful effect that can win you games straight up if you have enough artifacts. This set does have a decent number of artifacts, so getting 3 or so isn’t anything crazy.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Didn't Say Please
Flutterfox image 3.0 This is a nice two drop. 2-mana 2/2s are nothing special these days, but the fact that this can gain flying -- and do it relatively easily in this format -- makes it a two drop that is relevant all game long.
Queen of Ice image 2.5 This is no Frost Lynx, but it can do a pretty good impression. Like with all ADventures, you have lots of different ways you can use this. You can cast each half on separate turns, or -- if you get it later in the game, you can play this as a 5-mana ⅔ that taps down one of your opponent’s creatures for a turn. That’s not awesome, but it is nice that it can work that way late. She also makes sure to give you some value, even when she chump blocks, since she’ll lock that creature down for a turn at least.
Barge In image 2.0 This trick only works if you are attacking, which does hurt it a little bit, because losing the flexibility to save a creature from some removal spells, or using it when you’re blocking matters – but like 90% of the time you use a trick, you’re attacking anyway, so it isn’t a huge hit. And I think it mostly makes up for that problem with the fact that it can grant all your non-human creatures trample, which is a nice additional line of text to have.
Golden Egg image 1.5 So, we’ve seen cards a lot like this before, and they’re always alright. Mana filtering that replaces itself isn’t a bad thing to have a round, since it can help you splash, and you don’t end up using a whole card for it since it draws you one. If you don’t need the fixing during your game, it can also gain you life I guess, but that isn’t so good. Note also that it is technically “Food” so any cards that interact with Food tokens will make this better. I think this is an easy-to-cut last card in your deck.
Didn't Say Please image 1.5 I’m never a big fan of Cancel variants, unless they bring something big to the table. The good news for Didn’t Say Please is that there is a legit mill deck in this format, so its effect is actually kind of useful. The problem with a 3 mana counter spell is that you find yourself having to leave up a considerably percentage of your mana to be able to use it. I think sometimes people make the mistake of thinking of a counterspell like a removal spell, but in a lot of ways, they are worse, at least in Limited. This is because you have a smaller window to use this card where it will actually get rid of something -- you HAVE to have the mana up when they play whatever it is you want to get rid of. With removal spells, it doesn’t matter when you cast it, so you have a much wider window to use them. This means that top-decking removal tends to be way better, for example. You’ll play this in your controlling mill decks, but not anywhere else.
Lost Legion image 2.5 I always like this kind of creature. Sure, it doesn’t do well on the vanilla test as a 3-mana ⅔ -- even being one that is kind of hard to cast, BUT Scry 2 is some serious value, and goes a long way towards ensuring your draws are better for a little while. And, it is also has a useful creature type. I think all of this combines to make it a solid playable for Black decks.
Merfolk Secretkeeper image 3.0 This is a key Common in this set, and it really enables mill strategies. The adventure mills a hefty 4 cards, and the creature itself can come down and block and protect you. If you can get multiple secretkeepers, you are in business – especially if you also have bounce to use them repeatedly. It is a weird card, though, in the sense that it is pretty terrible everywhere else. Still, value these highly early, as they can be a very real path to victory.
Rosethorn Acolyte image 2.5 So, the Acolyte’s Adventure effect is one of the more underwhelming ones around, essentially just letting you filter mana. But hey, sometimes that does matter. Most of the time though you’re going to get value out of it being a creature, as a 3-mana 2/3 that fixes and ramps for you is a pretty nice thing to have around.
Prized Griffin image 2.5 5-mana ¾ flyers have played pretty well lately. Obviously it isn’t a great rate for those stats, but we have seen several of these lately, and they have always been reasonable 5-drops.
Maraleaf Rider image 2.0 A two mana 3/1 is fine, and this comes with some decent upside. It isn’t the most exciting Food payoff, but being able to make your opponenet’s X/3 have to block this when you know you’re going to trade up doesn’t hurt.
All That Glitters image 1.0 The UW deck in this format is focused on having artifacts and enchantments which is nice and all, but this doesn’t seem like the payoff you want. It has the downside of most auras, in that it opens you up to a bad 2-for-1, and in addition to that, it isn’t going to be very good in the early game, even if you ARE an artifact/enchantment deck. Sometimes Auras that are ultra aggressive early can be good, because they make your creature do so much extra damage that it doesn’t matter when you get 2-for-1’d. This won’t be one of those most of the time.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Trail of Crumbs
Curious Pair image 2.5 This is solid. Food has a lot of synergy in this set, and the Adventure is very reasonably costed. Similarly, the stats for the Pair are just fine.
Unexplained Vision image 2.0 This is the kind of card that Blue control decks will be interested in having one of. After they manage to stabilize the board, casting something like this allows them to really pull ahead -- one card getting them three cards is no joke, and would already be an okayish card if that’s all it was. If you can get Adamant with this and add Scry 3 you’re really doing something interesting, as you’re seeing up to 6 cards in your deck, which is a huge number in Limited.
Golden Egg image 1.5 So, we’ve seen cards a lot like this before, and they’re always alright. Mana filtering that replaces itself isn’t a bad thing to have a round, since it can help you splash, and you don’t end up using a whole card for it since it draws you one. If you don’t need the fixing during your game, it can also gain you life I guess, but that isn’t so good. Note also that it is technically “Food” so any cards that interact with Food tokens will make this better. I think this is an easy-to-cut last card in your deck.
Weapon Rack image 1.0 You might think this isn’t bad in an aggro deck, as it ends up making your creatures better attackers, but if you played it instead of playing a creature, you’re also hurting your chances as an aggro deck.
Ardenvale Paladin image 2.0 Honestly a 4-mana ⅖ does pretty well on the Vanilla test, and will be capable of blocking the vast majority of the creatures in this format and surviving. If you throw in Adamant, which will give you a 4-mana 3/6 a decent chunk of the time -- or, you know -- all the time, if you happen to be in mono-white -- and you have a much more attractive card.
Barge In image 2.0 This trick only works if you are attacking, which does hurt it a little bit, because losing the flexibility to save a creature from some removal spells, or using it when you’re blocking matters – but like 90% of the time you use a trick, you’re attacking anyway, so it isn’t a huge hit. And I think it mostly makes up for that problem with the fact that it can grant all your non-human creatures trample, which is a nice additional line of text to have.
Corridor Monitor image 1.5 A two mana ¼ blocks fairly well early, and this one lets you untap a dude or artifact when you play it, which is some ok upside. However, it isn’t exactly impactful – even in the late game untapping something doesn’t always come with significant value.
Merchant of the Vale image 2.0 Both halves of this card are pretty underwhelming. Rummaging can be nice in the late game, when you have some excess lands, so the fact he can do that over and over again as a mana sink when he is a creature isn’t too bad, especially since it is a reasonable 2/3 for 3. One mana to discard card a card and rummage would be a pretty bad card honestly, since you’re actually going down two cards. This does get around that sort of by the fact that it is a creature later on, but still – the Adventure half here isn’t very good.
Ferocity of the Wilds image 1.0 We’ve seen a lot of effects over the years that only help your board out if you’re attacking, and they typically underperform if that’s literally all the card does – and htat’s what we’re looking at here. Why is that? Well, because they really only work out if you’re the beat down, meaning they are a big fat nothing in games where you’re behind. Even if you’re super aggro, you’re going to end up behind sometimes, and when you do, you’re going to wish you hadn’t drawn this. Do you play this in a super aggressive deck loaded up with non-humans? Probably – but even if those things align perfectly, you’ve got a card that is just so bad in so many situations.
Trail of Crumbs image 0.0 This is a sweet food build around. In super grindy games, this drawing you extra cards is going to be some pretty serious value -- especially because it even gives you some selection over what you draw! It will be hard to wiff on two cards in Limited -- most of what’s in your deck is permanents -- but the fact it can’t draw you most removal is a bit annoying. You can use this just sacrificing food normally -- at which point you are paying 3 to gain 3 life and draw a card -- not too shabby -- but I thinkt his will be the most impressive in decks that can sacrifice food to other permanents without any mana cost, because it will be a lot easier to just pay one mana to draw the card here. I think this card definitely needs a build around grade because of that fact -- any old card that makes Food will work with it, but it won’t be at their best with them.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Once and Future
Golden Egg image 1.5 So, we’ve seen cards a lot like this before, and they’re always alright. Mana filtering that replaces itself isn’t a bad thing to have a round, since it can help you splash, and you don’t end up using a whole card for it since it draws you one. If you don’t need the fixing during your game, it can also gain you life I guess, but that isn’t so good. Note also that it is technically “Food” so any cards that interact with Food tokens will make this better. I think this is an easy-to-cut last card in your deck.
Tempting Witch image 2.5 She seems alright to me. A 3-mana ⅓ is pretty abyssmal on the vanilla test, but since she also gives you Food, AND is a food payoff, I can let that slide. She can give your deck some nice reach in the late game if you have food laying around, and she represents a nice clock for Food decks.
Steelgaze Griffin image 2.0 Yet another payoff for drawing an extra card each turn, Steelgaze Griffin has some pretty bad base stats as a 5-mana 2/4 with Flying. But the upside it comes with is nice – becoming a 4/4 on turns you draw an extra card is pretty serious. A 5-mana 4/4 with Flying – you know, like Air elemental – is usually in the lower part of the B range. Obviously, this is worse because it won’t always be a 4/4, but it seems like a reasonable payoff for drawing extra cards in the UR deck.
Jousting Dummy image 2.0 Two mana 2/1s are barely playable these days, but this has a useful creature type and it can pump its power, which is enough to make it a reasonable inclusion in some decks.
Wishful Merfolk image 2.0 One mana to Scry 2 isn’t the worst deal ever, Scrying 2 is pretty close to drawing a card – and then, the fact that you can sacrifice it later in the game to draw 2 cards is nice. Sometimes, you’ll pay 5 mana for this and Scry 2 and then draw 2 cards right away – and that’s not a bad place to be, really.
Sporecap Spider image 1.5 Aggressive Green decks won’t really want this, but all the other Green decks should feel fine about playing the first of these. They are good at blocking flyers.
Covetous Urge image 3.0 So, if you go after a card in your opponents’ hand with this, you get a 2-for-1, and that feels pretty great! Going after their graveyard is more just card selection than card advantage, but if they have a bomb there, stealing that is going to be worth it anyway.
Deafening Silence image 0.0. This is unplayable, because it was printed to be a sideboard card in constructed formats. Most opponents just won’t have enough non-creature spells for this to do anything relevant.
Once and Future image 1.5 So, 4 to return a card to your hand, and improve card selection isn’t too bad. If you can get the Adamant going on this it gets to be super good, as 4 mana to return any two cards from your graveyard to your hand is pretty nice. It will feel a lot like Black effects that let you return creatures, though, even if it is more flexible. You’re just not always going to have two things in your graveyard worth getting -- like in the early game.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Rosethorn Halberd
Rosethorn Halberd image 2.0 I think this seems decent. One mana for +2/+1 stats boost, provided you have a non-human in play – is a pretty nice rate. BUT your deck has to have enough non-humans around for this to be worth it, and man – after that first creature, the Equip cost is super steep.
Lash of Thorns image 1.0 This is an alright trick, but this format has lots of tricks attached to creatures thanks to Adventures, and that’s way better than a card that is JUST a trick. For that reason, the Lash isn’t something you play very often.
Prophet of the Peak image 1.5 This isn’t great, but if you need top curve, you could do worse.
Locthwain Gargoyle image 1.0 A one mana 0/3 can block sort of decently in the early going, and this isn’t a terrible mana sink in the late game, when the Gargoyle can start threatening the opponent in the air. This format also has some artifact synergy going around, especially in UW, so having one of these in that deck seems fine. Still, I don’t think you play this unless you’re in desperation mode for early creature or artifacts.
Fling image 1.5 We see this a lot, and it doesn’t tend to be great without a super sacrifice sub-theme in a set.
Signpost Scarecrow image 2.0 This isn’t efficient as a creature or as mana fixing.
Claim the Firstborn image 0.5 This is cheaper than most Threaten effects we see – usually they cost 3 – but it is also not as flexible, since it can only target small creatures. I’m never overjoyed with effects like this one, unless I have two things going on – 1) I’m an aggro deck, and 2) I have creatures who can sacrifice other creatures. If you can steal your opponent’s dude and then kill it, that’s pretty great. Problem is, those two things don’t come together often enough for this to be very good, especially because it can only steal smaller creatures.
Cauldron's Gift image 2.0 5 mana to reanimate something with a +1/+1 counter isn’t awesome. And yeah, this helps you if you get Adamant going by milling some of your cards, which will make it better, but you’ll cut this a lot.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Vantress Paladin
Eye Collector image 1.5 In general, one mana 1/1 flyers that don’t do anything else – and this mostly doesn’t do anything else – aren’t that good. This is sort of reasonable in the mill deck, but that’s about it.
Vantress Paladin image 2.5 The difference between a 4-mana 2/2 flyer and a 4-mana 3/3 flyer is pretty big in terms of efficiency. This is a card that will be awesome in a deck that is mostly Blue, and a card that will be kind of ok in a deck that is at least half Blue.
So Tiny image 1.0 // 2.5 This isn’t a great removal spell, and is pretty close to unplayable if you’re not a mill deck. -2/-0 just isn’t enough to deal with most creatures, so you end up spending a card just to downgrade one. If you can consistently get it to -6/-0, like you can in the mill deck, it gets better – but you are still downgrading a creature, not removing it.
Tempting Witch image 2.5 She seems alright to me. A 3-mana ⅓ is pretty abyssmal on the vanilla test, but since she also gives you Food, AND is a food payoff, I can let that slide. She can give your deck some nice reach in the late game if you have food laying around, and she represents a nice clock for Food decks.
Weaselback Redcap image 1.5 I’m not usually interested in cards like this. Sure, it is a one mana 1/1 with upside, but the upside it has isn’t especially good. People often overrate cards like this – but what makes it not so good is that literally any creature blocking it kills it, and you might think you can trade up with this, but in most cases, the total mana you spend on your Weaselback Redcap to take down a creature with more than one toughness will almost always be more than your opponent spent on that creature, so really – in most scenarios you’re coming out behind.
Trapped in the Tower image 4.0 It is a little annoying that this can’t hit flyers, but the fact that it both Pacifies and Arrests a ground creature helps me get over that. This is premium removal.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This is reasonably mainboardable in this format, as it often has a target. Still an easy cut, though, and better in your sideboard.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Wolf's Quarry
Vantress Paladin image 2.5 The difference between a 4-mana 2/2 flyer and a 4-mana 3/3 flyer is pretty big in terms of efficiency. This is a card that will be awesome in a deck that is mostly Blue, and a card that will be kind of ok in a deck that is at least half Blue.
Tempting Witch image 2.5 She seems alright to me. A 3-mana ⅓ is pretty abyssmal on the vanilla test, but since she also gives you Food, AND is a food payoff, I can let that slide. She can give your deck some nice reach in the late game if you have food laying around, and she represents a nice clock for Food decks.
Wolf's Quarry image 0.5 This is just too expensive for what it does. The Boars might give you food, but that doesn’t help this card out very much.
Reaper of Night image 2.0 This can be a decent discard spell early, and then a very real threat late. It isn’t super good at being either of those things, but it isn’t too shabby.
True Love's Kiss image 1.0 This set has enough targets for this that you can main deck it sometimes. It gives you a 2-for-1 when you have a target, which is pretty nice. It is probably still better out of your sideboard, though.
Eye Collector image 1.5 In general, one mana 1/1 flyers that don’t do anything else – and this mostly doesn’t do anything else – aren’t that good. This is sort of reasonable in the mill deck, but that’s about it.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Charmed Sleep
Embereth Paladin image 1.5 A 4-mana 4/1 with Haste isn’t anything special these days – you have to find the right opening for it to do something significant, or risk it just being traded with by a much cheaper creature. Even when you add Adamant to the mix, you’re getting a 5/2 with Haste for 4, which if that’s what this was 100% of the time would be solid, but it just won’t be.
Charmed Sleep image 3.0 This is a nice removal spell for Blue decks. This has all the problems Aura-based removal tends to have of course -- bounce spells and sacrifice effects make it look pretty bad, and it doesn’t turn off static abilities.
Barge In image 2.0 This trick only works if you are attacking, which does hurt it a little bit, because losing the flexibility to save a creature from some removal spells, or using it when you’re blocking matters – but like 90% of the time you use a trick, you’re attacking anyway, so it isn’t a huge hit. And I think it mostly makes up for that problem with the fact that it can grant all your non-human creatures trample, which is a nice additional line of text to have.
Wildwood Tracker image 2.0 In the early game, this can be a nice attacker. I the later parts of the game it just won’t matter much that it becomes a 2/2.
Locthwain Gargoyle image 1.0 A one mana 0/3 can block sort of decently in the early going, and this isn’t a terrible mana sink in the late game, when the Gargoyle can start threatening the opponent in the air. This format also has some artifact synergy going around, especially in UW, so having one of these in that deck seems fine. Still, I don’t think you play this unless you’re in desperation mode for early creature or artifacts.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Emry, Lurker of the Loch
True Love's Kiss image 1.0 This set has enough targets for this that you can main deck it sometimes. It gives you a 2-for-1 when you have a target, which is pretty nice. It is probably still better out of your sideboard, though.
Dwarven Mine image 2.0 If your deck has 10+ Mountains in it, you’ll run this for the upside of getting a 1/1 token.
Blow Your House Down image 1.0 This is the kind of effect hyper aggressive decks will be able to end the game with. The problem with a card like this, though, is that it is only good in a specific situation – one where you can deal lethal, basically, and mediocre at all other times. It is sort of nice it can blow up Walls – there are a few playable ones in this format (we’re about to see one shortly, actually), but still, this is the kind of corner-case cards that only the most aggro decks around will want to play.
Emry, Lurker of the Loch image 0.0 // 3.0 If your deck has 0 artifacts in it, and 0 ways of taking advantage of cards going in your graveyard, she is unplayable. However, if your deck has a few artifacts in it -- like even just 3 -- she gets to be interesting, because straight up casting artifacts from your graveyard is no joke -- that is a very powerful effect that can win you games straight up if you have enough artifacts. This set does have a decent number of artifacts, so getting 3 or so isn’t anything crazy.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Maraleaf Rider
Prized Griffin image 2.5 5-mana ¾ flyers have played pretty well lately. Obviously it isn’t a great rate for those stats, but we have seen several of these lately, and they have always been reasonable 5-drops.
Maraleaf Rider image 2.0 A two mana 3/1 is fine, and this comes with some decent upside. It isn’t the most exciting Food payoff, but being able to make your opponenet’s X/3 have to block this when you know you’re going to trade up doesn’t hurt.
All That Glitters image 1.0 The UW deck in this format is focused on having artifacts and enchantments which is nice and all, but this doesn’t seem like the payoff you want. It has the downside of most auras, in that it opens you up to a bad 2-for-1, and in addition to that, it isn’t going to be very good in the early game, even if you ARE an artifact/enchantment deck. Sometimes Auras that are ultra aggressive early can be good, because they make your creature do so much extra damage that it doesn’t matter when you get 2-for-1’d. This won’t be one of those most of the time.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Ferocity of the Wilds
Corridor Monitor image 1.5 A two mana ¼ blocks fairly well early, and this one lets you untap a dude or artifact when you play it, which is some ok upside. However, it isn’t exactly impactful – even in the late game untapping something doesn’t always come with significant value.
Ferocity of the Wilds image 1.0 We’ve seen a lot of effects over the years that only help your board out if you’re attacking, and they typically underperform if that’s literally all the card does – and htat’s what we’re looking at here. Why is that? Well, because they really only work out if you’re the beat down, meaning they are a big fat nothing in games where you’re behind. Even if you’re super aggro, you’re going to end up behind sometimes, and when you do, you’re going to wish you hadn’t drawn this. Do you play this in a super aggressive deck loaded up with non-humans? Probably – but even if those things align perfectly, you’ve got a card that is just so bad in so many situations.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Steelgaze Griffin
Steelgaze Griffin image 2.0 Yet another payoff for drawing an extra card each turn, Steelgaze Griffin has some pretty bad base stats as a 5-mana 2/4 with Flying. But the upside it comes with is nice – becoming a 4/4 on turns you draw an extra card is pretty serious. A 5-mana 4/4 with Flying – you know, like Air elemental – is usually in the lower part of the B range. Obviously, this is worse because it won’t always be a 4/4, but it seems like a reasonable payoff for drawing extra cards in the UR deck.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Outmuscle
Malevolent Noble image 2.5 This guy is a serious underperformer. He isn’t BAD per se, but looking at him at first, I thought he would be a pretty powerful common. Being able to sacrifice your food or creatures to make him bigger seemed nice! And he starts out as a two-mana 2/2, so that’s not too bad! Problem is, having the mana and resources around to use his ability a lot just doesn’t happen much. He’s still fine, but he isn’t even close to one of Black’s best commons.
Festive Funeral image 2.0 This is a conditional removal spell that will almost never be efficient. But hey, it IS still removal.
Henge Walker image 1.0 This won’t be a 3/3 often enough to be worth it in most decks, unless you’re close to monocolored.
Smitten Swordmaster image 2.5 If your deck has lots of Knights in it, his Adventure can be absolutely devastating – and this becomes even more true because you don’t even use up a card to do it! Effects like that often aren’t awesome, because if you aren’t killing your opponent with them, you are going down a card to not have a direct effect on the board – but this guy can come down as a 2-mana 2/1 with Lifelink, which is already a pretty decent card – especially with the Knight creature type. I mean, if we think of this as a 3-mana 2/1 with lifelink that does 1 to the opponent for each Knight – that would be a pretty high quality card, and this is better than that in some ways!
Charmed Sleep image 3.0 This is a nice removal spell for Blue decks. This has all the problems Aura-based removal tends to have of course -- bounce spells and sacrifice effects make it look pretty bad, and it doesn’t turn off static abilities.
Corridor Monitor image 1.5 A two mana ¼ blocks fairly well early, and this one lets you untap a dude or artifact when you play it, which is some ok upside. However, it isn’t exactly impactful – even in the late game untapping something doesn’t always come with significant value.
Raging Redcap image 2.0 So, a 3-mana ½ with Double Strike is an ok deal. This set also has a pretty heavy theme of auras and equipment, and he is a good place to put those.
Bake into a Pie image 4.0 This is a premium. 4 mana instant speed removal is already in the premium range, and the fact that this makes a Food token is some nice additional value. You can use that token to gain some life on a later turn, or use it with a card that takes advantage of the tokens in some other way.
Outmuscle image 3.0 This is a strictly better Hunt the Weak, and that’s not a bad place to be. Hunt the Weak is always a solid removal spell -- but not premium. It isn’t premium because of how clunky it is at 4 mana and Sorcery speed, and because Fight effects are removal spells that are really easy to interact with, since killing the creature in response to the removal spell, or pumping their creature in response to it, results in a pretty savage blow out. If you can consistently trigger Adamant with this, it gets really scary, because you can now attack your opponent with it without being worried about the creature dying.
Flutterfox image 3.0 This is a nice two drop. 2-mana 2/2s are nothing special these days, but the fact that this can gain flying -- and do it relatively easily in this format -- makes it a two drop that is relevant all game long.
Elite Headhunter image 2.5 This has mediocre stats for the cost and the ability is too expensive.
Revenge of Ravens image 2.5 This card is kind of weird. It is good against a lot of the field in this format, as gaining all that life and damaging them makes it pretty impossible for them to race you. HOWEVER, there are two decks in this format that can basically ignore Revenge of Ravens. The food deck, because it can gain a ton of life, and the mill deck, which doesn’t really plan on attacking you anyway.
Wintermoor Commander image 3.5 The BW signpost uncommon seems pretty nice. On his own, he is a two mana 2/1 with Deathtouch, which is perfectly solid. Add some more nights to the mix though and he becomes a real problem, between his ever-growing toughness and the ability to make other knights indestructible. The dream is going to be get two of these into play so they can make one another indestructible – a pretty scary thing to do with deathtouch! Anyway, the commander has a high floor and a reasonably high ceiling, and it doesn’t look like getting the 5-7 knights in your deck that this asks for will be particularly difficult.
Mirrormade image 2.5 I think there are enough artifacts and enchantments in this set, that you can reliably do something with Mirrormade – whether it is copying one of yours or your opponents, as long as you are copy a real card with it – like a removal spell or Aura – and not Food – you’re going to feel like you’re getting a decent deal.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Lucky Clover
Charmed Sleep image 3.0 This is a nice removal spell for Blue decks. This has all the problems Aura-based removal tends to have of course -- bounce spells and sacrifice effects make it look pretty bad, and it doesn’t turn off static abilities.
Prophet of the Peak image 1.5 This isn’t great, but if you need top curve, you could do worse.
Garenbrig Carver image 3.5 This often ends up netting you a 2-for-1. The Trick Adventure helps you run over a blocker, and then you get a 3/2 in play who can trade. This is a very good Common.
Silverflame Squire image 3.5 All of these adventure creatures with a trick on one side and a reasonably costed creature on the other are pretty darn good. You can use the trick half to help a creature win combat, and then play the creature side on a later turn, which can get you a 2-for-1 in many cases.
Silverflame Ritual image 1.5 If you have like 6 White cards in your deck, you’re not going to be getting the adamant part here. That said, this card on its own, without Adamant would already be kind of playable. Sure, you need some set up, and you have to be going wide, but that seems doable in this set. Giving Vigilance with Adamant is very real upside, because it means that you can attack with everyone, and still leave blockers behind – turns like that can really turn the tide in games. But yeah, it is a little clunky at 4 mana, and it won’t always be giving your guys Vigilance unless you’re mono-colored.
Memory Theft image 1.0 Coercion usually isn’t a very good card in Limited – you pay a significant amount of mana and don’t impact the board at all. This does come with the ability to get rid of creatures sitting around in the Adventure Zone, and when you can do that it will almost feel like a 2-for-1, but there’s no guarantee it will line up that way.
Bloodhaze Wolverine image 2.5 A two-mana 2/1 isn’t so good these days, but it is the kind of card you’ll run when you really need a two-drop. But this does something extra – gaining +1/+1 and First Strike is no joke, it makes the Wolverine go from an easy card to block, to being a creature that it is hard to block profitably in any way. If you have something like Opt, you can even do it at Instant speed, making for a pretty nasty trick.
Trapped in the Tower image 4.0 It is a little annoying that this can’t hit flyers, but the fact that it both Pacifies and Arrests a ground creature helps me get over that. This is premium removal.
Outmuscle image 3.0 This is a strictly better Hunt the Weak, and that’s not a bad place to be. Hunt the Weak is always a solid removal spell -- but not premium. It isn’t premium because of how clunky it is at 4 mana and Sorcery speed, and because Fight effects are removal spells that are really easy to interact with, since killing the creature in response to the removal spell, or pumping their creature in response to it, results in a pretty savage blow out. If you can consistently trigger Adamant with this, it gets really scary, because you can now attack your opponent with it without being worried about the creature dying.
Idyllic Grange image 2.0 If your deck has 10+ Plains it, you’ll run this for the upside of getting a +1/+1 counter.
Hypnotic Sprite image 3.5 I’m not normally a big counterspell fan, just because they are easy to play around, and if your opponent does that it can be pretty devastating. This counterspell can only stop cheap spells, which means you aren’t really going to be coming out mana-wise with it. But that’s probably ok – you can have this in your deck, and you can cast the counterspell half of it if the opportunity appears, and you can also just play a two mana 2/1 flyer if that is what you need to be doing on turn 2. That flexibility means that this is a counterspell I will actually play – but yeah, I’m not going to be shy about just casting it as a creature and never using the counter.
Resolute Rider image 3.5 This has good activated abilities that make it very difficult to block. Most of the time, you’ll just be interested in threatening the activation, but being able to pump all the mana to make it indestructible and give it lifelink also isn’t a bad way to win a race.
Lucky Clover image 0.0 // 3.5 This is an all-or-nothing kind of card. You have to end up with a ton of adventures to make it work, as just a few won’t make the card with it. However, when you do get enough Adventures, it can become an insane value engine.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Unexplained Vision
Insatiable Appetite image 0.5 This is an ok trick, but this set has Adventure creatures who are tricks at Common, and they are just way better.
Witch's Cottage image 2.5 If your deck has 10+ Swamps, you’ll run this so you can get back powerful creatures from your graveyard.
Brimstone Trebuchet image 2.5 Any time we have a creature like this they turn out being pretty good – look at cards like Nettle Drone and Thermo-Alchemist. Now, this is more specific than either of those, but it will still be nice. A 3-mana 1/3 with Reach that does damage to your opponent one at a time isn’t incredible – but is close to solid. Most Red decks will probably have a few knights no matter what, and obviously it gets even better when you have a ton.
Fell the Pheasant image 0.5 This is mostly just sideboard hate to bring in against someone who has a lot of flyers.
Fling image 1.5 We see this a lot, and it doesn’t tend to be great without a super sacrifice sub-theme in a set.
Bartered Cow image 1.0 4-mana 3/3s are not very good, so how much should we value the fact that this can give you Food? I mean, it is a little valuable, especially because there are food payoffs. It is also interesting that you can discard this and still get Food. I think those two things combined make this better – but you’ll still almost never play this.
Lash of Thorns image 1.0 This is an alright trick, but this format has lots of tricks attached to creatures thanks to Adventures, and that’s way better than a card that is JUST a trick. For that reason, the Lash isn’t something you play very often.
Unexplained Vision image 2.0 This is the kind of card that Blue control decks will be interested in having one of. After they manage to stabilize the board, casting something like this allows them to really pull ahead -- one card getting them three cards is no joke, and would already be an okayish card if that’s all it was. If you can get Adamant with this and add Scry 3 you’re really doing something interesting, as you’re seeing up to 6 cards in your deck, which is a huge number in Limited.
Tall as a Beanstalk image 0.0 Lately, they have been printing Auras that are actually playable because of their efficiency, or their ability to mitigate against a 2-for-1. But this isn’t either of those. 4 mana for +3/+3 and Reach really isn’t the most amazing deal in the world, and it leaves you wide open to 2-for-1s that will also get huge tempo on you because of the total mana you spend on the creature and this Aura. Don’t play this.
Tournament Grounds image 1.0 This is alright fixing in the Knight decks, but those decks often have enough cards that this can’t pay for, and you’ll find yourself not even running it in those decks most of the time.
Belle of the Brawl image 3.5 3-mana 3/2s with Menace always play well on their own and Belle of the Brawl also happens to make your other Knights bigger when she attacks, and that is significant upside, since this set is loaded up with knights in the Mardu colors.
Wishclaw Talisman image 0.0 Tutor effects can already be too clunky for Limited, but this one is actually pretty efficient and gets you multiple cards -- but the fact that you don’t even get to do it all three times is what really ruins this card for me. Sure, chances are, you’ll get to get 2 cards with it and your opponent will get one – so maybe you come out ahead, but if your opponent has a huge bomb you just handed it to them. I don’t think I want to play this card in the format at all.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Hypnotic Sprite
Flutterfox image 3.0 This is a nice two drop. 2-mana 2/2s are nothing special these days, but the fact that this can gain flying -- and do it relatively easily in this format -- makes it a two drop that is relevant all game long.
Barge In image 2.0 This trick only works if you are attacking, which does hurt it a little bit, because losing the flexibility to save a creature from some removal spells, or using it when you’re blocking matters – but like 90% of the time you use a trick, you’re attacking anyway, so it isn’t a huge hit. And I think it mostly makes up for that problem with the fact that it can grant all your non-human creatures trample, which is a nice additional line of text to have.
Fling image 1.5 We see this a lot, and it doesn’t tend to be great without a super sacrifice sub-theme in a set.
Idyllic Grange image 2.0 If your deck has 10+ Plains it, you’ll run this for the upside of getting a +1/+1 counter.
Vantress Paladin image 2.5 The difference between a 4-mana 2/2 flyer and a 4-mana 3/3 flyer is pretty big in terms of efficiency. This is a card that will be awesome in a deck that is mostly Blue, and a card that will be kind of ok in a deck that is at least half Blue.
Lost Legion image 2.5 I always like this kind of creature. Sure, it doesn’t do well on the vanilla test as a 3-mana ⅔ -- even being one that is kind of hard to cast, BUT Scry 2 is some serious value, and goes a long way towards ensuring your draws are better for a little while. And, it is also has a useful creature type. I think all of this combines to make it a solid playable for Black decks.
Garenbrig Squire image 2.0 This is not the most exciting Adventure payoff around, but hey -- it is a Grizzly Bears with upside that will allow it to attack as a 3/3 sometimes. These days a vanilla Grizzly bear is a C- at best, and a D+ in a lot of formats, but the upside here is nice. Most Green decks will have at least 4 or 5 adventures without trying too hard, and that’s plenty for him to be worth playing. In most formats, decks need a few two drops, and this one seems like a solid option.
Outflank image 2.5 This is a very conditional removal spell. Not only does the creature have to be attacking or blocking, you also have to have enough creatures in play to kill it. That will not always be a possibility. This can also be interfered with relatively easily, namely by killing one of your creatures, so that the damage this does drops to the point it doesn’t kill your target anymore And sure, it does only cost a single White mana, and it will probably feel nice when you’re the beat down, but with all the conditions it requires, it isn’t the kind of removal spell you take very early at all.
Bloodhaze Wolverine image 2.5 A two-mana 2/1 isn’t so good these days, but it is the kind of card you’ll run when you really need a two-drop. But this does something extra – gaining +1/+1 and First Strike is no joke, it makes the Wolverine go from an easy card to block, to being a creature that it is hard to block profitably in any way. If you have something like Opt, you can even do it at Instant speed, making for a pretty nasty trick.
Inspiring Veteran image 3.0 RW is about knights. This is a Knight lord. It is one of the better Knight payoffs in the set, and you’ll always play it in RW, but I don’t think it does enough on its own to be the kind of signpost uncommon that pulls you into its color.
Hypnotic Sprite image 3.5 I’m not normally a big counterspell fan, just because they are easy to play around, and if your opponent does that it can be pretty devastating. This counterspell can only stop cheap spells, which means you aren’t really going to be coming out mana-wise with it. But that’s probably ok – you can have this in your deck, and you can cast the counterspell half of it if the opportunity appears, and you can also just play a two mana 2/1 flyer if that is what you need to be doing on turn 2. That flexibility means that this is a counterspell I will actually play – but yeah, I’m not going to be shy about just casting it as a creature and never using the counter.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Maraleaf Rider
Golden Egg image 1.5 So, we’ve seen cards a lot like this before, and they’re always alright. Mana filtering that replaces itself isn’t a bad thing to have a round, since it can help you splash, and you don’t end up using a whole card for it since it draws you one. If you don’t need the fixing during your game, it can also gain you life I guess, but that isn’t so good. Note also that it is technically “Food” so any cards that interact with Food tokens will make this better. I think this is an easy-to-cut last card in your deck.
Maraleaf Rider image 2.0 A two mana 3/1 is fine, and this comes with some decent upside. It isn’t the most exciting Food payoff, but being able to make your opponenet’s X/3 have to block this when you know you’re going to trade up doesn’t hurt.
Mystic Sanctuary image 2.5 If your deck has 10+ Islands in it, you’ll run this so that you can put removal back on top of your library.
Crystal Slipper image 1.5 The initial cost of the card – 2 to play and 1 to equip is pretty steep. That said, being able to sort of pay a kicker on your creatures of one mana to give them +1/+0 and Haste seems alright. I think you probably play one of these in aggro decks sometimes, but I feel like you’ll cut it pretty regularly too.
Memory Theft image 1.0 Coercion usually isn’t a very good card in Limited – you pay a significant amount of mana and don’t impact the board at all. This does come with the ability to get rid of creatures sitting around in the Adventure Zone, and when you can do that it will almost feel like a 2-for-1, but there’s no guarantee it will line up that way.
Wishful Merfolk image 2.0 One mana to Scry 2 isn’t the worst deal ever, Scrying 2 is pretty close to drawing a card – and then, the fact that you can sacrifice it later in the game to draw 2 cards is nice. Sometimes, you’ll pay 5 mana for this and Scry 2 and then draw 2 cards right away – and that’s not a bad place to be, really.
Sporecap Spider image 1.5 Aggressive Green decks won’t really want this, but all the other Green decks should feel fine about playing the first of these. They are good at blocking flyers.
Lonesome Unicorn image 3.0 Neither half of this card is particularly efficient. A sorcery that was 3 mana for a 2/2 token with Vigilance isn’t something you’d play and neither, and a 5-mana 3/3 with Vigilance.. BUT -- this card can do both of those things, and that’s the beauty of Adventures. Becuase it can make both of those things happen, and that can allow for a 2-for-1 without too much effort. Ideally you want to be doing both halves of this, and sometimes you will just need to cast the 3/3 Unicorn, which won’t feel too good, but I still think this is a really nice common for White.
Glass Casket image 3.5 Sure, it only kills smaller guys, but that’s fine because it does it so efficiently. This is in the lower range of premium removal.
Inspiring Veteran image 3.0 RW is about knights. This is a Knight lord. It is one of the better Knight payoffs in the set, and you’ll always play it in RW, but I don’t think it does enough on its own to be the kind of signpost uncommon that pulls you into its color.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Rosethorn Halberd
Rosethorn Halberd image 2.0 I think this seems decent. One mana for +2/+1 stats boost, provided you have a non-human in play – is a pretty nice rate. BUT your deck has to have enough non-humans around for this to be worth it, and man – after that first creature, the Equip cost is super steep.
Gingerbread Cabin image 2.5 If your deck has 10+ Forests in it, you’ll run this for the upside of getting Food, which might actually synergize more broadly with your deck.
Mystic Sanctuary image 2.5 If your deck has 10+ Islands in it, you’ll run this so that you can put removal back on top of your library.
Fell the Pheasant image 0.5 This is mostly just sideboard hate to bring in against someone who has a lot of flyers.
Idyllic Grange image 2.0 If your deck has 10+ Plains it, you’ll run this for the upside of getting a +1/+1 counter.
Mantle of Tides image 1.0 I don’t think I like this very much. Sure, equipping it to stuff for free, especially at Instant speed seems nice. But that “ideal” situation isn’t going to come up as often as we would like – you need to have creatures of the right size, and instant speed ways to draw an extra card.
Tall as a Beanstalk image 0.0 Lately, they have been printing Auras that are actually playable because of their efficiency, or their ability to mitigate against a 2-for-1. But this isn’t either of those. 4 mana for +3/+3 and Reach really isn’t the most amazing deal in the world, and it leaves you wide open to 2-for-1s that will also get huge tempo on you because of the total mana you spend on the creature and this Aura. Don’t play this.
Scorching Dragonfire image 4.0 We see two mana to do 3 a lot, and it is always a premium removal spell. It is cheap enough and kills big enough creatures that you usually are going to break even or come out ahead with your opponent in terms of mana. It is also an Instant, so you’ll be able to get some blowouts to happen in a world of combat tricks and Auras. Exiling stuff it kills is nice additional upside.
Oakhame Ranger image 3.5 4 mana for two 1/1 Humans isn’t the most efficient thing in the world, but sometimes you need two bodies. Then, the creature side of the card synergizes well with going wide – which this helps you do, since it can pump your whole team by tapping. This is going to be a great card in decks really looking to go wide, but I don’t think it is so powerful you end up moving into GW just because you see this, and that holds it to a 3.5.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Turn into a Pumpkin
Locthwain Gargoyle image 1.0 A one mana 0/3 can block sort of decently in the early going, and this isn’t a terrible mana sink in the late game, when the Gargoyle can start threatening the opponent in the air. This format also has some artifact synergy going around, especially in UW, so having one of these in that deck seems fine. Still, I don’t think you play this unless you’re in desperation mode for early creature or artifacts.
Vantress Paladin image 2.5 The difference between a 4-mana 2/2 flyer and a 4-mana 3/3 flyer is pretty big in terms of efficiency. This is a card that will be awesome in a deck that is mostly Blue, and a card that will be kind of ok in a deck that is at least half Blue.
Unexplained Vision image 2.0 This is the kind of card that Blue control decks will be interested in having one of. After they manage to stabilize the board, casting something like this allows them to really pull ahead -- one card getting them three cards is no joke, and would already be an okayish card if that’s all it was. If you can get Adamant with this and add Scry 3 you’re really doing something interesting, as you’re seeing up to 6 cards in your deck, which is a huge number in Limited.
Signpost Scarecrow image 2.0 This isn’t efficient as a creature or as mana fixing.
Wildwood Tracker image 2.0 In the early game, this can be a nice attacker. I the later parts of the game it just won’t matter much that it becomes a 2/2.
Moonlit Scavengers image 2.5 I am always a fan of Man-O’-Wars, and this is a pretty beefy one. Bouncing opponent’s creatures with your own creature tends to feel pretty great in Limited, because you simultaneously add to your board while taking something away from your opponent. This does have some hoops to jump through to make that happen – but it isn’t that difficult on turn 6 to have an Artifact or Enchantment in this format. I mean, sure, if your deck has very little in the way of those types of permanents, you can’t really play this – but keep in mind Food counts towards that.
Garenbrig Squire image 2.0 This is not the most exciting Adventure payoff around, but hey -- it is a Grizzly Bears with upside that will allow it to attack as a 3/3 sometimes. These days a vanilla Grizzly bear is a C- at best, and a D+ in a lot of formats, but the upside here is nice. Most Green decks will have at least 4 or 5 adventures without trying too hard, and that’s plenty for him to be worth playing. In most formats, decks need a few two drops, and this one seems like a solid option.
Turn into a Pumpkin image 3.0 A 4-mana bounce any permanent that draws you a card is usually pretty good anyway – this is because you actually don’t go down a card like you do with most bounc spell, and you still get to get some tempo. Now, the fact it costs 4 means you aren’t going to have as many targets that really make you feel good about bouncing them – unlike with two mana versions of the effect – but yeah, I’m willing to pay 2 more mana to draw a card. Then, with Adamant, you might also get a Food token, and that’s a nice additional effect.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Syr Elenora, the Discerning
Weaselback Redcap image 1.5 I’m not usually interested in cards like this. Sure, it is a one mana 1/1 with upside, but the upside it has isn’t especially good. People often overrate cards like this – but what makes it not so good is that literally any creature blocking it kills it, and you might think you can trade up with this, but in most cases, the total mana you spend on your Weaselback Redcap to take down a creature with more than one toughness will almost always be more than your opponent spent on that creature, so really – in most scenarios you’re coming out behind.
Corridor Monitor image 1.5 A two mana ¼ blocks fairly well early, and this one lets you untap a dude or artifact when you play it, which is some ok upside. However, it isn’t exactly impactful – even in the late game untapping something doesn’t always come with significant value.
Wildwood Tracker image 2.0 In the early game, this can be a nice attacker. I the later parts of the game it just won’t matter much that it becomes a 2/2.
True Love's Kiss image 1.0 This set has enough targets for this that you can main deck it sometimes. It gives you a 2-for-1 when you have a target, which is pretty nice. It is probably still better out of your sideboard, though.
Turn into a Pumpkin image 3.0 A 4-mana bounce any permanent that draws you a card is usually pretty good anyway – this is because you actually don’t go down a card like you do with most bounc spell, and you still get to get some tempo. Now, the fact it costs 4 means you aren’t going to have as many targets that really make you feel good about bouncing them – unlike with two mana versions of the effect – but yeah, I’m willing to pay 2 more mana to draw a card. Then, with Adamant, you might also get a Food token, and that’s a nice additional effect.
Syr Elenora, the Discerning image 2.5 At worse you’re paying 5 mana for a ¼ that draws you a card and costs your opponent some extra mana to kill. That isn’t a great card. This has more going on than that though, since it can get larger if you’re holding on to more cards in your hand. The kind of awkward thing, though, is most Limited decks just aren’t clutching cards all the time, so frequently she won’t be much more than 0/4 or a ¼, especially in the late game. Sure, you hold on to lands and she gets bigger once it gets late, and she can progressively get larger once you know that’s your plan, but I still think she is held back in Limited since hand size just doesn’t stay high late in most games.
Sorcerer's Broom image 2.0 This was designed to be a food payoff, and it is certainly that. I am not ultra impressed with it, but if in the late game it will be a sweet mana sink, where you can spend 5 mana – 2 for the food and 3 for this trigger – to gain 3 life and make a 2/1. The fact it has being a 2/1 as a fail case is nice, but the fact that its as expensive as it is keeps it from being some really exciting Food payoff for most decks, instead it will mostly be a 2/1 that might make a copy or two of itself late.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Mirrormade
Malevolent Noble image 2.5 This guy is a serious underperformer. He isn’t BAD per se, but looking at him at first, I thought he would be a pretty powerful common. Being able to sacrifice your food or creatures to make him bigger seemed nice! And he starts out as a two-mana 2/2, so that’s not too bad! Problem is, having the mana and resources around to use his ability a lot just doesn’t happen much. He’s still fine, but he isn’t even close to one of Black’s best commons.
Festive Funeral image 2.0 This is a conditional removal spell that will almost never be efficient. But hey, it IS still removal.
Henge Walker image 1.0 This won’t be a 3/3 often enough to be worth it in most decks, unless you’re close to monocolored.
Corridor Monitor image 1.5 A two mana ¼ blocks fairly well early, and this one lets you untap a dude or artifact when you play it, which is some ok upside. However, it isn’t exactly impactful – even in the late game untapping something doesn’t always come with significant value.
Flutterfox image 3.0 This is a nice two drop. 2-mana 2/2s are nothing special these days, but the fact that this can gain flying -- and do it relatively easily in this format -- makes it a two drop that is relevant all game long.
Mirrormade image 2.5 I think there are enough artifacts and enchantments in this set, that you can reliably do something with Mirrormade – whether it is copying one of yours or your opponents, as long as you are copy a real card with it – like a removal spell or Aura – and not Food – you’re going to feel like you’re getting a decent deal.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Charmed Sleep
Charmed Sleep image 3.0 This is a nice removal spell for Blue decks. This has all the problems Aura-based removal tends to have of course -- bounce spells and sacrifice effects make it look pretty bad, and it doesn’t turn off static abilities.
Prophet of the Peak image 1.5 This isn’t great, but if you need top curve, you could do worse.
Memory Theft image 1.0 Coercion usually isn’t a very good card in Limited – you pay a significant amount of mana and don’t impact the board at all. This does come with the ability to get rid of creatures sitting around in the Adventure Zone, and when you can do that it will almost feel like a 2-for-1, but there’s no guarantee it will line up that way.
Bloodhaze Wolverine image 2.5 A two-mana 2/1 isn’t so good these days, but it is the kind of card you’ll run when you really need a two-drop. But this does something extra – gaining +1/+1 and First Strike is no joke, it makes the Wolverine go from an easy card to block, to being a creature that it is hard to block profitably in any way. If you have something like Opt, you can even do it at Instant speed, making for a pretty nasty trick.
Idyllic Grange image 2.0 If your deck has 10+ Plains it, you’ll run this for the upside of getting a +1/+1 counter.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Tall as a Beanstalk
Fell the Pheasant image 0.5 This is mostly just sideboard hate to bring in against someone who has a lot of flyers.
Fling image 1.5 We see this a lot, and it doesn’t tend to be great without a super sacrifice sub-theme in a set.
Tall as a Beanstalk image 0.0 Lately, they have been printing Auras that are actually playable because of their efficiency, or their ability to mitigate against a 2-for-1. But this isn’t either of those. 4 mana for +3/+3 and Reach really isn’t the most amazing deal in the world, and it leaves you wide open to 2-for-1s that will also get huge tempo on you because of the total mana you spend on the creature and this Aura. Don’t play this.
Wishclaw Talisman image 0.0 Tutor effects can already be too clunky for Limited, but this one is actually pretty efficient and gets you multiple cards -- but the fact that you don’t even get to do it all three times is what really ruins this card for me. Sure, chances are, you’ll get to get 2 cards with it and your opponent will get one – so maybe you come out ahead, but if your opponent has a huge bomb you just handed it to them. I don’t think I want to play this card in the format at all.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Vantress Paladin
Barge In image 2.0 This trick only works if you are attacking, which does hurt it a little bit, because losing the flexibility to save a creature from some removal spells, or using it when you’re blocking matters – but like 90% of the time you use a trick, you’re attacking anyway, so it isn’t a huge hit. And I think it mostly makes up for that problem with the fact that it can grant all your non-human creatures trample, which is a nice additional line of text to have.
Fling image 1.5 We see this a lot, and it doesn’t tend to be great without a super sacrifice sub-theme in a set.
Vantress Paladin image 2.5 The difference between a 4-mana 2/2 flyer and a 4-mana 3/3 flyer is pretty big in terms of efficiency. This is a card that will be awesome in a deck that is mostly Blue, and a card that will be kind of ok in a deck that is at least half Blue.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Wishful Merfolk
Crystal Slipper image 1.5 The initial cost of the card – 2 to play and 1 to equip is pretty steep. That said, being able to sort of pay a kicker on your creatures of one mana to give them +1/+0 and Haste seems alright. I think you probably play one of these in aggro decks sometimes, but I feel like you’ll cut it pretty regularly too.
Wishful Merfolk image 2.0 One mana to Scry 2 isn’t the worst deal ever, Scrying 2 is pretty close to drawing a card – and then, the fact that you can sacrifice it later in the game to draw 2 cards is nice. Sometimes, you’ll pay 5 mana for this and Scry 2 and then draw 2 cards right away – and that’s not a bad place to be, really.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Fell the Pheasant
Fell the Pheasant image 0.5 This is mostly just sideboard hate to bring in against someone who has a lot of flyers.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Tome Raider
Youthful Knight image 3.0 Two mana 2/1 first strikers tend to play really well in aggressive decks -- but they really aren’t bad in less aggressive ones, as they are great blockers against smaller creatures. There is a lot of Equipment in this set too, and obviously it plays well with a creature with first strike. Definitely matters that this has a useful creature type too!
Weaselback Redcap image 1.5 I’m not usually interested in cards like this. Sure, it is a one mana 1/1 with upside, but the upside it has isn’t especially good. People often overrate cards like this – but what makes it not so good is that literally any creature blocking it kills it, and you might think you can trade up with this, but in most cases, the total mana you spend on your Weaselback Redcap to take down a creature with more than one toughness will almost always be more than your opponent spent on that creature, so really – in most scenarios you’re coming out behind.
Corridor Monitor image 1.5 A two mana ¼ blocks fairly well early, and this one lets you untap a dude or artifact when you play it, which is some ok upside. However, it isn’t exactly impactful – even in the late game untapping something doesn’t always come with significant value.
Faerie Guidemother image 3.5 The Adventure side of this lets you get in for some damage in the air, something that can be pretty nice early, and something that can close out games late. Then, it can come down as a 1/1 flyer itself. The whole package here ends up being pretty good in aggro decks.
Scalding Cauldron image 1.0 You’ll only play this if you have artifact synergies and/or you are short on removal. It just isn’t efficient at all.
Garenbrig Paladin image 2.0 A 5-mana 4/4 that can’t be blocked by small dudes is kind of ok. The more Green your deck is though, the better this gets.
Tome Raider image 2.5 This card overperforms in this format. Netting you a card right away is great, and then it can also attack in the air reasonably well.
Knight of the Keep image 1.0 A vanilla 3 mana 3/2 just isn’t really what you want to be doing. There are just so many better things you can do with 3 mana. You’ll only play it begrudgingly, if you need a 3 drop, or more knights in your deck, or you are way too short on creatures in your deck.
Prized Griffin image 2.5 5-mana ¾ flyers have played pretty well lately. Obviously it isn’t a great rate for those stats, but we have seen several of these lately, and they have always been reasonable 5-drops.
Smitten Swordmaster image 2.5 If your deck has lots of Knights in it, his Adventure can be absolutely devastating – and this becomes even more true because you don’t even use up a card to do it! Effects like that often aren’t awesome, because if you aren’t killing your opponent with them, you are going down a card to not have a direct effect on the board – but this guy can come down as a 2-mana 2/1 with Lifelink, which is already a pretty decent card – especially with the Knight creature type. I mean, if we think of this as a 3-mana 2/1 with lifelink that does 1 to the opponent for each Knight – that would be a pretty high quality card, and this is better than that in some ways!
Improbable Alliance image 3.5 This is a powerful engine for UR decks. It is also nice that it can start cranking out the Faeries on its own, once you get to the 6 mana activated ability anyway – and that is certainly an advantage it has over other payoffs for drawing extra cards. UR decks will have enough ways to draw extra cards, though, that it shouldn’t be too difficul to get Faeries out of this a few times a game, and that’s no joke – Faerie tokens can really end games. It is hard to stop a bunch of flyers!
Burning-Yard Trainer image 3.0 A 5-mana 3/3 with Trample and Haste isn’t good. He can maybe come down and give you lethal right away thanks to Haste, but yeah – not that good. However, if he can come down and pump one of your other creatures and give it those keywords, you’re going to be in serious business. If you can do that, he adds 5 evasive power to the board that attacks right away, and that’s a good deal for 5 mana.
Inquisitive Puppet image 1.0 This has a lot of text, but doesn’t really do enough to be worth a card.
Giant Killer image 4.0 The Adventure side here is the kind of White removal spell we see in most sets – capable of killing big creatures only, and the creature side is basically Master Decoy. Stapling those two things together is pretty great. I do think a lot of the time you’ll just play this on turn one if you have it, but the idea of killing a big guy and then bringing your Giant Killer to the board, where it can proceed to shut down your opponent’s best creature, is pretty awesome – and that will happen often enough with this. It is also nice to be able to play an effect like Chop Down in your main board, which you just can’t always do.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Fierce Witchstalker
Flutterfox image 3.0 This is a nice two drop. 2-mana 2/2s are nothing special these days, but the fact that this can gain flying -- and do it relatively easily in this format -- makes it a two drop that is relevant all game long.
Mystic Sanctuary image 2.5 If your deck has 10+ Islands in it, you’ll run this so that you can put removal back on top of your library.
Corridor Monitor image 1.5 A two mana ¼ blocks fairly well early, and this one lets you untap a dude or artifact when you play it, which is some ok upside. However, it isn’t exactly impactful – even in the late game untapping something doesn’t always come with significant value.
Fierce Witchstalker image 3.5 A 4-mana 4/4 with Trample is a great rate in Limited. Then, this makes Food too, something that is heavily supported in this format -- especially in BG, and you have a very good Common.
Embereth Paladin image 1.5 A 4-mana 4/1 with Haste isn’t anything special these days – you have to find the right opening for it to do something significant, or risk it just being traded with by a much cheaper creature. Even when you add Adamant to the mix, you’re getting a 5/2 with Haste for 4, which if that’s what this was 100% of the time would be solid, but it just won’t be.
Faerie Guidemother image 3.5 The Adventure side of this lets you get in for some damage in the air, something that can be pretty nice early, and something that can close out games late. Then, it can come down as a 1/1 flyer itself. The whole package here ends up being pretty good in aggro decks.
Ardenvale Paladin image 2.0 Honestly a 4-mana ⅖ does pretty well on the Vanilla test, and will be capable of blocking the vast majority of the creatures in this format and surviving. If you throw in Adamant, which will give you a 4-mana 3/6 a decent chunk of the time -- or, you know -- all the time, if you happen to be in mono-white -- and you have a much more attractive card.
Foreboding Fruit image 2.0 Black card draw spells like this are pretty much always a reasonable inclusion as a one-of. The card on the face of it is a two-for-one, but you do have to be careful since it doesn’t impact the board at all, and sometimes doing this early can be dangerous when you could be playing a creature that will help you survive. The Adamant here is a nice bonus, but it doesn’t add a ton to the card – though it will be nice gaining life back after you cast this.
True Love's Kiss image 1.0 This set has enough targets for this that you can main deck it sometimes. It gives you a 2-for-1 when you have a target, which is pretty nice. It is probably still better out of your sideboard, though.
Moonlit Scavengers image 2.5 I am always a fan of Man-O’-Wars, and this is a pretty beefy one. Bouncing opponent’s creatures with your own creature tends to feel pretty great in Limited, because you simultaneously add to your board while taking something away from your opponent. This does have some hoops to jump through to make that happen – but it isn’t that difficult on turn 6 to have an Artifact or Enchantment in this format. I mean, sure, if your deck has very little in the way of those types of permanents, you can’t really play this – but keep in mind Food counts towards that.
Bog Naughty image 3.5 Even if you just have one or two ways to make food, you’ll play this. And most of the time, I think you end up with 3+ ways to do it without trying too hard. If you end up with a lot of food, this becomes one of the very best cards in your deck, capable of machine gunning your opponent’s creatures and making combat a nightmare.
Inquisitive Puppet image 1.0 This has a lot of text, but doesn’t really do enough to be worth a card.
Escape to the Wilds image 3.0 Casting this can be tricky since you don’t add to the board and you’re spending 5 mana. But, if you are allowed to untap, the card advantage it gives you can often win you the game in a few turns.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Tome Raider
So Tiny image 1.0 // 2.5 This isn’t a great removal spell, and is pretty close to unplayable if you’re not a mill deck. -2/-0 just isn’t enough to deal with most creatures, so you end up spending a card just to downgrade one. If you can consistently get it to -6/-0, like you can in the mill deck, it gets better – but you are still downgrading a creature, not removing it.
Raging Redcap image 2.0 So, a 3-mana ½ with Double Strike is an ok deal. This set also has a pretty heavy theme of auras and equipment, and he is a good place to put those.
Mantle of Tides image 1.0 I don’t think I like this very much. Sure, equipping it to stuff for free, especially at Instant speed seems nice. But that “ideal” situation isn’t going to come up as often as we would like – you need to have creatures of the right size, and instant speed ways to draw an extra card.
Lash of Thorns image 1.0 This is an alright trick, but this format has lots of tricks attached to creatures thanks to Adventures, and that’s way better than a card that is JUST a trick. For that reason, the Lash isn’t something you play very often.
Flutterfox image 3.0 This is a nice two drop. 2-mana 2/2s are nothing special these days, but the fact that this can gain flying -- and do it relatively easily in this format -- makes it a two drop that is relevant all game long.
Tome Raider image 2.5 This card overperforms in this format. Netting you a card right away is great, and then it can also attack in the air reasonably well.
Redcap Raiders image 2.5 Frequently you won’t have an untapped non-human creature for the buff, and even if you do, it isn’t like it makes this creature into a world beater. A 4/3 with trample is nice, but not a major problem.
Weaselback Redcap image 1.5 I’m not usually interested in cards like this. Sure, it is a one mana 1/1 with upside, but the upside it has isn’t especially good. People often overrate cards like this – but what makes it not so good is that literally any creature blocking it kills it, and you might think you can trade up with this, but in most cases, the total mana you spend on your Weaselback Redcap to take down a creature with more than one toughness will almost always be more than your opponent spent on that creature, so really – in most scenarios you’re coming out behind.
True Love's Kiss image 1.0 This set has enough targets for this that you can main deck it sometimes. It gives you a 2-for-1 when you have a target, which is pretty nice. It is probably still better out of your sideboard, though.
Rampart Smasher image 3.0 This is mostly just a big vanilla creature, which is nice, but not overly exciting.
Specter's Shriek image 0.5 Specter’s Shriek, while efficient, is going to be god awful against people not playing Black. One mana and a whole card are not worth taking away a card from your opponent in most scenarios. That’s 2-for-1ing yourself, and you’re doing it for something that doesn’t even affect the board! Now, I do think against opponent’s playing Black, it is reasonable to side in, especially if they are the kind of deck holding on to a bunch of cards.
Sorcerous Spyglass image 0.0 This is unplayable in Limited. It isn’t generally going to be worth a card to look at your opponent’s hand, and there isn’t a huge chance that you’ll actually name something that has a problematic activated ability. Most of the time, you’re paying 2 and using up a card for information, which you don’t want to be doing.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Steelgaze Griffin
Ogre Errant image 2.0 This is harder to get going than you might think, and even when it does, it finds itself on boards where it still doesn’t have a good attack.
Witch's Cottage image 2.5 If your deck has 10+ Swamps, you’ll run this so you can get back powerful creatures from your graveyard.
Festive Funeral image 2.0 This is a conditional removal spell that will almost never be efficient. But hey, it IS still removal.
Golden Egg image 1.5 So, we’ve seen cards a lot like this before, and they’re always alright. Mana filtering that replaces itself isn’t a bad thing to have a round, since it can help you splash, and you don’t end up using a whole card for it since it draws you one. If you don’t need the fixing during your game, it can also gain you life I guess, but that isn’t so good. Note also that it is technically “Food” so any cards that interact with Food tokens will make this better. I think this is an easy-to-cut last card in your deck.
Steelgaze Griffin image 2.0 Yet another payoff for drawing an extra card each turn, Steelgaze Griffin has some pretty bad base stats as a 5-mana 2/4 with Flying. But the upside it comes with is nice – becoming a 4/4 on turns you draw an extra card is pretty serious. A 5-mana 4/4 with Flying – you know, like Air elemental – is usually in the lower part of the B range. Obviously, this is worse because it won’t always be a 4/4, but it seems like a reasonable payoff for drawing extra cards in the UR deck.
Corridor Monitor image 1.5 A two mana ¼ blocks fairly well early, and this one lets you untap a dude or artifact when you play it, which is some ok upside. However, it isn’t exactly impactful – even in the late game untapping something doesn’t always come with significant value.
Ardenvale Paladin image 2.0 Honestly a 4-mana ⅖ does pretty well on the Vanilla test, and will be capable of blocking the vast majority of the creatures in this format and surviving. If you throw in Adamant, which will give you a 4-mana 3/6 a decent chunk of the time -- or, you know -- all the time, if you happen to be in mono-white -- and you have a much more attractive card.
Insatiable Appetite image 0.5 This is an ok trick, but this set has Adventure creatures who are tricks at Common, and they are just way better.
Weapon Rack image 1.0 You might think this isn’t bad in an aggro deck, as it ends up making your creatures better attackers, but if you played it instead of playing a creature, you’re also hurting your chances as an aggro deck.
Fell the Pheasant image 0.5 This is mostly just sideboard hate to bring in against someone who has a lot of flyers.
Tournament Grounds image 1.0 This is alright fixing in the Knight decks, but those decks often have enough cards that this can’t pay for, and you’ll find yourself not even running it in those decks most of the time.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Fierce Witchstalker
Return to Nature image 1.5 This is reasonably mainboardable in this format, as it often has a target. Still an easy cut, though, and better in your sideboard.
Steelgaze Griffin image 2.0 Yet another payoff for drawing an extra card each turn, Steelgaze Griffin has some pretty bad base stats as a 5-mana 2/4 with Flying. But the upside it comes with is nice – becoming a 4/4 on turns you draw an extra card is pretty serious. A 5-mana 4/4 with Flying – you know, like Air elemental – is usually in the lower part of the B range. Obviously, this is worse because it won’t always be a 4/4, but it seems like a reasonable payoff for drawing extra cards in the UR deck.
Fierce Witchstalker image 3.5 A 4-mana 4/4 with Trample is a great rate in Limited. Then, this makes Food too, something that is heavily supported in this format -- especially in BG, and you have a very good Common.
Henge Walker image 1.0 This won’t be a 3/3 often enough to be worth it in most decks, unless you’re close to monocolored.
Barge In image 2.0 This trick only works if you are attacking, which does hurt it a little bit, because losing the flexibility to save a creature from some removal spells, or using it when you’re blocking matters – but like 90% of the time you use a trick, you’re attacking anyway, so it isn’t a huge hit. And I think it mostly makes up for that problem with the fact that it can grant all your non-human creatures trample, which is a nice additional line of text to have.
Raging Redcap image 2.0 So, a 3-mana ½ with Double Strike is an ok deal. This set also has a pretty heavy theme of auras and equipment, and he is a good place to put those.
Sporecap Spider image 1.5 Aggressive Green decks won’t really want this, but all the other Green decks should feel fine about playing the first of these. They are good at blocking flyers.
Lost Legion image 2.5 I always like this kind of creature. Sure, it doesn’t do well on the vanilla test as a 3-mana ⅔ -- even being one that is kind of hard to cast, BUT Scry 2 is some serious value, and goes a long way towards ensuring your draws are better for a little while. And, it is also has a useful creature type. I think all of this combines to make it a solid playable for Black decks.
Frogify image 2.5 This kind of removal is nice because it blanks a creature, and sometimes that is just better than more traditional removal – but the fact that they still get to have a creature who can block after you play this is obnoxious, and that’s what keeps this from being premium removal.
Belle of the Brawl image 3.5 3-mana 3/2s with Menace always play well on their own and Belle of the Brawl also happens to make your other Knights bigger when she attacks, and that is significant upside, since this set is loaded up with knights in the Mardu colors.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Hypnotic Sprite
Thrill of Possibility image 2.0 This is an always alright but also always replaceable card. It gets a little better in this format because it lets you trigger “draw 2” payoffs on your opponents’ turn.
Wicked Guardian image 2.0 So, a 4-mana 4/2 that damages one of your guys and draws you a card is sort of an interesting design. Sure, it might kill your guy, but I think a 4-mana 4/2 that sacrifices a creature and draws you a card would be a solid card, and this is better than that, because sometimes it won’t actually kill your creature at all, in which case you’re just netting a straight-up 2-for-1.
Silverflame Ritual image 1.5 If you have like 6 White cards in your deck, you’re not going to be getting the adamant part here. That said, this card on its own, without Adamant would already be kind of playable. Sure, you need some set up, and you have to be going wide, but that seems doable in this set. Giving Vigilance with Adamant is very real upside, because it means that you can attack with everyone, and still leave blockers behind – turns like that can really turn the tide in games. But yeah, it is a little clunky at 4 mana, and it won’t always be giving your guys Vigilance unless you’re mono-colored.
Rosethorn Halberd image 2.0 I think this seems decent. One mana for +2/+1 stats boost, provided you have a non-human in play – is a pretty nice rate. BUT your deck has to have enough non-humans around for this to be worth it, and man – after that first creature, the Equip cost is super steep.
Wishful Merfolk image 2.0 One mana to Scry 2 isn’t the worst deal ever, Scrying 2 is pretty close to drawing a card – and then, the fact that you can sacrifice it later in the game to draw 2 cards is nice. Sometimes, you’ll pay 5 mana for this and Scry 2 and then draw 2 cards right away – and that’s not a bad place to be, really.
Malevolent Noble image 2.5 This guy is a serious underperformer. He isn’t BAD per se, but looking at him at first, I thought he would be a pretty powerful common. Being able to sacrifice your food or creatures to make him bigger seemed nice! And he starts out as a two-mana 2/2, so that’s not too bad! Problem is, having the mana and resources around to use his ability a lot just doesn’t happen much. He’s still fine, but he isn’t even close to one of Black’s best commons.
Embereth Shieldbreaker image 3.0 So, here we have some Artifact hate that is actually mainboardable – and that’s probably a good thing, because there are a decent number of artifacts in this set. We can think of this as a 3-mana 2/1 that destroys an Artifact – and that’s a nice deal, pretty easy to get a 2-for-1 if you actually get to destroy the artifact. There are enough Artifacts in this set to make the Shieldbreaker quite good.
Loch Dragon image 4.0 This card is pretty nice, a 4-mana 3/2 Flyer is always a playable card in Limited, though not exciting. Then, you add the fact that you get to rummage with it when it comes into play and when it attacks, and you’re looking at a card that can not only beat your opponent down in the sky, but you’re looking at one that can also help you drastically improve your draws throughout the game.
Hypnotic Sprite image 3.5 I’m not normally a big counterspell fan, just because they are easy to play around, and if your opponent does that it can be pretty devastating. This counterspell can only stop cheap spells, which means you aren’t really going to be coming out mana-wise with it. But that’s probably ok – you can have this in your deck, and you can cast the counterspell half of it if the opportunity appears, and you can also just play a two mana 2/1 flyer if that is what you need to be doing on turn 2. That flexibility means that this is a counterspell I will actually play – but yeah, I’m not going to be shy about just casting it as a creature and never using the counter.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Run Away Together
Lonesome Unicorn image 3.0 Neither half of this card is particularly efficient. A sorcery that was 3 mana for a 2/2 token with Vigilance isn’t something you’d play and neither, and a 5-mana 3/3 with Vigilance.. BUT -- this card can do both of those things, and that’s the beauty of Adventures. Becuase it can make both of those things happen, and that can allow for a 2-for-1 without too much effort. Ideally you want to be doing both halves of this, and sometimes you will just need to cast the 3/3 Unicorn, which won’t feel too good, but I still think this is a really nice common for White.
Raging Redcap image 2.0 So, a 3-mana ½ with Double Strike is an ok deal. This set also has a pretty heavy theme of auras and equipment, and he is a good place to put those.
Signpost Scarecrow image 2.0 This isn’t efficient as a creature or as mana fixing.
Eye Collector image 1.5 In general, one mana 1/1 flyers that don’t do anything else – and this mostly doesn’t do anything else – aren’t that good. This is sort of reasonable in the mill deck, but that’s about it.
Henge Walker image 1.0 This won’t be a 3/3 often enough to be worth it in most decks, unless you’re close to monocolored.
Run Away Together image 1.0 This kind of weird symmetrical bounce effect is mostly not worth it. Bouncing something your opponent doesn’t want to be bounced and something of yours that you DO want to bounce can be good, but that is a little too situational.
Arcanist's Owl image 3.5 A 4-mana 3/3 flyer is already great, and this one will draw you a card a decent chunk of the time, since UW decks will already be loaded up with artifacts and enchantments for other purposes.
Happily Ever After image 0.0 This is unplayable. Pulling off a win condition with these many requirements is pretty much impossible outside of constructed, and being 3 mana for both players to gain 5 and draw a card doesn’t really seem worth it to me.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Tuinvale Treefolk
Trapped in the Tower image 4.0 It is a little annoying that this can’t hit flyers, but the fact that it both Pacifies and Arrests a ground creature helps me get over that. This is premium removal.
Crashing Drawbridge image 1.5 I never like walls that try to do aggressive things, and that’s what this is. You’ll play it in some aggro decks, but the fact that you’re playing a creature who can’t attack in your aggro deck is annoying.
Locthwain Gargoyle image 1.0 A one mana 0/3 can block sort of decently in the early going, and this isn’t a terrible mana sink in the late game, when the Gargoyle can start threatening the opponent in the air. This format also has some artifact synergy going around, especially in UW, so having one of these in that deck seems fine. Still, I don’t think you play this unless you’re in desperation mode for early creature or artifacts.
Moonlit Scavengers image 2.5 I am always a fan of Man-O’-Wars, and this is a pretty beefy one. Bouncing opponent’s creatures with your own creature tends to feel pretty great in Limited, because you simultaneously add to your board while taking something away from your opponent. This does have some hoops to jump through to make that happen – but it isn’t that difficult on turn 6 to have an Artifact or Enchantment in this format. I mean, sure, if your deck has very little in the way of those types of permanents, you can’t really play this – but keep in mind Food counts towards that.
Tuinvale Treefolk image 2.5 Like a lot of these adventure cards at common, if we look at each part of the card and imagine it as JUST that, neither half is very good. But, like all of these, it has the potential to do both of those things, and that’s not a bad way to be spending your mana. Getting a full two cards worth of value out of this single card seems very doable, and I think this will be a nice big boy to have at the top of your curve, since it can make your guys bigger too.
Barge In image 2.0 This trick only works if you are attacking, which does hurt it a little bit, because losing the flexibility to save a creature from some removal spells, or using it when you’re blocking matters – but like 90% of the time you use a trick, you’re attacking anyway, so it isn’t a huge hit. And I think it mostly makes up for that problem with the fact that it can grant all your non-human creatures trample, which is a nice additional line of text to have.
Weaselback Redcap image 1.5 I’m not usually interested in cards like this. Sure, it is a one mana 1/1 with upside, but the upside it has isn’t especially good. People often overrate cards like this – but what makes it not so good is that literally any creature blocking it kills it, and you might think you can trade up with this, but in most cases, the total mana you spend on your Weaselback Redcap to take down a creature with more than one toughness will almost always be more than your opponent spent on that creature, so really – in most scenarios you’re coming out behind.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Garenbrig Paladin
Corridor Monitor image 1.5 A two mana ¼ blocks fairly well early, and this one lets you untap a dude or artifact when you play it, which is some ok upside. However, it isn’t exactly impactful – even in the late game untapping something doesn’t always come with significant value.
Scalding Cauldron image 1.0 You’ll only play this if you have artifact synergies and/or you are short on removal. It just isn’t efficient at all.
Garenbrig Paladin image 2.0 A 5-mana 4/4 that can’t be blocked by small dudes is kind of ok. The more Green your deck is though, the better this gets.
Knight of the Keep image 1.0 A vanilla 3 mana 3/2 just isn’t really what you want to be doing. There are just so many better things you can do with 3 mana. You’ll only play it begrudgingly, if you need a 3 drop, or more knights in your deck, or you are way too short on creatures in your deck.
Prized Griffin image 2.5 5-mana ¾ flyers have played pretty well lately. Obviously it isn’t a great rate for those stats, but we have seen several of these lately, and they have always been reasonable 5-drops.
Inquisitive Puppet image 1.0 This has a lot of text, but doesn’t really do enough to be worth a card.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Moonlit Scavengers
Corridor Monitor image 1.5 A two mana ¼ blocks fairly well early, and this one lets you untap a dude or artifact when you play it, which is some ok upside. However, it isn’t exactly impactful – even in the late game untapping something doesn’t always come with significant value.
Embereth Paladin image 1.5 A 4-mana 4/1 with Haste isn’t anything special these days – you have to find the right opening for it to do something significant, or risk it just being traded with by a much cheaper creature. Even when you add Adamant to the mix, you’re getting a 5/2 with Haste for 4, which if that’s what this was 100% of the time would be solid, but it just won’t be.
True Love's Kiss image 1.0 This set has enough targets for this that you can main deck it sometimes. It gives you a 2-for-1 when you have a target, which is pretty nice. It is probably still better out of your sideboard, though.
Moonlit Scavengers image 2.5 I am always a fan of Man-O’-Wars, and this is a pretty beefy one. Bouncing opponent’s creatures with your own creature tends to feel pretty great in Limited, because you simultaneously add to your board while taking something away from your opponent. This does have some hoops to jump through to make that happen – but it isn’t that difficult on turn 6 to have an Artifact or Enchantment in this format. I mean, sure, if your deck has very little in the way of those types of permanents, you can’t really play this – but keep in mind Food counts towards that.
Inquisitive Puppet image 1.0 This has a lot of text, but doesn’t really do enough to be worth a card.
Pack 3 Pick 11: So Tiny
So Tiny image 1.0 // 2.5 This isn’t a great removal spell, and is pretty close to unplayable if you’re not a mill deck. -2/-0 just isn’t enough to deal with most creatures, so you end up spending a card just to downgrade one. If you can consistently get it to -6/-0, like you can in the mill deck, it gets better – but you are still downgrading a creature, not removing it.
Raging Redcap image 2.0 So, a 3-mana ½ with Double Strike is an ok deal. This set also has a pretty heavy theme of auras and equipment, and he is a good place to put those.
True Love's Kiss image 1.0 This set has enough targets for this that you can main deck it sometimes. It gives you a 2-for-1 when you have a target, which is pretty nice. It is probably still better out of your sideboard, though.
Sorcerous Spyglass image 0.0 This is unplayable in Limited. It isn’t generally going to be worth a card to look at your opponent’s hand, and there isn’t a huge chance that you’ll actually name something that has a problematic activated ability. Most of the time, you’re paying 2 and using up a card for information, which you don’t want to be doing.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Insatiable Appetite
Festive Funeral image 2.0 This is a conditional removal spell that will almost never be efficient. But hey, it IS still removal.
Insatiable Appetite image 0.5 This is an ok trick, but this set has Adventure creatures who are tricks at Common, and they are just way better.
Fell the Pheasant image 0.5 This is mostly just sideboard hate to bring in against someone who has a lot of flyers.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Steelgaze Griffin
Steelgaze Griffin image 2.0 Yet another payoff for drawing an extra card each turn, Steelgaze Griffin has some pretty bad base stats as a 5-mana 2/4 with Flying. But the upside it comes with is nice – becoming a 4/4 on turns you draw an extra card is pretty serious. A 5-mana 4/4 with Flying – you know, like Air elemental – is usually in the lower part of the B range. Obviously, this is worse because it won’t always be a 4/4, but it seems like a reasonable payoff for drawing extra cards in the UR deck.
Sporecap Spider image 1.5 Aggressive Green decks won’t really want this, but all the other Green decks should feel fine about playing the first of these. They are good at blocking flyers.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Wishful Merfolk
Wishful Merfolk image 2.0 One mana to Scry 2 isn’t the worst deal ever, Scrying 2 is pretty close to drawing a card – and then, the fact that you can sacrifice it later in the game to draw 2 cards is nice. Sometimes, you’ll pay 5 mana for this and Scry 2 and then draw 2 cards right away – and that’s not a bad place to be, really.
Draft Pick Overview