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Premier Draft MOM 28 May 2023

28 May 06:00 - umGui 7 Wins - 2 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (15)
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben image
1 Reyav, Master Smith image
1 Redcap Heelslasher image
1 Harried Artisan // Phyrexian Skyflayer image
1 Kwende, Pride of Femeref image
1 Golden-Scale Aeronaut image
2 Kithkin Billyrider image
1 Shivan Branch-Burner image
2 Enduring Bondwarden image
1 Trailblazing Historian image
1 Knight-Errant of Eos image
1 Knight of the New Coalition image
1 Daxos, Blessed by the Sun image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (8)
2 Elspeth's Smite image
1 Kor Halberd image
1 Inspired Charge image
1 Ramosian Greatsword image
1 Kitesail image
1 Beamtown Beatstick image
1 Aerial Boost image
Other (1)
1 Invasion of Belenon // Belenon War Antherm image
Land (16)
9 Plains image
7 Mountain image
Sideboard
2 Alabaster Host Intercessor image
1 Furnace Host Charger image
1 Tarkir Duneshaper image
1 Halo Hopper image
1 Sigiled Sentinel image
1 Skittering Surveyor image
1 Kwende, Pride of Femeref image
1 Chomping Kavu image
1 Quintorius, Loremaster image
1 Alabaster Host Sanctifier image
1 Infected Defector image
1 Phyrexian Archivist image
1 Burning Sun's Fury image
1 Flywheel Racer image
1 Corrupted Conviction image
1 Sunder the Gateway image
1 Assimilate Essence image
2 Invasion of Kylem image
1 Invasion of Regatha image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben image 3.5 Thalia’s always a nice card because of her bae stats Her tax effect is symmetrical, but you’re the one playing Thalia, so you have control over when you cast her – if you really need to cast some noncreature spells just don’t play her, and she’s even better if you don’t have a ton of noncreature spells in your deck.
Kroxa and Kunoros image 4.5 A 6-mana 6/6 with these three keywords is already great, and this has the ability to reanimate stuff. Now, it does come with an effect that actually makes it a little tricky to reanimate sometimes, because it exiles five cards. This means you have to leave a creature behind after exiling 5 cards, and unless you have a loaded graveyard, that can be really tricky in Limited. You also aren’t really going to manage to reanimate something every time it attacks for the same reason. Still, even without the reanimate effect this is good, and I think by the time you play it you’ll probably find yourself able to reanimate something often enough for this to be a bomb.
Copper Host Crusher image 1.0 This is a big hard-to-kill monster, but it also costs 8 mana which simply isn’t an amount of mana you get to very consistently in Limited.
Storm the Seedcore image 3.0 Granting a big stats boost to a few creatures, and giving all creatures Vigilance and Trample seems like a nice deal. This lets you really upgrade your board without sacrificing the ability to block on the following turn, and that can really help turn a race around. As usual, this type of card has the downside of being very mediocre if you don’t have a well-developed board, but even then the fail case isn’t the worst.
Invasion of Kylem image 2.5 The base effect on this card generally isn’t worth the four mana it asks you for. However, because this also comes into play and has to be defended, it synergizes quite well with itself. +2/+0 and Vigilance on two creatures will allow you to attack this fairly effectively right away on many boards. In other words, there will definitely be turns where this costs 4-mana to give +2/+0, vigilance, and haste to two creatures, and then you also get those two really powerful 3/2 tokens on the same turn. Yeah, that’s an insane card. Now, we do have to take into account the situations where this doesn’t do much, and the fact this doesn’t do something permanent to the board does mean sometimes this will do stone nothing.
Tarkir Duneshaper image 2.5 A one mana ½ isn’t very good on its own, but the fact this can become a 4/3 trampler later in the game does mean it tends to have relevance most of the time.
Gloomfang Mauler image 3.0 When you actually cast this thing, it has a big impact on the board – either coming down as a monstrous 7/7 with Menace, or coming down as a 5/5 that gives something else two counters as well as Menace until end of turn. This gives it the ability to immediately impact the board when it comes down, while still sporting a sizable and problematic body. The downside here is that you just don’t always get 7 mana in Limited, but this makes sure that isn’t too much of a problem for you, since you can just pitch it to search up a Swamp if that’s what you need to do
Consuming Aetherborn image 2.5 Giving a counter and lifelink until end of turn to something on ETB isn’t too bad, but a 4-mana 3/3 with Lifelink is not a good deal. It sort of feels like both options are a little overcosted here.
Ral's Reinforcements image 2.5 Going wide and Convoke are two of Red’s big themes in the set, so this seems to do exactly what you want to be doing in Red.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Akki Scrapchomper image 1.0 I’d generally rather be able to sacrifice creatures than lands, since there are so many good expendable ones out there. Sure, if you have too many lands this provides flood insurance, but it is a pretty mediocre card early and not even that good in the late game.
Expedition Lookout image 2.5 This is a two drop that lots of creatures can’t attack through, and eventually it becomes an unblockable 2/3. That’s pretty nice, because it might take awhile before you get there – since it can’t be blocked, it will be relevant on any board.
Realmbreaker's Grasp image 3.5 White’s usual premium Common removal spell Is here! It shuts down most creatures entirely, though as usual cards with static ability, sacrifice effects, and bounce effects hurt when you play this card – and those things are in this set, of course.
Ichor Shade image 2.0 Its nice that this looks at both graveyard, as sometimes when we see this sort of effect it only checks yours. This will gain a counter on a significant number of turns, especially if you’re a Sacrifice deck. It does have a pretty bad baseline, but I you can definitely hold this and then play it in second main phase after something dies, and it will quickly become a ¾, and things can go crazy from there.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 2: Reyav, Master Smith
Reyav, Master Smith image 3.0 There’s a decent amount of Auras and Equipment in the set, but not so many that this is going to be super easy to trigger.
Tangled Skyline image 3.0 This looks like a nice card for helping higher-curve Green decks stabilize against aggro. It is effectively a 7-mana 5/5 with Reach that gains you 5 on ETB, except it is a little better because you don’t have to pay all that mana in the same turn. Giving Phyrexians Reach isn’t exactly the most impressive upside, I think the best part of this card is just that it gives you a beefy body and gains you some life, though Reach does mean you can stabilize against flying creatures too.
Compleated Huntmaster image 3.5 You can sort of look at this as paying 3 mana, sacrificing something, and getting a 3/3 – that wouldn’t be a bad deal, and this is better because you can pay for the Incubator on a separate turn. This doesn’t have the worst stats for a card with this strong of an ability, either. Cards like this really make it feel like the sacrifice deck in this format is going to have some legs
Invasion of Kaladesh image 3.0 While a two mana 1/1 Flyer isn’t the best deal, it does mean this Battle gives you an evasive creature that can help you transform this into a solid Vehicle. It will at least be a ¼ Flyer with Crew 1, and that’s not too bad – and sometimes it will be a much bigger problem than that.
Pyretic Prankster image 3.0 A two mana 2/1 is below rate these days, but this can transform into a 3/2 that virtually always forces a 2-for-1, and it can transform pretty quickly.
Negate image 1.5 In most formats, this is something that should stay in your sideboard, because there just aren’t enough targets. This format does have a new non-creature card type in Battle, and I think that’s enough for this to be a little more playable, though it is probably still better as a sideboard card.
Golden-Scale Aeronaut image 2.5 A 5-mana ¾ with Flying is acceptable, and that’s the floor here. The ability to put the counter on something else and give it flying for a turn will usually be what you want to do
Vanquish the Weak image 3.0 This can sometimes trade up, but more often than not you break even on mana or worse when you cast this – for me, that keeps it from being a premium-level removal spell – instead it is merely solid.
Portent Tracker image 2.5 This is an ugly stat-line, but between ramping your mana and messing with Battles, this seems like it has some pretty real utility. Some mana dorks are all but useless late, but because this can do things with Battles, that’s less likely.
Karsus Depthguard image 2.0 Just one +1/+1 counter allows this to start rumbling, and those aren’t exactly hard to come by in Red, and a 3-mana 4/3 Defender isn’t a terrible fail case.
Knight of the New Coalition image 3.0 4-mana for two 2/2s with Vigilance is an excellent rate – this helps you go wide like the RW deck wants you to do, while also producing two bodies with a very useful creature type. I think this looks like a very good Common.
Fertilid's Favor image 2.0 This is an Instant speed way to both ramp your mana and buff a creature. In other words, it can be part combat trick part ramp spell. Ramp spells can be a dangerous proposition in Limited because they usually don’t add to the board at all, but this one does. It doesn’t search up the basic land as efficiently as something like Rampant Growth, but this is better in Limited in a lot of ways, because it is a much better late-game top deck and even has a bit of 2-for-1 potential. I think having both of these effects on a single Instant is enough to make this a quality card.
Expedition Lookout image 2.5 This is a two drop that lots of creatures can’t attack through, and eventually it becomes an unblockable 2/3. That’s pretty nice, because it might take awhile before you get there – since it can’t be blocked, it will be relevant on any board.
Bloodfell Caves image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Elspeth's Smite
Renata, Called to the Hunt image 3.5 Renata giving your creatures a +1/+1 counter when they enter is great, especially because this set has +1/+1 counter synergy, and sometimes Renate will also have pretty high power.
Elspeth's Smite image 3.5 This offers a pretty amazing rate, and even shuts down death triggers and other graveyard shenanigans. It is situational of course, but I think the efficiency makes up for that enough for this to sneak into “premium removal” range.
Gift of Compleation image 3.0 You can sort of look at this as a 4-mana 3/3 with this Surveil effect. Obviously, it is better than that, because you can pay in installments and the Surveil effect sticks around even if the creature goes down
Aetherblade Agent image 3.0 A two mana 1/1 with deathtouch is a little bit below rate, but it does trade for anything, and the creature this can become late is a big problem for your opponent.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Etched Familiar image 2.5 Trading this off and draining 2 life from your opponent is going to feel like a good deal all the time, and it isn’t terrible sacrifice fodder either.
Ral's Reinforcements image 2.5 Going wide and Convoke are two of Red’s big themes in the set, so this seems to do exactly what you want to be doing in Red.
Kithkin Billyrider image 2.5 A three mana 1/3 with Double Strike is actually a pretty nice rate. It is incredibly hard to attack through or block in the early game, and it is a great place to put all your +1/+1 counters.
Dreg Recycler image 2.5 Life drain does a great job of helping you stay alive while also pressuring your opponent, and it even has passable stats.
Temporal Cleansing image 2.0 A Sorcery that always did this for four mana would probably be a 1.5. It is definitely removal, but very clunky, and the fact it can’t be a more permanent answer for many creatures is definitely a problem.
Seed of Hope image 1.0 Green isn’t that into milling in this format, otherwise this would be a little more interesting. As is, it has a fairly small effect, and since it is restricted only to the two cards you mill, you’re just going to wiff sometimes or get something very underwhelming.
Knight of the New Coalition image 3.0 4-mana for two 2/2s with Vigilance is an excellent rate – this helps you go wide like the RW deck wants you to do, while also producing two bodies with a very useful creature type. I think this looks like a very good Common.
Swiftwater Cliffs image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Redcap Heelslasher
Teysa Karlov image 3.5 There are enough creature tokens in the format that Vintage definitely matters, and there are certainly death triggers in the format.
Omen Hawker image 2.0 This format does have a decent number of activated abilities, between Incubate and creatures who can transform for some amount of mana. Accelerating those things is definitely nice, but it still feels like this might be a little too narrow, even in this format.
Seraph of New Capenna image 3.5 A three mana 2/2 Flyer isn’t what it used to be, but when it is the baseline for a card with big upside, it still feels pretty good – and that’s certainly what we have here! The Seraph of New Phyrexia can attack really hard.
Inspired Charge image 1.5 // 3.0 We see this all the time, and its always a build around-type card that works great in decks that can go wide, and pretty bad everywhere else. The good news is, both Red/White and Blue/White look like they’ll be interested in this.
Assimilate Essence image 2.0 This is kind of a cool design. Early it can counter the majority of cards in your opponent’s deck, and fairly efficiently too – and then later in the game if they can pay it, you at least get a consolation prize. Obviously the better mode is actually countering the thing, but at least it isn’t utterly useless in other situations.
Corrupted Conviction image 2.0 If you have expendable creatures, this is pretty good – and it always has the mode of allowing you to use it after you block or your creature is targeted with removal. If you’re only using it in those situations it definitely gets worse and more narrow, though – ideally, you consistently have bodies around you can always sacrifice and feel good about it, which gives this more room to shine.
Redcap Heelslasher image 3.0 A 4-mana ¾ with First Strike performs reasonably well, and having the ability to offer +1/+1 and temporary first strike to something already in play will usually mean that creature can attack far more effectively that turn.
Wildwood Escort image 3.0 I like this. It is a built-in 2-for-1, and the first copy of this is going to be something you virtually always want in Green.
Alabaster Host Sanctifier image 2.5 We have seen quite a few two mana 2/2s with Lifelink at this point, and they’re always fine. The set almost prominently features a +1/+1 mechanic in White, which might even make it a little better than usual.
Golden-Scale Aeronaut image 2.5 A 5-mana ¾ with Flying is acceptable, and that’s the floor here. The ability to put the counter on something else and give it flying for a turn will usually be what you want to do
Phyrexian Archivist image 1.0 This is a reprint, and it wasn’t very good last time. This format does have a self-mill deck, and that means this can theoretically keep you from milling out in the extreme late game, but it isn’t particularly efficient and is far too situational.
Dismal Backwater image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Kor Halberd
Shanna, Sisay's Legacy image 3.0 In most cases, she scales as the game goes on, and the fact she can’t be targeted by abilities comes up sometimes too.
Tandem Takedown image 3.5 An Instant speed effect that has your creature damage an opponent’s creature is usually a very nice card and this simultaneously gets around two downsides this kind of card often has. First, because you get to use two of your creatures, you will be able to take down even very large creatures with two smaller ones. Second, because it uses two creatures, you can set it up so that you don’t get 2-for-1’d if your opponent can interact in response. Add in the fact that this can also damage battles and you have an amazing removal spell that is quite easily premium.
Invasion of Ergamon image 3.5 Two mana to make a treasure and loot isn’t the most amazing thing, and I’m a little less into all the Battles that don’t actually help you attack the Battle inherently. Now, this can sort of help in that regard by giving you more mana to cast creatures and helping you find more things that attack, but it is still a little too indirect to be great. Still, once you can transform this it becomes amazing, finding you another Battle or a land while having a very relevant body
Tarkir Duneshaper image 2.5 A one mana ½ isn’t very good on its own, but the fact this can become a 4/3 trampler later in the game does mean it tends to have relevance most of the time.
Mirran Banesplitter image 1.5 The fact this Equips for free the first time is nice, and definitely has the ability to make just about anything into a much better attacker. With Flash, you may even find a way to trade a smaller creature for something larger. The fact it costs three to Equip thereafter is rough.
Alabaster Host Sanctifier image 2.5 We have seen quite a few two mana 2/2s with Lifelink at this point, and they’re always fine. The set almost prominently features a +1/+1 mechanic in White, which might even make it a little better than usual.
Kor Halberd image 2.0 I like the efficiency here. +1/+1 and Vigilance isn’t a boost that set’s the world on fire, but when you can get it with a one mana Equip cost, I’m definitely interested.
Seed of Hope image 1.0 Green isn’t that into milling in this format, otherwise this would be a little more interesting. As is, it has a fairly small effect, and since it is restricted only to the two cards you mill, you’re just going to wiff sometimes or get something very underwhelming.
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
Gloomfang Mauler image 3.0 When you actually cast this thing, it has a big impact on the board – either coming down as a monstrous 7/7 with Menace, or coming down as a 5/5 that gives something else two counters as well as Menace until end of turn. This gives it the ability to immediately impact the board when it comes down, while still sporting a sizable and problematic body. The downside here is that you just don’t always get 7 mana in Limited, but this makes sure that isn’t too much of a problem for you, since you can just pitch it to search up a Swamp if that’s what you need to do
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 6: Harried Artisan
Umori, the Collector image 3.5 This can be a little challenging to make into a Companion. In Limited you basically need to have all creatures for it to work, but this is one where I don’t really recommend going the companion route. Like the others, this is great in your main deck, since it is a 4-mana 4/5 with upside.
Xerex Strobe-Knight image 4.0 This has an excellent baseline as a Vigilance Wind Drake, and you’ll be able to spit a token out with it often enough for this to deliver some impressive value.
Harried Artisan image 3.0 A three mana ⅔ Haste isn’t terrible, and this can transform into a ¾ flyer for a relatively cheap cost. Obviously, in terms of efficiency it isn’t amazing, but it is a nice mana sink to have around.
War Historian image 2.5 A 3-mana 3/3 with Reach is a C these days, and when it attacks a battle your opponent is going to be in a world of hurt, since you just have a free attack any time you do it.
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
Redcap Heelslasher image 3.0 A 4-mana ¾ with First Strike performs reasonably well, and having the ability to offer +1/+1 and temporary first strike to something already in play will usually mean that creature can attack far more effectively that turn.
Alabaster Host Intercessor image 3.5 This is a large version of Banisher Priest, and while it isn’t the most efficient thing ever, that’s still a strong effect. What makes it especially nice, though, is that it has Plainscycling. This means if you draw this early when you are really far from casting it, you can get rid of it and search up a land. This really offsets the downside of this being a 6-mana card. Basically, this gets a land when you need it, and if you have the mana to cast it, it is going to have a big impact on the board. I think this is one of White’s best Commons.
Enduring Bondwarden image 2.5 A one mana ½ that puts its counter somewhere when it dies is playable in this format because there are so many nice payoffs for doing things with counters. The ability to put the counter elsewhere is good too, and you can even get away with attacking into a trade if you have Backed up the creature, because if your opponent blocks you’re going to come out ahead since you keep all those counters
Ephara's Dispersal image 2.5 One mana to bounce an attacking creature and Surveil 2 is quite the deal, so the fact you can also target non attacking creatures for 3 mana is nice. Most of the time you don’t get an actual trade, but the card selection and tempo are nice, and the times where you do cast this in response to a trick or something will feel truly amazing.
Overgrown Pest image 1.5 Early, the fact this hits a land will feel pretty good. In the later game you won’t really want a land, and if you don’t have enough double-faced cards it will feel especially bad. There aren’t any DFCs at Common either, so actually getting a critical mass where this hits consistently is a challenge.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Alabaster Host Intercessor
Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty image 4.0 A 5-mana 3/1 isn’t good, but this has Cascade – so you’re also going to get something else, and even if it is just a one mana spell you’re getting a decent deal – if you hit something that costs 4 it will feel pretty insane. Granting Cascade to your expensive stuff is a nice thing to have around too, and if you can follow this by casting a six drop on the next turn its pretty hard for you to lose.
Invasion of Ergamon image 3.5 Two mana to make a treasure and loot isn’t the most amazing thing, and I’m a little less into all the Battles that don’t actually help you attack the Battle inherently. Now, this can sort of help in that regard by giving you more mana to cast creatures and helping you find more things that attack, but it is still a little too indirect to be great. Still, once you can transform this it becomes amazing, finding you another Battle or a land while having a very relevant body
Bonded Herdbeast image 3.0 A 5-mana 4/5 is a 2.0 at the very best, but this one transforms into a pretty scary 7/5 with Menace, something that is going to be a problem on most boards.
Halo Hopper image 1.5 A three mana 3/2 is pretty bad, but the convoke upside here certainly makes this playable, though I’m still not very impressed.
Atraxa's Fall image 0.5 One thing to keep in mind is that destroying a battle doesn’t let you cast it transformed. A battle has to be “defeated” for that to happen, and the only way to make that happen is to remove the counters on it one way or another. This simply puts in the graveyard. In other words, you want to use this on a battle you are defending. This targets a whole bunch of stuff, but I’m still pretty skeptical it will find something useful to do on a regular basis, so I’m starting it in the sideboard.
Furtive Analyst image 1.5 Paying 2 to loot is kind of a lot – it is hard to have that kind of mana available consistently, and while a three mana ¼ with Vigilance is acceptable, the whole package here seems a little overcosted.
Wary Thespian image 2.5 Two mana for a 3/1 and a couple of Surveil triggers seems like a solid deal. That is some very nice card selection to come attached to a creature that is already close to playable based on its statline.
Alabaster Host Intercessor image 3.5 This is a large version of Banisher Priest, and while it isn’t the most efficient thing ever, that’s still a strong effect. What makes it especially nice, though, is that it has Plainscycling. This means if you draw this early when you are really far from casting it, you can get rid of it and search up a land. This really offsets the downside of this being a 6-mana card. Basically, this gets a land when you need it, and if you have the mana to cast it, it is going to have a big impact on the board. I think this is one of White’s best Commons.
Assimilate Essence image 2.0 This is kind of a cool design. Early it can counter the majority of cards in your opponent’s deck, and fairly efficiently too – and then later in the game if they can pay it, you at least get a consolation prize. Obviously the better mode is actually countering the thing, but at least it isn’t utterly useless in other situations.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Furnace Host Charger
Yedora, Grave Gardener image 3.5 This is a 5-mana 5/5 that lets you get some value out of dead creatures, and sometimes it can even ramp you.
Invasion of Ergamon image 3.5 Two mana to make a treasure and loot isn’t the most amazing thing, and I’m a little less into all the Battles that don’t actually help you attack the Battle inherently. Now, this can sort of help in that regard by giving you more mana to cast creatures and helping you find more things that attack, but it is still a little too indirect to be great. Still, once you can transform this it becomes amazing, finding you another Battle or a land while having a very relevant body
Thunderhead Squadron image 2.5 Even if you only tap one creature to help you cast this, you’re getting a passable deal. If you can cast this for significantly less, it will feel even better.
Timberland Ancient image 3.0 A 6-mana 6/5 with Reach and Trample is right around a 2.0 these days, but don’t underestimate Forestcycling! Unlike your other 6 drops, you can throw this one away if you draw it early and grab a land drop you desperately need, and when it comes time to cast it, it isn’t usually a creature your opponent can just ignore.
Phyrexian Archivist image 1.0 This is a reprint, and it wasn’t very good last time. This format does have a self-mill deck, and that means this can theoretically keep you from milling out in the extreme late game, but it isn’t particularly efficient and is far too situational.
Aerial Boost image 2.0 This is the kind of trick you always need to keep in mind, because your opponent will be able to cast this even with no lands untapped! It offers a reasonable boost and the upside of sometimes just letting a creature get in there because of Flying.
Furnace Host Charger image 3.0 A 6-mana 5/5 Haster is definitely medium, but it is definitely relevant on most board states, and if you draw it early and would rather have a land drop, it has you covered.
Swamp image
Pack 1 Pick 9: Invasion of Kylem
Copper Host Crusher image 1.0 This is a big hard-to-kill monster, but it also costs 8 mana which simply isn’t an amount of mana you get to very consistently in Limited.
Storm the Seedcore image 3.0 Granting a big stats boost to a few creatures, and giving all creatures Vigilance and Trample seems like a nice deal. This lets you really upgrade your board without sacrificing the ability to block on the following turn, and that can really help turn a race around. As usual, this type of card has the downside of being very mediocre if you don’t have a well-developed board, but even then the fail case isn’t the worst.
Invasion of Kylem image 2.5 The base effect on this card generally isn’t worth the four mana it asks you for. However, because this also comes into play and has to be defended, it synergizes quite well with itself. +2/+0 and Vigilance on two creatures will allow you to attack this fairly effectively right away on many boards. In other words, there will definitely be turns where this costs 4-mana to give +2/+0, vigilance, and haste to two creatures, and then you also get those two really powerful 3/2 tokens on the same turn. Yeah, that’s an insane card. Now, we do have to take into account the situations where this doesn’t do much, and the fact this doesn’t do something permanent to the board does mean sometimes this will do stone nothing.
Tarkir Duneshaper image 2.5 A one mana ½ isn’t very good on its own, but the fact this can become a 4/3 trampler later in the game does mean it tends to have relevance most of the time.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Akki Scrapchomper image 1.0 I’d generally rather be able to sacrifice creatures than lands, since there are so many good expendable ones out there. Sure, if you have too many lands this provides flood insurance, but it is a pretty mediocre card early and not even that good in the late game.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 10: Golden-Scale Aeronaut
Tangled Skyline image 3.0 This looks like a nice card for helping higher-curve Green decks stabilize against aggro. It is effectively a 7-mana 5/5 with Reach that gains you 5 on ETB, except it is a little better because you don’t have to pay all that mana in the same turn. Giving Phyrexians Reach isn’t exactly the most impressive upside, I think the best part of this card is just that it gives you a beefy body and gains you some life, though Reach does mean you can stabilize against flying creatures too.
Negate image 1.5 In most formats, this is something that should stay in your sideboard, because there just aren’t enough targets. This format does have a new non-creature card type in Battle, and I think that’s enough for this to be a little more playable, though it is probably still better as a sideboard card.
Golden-Scale Aeronaut image 2.5 A 5-mana ¾ with Flying is acceptable, and that’s the floor here. The ability to put the counter on something else and give it flying for a turn will usually be what you want to do
Karsus Depthguard image 2.0 Just one +1/+1 counter allows this to start rumbling, and those aren’t exactly hard to come by in Red, and a 3-mana 4/3 Defender isn’t a terrible fail case.
Fertilid's Favor image 2.0 This is an Instant speed way to both ramp your mana and buff a creature. In other words, it can be part combat trick part ramp spell. Ramp spells can be a dangerous proposition in Limited because they usually don’t add to the board at all, but this one does. It doesn’t search up the basic land as efficiently as something like Rampant Growth, but this is better in Limited in a lot of ways, because it is a much better late-game top deck and even has a bit of 2-for-1 potential. I think having both of these effects on a single Instant is enough to make this a quality card.
Expedition Lookout image 2.5 This is a two drop that lots of creatures can’t attack through, and eventually it becomes an unblockable 2/3. That’s pretty nice, because it might take awhile before you get there – since it can’t be blocked, it will be relevant on any board.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Kithkin Billyrider
Renata, Called to the Hunt image 3.5 Renata giving your creatures a +1/+1 counter when they enter is great, especially because this set has +1/+1 counter synergy, and sometimes Renate will also have pretty high power.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Kithkin Billyrider image 2.5 A three mana 1/3 with Double Strike is actually a pretty nice rate. It is incredibly hard to attack through or block in the early game, and it is a great place to put all your +1/+1 counters.
Dreg Recycler image 2.5 Life drain does a great job of helping you stay alive while also pressuring your opponent, and it even has passable stats.
Temporal Cleansing image 2.0 A Sorcery that always did this for four mana would probably be a 1.5. It is definitely removal, but very clunky, and the fact it can’t be a more permanent answer for many creatures is definitely a problem.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Inspired Charge
Inspired Charge image 1.5 // 3.0 We see this all the time, and its always a build around-type card that works great in decks that can go wide, and pretty bad everywhere else. The good news is, both Red/White and Blue/White look like they’ll be interested in this.
Wildwood Escort image 3.0 I like this. It is a built-in 2-for-1, and the first copy of this is going to be something you virtually always want in Green.
Golden-Scale Aeronaut image 2.5 A 5-mana ¾ with Flying is acceptable, and that’s the floor here. The ability to put the counter on something else and give it flying for a turn will usually be what you want to do
Phyrexian Archivist image 1.0 This is a reprint, and it wasn’t very good last time. This format does have a self-mill deck, and that means this can theoretically keep you from milling out in the extreme late game, but it isn’t particularly efficient and is far too situational.
Pack 1 Pick 13: Tarkir Duneshaper
Tarkir Duneshaper image 2.5 A one mana ½ isn’t very good on its own, but the fact this can become a 4/3 trampler later in the game does mean it tends to have relevance most of the time.
Seed of Hope image 1.0 Green isn’t that into milling in this format, otherwise this would be a little more interesting. As is, it has a fairly small effect, and since it is restricted only to the two cards you mill, you’re just going to wiff sometimes or get something very underwhelming.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 14: Burning Sun's Fury
War Historian image 2.5 A 3-mana 3/3 with Reach is a C these days, and when it attacks a battle your opponent is going to be in a world of hurt, since you just have a free attack any time you do it.
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
Pack 1 Pick 15: Halo Hopper
Halo Hopper image 1.5 A three mana 3/2 is pretty bad, but the convoke upside here certainly makes this playable, though I’m still not very impressed.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Sigiled Sentinel
Horobi, Death's Wail image 2.0 A 4-mana 4/4 flyer is a pretty nice rate, the rest of this card’s text has its pros and cons. It turns basically everything that targets into a removal spell, and that may benefit your opponent more than it benefits you! It is fairly hard to control how things will go there. Obviously, you can build around it to some extent, but you still can’t count on your opponent being capable of targeting anything.
Invasion of Arcavios image 1.0 A 5 mana tutor is awful, and while this does became quite powerful if you manage to defeat it, the fact it doesn’t do much up front to help you get there is a problem, especially because it has 7 defense.
Scorn-Blade Berserker image 3.0 This is either a one mana ½ with this ability, or a one mana 0/1 that puts a counter somewhere and gives the ability to something else for a turn. Neither of those seems…amazing. Generally you don’t want to sacrifice a creature you just put a counter on, so that part of the ability is a bit awkward. I think the idea is to put that counter on something and then sacrifice the Berserker though – in which case this is sort of a two mana sorcery that puts a counter on something and draws you a card, and that’s a playable card! It has far more flexibility than that too.
Phyrexian Gargantua image 3.0 This is a nice reprint. It is basically two Phyrexian Ragers! It has the potential be a three-for-one, and the trade off is playing something below-rate that also hurts you a little bit. Still, the first copy of this seems like a solid inclusion.
Tangled Skyline image 3.0 This looks like a nice card for helping higher-curve Green decks stabilize against aggro. It is effectively a 7-mana 5/5 with Reach that gains you 5 on ETB, except it is a little better because you don’t have to pay all that mana in the same turn. Giving Phyrexians Reach isn’t exactly the most impressive upside, I think the best part of this card is just that it gives you a beefy body and gains you some life, though Reach does mean you can stabilize against flying creatures too.
Bonded Herdbeast image 3.0 A 5-mana 4/5 is a 2.0 at the very best, but this one transforms into a pretty scary 7/5 with Menace, something that is going to be a problem on most boards.
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
Timberland Ancient image 3.0 A 6-mana 6/5 with Reach and Trample is right around a 2.0 these days, but don’t underestimate Forestcycling! Unlike your other 6 drops, you can throw this one away if you draw it early and grab a land drop you desperately need, and when it comes time to cast it, it isn’t usually a creature your opponent can just ignore.
Dreg Recycler image 2.5 Life drain does a great job of helping you stay alive while also pressuring your opponent, and it even has passable stats.
Sigiled Sentinel image 2.5 A three mana 3/3 with Vigilance is something you usually play, especially when the creature has a useful creature type – so the upside of putting the counter elsewhere and giving something vigilance for a turn makes this quite attractive.
Zhalfirin Shapecraft image 2.0 This is a nice trick, not too different from Suit Up, a Blue trick that performed really well in the past. It probably isn’t quite as good – that cost one more mana but made the creature a 4/5, and that was a size that could win combat with almost everything, where as a 4/3 can sometimes be a little too small to survive combat – and that’s what you really want here to get a sweet 2-for-1. Still, it is relatively cheap, can create 2-for-1s, and plays well with +1/+1 counters which this set certainly has.
Nezumi Informant image 2.0 Adding to the board and taking an opposing card is pretty sweet. This isn’t exactly Virus Beetle though, which is probably the best version of these we’ve ever seen. That particular card happened to be an Artifact in a format where that mattered, and it was also in a format with lots of Ninjas so it was easier to abuse the ETB. In this format this does provide some decent sacrifice fodder, since it gives you a 1-for-1 up front, but it does have diminishing returns the longer that games go on.
Flywheel Racer image 2.5 This is a reasonably efficient vehicle, and the fact it fixes and ramps is nice too, even if you do have to Crew it.
Wildwood Escort image 3.0 I like this. It is a built-in 2-for-1, and the first copy of this is going to be something you virtually always want in Green.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 2: Invasion of Belenon
Keruga, the Macrosage image 4.0 Making this your Companion is going to be a challenge, especially if the format is one where you need to add to the board by turn two, and it probably is. The good news? Keruga is great in your main deck. Even if it just draws you one card on ETB you’ll be very happy, and it can often draw you multiple cards
Omnath, Locus of All image 4.0 Obviously, casting this isn’t a cake walk – but its ability to store mana and draw you an extra card every turn is awesome. You won’t be able to get the multicolored mana part of the card draw to trigger very often, but that’s fine – an extra card every turn is enough to overwhelm your opponent, especially because you also get a reasonable body and you can store a bunch of mana, even if it does turn Black. This is hard enough to cast that I don’t feel super comfortable giving it a straight up bomb grade to start the format, though obviously if it turns out that it is easier to have really great mana in the format, its value goes up.
Astral Wingspan image 3.0 Auras can be really dangerous to use when they don’t give you some sort of value like that, because if your opponent can deal with the creature you put it on, you just got 2-for-1’d and there’s a good chance you’re going to lose. Now, you still have to be careful about when you use this, since they can still respond by removing the creature you target, but as long as you pick the right spot, this is going to feel pretty nice. +2/+2 and Flying is a boost that makes almost any creature into a problem, and Convoke makes casting this even easier.
Harried Artisan image 3.0 A three mana ⅔ Haste isn’t terrible, and this can transform into a ¾ flyer for a relatively cheap cost. Obviously, in terms of efficiency it isn’t amazing, but it is a nice mana sink to have around.
Invasion of Belenon image 3.5 This Battle makes you overpay a bit for a 2/2 with Vigilance, but that is a body that can help you pressure your opponent and transform this into an Anthem, which is a powerful thing.
Furtive Analyst image 1.5 Paying 2 to loot is kind of a lot – it is hard to have that kind of mana available consistently, and while a three mana ¼ with Vigilance is acceptable, the whole package here seems a little overcosted.
Volcanic Spite image 4.0 This is a great removal spell. Two mana for 3 damage is premium even at Sorcery speed, and this is an Instant that also gives you a bit of card selection. The ability to hit more than just creatures is great upside too.
Enduring Bondwarden image 2.5 A one mana ½ that puts its counter somewhere when it dies is playable in this format because there are so many nice payoffs for doing things with counters. The ability to put the counter elsewhere is good too, and you can even get away with attacking into a trade if you have Backed up the creature, because if your opponent blocks you’re going to come out ahead since you keep all those counters
Failed Conversion image 2.0 This isn’t a terrible rate - against most creatures it will be a 5-mana spell that kills the creature and then you Surveil 2. It also isn’t premium, though, as a 5-mana sorcery speed removal spell should probably be able to kill more stuff!
Oculus Whelp image 2.0 A 4-mana 3/2 Flyer is a little below rate these days, but if this is replacing itself when it dies it does get significantly better. Oftentimes the problem with casting something that costs 4+ mana and has 2 or less toughness is that your opponent can get an easy tempo advantage when they point a one or two mana removal spell at it, but this hedges against that a little when you have a transformed permanent around, since getting the 2-for-1 makes that feel a little less awful. Still, even in the Blue-Green deck you won’t always be able to get this going, and the baseline just isn’t very good.
Mirran Banesplitter image 1.5 The fact this Equips for free the first time is nice, and definitely has the ability to make just about anything into a much better attacker. With Flash, you may even find a way to trade a smaller creature for something larger. The fact it costs three to Equip thereafter is rough.
Halo-Charged Skaab image 1.5 This has some bad stats, and I don’t love the ETB ability either. Blue-Black is definitely interested in milling both players and getting value out of it, and this certainly does that, but putting a card on top of your library is always worse than it seems at first.
Chomping Kavu image 2.5 This is either a 4-mana 4/4 that can’t be blocked by small stuff, or a 4-mana 3/3 that gives something else a counter and makes it harder to block for a turn. I think both of those modes are going to feel like a pretty good investment.
Scoured Barrens image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Ramosian Greatsword
Invasion of Shandalar image 3.0 This is going to do an incredible job of restocking your hand in the later stages of the game, and it has relatively low defense. The bad news is you don’t really want to cast this in situations where you aren’t getting the full value out of your graveyard, and that certainly isn’t guaranteed. Additionally, even with the fact you returned permanents to your hand, once this is Leyline Surge it isn’t really that impressive in your typical game of Limited. We’ve seen that countless times with this sort of effect, it just underperforms because the average power level of your permanents isn’t usually that high. Still, the Battle side is the kind of thing that helps you win a longer game.
Furnace Gremlin image 3.0 A two mana ½ that can pump its power for two mana isn’t always great, mostly because just to trade with other two drops you end up having to pay some extra mana. However, the Gremlin here gets around that downside, at least partially! Because if you do pump it to trade with a 2/2 or something, you end up getting an Incubator token with two counters on it. No matter how this thing goes down, it ends up leaving something behind, and even attacking into it will be a real problem for your opponent sometimes.
Ramosian Greatsword image 3.5 This is a stats boost that makes basically any creature into a threat, and the fact you can Convoke this helps soften the blow that this costs so much mana. The Equip cost itself is super reasonable for the boost after you get it into play, too!
Captive Weird image 3.5 This looks good. A one mana ⅓ with Defender isn’t exactly impressive, but this transforms quite easily. You can play it on turn one and block a little bit, and you effectively get to draw a card when it transforms. Because of Phyrexian Mana, in the later part of the game you can look at this as a 4-mana 3/3 you pay 2 life for that draws you that card, which is also great. So yeah, this is good whether you do it all at once or in installments.
Phyrexian Awakening image 3.0 On its own, you get a 5-mana 4/4 with Vigilance, and you can pay for it in installments. That’s not a bad deal, especially when this can also give some of your other creatures Vigilance. Vigilance seems pretty well positioned in the format too, because creatures with it can attack battles and defend them at the same time.
Ichor Drinker image 2.5 This one drop brings a lot of value. A one mana 1/1 with Lifelink isn’t amazing, but in a format with +1/+1 counters around, among other ways to augment your creatures, it will probably play a little better than it looks. Additionally, if you mill this thing in your Blue-Black deck, or it ends up in your graveyard in any other way, it does deliver some real value in the format of the incubate token. One drops lately have pretty much all overperformed, and I think this is another one that will. It is really cheap and does stuff that all the decks in the format can take advantage of.
Cosmic Hunger image 3.5 We have seen this card before, only without the battle part, and it is always premium removal for Green because it can deal with things so efficiently. You always run the risk of getting 2-for-1’d when you cast it if you aren’t careful, but because this is an Instant, finding a spot where your opponent can’t respond is relatively easy.
Enduring Bondwarden image 2.5 A one mana ½ that puts its counter somewhere when it dies is playable in this format because there are so many nice payoffs for doing things with counters. The ability to put the counter elsewhere is good too, and you can even get away with attacking into a trade if you have Backed up the creature, because if your opponent blocks you’re going to come out ahead since you keep all those counters
Bladed Battle-Fan image 2.0 +1/+0 and indestructible isn’t a terrible trick-like effect, because it saves a creature in combat while helping them punch up, and it saves the creature from most removal too. Any time a card can do both of those they end up seeing play. The Equipment itself definitely isn’t exciting after the turn you cast it, and that does make it awkward in some situations, but the threat this presents as a trick is nice, and its flexible too.
Knight of the New Coalition image 3.0 4-mana for two 2/2s with Vigilance is an excellent rate – this helps you go wide like the RW deck wants you to do, while also producing two bodies with a very useful creature type. I think this looks like a very good Common.
Hangar Scrounger image 2.0 This is either a three mana 3/2 that rummages when it taps, or a three mana 2/1 that puts a counter somewhere else that lets you rummage when it taps that turn. That’s certainly fine, but I’m also not blown away by either option.
Tidal Terror image 3.0 This 6-mana 5/6 plays well with all the token stuff going on in Blue/white, as it can sometimes be unblockable. Islandcycling is a great thing to have, as it allows you to throw this away in the early game so that you hit your land drop, and if you play it late, it isn’t a bad threat to have.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 4: Skittering Surveyor
Fynn, the Fangbearer image 2.0 Even if you have 0 other death touch creatures in your deck, Fynn being a one mana 1/3 with Deathtouch is already acceptable, there are also a few other deathtouchers at lower rarities in the set, including two Commons. That said, you probably shouldn’t really count on poisoning someone out with this, especially because the larger set doesn’t have much in the way of poison.
Merciless Repurposing image 3.0 6 mana is a lot, even for removal – mostly because you end up paying more than your opponent did for their creature a lot of the time, and that tempo hit can be rough. However, this is an Instant, and it gives you something that will eventually be a creature. If you have 8 mana lying around, this will feel like an 8-mana 3/3 that exiles something on ETB, and the fact you can spread it out in two installments is nice.
Ravenous Sailback image 2.0 A 5-mana ¾ with Haste is…not exactly good – it is probably a 1.0 at best. If your opponent has a target for the other mode this can do some work. Problem is there will be enough boards where this is just an inefficient creature with no good targets.
Bonded Herdbeast image 3.0 A 5-mana 4/5 is a 2.0 at the very best, but this one transforms into a pretty scary 7/5 with Menace, something that is going to be a problem on most boards.
Halo Hopper image 1.5 A three mana 3/2 is pretty bad, but the convoke upside here certainly makes this playable, though I’m still not very impressed.
Skittering Surveyor image 3.0 This does a great job of fixing your mana, and makes for an expendable body to sacrifice in Black-Red.
Coming In Hot image 1.5 This is a decent trick that we’ve seen before. +1/+0 and First Strike is enough to help a lot of creatures kill an opposing creature and survive combat, the Scry is some nice additional upside. It IS a trick that is only useful in combat, which certainly hurts its stock a bit, but its fine.
Unseal the Necropolis image 3.0 Black usually gets a nice common that returns creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and this looks like a really good version of that to me. Milling three for both players gets your pretty close to meeting the “reverse threshold” type requirements that several cards have, and it also increases your chance of being able to get back two creatures. It is also an Instant which isn’t something we often see. This means you can use this on the end of your opponent’s turn, and then cast something you get back on your turn which is nice. You don’t usually want more than one of these, because they are so bad in the early game – but honestly, the first copy of this card looks like a must-have for most Black decks, and especially Black-Blue.
Corrupted Conviction image 2.0 If you have expendable creatures, this is pretty good – and it always has the mode of allowing you to use it after you block or your creature is targeted with removal. If you’re only using it in those situations it definitely gets worse and more narrow, though – ideally, you consistently have bodies around you can always sacrifice and feel good about it, which gives this more room to shine.
Attentive Skywarden image 2.5 This has passable base stats, and sometimes it will let you transform an incubator for free.
Cosmic Hunger image 3.5 We have seen this card before, only without the battle part, and it is always premium removal for Green because it can deal with things so efficiently. You always run the risk of getting 2-for-1’d when you cast it if you aren’t careful, but because this is an Instant, finding a spot where your opponent can’t respond is relatively easy.
Forest image
Pack 2 Pick 5: Elspeth's Smite
Lithomantic Barrage image 1.5 I think you can play this in your main deck and have it perform reasonably well. There are enough X/1s that it can target in typical decks, and against Blue/White it is utterly absurd. What it does to Blue or White creatures will make it feel like a 4.0 and against everyone else it is going to feel like a 1.0 – but I think that makes this a 1.5 overall, if you have enough playables it is probably still better to start in your sideboard.
Invasion of Amonkhet image 3.5 We’ve already seen some of the non-battle signpost Uncommons, but every color pair has an uncommon Battle too! As we’ve seen, Blue-Black is interested in getting things in the graveyard, and the fact you draw while your opponent discards is some really nice value, and it really isn’t that far off of the three mana you’re paying, so the fact you might get a 4/4 later in the game is pretty nice.
Elspeth's Smite image 3.5 This offers a pretty amazing rate, and even shuts down death triggers and other graveyard shenanigans. It is situational of course, but I think the efficiency makes up for that enough for this to sneak into “premium removal” range.
Infected Defector image 2.0 This has some pretty bad stats for the cost, but getting an Incubator when it dies makes this a solid playable.
War-Trained Slasher image 2.5 A 4-mana 4/3 with Menace is probably a 2.0, so the fact this swings with eight power when it goes after battle is pretty awesome. It really puts your opponent in a horrible spot on a lot of boards, and they are likely to get 2-for-1’d at best.
Vanquish the Weak image 3.0 This can sometimes trade up, but more often than not you break even on mana or worse when you cast this – for me, that keeps it from being a premium-level removal spell – instead it is merely solid.
Kitesail image 2.0 This offers a reasonable boost for how much it takes to Equip. Adding Flying to creatures is a nice upgrade.
Serpent-Blade Assailant image 2.5 A three mana 3/2 with Deathtouch is passable, as is giving the counter and deathtouch to something else. It will often allow a creature to be a much more problematic attacker. Also works well with the fight and bight spells Green always has.
Aerial Boost image 2.0 This is the kind of trick you always need to keep in mind, because your opponent will be able to cast this even with no lands untapped! It offers a reasonable boost and the upside of sometimes just letting a creature get in there because of Flying.
Flitting Guerrilla image 1.5 Wind Drakes aren’t what they used to be, and this ability is something you’ll only use a small percentage of the time.
Bloodfell Caves image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Invasion of Kylem
Invasion of Kylem image 2.5 The base effect on this card generally isn’t worth the four mana it asks you for. However, because this also comes into play and has to be defended, it synergizes quite well with itself. +2/+0 and Vigilance on two creatures will allow you to attack this fairly effectively right away on many boards. In other words, there will definitely be turns where this costs 4-mana to give +2/+0, vigilance, and haste to two creatures, and then you also get those two really powerful 3/2 tokens on the same turn. Yeah, that’s an insane card. Now, we do have to take into account the situations where this doesn’t do much, and the fact this doesn’t do something permanent to the board does mean sometimes this will do stone nothing.
Corruption of Towashi image 1.0 // 3.5 This looks like a very strong payoff for transforming things, and it comes with a built-in way to draw you that first card. On its own, that makes this a 7-mana 4/4 that draws you a card. That isn’t…amazing, but it is a passable baseline! Plus, as with all of these, you pay in installments and it offers some extra upside. That said, if you aren’t in a deck that really got there on transforming creatures, this probably isn’t very good.
Compleated Huntmaster image 3.5 You can sort of look at this as paying 3 mana, sacrificing something, and getting a 3/3 – that wouldn’t be a bad deal, and this is better because you can pay for the Incubator on a separate turn. This doesn’t have the worst stats for a card with this strong of an ability, either. Cards like this really make it feel like the sacrifice deck in this format is going to have some legs
Fertilid's Favor image 2.0 This is an Instant speed way to both ramp your mana and buff a creature. In other words, it can be part combat trick part ramp spell. Ramp spells can be a dangerous proposition in Limited because they usually don’t add to the board at all, but this one does. It doesn’t search up the basic land as efficiently as something like Rampant Growth, but this is better in Limited in a lot of ways, because it is a much better late-game top deck and even has a bit of 2-for-1 potential. I think having both of these effects on a single Instant is enough to make this a quality card.
Beamtown Beatstick image 2.0 +1/+0 and Menace isn’t a terrible boost for the casting and equip cost here, and the fact it gives you treasure will also mean it will be a little easier to move around than it might look at first. Seems like a solid inclusion for Red aggro decks.
Attentive Skywarden image 2.5 This has passable base stats, and sometimes it will let you transform an incubator for free.
Nezumi Informant image 2.0 Adding to the board and taking an opposing card is pretty sweet. This isn’t exactly Virus Beetle though, which is probably the best version of these we’ve ever seen. That particular card happened to be an Artifact in a format where that mattered, and it was also in a format with lots of Ninjas so it was easier to abuse the ETB. In this format this does provide some decent sacrifice fodder, since it gives you a 1-for-1 up front, but it does have diminishing returns the longer that games go on.
Wildwood Escort image 3.0 I like this. It is a built-in 2-for-1, and the first copy of this is going to be something you virtually always want in Green.
Furtive Analyst image 1.5 Paying 2 to loot is kind of a lot – it is hard to have that kind of mana available consistently, and while a three mana ¼ with Vigilance is acceptable, the whole package here seems a little overcosted.
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Pack 2 Pick 7: Shivan Branch-Burner
Phyrexian Awakening image 3.0 On its own, you get a 5-mana 4/4 with Vigilance, and you can pay for it in installments. That’s not a bad deal, especially when this can also give some of your other creatures Vigilance. Vigilance seems pretty well positioned in the format too, because creatures with it can attack battles and defend them at the same time.
Shivan Branch-Burner image 3.0 You probably need to paying 5 or less actual mana for this to really feel like you’re getting there. Luckily, that’s quite doable! And getting this down even easier than that isn’t impossible either.
Tarkir Duneshaper image 2.5 A one mana ½ isn’t very good on its own, but the fact this can become a 4/3 trampler later in the game does mean it tends to have relevance most of the time.
Halo-Charged Skaab image 1.5 This has some bad stats, and I don’t love the ETB ability either. Blue-Black is definitely interested in milling both players and getting value out of it, and this certainly does that, but putting a card on top of your library is always worse than it seems at first.
Chomping Kavu image 2.5 This is either a 4-mana 4/4 that can’t be blocked by small stuff, or a 4-mana 3/3 that gives something else a counter and makes it harder to block for a turn. I think both of those modes are going to feel like a pretty good investment.
Flitting Guerrilla image 1.5 Wind Drakes aren’t what they used to be, and this ability is something you’ll only use a small percentage of the time.
Arachnoid Adaptation image 1.5 One mana for +2/+2 always has me a little bit interested, since it offers a big enough boost for a creature to win a significant number of combats, and It comes at a very low cost. The tempo you get when you use this kind of trick can be amazing! The creature even gets pseudo-vigilance. You can also use this defensively of course, and that’s the only way that Reach will be useful, but you should really only do that in an emergency. It is always dangerous to use a trick on your opponents turn, since during combat they probably have lots of mana untapped. In the end, this seems solid for aggressive Green decks, though I don’t think it will always make the cut.
Etched Familiar image 2.5 Trading this off and draining 2 life from your opponent is going to feel like a good deal all the time, and it isn’t terrible sacrifice fodder either.
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Pack 2 Pick 8: Kwende, Pride of Femeref
Kwende, Pride of Femeref image 2.0 A 4-mana 2/2 with Double Strike isn’t a complete disaster, and this does upgrade a few other cards. Unfortunately, there aren’t very many First Strikers in this set.
Mutagen Connoisseur image 3.5 Blue-Green is all about transforming things. This plays well with Incubator and Battles, as well as all the creatures that can transform for Phyrexian mana. Even with just 1 power, this is going to feel like a fairly powerful card, and it can get a lot sillier than that.
Gnottvold Hermit image 4.0 A 4-mana 4/4 is a pretty solid rate, and this can transform into a creature that can drastically upgrade another attacker every time it gets in there.
Thunderhead Squadron image 2.5 Even if you only tap one creature to help you cast this, you’re getting a passable deal. If you can cast this for significantly less, it will feel even better.
Urn of Godfire image 1.0 This is horrible at fixing your mana and is a wildly inefficient removal spell. You might run it if you’re desperate for removal, but if that’s where you’re at things really didn’t go well in the draft.
Negate image 1.5 In most formats, this is something that should stay in your sideboard, because there just aren’t enough targets. This format does have a new non-creature card type in Battle, and I think that’s enough for this to be a little more playable, though it is probably still better as a sideboard card.
Placid Rottentail image 1.5 A 1/1 with Vigilance isn’t really setting the world on fire, but it does make it a nice spot to put +1/+1 counters, and once it goes down it can provide you with some counters all on its own.
Etched Familiar image 2.5 Trading this off and draining 2 life from your opponent is going to feel like a good deal all the time, and it isn’t terrible sacrifice fodder either.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Flywheel Racer
Phyrexian Gargantua image 3.0 This is a nice reprint. It is basically two Phyrexian Ragers! It has the potential be a three-for-one, and the trade off is playing something below-rate that also hurts you a little bit. Still, the first copy of this seems like a solid inclusion.
Bonded Herdbeast image 3.0 A 5-mana 4/5 is a 2.0 at the very best, but this one transforms into a pretty scary 7/5 with Menace, something that is going to be a problem on most boards.
Timberland Ancient image 3.0 A 6-mana 6/5 with Reach and Trample is right around a 2.0 these days, but don’t underestimate Forestcycling! Unlike your other 6 drops, you can throw this one away if you draw it early and grab a land drop you desperately need, and when it comes time to cast it, it isn’t usually a creature your opponent can just ignore.
Nezumi Informant image 2.0 Adding to the board and taking an opposing card is pretty sweet. This isn’t exactly Virus Beetle though, which is probably the best version of these we’ve ever seen. That particular card happened to be an Artifact in a format where that mattered, and it was also in a format with lots of Ninjas so it was easier to abuse the ETB. In this format this does provide some decent sacrifice fodder, since it gives you a 1-for-1 up front, but it does have diminishing returns the longer that games go on.
Flywheel Racer image 2.5 This is a reasonably efficient vehicle, and the fact it fixes and ramps is nice too, even if you do have to Crew it.
Wildwood Escort image 3.0 I like this. It is a built-in 2-for-1, and the first copy of this is going to be something you virtually always want in Green.
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Pack 2 Pick 10: Enduring Bondwarden
Harried Artisan image 3.0 A three mana ⅔ Haste isn’t terrible, and this can transform into a ¾ flyer for a relatively cheap cost. Obviously, in terms of efficiency it isn’t amazing, but it is a nice mana sink to have around.
Furtive Analyst image 1.5 Paying 2 to loot is kind of a lot – it is hard to have that kind of mana available consistently, and while a three mana ¼ with Vigilance is acceptable, the whole package here seems a little overcosted.
Enduring Bondwarden image 2.5 A one mana ½ that puts its counter somewhere when it dies is playable in this format because there are so many nice payoffs for doing things with counters. The ability to put the counter elsewhere is good too, and you can even get away with attacking into a trade if you have Backed up the creature, because if your opponent blocks you’re going to come out ahead since you keep all those counters
Mirran Banesplitter image 1.5 The fact this Equips for free the first time is nice, and definitely has the ability to make just about anything into a much better attacker. With Flash, you may even find a way to trade a smaller creature for something larger. The fact it costs three to Equip thereafter is rough.
Halo-Charged Skaab image 1.5 This has some bad stats, and I don’t love the ETB ability either. Blue-Black is definitely interested in milling both players and getting value out of it, and this certainly does that, but putting a card on top of your library is always worse than it seems at first.
Chomping Kavu image 2.5 This is either a 4-mana 4/4 that can’t be blocked by small stuff, or a 4-mana 3/3 that gives something else a counter and makes it harder to block for a turn. I think both of those modes are going to feel like a pretty good investment.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Enduring Bondwarden
Furnace Gremlin image 3.0 A two mana ½ that can pump its power for two mana isn’t always great, mostly because just to trade with other two drops you end up having to pay some extra mana. However, the Gremlin here gets around that downside, at least partially! Because if you do pump it to trade with a 2/2 or something, you end up getting an Incubator token with two counters on it. No matter how this thing goes down, it ends up leaving something behind, and even attacking into it will be a real problem for your opponent sometimes.
Ichor Drinker image 2.5 This one drop brings a lot of value. A one mana 1/1 with Lifelink isn’t amazing, but in a format with +1/+1 counters around, among other ways to augment your creatures, it will probably play a little better than it looks. Additionally, if you mill this thing in your Blue-Black deck, or it ends up in your graveyard in any other way, it does deliver some real value in the format of the incubate token. One drops lately have pretty much all overperformed, and I think this is another one that will. It is really cheap and does stuff that all the decks in the format can take advantage of.
Enduring Bondwarden image 2.5 A one mana ½ that puts its counter somewhere when it dies is playable in this format because there are so many nice payoffs for doing things with counters. The ability to put the counter elsewhere is good too, and you can even get away with attacking into a trade if you have Backed up the creature, because if your opponent blocks you’re going to come out ahead since you keep all those counters
Knight of the New Coalition image 3.0 4-mana for two 2/2s with Vigilance is an excellent rate – this helps you go wide like the RW deck wants you to do, while also producing two bodies with a very useful creature type. I think this looks like a very good Common.
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Pack 2 Pick 12: Corrupted Conviction
Bonded Herdbeast image 3.0 A 5-mana 4/5 is a 2.0 at the very best, but this one transforms into a pretty scary 7/5 with Menace, something that is going to be a problem on most boards.
Unseal the Necropolis image 3.0 Black usually gets a nice common that returns creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and this looks like a really good version of that to me. Milling three for both players gets your pretty close to meeting the “reverse threshold” type requirements that several cards have, and it also increases your chance of being able to get back two creatures. It is also an Instant which isn’t something we often see. This means you can use this on the end of your opponent’s turn, and then cast something you get back on your turn which is nice. You don’t usually want more than one of these, because they are so bad in the early game – but honestly, the first copy of this card looks like a must-have for most Black decks, and especially Black-Blue.
Corrupted Conviction image 2.0 If you have expendable creatures, this is pretty good – and it always has the mode of allowing you to use it after you block or your creature is targeted with removal. If you’re only using it in those situations it definitely gets worse and more narrow, though – ideally, you consistently have bodies around you can always sacrifice and feel good about it, which gives this more room to shine.
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Pack 2 Pick 13: Kitesail
Kitesail image 2.0 This offers a reasonable boost for how much it takes to Equip. Adding Flying to creatures is a nice upgrade.
Aerial Boost image 2.0 This is the kind of trick you always need to keep in mind, because your opponent will be able to cast this even with no lands untapped! It offers a reasonable boost and the upside of sometimes just letting a creature get in there because of Flying.
Flitting Guerrilla image 1.5 Wind Drakes aren’t what they used to be, and this ability is something you’ll only use a small percentage of the time.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Beamtown Beatstick
Beamtown Beatstick image 2.0 +1/+0 and Menace isn’t a terrible boost for the casting and equip cost here, and the fact it gives you treasure will also mean it will be a little easier to move around than it might look at first. Seems like a solid inclusion for Red aggro decks.
Wildwood Escort image 3.0 I like this. It is a built-in 2-for-1, and the first copy of this is going to be something you virtually always want in Green.
Pack 2 Pick 15: Chomping Kavu
Chomping Kavu image 2.5 This is either a 4-mana 4/4 that can’t be blocked by small stuff, or a 4-mana 3/3 that gives something else a counter and makes it harder to block for a turn. I think both of those modes are going to feel like a pretty good investment.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Invasion of Regatha
Radha, Coalition Warlord image 2.0 Radha isn’t going to be as good in this format as she was in Dominaria United. That format was well set up for you to get multiple land types in play. This one’s not. So she is mostly a Hill Giant that offers +2/+2 when she attacks.
Ozolith, the Shattered Spire image 4.5 This format has a ton of +1/+1 counters in it, so this is going to be giving you a ton of extra value – especially because it can put counters on things all on its own! It also cycles, so if you’re in a situation where you can’t do much with this, it is nice that you can throw it away and try again.
Sculpted Perfection image 3.0 BW is a Phyrexia Tribal deck, with special focus on the Incubator tokens. Most creatures in Black and White are Phyrexians in the set, so this ends up feeling like an anthem a decent chunk of the time – and one that brings a creature along for the ride, even if that creature is kind of inefficient
Sun-Blessed Guardian image 3.0 A two mana 2/2 is underwhelming these days, but this transforms into a creature who can be a major problem, and the fact it requires Phyrexian mana means you can end up only paying 5 for it – and you can do it even if you never have Red. The base form of the card is underwhelming enough that this isn’t amazing, but it isn’t really a two drop you’ll ever cut either.
Invasion of Regatha image 3.5 Doing some direct damage with this is pretty nice, and it will feel really good when you can also pick off a small creature and/or defeat a Battle. As with most of these, the creature when you transform this is pretty amazing.
Lithomantic Barrage image 1.5 I think you can play this in your main deck and have it perform reasonably well. There are enough X/1s that it can target in typical decks, and against Blue/White it is utterly absurd. What it does to Blue or White creatures will make it feel like a 4.0 and against everyone else it is going to feel like a 1.0 – but I think that makes this a 1.5 overall, if you have enough playables it is probably still better to start in your sideboard.
Fertilid's Favor image 2.0 This is an Instant speed way to both ramp your mana and buff a creature. In other words, it can be part combat trick part ramp spell. Ramp spells can be a dangerous proposition in Limited because they usually don’t add to the board at all, but this one does. It doesn’t search up the basic land as efficiently as something like Rampant Growth, but this is better in Limited in a lot of ways, because it is a much better late-game top deck and even has a bit of 2-for-1 potential. I think having both of these effects on a single Instant is enough to make this a quality card.
Mirrodin Avenged image 1.5 This is a functional reprint of You Are Already Dead, which we saw in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. That card was kind of underwhelming. When it worked, you got a pretty sweet 2-for-1. It can’t really be an amazing card though, because there aren’t enough situations where you can do damage to something without already having to give up a card. If you can do that, this gets a lot better.
Furnace Host Charger image 3.0 A 6-mana 5/5 Haster is definitely medium, but it is definitely relevant on most board states, and if you draw it early and would rather have a land drop, it has you covered.
Sunder the Gateway image 1.5 So at worst, this is a two mana 2/2, and sometimes you’ll have another Incubator around who is bigger, and you’ll choose to turn that one into a creature. That’s probably usually what this will do, because there aren’t a boatload of targets for this in the format. When you do get to kill an artifact or Enchantment with this it will feel like a pretty sweet 2-for-1, and I think the baseline is solid. Having Artifact and Enchantment hate in your main deck is nice too.
Phyrexian Archivist image 1.0 This is a reprint, and it wasn’t very good last time. This format does have a self-mill deck, and that means this can theoretically keep you from milling out in the extreme late game, but it isn’t particularly efficient and is far too situational.
Temporal Cleansing image 2.0 A Sorcery that always did this for four mana would probably be a 1.5. It is definitely removal, but very clunky, and the fact it can’t be a more permanent answer for many creatures is definitely a problem.
Arachnoid Adaptation image 1.5 One mana for +2/+2 always has me a little bit interested, since it offers a big enough boost for a creature to win a significant number of combats, and It comes at a very low cost. The tempo you get when you use this kind of trick can be amazing! The creature even gets pseudo-vigilance. You can also use this defensively of course, and that’s the only way that Reach will be useful, but you should really only do that in an emergency. It is always dangerous to use a trick on your opponents turn, since during combat they probably have lots of mana untapped. In the end, this seems solid for aggressive Green decks, though I don’t think it will always make the cut.
Unseal the Necropolis image 3.0 Black usually gets a nice common that returns creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and this looks like a really good version of that to me. Milling three for both players gets your pretty close to meeting the “reverse threshold” type requirements that several cards have, and it also increases your chance of being able to get back two creatures. It is also an Instant which isn’t something we often see. This means you can use this on the end of your opponent’s turn, and then cast something you get back on your turn which is nice. You don’t usually want more than one of these, because they are so bad in the early game – but honestly, the first copy of this card looks like a must-have for most Black decks, and especially Black-Blue.
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Pack 3 Pick 2: Trailblazing Historian
Kwende, Pride of Femeref image 2.0 A 4-mana 2/2 with Double Strike isn’t a complete disaster, and this does upgrade a few other cards. Unfortunately, there aren’t very many First Strikers in this set.
Invasion of Ikoria image 3.5 So you’re basically never going to feel like you’re getting a great deal with the front side of this, since you’ll always be overpaying by two – but it does mean that this adds to the board right away. In doing so, you also increase your chances of successfully defeating this Siege and getting Zilortha, who is likely to kill your opponent unless they remove it. You can also pay 0 for X if you ever find yourself in a situation where you’re going to be able to attack and defeat this thing in a single turn.
Artistic Refusal image 2.0 Paying six for this is in no way worth it, but with Convoke around you can really discount this – heck, if your board is wide enough this can effectively be a free counterspell that gives you some card selection! Still, the set up cost is real – this is pretty bad in the early stages of the game when you can’t get your board set up, and counterspells are inherently quite narrow in Limited. Still, the option to make the cost much lower and the fact you can even just choose the draw two discard 1 option in a pinch makes it at least a solid card.
Rampaging Geoderm image 3.5 This can target itself, so it does attack as a 4-mana 4/4 Trample and Haste if you want it to. It also doesn’t have to be attacking for this trigger to happen – as long as you attack with at least one thing, the Geoderm’s ability will go off. Red-Green is the color pair the most interested in battles too, so you have other incentives to attack them – and getting a permanent +1/+1 is a pretty massive upgrade! Of course, haste and trample are themselves great for attacking battles.
Order of the Mirror image 3.0 A two mana 2/1 is below rate these days, but this can transform the turn after you play it, and a 3/3 with this ability does tend to stay relevant for most of the game.
Kitesail image 2.0 This offers a reasonable boost for how much it takes to Equip. Adding Flying to creatures is a nice upgrade.
Oculus Whelp image 2.0 A 4-mana 3/2 Flyer is a little below rate these days, but if this is replacing itself when it dies it does get significantly better. Oftentimes the problem with casting something that costs 4+ mana and has 2 or less toughness is that your opponent can get an easy tempo advantage when they point a one or two mana removal spell at it, but this hedges against that a little when you have a transformed permanent around, since getting the 2-for-1 makes that feel a little less awful. Still, even in the Blue-Green deck you won’t always be able to get this going, and the baseline just isn’t very good.
Assimilate Essence image 2.0 This is kind of a cool design. Early it can counter the majority of cards in your opponent’s deck, and fairly efficiently too – and then later in the game if they can pay it, you at least get a consolation prize. Obviously the better mode is actually countering the thing, but at least it isn’t utterly useless in other situations.
Flitting Guerrilla image 1.5 Wind Drakes aren’t what they used to be, and this ability is something you’ll only use a small percentage of the time.
Nezumi Informant image 2.0 Adding to the board and taking an opposing card is pretty sweet. This isn’t exactly Virus Beetle though, which is probably the best version of these we’ve ever seen. That particular card happened to be an Artifact in a format where that mattered, and it was also in a format with lots of Ninjas so it was easier to abuse the ETB. In this format this does provide some decent sacrifice fodder, since it gives you a 1-for-1 up front, but it does have diminishing returns the longer that games go on.
Wildwood Escort image 3.0 I like this. It is a built-in 2-for-1, and the first copy of this is going to be something you virtually always want in Green.
Trailblazing Historian image 2.5 We’ve seen several one mana 1/1s with Haste that can tap and give things Haste, and they tend to work out reasonably well. Making this cost one more mana, but also giving it two more toughness, is a reasonable trade off, and Haste can play particularly well in a world of Battles.
Sunder the Gateway image 1.5 So at worst, this is a two mana 2/2, and sometimes you’ll have another Incubator around who is bigger, and you’ll choose to turn that one into a creature. That’s probably usually what this will do, because there aren’t a boatload of targets for this in the format. When you do get to kill an artifact or Enchantment with this it will feel like a pretty sweet 2-for-1, and I think the baseline is solid. Having Artifact and Enchantment hate in your main deck is nice too.
Jungle Hollow image 2.5 These always enter tapped, but producing two different colors and gaining a life is always nice value. If you’re in their two colors or trying to splash something, you’re going to be happy playing these.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Kithkin Billyrider
Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive image 2.0 At worst, Testuko is a an unblockable 1/3, and most Blue decks will have a few other creatures who can benefit.
Invasion of Xerex image 3.0 I like this one. It bounces something, upping your chances of successfully attacking and transforming this quickly, and you get a pretty powerful creature when you can make that happen.
Marshal of Zhalfir image 3.5 This is a very nice Knight lord, and at two mana it will often do a nice job of immediately upgrading your board. The tap effect is a nice thing to have around too, especially when it only costs two mana.
Ravenous Sailback image 2.0 A 5-mana ¾ with Haste is…not exactly good – it is probably a 1.0 at best. If your opponent has a target for the other mode this can do some work. Problem is there will be enough boards where this is just an inefficient creature with no good targets.
Khenra Spellspear image 4.0 I would already play a two mana 2/2 with Prowess and nothing else and be pretty happy with it. That card is probably a 3.0. So, adding Trample and the ability to transform into an even more imposing creature to the mix makes this absolutely incredible. It can even transform the turn after you play it, which is great. The double prowess on the transformed size is going to be a real beating, and the fact that Ward makes it harder to kill is great too.
Ral's Reinforcements image 2.5 Going wide and Convoke are two of Red’s big themes in the set, so this seems to do exactly what you want to be doing in Red.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Alabaster Host Intercessor image 3.5 This is a large version of Banisher Priest, and while it isn’t the most efficient thing ever, that’s still a strong effect. What makes it especially nice, though, is that it has Plainscycling. This means if you draw this early when you are really far from casting it, you can get rid of it and search up a land. This really offsets the downside of this being a 6-mana card. Basically, this gets a land when you need it, and if you have the mana to cast it, it is going to have a big impact on the board. I think this is one of White’s best Commons.
Failed Conversion image 2.0 This isn’t a terrible rate - against most creatures it will be a 5-mana spell that kills the creature and then you Surveil 2. It also isn’t premium, though, as a 5-mana sorcery speed removal spell should probably be able to kill more stuff!
Kithkin Billyrider image 2.5 A three mana 1/3 with Double Strike is actually a pretty nice rate. It is incredibly hard to attack through or block in the early game, and it is a great place to put all your +1/+1 counters.
Burning Sun's Fury image 1.5 As a trick, this isn’t especially good. +2/+0 might help a creature take down something bigger, but you still end up losing your creature in most situations, and obviously to take advantage of Haste you have to cast it in your main phase. This is really cheap, and with Convoke in the picture it will be even easier to cast than it looks at first – but I think the card’s main uses will be for sending in one of your new creatures and/or finishing the opponent off, and those uses are a little too narrow. It can definitely help you do a ton of damage out of nowhere.
Thunderhead Squadron image 2.5 Even if you only tap one creature to help you cast this, you’re getting a passable deal. If you can cast this for significantly less, it will feel even better.
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Pack 3 Pick 4: Knight-Errant of Eos
Knight-Errant of Eos image 4.0 It feels like you’ll be able to draw at least one card with this often enough for this to be pretty good. What’s great is you can tap all your creatures when you play this, and as long as you have a lot of mana left over, you’re likely going to be able to cast at least one creature you draw with the ETB ability. This makes the risk of Convoking a lot lower! The only downside here is you won’t always have the bodies in play to really go to town with this, but I think you’ll be able to do it often enough that it looks quite good to me.
Glistening Deluge image 0.5 This card annoys me. Mostly because it ends up being even more narrow than the other cards in this cycle. This is because it has a symmetrical effect, which means if you’re playing Black-White or Black-Green you really don’t want to play this or even side it in. If you’re in one of the other three Black decks, it is a nice sideboard card that might sometimes be a one-sided wrath, but the base effect does seem underpowered enough that it should still start in your sideboard
Sun-Blessed Guardian image 3.0 A two mana 2/2 is underwhelming these days, but this transforms into a creature who can be a major problem, and the fact it requires Phyrexian mana means you can end up only paying 5 for it – and you can do it even if you never have Red. The base form of the card is underwhelming enough that this isn’t amazing, but it isn’t really a two drop you’ll ever cut either.
Invasion of Kylem image 2.5 The base effect on this card generally isn’t worth the four mana it asks you for. However, because this also comes into play and has to be defended, it synergizes quite well with itself. +2/+0 and Vigilance on two creatures will allow you to attack this fairly effectively right away on many boards. In other words, there will definitely be turns where this costs 4-mana to give +2/+0, vigilance, and haste to two creatures, and then you also get those two really powerful 3/2 tokens on the same turn. Yeah, that’s an insane card. Now, we do have to take into account the situations where this doesn’t do much, and the fact this doesn’t do something permanent to the board does mean sometimes this will do stone nothing.
Alabaster Host Sanctifier image 2.5 We have seen quite a few two mana 2/2s with Lifelink at this point, and they’re always fine. The set almost prominently features a +1/+1 mechanic in White, which might even make it a little better than usual.
Nezumi Informant image 2.0 Adding to the board and taking an opposing card is pretty sweet. This isn’t exactly Virus Beetle though, which is probably the best version of these we’ve ever seen. That particular card happened to be an Artifact in a format where that mattered, and it was also in a format with lots of Ninjas so it was easier to abuse the ETB. In this format this does provide some decent sacrifice fodder, since it gives you a 1-for-1 up front, but it does have diminishing returns the longer that games go on.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Wrenn's Resolve image 2.5 This is Reckless Impulse with a different name, and that was a quality draw spell in Innistrad: Crimson Vow. You’re almost always going to be able to play both cards that you hit with this before the end of your next turn, and this ends up being a two mana draw two most of the time.
Beamtown Beatstick image 2.0 +1/+0 and Menace isn’t a terrible boost for the casting and equip cost here, and the fact it gives you treasure will also mean it will be a little easier to move around than it might look at first. Seems like a solid inclusion for Red aggro decks.
Saiba Cryptomancer image 2.5 Been awhile since they gave us a creature at a lower rarity that just straight up has Hexproof, and I’m not sure how I feel about it! Obviously, this can lend hexproof to another creature temporarily, but because this always has Hexproof this might just be a case where you’d rather take the two mana ½ Hexproof since your opponent won’t be dealing with it that well. This is a spicy place to put +1/+1 counters and Auras, and there are going to be some games determined by someone just sticking an Aura on this in the early game and going to town.
Kor Halberd image 2.0 I like the efficiency here. +1/+1 and Vigilance isn’t a boost that set’s the world on fire, but when you can get it with a one mana Equip cost, I’m definitely interested.
War-Trained Slasher image 2.5 A 4-mana 4/3 with Menace is probably a 2.0, so the fact this swings with eight power when it goes after battle is pretty awesome. It really puts your opponent in a horrible spot on a lot of boards, and they are likely to get 2-for-1’d at best.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Quintorius, Loremaster
Inga Rune-Eyes image 2.5 You’re mostly just paying for a 4-mana 3/3 with Scry 3. Luckily that’s a passable rate. You will be able to trigger her other ability on occasion, but don’t count on it.
Quintorius, Loremaster image 4.5 This will often feel like a 5-mana ⅗ with Vigilance that puts a 3/2 into play, and that’s amazing! There may be times where he doesn’t have something to exile, but most of the time by the time you play him getting that first 3/2 should be doable, though you do need to have a decent number of spells in your deck to make it happen. You can even get those things back if you decide to sacrifice Spirits, and sometimes that might even let you cheat something into play.
Rampaging Geoderm image 3.5 This can target itself, so it does attack as a 4-mana 4/4 Trample and Haste if you want it to. It also doesn’t have to be attacking for this trigger to happen – as long as you attack with at least one thing, the Geoderm’s ability will go off. Red-Green is the color pair the most interested in battles too, so you have other incentives to attack them – and getting a permanent +1/+1 is a pretty massive upgrade! Of course, haste and trample are themselves great for attacking battles.
Aetherblade Agent image 3.0 A two mana 1/1 with deathtouch is a little bit below rate, but it does trade for anything, and the creature this can become late is a big problem for your opponent.
Infected Defector image 2.0 This has some pretty bad stats for the cost, but getting an Incubator when it dies makes this a solid playable.
Knight of the New Coalition image 3.0 4-mana for two 2/2s with Vigilance is an excellent rate – this helps you go wide like the RW deck wants you to do, while also producing two bodies with a very useful creature type. I think this looks like a very good Common.
Etched Familiar image 2.5 Trading this off and draining 2 life from your opponent is going to feel like a good deal all the time, and it isn’t terrible sacrifice fodder either.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Halo Hopper image 1.5 A three mana 3/2 is pretty bad, but the convoke upside here certainly makes this playable, though I’m still not very impressed.
Assimilate Essence image 2.0 This is kind of a cool design. Early it can counter the majority of cards in your opponent’s deck, and fairly efficiently too – and then later in the game if they can pay it, you at least get a consolation prize. Obviously the better mode is actually countering the thing, but at least it isn’t utterly useless in other situations.
Swamp image
Pack 3 Pick 6: Knight of the New Coalition
Renata, Called to the Hunt image 3.5 Renata giving your creatures a +1/+1 counter when they enter is great, especially because this set has +1/+1 counter synergy, and sometimes Renate will also have pretty high power.
Ramosian Greatsword image 3.5 This is a stats boost that makes basically any creature into a threat, and the fact you can Convoke this helps soften the blow that this costs so much mana. The Equip cost itself is super reasonable for the boost after you get it into play, too!
Invasion of Kaladesh image 3.0 While a two mana 1/1 Flyer isn’t the best deal, it does mean this Battle gives you an evasive creature that can help you transform this into a solid Vehicle. It will at least be a ¼ Flyer with Crew 1, and that’s not too bad – and sometimes it will be a much bigger problem than that.
Streetwise Negotiator image 3.0 If you put the counter on the Negotiator, you basically have a two mana 3/3 – something that I’m happy to play, so the additional upside is awesome.
Knight of the New Coalition image 3.0 4-mana for two 2/2s with Vigilance is an excellent rate – this helps you go wide like the RW deck wants you to do, while also producing two bodies with a very useful creature type. I think this looks like a very good Common.
Arachnoid Adaptation image 1.5 One mana for +2/+2 always has me a little bit interested, since it offers a big enough boost for a creature to win a significant number of combats, and It comes at a very low cost. The tempo you get when you use this kind of trick can be amazing! The creature even gets pseudo-vigilance. You can also use this defensively of course, and that’s the only way that Reach will be useful, but you should really only do that in an emergency. It is always dangerous to use a trick on your opponents turn, since during combat they probably have lots of mana untapped. In the end, this seems solid for aggressive Green decks, though I don’t think it will always make the cut.
Ichor Shade image 2.0 Its nice that this looks at both graveyard, as sometimes when we see this sort of effect it only checks yours. This will gain a counter on a significant number of turns, especially if you’re a Sacrifice deck. It does have a pretty bad baseline, but I you can definitely hold this and then play it in second main phase after something dies, and it will quickly become a ¾, and things can go crazy from there.
Assimilate Essence image 2.0 This is kind of a cool design. Early it can counter the majority of cards in your opponent’s deck, and fairly efficiently too – and then later in the game if they can pay it, you at least get a consolation prize. Obviously the better mode is actually countering the thing, but at least it isn’t utterly useless in other situations.
Disturbing Conversion image 2.0 Blue-Black is interested in milling both players, so this seems like a decent card for that type of deck. Only lowering a creature’s power is pretty far from actually removing that creature, but this does enable your other graveyard stuff reasonably well.
Ral's Reinforcements image 2.5 Going wide and Convoke are two of Red’s big themes in the set, so this seems to do exactly what you want to be doing in Red.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Aerial Boost
Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive image 2.0 At worst, Testuko is a an unblockable 1/3, and most Blue decks will have a few other creatures who can benefit.
Copper Host Crusher image 1.0 This is a big hard-to-kill monster, but it also costs 8 mana which simply isn’t an amount of mana you get to very consistently in Limited.
Aerial Boost image 2.0 This is the kind of trick you always need to keep in mind, because your opponent will be able to cast this even with no lands untapped! It offers a reasonable boost and the upside of sometimes just letting a creature get in there because of Flying.
Phyrexian Archivist image 1.0 This is a reprint, and it wasn’t very good last time. This format does have a self-mill deck, and that means this can theoretically keep you from milling out in the extreme late game, but it isn’t particularly efficient and is far too situational.
Etched Familiar image 2.5 Trading this off and draining 2 life from your opponent is going to feel like a good deal all the time, and it isn’t terrible sacrifice fodder either.
Stasis Field image 2.0 This type of removal never feels great. This is mostly because it allows your opponent to hold on to at least some value from their creature. Sure, the best it can do most of the time is chump block, and that may not sound like much, but that makes this a lot worse than it might look.
Chomping Kavu image 2.5 This is either a 4-mana 4/4 that can’t be blocked by small stuff, or a 4-mana 3/3 that gives something else a counter and makes it harder to block for a turn. I think both of those modes are going to feel like a pretty good investment.
Meeting of Minds image 3.0 This is an Instant, which is kind of a big deal – in many situations it can be a better version of Divination, and in a format with a spell deck that is good at convoking, this seems like exactly what the doctor ordered. You probably don’t want too many of them, as they can get awkward in multiples. But I think the first copy is something you want.
Halo Hopper image 1.5 A three mana 3/2 is pretty bad, but the convoke upside here certainly makes this playable, though I’m still not very impressed.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Daxos, Blessed by the Sun
Daxos, Blessed by the Sun image 3.0 On its own, Daxos is a 2/2, and it will often have higher toughness than that – plus all the incidental life gain is nice. That said, this format doesn’t have a life gain deck in it – nor does it really have an Enchantment deck, nor does it have very many other cards that care about Devotion. So, it doesn’t do
Invasion of Ergamon image 3.5 Two mana to make a treasure and loot isn’t the most amazing thing, and I’m a little less into all the Battles that don’t actually help you attack the Battle inherently. Now, this can sort of help in that regard by giving you more mana to cast creatures and helping you find more things that attack, but it is still a little too indirect to be great. Still, once you can transform this it becomes amazing, finding you another Battle or a land while having a very relevant body
Order of the Mirror image 3.0 A two mana 2/1 is below rate these days, but this can transform the turn after you play it, and a 3/3 with this ability does tend to stay relevant for most of the game.
Saiba Cryptomancer image 2.5 Been awhile since they gave us a creature at a lower rarity that just straight up has Hexproof, and I’m not sure how I feel about it! Obviously, this can lend hexproof to another creature temporarily, but because this always has Hexproof this might just be a case where you’d rather take the two mana ½ Hexproof since your opponent won’t be dealing with it that well. This is a spicy place to put +1/+1 counters and Auras, and there are going to be some games determined by someone just sticking an Aura on this in the early game and going to town.
Ichor Shade image 2.0 Its nice that this looks at both graveyard, as sometimes when we see this sort of effect it only checks yours. This will gain a counter on a significant number of turns, especially if you’re a Sacrifice deck. It does have a pretty bad baseline, but I you can definitely hold this and then play it in second main phase after something dies, and it will quickly become a ¾, and things can go crazy from there.
Chomping Kavu image 2.5 This is either a 4-mana 4/4 that can’t be blocked by small stuff, or a 4-mana 3/3 that gives something else a counter and makes it harder to block for a turn. I think both of those modes are going to feel like a pretty good investment.
Enduring Bondwarden image 2.5 A one mana ½ that puts its counter somewhere when it dies is playable in this format because there are so many nice payoffs for doing things with counters. The ability to put the counter elsewhere is good too, and you can even get away with attacking into a trade if you have Backed up the creature, because if your opponent blocks you’re going to come out ahead since you keep all those counters
Mountain image
Pack 3 Pick 9: Sunder the Gateway
Radha, Coalition Warlord image 2.0 Radha isn’t going to be as good in this format as she was in Dominaria United. That format was well set up for you to get multiple land types in play. This one’s not. So she is mostly a Hill Giant that offers +2/+2 when she attacks.
Mirrodin Avenged image 1.5 This is a functional reprint of You Are Already Dead, which we saw in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. That card was kind of underwhelming. When it worked, you got a pretty sweet 2-for-1. It can’t really be an amazing card though, because there aren’t enough situations where you can do damage to something without already having to give up a card. If you can do that, this gets a lot better.
Sunder the Gateway image 1.5 So at worst, this is a two mana 2/2, and sometimes you’ll have another Incubator around who is bigger, and you’ll choose to turn that one into a creature. That’s probably usually what this will do, because there aren’t a boatload of targets for this in the format. When you do get to kill an artifact or Enchantment with this it will feel like a pretty sweet 2-for-1, and I think the baseline is solid. Having Artifact and Enchantment hate in your main deck is nice too.
Phyrexian Archivist image 1.0 This is a reprint, and it wasn’t very good last time. This format does have a self-mill deck, and that means this can theoretically keep you from milling out in the extreme late game, but it isn’t particularly efficient and is far too situational.
Temporal Cleansing image 2.0 A Sorcery that always did this for four mana would probably be a 1.5. It is definitely removal, but very clunky, and the fact it can’t be a more permanent answer for many creatures is definitely a problem.
Arachnoid Adaptation image 1.5 One mana for +2/+2 always has me a little bit interested, since it offers a big enough boost for a creature to win a significant number of combats, and It comes at a very low cost. The tempo you get when you use this kind of trick can be amazing! The creature even gets pseudo-vigilance. You can also use this defensively of course, and that’s the only way that Reach will be useful, but you should really only do that in an emergency. It is always dangerous to use a trick on your opponents turn, since during combat they probably have lots of mana untapped. In the end, this seems solid for aggressive Green decks, though I don’t think it will always make the cut.
Unseal the Necropolis image 3.0 Black usually gets a nice common that returns creatures from your graveyard to your hand, and this looks like a really good version of that to me. Milling three for both players gets your pretty close to meeting the “reverse threshold” type requirements that several cards have, and it also increases your chance of being able to get back two creatures. It is also an Instant which isn’t something we often see. This means you can use this on the end of your opponent’s turn, and then cast something you get back on your turn which is nice. You don’t usually want more than one of these, because they are so bad in the early game – but honestly, the first copy of this card looks like a must-have for most Black decks, and especially Black-Blue.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Kwende, Pride of Femeref
Kwende, Pride of Femeref image 2.0 A 4-mana 2/2 with Double Strike isn’t a complete disaster, and this does upgrade a few other cards. Unfortunately, there aren’t very many First Strikers in this set.
Artistic Refusal image 2.0 Paying six for this is in no way worth it, but with Convoke around you can really discount this – heck, if your board is wide enough this can effectively be a free counterspell that gives you some card selection! Still, the set up cost is real – this is pretty bad in the early stages of the game when you can’t get your board set up, and counterspells are inherently quite narrow in Limited. Still, the option to make the cost much lower and the fact you can even just choose the draw two discard 1 option in a pinch makes it at least a solid card.
Kitesail image 2.0 This offers a reasonable boost for how much it takes to Equip. Adding Flying to creatures is a nice upgrade.
Oculus Whelp image 2.0 A 4-mana 3/2 Flyer is a little below rate these days, but if this is replacing itself when it dies it does get significantly better. Oftentimes the problem with casting something that costs 4+ mana and has 2 or less toughness is that your opponent can get an easy tempo advantage when they point a one or two mana removal spell at it, but this hedges against that a little when you have a transformed permanent around, since getting the 2-for-1 makes that feel a little less awful. Still, even in the Blue-Green deck you won’t always be able to get this going, and the baseline just isn’t very good.
Flitting Guerrilla image 1.5 Wind Drakes aren’t what they used to be, and this ability is something you’ll only use a small percentage of the time.
Wildwood Escort image 3.0 I like this. It is a built-in 2-for-1, and the first copy of this is going to be something you virtually always want in Green.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Alabaster Host Intercessor
Invasion of Xerex image 3.0 I like this one. It bounces something, upping your chances of successfully attacking and transforming this quickly, and you get a pretty powerful creature when you can make that happen.
Ravenous Sailback image 2.0 A 5-mana ¾ with Haste is…not exactly good – it is probably a 1.0 at best. If your opponent has a target for the other mode this can do some work. Problem is there will be enough boards where this is just an inefficient creature with no good targets.
Ral's Reinforcements image 2.5 Going wide and Convoke are two of Red’s big themes in the set, so this seems to do exactly what you want to be doing in Red.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Alabaster Host Intercessor image 3.5 This is a large version of Banisher Priest, and while it isn’t the most efficient thing ever, that’s still a strong effect. What makes it especially nice, though, is that it has Plainscycling. This means if you draw this early when you are really far from casting it, you can get rid of it and search up a land. This really offsets the downside of this being a 6-mana card. Basically, this gets a land when you need it, and if you have the mana to cast it, it is going to have a big impact on the board. I think this is one of White’s best Commons.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Alabaster Host Sanctifier
Alabaster Host Sanctifier image 2.5 We have seen quite a few two mana 2/2s with Lifelink at this point, and they’re always fine. The set almost prominently features a +1/+1 mechanic in White, which might even make it a little better than usual.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Wrenn's Resolve image 2.5 This is Reckless Impulse with a different name, and that was a quality draw spell in Innistrad: Crimson Vow. You’re almost always going to be able to play both cards that you hit with this before the end of your next turn, and this ends up being a two mana draw two most of the time.
Kor Halberd image 2.0 I like the efficiency here. +1/+1 and Vigilance isn’t a boost that set’s the world on fire, but when you can get it with a one mana Equip cost, I’m definitely interested.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Infected Defector
Infected Defector image 2.0 This has some pretty bad stats for the cost, but getting an Incubator when it dies makes this a solid playable.
Crystal Carapace image 2.0 As an Aura, this isn’t the most efficient thing ever, but it wouldn’t be completely unplayable either. +3/+3 is a big upgrade, and Ward 2 allows you to really decrease the chance your opponent can interact in some way before you get some value out of attacking with a creature this is attached to. If you find yourself in a situation where you just can’t risk playing this or playing it doesn’t make a difference, or you’re mana screwed, you can just Cycle it away. That Cycle part is what really makes this borderline playable card into something solid.
Halo Hopper image 1.5 A three mana 3/2 is pretty bad, but the convoke upside here certainly makes this playable, though I’m still not very impressed.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Assimilate Essence
Assimilate Essence image 2.0 This is kind of a cool design. Early it can counter the majority of cards in your opponent’s deck, and fairly efficiently too – and then later in the game if they can pay it, you at least get a consolation prize. Obviously the better mode is actually countering the thing, but at least it isn’t utterly useless in other situations.
Disturbing Conversion image 2.0 Blue-Black is interested in milling both players, so this seems like a decent card for that type of deck. Only lowering a creature’s power is pretty far from actually removing that creature, but this does enable your other graveyard stuff reasonably well.
Pack 3 Pick 15: Phyrexian Archivist
Phyrexian Archivist image 1.0 This is a reprint, and it wasn’t very good last time. This format does have a self-mill deck, and that means this can theoretically keep you from milling out in the extreme late game, but it isn’t particularly efficient and is far too situational.
Draft Pick Overview