Tracker App

Premier Draft WAR 26.mars 2021

26 March 04:39 - CarlosVillanueva 7 Wins - 0 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (13)
1 Aven Eternal image
1 Cyclops Electromancer image
1 God-Eternal Kefnet image
2 Devouring Hellion image
2 Burning Prophet image
2 Augur of Bolas image
2 Spellgorger Weird image
1 Spellkeeper Weird image
1 Rescuer Sphinx image
Planeswalker (3)
1 Chandra, Fire Artisan image
1 Jaya, Venerated Firemage image
1 Saheeli, Sublime Artificer image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (7)
1 Tamiyo's Epiphany image
2 Callous Dismissal image
1 Bond of Insight image
1 Ral's Outburst image
1 Chandra's Triumph image
1 Chandra's Pyrohelix image
Land (17)
8 Mountain image
8 Island image
1 Karn's Bastion image
Sideboard
1 Ashiok's Skulker image
1 Goblin Assailant image
1 Erratic Visionary image
1 Augur of Bolas image
1 Saheeli's Silverwing image
1 Evolution Sage image
1 Law-Rune Enforcer image
1 Wall of Runes image
1 Vampire Opportunist image
1 Tamiyo's Epiphany image
1 No Escape image
1 Contentious Plan image
1 Time Wipe image
2 Relentless Advance image
1 Bond of Passion image
1 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales image
1 Huatli, the Sun's Heart image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Chandra, Fire Artisan
Chandra, Fire Artisan image 4.0 Her +1 ability is a nice way to draw an extra card every turn, and if your opponent can’t pressure her at all, you’re just going to kill them with your planeswalker version of Outpost siege. On top of that, even if things don’t go so well, she makes sure to punish your opponent a bit. She ticks up to 5 loyalty right away, and that means that your opponent has to take 5 damage to kill her, in addition to having to commit an attack to doing it. Obviously that’s not incredible, but as a fail case that’s not too bad. Her ultimate is obviously crazy as well, as it will do 7 damage to your opponent and let you dig deep into your deck.
Bond of Discipline image 1.5 It is easy to imagine the ideal scenario here, where you cast the Bond and swing for lethal, but it just doesn’t line up that way very easily. Sure, you don’t even need lethal because of lifelink, but you still end up using a whole card just to damage your opponent and mess up the race a little. While it is more effective than a Fog, in a lot of ways this card feels like a glorified one.
Flux Channeler image 1.5 // 3.5 A 3-mana 2/2, which is a horrendous statline, and it doesn’t get to help you proliferate right away or anything, at least not most of the time. That said, as soon as you play noncreatures – including planeswalkers, being able to add counters to stuff as a repeatable effect seems pretty nice. This is sort of a double build around – you need lots of counters and lots of non-creature spells to make it work, but when you can, it is a pretty great engine.
Leyline Prowler image 4.0 A 3-mana 2/3 with Lifelink and Deathtouch is something I'd already be in on. Those are two great keyword abilities -- being able to trade with anything and gain you life is a good deal, and obviously it stonewalls smaller creatures. Then, they made it so that this not only ramps but also fixes your mana! This is a really great uncommon.
Band Together image 3.0 Just up front: note this does not let you target two different creatures of your opponent's. Instead, you target two of your creatures, who then do damage equal to their power to one creature your opponent controls. Now that that's clear -- this is still an excellent common for Green. We have seen instant speed versions of this effect before, and they all only allowed you to target one creature on your side to do the damage -- this lets you do even more damage, allowing your two smallish creatures to take down one of your opponent's much larger creatures.
Teyo's Lightshield image 2.5 A 3-mana ¼ is an ok deal, and a 3-mana 0/3 that puts a counter on something a little more meaningful is even better.
Grim Initiate image 3.0 Like all these cards with Amass, you have to look at this as having one of two possibilities. One is that, when this dies, it makes a 1/1 token that has synergy with Amass payoffs and Proliferate. The other is that it makes your Army bigger. I think both of those options are pretty nice when attached to a one-drop with First Strike, and means that it has at least some usefulness all game long, even if that usefulness is never going to be earthshattering. It is also great if you are interested in sacrificing stuff, since it gives you two bodies.
Duskmantle Operative image 1.5 This is a bear with some reasonable but unexciting upside.
Ironclad Krovod image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with okayish stats. You hope you aren’t playing it.
Ashiok's Skulker image 1.5 2-mana 1/3 flyers are usually alright, and this can pump your whole team in the late game. It is decent filler.
Vraska's Finisher image 3.0 This type of card does not normally impress me, but Vraska’s Finisher really does well in this format. With all the planeswalkers around, Vraska’s ability to destroy the ones that have been damaged on your turn is pretty great, especially because people often let through damage on a planeswalker if it doesn’t kill it. When you do that, you don’t end up using up a card to kill the walker. Generally, if you are using this to kill a creature, you do use up another card to make it get damaged, but still, sometimes that’s worth doing.
Kaya's Ghostform image 1.0 This just isn’t useful. It is nice that it counts being exiled, because it seems like there is a lot of that going around in this set, but still. You open yourself up to a 2-for-1 when you cast it in the first place, and then when it sticks you do get something pretty nice – the creature comes back. But for that to really be worth it you probably need something awesome, or something with a death trigger or ETB trigger. If you can do that, maybe you play it, but mostly I think you should steer clear of this.
Charmed Stray image 1.0 // 2.5 This is only going to be worth it if you end up with 3+ of them, as a one -mana 1/1 with lifelink just doesn’t do enough to be worth a card. If you do have multiple copies, they do get better – but I’d advise not going after them hard, and just picking them up late in packs.
Makeshift Battalion image 2.5 You’ll play this in an aggressive deck, but for the most part that type of deck isn’t great in this format. It just won’t always be easy to send in two additional creatures into combat, and it won’t be worth risking trades so much either since the payoff is just a +1/+1 counter. I’m not saying this is bad, just not something you should be excited about.
Pack 1 Pick 2: God-Eternal Kefnet
God-Eternal Kefnet image 4.0 In a lot of decks all Kefnet will be is a 4-mana 4/5 flyer that it is difficult to make stay dead, which is already pretty good. Unfortunately, Kefnet’s main ability is very reliant on instants and sorceries, and not hitting those types of cards with it is pretty darn likely. Still, if you can even copy one spell with Kefnet you’re getting a pretty good deal, and because it doesn’t usually stay dead, you’ll get more cracks at it.
Cruel Celebrant image 3.0 We have seen a lot of creatures that drain the opponent for 1 every time something dies, and they’re always pretty nice. Having one at 2 mana will probably be pretty similar to Zulaport Cutthroat, which was a pretty good card in its format.
Mowu, Loyal Companion image 1.5 // 3.5 Like his owner, Mowu is a +1/+1 counter build around. He gets silly when you can put counters on him, and is super underwhelming when you can’t.
Goblin Assailant image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with mediocre stats. You’ll only play it if you’re desperate for a two drop.
Aven Eternal image 3.5 3-mana 2/2 flyers tend to be playable if that’s all they are. Adding Amass here is great, and will give you a great deal whether you put a counter on an Army already in play or you make a token.
Band Together image 3.0 Just up front: note this does not let you target two different creatures of your opponent's. Instead, you target two of your creatures, who then do damage equal to their power to one creature your opponent controls. Now that that's clear -- this is still an excellent common for Green. We have seen instant speed versions of this effect before, and they all only allowed you to target one creature on your side to do the damage -- this lets you do even more damage, allowing your two smallish creatures to take down one of your opponent's much larger creatures.
Pouncing Lynx image 3.0 Two mana 2/1 first strike is pretty darn good, and yeah – this can only do it when it attacks, but that’s still pretty great. This is a difficult creature to deal with in the early game, and first strike can even pose problems later in games for your opponent. This can be especially good in conjunction with combat tricks.
Lazotep Behemoth image 1.0 A 5-mana 5/4 is some ok stats. Better than some vanilla stat lines. But you still mostly wont play this.
Burning Prophet image 2.0 I love scrying, and I always love the UR spell deck, and this does both! Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t incredible at all – but this is pretty close to Prowess, and a 2-mana 1/3 with Prowess is usually a solid, if unexciting, card.
Prismite image 1.0 This is a creature with bad stats that also doesn’t filter mana very well. If your deck is desperately in need of a two drop AND some mana fixing, it can do those things, but again – it doesn’t do either of them well.
Tithebearer Giant image 3.0 Because this is fairly expensive and has mediocre stats you don’t normally want more than one of these, but the first copy is pretty nice. Because it draws you a card and has a reasonable body, you’re virtually always going to get a 2-for-1 out of this, and 2-for-1s go a long way towards helping you win.
Steady Aim image 1.0 This will make your creature survive combat frequently, and can be used in response to damage-based removal. What I don’t love is that it isn’t that exciting offensively, and generally you want your combat tricks to produce blowouts on the attack, like blowing up double blocks – which this won’t do as often. I think it is an ok trick, but I don’t want more than one in an ideal world.
Primordial Wurm image 1.5 A 6-mana 7/6 is some pretty decent vanilla stats. I still would rather have Colossal Dreadmaw because Trample.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Karn's Bastion
Karn's Bastion image 4.0 This is a powerful land. Proliferate is great in this set, and most decks will be able to take advantage of it, so, having a land that can produce mana for you early and then in the late game can start making your creatures bigger and giving your planeswalkers loyalty is really really good.
Augur of Bolas image 1.5 // 3.0 You need to be drawing a card with this like half the time for it to be worth. In other words, you need way more instants and sorceries than most decks are gonna have – which is like, 4 or 5. Now, it isn’t like the fail case for this card is abysmal, since it is still a two-mana 1/3, so it is passable even if you don’t get there, but obviously it is way better in a deck with lots of spells.
God-Pharaoh's Statue image 0.0 You should pass on this one. I By the time you're at 6 mana, making your opponent pay 2 extra mana for spells will have a pretty negligible effect. And sure, I guess it can function as a win condition in a super controlling deck, but it is basically a super bad version of Ill-Gotten Inheritance.
Pollenbright Druid image 3.5 A 2-mana 1/1 that puts a counter anywhere – including on itself, is usually a pretty decent card already. At worst it is going to be a Grizzly Bears, and there are other times where putting the counter elsewhere makes a big deal, like on an evasive creature. But this has the additional ability to also just Proliferate, which you will be doing if you already have other counters in play. Either way, you’re going to get some value out of your 2 drop in the late game, and that’s not always easy to come by.
Erratic Visionary image 1.5 This has a decent body and it loots. Looting can improve your draws in the late game, and that’s nice.
Wardscale Crocodile image 2.0 Hexproof on a common is pretty nice. I mean sure, it can die in combat pretty easily, but because it has hexproof you can make sure that it only dies in combat when it is beneficial for you—like killing a creature with 5 toughness. Then, there is the usual upside that Hexproof creatures bring – risky spells, like Fight cards, or auras and the like become a lot better, because you know your opponent won’t be able to easily 2-for-1 you.
Spellgorger Weird image 1.0 // 3.5 I do think this needs two grades, as you need a critical mass of instants and sorceries to really get there. Sure, if you get it to 3/3 you’re doing alright, but obviously you want a deck with 7+ instants and sorceries to fully take advantage of this thing. Doesn’t hurt that it has synergy with proliferate either!
Duskmantle Operative image 1.5 This is a bear with some reasonable but unexciting upside.
Totally Lost image 1.5 We've seen this card a lot, and it is always kind of ok. Putting something on top of your library is better than just bouncing something, because it means you are replacing your opponent's draw, meaning you are trading one card for one card -- which is not the guess with regular bounce spells. Still, at 5 mana this is a bit clunky, though it can enable some nice blowouts in response to combat tricks and will be nice against Amass tokens.
Demolish image 0.0 I always try to give this a sideboard grade, but the reality is – you will never side this in in this set. There aren’t enough artifacts or problem lands, so most of the time this reads “Pay 4 mana, discard this and do almost nothing.”
Ashiok's Skulker image 1.5 2-mana 1/3 flyers are usually alright, and this can pump your whole team in the late game. It is decent filler.
Samut's Sprint image 1.5 This is just red’s obligatory solid combat trick that will be nice in aggro decks. +2/+1 is enough of a boost for a creature to win a lot of combats, and the additional Haste upside doesn’t hurt. Still, it IS a combat trick and it comes with all the inherent risks that combat tricks have they are inherently situational and come with the risk of a 2-for-1 that blows you out.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Tamiyo, Collector of Tales
Tamiyo, Collector of Tales image 1.5 This Tamiyo is not especially good for Limited. For one thing, actually drawing cards with her +1 is hard. So mostly in Limited, you’ll be +1ing and hoping to draw something while you load the graveyard, and then hoping you can take advantage of the graveyard with her -3 and some other cards. That’s…not great.
Price of Betrayal image 0.5 Even in a set that has a ton of counters, it is pretty hard to consistently use Price of Betrayal to get rid of an opponents’ card. You’ll find yourself downgrading or weakening a card more often, and that just isn’t worth it.
Vivien's Grizzly image 2.0 Like her Arkbow, her Grizzly also is a nice manasink, though less reliable than the legendary artifacts. But still, this is basically a really bad Duskwatch Recruiter – but the Recruiter was an absurd limited card, so being a bad version of it doesn’t mean the card itself is bad. It has alright stats and the ability to draw you cards sometimes in the late game.
Return to Nature image 1.5 This hates on enough things that it is worth playing in your main deck sometimes, though this format does not have a ton of Artifacts.
Wanderer's Strike image 3.5 5 mana is a lot, but killing something no question asked is a pretty good return at that investment. Being at Sorcery speed hurts a little, but adding Populate in a set that seems to have a plethora of reasons to Populate is nice.
Duskmantle Operative image 1.5 This is a bear with some reasonable but unexciting upside.
Wall of Runes image 1.5 If you’re a defensive deck, you’ll play this and it will be passable. If you’re not defensive, don’t play it.
Heartfire image 1.5 Two mana to do 4 to anything at Instant speed would be premium removal. This asks you to do a little more work than that though, wanting you to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker to use it. Now, it looks like the RB deck is going to be interested in doing some sacrificing, and will also have creatures that are good to sacrifice, so maybe that's the best place for it. But either way, I think this is an alright card -- what saves it from being outright bad is the fact that it is an Instant, and the fact it can go to your opponent' face. As an Instant, it can be used in situations where losing the creature isn't as much of a downside -- like after you block something first, then sacrifice the creature to kill something else. The most attractive time to use this is in response to your opponent's removal of course. But still, even in those "ideal" situations, you're not really getting a 2-for-1. To do that you'll need to be giving up tokens.
Crush Dissent image 1.5 As good as Amass is in this format, I don’t like this card a whole lot. Counters that let your opponent pay mana to ignore them have to be really efficient in Limited, since they will become weaker and weaker as the game goes on. Now, the fail case here is that you still get to Amass, and that keeps it from being unplayable.
Tithebearer Giant image 3.0 Because this is fairly expensive and has mediocre stats you don’t normally want more than one of these, but the first copy is pretty nice. Because it draws you a card and has a reasonable body, you’re virtually always going to get a 2-for-1 out of this, and 2-for-1s go a long way towards helping you win.
Bloom Hulk image 3.5 This has good stats and it proliferates. You’ll usually feel like you’re getting more than 4 mana’s worth of value out of this. This is one of Green’s best commons.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Evolution Sage
Evolution Sage image 1.5 // 4.0 So, a 3-mana 3/2 is usually not that great, and something you only include when desperate – but this obviously brings more than that to the table. Landfall for Proliferate seems pretty nice, especially because Green seems interested in +1/+1 counters, and obviously all decks will have planeswalkers. This becomes a serious value engine if it isn’t dealt with, at least in a deck that takes advantage by having lots of counters to proliferate.
Interplanar Beacon image 1.0 Filter lands are always only worth playing if you’re utterly desperate to splash something. And this one only lets you do it for planeswalkers! If you are splashing a planeswalker or two you might play it, but you mostly shouldn’t.
Erratic Visionary image 1.5 This has a decent body and it loots. Looting can improve your draws in the late game, and that’s nice.
Honor the God-Pharaoh image 2.0 Tormenting Voice + Amass isn’t too bad. You get to add to the board while improving card quality, and that seems fine.
No Escape image 3.0 This is a pretty good counterspell. Creatures and planeswalkers together are going to make up three quarters or more of most decks, so this has plenty of targets. And it’s a hard counter! And it exiles the things it counters. All of that makes me want to play the first copy of this in most Blue decks.
Goblin Assault Team image 1.5 So, a 4-mana 4/1 with Haste would normally not be so good -- maybe it can get in for 4 once or something, but then it dies to literally everything. However, because this also leaves a +1/+1 counter behind, it helps you get around that downside. There is also additional upside here in the fact that it can trade for a ton of stuff with 4 power -- any time you can trade for something decently sized with this and get the counter, you're going to feel ok about things. I'm not sure you'll ever want more than one of these, but the first of these seems like a reasonable inclusion in most Red decks.
Snarespinner image 1.5 This blocks fliers really well for a two-drop, but it isn’t that great at anything else.
Defiant Strike image 1.0 Last time we saw this card, it was surprisingly good because it was in Khans of Tarkir, and the Prowess mechanic was all over the place, including on White cards. Not the case here though. +1/+0 is the kind of stat boost that will have very little impact on combat the majority of the time, and normally you want your combat tricks to make it more likely your creature wins combat against larger creatures-- and sure, this cycles itself, and that's what keeps it from being unplayable, but it still isn't very good.
Spark Reaper image 2.5 A 3-mana 2/3 has somewhat passable stats, and this has a pretty nice activated ability. The fact that you can use it at Instant speed – which we don’t always get with effects like this is what really makes it worthwhile, since you can use it in response to removal or declare a block and then use it, getting some serious value. This is a decent late-game mana sink.
Wanderer's Strike image 3.5 5 mana is a lot, but killing something no question asked is a pretty good return at that investment. Being at Sorcery speed hurts a little, but adding Populate in a set that seems to have a plethora of reasons to Populate is nice.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Tamiyo's Epiphany
Emergence Zone image 0.0 Don’t play this. It damages your mana base and it doesn’t have an ability that makes that worthwhile.
War Screecher image 1.5 2-mana 1/3 flyers are usually alright, and this can pump your whole team in the late game. It is decent filler.
Arboreal Grazer image 1.0 This kind of card tends to be pretty terrible in Limited. Getting to put a land in play will feel pretty good in the early game, but you aren’t actually netting a card there. It might get you ahead in the short-term, but it isn’t nearly as good as having a creature that is a mana dork, or one that searches up a land, its way worse. Then, in the late game, it is entirely useless! Mostly, don’t play this.
Tamiyo's Epiphany image 3.0 This lets you see up to SIX cards in your deck for only 4 mana. That’s some pretty serious card selection, and not usually the kind we see at Common. Now, it is a Sorcery, which will sometimes make it really awkward. Like, you know, if you are getting beat down you don’t really want to be drawing the Epiphany. Still, I think the upside makes it worth playing one copy of in virtually every Blue deck. Going beyond one copy is probably a little dangerous.
Kasmina's Transmutation image 2.5 Removal that doesn’t really remove is always pretty underwhelming. I mean, sure, you do at least take away all of the creature’s abilities and make it a 1/1, but it can still block, and that’s a pretty big deal. This is still decent removal, just don’t treat it like one of the best common removal spells in the set.
Contentious Plan image 2.0 A cantrip with Proliferate is nice in this format. You’ll just almost always have something to put more counters on, and that will feel great since this just replaces itself.
Goblin Assailant image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with mediocre stats. You’ll only play it if you’re desperate for a two drop.
Erratic Visionary image 1.5 This has a decent body and it loots. Looting can improve your draws in the late game, and that’s nice.
Charity Extractor image 1.5 This is a pretty good defensive card, and not a bad place to counters thanks to lifelink. But you’ll cut it a lot. It just doesn’t do enough.
Pack 1 Pick 7: Devouring Hellion
Devouring Hellion image 2.0 This has a pretty abysmal floor, as a 3-mana 2/2, but with just one sacrificed creature or planeswalker, it is a 4/4, and it scales up from there. The ideal thing is to sacrifice something that isn’t worth having around anymore – like an uncommon Planeswalker with only 1 loyalty left, or a creature with a death trigger, or a creature token, or a creature with an aura-based removal spell on it. Problem is, you just won’t always be able to set that up, even in the most synergistic of decks there will be times where this just isn’t worth doing, and because of that I have a hard time thinking of it as anything more than a solid playable.
Vizier of the Scorpion image 3.0 So, this will typically be a 3-mana 1/1 that makes a 1/1 with Deathtouch, and that’s pretty good. Sometimes it will make your Army already in play gain +1/+1 and give it deathtouch, and I’m reasonably happy with that too.
Bulwark Giant image 1.5 Well, this is the kind of card that really stabilize you against an aggressive deck. 5 life is huge against decks intent on ending the game quickly, and a 3/6 is no small roadblock. Obviously, this is primarily a defensive card, and not something every White deck is after.
Totally Lost image 1.5 We've seen this card a lot, and it is always kind of ok. Putting something on top of your library is better than just bouncing something, because it means you are replacing your opponent's draw, meaning you are trading one card for one card -- which is not the guess with regular bounce spells. Still, at 5 mana this is a bit clunky, though it can enable some nice blowouts in response to combat tricks and will be nice against Amass tokens.
Centaur Nurturer image 3.0 Decent stats, vanilla test wise, gains you life when it comes down and blocks reasonably – and it provides fixing and ramp? I’m all over that for my Green decks.
Nahiri's Stoneblades image 0.0 I don't like tricks that don't help my creature survive combat. Only bumping power with no keyword added just isn’t worth it, even if you can pump two creatures.
Crush Dissent image 1.5 As good as Amass is in this format, I don’t like this card a whole lot. Counters that let your opponent pay mana to ignore them have to be really efficient in Limited, since they will become weaker and weaker as the game goes on. Now, the fail case here is that you still get to Amass, and that keeps it from being unplayable.
Vampire Opportunist image 1.5 This starts with some mediocre stats, and it has a late game ability that is pretty expensive. That said, it isn’t the worst mana sink to have, as it can really close out a game in tight situations.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Callous Dismissal
Heartwarming Redemption image 1.0 Sometimes an effect like this can be a nice way to reload your hand, but it is also super awkward. Any time I look at a card and see that it is completely useless if you’re in top deck mode, it makes me really uninterested in playing it, especially because even in an ideal situation where you’re flooding and you use this to get out of that flood, it still isn’t going to feel like it is doing something that impressive.
Callous Dismissal image 3.5 So, most of the time this is a two mana 1/1 that bounces an opposing creature. That’s great. Any time you can add to your board and subtract from your opponents’ with a single card, you’re going to be pretty happy about, and this does it pretty often.
Ironclad Krovod image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with okayish stats. You hope you aren’t playing it.
Blindblast image 1.5 Adding a card-draw effect to a card always makes it way more attractive, and I think that is certainly the case here. This can kill some small creatures, in which case you get a straight-up two-for-one, but my guess is that you'll usually just use this to make your opponent's best creature unable to block. That kind of effect is quite strong in aggressive Red decks, as sometimes you go from not being able to attack at all, to being able to attack with everything after a problem creature is removed from the equation. It still isn’t something you probably ever want more than one of, and you don’t want it all if you aren’t aggressive.
Gateway Plaza image 2.0 This is pretty good fixing, even if it does make you basically pay a mana for it.
Toll of the Invasion image 3.5 This card is an overperformer. Most discard spells in Limited aren’t super impressive, but you have to look at this one as a 3-mana 1/1 that lets you get rid of your opponents best non land card. This format has lots of powerful expensive cards, which means people have cards in hand even late, and the disruption this offers – while also adding to the board – is pretty nice.
New Horizons image 2.5 This type of mana-fixing/ramping Auras always feels good when it also does something to impact the board. Making one of your creatures a little better isn’t too shabby. This can help you splash double-colored cards too, which I like!
Pack 1 Pick 9: Ashiok's Skulker
Teyo's Lightshield image 2.5 A 3-mana ¼ is an ok deal, and a 3-mana 0/3 that puts a counter on something a little more meaningful is even better.
Duskmantle Operative image 1.5 This is a bear with some reasonable but unexciting upside.
Ironclad Krovod image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with okayish stats. You hope you aren’t playing it.
Ashiok's Skulker image 1.5 2-mana 1/3 flyers are usually alright, and this can pump your whole team in the late game. It is decent filler.
Kaya's Ghostform image 1.0 This just isn’t useful. It is nice that it counts being exiled, because it seems like there is a lot of that going around in this set, but still. You open yourself up to a 2-for-1 when you cast it in the first place, and then when it sticks you do get something pretty nice – the creature comes back. But for that to really be worth it you probably need something awesome, or something with a death trigger or ETB trigger. If you can do that, maybe you play it, but mostly I think you should steer clear of this.
Makeshift Battalion image 2.5 You’ll play this in an aggressive deck, but for the most part that type of deck isn’t great in this format. It just won’t always be easy to send in two additional creatures into combat, and it won’t be worth risking trades so much either since the payoff is just a +1/+1 counter. I’m not saying this is bad, just not something you should be excited about.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Goblin Assailant
Goblin Assailant image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with mediocre stats. You’ll only play it if you’re desperate for a two drop.
Lazotep Behemoth image 1.0 A 5-mana 5/4 is some ok stats. Better than some vanilla stat lines. But you still mostly wont play this.
Prismite image 1.0 This is a creature with bad stats that also doesn’t filter mana very well. If your deck is desperately in need of a two drop AND some mana fixing, it can do those things, but again – it doesn’t do either of them well.
Tithebearer Giant image 3.0 Because this is fairly expensive and has mediocre stats you don’t normally want more than one of these, but the first copy is pretty nice. Because it draws you a card and has a reasonable body, you’re virtually always going to get a 2-for-1 out of this, and 2-for-1s go a long way towards helping you win.
Steady Aim image 1.0 This will make your creature survive combat frequently, and can be used in response to damage-based removal. What I don’t love is that it isn’t that exciting offensively, and generally you want your combat tricks to produce blowouts on the attack, like blowing up double blocks – which this won’t do as often. I think it is an ok trick, but I don’t want more than one in an ideal world.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Erratic Visionary
Erratic Visionary image 1.5 This has a decent body and it loots. Looting can improve your draws in the late game, and that’s nice.
Totally Lost image 1.5 We've seen this card a lot, and it is always kind of ok. Putting something on top of your library is better than just bouncing something, because it means you are replacing your opponent's draw, meaning you are trading one card for one card -- which is not the guess with regular bounce spells. Still, at 5 mana this is a bit clunky, though it can enable some nice blowouts in response to combat tricks and will be nice against Amass tokens.
Demolish image 0.0 I always try to give this a sideboard grade, but the reality is – you will never side this in in this set. There aren’t enough artifacts or problem lands, so most of the time this reads “Pay 4 mana, discard this and do almost nothing.”
Ashiok's Skulker image 1.5 2-mana 1/3 flyers are usually alright, and this can pump your whole team in the late game. It is decent filler.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Wall of Runes
Duskmantle Operative image 1.5 This is a bear with some reasonable but unexciting upside.
Wall of Runes image 1.5 If you’re a defensive deck, you’ll play this and it will be passable. If you’re not defensive, don’t play it.
Crush Dissent image 1.5 As good as Amass is in this format, I don’t like this card a whole lot. Counters that let your opponent pay mana to ignore them have to be really efficient in Limited, since they will become weaker and weaker as the game goes on. Now, the fail case here is that you still get to Amass, and that keeps it from being unplayable.
Pack 1 Pick 13: No Escape
Erratic Visionary image 1.5 This has a decent body and it loots. Looting can improve your draws in the late game, and that’s nice.
No Escape image 3.0 This is a pretty good counterspell. Creatures and planeswalkers together are going to make up three quarters or more of most decks, so this has plenty of targets. And it’s a hard counter! And it exiles the things it counters. All of that makes me want to play the first copy of this in most Blue decks.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Contentious Plan
Contentious Plan image 2.0 A cantrip with Proliferate is nice in this format. You’ll just almost always have something to put more counters on, and that will feel great since this just replaces itself.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Jaya, Venerated Firemage
Roalesk, Apex Hybrid image 4.5 For 5 mana you get a 4/5 with trample and flying, which would already be a pretty good card, even if the mana requirements aren’t the easiest thing ever. Add to that, though, the rest of the card and you have an outright bomb. Putting two counters on another creature means that you pay 5 for 6/7 worth of stats. Then, if your opponent does manage to take him down before he takes them down, he will add extra counters to your stuff – and since he put a couple counters on a creature when he came down, chances are good he is going to add at least 2 counters to one card. Having value immediately when he enters and when he dies means it is hard for your opponent to ever come out ahead with him. Even if they kill him before he ever attacks, you are getting some serious value out of this guy.
Rally of Wings image 1.0 // 2.5 Obviously you need a ton of flyers for this to work out, but I think the UW will be pretty flier filled. You probably need at least 7 flyers for this to be worth it, and more would probably be better. It is flexible, in that you can use it to do lethal, but you can also use it to get larger flyers out of your way and keep your creatures alive. You can also use it to untap all your flyers to eat your opponent’s creatures. Most of the time, going aggressive with it will be best, but having the other options doesn’t hurt.
Jaya, Venerated Firemage image 4.0 For 5 mana you get to do 3 to something – not the greatest rate ever, but it allows for some impact on the board immediately. Then, if she can make it to your next turn with at least 2 loyalty, she can do it again.5 mana to do 3 to two target creatures would be a great card. And while this isn’t quite that since she can be attacked and taken off of the board that way, it seems like doing 3 to something and then drawing a bunch of attacks is some decent value. On top of all that, if your deck has more red sources of damage – and it almost assuredly will – she brings you even more value. Even if she just makes one combat more difficult for your opponent, she’s doing her job.
Storm the Citadel image 1.0 I am not a big fan of this in Limited. 5 for +2/+2 at sorcery speed for your whole team is nothing special – an evasive ability like trample, or something like vigilance added to it would make it a lot better. As it is, I don’t see the combat damage trigger on this card mattering in most games. Yeah, I’m just not impressed, even if your deck can go wide, you hopefully have some better ways to take advantage of it than this.
Teferi's Time Twist image 1.0 This can do a variety of things, but most of the time they won’t be worth doing. Because this is an Instant, if your opponent tries to take down a planeswalker, you can use the Time Twist, both saving it and setting its loyalty back to what it was when it came into play. On top of that, Teferi’s Time Twist is also good with ETB creatures, can help your creature dodge a removal spell, and so on. I still am not very interested in playing it.
Sorin's Thirst image 2.5 These types of removal spells are always nice. Killing small creatures at Instant speed and gaining some life is a pretty good deal. It isn’t quite premium, but its close.
Raging Kronch image 1.5 Usually when we see creatures who can’t attack alone they have more impressive stats than this. That said, usually creatures who can’t attack alone can’t block alone either – but this Kronch can. Obviously a fine card in an aggressive deck, and it cheaply triggers all the “ferocious” pay offs in the set.
Lazotep Reaver image 3.0 This is a nice two drop. Two mana for 2/3 of stats divided across two bodies is a great deal, and it stays relevant all game long.
Blindblast image 1.5 Adding a card-draw effect to a card always makes it way more attractive, and I think that is certainly the case here. This can kill some small creatures, in which case you get a straight-up two-for-one, but my guess is that you'll usually just use this to make your opponent's best creature unable to block. That kind of effect is quite strong in aggressive Red decks, as sometimes you go from not being able to attack at all, to being able to attack with everything after a problem creature is removed from the equation. It still isn’t something you probably ever want more than one of, and you don’t want it all if you aren’t aggressive.
Snarespinner image 1.5 This blocks fliers really well for a two-drop, but it isn’t that great at anything else.
Callous Dismissal image 3.5 So, most of the time this is a two mana 1/1 that bounces an opposing creature. That’s great. Any time you can add to your board and subtract from your opponents’ with a single card, you’re going to be pretty happy about, and this does it pretty often.
Primordial Wurm image 1.5 A 6-mana 7/6 is some pretty decent vanilla stats. I still would rather have Colossal Dreadmaw because Trample.
Divine Arrow image 3.0 This is a removal spell that is situational, but it does the job pretty efficiently. You’ll never really cut the first copy of this, but being situational does hold it back from being premium.
Aven Eternal image 3.5 3-mana 2/2 flyers tend to be playable if that’s all they are. Adding Amass here is great, and will give you a great deal whether you put a counter on an Army already in play or you make a token.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Burning Prophet
Augur of Bolas image 1.5 // 3.0 You need to be drawing a card with this like half the time for it to be worth. In other words, you need way more instants and sorceries than most decks are gonna have – which is like, 4 or 5. Now, it isn’t like the fail case for this card is abysmal, since it is still a two-mana 1/3, so it is passable even if you don’t get there, but obviously it is way better in a deck with lots of spells.
Arlinn, Voice of the Pack image 3.5 For 6-mana, she gives immediately makes a 2/2 wolf token – with a counter, so basically a 3/3. That definitely protects her a bit, and may even make it so that she can make 3 of these 3/3s. But in general, I feel like if you manage to make 2 with her, you’re probably feeling alright about your situation, and she of course also has some synergy with other wolves – you know, like the one we just talked about – and she also has some synergy with proliferate because of the +1/+1 counters.
Challenger Troll image 4.0 On its own it is a 5-mana 6/5 that can’t be blocked by more than one creature. That’s already a very good card, because it is not easy to take down a 6/5 in combat if you can’t double block him. But adding this effect to all your big boys? I’m in for that.
Thunder Drake image 2.5 You generally want to be able to consistently get this up to ¾ for it to be worth it, and that’s fairly doable. Sometimes you will get the Drake late and be in top deck mode and that’s not so good, but it seems solid enough to me.
Law-Rune Enforcer image 4.0 Any time we have seen master decoy around, it has been great – and in some ways, this is even better. For one thing, it is one fewer mana to cast for the same stats, and it only asks for colorless mana to tap things. Of course, the original Master Decoy can tap any creature – but tapping things with CMC 2 or greater is what you do with this kind of card any way, so that isn’t a huge downgrade. Being able to lock down your opponent’s best creature, or get problem blockers out of the way is huge, and in a lot of ways a card like Law-Rune Enforcer becomes a removal spell. This is an absolutely excellent common.
Burning Prophet image 2.0 I love scrying, and I always love the UR spell deck, and this does both! Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t incredible at all – but this is pretty close to Prowess, and a 2-mana 1/3 with Prowess is usually a solid, if unexciting, card.
Kaya's Ghostform image 1.0 This just isn’t useful. It is nice that it counts being exiled, because it seems like there is a lot of that going around in this set, but still. You open yourself up to a 2-for-1 when you cast it in the first place, and then when it sticks you do get something pretty nice – the creature comes back. But for that to really be worth it you probably need something awesome, or something with a death trigger or ETB trigger. If you can do that, maybe you play it, but mostly I think you should steer clear of this.
Sorin's Thirst image 2.5 These types of removal spells are always nice. Killing small creatures at Instant speed and gaining some life is a pretty good deal. It isn’t quite premium, but its close.
Courage in Crisis image 2.0 If this was just 3-mana to put a counter on something at Sorcery speed, it would be an F or close to it. But you add proliferate to the mix and things get more interesting. Basically, at its worse, this gives you two +1/+1 counters at sorcery speed, and there will be plenty of times where it will add counters some other places too. That said, it does come with some pretty huge risk in that it can open you up to a 2-for-1 if you're not careful.
Grim Initiate image 3.0 Like all these cards with Amass, you have to look at this as having one of two possibilities. One is that, when this dies, it makes a 1/1 token that has synergy with Amass payoffs and Proliferate. The other is that it makes your Army bigger. I think both of those options are pretty nice when attached to a one-drop with First Strike, and means that it has at least some usefulness all game long, even if that usefulness is never going to be earthshattering. It is also great if you are interested in sacrificing stuff, since it gives you two bodies.
Bloom Hulk image 3.5 This has good stats and it proliferates. You’ll usually feel like you’re getting more than 4 mana’s worth of value out of this. This is one of Green’s best commons.
Gateway Plaza image 2.0 This is pretty good fixing, even if it does make you basically pay a mana for it.
Totally Lost image 1.5 We've seen this card a lot, and it is always kind of ok. Putting something on top of your library is better than just bouncing something, because it means you are replacing your opponent's draw, meaning you are trading one card for one card -- which is not the guess with regular bounce spells. Still, at 5 mana this is a bit clunky, though it can enable some nice blowouts in response to combat tricks and will be nice against Amass tokens.
Pack 2 Pick 3: Chandra's Pyrohelix
Parhelion II image 2.0 8 mana is a ton in Limited, and the vast majority of games are over before either player has 8 mana in most formats. As a result, as cool as this card is, and as powerful as it is after it comes into play, you just won’t always be able to make that happen, and it will get stuck in your hand more frequently than it will come into play. That said, 13 damage in the air is a nightmare for your opponent, and it is kind of cool that the angels have vigilance, so you can still crew to block during your opponent’s turn if you want to. Still, 8 mana AND crew 4 means there will be times when you get this and you just can’t crew it.
Elite Guardmage image 3.5 This gives you a reasonable Flying body while also drawing you a card and gaining you life. This makes it easy for it to get you a glorious 2-for-1, while also giving you a reasonable threat.
Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted image 2.5 The static ability here gives you some nice inevitably, and his loyalty ability isn’t ENTIRELY terrible either. Destroying any creature is great – though allowing your opponent to draw two cards definitely isn’t. But hey, at least he does 2 damage to them in the process, right?
Saheeli's Silverwing image 1.5 There isn’t enough of an artifact sub-theme in the set that you want to play sub-par cards just because they are artifacts, and that’s what this is. 4 mana for a 2/3 flyer is not a good rate, and the ETB ability it has is not the most relevant. It gives you some minor information, and that’s not enough to overcome these bad stats.
Herald of the Dreadhorde image 2.0 A 4-mana 3/2 isn’t great, but hey – it can trade with plenty of 4 drops, and if you’re trading with this your’e probably going to come out ahead, because it comes with Amass 2. Whether this makes you a 2/2 creature or makes your Army a bigger, it is a good deal, since it is coming in addition to a trade.
Teyo's Lightshield image 2.5 A 3-mana ¼ is an ok deal, and a 3-mana 0/3 that puts a counter on something a little more meaningful is even better.
Spark Harvest image 3.5 This kills a bunch of cards in this format, and it can only cost one mana if you are willing to sacrifice something. Obviously killing walkers matters more in this format than in any other we have ever seen, and the ability to sacrifice a walker matters more too. A lot of the uncommon walkers eventually tick down to 1 loyalty, so turning them into fodder for this seems nice. It is made a lot better by the fact that you can also straight up pay 5 to destroy a creature or planeswalker.
Wall of Runes image 1.5 If you’re a defensive deck, you’ll play this and it will be passable. If you’re not defensive, don’t play it.
Enforcer Griffin image 2.5 A 5-mana ¾ with Flying might not seem great, but it has just the right size in this format, outclassing most of the non-rare Flyers in the set. It isn’t anything special, but it is better than it looks.
Chandra's Pyrohelix image 3.5 We’ve seen this exact card and others like it a few times, and it is always good. Being able to kill an X/2 is nice, being able to go to your opponent’s face is nice too when it will finish them off. Most formats also have enough X/1s in them that you can get a 2-for-1 with this a decent chunk of the time. I think that for me, this gets into the lower range of “premium removal,” and is first pickable in some weaker packs.
Raging Kronch image 1.5 Usually when we see creatures who can’t attack alone they have more impressive stats than this. That said, usually creatures who can’t attack alone can’t block alone either – but this Kronch can. Obviously a fine card in an aggressive deck, and it cheaply triggers all the “ferocious” pay offs in the set.
Contentious Plan image 2.0 A cantrip with Proliferate is nice in this format. You’ll just almost always have something to put more counters on, and that will feel great since this just replaces itself.
Pack 2 Pick 4: Burning Prophet
Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner image 2.5 That is a lot of starting loyalty! Kiora seems to be all about playing big dudes. Her static ability pays you off for doing so, and her -1 ability can help you ramp. Worth noting, also, that her -1 may help you protect her because it can let you untap a creature to block. I think the additional value she can give you by untapping permanents, especially lands, makes her pretty solid in just about any deck, though nothing special.
Leyline Prowler image 4.0 A 3-mana 2/3 with Lifelink and Deathtouch is something I'd already be in on. Those are two great keyword abilities -- being able to trade with anything and gain you life is a good deal, and obviously it stonewalls smaller creatures. Then, they made it so that this not only ramps but also fixes your mana! This is a really great uncommon.
Totally Lost image 1.5 We've seen this card a lot, and it is always kind of ok. Putting something on top of your library is better than just bouncing something, because it means you are replacing your opponent's draw, meaning you are trading one card for one card -- which is not the guess with regular bounce spells. Still, at 5 mana this is a bit clunky, though it can enable some nice blowouts in response to combat tricks and will be nice against Amass tokens.
Burning Prophet image 2.0 I love scrying, and I always love the UR spell deck, and this does both! Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t incredible at all – but this is pretty close to Prowess, and a 2-mana 1/3 with Prowess is usually a solid, if unexciting, card.
Guild Globe image 1.5 This replaces itself and gives you some fixing. If you’re interested in splashing something this can help you do it.
Wanderer's Strike image 3.5 5 mana is a lot, but killing something no question asked is a pretty good return at that investment. Being at Sorcery speed hurts a little, but adding Populate in a set that seems to have a plethora of reasons to Populate is nice.
Spark Harvest image 3.5 This kills a bunch of cards in this format, and it can only cost one mana if you are willing to sacrifice something. Obviously killing walkers matters more in this format than in any other we have ever seen, and the ability to sacrifice a walker matters more too. A lot of the uncommon walkers eventually tick down to 1 loyalty, so turning them into fodder for this seems nice. It is made a lot better by the fact that you can also straight up pay 5 to destroy a creature or planeswalker.
Divine Arrow image 3.0 This is a removal spell that is situational, but it does the job pretty efficiently. You’ll never really cut the first copy of this, but being situational does hold it back from being premium.
Relentless Advance image 1.5 You have two possibilities here: one is that you just paid 4 to put 3 +1/+1 counters onto a Zombie Army token you already have, the other is that you paid 4 mana for a 3/3 – in other words, a Hill Giant. Sure, it has some synergy with populate and other cards with Amass, but neither of those deals would be a particularly attractive card in Limited.
Raging Kronch image 1.5 Usually when we see creatures who can’t attack alone they have more impressive stats than this. That said, usually creatures who can’t attack alone can’t block alone either – but this Kronch can. Obviously a fine card in an aggressive deck, and it cheaply triggers all the “ferocious” pay offs in the set.
Nahiri's Stoneblades image 0.0 I don't like tricks that don't help my creature survive combat. Only bumping power with no keyword added just isn’t worth it, even if you can pump two creatures.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Augur of Bolas
Augur of Bolas image 1.5 // 3.0 You need to be drawing a card with this like half the time for it to be worth. In other words, you need way more instants and sorceries than most decks are gonna have – which is like, 4 or 5. Now, it isn’t like the fail case for this card is abysmal, since it is still a two-mana 1/3, so it is passable even if you don’t get there, but obviously it is way better in a deck with lots of spells.
Huatli, the Sun's Heart image 1.0 This is a high toughness build around in a set that doesn’t really have anything else pushing you in that direction. Gaining life with the loyalty ability isn’t that great, and the static ability normally won’t be upgrading your board.
Mowu, Loyal Companion image 1.5 // 3.5 Like his owner, Mowu is a +1/+1 counter build around. He gets silly when you can put counters on him, and is super underwhelming when you can’t.
Teyo's Lightshield image 2.5 A 3-mana ¼ is an ok deal, and a 3-mana 0/3 that puts a counter on something a little more meaningful is even better.
Giant Growth image 2.0 We don’t see combat tricks like this very often anymore. A single mana giving such a massive P/T boost is great, and will make a creature capable of winning almost any combat. The opportunity cost of leaving up one Green mana is really low, and the upside here is very high. It is still a combat trick, so it has some issues of being situational and easy to get blown out on.
Topple the Statue image 1.5 So, when we see 3 mana to tap something and draw a card at instant speed isn’t all that great. It does replace itself, and have a somewhat flexible effect, so that does save it from being completely terrible.
Contentious Plan image 2.0 A cantrip with Proliferate is nice in this format. You’ll just almost always have something to put more counters on, and that will feel great since this just replaces itself.
Toll of the Invasion image 3.5 This card is an overperformer. Most discard spells in Limited aren’t super impressive, but you have to look at this one as a 3-mana 1/1 that lets you get rid of your opponents best non land card. This format has lots of powerful expensive cards, which means people have cards in hand even late, and the disruption this offers – while also adding to the board – is pretty nice.
Ashiok's Skulker image 1.5 2-mana 1/3 flyers are usually alright, and this can pump your whole team in the late game. It is decent filler.
Samut's Sprint image 1.5 This is just red’s obligatory solid combat trick that will be nice in aggro decks. +2/+1 is enough of a boost for a creature to win a lot of combats, and the additional Haste upside doesn’t hurt. Still, it IS a combat trick and it comes with all the inherent risks that combat tricks have they are inherently situational and come with the risk of a 2-for-1 that blows you out.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Time Wipe
Time Wipe image 4.5 So, frequently the problem with a Wrath is that you have to lose all of your creatures too. However, when you can keep your creature alive – like we’ve seen before with Duneblast – you are given something really powerful. This isn’t exactly Duneblast, because you do still have to return your creature, and frequently your opponent will get the first chance to repopulate the board, but the fact that you save your best creature who at worst can come down again next turn is pretty good.
Charmed Stray image 1.0 // 2.5 This is only going to be worth it if you end up with 3+ of them, as a one -mana 1/1 with lifelink just doesn’t do enough to be worth a card. If you do have multiple copies, they do get better – but I’d advise not going after them hard, and just picking them up late in packs.
Grim Initiate image 3.0 Like all these cards with Amass, you have to look at this as having one of two possibilities. One is that, when this dies, it makes a 1/1 token that has synergy with Amass payoffs and Proliferate. The other is that it makes your Army bigger. I think both of those options are pretty nice when attached to a one-drop with First Strike, and means that it has at least some usefulness all game long, even if that usefulness is never going to be earthshattering. It is also great if you are interested in sacrificing stuff, since it gives you two bodies.
Teyo's Lightshield image 2.5 A 3-mana ¼ is an ok deal, and a 3-mana 0/3 that puts a counter on something a little more meaningful is even better.
Ironclad Krovod image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with okayish stats. You hope you aren’t playing it.
Erratic Visionary image 1.5 This has a decent body and it loots. Looting can improve your draws in the late game, and that’s nice.
Giant Growth image 2.0 We don’t see combat tricks like this very often anymore. A single mana giving such a massive P/T boost is great, and will make a creature capable of winning almost any combat. The opportunity cost of leaving up one Green mana is really low, and the upside here is very high. It is still a combat trick, so it has some issues of being situational and easy to get blown out on.
Law-Rune Enforcer image 4.0 Any time we have seen master decoy around, it has been great – and in some ways, this is even better. For one thing, it is one fewer mana to cast for the same stats, and it only asks for colorless mana to tap things. Of course, the original Master Decoy can tap any creature – but tapping things with CMC 2 or greater is what you do with this kind of card any way, so that isn’t a huge downgrade. Being able to lock down your opponent’s best creature, or get problem blockers out of the way is huge, and in a lot of ways a card like Law-Rune Enforcer becomes a removal spell. This is an absolutely excellent common.
Tithebearer Giant image 3.0 Because this is fairly expensive and has mediocre stats you don’t normally want more than one of these, but the first copy is pretty nice. Because it draws you a card and has a reasonable body, you’re virtually always going to get a 2-for-1 out of this, and 2-for-1s go a long way towards helping you win.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Relentless Advance
Gideon's Triumph image 3.0 This is situational, but efficient. Keep in mind, by the way, that you can wait to use this until after combat is over – like if your opponent double blocks and you can only kill one of their creatures in combat, if you use this after the one creature died in combat, you can also get the second creature. Generally, your opponent will be attacking with and blocking with their largest creature, so I think overall this will do what you need it to.
Banehound image 1.0 This is the kind of card new players will overrate because on the surface it seems like a pretty great deal. I mean, a one mana 1/1 with two keyword abilities is somewhat tempting, right? Well, not really. That’s because these two particular keyword abilities, lifelink and haste, aren’t particularly useful on a 1/1. For both of those to be at their best, you want a bit more power, so the returns on having those two keyword abilities really doesn’t make this all that much better than having a vanilla 1-mana 1/1.
Martyr for the Cause image 3.0 This guy adds proliferate to a Grizzly Bear body, which means that he has some late-game relevance, even if he can just block and add a couple counters to your permanents that’s going to do something.
Charity Extractor image 1.5 This is a pretty good defensive card, and not a bad place to counters thanks to lifelink. But you’ll cut it a lot. It just doesn’t do enough.
Relentless Advance image 1.5 You have two possibilities here: one is that you just paid 4 to put 3 +1/+1 counters onto a Zombie Army token you already have, the other is that you paid 4 mana for a 3/3 – in other words, a Hill Giant. Sure, it has some synergy with populate and other cards with Amass, but neither of those deals would be a particularly attractive card in Limited.
Toll of the Invasion image 3.5 This card is an overperformer. Most discard spells in Limited aren’t super impressive, but you have to look at this one as a 3-mana 1/1 that lets you get rid of your opponents best non land card. This format has lots of powerful expensive cards, which means people have cards in hand even late, and the disruption this offers – while also adding to the board – is pretty nice.
Makeshift Battalion image 2.5 You’ll play this in an aggressive deck, but for the most part that type of deck isn’t great in this format. It just won’t always be easy to send in two additional creatures into combat, and it won’t be worth risking trades so much either since the payoff is just a +1/+1 counter. I’m not saying this is bad, just not something you should be excited about.
Spark Harvest image 3.5 This kills a bunch of cards in this format, and it can only cost one mana if you are willing to sacrifice something. Obviously killing walkers matters more in this format than in any other we have ever seen, and the ability to sacrifice a walker matters more too. A lot of the uncommon walkers eventually tick down to 1 loyalty, so turning them into fodder for this seems nice. It is made a lot better by the fact that you can also straight up pay 5 to destroy a creature or planeswalker.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Tamiyo's Epiphany
Law-Rune Enforcer image 4.0 Any time we have seen master decoy around, it has been great – and in some ways, this is even better. For one thing, it is one fewer mana to cast for the same stats, and it only asks for colorless mana to tap things. Of course, the original Master Decoy can tap any creature – but tapping things with CMC 2 or greater is what you do with this kind of card any way, so that isn’t a huge downgrade. Being able to lock down your opponent’s best creature, or get problem blockers out of the way is huge, and in a lot of ways a card like Law-Rune Enforcer becomes a removal spell. This is an absolutely excellent common.
Tamiyo's Epiphany image 3.0 This lets you see up to SIX cards in your deck for only 4 mana. That’s some pretty serious card selection, and not usually the kind we see at Common. Now, it is a Sorcery, which will sometimes make it really awkward. Like, you know, if you are getting beat down you don’t really want to be drawing the Epiphany. Still, I think the upside makes it worth playing one copy of in virtually every Blue deck. Going beyond one copy is probably a little dangerous.
Grim Initiate image 3.0 Like all these cards with Amass, you have to look at this as having one of two possibilities. One is that, when this dies, it makes a 1/1 token that has synergy with Amass payoffs and Proliferate. The other is that it makes your Army bigger. I think both of those options are pretty nice when attached to a one-drop with First Strike, and means that it has at least some usefulness all game long, even if that usefulness is never going to be earthshattering. It is also great if you are interested in sacrificing stuff, since it gives you two bodies.
Raging Kronch image 1.5 Usually when we see creatures who can’t attack alone they have more impressive stats than this. That said, usually creatures who can’t attack alone can’t block alone either – but this Kronch can. Obviously a fine card in an aggressive deck, and it cheaply triggers all the “ferocious” pay offs in the set.
Forced Landing image 0.5 This is an interesting version of the Green flyer hate sideboard card that every set has. Instead of just straight Plummet, this lets you put the creature on the bottom of their library – which is sometimes better, like if the creature has a death trigger or your opponent has ways to get stuff back from their graveyard. Still, this is mostly likely a sideboard card.
Stealth Mission image 1.0 I don’t like most versions of this card we see. Sure, you get a free swing in, and sometimes that will win you the game. But a lot of the time it just doesn’t matter. And it is super risky because it opens you up to the dreaded 2-for-1 in many situations if you aren’t careful.
Courage in Crisis image 2.0 If this was just 3-mana to put a counter on something at Sorcery speed, it would be an F or close to it. But you add proliferate to the mix and things get more interesting. Basically, at its worse, this gives you two +1/+1 counters at sorcery speed, and there will be plenty of times where it will add counters some other places too. That said, it does come with some pretty huge risk in that it can open you up to a 2-for-1 if you're not careful.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Callous Dismissal
Storm the Citadel image 1.0 I am not a big fan of this in Limited. 5 for +2/+2 at sorcery speed for your whole team is nothing special – an evasive ability like trample, or something like vigilance added to it would make it a lot better. As it is, I don’t see the combat damage trigger on this card mattering in most games. Yeah, I’m just not impressed, even if your deck can go wide, you hopefully have some better ways to take advantage of it than this.
Teferi's Time Twist image 1.0 This can do a variety of things, but most of the time they won’t be worth doing. Because this is an Instant, if your opponent tries to take down a planeswalker, you can use the Time Twist, both saving it and setting its loyalty back to what it was when it came into play. On top of that, Teferi’s Time Twist is also good with ETB creatures, can help your creature dodge a removal spell, and so on. I still am not very interested in playing it.
Lazotep Reaver image 3.0 This is a nice two drop. Two mana for 2/3 of stats divided across two bodies is a great deal, and it stays relevant all game long.
Blindblast image 1.5 Adding a card-draw effect to a card always makes it way more attractive, and I think that is certainly the case here. This can kill some small creatures, in which case you get a straight-up two-for-one, but my guess is that you'll usually just use this to make your opponent's best creature unable to block. That kind of effect is quite strong in aggressive Red decks, as sometimes you go from not being able to attack at all, to being able to attack with everything after a problem creature is removed from the equation. It still isn’t something you probably ever want more than one of, and you don’t want it all if you aren’t aggressive.
Callous Dismissal image 3.5 So, most of the time this is a two mana 1/1 that bounces an opposing creature. That’s great. Any time you can add to your board and subtract from your opponents’ with a single card, you’re going to be pretty happy about, and this does it pretty often.
Divine Arrow image 3.0 This is a removal spell that is situational, but it does the job pretty efficiently. You’ll never really cut the first copy of this, but being situational does hold it back from being premium.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Augur of Bolas
Augur of Bolas image 1.5 // 3.0 You need to be drawing a card with this like half the time for it to be worth. In other words, you need way more instants and sorceries than most decks are gonna have – which is like, 4 or 5. Now, it isn’t like the fail case for this card is abysmal, since it is still a two-mana 1/3, so it is passable even if you don’t get there, but obviously it is way better in a deck with lots of spells.
Law-Rune Enforcer image 4.0 Any time we have seen master decoy around, it has been great – and in some ways, this is even better. For one thing, it is one fewer mana to cast for the same stats, and it only asks for colorless mana to tap things. Of course, the original Master Decoy can tap any creature – but tapping things with CMC 2 or greater is what you do with this kind of card any way, so that isn’t a huge downgrade. Being able to lock down your opponent’s best creature, or get problem blockers out of the way is huge, and in a lot of ways a card like Law-Rune Enforcer becomes a removal spell. This is an absolutely excellent common.
Sorin's Thirst image 2.5 These types of removal spells are always nice. Killing small creatures at Instant speed and gaining some life is a pretty good deal. It isn’t quite premium, but its close.
Grim Initiate image 3.0 Like all these cards with Amass, you have to look at this as having one of two possibilities. One is that, when this dies, it makes a 1/1 token that has synergy with Amass payoffs and Proliferate. The other is that it makes your Army bigger. I think both of those options are pretty nice when attached to a one-drop with First Strike, and means that it has at least some usefulness all game long, even if that usefulness is never going to be earthshattering. It is also great if you are interested in sacrificing stuff, since it gives you two bodies.
Totally Lost image 1.5 We've seen this card a lot, and it is always kind of ok. Putting something on top of your library is better than just bouncing something, because it means you are replacing your opponent's draw, meaning you are trading one card for one card -- which is not the guess with regular bounce spells. Still, at 5 mana this is a bit clunky, though it can enable some nice blowouts in response to combat tricks and will be nice against Amass tokens.
Pack 2 Pick 11: Saheeli's Silverwing
Elite Guardmage image 3.5 This gives you a reasonable Flying body while also drawing you a card and gaining you life. This makes it easy for it to get you a glorious 2-for-1, while also giving you a reasonable threat.
Saheeli's Silverwing image 1.5 There isn’t enough of an artifact sub-theme in the set that you want to play sub-par cards just because they are artifacts, and that’s what this is. 4 mana for a 2/3 flyer is not a good rate, and the ETB ability it has is not the most relevant. It gives you some minor information, and that’s not enough to overcome these bad stats.
Teyo's Lightshield image 2.5 A 3-mana ¼ is an ok deal, and a 3-mana 0/3 that puts a counter on something a little more meaningful is even better.
Contentious Plan image 2.0 A cantrip with Proliferate is nice in this format. You’ll just almost always have something to put more counters on, and that will feel great since this just replaces itself.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Relentless Advance
Guild Globe image 1.5 This replaces itself and gives you some fixing. If you’re interested in splashing something this can help you do it.
Relentless Advance image 1.5 You have two possibilities here: one is that you just paid 4 to put 3 +1/+1 counters onto a Zombie Army token you already have, the other is that you paid 4 mana for a 3/3 – in other words, a Hill Giant. Sure, it has some synergy with populate and other cards with Amass, but neither of those deals would be a particularly attractive card in Limited.
Nahiri's Stoneblades image 0.0 I don't like tricks that don't help my creature survive combat. Only bumping power with no keyword added just isn’t worth it, even if you can pump two creatures.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Huatli, the Sun's Heart
Huatli, the Sun's Heart image 1.0 This is a high toughness build around in a set that doesn’t really have anything else pushing you in that direction. Gaining life with the loyalty ability isn’t that great, and the static ability normally won’t be upgrading your board.
Topple the Statue image 1.5 So, when we see 3 mana to tap something and draw a card at instant speed isn’t all that great. It does replace itself, and have a somewhat flexible effect, so that does save it from being completely terrible.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Law-Rune Enforcer
Law-Rune Enforcer image 4.0 Any time we have seen master decoy around, it has been great – and in some ways, this is even better. For one thing, it is one fewer mana to cast for the same stats, and it only asks for colorless mana to tap things. Of course, the original Master Decoy can tap any creature – but tapping things with CMC 2 or greater is what you do with this kind of card any way, so that isn’t a huge downgrade. Being able to lock down your opponent’s best creature, or get problem blockers out of the way is huge, and in a lot of ways a card like Law-Rune Enforcer becomes a removal spell. This is an absolutely excellent common.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves image 4.5 5 mana for 6/6 worth of stats, plus you gain 3 life, plus your wolf can kill something with 3 or less toughness, and in an ideal scenario, kills something small enough that it survives. There are also some other wolves running around in this set, so getting some additional value out of that doesn’t seem impossible.
Saheeli, Sublime Artificer image 2.0 // 4.0 This is one of the better spell payoffs in the whole set! Saheeli is one of the few walkers in this set where most of the value actually comes from her static ability, and not her loyalty ability. Making a 1/1 Servo every time you play a noncreature spell is really good, as it suddenly makes all those spells add to the board in addition to doing whatever else they are doing. Obviously she is a build around, but she is a really powerful one.
Flux Channeler image 1.5 // 3.5 A 3-mana 2/2, which is a horrendous statline, and it doesn’t get to help you proliferate right away or anything, at least not most of the time. That said, as soon as you play noncreatures – including planeswalkers, being able to add counters to stuff as a repeatable effect seems pretty nice. This is sort of a double build around – you need lots of counters and lots of non-creature spells to make it work, but when you can, it is a pretty great engine.
Bond of Insight image 0.0 // 2.5 This isn’t as good as it looks. This is because you will need a decent number of instants and sorceries for this card to actually do anything. Milling yourself and your opponent 4 cards just isn’t worth it if you aren’t also returning two instants and sorceries – even just returning one is pretty bad for 4 mana. If you have enough spells it does improve, though.
Ob Nixilis's Cruelty image 4.0 This is is Black’s obligatory premium common removal spell. 3 mana for -5/-5 is a great deal, especially at instant speed, and especially with the exile clause attached to it. The great thing about this kind of card too, is that it doesn’t have to outright kill a creature to give you value, sometimes, you can set up a block and use it to make your opponent’s creature smaller so yours survives in combat. Granted, -5/-5 is going to do the job on its own most of the time, but -X/-X Black removal spells always come with that bit of upside. This is probably the best Common in the set.
Defiant Strike image 1.0 Last time we saw this card, it was surprisingly good because it was in Khans of Tarkir, and the Prowess mechanic was all over the place, including on White cards. Not the case here though. +1/+0 is the kind of stat boost that will have very little impact on combat the majority of the time, and normally you want your combat tricks to make it more likely your creature wins combat against larger creatures-- and sure, this cycles itself, and that's what keeps it from being unplayable, but it still isn't very good.
Arboreal Grazer image 1.0 This kind of card tends to be pretty terrible in Limited. Getting to put a land in play will feel pretty good in the early game, but you aren’t actually netting a card there. It might get you ahead in the short-term, but it isn’t nearly as good as having a creature that is a mana dork, or one that searches up a land, its way worse. Then, in the late game, it is entirely useless! Mostly, don’t play this.
Gateway Plaza image 2.0 This is pretty good fixing, even if it does make you basically pay a mana for it.
Nahiri's Stoneblades image 0.0 I don't like tricks that don't help my creature survive combat. Only bumping power with no keyword added just isn’t worth it, even if you can pump two creatures.
Lazotep Reaver image 3.0 This is a nice two drop. Two mana for 2/3 of stats divided across two bodies is a great deal, and it stays relevant all game long.
Thunder Drake image 2.5 You generally want to be able to consistently get this up to ¾ for it to be worth it, and that’s fairly doable. Sometimes you will get the Drake late and be in top deck mode and that’s not so good, but it seems solid enough to me.
Honor the God-Pharaoh image 2.0 Tormenting Voice + Amass isn’t too bad. You get to add to the board while improving card quality, and that seems fine.
Rising Populace image 1.5 This sort of creature always seems to disappoint. 3-mana 2/2 is not a stat line you want to have, but it does slowly get bigger the longer the game goes on.
Battlefield Promotion image 1.0 Even though this set has a long of payoffs for +1/+1 counters, and a few for gaining life, I’m normally not interested in this. This is a relatively grindy format, and combat tricks like this just don’t work like you’d hope they would in other formats. You should mostly avoid this.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Ral's Outburst
Teferi, Time Raveler image 4.0 His static ability will probably hurt your opponent a little bit, and his +1 isn’t the most exciting, but I’m pretty interested in that -3. If this were 1WU for a sorcery that bounced an artifact, creature, or enchantment and drew you a card, it would probably be pretty good because that’s a great deal – it has flexibility and replaces itself, so you don’t only get tempo, you get a new card.
Ral's Outburst image 3.5 4 mana to do 3 at Instant speed is already playable, but the fact that this not only draws you a card, but even gives you a bit of card selection makes this great. It will always be a 2-for-1, and if you can’t kill a creature with it, you can still hit your opponent and try to dig for something.
Price of Betrayal image 0.5 Even in a set that has a ton of counters, it is pretty hard to consistently use Price of Betrayal to get rid of an opponents’ card. You’ll find yourself downgrading or weakening a card more often, and that just isn’t worth it.
Teferi's Time Twist image 1.0 This can do a variety of things, but most of the time they won’t be worth doing. Because this is an Instant, if your opponent tries to take down a planeswalker, you can use the Time Twist, both saving it and setting its loyalty back to what it was when it came into play. On top of that, Teferi’s Time Twist is also good with ETB creatures, can help your creature dodge a removal spell, and so on. I still am not very interested in playing it.
Toll of the Invasion image 3.5 This card is an overperformer. Most discard spells in Limited aren’t super impressive, but you have to look at this one as a 3-mana 1/1 that lets you get rid of your opponents best non land card. This format has lots of powerful expensive cards, which means people have cards in hand even late, and the disruption this offers – while also adding to the board – is pretty nice.
Blindblast image 1.5 Adding a card-draw effect to a card always makes it way more attractive, and I think that is certainly the case here. This can kill some small creatures, in which case you get a straight-up two-for-one, but my guess is that you'll usually just use this to make your opponent's best creature unable to block. That kind of effect is quite strong in aggressive Red decks, as sometimes you go from not being able to attack at all, to being able to attack with everything after a problem creature is removed from the equation. It still isn’t something you probably ever want more than one of, and you don’t want it all if you aren’t aggressive.
Forced Landing image 0.5 This is an interesting version of the Green flyer hate sideboard card that every set has. Instead of just straight Plummet, this lets you put the creature on the bottom of their library – which is sometimes better, like if the creature has a death trigger or your opponent has ways to get stuff back from their graveyard. Still, this is mostly likely a sideboard card.
Aven Eternal image 3.5 3-mana 2/2 flyers tend to be playable if that’s all they are. Adding Amass here is great, and will give you a great deal whether you put a counter on an Army already in play or you make a token.
Law-Rune Enforcer image 4.0 Any time we have seen master decoy around, it has been great – and in some ways, this is even better. For one thing, it is one fewer mana to cast for the same stats, and it only asks for colorless mana to tap things. Of course, the original Master Decoy can tap any creature – but tapping things with CMC 2 or greater is what you do with this kind of card any way, so that isn’t a huge downgrade. Being able to lock down your opponent’s best creature, or get problem blockers out of the way is huge, and in a lot of ways a card like Law-Rune Enforcer becomes a removal spell. This is an absolutely excellent common.
Grim Initiate image 3.0 Like all these cards with Amass, you have to look at this as having one of two possibilities. One is that, when this dies, it makes a 1/1 token that has synergy with Amass payoffs and Proliferate. The other is that it makes your Army bigger. I think both of those options are pretty nice when attached to a one-drop with First Strike, and means that it has at least some usefulness all game long, even if that usefulness is never going to be earthshattering. It is also great if you are interested in sacrificing stuff, since it gives you two bodies.
Vraska's Finisher image 3.0 This type of card does not normally impress me, but Vraska’s Finisher really does well in this format. With all the planeswalkers around, Vraska’s ability to destroy the ones that have been damaged on your turn is pretty great, especially because people often let through damage on a planeswalker if it doesn’t kill it. When you do that, you don’t end up using up a card to kill the walker. Generally, if you are using this to kill a creature, you do use up another card to make it get damaged, but still, sometimes that’s worth doing.
Kraul Stinger image 1.5 This can trade with anything, but being a 3-mana 2/2 isn’t so good. One mana 1/1 death touchers are way better, because you can always trade up.
Ashiok's Skulker image 1.5 2-mana 1/3 flyers are usually alright, and this can pump your whole team in the late game. It is decent filler.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Spellgorger Weird
Price of Betrayal image 0.5 Even in a set that has a ton of counters, it is pretty hard to consistently use Price of Betrayal to get rid of an opponents’ card. You’ll find yourself downgrading or weakening a card more often, and that just isn’t worth it.
Bond of Passion image 1.5 So, this is expensive and clunky, but I don’t think you’ll hate yourself if you run one in your Red decks. In a lot of situations, it will result in a huge damage turn for you. Between killing a small creature and stealing your opponent’s best creature, this should do a lot of work. But it is pretty expensive and doesn’t always do as much as you’d like.
Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage image 2.5 So, if I could pay 3 mana and make my opponent discard 3 upfront, that would be a great card. But how about an Enchantment that makes my opponent discard (potentially at least) one time each turn for 3 turns? And that punishes the opponent for now having cards in their hand? I think that’s a pretty decent card. The fact that on the face of it, Davriel can function as a 3-for-1 makes me interested in him from the start. He does have low loyalty, and if you can’t protect him at all that might be annoying – but at worst, he is going to give you a 1-for-1. Sometiems in the late game the discard part won’t do anything, and that’s something that hurts most discard spells – but in Davriel’s case, he punishes people for not having cards, so he still does something in those cases.
Charmed Stray image 1.0 // 2.5 This is only going to be worth it if you end up with 3+ of them, as a one -mana 1/1 with lifelink just doesn’t do enough to be worth a card. If you do have multiple copies, they do get better – but I’d advise not going after them hard, and just picking them up late in packs.
Gideon's Sacrifice image 0.0 This card is way too finnicky to be worth it in Limited. It is basically a fog that kills one of your creatures – it has a little more upside than Fog, but it just won’t be worth it very often. You have to 2-for-1 or 2-for-none yourself to use it, and I’m gonna pass on that.
Nahiri's Stoneblades image 0.0 I don't like tricks that don't help my creature survive combat. Only bumping power with no keyword added just isn’t worth it, even if you can pump two creatures.
Duskmantle Operative image 1.5 This is a bear with some reasonable but unexciting upside.
Contentious Plan image 2.0 A cantrip with Proliferate is nice in this format. You’ll just almost always have something to put more counters on, and that will feel great since this just replaces itself.
Spellgorger Weird image 1.0 // 3.5 I do think this needs two grades, as you need a critical mass of instants and sorceries to really get there. Sure, if you get it to 3/3 you’re doing alright, but obviously you want a deck with 7+ instants and sorceries to fully take advantage of this thing. Doesn’t hurt that it has synergy with proliferate either!
Goblin Assault Team image 1.5 So, a 4-mana 4/1 with Haste would normally not be so good -- maybe it can get in for 4 once or something, but then it dies to literally everything. However, because this also leaves a +1/+1 counter behind, it helps you get around that downside. There is also additional upside here in the fact that it can trade for a ton of stuff with 4 power -- any time you can trade for something decently sized with this and get the counter, you're going to feel ok about things. I'm not sure you'll ever want more than one of these, but the first of these seems like a reasonable inclusion in most Red decks.
Jaya's Greeting image 4.0 Two mana to do 3 to something at Instant speed is already premium, so adding Scry is just icing on the cake.
Gateway Plaza image 2.0 This is pretty good fixing, even if it does make you basically pay a mana for it.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Spellkeeper Weird
Dreadmalkin image 2.0 This can get pretty big, which is pretty nice with Menace. Even just attacking with it with some mana up will sometimes give your opponent a headache. The sacrifice effect is pretty steep, but the goods is with Amass it will have plenty of tokens to gobble up if it wants them. Still, this kind of “eggs in one basket” strategy can easily backfire in Limited.
Augur of Bolas image 1.5 // 3.0 You need to be drawing a card with this like half the time for it to be worth. In other words, you need way more instants and sorceries than most decks are gonna have – which is like, 4 or 5. Now, it isn’t like the fail case for this card is abysmal, since it is still a two-mana 1/3, so it is passable even if you don’t get there, but obviously it is way better in a deck with lots of spells.
Guild Globe image 1.5 This replaces itself and gives you some fixing. If you’re interested in splashing something this can help you do it.
Aid the Fallen image 2.0 To play this, you want to be consistently getting back both a creature and a planeswalker. The good news is, that isn’t super hard to do in this format. This is the kind of card that is terrible early but really good late, and most Black decks want one copy of this to help them have that nice late game.
Demolish image 0.0 I always try to give this a sideboard grade, but the reality is – you will never side this in in this set. There aren’t enough artifacts or problem lands, so most of the time this reads “Pay 4 mana, discard this and do almost nothing.”
Defiant Strike image 1.0 Last time we saw this card, it was surprisingly good because it was in Khans of Tarkir, and the Prowess mechanic was all over the place, including on White cards. Not the case here though. +1/+0 is the kind of stat boost that will have very little impact on combat the majority of the time, and normally you want your combat tricks to make it more likely your creature wins combat against larger creatures-- and sure, this cycles itself, and that's what keeps it from being unplayable, but it still isn't very good.
Vraska's Finisher image 3.0 This type of card does not normally impress me, but Vraska’s Finisher really does well in this format. With all the planeswalkers around, Vraska’s ability to destroy the ones that have been damaged on your turn is pretty great, especially because people often let through damage on a planeswalker if it doesn’t kill it. When you do that, you don’t end up using up a card to kill the walker. Generally, if you are using this to kill a creature, you do use up another card to make it get damaged, but still, sometimes that’s worth doing.
Arboreal Grazer image 1.0 This kind of card tends to be pretty terrible in Limited. Getting to put a land in play will feel pretty good in the early game, but you aren’t actually netting a card there. It might get you ahead in the short-term, but it isn’t nearly as good as having a creature that is a mana dork, or one that searches up a land, its way worse. Then, in the late game, it is entirely useless! Mostly, don’t play this.
Heartfire image 1.5 Two mana to do 4 to anything at Instant speed would be premium removal. This asks you to do a little more work than that though, wanting you to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker to use it. Now, it looks like the RB deck is going to be interested in doing some sacrificing, and will also have creatures that are good to sacrifice, so maybe that's the best place for it. But either way, I think this is an alright card -- what saves it from being outright bad is the fact that it is an Instant, and the fact it can go to your opponent' face. As an Instant, it can be used in situations where losing the creature isn't as much of a downside -- like after you block something first, then sacrifice the creature to kill something else. The most attractive time to use this is in response to your opponent's removal of course. But still, even in those "ideal" situations, you're not really getting a 2-for-1. To do that you'll need to be giving up tokens.
Tamiyo's Epiphany image 3.0 This lets you see up to SIX cards in your deck for only 4 mana. That’s some pretty serious card selection, and not usually the kind we see at Common. Now, it is a Sorcery, which will sometimes make it really awkward. Like, you know, if you are getting beat down you don’t really want to be drawing the Epiphany. Still, I think the upside makes it worth playing one copy of in virtually every Blue deck. Going beyond one copy is probably a little dangerous.
Spellkeeper Weird image 2.0 A 3-mana ¼ has some not entirely horrendous defensive stats, and this one comes with the ability to get back key spells – with removal spells being the most interesting. While I think this will probably be best in a UR spells deck, I think most Blue decks in this format will probably run enough instants and sorceries for the Weird to be a solid inclusion in the deck.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Chandra's Triumph
Chandra's Triumph image 4.0 Two mana to do 3 to something at Instant speed is always a good removal spell. This isn’t quite lightning strike, because it doesn’t hit players, but it is still pretty good. The upside on it will happen on occasion, since Chandra is at Rare instead of Mythic Rare, but it still won’t be happening with any sort of regularity, so mostly – this is just a Lightning Strike that can’t hit players…which is still a really good card.
Defiant Strike image 1.0 Last time we saw this card, it was surprisingly good because it was in Khans of Tarkir, and the Prowess mechanic was all over the place, including on White cards. Not the case here though. +1/+0 is the kind of stat boost that will have very little impact on combat the majority of the time, and normally you want your combat tricks to make it more likely your creature wins combat against larger creatures-- and sure, this cycles itself, and that's what keeps it from being unplayable, but it still isn't very good.
Giant Growth image 2.0 We don’t see combat tricks like this very often anymore. A single mana giving such a massive P/T boost is great, and will make a creature capable of winning almost any combat. The opportunity cost of leaving up one Green mana is really low, and the upside here is very high. It is still a combat trick, so it has some issues of being situational and easy to get blown out on.
Vampire Opportunist image 1.5 This starts with some mediocre stats, and it has a late game ability that is pretty expensive. That said, it isn’t the worst mana sink to have, as it can really close out a game in tight situations.
Aven Eternal image 3.5 3-mana 2/2 flyers tend to be playable if that’s all they are. Adding Amass here is great, and will give you a great deal whether you put a counter on an Army already in play or you make a token.
Samut's Sprint image 1.5 This is just red’s obligatory solid combat trick that will be nice in aggro decks. +2/+1 is enough of a boost for a creature to win a lot of combats, and the additional Haste upside doesn’t hurt. Still, it IS a combat trick and it comes with all the inherent risks that combat tricks have they are inherently situational and come with the risk of a 2-for-1 that blows you out.
Aid the Fallen image 2.0 To play this, you want to be consistently getting back both a creature and a planeswalker. The good news is, that isn’t super hard to do in this format. This is the kind of card that is terrible early but really good late, and most Black decks want one copy of this to help them have that nice late game.
Totally Lost image 1.5 We've seen this card a lot, and it is always kind of ok. Putting something on top of your library is better than just bouncing something, because it means you are replacing your opponent's draw, meaning you are trading one card for one card -- which is not the guess with regular bounce spells. Still, at 5 mana this is a bit clunky, though it can enable some nice blowouts in response to combat tricks and will be nice against Amass tokens.
Topple the Statue image 1.5 So, when we see 3 mana to tap something and draw a card at instant speed isn’t all that great. It does replace itself, and have a somewhat flexible effect, so that does save it from being completely terrible.
Sorin's Thirst image 2.5 These types of removal spells are always nice. Killing small creatures at Instant speed and gaining some life is a pretty good deal. It isn’t quite premium, but its close.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Spellgorger Weird
Ashiok, Dream Render image 4.0 This planeswalker can be a win condition for control decks, pretty much all on its own. If you get other ways to mill your opponents, it becomes even easier! Mill cards normally just aren’t great in Limited, but there is enough support in this set and Ashiok is powerful enough that it is a very really way to win games in this format.
Devouring Hellion image 2.0 This has a pretty abysmal floor, as a 3-mana 2/2, but with just one sacrificed creature or planeswalker, it is a 4/4, and it scales up from there. The ideal thing is to sacrifice something that isn’t worth having around anymore – like an uncommon Planeswalker with only 1 loyalty left, or a creature with a death trigger, or a creature token, or a creature with an aura-based removal spell on it. Problem is, you just won’t always be able to set that up, even in the most synergistic of decks there will be times where this just isn’t worth doing, and because of that I have a hard time thinking of it as anything more than a solid playable.
Tamiyo's Epiphany image 3.0 This lets you see up to SIX cards in your deck for only 4 mana. That’s some pretty serious card selection, and not usually the kind we see at Common. Now, it is a Sorcery, which will sometimes make it really awkward. Like, you know, if you are getting beat down you don’t really want to be drawing the Epiphany. Still, I think the upside makes it worth playing one copy of in virtually every Blue deck. Going beyond one copy is probably a little dangerous.
Stealth Mission image 1.0 I don’t like most versions of this card we see. Sure, you get a free swing in, and sometimes that will win you the game. But a lot of the time it just doesn’t matter. And it is super risky because it opens you up to the dreaded 2-for-1 in many situations if you aren’t careful.
Chandra's Pyrohelix image 3.5 We’ve seen this exact card and others like it a few times, and it is always good. Being able to kill an X/2 is nice, being able to go to your opponent’s face is nice too when it will finish them off. Most formats also have enough X/1s in them that you can get a 2-for-1 with this a decent chunk of the time. I think that for me, this gets into the lower range of “premium removal,” and is first pickable in some weaker packs.
Samut's Sprint image 1.5 This is just red’s obligatory solid combat trick that will be nice in aggro decks. +2/+1 is enough of a boost for a creature to win a lot of combats, and the additional Haste upside doesn’t hurt. Still, it IS a combat trick and it comes with all the inherent risks that combat tricks have they are inherently situational and come with the risk of a 2-for-1 that blows you out.
Duskmantle Operative image 1.5 This is a bear with some reasonable but unexciting upside.
Spellgorger Weird image 1.0 // 3.5 I do think this needs two grades, as you need a critical mass of instants and sorceries to really get there. Sure, if you get it to 3/3 you’re doing alright, but obviously you want a deck with 7+ instants and sorceries to fully take advantage of this thing. Doesn’t hurt that it has synergy with proliferate either!
Bulwark Giant image 1.5 Well, this is the kind of card that really stabilize you against an aggressive deck. 5 life is huge against decks intent on ending the game quickly, and a 3/6 is no small roadblock. Obviously, this is primarily a defensive card, and not something every White deck is after.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Rescuer Sphinx
Rescuer Sphinx image 3.5 4-mana 3/2 with Flying isn’t a terrible place to start, and this does more than that! Returning one of your permanents to your hand can give you some value – either by making an Aura-based removal spell fall off, or by taking advantage of an ETB ability. In this set, you can also add Planeswalkers to the list, who you can bounce when they are low on loyalty. Plus, the Sphinx gets a +1/+1 counter out of the deal if it does that.
Elite Guardmage image 3.5 This gives you a reasonable Flying body while also drawing you a card and gaining you life. This makes it easy for it to get you a glorious 2-for-1, while also giving you a reasonable threat.
Shriekdiver image 1.5 A 3-mana 2/1 with Flying is kind of ok, and you can make this one into a 4-mana 2/1 with Flying and Haste which is…also ok.
Crush Dissent image 1.5 As good as Amass is in this format, I don’t like this card a whole lot. Counters that let your opponent pay mana to ignore them have to be really efficient in Limited, since they will become weaker and weaker as the game goes on. Now, the fail case here is that you still get to Amass, and that keeps it from being unplayable.
Honor the God-Pharaoh image 2.0 Tormenting Voice + Amass isn’t too bad. You get to add to the board while improving card quality, and that seems fine.
Contentious Plan image 2.0 A cantrip with Proliferate is nice in this format. You’ll just almost always have something to put more counters on, and that will feel great since this just replaces itself.
Stealth Mission image 1.0 I don’t like most versions of this card we see. Sure, you get a free swing in, and sometimes that will win you the game. But a lot of the time it just doesn’t matter. And it is super risky because it opens you up to the dreaded 2-for-1 in many situations if you aren’t careful.
Totally Lost image 1.5 We've seen this card a lot, and it is always kind of ok. Putting something on top of your library is better than just bouncing something, because it means you are replacing your opponent's draw, meaning you are trading one card for one card -- which is not the guess with regular bounce spells. Still, at 5 mana this is a bit clunky, though it can enable some nice blowouts in response to combat tricks and will be nice against Amass tokens.
Pack 3 Pick 8: Cyclops Electromancer
Cyclops Electromancer image 1.0 // 3.5 So, I think this is the kind of card that needs two grades. If you are playing a deck that has a fairly standard 2-4 instants or sorceries in it, this is going to be almost unplayable. Basically, I think you want to have at least 2 instants and sorceries in your graveyard when you play this, as that gives you a good chance to kill a creature -- it needs to be doing that, because 5 for a 4/2 is obviously not so good. If you end up in a spell-heavy deck, which it looks like UR wants to be in this format, though, this will be one of the best cards in your deck, and will do an impressive Flame-Tongue Kavu impression.
Dreadhorde Twins image 3.5 4 mana for 4/4 worth of stats, and a at least a 2/2 that has Trample is a pretty decent deal. Plus, in the event you have an even larger Army in play, this giving it Trample is some pretty great upside, especially because it can take advantage of it right away.
Banehound image 1.0 This is the kind of card new players will overrate because on the surface it seems like a pretty great deal. I mean, a one mana 1/1 with two keyword abilities is somewhat tempting, right? Well, not really. That’s because these two particular keyword abilities, lifelink and haste, aren’t particularly useful on a 1/1. For both of those to be at their best, you want a bit more power, so the returns on having those two keyword abilities really doesn’t make this all that much better than having a vanilla 1-mana 1/1.
Crush Dissent image 1.5 As good as Amass is in this format, I don’t like this card a whole lot. Counters that let your opponent pay mana to ignore them have to be really efficient in Limited, since they will become weaker and weaker as the game goes on. Now, the fail case here is that you still get to Amass, and that keeps it from being unplayable.
Duskmantle Operative image 1.5 This is a bear with some reasonable but unexciting upside.
Tamiyo's Epiphany image 3.0 This lets you see up to SIX cards in your deck for only 4 mana. That’s some pretty serious card selection, and not usually the kind we see at Common. Now, it is a Sorcery, which will sometimes make it really awkward. Like, you know, if you are getting beat down you don’t really want to be drawing the Epiphany. Still, I think the upside makes it worth playing one copy of in virtually every Blue deck. Going beyond one copy is probably a little dangerous.
Ironclad Krovod image 1.0 This is a vanilla creature with okayish stats. You hope you aren’t playing it.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Bond of Insight
Bond of Insight image 0.0 // 2.5 This isn’t as good as it looks. This is because you will need a decent number of instants and sorceries for this card to actually do anything. Milling yourself and your opponent 4 cards just isn’t worth it if you aren’t also returning two instants and sorceries – even just returning one is pretty bad for 4 mana. If you have enough spells it does improve, though.
Defiant Strike image 1.0 Last time we saw this card, it was surprisingly good because it was in Khans of Tarkir, and the Prowess mechanic was all over the place, including on White cards. Not the case here though. +1/+0 is the kind of stat boost that will have very little impact on combat the majority of the time, and normally you want your combat tricks to make it more likely your creature wins combat against larger creatures-- and sure, this cycles itself, and that's what keeps it from being unplayable, but it still isn't very good.
Arboreal Grazer image 1.0 This kind of card tends to be pretty terrible in Limited. Getting to put a land in play will feel pretty good in the early game, but you aren’t actually netting a card there. It might get you ahead in the short-term, but it isn’t nearly as good as having a creature that is a mana dork, or one that searches up a land, its way worse. Then, in the late game, it is entirely useless! Mostly, don’t play this.
Gateway Plaza image 2.0 This is pretty good fixing, even if it does make you basically pay a mana for it.
Nahiri's Stoneblades image 0.0 I don't like tricks that don't help my creature survive combat. Only bumping power with no keyword added just isn’t worth it, even if you can pump two creatures.
Battlefield Promotion image 1.0 Even though this set has a long of payoffs for +1/+1 counters, and a few for gaining life, I’m normally not interested in this. This is a relatively grindy format, and combat tricks like this just don’t work like you’d hope they would in other formats. You should mostly avoid this.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Aven Eternal
Teferi's Time Twist image 1.0 This can do a variety of things, but most of the time they won’t be worth doing. Because this is an Instant, if your opponent tries to take down a planeswalker, you can use the Time Twist, both saving it and setting its loyalty back to what it was when it came into play. On top of that, Teferi’s Time Twist is also good with ETB creatures, can help your creature dodge a removal spell, and so on. I still am not very interested in playing it.
Toll of the Invasion image 3.5 This card is an overperformer. Most discard spells in Limited aren’t super impressive, but you have to look at this one as a 3-mana 1/1 that lets you get rid of your opponents best non land card. This format has lots of powerful expensive cards, which means people have cards in hand even late, and the disruption this offers – while also adding to the board – is pretty nice.
Blindblast image 1.5 Adding a card-draw effect to a card always makes it way more attractive, and I think that is certainly the case here. This can kill some small creatures, in which case you get a straight-up two-for-one, but my guess is that you'll usually just use this to make your opponent's best creature unable to block. That kind of effect is quite strong in aggressive Red decks, as sometimes you go from not being able to attack at all, to being able to attack with everything after a problem creature is removed from the equation. It still isn’t something you probably ever want more than one of, and you don’t want it all if you aren’t aggressive.
Aven Eternal image 3.5 3-mana 2/2 flyers tend to be playable if that’s all they are. Adding Amass here is great, and will give you a great deal whether you put a counter on an Army already in play or you make a token.
Ashiok's Skulker image 1.5 2-mana 1/3 flyers are usually alright, and this can pump your whole team in the late game. It is decent filler.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Bond of Passion
Price of Betrayal image 0.5 Even in a set that has a ton of counters, it is pretty hard to consistently use Price of Betrayal to get rid of an opponents’ card. You’ll find yourself downgrading or weakening a card more often, and that just isn’t worth it.
Bond of Passion image 1.5 So, this is expensive and clunky, but I don’t think you’ll hate yourself if you run one in your Red decks. In a lot of situations, it will result in a huge damage turn for you. Between killing a small creature and stealing your opponent’s best creature, this should do a lot of work. But it is pretty expensive and doesn’t always do as much as you’d like.
Gideon's Sacrifice image 0.0 This card is way too finnicky to be worth it in Limited. It is basically a fog that kills one of your creatures – it has a little more upside than Fog, but it just won’t be worth it very often. You have to 2-for-1 or 2-for-none yourself to use it, and I’m gonna pass on that.
Goblin Assault Team image 1.5 So, a 4-mana 4/1 with Haste would normally not be so good -- maybe it can get in for 4 once or something, but then it dies to literally everything. However, because this also leaves a +1/+1 counter behind, it helps you get around that downside. There is also additional upside here in the fact that it can trade for a ton of stuff with 4 power -- any time you can trade for something decently sized with this and get the counter, you're going to feel ok about things. I'm not sure you'll ever want more than one of these, but the first of these seems like a reasonable inclusion in most Red decks.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Augur of Bolas
Augur of Bolas image 1.5 // 3.0 You need to be drawing a card with this like half the time for it to be worth. In other words, you need way more instants and sorceries than most decks are gonna have – which is like, 4 or 5. Now, it isn’t like the fail case for this card is abysmal, since it is still a two-mana 1/3, so it is passable even if you don’t get there, but obviously it is way better in a deck with lots of spells.
Demolish image 0.0 I always try to give this a sideboard grade, but the reality is – you will never side this in in this set. There aren’t enough artifacts or problem lands, so most of the time this reads “Pay 4 mana, discard this and do almost nothing.”
Heartfire image 1.5 Two mana to do 4 to anything at Instant speed would be premium removal. This asks you to do a little more work than that though, wanting you to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker to use it. Now, it looks like the RB deck is going to be interested in doing some sacrificing, and will also have creatures that are good to sacrifice, so maybe that's the best place for it. But either way, I think this is an alright card -- what saves it from being outright bad is the fact that it is an Instant, and the fact it can go to your opponent' face. As an Instant, it can be used in situations where losing the creature isn't as much of a downside -- like after you block something first, then sacrifice the creature to kill something else. The most attractive time to use this is in response to your opponent's removal of course. But still, even in those "ideal" situations, you're not really getting a 2-for-1. To do that you'll need to be giving up tokens.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Vampire Opportunist
Vampire Opportunist image 1.5 This starts with some mediocre stats, and it has a late game ability that is pretty expensive. That said, it isn’t the worst mana sink to have, as it can really close out a game in tight situations.
Topple the Statue image 1.5 So, when we see 3 mana to tap something and draw a card at instant speed isn’t all that great. It does replace itself, and have a somewhat flexible effect, so that does save it from being completely terrible.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Devouring Hellion
Devouring Hellion image 2.0 This has a pretty abysmal floor, as a 3-mana 2/2, but with just one sacrificed creature or planeswalker, it is a 4/4, and it scales up from there. The ideal thing is to sacrifice something that isn’t worth having around anymore – like an uncommon Planeswalker with only 1 loyalty left, or a creature with a death trigger, or a creature token, or a creature with an aura-based removal spell on it. Problem is, you just won’t always be able to set that up, even in the most synergistic of decks there will be times where this just isn’t worth doing, and because of that I have a hard time thinking of it as anything more than a solid playable.
Draft Pick Overview