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Premier Draft M19 27.mars 2021

27 March 12:20 - spoon836 7 Wins - 0 Losses
Maindeck
Creature (14)
2 Deathbloom Thallid image
1 Fetid Imp image
1 Skymarch Bloodletter image
1 Hired Blade image
1 Skeleton Archer image
1 Infectious Horror image
1 Dread Presence image
1 Sanitarium Skeleton image
1 Blood Burglar image
1 Vengeful Warchief image
1 Gravedigger image
1 Kitesail Freebooter image
1 Carrion Grub image
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (9)
1 Sanctum of Stone Fangs image
1 Village Rites image
1 Finishing Blow image
1 Lich's Caress image
1 Rise from the Grave image
1 Mind Rot image
1 Disfigure image
1 Murder image
1 Grasp of Darkness image
Planeswalker (1)
1 Liliana, Waker of the Dead image
Land (16)
16 Swamp image
Sideboard
1 Volley Veteran image
1 Catalyst Elemental image
1 Daggersail Aeronaut image
1 Chandra's Magmutt image
1 Gargos, Vicious Watcher image
1 Lava Axe image
1 Abnormal Endurance image
1 Infernal Scarring image
1 Alchemist's Gift image
1 Isolate image
1 Brought Back image
1 Leyline of Anticipation image
1 Thought Distortion image
1 Duress image
1 Crash Through image
1 Infernal Scarring image
1 Mind Rot image
1 Highland Lake image
1 Chandra, Novice Pyromancer image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Volley Veteran
Mistcaller image 0.0 This is just a one-mana 1/1, and nothing more, so you don’t want to play it.
Skilled Animator image 2.5 You generally need to be animating something with this for it to be worthwhile, and it isn’t as easy as you’d think, just because there aren’t an overwhelming number of great artifacts in this format. Still, it does the job often enough that it tends to be pretty solid.
Novice Knight image 1.5 This can be a reasonable blocker in the early game, and then in the late game it can sometimes lose its defender to actually do something. Overall, this isn’t great. You’re going to usually have better things around to put your Auras and Equipment on, as the bonus here just being “loses defender” really isn’t that impressive compared to putting them on something with a keyword ability.
Volley Veteran image 1.5 // 3.5 So obviously, this is something of a build around, but there are enough goblins around for this to do 2 damage a decent chunk of the time. Either way, though, this has a reasonable floor, as a 4-mana 4/2 that does 1 to a creature it can pick things up, do 1 last damage and so forth. Obviously it hasn’t an even higher ceiling of MORE than 2 damage, but this set doesn’t have so much Goblin support that that will be a regular occurrence.
Goblin Instigator image 3.0 So I THINK this is basically a better Dragon Fodder or Krenko’s Command. Why better? Because if you can find a way to do it, you can abuse the ETB trigger on these to get more Goblins. Either way, this card’s good. As a two-drop that brings you two bodies, it is good at basically all stages – it also provides sacrifice fodder for the RB deck.
Aviation Pioneer image 3.0 Paying 3-mana for 2/3 worth of stats, and the 1/1 has flying is a pretty nice deal. It is also one of the better enablers for the UW artifact deck, since it gives you an evasive artifact creature so cheaply.
Mind Rot image 0.5 Mind Rot just isn’t very good in Limited these days. You get a 2-for-1, but the cost of doing that early is that you don’t add to your board, which can be a huge liability. Then, in the late game is useless. You can sometimes find a situation where siding it in makes sense – like against a control deck that holds on to lots of cards.
Luminous Bonds image 4.0 Bonds is premium removal and one of the best commons in this set.
Hired Blade image 1.5 You can flash this in to kill some stuff, but it isn’t the best ambush blocker as a 3/2. It can only survive blocking one power creatures, so most of the time it is just sort of a super conditional removal spell with some creature upside. Which is fine, but not something that always makes your deck.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a nice combat trick. But it is still a combat trick that comes with a lot of inherent risk and requires your opponent to play into it to actually take an opponent’s creature away from that.
Dwindle image 2.5 This is not the best removal, but it is kind of passable. Three mana to give something -6/-0 is not the greatest rate ever, since the creature can still use abilities and block, but at least it will only do that last thing once, since it will die when it blocks. Still, 3 mana is a lot to not be able to really get rid of a creature. Don’t underestimate how much worse it is to let a creature you have “removed” block, even if it does die right away.
Rustwing Falcon image 1.5 There’s always sort of a card like this where talking about the Vanilla test/French Vanilla test is important – this card isn’t good. I mean yeah, it’s a one mana ½ with flying, maybe that’s more than you expect to get for one mana, and hey at least it is relevant in the late game because evasion. But the problem is that a ½ quickly gets outmatched. Sure, if your opponent has like no flyers or something maybe it remains relevant – but in most cases it will quickly get outclassed by like turn 3, at which point it is useless. In the most aggressive decks around, you can play this, but everyone else should avoid it.
Sure Strike image 2.0 This is always a serviceable combat trick that basically wins you any combat. In exchange, it isn’t the kind of trick that can save your creature for removal.
Angel of the Dawn image 3.5 A 5-mana 3/3 flyer that pumps your whole board and gives it vigilance is kind of nuts for a common, so I’m surprised to see it at that rarity again after Dawnfeather Eagle. Even when you just have like 2 other creatures in play this is nice, and it gets crazy if you’re going really wide. It is great in a race, because it lets you smash into your opponent without giving up blockers. This is one of White’s best Commons.
Foul Orchard image 2.5 These are all good fixing, and are worth playing even in two-color decks because making your mana better is a big deal.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Lich's Caress
Sift image 2.5 This is a fine draw spell if you’re a control deck in the market for one of those.
Millstone image 0.0 This generally won’t be able to mill your opponent out on its own, so don’t play it. Spending mana on this kind of thing is a bad idea when you could be adding to your board.
Horizon Scholar image 3.5 This isn’t the best rate for a 4/4 flyer, but it make sup for that by letting you Scry when it comes into play.
Lich's Caress image 3.0 This is a good removal spell. Sure, it is a little bit clunky at 5 mana, but It even does a good job of making up for the fact that you may well have to take your entire turn to cast it by gaining you some life, which makes up at least a little bit for the fact that you may not get to advance your board the turn you cast it.
Onakke Ogre image 2.0 This might look like a throwaway vanilla creature, but 3-mana for a 4/2 is a passable statline, especially in a set that has a 4 power or more archetype, and this one does!
Loxodon Line Breaker image 1.0 This is just a vanilla creature with mediocre stats. You’ll play this in a world where you can’t seem to find yourself enough playables or enough creatures, but in an ideal world you’re never playing it.
Oakenform image 1.5 This gives a nice stats boost for the mana, but I think steering clear of this Aura is the right thing most of the time. Unless you have Vine Mare of course.
Dwarven Priest image 2.0 4-mana for a 2/4 isn’t terribly off-rate, and in a worst-case this is a 4-mana 2/4 that gains you 1 life. You can definitely go wider and gain a bunch with it too. This can sometimes help you stabilize, and fits especially well in the BW lifegain deck.
Infectious Horror image 0.0 A 4-mana 2/2 is terrible on the vanilla test – so surely it does SOMETHING right? Well, I guess it does technically do “something” – but that “something” isn’t much. Making your opponent lose 2 when this attacks is just not good, since they will be able to easily block and kill this on almost any board state. There aren’t a lot of creatures in Limited that are stone unplayable, but this is one of them.
Cavalry Drillmaster image 3.0 A two-mana 2/1 isn’t great, but this card gets some serious points for also being relevant in the latter part of the game. +2/+0 and first strike is enough to make most creatures a problem for your opponent to block, so chances are he’s going to come down and get you an attack you wouldn’t have had otherwise, in addition to offering up a body that can trade with a ton of things.
Field Creeper image 1.5 This isn’t efficient, but this format has an artifact deck, which means this makes the cut sometimes.
Duress image 0.5 As usual, this is a sideboard card. Most decks don’t have enough cards this can hit.
Disperse image 2.5 The flexibility of bouncing any nonland permanent at instant speed is nice, and two mana is a fair cost for that. You can just do a ton of things with it. Bounce spells frequently just give you some tempo – that is, they play like an 5-drop and you pay tow mana to make them do it again – and that’s nice. But that’s really just the base of this card. Sometimes you can actually trade cards with your opponent, or blow them out – like if they try to put an aura on something or use a combat trick. Those situations will arise, so be ready for them in this format.
Stone Quarry image 2.5 These are all good fixing, and are worth playing even in two-color decks because making your mana better is a big deal.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Isolate
Isolate image 0.0 This doesn’t kill enough in Limited to ever be worth it.
Aegis of the Heavens image 1.0 This gives a huge boost to toughness, one which means your creature will pretty much always survive combat, but the fact that it only boosts power by one also means your creature won’t always be winning combat. In other words, you’ll use this up a lot just to save a creature, and that’s often not going to be worth a card. It IS more worth it if you use it against damage-based removal, but that’s still only one type of removal that this does anything about. Aura-based removal and “destroy” effects will still do their thing. Overall, this often plays out as a one-creature fog, and that’s not really worth it most of the time.
Tectonic Rift image 1.0 Blowing up lands is terrible in Limited, but the “can’t block” part of the card will appeal to some aggressive decks.
Angel of the Dawn image 3.5 A 5-mana 3/3 flyer that pumps your whole board and gives it vigilance is kind of nuts for a common, so I’m surprised to see it at that rarity again after Dawnfeather Eagle. Even when you just have like 2 other creatures in play this is nice, and it gets crazy if you’re going really wide. It is great in a race, because it lets you smash into your opponent without giving up blockers. This is one of White’s best Commons.
Ghostform image 1.0 I’m never a huge fan of this kind of card. It basically pans out as a really risky Blue Lava Axe, and that kind of card tends to not be worth it. You use up a card to do something that won’t generally matter unless it kills your opponent. That’s too situational.
Frilled Sea Serpent image 2.0 This can be a decent finisher for Blue decks that need one. It isn’t efficient to cast, and it costs a ton to make it unblockable, but it does give you inevitability in the late game.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a nice combat trick. But it is still a combat trick that comes with a lot of inherent risk and requires your opponent to play into it to actually take an opponent’s creature away from that.
Havoc Devils image 2.5 4-mana for a 4/3 trampler is perfectly fine.
Fire Elemental image 1.5 This has mediocre stats, but they aren’t so mediocre that you never play it.
Catalyst Elemental image 1.5 A 3-mana 2/2 that can sacrifice for two Red seems…not that great. It can help you cast bigger creatures and spells and that’s nice, but you actually end up losing mana on it in the long run!
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 No toughness boost means it is kind of difficult for you to make the creature into a better attacker. Sure, unlike a lot of Auras at least this one replaces itself, but it isn’t really worth it.
Vampire Neonate image 2.0 This is a kind of okay card pretty much all game long. Early, it can do some blocking, and late it can help you trigger life gain payoffs and even serve as a win condition. It is fragile and slow, but it does do the job sometimes.
Forest image
Pack 1 Pick 4: Lava Axe
Druid of Horns image 2.5 So, this is supposed to be here to support the GW deck in the format, but that deck just has a really hard time coming together, and it is partly because of cards like this. Sure, if you can get an Aura on this, it will feel pretty good – but it starts out incredibly efficiently! One nice thing about it is that even if your opponent does kill it in response to an Aura, you still get the 3/3, because it only has to be targeted by an Aura. It isn’t a bad card exactly, it is just supposed to be one of the key cards for the GW deck, and it just doesn’t usually feel that special.
Act of Treason image 0.0 // 2.5 This is bad in a lot of decks, but in can be good in a couple scenarios: one of these is that your deck is incredibly aggressive, and Act of Treason can consistently end games for you. The other is that you have sacrifice outlets that let you actually kill your opponent’s creature in addition to stealing it.
Salvager of Secrets image 2.5 We’ve seen other cards like this, and they’re basically always nice cards for Blue decks in Limited – buying back removal spells is unsurprisingly quite good. That said, it doesn’t fit into every deck ever – you’ll play this in all your control decks, though.
Elvish Rejuvenator image 2.5 This card is pretty cool. It helps you ramp into stuff. It doesn’t do a good job on the vanilla test of course, but the ramp it gives you makes up for that mostly.
Greenwood Sentinel image 2.0 This has okay stats and a nice keyword ability.
Centaur Courser image 2.0 This is a boring vanilla creature, but the stats are good enough for it to be solid.
Lava Axe image 0.5 I’m not usually interested in Lava Axe in Limited. Sure, it can give your aggro deck some reach, but this card is automatic card disadvantage. In other words, it doesn’t impact the board at all, and is basically only good if it kills your opponent – which it just won’t do often enough to make up for the other times where it is an utterly useless sorcery that costs 5 mana.
Smelt image 0.5 This set HAS artifacts, but not so many that you ever main deck this.
Abnormal Endurance image 1.5 We have seen almost this card before – Supernatural Stamina, which did the exact same thing and had a synonymous name, but it cost one less mana. Supernatural Stamina was pretty nice – a trick that makes your creature able to kill something it couldn’t before, and keeps your creature alive is strong. Especially if that creature has a ETB ability, because you get to trigger it all over again! That said, increasing the mana cost by 100% does significantly decrease how good a trick is. Still, this will often allow you to win combat without permanently losing a creature, and while that’s situational, it seems alright for a trick.
Trusty Packbeast image 1.5 This has ok stats as a 3-mana 2/3, but you won’t really play this without a few artifacts. The good news is, the UW deck will be interested in running those.
Lich's Caress image 3.0 This is a good removal spell. Sure, it is a little bit clunky at 5 mana, but It even does a good job of making up for the fact that you may well have to take your entire turn to cast it by gaining you some life, which makes up at least a little bit for the fact that you may not get to advance your board the turn you cast it.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 5: Rise from the Grave
Rise from the Grave image 2.0 This DOES let you go after your opponents’ graveyard too, and that helps it be a little bit better than most versions of this type of effect, because you’ll have more of a chance of reanimating something that is actually worth spending 5 mana on. Now, that situation still won’t arise all the time, and that limits how good this card can be.
Root Snare image 0.0 Fog is already a terrible card in Limited, and this one costs two mana instead of one. So yeah, it is unplayable. Fog effects just aren’t worth a card in this format, you basically are just giving yourself card disadvantage every time you play this, you might as well mulligan to 6!
Lava Axe image 0.5 I’m not usually interested in Lava Axe in Limited. Sure, it can give your aggro deck some reach, but this card is automatic card disadvantage. In other words, it doesn’t impact the board at all, and is basically only good if it kills your opponent – which it just won’t do often enough to make up for the other times where it is an utterly useless sorcery that costs 5 mana.
Star-Crowned Stag image 3.5 There are frequently board states where turning off one of your opponent’s blockers means you can just attack with everything, and this is the kind of common that really forces your opponent to play less aggressively or end up in a world of hurt, and that’s not too hard to punish. This is an ideal card for the top-curve of aggro decks in this format.
Rustwing Falcon image 1.5 There’s always sort of a card like this where talking about the Vanilla test/French Vanilla test is important – this card isn’t good. I mean yeah, it’s a one mana ½ with flying, maybe that’s more than you expect to get for one mana, and hey at least it is relevant in the late game because evasion. But the problem is that a ½ quickly gets outmatched. Sure, if your opponent has like no flyers or something maybe it remains relevant – but in most cases it will quickly get outclassed by like turn 3, at which point it is useless. In the most aggressive decks around, you can play this, but everyone else should avoid it.
Giant Spider image 2.0 This card has been in, by my estimation, one million Limited formats, and it is always serviceable but unexciting. A 4-mana 2/4 is a little below what you want stats wise, but the Reach is great and can shut down a lot of flyers.
Explosive Apparatus image 1.5 This isn’t efficient, but this format has an artifact deck, which means this makes the cut sometimes.
Skymarch Bloodletter image 3.0 A 3-mana 2/2 with flying is solid stats, and the ETB trigger here is also nice. There is even a lifegain deck in this format to take advantage of that ETB trigger. This is one of Black’s better commons.
Uncomfortable Chill image 1.5 Adding a cantrip to this effect is a big upgrade. That said, it is still way too situational to be worth it most of the time. It is easy to imagine ideal scenarios where this feels like a Fog with a cantrip effect, or even better – it lets you set up some awesome blocks, but those situations are too rare.
Bristling Boar image 2.5 Bristling Boar has anti-menace, and doesn’t like it when creatures team up to block it. That isn’t irrelevant text – it means your opponent HAS to have a 3-power or more creature to kill it in combat, and if they don’t? Well, you have what basically amount to free attacks. IT also does a solid job on the vanilla test as a 4-mana 4/3.
Highland Lake image 2.5 These are all good fixing, and are worth playing even in two-color decks because making your mana better is a big deal.
Pack 1 Pick 6: Skymarch Bloodletter
Skilled Animator image 2.5 You generally need to be animating something with this for it to be worthwhile, and it isn’t as easy as you’d think, just because there aren’t an overwhelming number of great artifacts in this format. Still, it does the job often enough that it tends to be pretty solid.
Novice Knight image 1.5 This can be a reasonable blocker in the early game, and then in the late game it can sometimes lose its defender to actually do something. Overall, this isn’t great. You’re going to usually have better things around to put your Auras and Equipment on, as the bonus here just being “loses defender” really isn’t that impressive compared to putting them on something with a keyword ability.
Skymarch Bloodletter image 3.0 A 3-mana 2/2 with flying is solid stats, and the ETB trigger here is also nice. There is even a lifegain deck in this format to take advantage of that ETB trigger. This is one of Black’s better commons.
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 No toughness boost means it is kind of difficult for you to make the creature into a better attacker. Sure, unlike a lot of Auras at least this one replaces itself, but it isn’t really worth it.
Plummet image 0.5 This is sideboard material. Bring it in against an opponent who has multiple good targets.
Epicure of Blood image 2.5 This has sub-par stats, and a serviceable (albeit underwhelming) life gain payoff. You’ll play it often enough.
Cavalry Drillmaster image 3.0 A two-mana 2/1 isn’t great, but this card gets some serious points for also being relevant in the latter part of the game. +2/+0 and first strike is enough to make most creatures a problem for your opponent to block, so chances are he’s going to come down and get you an attack you wouldn’t have had otherwise, in addition to offering up a body that can trade with a ton of things.
Act of Treason image 0.0 // 2.5 This is bad in a lot of decks, but in can be good in a couple scenarios: one of these is that your deck is incredibly aggressive, and Act of Treason can consistently end games for you. The other is that you have sacrifice outlets that let you actually kill your opponent’s creature in addition to stealing it.
Mighty Leap image 2.0 This is a playable combat trick, and it offers more upside than most combat tricks because sometimes it can just end the game for you out of nowhere. I mean, I guess all combat tricks can do that – but not all of them offer you flying, which can just make a stable board into game over for your opponent sometimes. Still, it’s just a combat trick and it has the inherent risks that they all have – serious blowout potential – you’ll play one in any white deck with like 15 creatures in most cases, but it isn’t going to be great most of the time.
Forest image
Pack 1 Pick 7: Hired Blade
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 No toughness boost means it is kind of difficult for you to make the creature into a better attacker. Sure, unlike a lot of Auras at least this one replaces itself, but it isn’t really worth it.
Scholar of Stars image 2.5 You can draw a card off of this often enough for it to be solid.
Frilled Sea Serpent image 2.0 This can be a decent finisher for Blue decks that need one. It isn’t efficient to cast, and it costs a ton to make it unblockable, but it does give you inevitability in the late game.
Trumpet Blast image 0.0 // 2.0 I don’t like this sort of effect – it doesn’t pump toughness at all, so you basically HAVE to set up an alpha strike that kills your opponent for it to work out, unlike other spells that also pump creature toughness and can get you some advantages in combat. Basically this will only be playable in decks where you can go really really wide to kill your opponent, and is an F everywhere else.
Hired Blade image 1.5 You can flash this in to kill some stuff, but it isn’t the best ambush blocker as a 3/2. It can only survive blocking one power creatures, so most of the time it is just sort of a super conditional removal spell with some creature upside. Which is fine, but not something that always makes your deck.
Uncomfortable Chill image 1.5 Adding a cantrip to this effect is a big upgrade. That said, it is still way too situational to be worth it most of the time. It is easy to imagine ideal scenarios where this feels like a Fog with a cantrip effect, or even better – it lets you set up some awesome blocks, but those situations are too rare.
Wall of Vines image 1.0 I don’t usually like do-nothing walls. And I don’t really like this one, either. It does get bonus points for Reach I guess, but meh.
Two-Headed Zombie image 2.5 A 4-mana 4/2 menace is some pretty aggressive stats. A lot of the time he will at least get you a 2-for-1, thanks to that Menace. Menace creatures are always super amazing with combat tricks too, since you KNOW your opponent has to set themselves up for a 2-for-1 if they want to kill it. So this will be a nice pick up for aggressive black decks, but it’s nothing special.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 8: Skeleton Archer
Aviation Pioneer image 3.0 Paying 3-mana for 2/3 worth of stats, and the 1/1 has flying is a pretty nice deal. It is also one of the better enablers for the UW artifact deck, since it gives you an evasive artifact creature so cheaply.
Skeleton Archer image 2.5 A 4-mana 3/3 isn’t great stats, but not too far off from what you expect – something like a 4/3 or a ¾ would be better – but the ETB trigger on it makes up for that. You can use it to do the last damage to a creature your opponent blocked with, to straight up kill an X/1, and in a worst-case scenario, you still get to hit your opponent for one.
Tormenting Voice image 1.5 This is the kind of card that ends up being your 23rd card in Red a lot of the time. That’s what it has been every time we have seen it. It helps you dig through your deck but with a fairly significant cost. Sure, it gets a little better in the UR deck which cares about spells, but not by a lot.
Centaur Courser image 2.0 This is a boring vanilla creature, but the stats are good enough for it to be solid.
Cavalry Drillmaster image 3.0 A two-mana 2/1 isn’t great, but this card gets some serious points for also being relevant in the latter part of the game. +2/+0 and first strike is enough to make most creatures a problem for your opponent to block, so chances are he’s going to come down and get you an attack you wouldn’t have had otherwise, in addition to offering up a body that can trade with a ton of things.
Macabre Waltz image 2.0 This kind of card is always one you would like one of in your Black decks, but you don’t want to go after them too early. They aren’t very good early, but in the late game they can really help you restock your hand and get ahead of your opponent.
Giant Spider image 2.0 This card has been in, by my estimation, one million Limited formats, and it is always serviceable but unexciting. A 4-mana 2/4 is a little below what you want stats wise, but the Reach is great and can shut down a lot of flyers.
Tolarian Scholar image 1.0 There’s not a reason to play this in this format other than desperation – there isn’t a Wizard archetype like there was in Dominaria.
Pack 1 Pick 9: Mind Rot
Loxodon Line Breaker image 1.0 This is just a vanilla creature with mediocre stats. You’ll play this in a world where you can’t seem to find yourself enough playables or enough creatures, but in an ideal world you’re never playing it.
Oakenform image 1.5 This gives a nice stats boost for the mana, but I think steering clear of this Aura is the right thing most of the time. Unless you have Vine Mare of course.
Dwarven Priest image 2.0 4-mana for a 2/4 isn’t terribly off-rate, and in a worst-case this is a 4-mana 2/4 that gains you 1 life. You can definitely go wider and gain a bunch with it too. This can sometimes help you stabilize, and fits especially well in the BW lifegain deck.
Infectious Horror image 0.0 A 4-mana 2/2 is terrible on the vanilla test – so surely it does SOMETHING right? Well, I guess it does technically do “something” – but that “something” isn’t much. Making your opponent lose 2 when this attacks is just not good, since they will be able to easily block and kill this on almost any board state. There aren’t a lot of creatures in Limited that are stone unplayable, but this is one of them.
Field Creeper image 1.5 This isn’t efficient, but this format has an artifact deck, which means this makes the cut sometimes.
Duress image 0.5 As usual, this is a sideboard card. Most decks don’t have enough cards this can hit.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Infectious Horror
Loxodon Line Breaker image 1.0 This is just a vanilla creature with mediocre stats. You’ll play this in a world where you can’t seem to find yourself enough playables or enough creatures, but in an ideal world you’re never playing it.
Oakenform image 1.5 This gives a nice stats boost for the mana, but I think steering clear of this Aura is the right thing most of the time. Unless you have Vine Mare of course.
Dwarven Priest image 2.0 4-mana for a 2/4 isn’t terribly off-rate, and in a worst-case this is a 4-mana 2/4 that gains you 1 life. You can definitely go wider and gain a bunch with it too. This can sometimes help you stabilize, and fits especially well in the BW lifegain deck.
Infectious Horror image 0.0 A 4-mana 2/2 is terrible on the vanilla test – so surely it does SOMETHING right? Well, I guess it does technically do “something” – but that “something” isn’t much. Making your opponent lose 2 when this attacks is just not good, since they will be able to easily block and kill this on almost any board state. There aren’t a lot of creatures in Limited that are stone unplayable, but this is one of them.
Field Creeper image 1.5 This isn’t efficient, but this format has an artifact deck, which means this makes the cut sometimes.
Duress image 0.5 As usual, this is a sideboard card. Most decks don’t have enough cards this can hit.
Pack 1 Pick 11: Catalyst Elemental
Ghostform image 1.0 I’m never a huge fan of this kind of card. It basically pans out as a really risky Blue Lava Axe, and that kind of card tends to not be worth it. You use up a card to do something that won’t generally matter unless it kills your opponent. That’s too situational.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a nice combat trick. But it is still a combat trick that comes with a lot of inherent risk and requires your opponent to play into it to actually take an opponent’s creature away from that.
Catalyst Elemental image 1.5 A 3-mana 2/2 that can sacrifice for two Red seems…not that great. It can help you cast bigger creatures and spells and that’s nice, but you actually end up losing mana on it in the long run!
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 No toughness boost means it is kind of difficult for you to make the creature into a better attacker. Sure, unlike a lot of Auras at least this one replaces itself, but it isn’t really worth it.
Forest image
Pack 1 Pick 12: Abnormal Endurance
Greenwood Sentinel image 2.0 This has okay stats and a nice keyword ability.
Smelt image 0.5 This set HAS artifacts, but not so many that you ever main deck this.
Abnormal Endurance image 1.5 We have seen almost this card before – Supernatural Stamina, which did the exact same thing and had a synonymous name, but it cost one less mana. Supernatural Stamina was pretty nice – a trick that makes your creature able to kill something it couldn’t before, and keeps your creature alive is strong. Especially if that creature has a ETB ability, because you get to trigger it all over again! That said, increasing the mana cost by 100% does significantly decrease how good a trick is. Still, this will often allow you to win combat without permanently losing a creature, and while that’s situational, it seems alright for a trick.
Mountain image
Pack 1 Pick 13: Highland Lake
Root Snare image 0.0 Fog is already a terrible card in Limited, and this one costs two mana instead of one. So yeah, it is unplayable. Fog effects just aren’t worth a card in this format, you basically are just giving yourself card disadvantage every time you play this, you might as well mulligan to 6!
Giant Spider image 2.0 This card has been in, by my estimation, one million Limited formats, and it is always serviceable but unexciting. A 4-mana 2/4 is a little below what you want stats wise, but the Reach is great and can shut down a lot of flyers.
Highland Lake image 2.5 These are all good fixing, and are worth playing even in two-color decks because making your mana better is a big deal.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Infernal Scarring
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 No toughness boost means it is kind of difficult for you to make the creature into a better attacker. Sure, unlike a lot of Auras at least this one replaces itself, but it isn’t really worth it.
Forest image
Pack 1 Pick 15: Mountain
Cavalier of Thorns image 4.0 I think Green got the worst card in the cavalier cycle, but this card is still really good. It obviously has stats that do very well on the vanilla test, but it has an ETB trigger that is not overly exciting for Limited – loading your graveyard is alright I guess, but there’s not much synergy for that in the format, and you aren’t going to be desperate for lands or anything if you can cast this guy. His death trigger is also not incredible – putting a card on top of your library is fine and all, but it is considerably less powerful than adding a card to your hand, and I think people forget that sometimes. But yeah, while its ETB and death triggers are not impressive, the fact is that they are stapled to a creature who is already highly efficient still means this Cavalier is really good.
Chandra, Novice Pyromancer image 4.0 I think uncommon Chandra is actually a lot better than Rare Chandra – though not nearly as good as Mythic Rare Chandra. She will play a lot like Jaya Ballard, who we just saw in War of the Spark. The comparison isn’t perfect – Chandra costs less and doesn’t have that sweet static ability Chandra had – but Chandra comes with the same ability to do 2 damage to any target, as well as actually being able to raise her loyalty and ramp you a bit. I think you’ll be pretty happy any time you can kill two things with her, and if you happen to have a bunch of elementals, she obviously gets even better. Worth noting you can also splash her. I like that she is great in the Elemental deck, but still good in any Red deck, making her a very safe and powerful early pick.
Flame Sweep image 0.5 // 2.0 The wording here is kind of awkward, but basically it does 2 to all of your opponent’s creatures, and all of yours except your fliers. This is a really cool design, because for the first time maybe ever Red is a color that is interested in flyers in a Limited format (especially when paired with Blue and/or White), and this is a way to give you a payoff for that that I think still feels really Red. I think if you can kill one thing of your opponent’s with this, without you losing anything, you’re going to feel alright, and that won’t be easy to set up in all decks. It is pretty bad if you’re short on flyers, but not bad if you have a decent number.
Apostle of Purifying Light image 2.5 This is a solid card that obviously gets way better against Black decks and graveyard strategies, but you can really maindeck this because of the solid stats. Chances are pretty good that your opponent will be playing Black as one of their colors, and it will always feel good when that’s the case.
Centaur Courser image 2.0 Vanilla 3-mana 3/3s are still perfectly fine in Limited.
Moorland Inquisitor image 2.0 This is a bear with some reasonable upside, so it isn’t bad, but a lot of the time by the time you have the mana to give the Inquisitor First Strike, a 2/2 with First Strike doesn’t really matter!
Maniacal Rage image 1.0 This gives a sizable boost, but also comes with the downside of making your creature unable to block. Notably, you can use it to make an opposing creature unable to block too, but the whole package here just isn’t worth the risk of a 2-for-1.
Soul Salvage image 2.5 This kind of card is basically always something Black decks want one copy of in Limited. It is basically a Black Divination, but one with powerful card selection, since you know you’re going to get your two best creatures back.
Boreal Elemental image 3.5 5-mana ¾ Flyers tend to be pretty solid in Limited, and this one comes with a useful creature type and a nice additional ability. By making removal spells cost two additional mana, your opponent won’t be able to utilize their mana more effectively than you in most situations. With 4 toughness, really cheap removal just doesn’t deal with this, so your opponent is likely paying 4+ mana to take it down, and that really isn’t too bad. This is a key common for Blue decks, and one of its best.
Thicket Crasher image 3.0 A 4-mana 4/3 with Trample is already solid, and giving the rest of your Elementals Trample is a big deal in this format.
Pacifism image 4.0 This is always premium removal. It deals with the most important aspect of creatures very efficiently – attacking and blocking. Sometimes you’ll have to deal with a static ability, or your opponent can bounce their creature, but those are pretty rare situations overall. Most of the time, this just gets rid of a creature for two mana, and that’s great.
Blood Burglar image 2.5 This has decent stats and lifelink in a set that cares about gaining life, so it is something you play pretty often.
Ferocious Pup image 2.5 3-mana for a 0/1 and a 2/2 is a decent deal. Green is interested in going wide, and this helps with that.
Yoked Ox image 0.5 You’re only going to play this if you’re in the slowest, most controlling deck ever. Sure, it blocks well, but that has rapidly diminishing values as the game goes on.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 If you need fixing, this is a decent place to get it. There are also a few cards in the set that care about lifegain, which might mean they are a little more useful than usual in some decks, but mostly they just make your mana better. Even if you’re just 2 colors, taking these over filler is sometimes a good call, since they really make your mana so much better.
Pack 2 Pick 1: Chandra, Novice Pyromancer
Cavalier of Thorns image 4.0 I think Green got the worst card in the cavalier cycle, but this card is still really good. It obviously has stats that do very well on the vanilla test, but it has an ETB trigger that is not overly exciting for Limited – loading your graveyard is alright I guess, but there’s not much synergy for that in the format, and you aren’t going to be desperate for lands or anything if you can cast this guy. His death trigger is also not incredible – putting a card on top of your library is fine and all, but it is considerably less powerful than adding a card to your hand, and I think people forget that sometimes. But yeah, while its ETB and death triggers are not impressive, the fact is that they are stapled to a creature who is already highly efficient still means this Cavalier is really good.
Chandra, Novice Pyromancer image 4.0 I think uncommon Chandra is actually a lot better than Rare Chandra – though not nearly as good as Mythic Rare Chandra. She will play a lot like Jaya Ballard, who we just saw in War of the Spark. The comparison isn’t perfect – Chandra costs less and doesn’t have that sweet static ability Chandra had – but Chandra comes with the same ability to do 2 damage to any target, as well as actually being able to raise her loyalty and ramp you a bit. I think you’ll be pretty happy any time you can kill two things with her, and if you happen to have a bunch of elementals, she obviously gets even better. Worth noting you can also splash her. I like that she is great in the Elemental deck, but still good in any Red deck, making her a very safe and powerful early pick.
Flame Sweep image 0.5 // 2.0 The wording here is kind of awkward, but basically it does 2 to all of your opponent’s creatures, and all of yours except your fliers. This is a really cool design, because for the first time maybe ever Red is a color that is interested in flyers in a Limited format (especially when paired with Blue and/or White), and this is a way to give you a payoff for that that I think still feels really Red. I think if you can kill one thing of your opponent’s with this, without you losing anything, you’re going to feel alright, and that won’t be easy to set up in all decks. It is pretty bad if you’re short on flyers, but not bad if you have a decent number.
Apostle of Purifying Light image 2.5 This is a solid card that obviously gets way better against Black decks and graveyard strategies, but you can really maindeck this because of the solid stats. Chances are pretty good that your opponent will be playing Black as one of their colors, and it will always feel good when that’s the case.
Centaur Courser image 2.0 Vanilla 3-mana 3/3s are still perfectly fine in Limited.
Moorland Inquisitor image 2.0 This is a bear with some reasonable upside, so it isn’t bad, but a lot of the time by the time you have the mana to give the Inquisitor First Strike, a 2/2 with First Strike doesn’t really matter!
Maniacal Rage image 1.0 This gives a sizable boost, but also comes with the downside of making your creature unable to block. Notably, you can use it to make an opposing creature unable to block too, but the whole package here just isn’t worth the risk of a 2-for-1.
Soul Salvage image 2.5 This kind of card is basically always something Black decks want one copy of in Limited. It is basically a Black Divination, but one with powerful card selection, since you know you’re going to get your two best creatures back.
Boreal Elemental image 3.5 5-mana ¾ Flyers tend to be pretty solid in Limited, and this one comes with a useful creature type and a nice additional ability. By making removal spells cost two additional mana, your opponent won’t be able to utilize their mana more effectively than you in most situations. With 4 toughness, really cheap removal just doesn’t deal with this, so your opponent is likely paying 4+ mana to take it down, and that really isn’t too bad. This is a key common for Blue decks, and one of its best.
Thicket Crasher image 3.0 A 4-mana 4/3 with Trample is already solid, and giving the rest of your Elementals Trample is a big deal in this format.
Pacifism image 4.0 This is always premium removal. It deals with the most important aspect of creatures very efficiently – attacking and blocking. Sometimes you’ll have to deal with a static ability, or your opponent can bounce their creature, but those are pretty rare situations overall. Most of the time, this just gets rid of a creature for two mana, and that’s great.
Blood Burglar image 2.5 This has decent stats and lifelink in a set that cares about gaining life, so it is something you play pretty often.
Ferocious Pup image 2.5 3-mana for a 0/1 and a 2/2 is a decent deal. Green is interested in going wide, and this helps with that.
Yoked Ox image 0.5 You’re only going to play this if you’re in the slowest, most controlling deck ever. Sure, it blocks well, but that has rapidly diminishing values as the game goes on.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 If you need fixing, this is a decent place to get it. There are also a few cards in the set that care about lifegain, which might mean they are a little more useful than usual in some decks, but mostly they just make your mana better. Even if you’re just 2 colors, taking these over filler is sometimes a good call, since they really make your mana so much better.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Gargos, Vicious Watcher
Gargos, Vicious Watcher image 4.5 So, the Hydra reduction part isn’t going to come up much, but the rest of this card is great so it doesn’t matter! A 6-mana 8/7 with Vigilance is a good deal, and what really pushes this into bomb territory is how much of a pain Gargos is to deal with. Your opponent really can’t remove Gargos without getting 2-for-1’d, since it will fight something if it – or anything else – gets targeted. You can also use this more aggressively, by targeting your own creature with a spell, but that is a little bit harder to make happen all the time.
Loaming Shaman image 1.5 This is a reprint, and a card I think people underrate a little bit. I want to start by saying I certainly don’t think this card is incredible, but I do think it has an ETB trigger that matters often enough that it is certainly solid, especially because it is a 3-mana 3/2. While this opponent doesn’t seem to have a lot of graveyard nonsense going on, the best thing to do with this is shuffle nonlands into your deck to increase the density of nonlands you have. This gets better if your deck has bombs, or it is particularly good at drawing cards. Sometimes the effect will impact your opponent too. Now, as I said at the beginning this isn’t particularly good, but I think it does enough to get played sometimes.
Vengeful Warchief image 2.5 It ended up being way harder to make this work than it looked initially. This often ends up just being an inefficient creature. Still, it does actually get big and imposing often enough to be a decent playable.
Gauntlets of Light image 1.0 The boost this tends to give just isn’t worth the massive mana investment and the risk of getting 2-for-1’d.
Unsummon image 2.5 One mana to return a creature is an awesome rate, because you’re basically always going to come out ahead in terms of tempo – since you’re going to be bouncing things that cost a heck of a lot more than one mana most of the time. Additionally, bounce effects let you blow out opponents who are overly reliant on Auras or combat tricks. Finally, in a pinch you can use it to save your own creature, which will be worth it some of the time.
Bladebrand image 2.0 So, your creature is almost always going to kill the opposing one when it gains deathtouch, so that’s nice. And it even draws you a card, so it is something of a 2-for-1! However, it is still really situational, like all tricks, so don’t value it too highly.
Sedge Scorpion image 2.5 One-mana 1/1s with death touch are always solid. They aren’t ever game-breaking, but they do remain relevant all game long.
Sorcerer of the Fang image 1.5 This is a creature with mediocre stats that has a late game mana sink that can sometimes close things out, but boy is that ability expensive!
Soulmender image 1.5 So, this can be an alright inclusion for the life gain deck, but there are so many cards that are just better and feature incidental life gain, that most of the time you hope you’re not playing this.
Ferocious Pup image 2.5 3-mana for a 0/1 and a 2/2 is a decent deal. Green is interested in going wide, and this helps with that.
Tectonic Rift image 1.0 Destroying lands isn’t especially relevant in this format, but you might play this sometimes in red aggro decks as a way to finish off the opponent.
Daggersail Aeronaut image 2.0 This is a surprisingly good little creature. It can attack pretty hard in the air, and while having 2 toughness is definitely a liability, this is a pretty solid creature.
Octoprophet image 2.5 I like playing creatures with decent stats who let me scry, though I do think those that appear lower in the curve are better, because they allow you to keep a larger percentage of hands. A 4-drop who scries doesn’t do that.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 3: Dread Presence
Dread Presence image 4.5 Provided your deck has Black as a primary color, and you’re running 8 or more Swamps, I think this card will be great. If you are mono-colored in Black – if that’s possible – it will become completely absurd, but you don’t have to go that far to abuse Dread Presence. I think more often than not, you’ll go with the “Phyrexian Arena” option and draw a card when you play a Swamp, but sometimes draining your opponent or killing a creature and gaining 2 life will be great too. The one downside this has is that it is horrendous on a splash, but that’s not much of a downside, really. Even just triggering one of those abilities once feels good, and it becomes a value engine in the long run.
Corpse Knight image 3.0 A two mana 2/2 that makes your opponent lose one life any time a creature comes into play is nice. It is decent as an attacker in the early going, and later in the game he can slowly bleed your opponent to death, making it pretty hard for someone to stabilize.
Disfigure image 3.5 One mana to give something -2/-2 almost always enables you to trade up, and that is always a powerful thing to do. The other great thing about this type of effect is that unlike a Shock-type effect, you can use it to weaken your opponent’s creature AND you can block the creature and kill it – while probably keeping your blocker alive too, so in some ways it is more flexible than damage.
Sage's Row Denizen image 1.0 There isn’t really a mill deck in this format, and as a result the Denizen is mostly just an inefficient creature.
Sanitarium Skeleton image 0.5 // 2.5 You really only want to play this if you’re in a Sacrifice deck, everywhere else it is just too slow and silly to do much.
Unholy Indenture image 0.0 This is bad. It is easy to imagine situations where you put this on an opposing creature and steal it when it dies, or put it on one of your creatures that you know will die – but it a lot harder to guarantee your creature dies than it looks, and you often end up spending 3 mana for a minimal effect. It is notable too that the creature you put it on pretty much already has to be worthwhile, and capable of trading with something, otherwise it really isn’t worth it.
Zephyr Charge image 0.0 This is really bad. It tends to not do very much until the extreme late game, where you have the mana to utilize it – and, by then, your opponent probably has a board that isn’t that intimidated by flying.
Sleep Paralysis image 3.0 This is a little clunky to be sure, as 4 mana is way more than you normally want to be paying for a removal spell that doesn’t even fully remove a creature, but it does the job well enough. It isn’t quite premium removal, but it is fine to play.
Daybreak Chaplain image 2.0 This is a decent two-drop that is especially useful in the BW archetype, but its nothing special.
Ripscale Predator image 1.5 A reasonable finisher if you’re in the market for one, but there’s plenty you’d rather have!
Fire Elemental image 1.0 This would normally be pretty close to unplayable, but with the elemental deck being a very real thing in this format, you actually play this sometimes.
Plummet image 0.5 As usual, this is better utilized as a sideboard card once you see enough targets for it.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 4: Brought Back
Brought Back image 1.5 This looks like it would be pretty good – I mean, you get TWO permanents back and for only two mana! And yeah, if this card did that no questions asked it would be great – the problem is, these situations are really hard to line up in Limited, much harder than you might think at first. But trust me, if you put this in your deck, you’re going to find yourself unable to use it effectively most of the time, and it just ends up being dead a lot of the time.
Gravedigger image 3.5 This has been in Magic a long time, and it is always good. You get to add to the board while drawing the best creature in your graveyard, and that feels really good, and is a good way to make sure you outvalue your opponent in the later part of the game.
Reckless Air Strike image 0.5 // 1.5 This is a sideboard card in an ideal world I think, though it is worth noting that three colors have lots of fliers in this set – White and Blue like usual, but also Red – so this may end up being more mainboardable than I expect. But yeah, I like this kind of sideboard card because it is flexible, and the kind you will side in more because it is good against two different types of cards. Still, I don’t think I recommend playing it in your main 40 cards in most scenarios.
Stone Golem image 0.0 I’m not sure why you would play this. Artifact synergy is not a big part of this set, it doesn’t have a useful creature type. It is just a bad creature.
Angelic Gift image 1.5 Auras can be dangerous in Limited because of the risk for a 2-for-1, but when an Aura cantrips – especially one that gives a valuable keyword like Flying – it definitely crosses into solid playable territory.
Gorging Vulture image 3.5 This has Wind Drake stats while also loading your graveyard and gaining you life, two things Black decks are interested in in this format. That makes this a key Common for Black deck.
Scorch Spitter image 1.5 In a lot of formats, the Scorch Spitter would be unplayable. A one-mana 1/1, even with this ability, would quickly get outclasses. BUT it is Elemental, and also a card that combos well with Goblin Smuggler. It still isn’t good, mind you, but it is far from unplayable.
Bone to Ash image 2.5 I’m not a huge fan of counter-magic in Limited for the most part. It basically feels like bad removal most of the time, because it is removal that only works if you have mana up at the exact right time! And normally I am really out on 4-mana counter spells, but Bone to Ash is a 2-for-1, and that really makes the risk worth it a lot more – especially because it is a hard counter that counters the most common spell-type in Limited. It just isn’t hard to get your opponent with this, though I would advise leaving mana up just to use it when you could be doing something else, and instead just wait until this is all you have left to do, or for a turn where you couldn’t use your mana.
Wolfkin Bond image 2.5 I have a hard time getting behind auras that don’t add something to the board – but Wolfkin Bond does that. Paying 5 for +2/+2 isn’t great, but adding a 2/2 to the board makes it a lot better. It likely lets you attack with something that couldn’t before, or at the very least lets you attack harder, and it makes sure that a Wolf is around to block and then start attacking the next turn. This helps you from being completely devastated by a 2-for-1 as well, since you at least have the Wolf behind. Though, keep in mind, if your opponent has mana up, they can just blow up your target for the Bond and you don’t get anything – and that’s still a huge risk with this type of card. This is a solid playable, and I think most Green decks will be fine with one of these.
Mammoth Spider image 2.5 Mammoth Spider isn’t fancy, but it is a reasonable card for most Green decks, especially those that need some defense against flyers.
Brightwood Tracker image 2.0 This creature has an expensive ability, but it isn’t a bad late-game mana sink, as you can virtually guarantee you draw a creature once you’re using it, but it is more of an emergency activated ability than anything – like if you’re flooding out. It isn’t exactly the kind of ability that will win you the game.
Bloodfell Caves image 2.5 If you need fixing, this is a decent place to get it. There are also a few cards in the set that care about lifegain, which might mean they are a little more useful than usual in some decks, but mostly they just make your mana better. Even if you’re just 2 colors, taking these over filler is sometimes a good call, since they really make your mana so much better.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Leyline of Anticipation
Leyline of Anticipation image 0.5 4 mana for this effect just usually isn’t worth it – it doesn’t allow you to add to the board at all. Sure, if you can get this in your opening hand it would be better, but that happening is nowhere close to a guarantee. And even then, adding Flash to cards just isn’t as big of an upgrade as it might seem.
Thought Distortion image 0.0 6 mana is a ton, and if you’re spending that much you want to be actually accomplishing something. By that late in the game there is no guarantee your opponent will even have a hand, and only exiling noncreature nonland cards from their graveyard is not worth 6 mana. This is unplayable.
Brineborn Cutthroat image 2.0 There’s some Flash in this set, but not really enough for this to be super impressive. It does work with Instants too, so it will grow sometimes, but not usually at a super rapid rate or anything.
Negate image 0.5 This is sideboard material, like usual. Most opponents just don’t have the targets for this to matter.
Vorstclaw image 1.5 This is a vanilla creature, but it has a useful creature type and somewhat reasonable stats, so you’ll find yourself with it a the top of your curve sometimes.
Sage's Row Denizen image 1.0 There isn’t really a mill deck in this format, and as a result the Denizen is mostly just an inefficient creature.
Brightwood Tracker image 2.0 This creature has an expensive ability, but it isn’t a bad late-game mana sink, as you can virtually guarantee you draw a creature once you’re using it, but it is more of an emergency activated ability than anything – like if you’re flooding out. It isn’t exactly the kind of ability that will win you the game.
Greenwood Sentinel image 2.0 Vigilance is upside, but not crazy upside to have on a bear. This is a decent 2-drop.
Faerie Miscreant image 1.0 // 3.0 One mana 1/1 flyers are some of the most overrated creatures around but they usually aren’t good because of how quickly they get outclassed, so that is the base grade we’re looking at here. However, if you can draw a card off of them you’re talking about a much better card. Because this one has such an ugly baseline, you probably need 3+ Miscreants before they become worth playing, and once we’re talking about 4+ I think it becomes a solid card.
Barony Vampire image 0.5 This has terrible stats and doesn’t do anything other than have those stats.
Swamp image
Pack 2 Pick 6: Murder
Tale's End image 0.0 This counters a bunch of stuff you won’t see very often in Limited, and even when you do see some of it – like the abilities, spending a card to counter them isn’t worth it 99% of the time.
Cryptic Caves image 2.5 I like that you can cash this land in for a card later on in the game, but I don’t like that it produces colorless mana only. This means it is worse for your mana base than a basic land in most two color decks. Still, I think the fact that it can provide late game flood insurance means that it is going to be an ok 17th land to run, though if you are splashing or doing other crazy things with your mana, you probably should steer clear.
Duress image 0.5 As usual, this is sideboard only material. Not enough things it can hit in the typical deck for it to be in your main deck.
Bone to Ash image 2.5 I’m not a huge fan of counter-magic in Limited for the most part. It basically feels like bad removal most of the time, because it is removal that only works if you have mana up at the exact right time! And normally I am really out on 4-mana counter spells, but Bone to Ash is a 2-for-1, and that really makes the risk worth it a lot more – especially because it is a hard counter that counters the most common spell-type in Limited. It just isn’t hard to get your opponent with this, though I would advise leaving mana up just to use it when you could be doing something else, and instead just wait until this is all you have left to do, or for a turn where you couldn’t use your mana.
Mind Rot image 1.0 Mind Rot is never particularly good. It does give you a 2-for-1 in ideal situations, but it is really only good in the mid-game. Early on, paying 3 for this and not adding to the board isn’t ideal, and late, your opponent likely doesn’t have cards. So in the mid-game is the sweet spot, but that’s a bit too narrow for me.
Murder image 4.0 This is an Instant that kills things for three mana. That might not be exciting, but it IS premium removal.
Act of Treason image 0.5 // 2.5 Like usual, Act is only going to be worth it in a deck that has cheap sacrifice outlets. This type of card is just too situational otherwise, as you pretty much have to kill your opponent when you use it for it to be worth going down a card for. But, if you can sacrifice the creature you steal, you are rid of it permanently!
Sedge Scorpion image 2.5 One-mana 1/1s with death touch are always solid. They aren’t ever game-breaking, but they do remain relevant all game long.
Chandra's Embercat image 3.0 So, 2 mana 2/2s are always a decent baseline for a card, but this comes with some significant addition value. I think most Red decks will have 4 or 5 elementals in them without even trying, so it seems like most decks can get use out of it. Elementals are one of the best decks in this format too, and this is a key Common for that deck.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 7: Daggersail Aeronaut
Portal of Sanctuary image 0.5 This is mostly a trap. It is really hard to set up effectively, and its only use is basically reusing ETB triggers or maybe moving Auras around, and you aren’t always going to have boards where that matters.
Sorcerer of the Fang image 1.5 This is a creature with mediocre stats that has a late game mana sink that can sometimes close things out, but boy is that ability expensive!
Epicure of Blood image 2.5 This is a decent-but-not-great lifegain payoff. It has alright stats too.
Mind Rot image 1.0 Mind Rot is never particularly good. It does give you a 2-for-1 in ideal situations, but it is really only good in the mid-game. Early on, paying 3 for this and not adding to the board isn’t ideal, and late, your opponent likely doesn’t have cards. So in the mid-game is the sweet spot, but that’s a bit too narrow for me.
Daggersail Aeronaut image 2.0 This is a surprisingly good little creature. It can attack pretty hard in the air, and while having 2 toughness is definitely a liability, this is a pretty solid creature.
Convolute image 1.0 A three-mana counterspell that isn’t even a hard counter is a hard sell for me. This is just too situational to be worth it in most decks.
Barony Vampire image 0.5 This has terrible stats and doesn’t do anything other than have those stats.
Soulmender image 1.5 So, this can be an alright inclusion for the life gain deck, but there are so many cards that are just better and feature incidental life gain, that most of the time you hope you’re not playing this.
Forest image
Pack 2 Pick 8: Sanitarium Skeleton
Squad Captain image 1.5 A 5-mana 2/2 with Vigilance is atrocious, but if you have at least two other creatures in play you are getting a sort of ok deal. More than 2, and you’re going to be reasonably happy with it. The dream is to just curve out with this, and that will certainly happen sometimes. If your opponent has removal for even just one early creature, Squad Captain is going to start looking pretty ugly. It is also not a bad card for the extreme late game during a board stall, since it can get quite large, but overall it is really inconsistent.
Growth Cycle image 1.5 Well, this is an interesting trick. Two mana for +3/+3 is already a kind of good deal, but the fact that it pumps your creature even more if you have Growth Cycles in your graveyard seems pretty cool. The kind of awkward thing here is that most of the time, you don’t want to be running too many tricks. So even with that “collect ‘em all” bonus, I’m not sure I ever want more than one of these.
Sanitarium Skeleton image 0.5 // 2.5 You really only want to play this if you’re in a Sacrifice deck, everywhere else it is just too slow and silly to do much.
Griffin Sentinel image 2.0 This can threaten your opponent a bit in the sky while also being a pretty effective blocker. It isn’t anything special, but you’ll play it in your White decks often enough.
Gift of Paradise image 2.0 This kind of ramp/fixing Aura doesn’t often feel great, since you use a bunch of mana and don’t add to the board, which is normally pretty crucial in Limited. However, gaining 3 life here is a real bonus, as you basically pay a certain amount of life by casting this instead of playing a creature. It also lets you fix for double-colored things, which isn’t bad upside.
Natural End image 0.5 This is decent sideboard material, there aren’t enough artifacts and enchantments to really be maindecking it, though.
Disenchant image 1.0 This is mostly sideboard material in this format, though you can get away with it in your main deck if you’re desperate.
Plains image
Pack 2 Pick 9: Blood Burglar
Centaur Courser image 2.0 Vanilla 3-mana 3/3s are still perfectly fine in Limited.
Soul Salvage image 2.5 This kind of card is basically always something Black decks want one copy of in Limited. It is basically a Black Divination, but one with powerful card selection, since you know you’re going to get your two best creatures back.
Thicket Crasher image 3.0 A 4-mana 4/3 with Trample is already solid, and giving the rest of your Elementals Trample is a big deal in this format.
Blood Burglar image 2.5 This has decent stats and lifelink in a set that cares about gaining life, so it is something you play pretty often.
Ferocious Pup image 2.5 3-mana for a 0/1 and a 2/2 is a decent deal. Green is interested in going wide, and this helps with that.
Yoked Ox image 0.5 You’re only going to play this if you’re in the slowest, most controlling deck ever. Sure, it blocks well, but that has rapidly diminishing values as the game goes on.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 If you need fixing, this is a decent place to get it. There are also a few cards in the set that care about lifegain, which might mean they are a little more useful than usual in some decks, but mostly they just make your mana better. Even if you’re just 2 colors, taking these over filler is sometimes a good call, since they really make your mana so much better.
Pack 2 Pick 10: Vengeful Warchief
Vengeful Warchief image 2.5 It ended up being way harder to make this work than it looked initially. This often ends up just being an inefficient creature. Still, it does actually get big and imposing often enough to be a decent playable.
Bladebrand image 2.0 So, your creature is almost always going to kill the opposing one when it gains deathtouch, so that’s nice. And it even draws you a card, so it is something of a 2-for-1! However, it is still really situational, like all tricks, so don’t value it too highly.
Sorcerer of the Fang image 1.5 This is a creature with mediocre stats that has a late game mana sink that can sometimes close things out, but boy is that ability expensive!
Tectonic Rift image 1.0 Destroying lands isn’t especially relevant in this format, but you might play this sometimes in red aggro decks as a way to finish off the opponent.
Octoprophet image 2.5 I like playing creatures with decent stats who let me scry, though I do think those that appear lower in the curve are better, because they allow you to keep a larger percentage of hands. A 4-drop who scries doesn’t do that.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 11: Disfigure
Corpse Knight image 3.0 A two mana 2/2 that makes your opponent lose one life any time a creature comes into play is nice. It is decent as an attacker in the early going, and later in the game he can slowly bleed your opponent to death, making it pretty hard for someone to stabilize.
Disfigure image 3.5 One mana to give something -2/-2 almost always enables you to trade up, and that is always a powerful thing to do. The other great thing about this type of effect is that unlike a Shock-type effect, you can use it to weaken your opponent’s creature AND you can block the creature and kill it – while probably keeping your blocker alive too, so in some ways it is more flexible than damage.
Sanitarium Skeleton image 0.5 // 2.5 You really only want to play this if you’re in a Sacrifice deck, everywhere else it is just too slow and silly to do much.
Unholy Indenture image 0.0 This is bad. It is easy to imagine situations where you put this on an opposing creature and steal it when it dies, or put it on one of your creatures that you know will die – but it a lot harder to guarantee your creature dies than it looks, and you often end up spending 3 mana for a minimal effect. It is notable too that the creature you put it on pretty much already has to be worthwhile, and capable of trading with something, otherwise it really isn’t worth it.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 12: Gravedigger
Gravedigger image 3.5 This has been in Magic a long time, and it is always good. You get to add to the board while drawing the best creature in your graveyard, and that feels really good, and is a good way to make sure you outvalue your opponent in the later part of the game.
Stone Golem image 0.0 I’m not sure why you would play this. Artifact synergy is not a big part of this set, it doesn’t have a useful creature type. It is just a bad creature.
Gorging Vulture image 3.5 This has Wind Drake stats while also loading your graveyard and gaining you life, two things Black decks are interested in in this format. That makes this a key Common for Black deck.
Mammoth Spider image 2.5 Mammoth Spider isn’t fancy, but it is a reasonable card for most Green decks, especially those that need some defense against flyers.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Thought Distortion
Thought Distortion image 0.0 6 mana is a ton, and if you’re spending that much you want to be actually accomplishing something. By that late in the game there is no guarantee your opponent will even have a hand, and only exiling noncreature nonland cards from their graveyard is not worth 6 mana. This is unplayable.
Negate image 0.5 This is sideboard material, like usual. Most opponents just don’t have the targets for this to matter.
Swamp image
Pack 2 Pick 14: Duress
Duress image 0.5 As usual, this is sideboard only material. Not enough things it can hit in the typical deck for it to be in your main deck.
Island image
Pack 2 Pick 15: Mind Rot
Mind Rot image 1.0 Mind Rot is never particularly good. It does give you a 2-for-1 in ideal situations, but it is really only good in the mid-game. Early on, paying 3 for this and not adding to the board isn’t ideal, and late, your opponent likely doesn’t have cards. So in the mid-game is the sweet spot, but that’s a bit too narrow for me.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Liliana, Waker of the Dead
Liliana, Waker of the Dead image 3.5 So, this new Liliana seems nice for Limited, though I don’t think she’s a bomb. Her +1 is nice because it simultaneously takes cards away from the opponent, eventually damaging them if they don’t make sure they have something to discard. That discard effect is symmetrical, so keep that in mind -- but it also synergizes well with her -3, which is a nice effect if you can get some cards in your graveyard. Cards in your graveyard will happen organically of course, but there will undoubtedly be times where she comes down and the best you can do with it is give -1/-1 to something, which won’t be enough a lot of the time, especially as you lower her loyalty to one. Her ultimate is also powerful, and synergizes with her +1 quite well. It is definitely the kind of ultimate that can end games, and it is great you reap the rewards right away -- not only does the creature reanimate when you go to combat, it has Haste, so you can send it in right away if you need to. So, I think the whole package here is a very good card for Limited, but she isn’t a bomb planeswalker -- those are the kinds that can actively protect themselves, and have removal effects that take a lot less effort than Liliana.
Miscast image 0.0 Countermagic that asks for card types that aren’t “creature” generally aren’t worth it in Limited, and this one isn’t either.
Sanctum of Shattered Heights image 0.5 // 3.0 This is not very good unless you’re in a Sanctum deck, where it does two key things. First, it is removal, and second it gives you something to do with your duplicate sanctums.
Waker of Waves image 4.0 This card is pretty awesome. When you play it as a creature it gives you a huge body that immediately impacts the board by lowering the power of your opponents’ creatures, and that already would probably be playable, but it really gets pushed over the edge by its pseudo-cycling effect. You can use it in the early game to help you hit a land drop or find something else you need, and this plan gets even more attractive in UB, where reanimator decks are quite powerful. This is the premiere non-rare creature you want in that deck, since it is great to reanimate and it comes with a way to put itself in the graveyard.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a stat boost that will allow your creature to win almost all combats, and that’s the kind of trick most aggro decks feel okay about running.
Daybreak Charger image 3.0 This is a nice aggressive two drop. It starts with reasonable enough stats and then has a very real ETB ability. Giving something +2/+0 is often enough to enable attack that you didn’t have before, and giving the boost to a creature token or an evasive creature feels particularly satisfying. This is a premiere two-drop for White aggressive decks.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 I generally don’t like this when we see it. It does replace itself if the creature dies, but it just gives such an underwhelming statsboost. You’ll play it in more aggressive decks, but even then it won’t always make the cut.
Swift Response image 2.5 Two mana to kill a creature at instant speed is a pretty good deal – even if this can only target tapped creatures. That does mean this is not an ideal removal spell for aggro decks, who want to get blockers out of the way – but in more mid-rangey or control decks, this will be a nice spell – one that will usually give you a tempo advantage, and one that can sometimes get blowouts out of the fact that your opponent uses a combat trick while attacking. Now, it is still situational, and as I said all decks don’t want it, so it definitely isn’t premium.
Crash Through image 1.0 // 2.0 This is nice in the spells deck, since it triggers a bunch of stuff and replaces itself, but pretty much unplayable everywhere else.
Burn Bright image 1.0 I never love this kind of mass pump effect in Limited. I like to get a toughness boost too, because that makes it far more flexible. If your creature was dead when your opponent blocked, it still will be even if you use this, and that means that this is really only worthwhile when you can do straight up lethal, really limiting its prospects.
Staunch Shieldmate image 0.5 Well, those are some impressive stats on a one mana creature – we’ve never seen a one mana 1/3 with no downsides at all. That said, while he might do well on the vanilla test, he still isn’t all that impressive in Limited. He is quickly outclassed without some help, and you’ll only play him if you really need a one drop for a super aggro deck.
Cancel image 1.0 This is a hard counter, but three mana is just too much for no other effect. Counterspells have the huge downside of you needing to have mana up at the exact right moment or they do nothing. In most games of Limited, you want to be adding to your board with your mana, and this doesn’t do that – and sometimes, it won’t do anything.
Furor of the Bitten image 1.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, but probably not quite enough to be worth the risk of a 2-for-1, especially because you can end up setting yourself up for the 2-for-1 just by playing this, since it forces your creature to attack. It can also be used to force an opposing creature to attack, but that additional use still doesn’t make it very good.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Grasp of Darkness
Temple of Epiphany image 3.0 This fix for you and help you smooth out your draws, so they can really play a key role in helping smooth out the beginning of your game. If they are in both your colors you should value them over most medium cards, and if you’re interested in splashing you should value them even more.
Havoc Jester image 3.5 So, a 5-mana 5/5 is usually pretty solid in Limited, and this comes with some powerful upside -- letting you ping something every time you sacrifice a permanent. It does this without asking for an additional mana investment of any kind -- so, as we saw with Mayhem Devil in the past -- that is a very powerful ability. You have to end up with some sacrifice action going on, but if you’re in Black-Red especially that won’t be all that hard. On top of that, the floor here is just very reasonable, as it is an efficient creature.
Cultivate image 3.0 This is a pretty classic ramp spell, and it is one I always like in Limited. This is because it also provides great fixing, potentially even enabling you to splash a double-colored card, since it can grab you two lands. This is definitely fixing you’re going to be on the look out for if it looks like you’re going to be a three colored deck, and even if you aren’t, there will be some decks interested in the ramp this can give you.
Volcanic Geyser image 3.0 So, this is never going to efficiently do damage – it just can’t how it is costed. However, it makes up for some of that with its flexibility. It scales as the game goes on and can even go for the opponents’ dome, and it does it all at Instant speed.
Crash Through image 1.0 // 2.0 This is nice in the spells deck, since it triggers a bunch of stuff and replaces itself, but pretty much unplayable everywhere else.
Valorous Steed image 3.0 This is a nice Common. 5-mana for 5/5 worth of Vigilance stats across two bodies is a nice deal, especially in a format with some nice go-wide payoffs. You probably don’t want more than two of these since they cost 5, but it will do some nice work for you in any deck.
Goblin Arsonist image 2.0 So, this is a one mana creature that can trade up for X/2s, and even threaten 2-for-1s when your opponent has two X/1s in play. It can also just ping the opponent for one when that is going to be meaningful. It also has a little bit of extra value in the Sacrifice deck, since it will give you some sort of value in addition to whatever the sacrifice effect gives you.
Grasp of Darkness image 4.0 This is premium removal, it kills things really efficiently. The one downside is that it costs double Black, but if you’re playing a Black deck that isn’t much of a downside.
Village Rites image 1.5 I think it is fair to compare this to Tormenting Voice. Both cost you two cards to get you two cards. And yes, there are some differences -- the Rite needs a creature in play and it is an Instant, but I think this will serve a similar purpose. If you have lots of creature tokens, or use it in response to removal, or sacrifice a creature shut down by an Aura, it is going to feel pretty good -- and if you have sacrifice synergies it will be a little better to, but I think that it only makes the cut in your deck about half of the time, and usually just barely as a 23rd or 24th card.
Sabertooth Mauler image 2.5 He starts with some pretty mediocre stats, but growing every time something dies means he will overcome that limitation pretty quickly. Note by the way, it will get that counter at the end of the turn whether it is your creature or your opponent’s who died. It tends to get quite large and is able to attack on most turns since it will untap in a lot of different scenarios.
Celestial Enforcer image 2.5 If you don’t have fliers, you probably hope you don’t play this, but as long as you have 4 or 5 Flyers, this probably gets into the playable range, and that isn’t a crazy thing to achieve. Tap down effects are always nice in Limited, and even a situational one like this is well worth playing.
Wall of Runes image 1.0 This is a decent inclusion if you’re really defensive, but even there it isn’t great.
Duress image 0.5 This is too narrow of a discard spell to every play in your main deck.
Rugged Highlands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Chandra's Magmutt
Griffin Aerie image 0.0 // 3.0 Turning life gain into actual cards feels great, and a 2/2 flyer is definitely a real card -- especially if you can get more than one of them out of this -- even the first one is given to you at a pretty good rate, so if this really starts churning them out things could get interesting. Obviously, you have to have a deck that can not only gain life -- but gain 3 or more life a turn at least a few times a game for this to be worth it, and as a result of that I think we do have to go with a buildaround here. It is stone unplayable in many decks. But in a deck that can really get things going with it, it is going to be one of the best payoffs in your deck, since it provides you with a very real win condition.
Tempered Veteran image 3.0 So, this guy starts with some pretty mediocre stats, but he has some nice activated abilities that are solid mana sinks. One mana to add a counter is a great deal -- but it is so efficient because you won’t always be able to do it. Paying 6 for a single counter is less impressive, but in the late game adding a counter every turn even if you are flooding out isn’t too bad, especially because after that first counter you can start paying a single White mana to add additional counters.
Sanctum of Stone Fangs image 3.5 This is the best of the Sanctum cycle, and really the only one you consistently play on its own. Draining an opponent every turn really adds up, and gives you some serious inevitability.
Portcullis Vine image 1.0 This can block some stuff early and then replace itself late. Neither of those are very exciting.
Spellgorger Weird image 1.5 // 3.5 This is definitely a build around. Most decks can get away with playing it, but it will really only be the UR deck that can take full advantage, turning into a full-fledged win condition.
Dub image 2.5 This Aura gives a big enough stats boost and a good enough keyword ability that it is worth the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. It is especially nice on lifelinkers or flyers. Aggro decks will virtually always play the first copy.
Alpine Watchdog image 1.5 So, a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance is pretty passable. This guy does have some small additional synergies as a result of being a card that the RW signpost uncommon can search up, and that does increase his value for sure.
Walking Corpse image 1.0 This is a vanilla two drop that you’ll play only out of desperation.
Secure the Scene image 1.5 The flexibility here is pretty nice. However, the mana cost and giving your opponent a 1/1 soldier aren’t so nice – it is especially clunky as a Sorcery. Removing something and then giving your opponent a creature, even a 1/1 creature, is just a huge downside. It really slows you down to not get a whole card of value out of this.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Read the Tides image 1.5 This has two modes, and while it doesn’t do either thing very efficiently, it is nice that it gives you options. Sometimes the bounce effect can win you the game, and when it can’t, you can use this to draw some cards. Now, if you’re behind your opponent it probably won’t help you much, but at parity of if you’re ahead, it is pretty nice.
Chandra's Magmutt image 3.0 This has Grizzly Bear stats and the ability to do 1 to the opponent every turn, and that ability means that the Magemutt stays relevant all game long, after being a decent play on turn two. This will end up threatening a lot of extra damage on the opponent.
Forest image
Pack 3 Pick 4: Kitesail Freebooter
Canopy Stalker image 2.5 Creatures who force your opponent to block them are pretty nice, as they really complicate combat for an opponent. Life gain being attached to this is kind of nice too. But still, stats aren’t great here, and your opponent will frequently just put a 2/X in front of it and be fine. I think this is a solid playable, but not much more.
Kitesail Freebooter image 3.0 This is a nice disruptive creature that also comes with some reasonable French Vanilla stats. Even though they get the creature back if they kill him, he will usually have disrupted their plan enough to really cause them problems, while also still getting traded for 1-for-1.
Secure the Scene image 1.5 The flexibility here is pretty nice. However, the mana cost and giving your opponent a 1/1 soldier aren’t so nice – it is especially clunky as a Sorcery. Removing something and then giving your opponent a creature, even a 1/1 creature, is just a huge downside. It really slows you down to not get a whole card of value out of this.
Turn to Slag image 2.5 This is clunky as heck, but it does kill most things, and there is enough good Equipment in this format that you’ll even blow up some Equipment sometimes. It isn’t premium removal, but it is serviceable.
Dub image 2.5 This Aura gives a big enough stats boost and a good enough keyword ability that it is worth the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. It is especially nice on lifelinkers or flyers. Aggro decks will virtually always play the first copy.
Fetid Imp image 2.5 Creatures with death touch are always nice because they can trade with pretty much anything, and Fetid Imp can trade for way more than to having Flying! And, in the mean time, it isn’t a bad attacker in the air.
Teferi's Protege image 2.5 Looting is nice because it helps you get through your library and gives you nice card selection. This looter also comes with reasonable stats for the investment as a ⅔. It is somewhat limited as a looter since it asks for two mana every time you do it, but that’s ok -- it is a good place to be spending your mana as the game goes long, and it will definitely have a positive impact on the outcome of long games. This is a solid Blue common.
Sabertooth Mauler image 2.5 He starts with some pretty mediocre stats, but growing every time something dies means he will overcome that limitation pretty quickly. Note by the way, it will get that counter at the end of the turn whether it is your creature or your opponent’s who died. It tends to get quite large and is able to attack on most turns since it will untap in a lot of different scenarios.
Onakke Ogre image 1.5 3-mana 4/2s are borderline playables, and this set has various payoffs for 4 power, so you’ll play this a little more than you might think.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Defiant Strike image 0.5 If White doesn’t have some sort of theme built around spells or combat tricks, this card is usually not very good. Sure, it does replace itself, but the stats boost is meaningless or may as well be far too often for me to play this most of the time.
Jungle Hollow image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Carrion Grub
Obsessive Stitcher image 4.0 Looting is always really good in Limited, especially when its free. It just allows you to drastically improve your card quality, and over the course of the game it can really play a role in who wins and who doesn’t. Then, the fact this comes with a reasonably costed reanimation effect is nice too -- and you can do it at instant speed! Obviously because she’s a creature, you aren’t going ot be surprising anyone when you reanimate something, but the fact that you can do it at the end of the turn and attack with your reanimated creature is great. Basically, the Sticher lets you dig through your library for your past cards, and when necessary can give herself up to give you another chance with one of your best creatures -- that’s powerful. She is just really well-positioned in this format, where she is a key part of Teferi’s Tutleage decks as well as reanimator decks.
Carrion Grub image 2.5 So, how high does the power need to be here for you to feel like you’re doing alright? Well, honestly, a 4-mana ⅖ is a decent enough deal -- especially when it mills you four cards and enables ograveyard strategies like this can, and I think most of the time you won’t have a problem getting this to be a ⅖, and it will often be larger. It doesn’t have evasion or anything, but the self-mill and good blocker -- which can later become a better attacker potentially too -- is pretty nice. I like that they decided to let its power continue to change while it is in play, instead of simply having it check what the highest power is when it comes down, too. This may have some potential combat-trick-esque effect -- say, if you can sacrifice a creature or discard a card or mill yourself at instant speed, and suddenly bump its power up.
Alpine Watchdog image 1.5 So, a two mana 2/2 with Vigilance is pretty passable. This guy does have some small additional synergies as a result of being a card that the RW signpost uncommon can search up, and that does increase his value for sure.
Revitalize image 0.5 // 2.0 This card is normally not worth it. However, this does gain you 3 life, which several cards in this set check for, and if you’re in a deck with several of those payoffs, it is probably going to make the cut a reasonable chunk of the time.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Alchemist's Gift image 1.5 This is a decent trick, if you choose the deathtouch option you will be virtually guaranteeing that you kill the other creature, and that can be particularly spicy against a double block. You’ll choose the lifelink option if you just need the stats boost to win combat.
Spined Megalodon image 1.5 // 2.5 Big hexproof guys like this usually can find a place in Limited. They are at their best in more controlling decks, as it provides a large Blocker who your opponent just can’t interact with. Hexproof creatures also tend to be good places to put Auras, since getting 2-for-1’d when you put it on a hexproof creature is so unlikely. It is a nice bit of additional value that this Scries when you attack with it, too. UB Reanimator is a very real deck in this format, and this is one of the Commons that you’re pretty happy to play there.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Secure the Scene image 1.5 The flexibility here is pretty nice. However, the mana cost and giving your opponent a 1/1 soldier aren’t so nice – it is especially clunky as a Sorcery. Removing something and then giving your opponent a creature, even a 1/1 creature, is just a huge downside. It really slows you down to not get a whole card of value out of this.
Rousing Read image 3.0 I’m not usually a fan of Auras that don’t give you some sort of value to off-set their risks -- namely, the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. An Aura has to either give a pretty significant bonus, or off-set that risk with some additional value, to overcome being a card I won’t play. Rousing Read does enough for me to want to play it. It nets you a card when it comes down -- even giving you some card selection, and the bonus it gives is no joke either. +1/+1 and flying is the type of bonus that can dramatically alter a board state. Now, you do still need to be weary of casting this when your opponent has mana up and cards available, because if they kill the target you still get 2-for-1’d, but as long as you’re careful, you’re usually going to be okay with this. It will be particularly nasty on the Megalodon! I’m giving this a C+ -- I think Blue decks will play the first copy of this every time.
Swiftwater Cliffs image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Finishing Blow
Goremand image 3.5 This is a very efficient Flyer that comes with all kinds of upside! It has a little downside too, since you have to sacrifice a creature to cast it, but that is often worth it for a creature this imposing, especially because it subtracts from the opponents’ board too. Where it gets really nasty is in the reanimator deck, where you don’t end up actually sacrificing anything, and your opponent still does.
Secure the Scene image 1.5 The flexibility here is pretty nice. However, the mana cost and giving your opponent a 1/1 soldier aren’t so nice – it is especially clunky as a Sorcery. Removing something and then giving your opponent a creature, even a 1/1 creature, is just a huge downside. It really slows you down to not get a whole card of value out of this.
Mistral Singer image 3.5 Wind Drake stats + Prowess = a very good Common for Blue. It will attack well and be a pain to interact with thanks to that Prowess.
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 I generally don’t like this when we see it. It does replace itself if the creature dies, but it just gives such an underwhelming statsboost. You’ll play it in more aggressive decks, but even then it won’t always make the cut.
Concordia Pegasus image 1.5 This can attack early, but doesn’t exactly do anything super meaningful most of the time. This format does have +1/+1 counters and a flying archetype, and does help make it better. You will play this for sure, but you’ll also cut it a decent chunk of the time.
Finishing Blow image 3.5 This is a little bit expensive, but it can kill pretty much everything and it does at Instant speed, so the 5 mana is well worth it.
Ranger's Guile image 2.0 This is a fairly decent combat trick for Limited. The stats boost isn’t hte mos impressive for the cost -- but Hexproof is where this gets some extra power, since it means you can no tonly use Guile to win combat, you can use it to save your creature.
Crash Through image 1.0 // 2.0 This is nice in the spells deck, since it triggers a bunch of stuff and replaces itself, but pretty much unplayable everywhere else.
Keen Glidemaster image 2.5 Its nice that this is a two-drop who can stay relevant all game long, since flying definitely allows that.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Deathbloom Thallid
Hobblefiend image 2.5 This guy can starts out reasonable and can get progressively larger throughout the game, something that pairs quite well with Trample. It is a very reasonable card for setting up sacrifice payoffs, since it can do it so cheaply.
Fetid Imp image 2.5 Creatures with death touch are always nice because they can trade with pretty much anything, and Fetid Imp can trade for way more than to having Flying! And, in the mean time, it isn’t a bad attacker in the air.
Pridemalkin image 3.5 So, worst case scenario you have a 3-mana 3/2 with Trample here. That’s acceptable, but luckily it does even more! For one thing, you can put the counter anywhere -- like on a larger creature who will benefit more from Trample. For another, it gives Trample to any other creatures you control with +1/+1 counters too, so this will often come down and shake up the board. The fact that it can add something to the board right away, no matter what, is always attractive too. +1/+1-adding creatures who are reasonably efficient have always been good in Limited, and that’s what we have here -- in addition to some nice synergy.
Staunch Shieldmate image 0.5 Well, those are some impressive stats on a one mana creature – we’ve never seen a one mana 1/3 with no downsides at all. That said, while he might do well on the vanilla test, he still isn’t all that impressive in Limited. He is quickly outclassed without some help, and you’ll only play him if you really need a one drop for a super aggro deck.
Vodalian Arcanist image 2.0 This two-mana 1/3 does a good job of blocking early, and then gives you some nice extra mana to utilize.
Rambunctious Mutt image 1.5 He’s just not very efficient if he isn’t taking down an Artifact or Enchantment, and while this format has a decent number of those, it doesn’t have so many that this guy always makes the cut.
Deathbloom Thallid image 3.0 This is always a nice creature when we see it. It has decent stats for attacking, blocking, or trading, and then gives you a 1/1 when it dies, which is pretty good for the overall investment.
Crypt Lurker image 3.0 This card really ended up overperforming. It helps you set up things for the reanimator deck, and its ¾ body lines up surprisingly well, and sacrificing a creature to this ends up making sense more often than you’d think too.
Plains image
Pack 3 Pick 8: Deathbloom Thallid
Bad Deal image 0.5 This card is exactly what its name is. It is tempting to imagine the 4-for-1 this gives you in ideal scenarios, but it just doesn’t happen. It is mostly just a bad draw spell.
Deathbloom Thallid image 3.0 This is always a nice creature when we see it. It has decent stats for attacking, blocking, or trading, and then gives you a 1/1 when it dies, which is pretty good for the overall investment.
Staunch Shieldmate image 0.5 Well, those are some impressive stats on a one mana creature – we’ve never seen a one mana 1/3 with no downsides at all. That said, while he might do well on the vanilla test, he still isn’t all that impressive in Limited. He is quickly outclassed without some help, and you’ll only play him if you really need a one drop for a super aggro deck.
Track Down image 1.0 This is Green Sorcery-Speed Anticipate, and it is a pretty darn replaceable card. You’d rather be playing something that adds to the board than getting some card selection in most decks.
Pridemalkin image 3.5 So, worst case scenario you have a 3-mana 3/2 with Trample here. That’s acceptable, but luckily it does even more! For one thing, you can put the counter anywhere -- like on a larger creature who will benefit more from Trample. For another, it gives Trample to any other creatures you control with +1/+1 counters too, so this will often come down and shake up the board. The fact that it can add something to the board right away, no matter what, is always attractive too. +1/+1-adding creatures who are reasonably efficient have always been good in Limited, and that’s what we have here -- in addition to some nice synergy.
Walking Corpse image 1.0 This is a vanilla two drop that you’ll play only out of desperation.
Destructive Tampering image 0. 5 // 2.0 This is mostly a sideboard card, but if you’re in a really aggressive deck, consider playing one of them because they give you a way to win a game even if your opponent stabilizes.
Colossal Dreadmaw image 2.0 Look, its the Dreadmaw! I’m not sure we’ve ever seen THIS card before. But if I had to guess, I’d say that a 6-mana 6/6 with Trample is a reasonable die, and a fine thing to top your curve with.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Crash Through
Sanctum of Shattered Heights image 0.5 // 3.0 This is not very good unless you’re in a Sanctum deck, where it does two key things. First, it is removal, and second it gives you something to do with your duplicate sanctums.
Titanic Growth image 2.0 This is a stat boost that will allow your creature to win almost all combats, and that’s the kind of trick most aggro decks feel okay about running.
Short Sword image 2.0 This gives a reasonable boost for the cost, and in this format it really seems to overperform. It makes a lot of creatures get to 4 power for the RG deck for example.
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 I generally don’t like this when we see it. It does replace itself if the creature dies, but it just gives such an underwhelming statsboost. You’ll play it in more aggressive decks, but even then it won’t always make the cut.
Crash Through image 1.0 // 2.0 This is nice in the spells deck, since it triggers a bunch of stuff and replaces itself, but pretty much unplayable everywhere else.
Staunch Shieldmate image 0.5 Well, those are some impressive stats on a one mana creature – we’ve never seen a one mana 1/3 with no downsides at all. That said, while he might do well on the vanilla test, he still isn’t all that impressive in Limited. He is quickly outclassed without some help, and you’ll only play him if you really need a one drop for a super aggro deck.
Blossoming Sands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Village Rites
Crash Through image 1.0 // 2.0 This is nice in the spells deck, since it triggers a bunch of stuff and replaces itself, but pretty much unplayable everywhere else.
Goblin Arsonist image 2.0 So, this is a one mana creature that can trade up for X/2s, and even threaten 2-for-1s when your opponent has two X/1s in play. It can also just ping the opponent for one when that is going to be meaningful. It also has a little bit of extra value in the Sacrifice deck, since it will give you some sort of value in addition to whatever the sacrifice effect gives you.
Village Rites image 1.5 I think it is fair to compare this to Tormenting Voice. Both cost you two cards to get you two cards. And yes, there are some differences -- the Rite needs a creature in play and it is an Instant, but I think this will serve a similar purpose. If you have lots of creature tokens, or use it in response to removal, or sacrifice a creature shut down by an Aura, it is going to feel pretty good -- and if you have sacrifice synergies it will be a little better to, but I think that it only makes the cut in your deck about half of the time, and usually just barely as a 23rd or 24th card.
Sabertooth Mauler image 2.5 He starts with some pretty mediocre stats, but growing every time something dies means he will overcome that limitation pretty quickly. Note by the way, it will get that counter at the end of the turn whether it is your creature or your opponent’s who died. It tends to get quite large and is able to attack on most turns since it will untap in a lot of different scenarios.
Duress image 0.5 This is too narrow of a discard spell to every play in your main deck.
Rugged Highlands image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Sanctum of Stone Fangs
Griffin Aerie image 0.0 // 3.0 Turning life gain into actual cards feels great, and a 2/2 flyer is definitely a real card -- especially if you can get more than one of them out of this -- even the first one is given to you at a pretty good rate, so if this really starts churning them out things could get interesting. Obviously, you have to have a deck that can not only gain life -- but gain 3 or more life a turn at least a few times a game for this to be worth it, and as a result of that I think we do have to go with a buildaround here. It is stone unplayable in many decks. But in a deck that can really get things going with it, it is going to be one of the best payoffs in your deck, since it provides you with a very real win condition.
Sanctum of Stone Fangs image 3.5 This is the best of the Sanctum cycle, and really the only one you consistently play on its own. Draining an opponent every turn really adds up, and gives you some serious inevitability.
Walking Corpse image 1.0 This is a vanilla two drop that you’ll play only out of desperation.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Forest image
Pack 3 Pick 12: Fetid Imp
Dub image 2.5 This Aura gives a big enough stats boost and a good enough keyword ability that it is worth the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. It is especially nice on lifelinkers or flyers. Aggro decks will virtually always play the first copy.
Fetid Imp image 2.5 Creatures with death touch are always nice because they can trade with pretty much anything, and Fetid Imp can trade for way more than to having Flying! And, in the mean time, it isn’t a bad attacker in the air.
Sabertooth Mauler image 2.5 He starts with some pretty mediocre stats, but growing every time something dies means he will overcome that limitation pretty quickly. Note by the way, it will get that counter at the end of the turn whether it is your creature or your opponent’s who died. It tends to get quite large and is able to attack on most turns since it will untap in a lot of different scenarios.
Jungle Hollow image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Alchemist's Gift
Alchemist's Gift image 1.5 This is a decent trick, if you choose the deathtouch option you will be virtually guaranteeing that you kill the other creature, and that can be particularly spicy against a double block. You’ll choose the lifelink option if you just need the stats boost to win combat.
Mind Rot image 1.0 This is always underwhelming. It can 2-for-1 your opponent early, but at the cost of you not developing the board, and then in the late game it often does nothing.
Swiftwater Cliffs image 2.5 This give you nice fixing and even gain you some life! You should value these over most medium cards if they are in your color or you’re interested in fixing.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Infernal Scarring
Infernal Scarring image 1.5 I generally don’t like this when we see it. It does replace itself if the creature dies, but it just gives such an underwhelming statsboost. You’ll play it in more aggressive decks, but even then it won’t always make the cut.
Prismite image 1.0 This has bad stats and it is bad at fixing mana. If you’re desperate for a two drop or fixing you’ll play it, but that’s it.
Pack 3 Pick 15: Plains
Plains image
Draft Pick Overview