Nizzahon_Magic
patreon
Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate Set Review Notes - Last Updated 6/28/2022 @ 3:30 pm ET
🕑 Added 2022-06-23 20:32:44 +0000 UTCWhite:
Ancient Gold Dragon - A
7 mana is a lot, but what you get for that investment is incredible, since you’re going to get some number of additional flyers when it hits the opponent. They even come down untapped, so it will be virtually impossible for your opponent to find a way to win if you hit them with the Dragon – even just 2-3 tokens is a big deal. It does take a while to get the mana to cast this, and it does need you to untap and attack before it wins you the game, but it is still a bomb. I’m giving it an A.
Champions of Tyr - A
Well, this is super strong. It has great stats as a 4-mana 4/3 Flyer, and the ETB ability substantially upgrades the next creature you cast one way or another. That gets extra spicy because it also has Double Team,w hich means you get another 4/3 Flyer and that ETB trigger again, and because it can Fly, getting that second copy isn’t going to be a huge stress. Heck, it might even be the card you cast that gets upgraded by the first ETB trigger! This is an A.
Flaming Fist Duskguard - C
The boon you get here isn’t that exciting, but yeah – it is staples to a two mana 3/1, and that’s a decent aggressive stat-line. This is probably a bread and butter type two drop for White decks. I’m giving it a C.
Horn of Valhalla - B+
So, if this was just the adventure side, it would be a pretty nice card. Getting multiple bodies out of one card is always nice, and sure paying 1 or 2 for X isn’t incredible, but it does scale all game long. You can make a bunch of bodies to protect you or to pressure your opponent. And the equipment side would also be a pretty nice card on its own – at worst it gives +1/+1, and sure sometimes it will feel clunky, but in the end you have two quality cards stapled together. They synergize well with one another too. I do think both sides are inefficient enough that it isn’t quite a bomb, but this is a pretty powerful Adventure card. I’m giving it a B+
Guardian Naga - C
Another Adventure where neither half is especially good. The ADventure is an expensive Disenchant, and the creature has underwhelming stats for 7, even with Vigilance and its ability to not take damage during your turn. You won’t always have something to use the Adventure side on, but it is pretty nice that you can run this in your main deck without a huge cost. After all, you do still get a creature eventually, even if it is overcosted. This is a C, and that grade could go up if Artifacts and Enchantments are a big factor int he format.
Klement, Novice Acolyte - A
This is really good. If you play this on turn two, the boost it gives to your hand will be insane! Sometimes you’ll get it at a point in the game where it doesn’t do much with its ETB, but most of the time it will buff at least one thing in your hand. While its specialized versions are all quite good, they do seem a little less powerful than some of the others – but that’s probably because it is better on the front side than these are. I think the Black/White one looks the best, as getting two 2/2 tokens right away is huge! But like with all of this, every single one of these looks quite good. I think this is an A.
Lae’zel, Githyanki Warrior - A
Yep, the front side on this one is another very good card. It is a 4-mana 2/4 with Double Strike that dodges the first removal spell that is pointed at it. Then, this can specialize for only 1 mana, and when it does the effect it gives you more than makes up for the card you discard. One really cool thing is that if you manage to transform this before it is ever targeted with removal, you actually get an ETB trigger when your opponent tries to remove it and it blinks itself. So uh..yeah, this is just a bomb. I’m giving it an A.
Lulu, Forgetful Hollyphant - B+
Pretty much every card with Specialize looks quite good, and this is no exception. Most of them are playable or better on their front side – and that’s certainly the case here, as a 3-mana ⅓ with Flying that grants Flying to the next creature you cast is definitely a good card. Then, it of course synergizes with itself when it transforms, since it pays you of for attacking with flyers – and all the payoffs are pretty great. I think this is a B+.
Mace of Disruption - D
This doesn’t seem very good. The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing. I think this is probably just a D.
Moradin’s Disciples - B-
This sort of White creature has been good in lots of formats. Tapping things down with an attack trigger is just a really great way to get some effective attacks in. And, in this particular case, it also means that it will be easier for you to trigger Double Team, and once you have two Disciples attacking, your opponent is basically never going to block again. The statline is mediocre for sure, but its a powerful 2-for-1, so I don’t car etoo much! I think this is a B-.
Patriar’s Humiliation - C+
So, a one mana instant that does damage to a creature equal to the number of creatures you have in play is usually about a C. It can be really efficient removal, but it requires enough set up that it isn’t premium. This adds the “creature loses all abilities” text to the mix, which means that you can get a bonus effect that keeps that creature from ever having abilities again, which can matter sometimes. More importantly, it means that even in a situation where you can’t quite kill a creature this can do still do something. You do still need to be killing things with this for it to be worth a slot in your deck, but basically the fail case is less awful than usual. I think this is a C+
Pegasus Guardian - C+
Like a lot of Adventures, this has a neat design. I don’t normally love “blink” or “flicker” cards in Limited, but that’s usually when that’s all a card can do. It can save ac creature from removal, or rebuy an ETB trigger, and those things are neat, but still too narrow if its all a card does. And in this case, you have access to one of those effects – which can be nice situationally – and then later in the game you get a relevant creature. It is certainly an overcosted creature, but you’ll often be able to play it and also get the 1/1 Flyer the turn you play it, since it looks at a creature leaving the battlefield in any way, so generating those tokens is going to be pretty nice. I do think the whole package is clunky enough that I don’t love the idea of first picking it, but its close. I’m giving it a C+
Portable Hole - C-
This is a reprint from Forgotten Realms, and it was pretty mediocre in that Limited format. You can definitely play it in your White decks and it usually won’t feel horrible, but there will be some games where you have no real targets for this. Your typical Limited deck will probably have 4-5 things it can hit, and that’s a little too narrow. I’m giving this a C-.
Ranger Squadron - C
Without Double Team, this is not a very good card – the stats just don’t look good. But, this is a Double Team creature with Flying, and that means yo’ure pretty likely to get that second copy. And yeah, it is two copies of an inefficient creature, but we’ve seen in many Limited formats that any sort of effect that gives you card advantage tends to be good, even if what you’re getting isn’t efficient. I think this is a C.
Seatower Imprisonment - B
This looks like a really impressive removal spell – it will compare favorably with Sleep with the Fishes. It shuts down the creature almost entirely, and gives you a 2/1 with Double team? That’s definitely worth 4 mana, and this is definitely premium removal. There is a sacrifice theme in this set which can make this worse, but you get to hold on to your creature even if that goes down. So yeah, this is a B.
Soldiers of the Watch - C+
It feels pretty hard to give Double Team cards anything lower than a C+. This is because they all have serious 2-for-1 potential, and even this fairly underwhelming Double Team creature, I think yo’ull be able to get two bodies out of it often enough that its still a C+.
Sune’s Intervention - B+
This looks pretty strong! In Limited, you’ll most frequently make the two 2/2 Knights and seek a nonland permanent card with mana value 3 or less. That will usually give you at least a 2-for-1. It is nice it has the other options too, because artifacts and enchantments can be a problem, and sometimes life is what you need to survive. The fact it is an Instant is great too, as you can ambush your opponent with those knights. I think this is a B+.
Sworn to the Legion - C
Basically, this gives double team to all of your things. This means that you can actually chain double team together. Even if you play a creature that you got from double team, it will gain it again when you cast it, so it just keeps going. That is undoubtedly powerful, and this will give you some significant value. There is a big problem here though, and that’s that this costs 6 mana and won’t really have an immediate impact on the board. Yes, your things gain double team, and sometimes that will make you more willing to attack, but if your creatures were already pretty mediocre attackers, this isn’t going to help you out very much. So, you kind of have to have the right creatures already or this won’t matter. I think that really holds it back. I’m giving it a C.
Valiant Farewell - C-
This doesn’t seem like an amazing combat trick. That’s because it costs two mana and only offers +2/+0 to your creature, and without a toughness boost, that means your creature’s chances of surviving combat are significantly lower. Now, it does replace itself, and it also offers a permanent boost to your next creature. And that value certainly helps this card out, but it still means that in a lot of situations you’ll use up this trick and a creature, and end up not really gaining anything on the board. So the tempo doesn’t seem awesome. The times where you can use this and keep your creature alive will feel absurd, though! Still, I think this is probably just a C-
Blue:
Alora, Rogue Companion - C // B
This Specialize creature seems a little more build-aroundy than most of them do. On its own, it can make itself unblockable and hit for three, but then it has to return to your hand, and that’s not…amazing. Obviously, making something else unblockable that has an ETB ability or something is super good, but you won’t always pull that off. Then, once Alora specializes, she adds an extra bonus to the creature returning to your hand, but you still really need to be returning something that gives you value already – either by hitting your opponent hard or retriggering ETB – because the bonuses don’t seem that great for the most part. Basically, if your deck doesn’t have much in the way of ETBs to rebuy, this doesn’t seem especially good, and if you do – she’ll be quite good. I think that means she’s probably a C in your typical deck, and a B in a deck that really gets there on getting value out of the bounce.
Ancient Silver Dragon - B-
This is probably the worst card in this cycle when it comes to Limited. It costs more mana than the others, and it doesn’t have an ability that inherently adds to the board. What’s more is, rolling a number that is 10+ and drawing the rest of your library an losing on the spot is a very real possibility in Limited, especially by the time this hits your opponent. Obviously, this is still incredibly powerful, but the rest of the cards in this cycle easily reach bomb status, and I think this is barely something you want to first pick. I’m giving it a B-.
Calim, Djinn Emperor - B+
So, like a lot of cards in this set – this is pretty wacky! So, a 6-mana ⅚ with flying and Ward 2 is probably a playable card anyway. Then you add the card’s ability to basically be cycled while also tapping down a permanent and you have something really interesting – and it gets even better, because you get a copy of the Djinn in your deck that you can draw later! Now, in your typical game of Limited you’re not going to reach the point where Calim can come back from the graveyard, but getting the value out of one extra Calim seems pretty reasonable. It does cost triple Blue, and that kind of cost can be a pain, but this seems pretty great over all – especially because you can always use the discard effect when you don’t have the mana. I think this is a B+.
Gale, Conduit of the Arcane - B+
I think you would always play a 4-mana ⅔ that returns an instant or sorcery from your graveyard to your hand when it enters the battlefield, at least, assuming you have 5 or more cards it can get back. And then, once this specializes, it becomes a really good payoff for casting spells. I think the Blue/White one seems the most powerful, since it adds new bodies to the board, but every single specialized version of this card is very powerful. I’m giving this a B+
Hypnotic Pattern - F
These Blue cards that just lower power don’t tend to be very good, and I think that’s true here, even with the perpetual -2/-0. Sure, it costs one, but most of the time you don’t get a card worth of value out of a card like this. Looking at it as “removal” is pretty dangerous, because the creature you use it on will still be able to do pretty much everything a creature can do. Sure, maybe it doesn’t attack or block as well – but it can do both of them. And, using this as a trick isn’t great either, because your creature still needs enough power to kill the thing you use it on. So uh..yeah, I don’t really plan on playing this. I’m giving it an F.
Illithid Harvester - B+
This looks pretty sweet. The freeze down effect from the Adventure is often going to really enable a good attack for you – and it can also buy you the time to get to the next turn so you can cast the Harvester itself. The enter the battle field ability can most obviously be used to downgrade opposing creatures, but you can also use it on your own stuff if that’s advantageous. But yeah, casting the Adventure one turn and the Harvester the next turn is going to feel powerful. Now, a 2/2 isn’t nothing, so it isn’t quite getting rid of cards entirely, but the fact you add that 4/4 board to the body, and the same card gave you very real value on the previous turn makes it hard not to see this as an excellent card. I’m giving it a B+.
Imoen, Trickster Friend - A-
A two mana 2/1 that is unblockable when it attacks alone is something you’d pretty much always play. So, the fact that this has Specialize is pretty amazing. Once it specializes, it becomes completely unblockable, and then it gives you some pretty powerful effects when you hit your opponent. Now, she does need some spells in the graveyard to fuel her abilities, so you’re obviously going to want to run a bunch of spells alongside Imoen to get the full value out of her. I think this looks like another bomb with Specialize. It starts out as a good card, and then becomes a great one. I’m giving it an A-.
Irenicus’s Vile Duplication - C+
So, this is basically a clone that can only clone your stuff, and gives it Flying. That’s a decent card, because you can always make it a copy of your best creature – and usually it will get that upgrade from Flying. There are lots of legendaries in the set too, so the fact that it lets you copy legendaries does matter. Basically the question here is: How often do you feel like you’re getting your mana’s worth with a card like this? And I think the answer is: reasonably often, but sometimes this will be kind of a miserable card to have in your hand. I thinkt his is a C+.
Lizardfolk Librarians - C+
Like all the Double Team cards, this has a built-in 2-for-1. Now, the 2/4 stats aren’t exactly exciting, but the fact you end up Scrying 4 and only using up one card to do it isn’t too bad when added to the statline. You don’t always want to attack with a 2/4, because obviously it has better stats for blocking – but it is hard for most of these Double Team cards to not be solid or better.
Seek New Knowledge - C-
So, you end up only getting a 1-for-1 in the end, but because it always gets you two nonlands, that makes it significantly better than most draw spells which you can hit lands with. Now, the downside is you can’t use this to help you hit your third land drop, so this is mostly a mid-to-late game card, and that’s certainly a bit awkward. This is probably just a C-.
Snowborn Simulacra - A-
This seems pretty good. As long as you are getting two duplicates it will feel worth the mana, and if you can do more than that – which isn’t out of the question – you’ll get even more value, especially because you can put one into play. Now, it is a Sorcery that won’t impact the board right away unless you are paying a total of 7 – or you make a copy of something cheap. One really neat thing here is that it can copy any permanent! But yeah, this is sort of like a card that can make a bunch of clones, meaning it is reliant to what permanents are around, but it will basically always have the ability to copy a couple of things. So yeah, I think even as clunky as this can be sometimes, this is probably a bomb. Just imagine paying 5 for this, getting copies of the three best creatures – provided you get to your next turn, going to be hard for you to lose! I’m giving this an A-.
Thayan Evokers - B+
So, basically, this is a 3-mana 2/2 that lets you loot – and you always loot into Lightning Bolt, which is pretty awesome. Obviously, you need to be at least splashing Red to play this card, otherwise you can’t cast the bolt! It also works well alongside other conjure effects – which includes Double TEam – which – oh by the way – this card also has, so it actually becomes a 3/3 by the time it is attacks for the first time. And then you get another Lightning Bolt! So uh..yeah, this is usually going to be a 2-for-1, while also drastically improving your card quality with those Bolts. It will also easily get to a 4/4 all on its own. That’s just a crazy amount of value! I think this is a B+.
Undersimplify - C-
This is a pretty neat design. So, a counterspell that lets your opponent ignore it for two isn’t usually great in Limited, since you have to have the mana up at the right time and your opponent also has to not have the mana to pay for it. But they soften the blow of your opponent paying 2 to ignore it, since you weaken a creature when you target it with this, whether the spell actually gets countered or not. Now, that’s mostly just a consolation prize, but it does at least mean this does something when your opponent has the mana, unlike most counterspells like this. I think you’ll still cut this reasonably often, but I think its a C-.
Vhal, Eager Scholar - B+
A 3-mana 2/1 that can tap and loot for free is something you’d usually play in Limited. Unlike some of the other Specialize creatures out there, this is one where you have to have it stick around on its front side for awhile, because when it transforms it consumes the study counters you get for looting and gives you a powerful effect depending on how many counters it had. So it takes a little while to get it going, but because the front is already a nice card, and the specialized versions of it all give you some powerful effects, this still looks really good. I’m giving it a B+.
Water Weird - C+
This has a pretty cool design. Basically, when it hits your opponent it has a surveil-like effect that either gives it a counter, or lets you choose to put the card in your graveyard. Now, it is a bit different than surveil. You don’t actually get to look at what is on top of your library, the game checks and gives the bonus to the weird. So, you get the information of whether the top card is a land or a nonland, but nothing beyond that. That doesn’t make it always easy to decide what to do with the mill part, but mostly if you have enough lands you’ll mill so you have a better chance at drawing a nonland, but if you need the land, you’ll just leave it. In the end, this seems like a quality Common to me. If it can just get in once, you’ll feel like you’re getting pretty good value, and if it can keep growing and sifting through cards, you’ll be pretty happy. I’m giving it a C+
Wizened Githzerai - C-
This doesn’t seem that good to me. Sure, it can chump block and make a creature worse, but chumping is not something you want to be doing a whole lot. And yeah, the -2/-0 sticks around no matter what happens to the creature, but I still feel like this is a two drop you will cut pretty often. I’m giving it a C-.
You Come to a River - C
This was a fine card in Forgotten Realms, and it probably will be here. Neither mode is anything special. The bounce mode will come up the most, and the times where you can use it in response to a combat trick and blow your opponent out will feel nice, as will the times where you can generate some tempo, but keep in mind bouncing things is always card disadvantage. The second mode this has also doesn’t generally net you a card – but sometimes it can close out a game. You’ll end up playing one of these in Blue decks and you’ll feel fine about it. I’m giving it a C.
Black:
Altar of Bhaal - B-
So, a three mana Sorcery that gives you a tapped 4/1 with Menace is probably pretty close to playable. If it came into play untapped it would actually be pretty solid! But it is really nice you can get that 4/1 body and then get the Altar, and the Altar is actually a pretty nice little reanimation engine. The problem there can be actually setting up the reanimation, so this kind of card can do stone nothing for awhile – but the Adventure gets you around that downside. Exiling something in play to reanimate something is certainly situational, but it will be worth doing often enough – and the card will already have impacted the board. So, I think I like what I see here overall. I’m giving it a B-.
Ancient Brass Dragon - A
Obviously, this is insane in Limited – as is the rest of this cycle. Sure, there is a bit of luck involved with the die roll, but chances are good you’ll reanimate at least one thing every time you hit your opponent with this, and that’s just insane. Sometimes you will reanimate way more than that, and only very rarely will you get nothing. The only thing that keeps it from being a straight A+ is that it doesn’t give you that value immediately, meaning that answering this with removal saves your opponent. The best bombs still give you something even if your opponent has the removal. It is still a bomb though, and I’m giving it an A.
Grave Choice - C+
This has a neat design, because it tries to get around the downsides most Edict effects have. They tend to feel pretty good early, but when the board gets wide enough, you end up killing something pretty irrelevant. Grave Choice takes away the ability to sacrifice tokens, and now your opponent giving up their weakest creature could come with consequences – and that is that you get a duplicate of the card in your hand. Now, there will be plenty of times when your opponent can just sacrifice something that’s not a big deal and you ge nothing, and sometimes getting a copy of their mediocre two drop won’t matter either – but I think the upgrades to this Edict make it better than most of them tend to be in Limited. It isn’t premium removal, but its not bad either. I’m giving it a C+
Hook Horror - C-
This is kind of an Alchemy version of Persist. Basically, you get a 5-mana 3/3 that gives you a 2/2 when it dies. While neither of those bodies are impressive, you are generally getting your mana’s worth there, and it gets a little better if you have sacrifice stuff going on. I think you’ll probably find yourself playing it in a deck with those Sacrifice synergies, but it probably gets cut a lot from other decks. I’m giving this a C-.
Mind Spike - C-
This is a neat take on Duress – and that’s what this is for the most part. You do get less info about your opponents hand, because they only reveal cards you can hit. Normally Duress isn’t really playable in your main deck in limited, however this adds the bonus of just turning into a one mana draw one when you don’t hit something. That gets around the main problem with Duress, which is that it does stone nothing way too often. Still, you do pay 2 life, and this isn’t exactly a hugely impactful card regardless of which thing happens, so you’re going to cut it a lot. But you’ll play it more than Duress! I’m going to give it a C-.
Saervok the Usurper - B
Before this Specializes, it is a pretty nice card. Even if you only have a single creature in your graveyard, being able to offer that boost every turn is pretty relevant. Saervok can even pump himself! Then, if your graveyard has some more going on, it becomes even more potent. And obviously, once Saervok specializes, he becomes even more impressive. I don’t actually love the Blue-Black versino of Saervok, but the other three – and especially the Menace one – are pretty scary. A 4/4 Menace that gives Menace and a stats boost to another creature every turn is going to end a lot of games. I’m giving this a B.
Sepulcher Ghoul - B-
So, they buffed up Sepulcher Ghoul in this format, from what it looked like in Forgotten Realms. And in Forgotten Realms it was already an excellent card because of the big sacrifice theme. I would imagine that will be true here too. Even with zero other synergy, the Ghoul is an excellent two drop with nice upside, where threat of activation is a big problem. There will be enough synergy to go around that I think this is probably just a B-.
Sewer Plague - B-
I think this is premium removal. Sure, -2/-2 for three mana isn’t great, but the fact that the creature keeps getting -1/-1 every turn means that it will often set things in motion for a larger creature to die. It basically can kill things as big of a 3/3 before your opponent gets a chance to do anything, too. I’m giving this a B-.
Shadowheart, Shaman Cleric - B
This creature is all about aggression! A two mana 2/2 with death touch and the 1 damage every end step effect is a pretty solid card. You can trade it for anything, and in the mean time it can really pick away at your opponent. Of course, the effect is symmetrical, and sometimes you’ll have to be careful, but if you play this in an aggro deck, that’s mostly going to benefit you. Especially because, once your opponent has low enough life, you can specialize this into a pretty scary creature that now gives you a bonus for losing life on your turn, in addition to various other powerful effects. This seems like a B.
Stroke of Luck - C-
This seems like a passable card selection spell. Two mana to get the best card in your top 4 isn’t horrendous, and occasionally you’ll get more than one card. This is probably the most likely to happen with lands, but sometimes you end up with several copies of something in Limited and it might do something on occasion. Still, it doesn’t impact the board, and it is just card selection 99% of the time, so it is pretty easy to cut. It is probably a C-.
The Hourglass Coven - A
So, this is insanely powerful. You get three bodies for 6 mana, with a combined 7/7 worth of stats, and then you get some additional bonus effects on the two “Hags” you draft. No matter what, you’re going to be really happy, and a lot of them are crazy strong too! This is an A.
Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple - B+
This looks pretty nuts for an Uncommon. It starts out with good base stats and a graveyard hate effect, and then with Specialize it can become one of five other creatures depending on the color of the card or the type of land you discard. The fact you can discard lands and get this to turn into one of those other creatures is what really makes them seem awesome. Once it becomes the other form of Viconia, you end up getting back the card of value back that you discarded to specialize anyway, especially if you discarded a land! Right now, I have this at B+, but it may turn out the value this can generate is so amazing that its just an Uncommon bomb.
Red:
Ambergris, Citadel Agent - B+
A 3-mana 3/2 with Haste that can let you throw your hand away to draw two cards is a card you’d pretty much always play. That attack trigger can actually be pretty good, because it means you can simply discard your hand of 0 or 1 card, and you actually gain cards. Once it specializes, most versions of it give you a bonus for discarding cards, in which case actually throwing more cards away is going to be really spicy. And, even if you have 0 cards in your hand, you discarded a card the turn you played it to Specialize it, so you’ll at least get some bonus right away. Like most Specialize cards, this looks like a very powerful card. I’m giving it a B+.
Ancient Copper Dragon - A-
This is a 6-mana 6/5 Flyer that generates some number of Treasure tokens when it hits your opponent, and that’s pretty awesome. You wont’ always have something to spend that treasure on, mind you, but mana sinks and card draw spells can make sure you do. It doesn’t take over the game quite as impressively as the White, Black, and Green dragons in this cycle can, since it doesn’t add or improve your board inherently, but it is still a highly efficient creature that will give you a bunch of mana. I’m giving it an A-.
Chaos Balor - B
Well, this has a fitting name, because its attack/death trigger is pretty chaotic! All of the abilities give you something that can be bad and something that can be good. Because you have control over the ability, you’re going to be able to choose what is the best for you and the worst for your opponent. If you really need mana, you’ll be happy to do 2 to yourself to get it. If your opponent has a bunch of X/2s you can kill, you’ll be happy to give those creatures +2/+0 in exchange for killing several of them. Similarly, if using the ability on your own stuff gives you lethal – you probably do that. I think the most common outcome with the card will be to use it to throw away a land or two to seek one or two nonland cards while doing one of the other effects on your opponent. Giving them treasure has a tendency to not really matter late, and because you have a ⅘ Flyer you’re going to be hitting them pretty hard. Now, no doubt about it, this card is going to be a bit awkward sometimes, but overall I think you get a reasonably efficient flyer that will do more good than bad for you. I think this is a B.
Craving of Yeenoghu - C
This one was my preview card! It seems like a decent aura, especially once you get in the graveyard. The fact it can keep coming back is nice, although after the second time you bring it back you are getting negative stats to go with the Haste, which is far less good – those first two activations will be a pretty nice way to add stats and Haste to a creature you play for only one Red mana though. I think this is a C.
Dragonborn Immolator - C+
A 4-mana 2/4 that can get +1/+0 for two mana is probably a C, so the death trigger here is really sweet, as it will be able to make your next creature more formidable. I think this is a C+
Farideh’s Fireball - C
This is another Forgotten Realms reprint. It was a solid removal spell in that format, though it turned out to be a little clunky for AFR. It definitely isn’t premium removal, but I think chances are good that this will perform better in this format than it did in Forgotten Realms. I’m giving it a C.
Flames of Moradin - F
There are a decent number of Artifacts in this set, but not really enough for this to be something you want to play. It just won’t do enough most of the time. Sure, you can kill your own artifact to get another temporary copy of it or whatever, but I’m not interested. I’m giving this an F.
Genasi Rabble-Rouser - C+
This is a pretty strong Common. A two mana ⅓ with the ability to pump its power for one and a Red is probably pretty close to a C, so obviously adding Double Team to the mix is pretty nice. This is a nice two drop for aggressive REd ecks. I’m giving it a C+
Giant Fire Beetles - C+
Like all the Double Team cards, I think this looks pretty good. Having Menace means it will be able to effectively attack and get you that copy on a lot of boards. Getting both of them will feel great, and that’s especially true if you can augment them in some way. I think this is a solid Common. I’m giving it a C+
Gut, Fanatical Priestess - C
This is one Specialize creature that I’m not super high on. On its own, this is a 6-mana 4/3 that fights something when it comes down. That’s not the greatest thing ever, but killing a 2/2 and adding to the board feels pretty good, and sometimes you’ll have another creature around who is better for the fighting in the first place. Now, the bummer is, you have to successfully exile something with the effect, or specializing Gut doesn’t do a whole lot of good – since when she specializes you get a token version of the card Gut exiles. Because the window for that exile is so narrow, and the creature token you get is temporary, I’m not that impressed here. The casting cost, the specialize cost, and the set up just doesn’t blow me away. I think this is probably just a C.
Gnoll Hunting Party - B-
I think if you can make this cost 5, you feel fine about that, and anything less than that is pretty amazing. The whole Double Team thing will give you another copy of this fairly large creature, and that second copy is going to cost five at the worst, because you had to attack with the Hunting Party to get Double Team to do its thing. This looks pretty good in a deck with lots of creatures. I’m giving it a B-.
Incessant Provocation - D // C+
As usual, the Threaten effect in this set is a build around. There is sacrifice stuff around - Seplucher Ghoul at Common can sacrifice things for free, and if you have cards like that the Provocation will be something you want to play, since you can get rid of their creature permanently and get a bonus on the way there! If you don’t have 3+ ways to sacrifice creatures though, you hope you’re not playing this. So this is a D in your typical deck, and a c+ in a sacrifice deck.
Kardum, Patron of Flames - B
So, a 4-mana 4/3 with Haste is probably a C+, and then this comes with what is mostly upside, since it will seek and exile cards every time it attacks. And a 4/3 is big enough on most boards that your opponent does have to make a decision about Kardum. Then, when it dies you get some pretty serious value. Now, you do have to use those cards quickly or you lose them, but you’ll be able to get at least one card out of Kardum most of the time. His first flame counter may not do anything, but the remaining triggers should do something! There will be times when Kardum can’t attack and stuff, but when that’s the case you can just threaten to trade him off. So, yeah – I think this is pretty good - I’m giving it a B.
Karlach, Raging Tiefling - A-
A two mana 2/2 with First Strike is usually a B-, so the specialize upside here is quite good. It does cost 6 mana – which is a ton – but the fact that you can Specialize it from the graveyard helps soften that blow, since you can just wait to do it until late. And when you do that, it comes back as a more powerful creature who can’t block – but comes with some other really big upside. I think this is another A-.
Kobold Warcaller - C-
We have seen a lot of one mana 1/1s that can tap and give haste to things, and they tend to be pretty decent. This is obviously an upgrade, because you don’t actually have to cast your creature for it to get the Haste – you can use this during your opponents end step and then cast the Haste creature on your turn, for example. Plus, the creature will keep haste no matter where it goes! It still isn’t amazing or anything, but seems like a fine one drop for aggressive Red decks. I’m giving it a C-
Mephit’s Enthusiasm - B
This is premium removal. Two mana for 4 damage is great, even on a Sorcery, so the fact that you’ll sometimes get to buff your next creature is the cherry on top. I think this is a B.
Tiefling Outcasts - C
Pretty wild to see a one mana lord, but that’s definitely what this is! The +1/+0 boost will pump a reasonably number of creatures in the set, and if you can find a way to get in with the outcasts, you get a second copy! Then you have two 2/1s at worst! Problem is, actually attacking with this for value will be pretty difficult from like..turn three on, so you shouldn’t really count on it doing what you want it to do. I do think there are enough Devils, Imps, and Tieflings around that this will have some impact on the board a reasonable chunk of the time, but it is probably just a C.
Unexpected Allies - D+
I’m not a huge fan of this, mostly because at Sorcery speed, it is very easy to disrupt. Your opponent need only respond in any number of ways to get a 2-for-1. Now, if you wait until your opponent’s shields are down, this can do some work, since it makes your creature hit harder, and gives double team to whatever you want – and sometimes there will be spicy options. The +2/+0 means that it will be easier for you to at least get a trade with the attack, and the fact you get First Strike sometimes is a nice bonus that makes the creature very hard to block. However, this set seems to have a high power level, and I’m not sure how much value I see in playing something that is easy to mess up. I’m going to start this at a D+
Uthgardt Fury - B+
This seems really good. I would already be on a 3-mana Enchantment that does 4 damage to anything when it enters. That’s a great removal spell that can also go to the dome. And, on top of that, Uthgardt Fury also changes the rules of damage. The first time I read this I thought it was symmetrical – but NOPE! It only hurts your opponent, and it makes it so their creatures are significantly worse, since damage won’t go away anymore. Now, I do think that’s going to have a more minimal effect than it might seem, but it does definitely make those creatures worse. So this is premium removal with impressive upside. I’m giving it a B+.
Warriors of Tiamat - C+
A 5-mana 4/2 with Haste isn’t something you want to play, but combining haste with Double Team is pretty spicy, since it means unlike other Double Team creatures, you can get that extra copy of the card before your opponent has a chance to untap. The downside, of course, is lots of cheap creatures and removal can trade with this thing, but they still have to find a way to deal with it twice, and that’s pretty nice. I think this is a C+
Wyll, Pact-Bound Duelist - A-
A 5-mana 4/4 that steals a creature temporarily is something you’d play in a lot of decks, especially if you have some free sacrifice outlets – which exist at Common in this format! Then, once this specializes, you find that you have a straight up sacrifice effect on Wyll! You do need to have the two extra mana, but casting Wyll for 5, stealing a thing,a nd paying 2 to specialize it and then sacrifice the creature you stole is super good. They all look quite good, but the Black/Red and R/W ones seem especially insane. I think this is an A-.
Green:
Arcane Archery - C
I don’t normally like 3 mana tricks, even if they give sizable boosts and trample like this. One and two mana tricks are usually where its at. Three mana is a ton, and it means that you have less opening to use a trick, and it means you are taking a greater risk if things go sideways. However, this trick definitely gives back for the risk that you take, since it substantially upgrades your next creature spell. I think this is a C.
Ancient Bronze Dragon - A
This is a huge flyer that will also add a huge number of +1/+1 counters to your board. The White and Black dragons are generally going to be better, because they add actual creatures to the board, where Ancient Bronze Dragon really needs you to have those other creatures already to make it work – but you’ll usually have plenty of stuff to put those counters on. You can even put the counters on the DRagon of course, but if you can it will usually be better to put them elsewhere. You do have to untap and successfully hit your opponent for this to take over the game, and that keeps it from being a HUGE bomb and an A+ – but it is still an A.
Dread Linorn - C+
Like a lot of Adventure cards, neither side of this thing blows you away. The trick is expensive for what it does, and fairly situational, and the creature is big and only sort of hard to block. But when you get both on one card, it is a completely different thing. It isn’t that difficult to generate a 2-for-1 with it. You have to pick your spots for the trick to work well to be sure, but it can help your creature win combat and it can even counter a removal spell. So, using that trick in the mid-game, and then slamming this 7/6 late is going to feel pretty good. You probably don’t want more than one copy of this in the end, but I do think that first copy is a pretty nice Common. I’m giving it a C+
Ettercap - C
Always nice to have a main deck Plummet that can also be a creature when you don’t have a target. Like most of the Commone Adventure creatures in this set, neither side of the card is anything special, but the fact this can do both – and sometimes get you a 2-for-1 – makes this very playable. I’m giving it a C.
Follow the Tracks - F
This doesn’t look very good. It can fix for you, but paying three mana at Sorcery speed to get a Gate just doesn’t interest me, even if they do draw you lands late. There is better fixing in the format, so I don’t think I’ll be playing this. I’m giving it an F.
Earthquake Dragon - F
Even in this set, with a bunch of dragons, it is hard to imagine casting this will be very easy. I mean, if you have SEVEN mana value of dragons in play, this still costs a whopping 8 mana. And sure, if you ever cast it, it will be pretty scary, but I think it will be too hard. I’m giving it an F.
Emerald Dragon - C+
Neither half of this card is super exciting. You won’t always find an activated or triggered ability to counter while this is in your hand. However, there probably are enough in this set that it will do a thing pretty often. After all, Specialize and Double Team are both things it can counter! So, if you manage to fire off Disonant Wave early, and then cast a 6-mana 4/4 Flying Trampler late, it is going to feel pretty nice. I’m giving this a C+.
Jaheira, Harper Emissary - B-
This starts with solid stats, and has hexproof that will actually matter on occasion. Then, when she specializes, you get to naturalize and get an additional effect. That’s some pretty nice artifact and enchantment hate to run in your main deck, and because it starts out as such a solid two drop, I like the overall package here. I think this is a B-.
Monster Manual - F
This doesn’t look great for Limited. The Adventure is underpowered, and the actual Artifact is clunky and frequently won’t do things meaningful. The idea is that, with the adventure, you’ll get yourself back a creature to cheat into play with the Manual, but it all takes so much mana and time, and even when you do pull it off, most of the time you’re not going to be saving that much mana by the time you get there. And frequently, the ability is meaningless. You just can’t have enough big monsters in your hand consistently enough to make this work in Limited. This is an F.
Oyaminartok, Polar Werebear - A
Well, this is strong! The whole hexproof part makes it hard for your opponent to find a way around it at first, and then when you start cranking out food you end up netting mana and gaining cards, which is pretty darn powerful. The mana can only be used on Blue creatures, but that’s what this Polar Bear will be getting you, so it works out quite nicely. Basically, this is a value engine that can pretty effectively fuel itself. I think that’s an A.
Skanos, Dragon Vassal - B
So, the base card here is pretty solid. A 5-mana 4/4 isn’t so much, but giving +4/+0 to another attacking creature is the kind of boost that can turn any creature into a threat. Then, once you Specialize he gains a keyword ability and you get to also give a keyword ability to that creature, which is a nice upgrade. Now, he does not exactly repay you for the full card you spend to Specialize with him, so discarding a real card to Specialize him won’t feel amazing, but you can discard lands too, and that certainly will feel amazing. And even discarding a real card in the right situation is well worth it. I think this looks like a strong Uncommon. I’m giving it a B.
Verdant Rejuvenation - F
If ramp is a viable strategy in this format, this is a pretty spicy win condition! You need to have something on the board, but if you just have a 4-drop in play this is usually going to do some serious work! Sure, you don’t pick what gets sought, but it kind of doesn’t matter at this point. That said, this is basically unplayable in any deck that isn’t good at generating lots and lots of mana, and most formats don’t really have a deck where getting to 8 consistently is a thing, so it is probably just an F, with the caveat that it could be better if ramp is legit.
Wilson, Bear Comrade - A-
Even if Wilson didn’t have Specialize, he would be a B- at worst, as he is just a great French Vanilla creature. Then, once he transforms, in most of his forms he gains an additional keyword, he gets bigger, and he gains an ability he can use from the graveyard, and all of those effects ar epretty darn good. I think this is an A-.
You Line Up the Shot - C
So, this is the usual “Crushing Canopy” type effect we see, but it is actually a little bit better. This is because instead of paying three up front, you can choose to pay in installments. It is also better because it can also just be cycled away for one mana. Any time you add Cycling to a card that can be situationally useful, it tends to be playable, and I think that’s what we have here. I’m giving it a C.
Yuan-Ti Scaleshield - D+
This kidn of effect always looks like it would be amazing. I mean, Indestructible and Hexproof, what can possibly stop you! And yeah, there are situations where it can be good. But there are also lots of situations where it just doesn’t do enough. Yes, you can list off a lot of situations where this does something: like if you are in combat and you can save several creatures and kill a few of theres, or in response to removal – and while that is a lot of different situations, things don’t line up for this to do its thing often enough to be worth playing. A lot of the time, this just feels like an overcosted Fog, and Fog doesn’t tend to be good in Limited, because you go down a card without any impact on the board. We’ve seen this effect at two mana before and it wasn’t very good in Limited, so upping the cost to three doesn’t really interest me. Now, this does draw you a creature card if your opponent has cast a big enough spell, and when you can net a card and get the indestructible effect you’re going to be in business, even if you have to use this as a Fog, because the card replaces itself. But I’m still concerned there will be too many situations where you can’t really fire this off effectively. This effect is usually an F or a D, but I think the Seek upside makes this a bit better. I’m giving it a D+.
Multicolored:
Jon Irenicus, the Exile - B+
This looks quite good. It has some passable defensive stats and a very powerful effect. It either substantially mills your opponent or draws you a card, and that’s pretty good! I’m not a huge fan of straight up mill win conditions, but because this synergizes with itself, I’m pretty happy. This is going to draw you a card a decent chunk of the time the turn you play it, and it will basically guarantee you draw one off of it every other turn, and that seems like a sweet value engine. I’m giving it a B+.
Liara of the Flaming Fist - B
This is the Red/White signpost uncommon. Unsurprisingly, it is a go-wide aggro deck – in this case, it is really built around the Double Team mechanic, as that is the easiest way to get cards with the same name. Notably, this also will help you out with tokens! The fact you can give anything double team and first strike is pretty spicy too, as you can give it to your best creature to get another copy – and First Strike helps that creature survive. Note, by the way, that ability can only be used once. Period. Not once per turn! But still, having that ability once seems pretty strong. Overall, this looks like a nice signpost Uncommon, probably one good enough to pull you into the deck. I’m giving it a B.
Lukamina, Bear Form - A
Well, this is super strong. Her base form as a 3-mana 2/2 that gets you a basic land from your deck is a solid card, even if you don’t get to choose what land you get. Then, once it specializes, it becomes super good regardless of what form it takes. They all come with super powerful effects, and they all return to the battlefield tapped in Lukamina’s original form, and that means the whole thing starts over again, you even get that ETB trigger again! Now, she is vulnerable for awhile, if you play her early – but she still gives you good value in the worst case scenario, and has absurd upside. I think that makes it an A.
Minsc and Boo, Timeless Heroes - A
You know I’m excited about this one! This is definitely going to be the next Historic Brawl video I do. As I’ve said many times in videos – like Minsc, I’m a bald guy who has pet hamsters, so I feel a certain kinship with this card. Anyway, it also turns out that this card is super powerful. You get a 1/1 token when Minsc enters the battlefield, and that provides immediate protection for him, and if Boo does die, he can make another one during your upkeep! HIs +1 can only buff creatures with certain keywords, but the good news is – Boo has both of those keywords, so if nothing else you can buff your Hamster who will pretty much always be around. And then, his -2 is pretty serious, as it can be a removal spell that draws you cards. So yeah, Minsc does a good job of protecting himself with Boo, and his two pretty powerful abilities that synergize with the Hamster token. I think this is a bomb. I’m giving it an A.
Minthara of the Absolute - C+
This is the signpost Uncommon for BW, a color pair all about permanents leaving the battlefield, so you’ll be able to ratchet up the intensity on this pretty easily. I mean, a 4-mana 2/4 that gives +1/+0 to your whole board is a card you always play, and while it isn’t that immediately most of the time, it will get there relatively easily, and then beyond. It is nice that if you get multiple copies of this they feed off of eachother too. I don’t feel like this is a signpost Uncommon that really puls you into its deck – but it is a card you’ll never cut if you ARE Black/White. I think this is a C+
Prosper Tome-Bound - A
This one is a straight reprint, but from the Forgotten Realms Commander set, so it hasn’t been in Limited before. Obviously, it is quite strong. It doesn’t start with the best stat-line ever, but hey – at least it can block and stop a lot of things from attacking! That gets especially spicy too, because it effectively draws you a card every turn. Provided you get to your end step the turn you play it, you’re going to get at least a 2-for-1, and if Prosper sticks around, you’re going to get a ton of cards – and treasure too! It even lets you play lands, which is always great. I think this is an A. It is quite the value engine.
Tasha, Unholy Archmage - A-
This is a pretty cool planeswalker! Her +1 makes it a heck of a lot harder for your opponent to take you down, and even if they do the -1/-1 counters she gives them stick around. Her -2 is also pretty neat, and can be used to protect her, but your opponent getting the choice about the card does mean that sometimes you won’t get something especially useful. Adding Ward 2 to the mix does increase the chances that that creature can stick around and protect her, though - and sometimes you’ll get something pretty awesome! Then, her ultimate is the kind that will win you the game on the spot. I think her +1 and -2 are both good value, and I think most of the time, Tasha will feel like a bomb. I’m giving her an A-.
Ulder Ravengard, Marshal - A
Most of the time, this will be able to come down and immediately have a large impact on the board, since adding double team to one of your other creatures is a pretty big deal. It suddenly makes offering a trade with that creature better, so it will often result in an attack you didn’t have before – and if you did already have the attack, that’s fine too – since getting the copy will be even better! Then when he starts rumbling, he makes sure to give you back more value by conjuring creatures to your hand. So, pretty hard to ever come out behind here, and if your opponent can’t keep it in check, it will run away with the game. I thinkt his is an A.
Lands:
Gate Cycle - C
This all seem solid. They enter tapped, but they have a useful subtype and can draw you a card in the late game. I think these are a C collectively.
Comments
Timothy R Ritchey
Thanks for the incredible breakdown! Very much appreciated
