‘Ello ladles and jellyspoons! Time for another round of my top picks/favorites from the new set.
As always, these are not strictly “the best” cards but they are just ones that stand out to me for one reason or another. Whether it be because it’s going to completely change the landscape of an entire format, make one particular deck stronger, super silly and never seen anything like it before, or just simply is a much needed reprint – it’s on the list.
LESSSGO!
First up is the entire rune cycle. They are just the right price, they cantrip, and they are tutor-able with Runeforge Champion.
Ladles and jellyspoons: We got SNOW DUAL LANDS! They did it, we inch closer to effectively skirting around the reserved list. Yeah sure they ETB tapped but the statement this makes is hopeful. Aaand they are Pauper playable!
Doomskar – You can build BW board wipe tribal in Commander now pretty much but in Standard this is going to be great. It’s a 5 mana Wrath that you can pay for in installments. UW Control in Standard is looking pretty strong.
Rally the Ranks – We had a nearly identical card in the past called Shared Triumph that gave ALL creatures of the chosen type a buff but this card only buffs your dudes. Very cool straightforward little card for tribal decks that can play it.
Ascendant Spirit – I’m a sucker for level-up cards like Warden of the First Tree and I can see this being a major role player in Standard if snow decks are a thing.
Bind the Monster – Doesn’t seem like much but in Pauper I think this card is really good for Mono U Delver decks. One mana to tie up their biggest threat seems pretty good to me.
Graven Lore – Now I’m no blue spell expert but from what I’ve heard drawing 3 at instant speed is pretty good. A lot of people felt it was a little pushed and should have been sorcery speed. I find it interesting that it’s a “snow instant” I feel like there is room for abuse there.
Orvar, the All-Form – First of all I just love the look of all these shapeshifters from the plane, they give me WoW warlock vibes. Now the card has some really cool unique abilities that look fun to play with. The first part makes me want to point a Giant Growth at a Marit Lage token or do some Isochron Scepter shenanigans with it. And the last ability just laughs at Tinybones players 🤣
Burning-Rune Demon – A nod to and twist on Rune-Scarred Demon but this time you get to tutor up 2 cards and you force a mini Fact or Fiction on your opponent. You can pull the classic (insert busted creature name) + Unburial Rites combo. I like it.
Dream Devourer – Very cool card with a bunch of broken potential. Possible combo with Myr Superion??? Seems spicy if it does.
Village Rites – Simply a needed reprint. For a card last printed in Core Set 2021 this card was 1.06$?!? FOR A COMMON FROM THE MOST RECENT CORE SET… 😒
Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire – Hmm, very interesting card. It’s a low mana tutor on a stick. What’s very cool is that it doesn’t care if it deals combat damage it just needs to attack. I’m not sure if this replaces Sidisi, Undead Vizier for tutor on a stick in Commander though 🤔
Weigh Down – NOT a good card actually. I don’t know why people are trying to say it is in Pauper when we already have Defile from MH1 which is wayyy better in MBC.
Fearless Pup – Look at that flavor text!!! 😍😍😍
Open the Omenpaths – What a weird restrictive ritual?… All I can think of cheating out early with this is Fires of Invention. (aside from obviously 4 mana creatures).
Tibalt’s Trickery – My favorite card from this entire set! THIS IS THE FIRST EVER RED COUNTERSPELL! Now yes, we have had cards like Red Elemental Blast etc. but they have all been conditional up until this point. Tibalt’s Trickery reads: Counter target spell. PERIOD. Yeah sure, there is a gang of text that follows that offsets the ability and gives your opponent some upside to getting their spell countered but this in the first time in Magic history that a red card straight up just counters ANY spell. Very strange how it first mills 1-3 cards at random then essentially cascades. Cool that even in constructed, if you counter a Devoted Druid they just can’t cascade into another Devoted Druid and continue to win. This is the coolest card I’ve seen in years and that’s why it’s my #1 pick from the set. I love this card.
Blizzard Brawl – Quite possibly my second favorite card from this set because it’s almost a strictly better version of Prey Upon for Mono Green Aggro decks. It comes at virtually zero cost by switching basic Forests to snow-covered Forests and you gain the added benefit of your dude getting +1/+0 and indestructible when it fights. Very happy with this card.
Esika’s Chariot – Such a flavorful card and the ability is strong. It lets you make a copy of ANY token you control. Not just a creature token, no, you can start making copies of Sol Rings or Eldrazi Monuments (I know that would be redundant giving your dudes flying and indestructible twice but you get the idea). There are a lot of busted possibilities.
In Search of Greatness – Another take on making Birthing Pod “fixed”. It’s a mix between Aether Vial and Eldritch Evolution on a stick. I like how they made it an enchantment. This could be scary in an Abzan shell where you sacrifice your way up to some big scary beat stick followed by reanimating all the little sacrificial critters along the way via Eerie Ultimatum so that they didn’t die in vain. Combine it with BG undying creatures for extra value!?
Realmwalker – Nice card advantage for tribal decks that can play this shifty green dude. Please don’t argue the technical definition of CA w/ me. I know it doesn’t technically put an additional card in your hand but for a creature-heavy tribal strategy being able to cast the top card of your library is essentially +1 card in your hand. What else is cool is that it doesn’t make you play with the top card revealed either which is nice.
Toski, Bearer of Secrets – 👏 LEGENDARY 👏 SQUIRREL!!! 👏 That’s all I have to say…
Koma, Cosmos Shaper – Jeezus this card is so much value. Can’t say no to it and it has its own built-in army. The first ability is dope because it can be used on creatures AND planeswalkers. Even if tapping doesn’t apply to a planeswalker, it still can’t up or down tick… And if you have enough sneks laying around and someone puts a Wrath on the stack your big boy is protected 👍
Svella, Ice Shaper – Very powerful uncommon. I can’t think of a card that isn’t at least a rare that lets you cast spells w/out paying their casting cost. A first for uncommons to my knowledge. It even provides it’s own mana ramp for its expensive ability!
Colossal Plow – Do you know what else has exactly 6 power to crew the plow solo? COLOSSAL DREADMAW!!! Coincidence? I think not! I’m on to you WotC.
Maskwood Nexus – Oh Jeebus… This has so much broken combo potential and it’s colorless! That’s scary.
Pyre of Heroes – ANOTHER attempt at fixing Birthing Pod in the same set? WotC being a bunch of try-hards this set… Thanks, I guess?
And lastly, Valki, God of Lies – On this list because right now you can cascade into it because of its current technical ruling. So in Living End you can cascade into the Valki side and choose to play the Tibalt side when it ETBs. Until they fix it, that’s pretty busted 🙂
Welp that’s all from this set folks! You might be wondering why I didn’t discuss some of the big flashy mythic rares and that’s because they are exactly that: big flashy mythic rares that are obviously good/powerful. And there were other cards I’m sure I might have dismissed but I’d spend all day talking about all 285 cards at that point 😛
And as always, if you’re in the market for some snazzy new sleeves be sure to cruise on over to the shop and use my discount code MADMAGIC for 15% off on your next purchase.
