Magic Origins Spoilers - Limited Review for June 26
Today's article is going to be short and sweet. We have only 8 new spoilers today, but the ones we have are very exciting and include a few valuable reprints. I'll be reviewing these new spoilers from the standpoint of how well I expect them to perform in Limited. Of course we can't rate the cards accurately without knowing the entire set, but we can evaluate the cards in an "average" limited format.
You can find all the latest spoilers on the Magic Origins page. Please note that if I haven't yet reviewed a card, it's probably because the official English spoiler for it has not been released yet.
Grading Scale
A: This card will often be the best card in one's deck. I'd consider splashing it where possible. (Citadel Siege, Dragonlord Atarka)
B: This card is rarely cut from a deck that can cast it. In draft, it signals that a color or archetype is open. (Abzan Beastmaster, Death Wind)
C: Cards like this make up the majority of limited decks. You're neither excited nor embarrassed to have them in your deck. (Soul Summons, Screamreach Brawler)
D: I'm not putting this in my main deck unless I have a specific reason or I'm low on playables. (Abzan Advantage, Blessed Reincarnation)
F: This card will have little or no impact on the game if I draw it or is strictly sideboard-material. If I cast this card, please stage an intervention for me. (Crucible of the Spirit Dragon, Keeper of the Lens)
White
B
This reprint is strong because it is undercosted and can generate an extra land (and therefore an extra mana) on turn three or four. The problem is that unless you're very heavy on Plains, the double white in the casting cost is going to make Knight of the White Orchid hard to cast early. I'd be excited to play it with at least ten sources of white mana in my deck, but would avoid playing it with six or less white sources.
C+
Unlike Constructed, every Limited deck looks pretty much the same when considering proportions of lands, creatures, and noncreature spells. While you can tweak your deck to work slightly better with Vryn Wingmare, you still need to play removal spells and the Thorn of Amethyst effect is probably going to affect you just as much as your opponent. That said, it passes the vanilla test for Limited and even has upside, so it's a good creature to play in Limited.
Blue
B+
It looks like Strongarm Monk got a little more powerful, learned how to fly, and got bumped up in rarity as a result. Time will tell whether this set rewards Renown or noncreature spells more and whether Soulblade Djinn or Patron of the Valiant ends up being the better first pick. My vote is on this Blue version, but I think it's somewhat close.
Black
D-/C+
Could this Elf be as good as Smokebraider is for Elementals? I think so. I think this card's second ability is going to be every bit as valuable as the ramp aspect. Combat gets a lot easier when you can attack with your whole team and not worry about an opponent's larger creature blocking your own. This card's dual rating is indicative of its highly variable power level dependent on whether or not you have a critical mass of Elves in your deck.
Red
B
This card is playable even with zero other Goblins since it's a lightning rod for removal and a great blocker against blue decks. Add a couple of Goblins into your deck and this creature becomes great. I especially like the interaction of Subterranean Scout making Goblin Piledriver unblockable even if it becomes a 3/2 or larger after attacks.
Green
C+
I think I'd rather attempt an overload on copies of Timberpack Wolf than this creature, especially since the Wolf is a Common, but this Elf still offers good value in the right deck. I especially like how the go-wide strategy is supported by the Shaman of the Pack discussed below.
C+
Another reprint, Sylvan Messenger is a great card to keep your Elf engine running smoothly. If you can draw one card consistently, this is better than Shaman of Spring; if you can get more than one card out of this, it's a Mulldrifter. Don't expect to get many cards too often though. With 6 other Elves in your deck, you have a 50/50 chance at getting at least one and it takes a whopping 11 other Elves before that percentage reaches 75%.
Multicolored
B-
This creature makes me excited to draft the Elf deck. Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen is great, but he's a Rare so you can't count on seeing him every draft. An Uncommon, on the other hand, has a much higher chance of showing up. Being Uncommon, multicolored, and a bit more restrictive, this won't be as format-defining as Gray Merchant of Asphodel was in triple Theros, but it will be on everyone's radar.
Conclusion
The first week of Magic Origins is done, but we still have over 150 cards to go! Please join me next week when spoilers and Limited review resume. In the meantime, reach out to me on Twitter @JakeStilesMTG or in the comments below with your thoughts on the new cards.
