Eldritch Moon Spoilers: Limited Review for June 28
Welcome to another great day of spoiler discussions for Eldritch Moon! Today we get to see the Intro Pack Rares, some unique Eldrazi transform cards, and yet another step in the Delver of Secrets-Aberrant Researcher cycle.
I'll be reviewing these cards from the standpoint of how well I expect them to perform in Limited. We can't rate the cards completely 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 Eldritch Moon page. Please note that if I haven't yet reviewed a card, it's probably because the official 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. (Linvala, the Preserver, Tireless Tracker)
B: This card is rarely cut from a deck that can cast it. In draft, it signals that a color or archetype is open. (Baloth Null, Forgotten Creation)
C: Cards like this make up the majority of limited decks. You're neither excited nor embarrassed to have them in your deck. (Akoum Flameseeker, Moorland Drifter)
D: I'm not putting this in my main deck unless I have a specific reason or I'm low on playables. (Dazzling Reflection, Reduce to Ashes)
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. (Hedron Alignment, Trail of Evidence)
White
Lone Rider
C+
Lone Rider is a curious card whose power level will depend greatly on the number of enablers to flip it and 1-toughness creatures present in Eldritch Moon. If you can flip it about half the time, you're going to be pretty happy. Don't play Chaplain's Blessing just for this, but do take Silverstrike and Nearheath Chaplain a bit higher once Lone Rider is in your pile.
Sanctifier of Souls
B
Sanctifier of Souls is a useful engine card in Limited, but isn't that much of an attacker. You won't want to risk it in combat early on, so simply sit back, develop the board, and make a Spirit or two. Once you have a large number of threats built up, you can exile the last creature card or two, cast a creature as well, and then use this creature as a 4/5 or 5/6 attacker during an alpha strike.
Blue
Docent of Perfection
A
Docent of Perfection tempts you with awesome token value, but don't be fooled. It will usually just win the game without help from its little Wizard friends. Go ahead and combo this creature with your good spells, but don't dilute your deck just to make this Docent more perfect when it comes out.
Grizzled Angler
B
Simply using this Human as a fast Delirium enabler is a solid plan, and if you can find enough Eldrazi to stuff in your deck, the Grizzled Angler side can chew through your opponent's ground forces quickly. I really enjoy these creatures with weird flip conditions, and I look forward to building around them.
Niblis of Frost
A-
While not quite as flashy as Docent of Perfection, Niblis of Frost can end the game just as quickly. It comes down a turn earlier and attacks for a fair bit less, but its instant/sorcery clause can wreck an opponent's plans whether they're trying to attack or block.
Take Inventory
D
When you're drafting Blue and don't have anything else in the pack, you can Take Inventory and just hope. During the drafts where you end up picking up four or five copies this way you can go nuts, but during the rest of the time it can keep your sideboard cards company.
Black
Noosegraf Mob
B+
I love this card. It feels so Simic with the splicing and dicing, but it's somehow mono Black.
During the game, this Zombie can provide you with an army over the course of a few turns, but watch out for the opponent casting instants and shrinking this creature during combat. Don't risk trading it off unless you can come back from such a blowout.
Red
Assembled Alphas
B+
Assembled Alphas gets into creature combat as an 8/5 and is even nastier when the opponent tries to double or triple block it. You can expect this creature to attract a removal spell quickly or hold off your opponent's entire ground forces indefinitely.
Galvanic Bombardment
B-
While Galvanic Bombardment likely won't see much play outside of Limited, it's still plenty efficient enough for our purposes. The first one or two copies are perfectly serviceable, and when you get into Flame Slash/Lightning Axe territory, you're going to feel absolutely giddy.
Green
Emrakul's Influence
D-
Here's one of the most difficult build-around-me's we've had in a while. If you trigger Emrakul's Influence just once, it's not close to being worth the investment. That means you want a deck that has at least three creatures to trigger it. In a deck full of expensive Eldrazi, can you take the time off to cast a 4-drop that does nothing? Not usually.
The one possibility for making this card good is the Emerge keyword. First, you accelerate out a 7+ drop (such as Wretched Gryff) using its Emerge cost, then use the cards drawn to find more of those expensive creatures to retrigger Emrakul's Influence. That's still not something I expect to pull off easily, hence the low grade.
Ulvenwald Observer
B
Ulvenwald Observer is a big beater without evasion or protection which isn't great, but it at least pays you back a card when it dies, which is nice. It will be interesting to see whether they're running back the Khans of Tarkir 4+ toughness subtheme, or if this is a one-off card design.
Conclusion
Please join me for more spoilers and more Limited review as the Eldritch Moon goodness continues to pour in. Reach out to me on Twitter @JakeStilesMTG or in the comments below with your thoughts on the new cards.
