Magic Origins Spoilers - Limited Review for July 1
We're halfway through the final spoiler week and have 13 cards to review today. 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-
Players managed to make Revel of the Fallen God work in Theros block, and I'm fairly confident that this card is better than that. Surprising attackers is good and doing it without risk of any of your creatures dying is great. This can also be fired off on your own turn while attacking to make your opponent's blocks ineffective.
A
This new version of Cataclysm is a little less brutal now due to not blowing up lands, but it's still quite strong. Ignoring everything but creatures for a moment, this is a Duneblast that leaves behind your opponent's worst creature. That's an insane deal for five mana. This also hurts the White/Black Auras and Blue/Red Artifacts archetypes since it wipes out all but one card of each of those types. The Planeswalker portion will virtually never be relevant in Limited.
Blue
C-
I wouldn't ever want to play Catalog but would almost always be interested in an instant speed Divination. This isn't a card that will draw me toward the Artifacts deck, but it is one that I'll happily pick up once I've drafted the enablers.
B+
Looks like Pia and Kiran Nalaar have already been colorshifted! I slightly prefer the Legendary pair since Shocks are quite good, but this is still an incredible effect. Whirler Rogue's ability can help trigger your Renowned creatures and provides a fast clock that is resilient to removal.
Black
B+
Shriekmaw is back and it's big this time! We don't get a cheap Evoke option and the creature restriction is a bit stricter, but this effect comes on a creature that's already respectable by itself. Remember that this effect can be countered be evening out the target's stats in response; for example, targeting Archangel of Tithes with Titan's Strength.
Red
B+
Embermaw Hellion is efficiently costed and powers up all your red creatures and spells starting the turn it enters the battlefield. I look forward to curving this into Volcanic Rambler or a Chandra's Fury, but I also won't mind simply attacking with it.
C+
Sandsteppe Outcast almost always preferred a flyer so this Artificer takes the initiative and makes the decision for you. This creature obviously synergizes with the Artifacts archetype, but it feels like a high pick for any Red deck.
C
While players are getting excited about this card's constructed implications, I think it's just worse than Tormenting Voice for Limited. The power of Tormenting Voice in Limited was being able to alleviate mana flood or mana screw; Magmatic Insight only helps with the former. In fact, in a hand with only two lands, this card could be almost uncastable until quite late in the game.
Green
C+
This card is going to be incredible in the Auras archetype and very mediocre in normal green decks. Unfortunately for us, we already know that the Auras archetype is going to be centered in White and Black; you'll have to splash this card to include it in such a deck. It will probably still be worth it, but keep in mind that the cost reduction effect is a lot less impressive when you can't cast the Herald on turn two.
A-
This creature is humongous. It is a literal Giant. It blocks basically all ground creatures the turn it comes down and demands removal or chump blocks to prevent a possible 18 damage in just two attacks! This is the type of creature that makes me really, really hope they're reprinting Typhoid Rats.
Multicolored
C+
Flametongue Kavu is a great card, so let's ask how much work Reclusive Artificer takes to get to that power level. If this could consistently deal four damage, it'd be about as good as the Kavu. More realistically, this will be doing somewhere between one and three damage and picking off a smaller creature your opponent controls. If this is only killing a 2-drop, it's a bit underwhelming, especially for being multicolored.
Colorless
C
Even if relegated to defense, this Construct is cheap and blocks well while adding to your artifact count. It also doesn't take much work to allow this to attack either. By turn three you should have another creature ready, and a 2/1 will usually still be relevant at that time.
B
Turning an army of 1/1 Flying Thopters into 2/2 Flying Thopters is a huge upgrade making Chief of the Foundry an incredibly strong card for this archetype. If you manage to get two of these in play at once, you get two 3/4s and even your smallest artifact creatures will become potent threats.
Conclusion
In just two more days we'll have the full set review and we can really start studying for the Prerelease. Please join me tomorrow for the last batch of spoilers and Limited review before the full set is made public. Reach out to me on Twitter @JakeStilesMTG or in the comments below with your thoughts on the new cards.
