Crimson Vow Limited Review Notes (Last Updated on 11/02/2021 @ 2:55 p.m. ET) (Patreon)

White:

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2-  Angelic Quartermaster - B

This is really good, but it would have been way better if it could have put one of its +1/+1 counters on itself.  Because it doesn’t, it means you absolutely have to have two other creatures around when you play it to get full value.  I’m being a bit nitpicky here of course, because like I said, it is still a good card.  After all, it is 5 mana to add 5/5 to the board, and at least 3/3 of that has en evasive key word ability, and because it costs 5, having two other things will happen reasonably often.  In fact, the Quartermaster will pretty regularly find a way to create attacks that just weren’t there before, and she gives you value even if she dies right away.  Also, +1/+1 counters are a big theme in this set, especially in GW. So yeah, still a very good Uncommon, just remember it can’t put a counter on itself like some versions of this effect we’ve seen before.  I’m giving it a B.

3 - Arm the Cathars - C+

This is a pretty interesting card, and one that I think is actually a pretty reasonable inclusion in aggro decks.  +6/+6 worth of stats spread across three creatures and Vigilance is going to be enough to enable attacks on a whole lot of boards, between the stats and the fact that you can still have the creatures hang back to block, which really matters in a race.  Sure, you need a board state for this to do its thing, and you have to be a little cautious about when you use it, but it seems like this can bust a game wide open early, and break through a stalled board late, and that seems like a pretty nice overall.  I’m giving it a C+.

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5 - By Invitation Only - A

This has a cool design, and looks super good.  This is an entirely customizable Wrath effect, and that seems very powerful. If you just want a straight up Wrath, pick 13.   What makes it extra great, though, is that you can use it in situations where your creatures outnumber your opponents already, to wipe their whole board and hold on to some of your stuff.  Basically, you’re going to get a reset button to bail you out of an unwinnable situation, or you can use it to put yourself way ahead of your opponent on the board.  That’s definitely a bomb.

6- Cemetery Protector - A-

This looks really good to me.  A 4-mana ¾ with Flash is already playable, since it is the right size to come in and really ambush stuff, but the added graveyard hate + the ability to generate creature tokens is big.  You can cast this at the end of your opponent’s turn and hit a card that has the same type as something you’re playing on your turn and you’re already getting really good value once you do, anything beyond that and this can get really silly!  I’m giving it a B+.

7- Circle of Confinement - C+

This is interesting.  The vampire part of the card mostly won’t matter in Limited -- you have to be exiling something your opponent has multiple copies of, after all.  Mostly, this is a two mana removal spell that gets rid of mana value 3 or less things for two mana.  That’s pretty close to premium removal, but i think it falls a little short, since the best you’ll ever do is spend one mana less than your opponent, and that’s not huge.  It is of course still quite good and something you’ll play in every White deck.  I’m giving it a C+.

8 - Dawnhart Geist - C

This has passable stats and an ability that will gain you some life.  There are a decent number of Enchantments in White, so I think you’ll pretty much always end up playing it.  I don’t really see it being an important payoff at all, but the incidental life gain is nice.  I’m giving it a C.

9 - Distracting Geist - B-

This kind of creature always overperforms.  Tapping down a defending creature is a huge deal, and really alters how your opponent plays the game.  Being a 2/1 is a bit of a bummer, but the fact that you can disturb this later in the game to give a more formidable creature that ability is pretty appealing.  I think you can take this pretty early.  I’m giving it a B-.

10 - Drogskol Infantry - B-

This looks like a nice Common to me! It is a bear on one side, and then can come back as a pretty nice Aura late.  Look at it as a creature who can trade and leave an Aura behind, and that sounds pretty good.  I’m giving this a B-.

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12 - Faithbound Judge - B

This is a neat card! So, first up, a 3-mana 4/4 with Flying and Defender is already a reasonably playable card, at least in slower decks.  It has great stats for the cost and can block for a very long time.  But the great thing is, it doesn’t stay that way! It will take a few turns, but eventually the Judge can actually attack! And then, if your opponent manages to kill it, you can Disturb it late to put your opponent on a fast clock.  Of course, it costs 7 mana to disturb, so it will be hard to get there consistently.  Now, all the stuff with these counters is super slow, and there are going to be times where this card just couldn’t get you there because it is slow, so it definitely isn’t a bomb, but it is pretty good! I’m giving it a B.

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14 - Fleeting Spirit - C+

This is a nice aggressive creature. You can attack with it for free a lot of the time, since if things go sideways on you you can just flicker it.  And, in the late game, gaining first strike is no joke!  I think this is a C+.

15 - Gryff Rider - B-

This looks like a nice Common.  Because it has Flying, it will often be able to attack with other creatures that are bigger than it, so it can grow throughout the game, and even just getting one counter oni t will feel pretty good.  This seems like the kind of Common that will be the bread and better of aggressive decks in this format.  I’m giving it a B-.

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17- Hallowed Haunting - F / B+

So, obviously, you need a decent number of Enchantments or this is pretty useless -- and you probably shouldn’t really expect to get the flying and Vigilance part going.  However, just the ability to make creature tokens can be worth it in the right deck -- and in particular, that deck will be the UW one, which will be able to run a bunch of enchantments in the form of disturb creatures, and that’s also the color pair that will have the most spirits.  So ending up with like 7 Enchantments in that deck won’t be as hard as it normally would be, though I still don’t really think it will be easy exactly, especially because you need a mix of Spirits and Enchantments.  And, while some cards are both of those, they are only those on one side or the other, so you won’t get the value of having both.  Obviously, this is a build around, because I think it will be an F or close to it in just about every White deck, but it definitely has an impressive ceiling -- cranking out tokens is no joke.  I think a realistic ceiling for it in a good UW deck is probably a B.

18 - Heron of Hope - C

This doesn’t have the best base stats, but it is a nice little life gain payoff, and the fact it can gain life gain itself means it does stuff even if its your only life gain card -- and generally, it won’t be.  I think this is a C.

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20 - Optimistic Initiate - C

A one mana ½ with Training is already kind of a decent card, and that’s mostly what this will feel like, though of course having the Disenchant effect as an option is nice.  This is probably just a C, though.

21 - Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr - B+

This looks pretty good! So, let’s assume your deck has 0 other Enchantments or Spirits -- that won’t be the case, but its a good place to start!  In that deck, she would be a three mana 1/1 with Flying, Lifelink, and protection from a relevant creature that, which can disturb into an Aura that gives +1/+1 flying, lifelink, and protection from Vampires.  That would already be a playable card -- and the thing is, your deck is going to have way more spirits and Enchantments than that! Even just having her be a 2/2 or the Aura give +2/+2 is a huge upgrade.  She’s obviously at her best in UW, which is the most Spirit and Enchantment happy, but because the baseline is so reasonable, you can probably play her in any White deck and be reasonably happy.  I think it is going to be a real pain to deal with either side of this.  I think it does fall a little short of being a bomb, but not by much.  I’m giving her a B+.

22 - Kindly Ancestor - C+

This seems like a pretty nice Common.  A 3-mana ⅔ with Lifelink is probably like a C-, so adding the Disturb upside is pretty nice! Giving lifelink to evasive creatures is especially nasty, as life gain just utterly alters races.  Its nice that it will also work pretty well in GW, as putting +1/+1 counters on a lifelinker tends to feel pretty good.  I’m giving this a C+.

23 - Lantern Flare - B

This looks pretty good, though I think you basically always want to at least be splashing Red to get the full value out of it.  Two mana to do one for each creature you control and gain that much life is a pretty decent card.  It definitely takes some set up, but as long as you have two creatures, you’re getting an okay deal.  Of course, it gets way more flexible if you can Cleave it, and being an X damage spell at instant speed that gains you life is pretty serious.  Overall, this thing looks quite nice. Its effectively a split card with two pretty nice options.  I think its a B.

24 - Militia Rallier - C+

This has efficient stats, even if it can’t attack alone.  The good news is it can block alone, and it does a good job of that! And as long as he has some friends, he can rumble too, while untapping a creature, so it has pseudo-vigilance.  On top of that, its a nice size for training other creatures.  I think this is a C+.

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26-

27- Ollenbock Escort - C+

A one mana 1/1 with Vigilance is kind of alright in this format, since there is an Aura deck and a +1/+1 counter deck, but it gets a lot better with its ability to make something gain lifelink and indestructibility.  Those two keywords are huge, and this is going to have some serious impact on the board if you have a creature with a counter somewhere, as your opponent has to respect this ability or get completely wrecked.  I think this is a C+.

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31 - Radiant Grace - C

There are lots of Auras in this format that do an excellent job of getting around the 2-for-1 risk of Auras, and this is yet another! One mana for +1/+0 and Vigilance isn’t exactly an exciting boost, and probably wouldn’t be a card you’re super interested in playing, but the fact that it comes back as a Curse is nice.  Now, again, just the Curse side of this isn’t great, but when you staple the two cards together, you end up with a very playable card, especially in UW, which loves Enchantments.  The Curse side is going to be nice if you’re aggressive especially, and is less good the less aggressive you are.  I think this comes out as a C, overall.

32 - Resistance Team - B

This looks really good.  GW has the most humans, but every White deck in this format will have enough Humans for you to play this, and when you get to draw that card, yo’ure getting quite the 2-for-1, as this 3/2 can really effectively trade for stuff or attack.  I don’t even think its necessary to give it a buildaround grade, since drawing a card with it won’t be that hard to make happen.  I think this is a B.

33 - Sanctify - D // C

This is good at destroying Artifacts and Enchantments, and I think there are enough of them that this might make your main deck sometimes.  While there are lots of Auras, keep in mind, blowing up the disturbed side of a card isn’t really going to be a one-for-one and won’t feel that great, and I think that limits how good this is in your main deck.  I think it is a D if you have to play it there, and a C as a sideboard card.

34 -Savior of Ollenbock - A-

This takes some significant set up to do its thing, but once it is doing, it will do a pretty good impression of Vicious Cathar from the last set!  Ideally, you play this on turn three when you have a two-power creature arround, and attack on the next turn, removing your opponent’s most relevant creature, and things can really snowball from there! It probably won’t be super easy to get it to exile more than a couple of things, and you eventually have to stop attacking because it will get a bit outclassed, but it will really swing the early game wildly in your favor, and even in the late game your opponent has to make sure they are leaving back enough blockers that they can survive this triggering. You can also use it to exile stuff from your own graveyard in the late game, which will put your opponent in an awkward position -- they can’t kill it, or you’ll start reanimating stuff!  I think this is gets in the lower range of “bomb.”  I’m giving it an A-.

35 - Sigarda’s Imprisonment - B-

This is White’s usual aura-based premium removal.  Now, there’s a very real chance this is worse than normal, since Exploit is in the format, but I still think the efficiency of the card is worth it -- 3 mana completely removes the card from combat, allowing you to attack and take advantage right away, and its nice that in the late game you can get rid of the creature entirely and get a Blood token out of the deal.  I’m giving this a B-.

36 - Sigarda’s Summons - F/B

So, GW has a lot of +1/+1 counters around, even apart from the Training mechanic, and I think that probably means that this is very realistic to build around in that color pair.  Even outside of that color pair, if you have enough cards that give you +1/+1 counters it could be worth it.  Now, the downside of the card is that it costs a whopping SIX mana, and will only do a thing if you’re set up for it, otherwise it won’t impact the board at all, and that’s going to be pretty brutal.  I think you won’t be able to play this at all in an average White deck in this format, but that it will work out reasonably well for you in GW.  I’m giving it an F in most White decks, and a B in a +1/+1 counter-heavy deck.

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38 - Thalia, Guardian of Thraben -  B-

This is a neat reprint. A two mana 2/1 with First Strike is a very nice card for Limited, and this one comes with a nice tax effect.  Now, it isn’t exactly like you’ll be playing her in a deck with 0 cards that are affected by the tax, but generally speaking, you’re going to be coming out ahead when you play this, since you’re the one who has such an efficient creature, and your opponent meanwhile suffers from the tax without any upside.  Obviously, she dies to a whole lot, but because she makes the stuff she dies from cost more mana most of the time, that’s not a big deal, especially since she only costs two!  I think Thalia is a B-.

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40 - Twinblade Geist - C+

This works well within the UW archetype.  Having double strike is good for Auras, and then it of course becomes an Aura at some point after it dies, and giving double strike in the right situation can be pretty big.  A two mana 1/1 with Double Strike is kind of an alright deal too, and also pairs well with +1/+1 counters.  I’m giving this a C+.

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42 - Valorous Stance - B-

This is a reprint, and it was pretty nice in Limited last time.  We usually get an effect that costs 3 or 4 and kills big things, so having it at two mana is a huge upgrade, and if it doesn’t have a target, the other mode comes up sometimes.  You can use it to save a creature, sometimes creating big blow outs.  While as a removal spell I don’t think it is quite premium because its so narrow, I think the upside of the additional mode is enough to make this a B-.

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44 - Voice of the Blessed - B

This is a really, really good life gain payoff, and this format has a legit life gain deck.  It is, in most ways, a better Ajani’s Pridemate.  It will be really great in a deck that goes hard on life gain, but it has a pretty good baseline as a two mana 2/2, and it also likes +1/+1 counters regardless of where they come from, which makes it a nice fit for GW too.  It getting Flying and Vigilance is something that will happen reasonably often, but you should probably never expect it to be indestructible.  I think most decks will get some nice performances out of this card.  It has a reasonable floor and a very high ceiling.  I’m giving it a B.

45 - Wedding Announcement - B

This looks pretty good to me.  Sure, it will be a bit slow in the late game sometimes, but the fact that it gives you value the turn you play it definitely matters.  Generally drawing a card is going to be better than getting a 1/1, but you’ll take either!  Then, a few turns later, it becomes an Anthem, and that’s certainly going to make your board into something pretty scary, whether you’ve been making tokens or drawing extra cards, you’re probably going to be able to go pretty wide.  I think this is a B+.

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Blue:

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49- Biolume Egg - B

So, a 3-mana 0/4 that Scries 2 is something that you would already play in mid-range or control decks.  Scry 2 has a very real impact on the quality of cards you draw!  So, the upside that sacrificing this gives you a 4/4 that is unblockable sometimes is pretty spicy.    And, given that Explot is a mechanic in this set, it means that sacrificing this won’t really be difficult to come by.  In fact, the Scry might help you find something!  I’m giving this a B.

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53 - Engulfing Tide - C+

This is a strange card.  It can definitely have a big impact on the game, but it is mostly only going to be worth it if your opponent is ahead of you on board.  The good news is, that if they are , you’re probably going to get to draw some cards too.  The downside is that, unless you have some mana left over, you may end up losing some of your cards because you’ll have so many.  If you’re ahead, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to use it. I also don’t love that, if your opponent has the best nonland permanent in play, they’re still going to be ahead of you.  I am pretty skeptical of this.  Most cards we’ve seen that do mass bounce stuff have been pretty underwhelming in Limited, and I’m going to err on that side of things.  I’m giving this a C+.

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56 - Diver Skaab - C+

This has a nice Exploit trigger, as it lets you trade whatever you Sacrifice for a full card, while still adding a 5-mana ⅗ body to the board, and that’s going to do a whole lot to stabilize you or pull you ahead.  I think this is a C+.

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58 - Dreamshackle Geist - B+

This looks really good to me.  3-mana 3/1 flyers are often playable anyway, and this one has a very nice trigger.  You’ll be straight up tapping things in situations where doing so allows for better attacks -- and that happens a lot!  But the fact it can also lock down creatures for a couple of turns is nice too, as your opponent will find themselves in a sticky situation.  Can they really afford to attack if the Geist locks down their creature?  Yeah, this is great.  I’m giving it a B+.

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60 - Geistlight Snare - C-

I’m always a bit skeptical of counter magic in Limited.  This is a bad mana leak a big chunk of the time, and sometimes it will cost two or one, which will obviously feel much better, but you still have to hold it up at the right time for it to do its thing, and it has waning value as the game goes on and players have more mana.  I think this is a C-.  I won’t be playing it a whole lot.

61 - Geralf, Visionary Stitcher - B+

This set has lots of Zombie of course, especially in UB, so he will often come down and give a Zombie or Zombies in play Flying right away.  Then, his ability makes it so you can give up creatures to make more Zombies.  Now, in a lot of ways, that ability just reads “U, Tap: Give target creature Flying,”  but uh..that’s actually pretty good, and sometimes you’ll be sacrificing a creature who is no longer relevant at all, and that’s a huge upgrade.  I think this looks pretty great, I’m giving him a B+.

62 - Gutter Stalker - B

This looks quite good to me.  An unblockable 4-mana 3/3 is nice, and that’s what this will usually be! Then, once it goes down, it can lend that powerful unblockability to one of your other creatures, essentially giving you two creatures that are must-kills over the course of a game.  Now, ideally, the creature is big enough to really be a problem, and you won’t always be able to pull that off.  It does get some bonus points too from being a great place to put Disturb Auras since...you know, it can’t be blocked a lot of the time.  This is a pretty high pick.  I’m giving it a B.

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64 - Inspired Idea - C+

This is an interesting card.  If it is the last card in your hand just casting it for three is probably best, because it is likely you will be able to play some of the cards you'll draw, and that mana will be useful.  But obviously, if you are casting it at any other time, you'll need to Cleave it or be in some trouble.  Still, three mana to draw three is big, and in the later part of the game you probably won't have more than four cards in your hand anyway.  I think this has enough upside that I would play it in most Blue decks, and especially in aggressive ones.  I'm giving this a C+.

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66 - Lantern Bearer - C+

This looks like a pretty good Common.  A one mana 1/1 Flyer isn’t something that is worth it in a lot of formats all on its own, but it is a pretty decent play on turn one, as it can chip in for some real damage.  Unlike most one mana 1/1 flyers though, once this become outclassed, you can just chump block with it and then Disturb it to get a pretty nice Aura! +1/+1 and Flying can turn almost any creature into a very real threat, and sure, 3 mana for that isn’t amazing, but remember that you also got a one mana 1/1 Flyer earlier in the game, and that sounds pretty good to me.  I’m giving this a C+.

67 - Lunar Rejection - C+

We’ve seen this card before without the werewolf hate side of things, and it was pretty nice.  Bouncing a thing doesn’t usually give you a 1-or-1 trade, but because you draw a card, that’s what this amounts to, and you’re usually coming out ahead on tempo.  Obviously, the Werewolf hosing upside will feel really insane.  Seems nice for Blue decks, I’m giving it a C+.

68 - Mirrorhall Mimic - B

4-mana clones have a pretty good track record in Limited.  They get to be whatever the best creature on the battlefield, and whether that means you copy an opponent’s thing or your own thing, it will be pretty nice.  What really makes this card great, though, is that when it disturbs you get to put it on a creature and keep making copies of it every turn.  That’s going to grind out some pretty serious value, and eventually snowball to the point that your opponent just can’t win.  This is the kind of Disturb card that is going to be better in most cases if you just mill or discard it because its Aura form is so good.  I’m giving this a B.

69 - Mischievous Geist - C+

Getting in with the 1/1 side of this won’t be super easy, but if you are on the play and play it on turn two, it has a chance.  The idea is that you can put Auras on it to really start to get value, and obviously as we’ve seen, there are lots of Auras that would make this into a formidable attacker.  Then, when it goes down, it of course becomes an Aura, and one that grants the same ability to another creature.  That’s pretty nice, because any time you find a situation where you have an advantageous attack, you can Disturb this and stand a good chance of getting that card.   I’m giving this a C+.

70 - Necroduality - F / B+

So, obviously, you need a bunch of Zombies for this card to be anywhere close to worth it.  Otherwise, it is a 4 mana Enchantment that basically does nothing!  If you do have lots of Zombies, which probably means the UB color pair, it is probably worth playing -- but you probably need around 10 before you get there, and even then, the turn you place this it will do stone nothing! But if you get to untap, you’re probably going to be fine.  So yeah, this needs a build around grade, since it is pretty much dead weight in your typical deck in the format -- an F.  But in a deck that is constructed to take advantage of it, it is definitely good -- a B+.

71 - Overcharged Amalgam - B

This looks awesome.  You would always play a 4-mana 3/3 with Flying and Flash.  Its big enough it can ambush some stuff, and its a very real threat! Adding the Exploit upside is great, as countering a spell or ability and adding to this board will feel incredible, even if you do have to give up a creature to make that happen.  Ideally, you’re giving up a creature that is no longer relevant, or a creature token -- but even if you’re not, this is going to feel pretty good!  Now, sometimes you will have to play it in a situation where you can’t counter anything, but even if that’s true, you have a very nice card.  I’m giving this a B.

72 - Patchwork Crawler - C+

This is a pretty neat card, and not a bad late game mana sink to have around.  And, even early sometimes, copying a creature’s ability who died and getting a counter can be better than playing a thing from time to time.  But still, it starts out small, and asks for set up, and has a pretty costly ability.  Its great late, but kind of meh the rest of the game.  I think its just a C+.

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74 - Scattered Thoughts - C

It is pretty funny to compare this card to Organ Hoarder from the last set, which was the same mana cost, but put a 3/2 body into play and only let you grab one card from the top three, but yeah, way better either way.  Anyway, this might not be the best Common in the whole set like the HOarder was, but it seems like a solid playable.  Looking at 4 cards is pretty nice for the cost, and loading up the graveyard is worth doing too.  I think this is a C.

75 - Screaming Swarm - C

6 mana for a 4/4 Flyer isn’t a great rate, but this does do some other stuff.  Generally, you’ll probably be milling yourself with the attack trigger, since this format does have graveyard stuff -- especially in Blue.  But in a pinch, it can mill the opponent if that matters, and on rare occasions it will.  This is expensive and slow, but it does load up your graveyard and it can make sure it keeps coming back, although that’s not that exciting.  I think this is probably just a C.

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79 - Soulcode Tablet - D // C+

This seems like it might be a little slow.  It doesn’t add to the board in a meaningful way until it transforms, and it will usually take a few turns for you to get there.  Sure, any creature being milled or dying will remove a counter, so if you have a deck that is good at self-milling you could get it going pretty fast, but you probably can’t really count on this being good enough all on its own. I mean, if you don’t see a creature with the ability, it won’t remove a counter, and do you really want to not draw a creature?  I mean, sometimes you won’t want to, but you frequently would rather have the creature than mill it.  Once it does transform, its pretty impressive as an aerial threat with a very good mana sink ability, but I think it will be too slow in most decks.  I think it needs a build around grade, because it is probably a D in a deck that isn’t good at self-milling, and probably a C+ or even a B- in a deck that mills itself effectively.

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82 - Stormchaser Drake - B

This starts out with a great Flying body, and the ability it has can be quite nice, especially in UW, a deck that will have a decent number of Auras, and Auras of course count for the ability.  You’ll still play this in just about any Blue deck though, as the stats alone are worth it, and any Blue deck at all probably has a decent chance of having some other things that target it.  I’m giving it a B.

83 - Syncopate - C

This is a reprint, and actually a pretty reasonable counterspell.  XU counterspells are nicely customizable, and you’ll find yourself able to counter a spell much more frequently without going out of your way to leave some amount of mana up as a result.  Exiling the thing you counters certainly matters in this format too.  Now, it is still a counterspell, and having to have the mana up at the exact right time just for this to trade 1-for-1 still isn’t awesome, but a lot of counterspells just aren’t worth it in Limite,d and this one is. I’m giving it a C.

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85 - Thirst for Discovery - B-

This is a really fun Thirst for Knowledge callback, and also makes Compulsive Research -- an old Sorcery speed version of this - look really sad.  So yeah, 3 mana to draw 3 at instant speed and discard a land is a pretty good deal, and in some decks in this format, discarding nonlands will also be beneficial.  It doesn’t impact the board of course, and you don’t want to jam too many cards like that into your deck, but I think this looks pretty good overall, and would value the first copy fairly highly.  I’m giving it a B-.

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87 – Wash Away – D+

So, without Cleaving this, you will be able to counter things like Disturb, but that’s way too narrow and not worth a card.  Even with Cleave, this is just Cancel, and that’s usually a card that’s not worth it in Limited.  The Double Blue can be kind of rough, as it decreases the frequency with which you’ll be able to leave mana up to counter a thing, and that’s incredibly frustrating, as well as inefficient.  I think this is probably a D+, like Cancel usually is.  I don’t really see the Uncleaved upside as enough to upgrade it beyond that.

88 - Whispering Wizard - B

This looks pretty good.  I read the text box first, and was really thinking this thing would be a ⅓ or a 2/2, so I was pleasantly surprised that it was a 3/2!  The trigger here is quite strong, even if you only get it going once a turn, as those Spirits can really cause a lot of problems to your opponent.  Stapling them to every non-creature spell is really nice.  I can see this being good in UR spells or UW Auras, as both of those decks will be casting a significant number of non-creature spells.  I think that means this is a B.  It will take over games if left unchecked.

89 -

90 - Watch for the Future - C-

This is interesting.  It doesn’t add or subtract from the board at all, and in this day and age that is becoming more and more of a liability, but it does seem like a kind of reasonable late game play.  Using it to remove graveyard stuff of your opponent’s, or to shfufle cards back in your deck that you would like to redraw, while also giving you some card selection, isn’t a terrible deal at 3 mana.  It also isn’t a great one though, and seems like something that will get cut a lot.  I’m giving it a C-.

91 - Wretched Throng -  F // B-

I always really like collect ‘em all cards in Limited, they make for interesting picks, and this is a fun take on that.  The main idea here is that you can keep getting Exploit fodder if you have multiple copies, but just the fact that it can block and trade and get you another Throng is actually pretty good too.  A card like this always needs a range of grades.  If you have one of these, you’re never going to play it, but as soon as you have two, you’re looking at a C, and if you have 4 or more copies, it is probably a B-.

92 -

Black:

93 - Archgoul of Thraben - B-

This looks nice enough. At worst, it is a 3-mana 3/2 that Surveils 1 when it dies.  That’s not great, but is perfectly playable.  And, obviously, if you have a bunch of other Zombies, it triggers even more.  Black decks will basically always have a few zombies, and UB decks will have more than a few, and in those decks it can turn into a real card advantage engine.  I think I can see this being a B-, just because it has such a reasonable floor and such an impressive ceiling.

94 -

95 -

96 - Bloodcrazed Socialite - B-

A 4-mana 3/3 with Menace isn’t amazing -- it is probably a C-, at best -- however -- this brings a blood token along with it, and I think I’d already be playing that card a reasonable chunk of the time, but it also has the impressive upside of making itself into a 5/5 when it attacks, provided you have blood. Because  the Socialite brings a Blood token with it, you’ll get to do it at least once.  I think this is a B-.

97 - Bloodsworn Squire - C

So, the front side of this would be a kind of playable card already, as being able to threat indestructibility is a pretty big deal, and makes it hard for your opponent to interact with it.  Mana AND a card is pretty real cost, though.  Transforming this won’t be the easiest thing in the world, especially because a lot of the time, holding on to a creature in your hand will be worth way more than using this thing’s ability and trying to transform it.  However, by the late game, it is likely to transform and be a pretty decent size, while still having that indestructible ability.  Overall though, I don’t love this card.  It does have a neat design, but I think the whole package is just a decent playable.  I’m giving it a C.

98 - Bloodvial Purveyor - B

Giving your opponent a Blood every turn is certainly a downside, but one I am willing to live with when I get a 4-mana ⅚ with Trample and Flying that hits harder the more Blood your opponent has.  Don’t get me wrong, Blood is certainly something your opponent can use to improve their card quality, but they do have to pay mana and discard a card to do it, so it isn’t like you are giving them straight up free cards.  I think this looks pretty impressive, though obviously the downside does hold it back.  I’m giving it a B.

99 -

100 - Cemetery Desecrator - A-

This is really good.  It will frequently be a 6-mana 4/4 with Menace that kills a thing when it enters the battlefield, and that’s really strong.  The counter side of things will come up very rarely, but its nice upside.  This will just add to the board and subtract from the opponent’s a big way, and I think that means its a bomb.  I’m giving it an A-.

101 - Concealing Curtains - C+

A one mana 0/4 usually isn’t worth playing, but one that does other stuff isn’t bad, after all, it can block early pretty effectively!  Transforming this gives you a pretty good deal too, as 4-mana for a ¾ that lets you get rid of your opponent’s best card is pretty good.  And yeah, they get to draw a card, its true -- but pretty much always, the card you take away from them will be better than a random card from the top of their deck.  Its nice you can just choose not to make them discard too, and just look at their hand, but yeah, most of the time you’ll want to hit a thing.  This seems pretty solid.  I’m giving it a C+.

102 - Courier Bat - B-

This is a very nice Common.  Early, its a Wind Drake, which is passable -- and then from the mid-game on, you’re going to be able to get a creature back reasonably often.  Obviously, you’re going to want some life gain stuff going on, and that’s really a thing in BW, but there’s enough life gain around that I think this will be pretty much an auto-include in most Black decks, especially because it has such a good floor.  I’m giving it a B-.

103 - Demonic Bargain - F

Flavorful design, but this is absolutely terrible in Limited.  3 mana for a tutor just isn’t very good in most decks -- its just super slow, even if you are grabbing your bomb -- and you also have a reasonable chance at milling whatever it is you wanted to search up, as 13 cards is a ton in Limited! So yeah, this is an F.

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105 -

106 -

107 - Dread Fugue - F // D

Neither side of this card is very good in Limited.  If you just cast it normally, there’s a good chance you hit nothing, and the 3-mana effect is just Coercion, a card that generally isn’t playable in Limited.  You’ve got to be adding to the board meaningfully in most Limited formats, and this doesn’t do that, and it will often do nothing.  It gets a little better as a sideboard card, but its probably still just a D there.

108 -Dreadfest Demon - A-

7 -mana for a 6/6 Flyer isn’t the most amazing rate, but that’s definitely a big creature! Especially because it cranks out copies of itself.  It effectively turns a non-Demon creature into a 6/6 Flying Demon every turn, including the turn you play it, and stopping that from continuing to happen is a pretty big challenge.  While I don’t love the initial rate, the fact that it gets going on your end step the turn you play it is enough for this to get into the lower bomb range.  I’m giving it an A-.

109 - Dreadful Service - F / B

This is definitely a buildaround, and mostly for the Black-Red deck.  If you can turn activating blood into a 2/2 Zombie token, you’re going to feel pretty good about that, and really you probably only need to get 2 out of this before you feel okay about the deal, and anything beyond that is great.  The other decks in the format look less likely to have a critical mass of ways to discard cards, but as long as you have 7 or so ways to do it, you can probably play the Service and have it be pretty good.  Its probably an F in yoru typical Limited deck, and a B in a deck that got there on discarding.

110 - Edgar’s Awakening - C+

We see 5 mana spells that reanimate a thing a lot, and in your typical format, they aren’t that great.  In this format, I don’t see that being drastically different.  The tricky thing is getting something into the yard that is worth spending the 5 mana on, and that just doesn’t happen all that often in a typical game of Limited.  Now, the additional effect here definitely matters -- as if you discard this to Rummage with Blood, you get a creature back to your hand for a single Black, and that’s going to feel pretty good.  I think the whole package here is a C+.

111 - Falkenrath Forebear - B

This is very good.  A 3-mana 3/1 with Flying that makes a blood token when it hits the opponent is already really good, so adding the reanimation to this is awesome.  And sure, not being able to Block definitely downgrades it -- it means you can’t really use it to keep yourself alive -- but it can still continually pressure your opponent all game long.  I’m giving it a B.

112 - Fell Stinger - B+

This looks like a great uncommon to me.  This is basically the Black Mulldrifter!  Without Exploit, this is a card that always makes the cut.  It has decent stats and the ability to trade with anything.  With Exploit, it becomes a pretty high pick, as adding draw two to this is pretty massive.  Giving up one creature for that still has you come out ahead, and that is even more true if you sacrifice something ideal.  It can even sacrifice itself, and sometimes that will be worth doing.  I think this is one of the best Uncommons in the set.  I’m giving it a B+.

113 -

114 - Gluttonous Guest - C

This has decent defensive stats, and it brings a blood token along with it.  The “gain 1 life” part is some reasonable upside too.  Altogether, that makes this is a solid card.  I’m giving it a C.

115 - Graf Reaver - C

In Limited, the Exploit here is pretty close to irrelevant, so what we’re mostly looking at as a two mana 3/3 that does 1 to you ever upkeep.  If you play this on turn two, it is pretty much guaranteed to be the largest thing on the board, but because Limited is such a creatury heavy format, it is also pretty likely that he will be completely outclassed by turn four or so.  So, yeah -- its definitely efficient, and worth playing despite the downside, but its probably just a C.

116 -

117 - Groom’s Finery - D+

If you don’t also have Bride’s Gown, the boost from this card isn’t really going to be worth it.  Two to play and two to equip for +2/+0 is basically never a worthwhile Equipment when we see it.  Sure, it can enable an attack that wasn’t there before, but the lack of a toughness boost is pretty real.  This is probably just a D+.

118 - Headless Rider - B

A 3-mana 3/1 that gives you a 2/2 when it dies is a pretty nice card already, as getting a 2-for-1 out of it is very doable.  The fact that this gives this ability to all of your nontoken Zombies is even better! I’m giving this a B.

119 - Henrika Domnathi - A-

A 4-mana ⅓ with Flying is a pretty dismal rate, but Henrika is going to be more than that pretty much every time you play her.  You can choose to transform her immediately -- after all she’s a great blocker when she’s an infernal seer.  But because she can’t attack right away, sometimes you may want to choose one of the other two options.  The draw option is probably the most appealing of the other two, as it means you’re getting a 2-for-1.  The symmetrical edict will only be good in specific situations.  I think in an ideal world you will choose the draw option the first turn and then transform her on the second turn.  Either way, you’re getting a ton of value out of 4 mana, and while her ability may not pump that many other things, it doesn’t really matter, as her keywords are great and the ability to pump her power is really nice.  I think the flexibility here, coupled with the imposing creature she can become, is enough for her to get into the lower range of bomb status.  I’m giving her an A-.

120 - Hero’s Downfall - B+

This was a Rare last time we saw it, and that goes a long way towards explaining how removal has gone back to being really good at lower rarities lately! And yeah, this is.  It is strictly better Murder coming with the occasionally useful upside of dealing with planeswalkers.  The double black in the cost is something that matters, because it isn’t as splashable as some other premium removal, but its still incredibly good, and hard not to give a B+ too.

121 -  Innocent Traveler - B-

This is an interesting one.  So, you start out with a creature that is terrible on the vanilla test, but it can transform into a creature that does quite well on the vanilla test.  The only way it won’t transform is if your opponent is willing to give up creatures, and that’s a pretty real cost.  Sure, the first couple of times they may have some expendable stuff, but it will ultimately become a pretty real problem.  Now, the downside is that your opponent may be able to hold off it off long enough so that a 3/3 Flyer isn’t a big deal or something, but the fact is that it still whittled away the opponent’s board a bit, and that’s not bad value to have on your 4-mana 3/3 Flyer.  It is definitely kind of rough the turn you play it, since its such a terrible blocker, but by your upkeep I think you’ll be reasonably happy with its performance.  I think this is a B-.

122 - Mindleech Ghoul - C

This is a bear with some pretty nice upside, as sometimes taking away a card from your opponent’s hand will be worth losing the creature.  Its nice that the card is exiled too, because you know, graveyard stuff.  I’m giving it a C.

123 - Parasitic Grasp - B

This is really good.  There are lots of Humans who you can kill with this, but in situations where you want to kill a non Human, paying an additional mana is perfectly fine.  This is premium removal. I’m giving it a B.

124 - Path of Peril - B

Wrath effects are incredibly powerful and not replaceable at all, so I tend to like them in Limited, even though they get worse in more aggressive decks.  Six mana for the wrath effect is definitely costly, but the fact you can cast it earlier to take down some smaller creatures isn’t too bad, though most Limited decks won’t exactly have a ton of cards with a mana value 2 or less.  I think the cost is high enough that this sweeper isn’t quite a bomb, but it will obviously save you from situations that no other card can, even if it is situational.  I’m giving it a B.

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126 -

127 -

128 - Restless Bloodseeker - B-

Cranking out a few blood tokens a game is pretty nice, and that’s usually what this will be able to do.  And, that’s good, because it can transform itself using that blood.  And, once that happens, its ability can not only be a serious way to disrupt a race, it also means that all on its own, the Bloodseeker can gain you life and thus make more tokens.  This thing has a very reasonable baseline, and looks like it could be a pretty nice finisher once it transforms. It fits well in BW lifegain and BR Blood too, which is nice.   I’m giving this a B-.

129 - Rot-Tide Gargantua - C

Sometimes, the Edict effect here won’t actually do a whole lot, and when that’s the case, its just a 5-mana 5/4, which isn’t really worth it.  The upside is definitely real, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t see this being very impressive in most situations.  I’m giving it a C.

130 - Skulking Killer - C

The design here is pretty cool, and if you were able to trigger that ETB ability consistently, it would be an incredible card.  Problem is, in games of Limited your opponent will frequently have more than a single creature.  Even if you play this as early as possible, on turn 4, there’s a good chance you won’t be able to get value out of the ability, in which case you’re talking about a 4-mana 4/2, which is pretty horrendous.  It basically gets better the more removal you have, since it will be easier for you to control the board, but that’s a lot of set up.  I think this is probably just a C, and if I’m wrong about it, I think I’ll be overrating it.

131 - Sorin, the Mirthless - A

This is a bomb Planeswalker.  Generally, for a walker to get there, they need to have two of the following three things:  a way to protect themselves, a way to draw cards, or a way to kill stuff, and Sorin can do the first two of those, and he does it quite effectively.  The ⅔ Lifelink Vampires are very real bodies, and the fact he starts at 4 loyalty means it will be challenging for your opponent to quickly take him down, regardless of which ability you use first.  If you play this on turn 4, there’s almost no way your opponent will win the game, and even in the mid-to-late game, he has a game altering effect, since drawing extra cards or making extra bodies can carry some real weight.  This is an A.

132 - Toxrill, the Corrosive - A

7 mana is a lot, but Toxrill does more than enough to make it worth the mana.  By the end of the turn you play it, your opponent’s whole board will get -1/-1, and its reasonably likely that will kill at least one creature, which will also net you a slug.  This can be particularly true if you attacked them that turn.  Then, if Toxrill makes it to your next end step, its pretty unlikely they will be able to win, as -2/-2 is just massive.  The fact he can cash in Slugs for cards is pretty nice too, of course.  He can even sacrifice himself in a pinch!  Keep in mind that if Toxrill goes down, the creatures will keep those slime counters, but they won’t actually do anything unless you get Toxrill into play again.  I think Toxrill is a bomb, I’m giving it an A.

133 - Undead Steward - C+

This is pretty nice at setting stuff up in your graveyard, and also a great creature to sacrifice to Exploit.  Its pretty interesting, because it is pretty close to being a better Gravedigger for half the mana -- and Gravedigger is usually a pretty nice limited card.  But there are a few things that I actually don’t think make it better than the digger.  First, only having one power is a big deal, because creating a 2-for-1 this becomes much harder.  Second, it exiles itself, so you can’t loop them together.  I still think this is pretty good, especially in a set with Exploit, but I don’t quite think it is first pickable.  I’m giving it a C+.

134 -

135 - Unhallowed Phalanx - C-

The idea here is that you play this in the toughness matters deck, and I think you’ll play this reasonably often there, but you won’t really be playing it anywhere else.  Sure, it can block well, but a 1/13 just isn’t that exciting -- it won’t be able to kill anything in combat, and the fact it can’t block right away is pretty brutal.  I’m giving it a C-.

136 -

137 - Voldaren Bloodcaster - B

At worst, you have a two mana 2/1 Flyer that makes a Blood token when she dies, and that’s something you would always play in Limited.  At best, you’ll be able to transform her and make her a much scarier creature with better stats who can also animate Blood tokens.  You can’t really count on that happening super regularly, but it will definitely occur, especially because her ability will churn out Blood tokens when your other stuff dies too!  I think this is a B.

138 - Wedding Security - B-

This is quite the Blood payoff!  Even if you can only trigger it once, chances are you’ll feel pretty good, as this will be a 5/5 that gets you a 2-for-1 pretty easily, and if you have more blood and he can attack more, he’ll really be doing it.  It is likely that most Black decks find 3-5 ways to make Blood, so I don’t really think he needs a build around -- I think you can just take him pretty early, especially because the ceiling on the card is really high.  I’m giving it a B-.

Red:

139 - Abrade - B

Woo boy, this is a very powerful reprint, and its one that was UNCOMMON last time, so the downshift is pretty exciting.  Two to do 3 to something is always premium, and having the other mode is nice too, even if this format isn’t exactly filled to the brim with Artifacts.  Still, I think think this is a B.

140 - Alchemist’s Gambit - D

So, without Cleave, this is an unplayable card -- one we’ve basically seen before.  Time Walks are great, but the fact that you lose the game after your extra turn is terrible, and makes the uses of this card incredibly narrow.  Sure, if you will win the game by taking that extra turn, its worth it, but you won’t end up in that situation often enough to warrant running this.  Now, if you do Cleave it, you get a real Time Walk -- but it is an expensive one that doesn’t add to the board in any way.  I think you might play this in a very controlling UR deck, but even then, it doesn’t seem incredible.  I’m giving it a D.

141 - Alluring Suitor - B-

Transforming this really won’t be very hard, and that means that this is a 3-mana 3/3 that gives you RR when it attacks, and then has a pretty nice ability.  If you play this on turn three and attack with two things on the next turn it will feel especially good, but it has the size and ability to stay relevant almost all game.  I think this is a B-.

142 -

143 - Ballista Watcher - B

Pinging stuff with this is a little costly, but its still a nice ability, capable of picking off small creatures and making combat more complicated for your opponent.  And it can give you reach by pinging your opponent.  When its night time, it becomes a 5/5 and gains a WAY better version of its first ability.  First, the creature doesn’t have to tap, so you can sink way more mana into it, and it also makes the creature it hits unable to block, which is a pretty big deal.  It is an ability that can just end games.  This looks really good to me.  I’m giving it a B.

144 - Belligerent Guest - C-

Seems like a decent Common.  Has alright stats and is going to make you blood sometimes.  You probably don’t play it a ton unless you’re really in need of vampires and blood.  I’m giving it a C-.

145 - Blood Hypnotist - B-

This looks pretty good to me.  Sure, it can’t Block, but the fact it can make opposing things unable to block when you sacrifice Treasure is pretty big for aggressive decks.  This can really be part of a pretty devastating curve out.  Obviously, you need Blood, but if you’re in Red, you’ll have access to enough that this will be worth playing.  I’m giving it a B-.

146 -

147 -

148 -

149 - Chandra, Dressed to Kill - C

This is not a great planeswalker for Limited.  That isn’t to say she’s bad, she’s just also not a bomb planeswalker or even close to it!  She is cheap, and getting her down early will often be quite good at least, but her two +1s are pretty underwhelming in Limited.  Sure, the ramp can help you a bit, and damaging your opponent is never bad, but you’l find yourself unable to really take advantage of that ability pretty often.  Then, her other +1 is going to wiff way too often in Limited.  You’re almost always at least two colors in Limited, and then you have to take into account lands, and that means that her draw effect just will exile stuff for no value way, way too often.  Now, if you do manage to go Mono-Red, she gets a pretty big upgrade, but that’s usually not the right thing to do unless the color is insanely open.  Her ultimate has the same problem, zeroing in on red spells specifically.  So uh, yeah.  She definitely has constructed potential where you can jam her into a Mono-Red aggro or Burn deck, but that just isn’t something that will come together in Limited, and I think she’s probably just a C.

150 - Change of Fortune - D

The idea here is to use a bunch of blood tokens and other discard effects and then cast this, I guess.  If you can do that, it will certainly feel pretty good, since the cards you discard as a result of Change of Fortune will also draw you a few cards.  So, say you have 3 cards in your hand and 5 mana, you can sacrifice two blood tokens, then cast this, and draw 5 cards.  That’s not too bad, but I don’t feel like its great either.  You’re not normally going to be netting very many cards without significant set up, and in fact you’ll be going down a card most of the time. It is basically just the world’s biggest rummage effect most of the time.  Seems a little too tricky to make it work in Limited.  I’m giving it a D.

151 -

152 - Curse of Hospitality - B

This is a very interesting curse.  It effectively grants your whole board trample, and makes it so you get some serious card advantage any time you hit your opponent, which of course is more likely because of the trample thing.  You do need some board state to really get this thing going most of the time, but the card advantage this thing will grant you in the long run is a pretty big deal, and its nice that it gives at least some bonus immediately.  I think this looks quite good.  I’m giving it a B.

153 - Daybreak Combatants - C+

This adds a pretty significant amount of power to the board out of nowhere, thanks to Haste.  The boost is going to be enough to enable some attacks you may just not have had before, and the fact it can get in there too seems pretty nice.  I think this is a C+.

154 - Dominating Vampire - C+

Worst-case, you get a 3-mana 3/3 that can Threaten a one mana value creature.  That’s certainly not great, as it often won’t have anything to Threaten, but if you get up to two or three vampires or even more, it will start to feel pretty great, as stealing a real creature and sending it back at your opponent will really result in some significant damage, since you’re often removing a blocker from your opponent and adding an attacker.  It has a reasonable floor, and a pretty nice ceiling.  I’m giving it a C+.

155 -

156 -

157 - Fearful Villager - C+

A 3-mana ⅔ with Menace is a C- or a C, so adding the Nightbound upside is pretty nice!  It kind of reminds me of Khenra Scrapper from Hour of Devastation.  It was a 3-mana ⅔ with Menace that could exert to become a 4/3 with Menace.  That card ended up being a B- in that format because of how aggressive it is, and it is probably just better anyway because you have much more control over when it becomes that 4/3, but this still looks like a pretty solid Common for Red Aggro decks in this format.  I’m giving it a C+.

158 -

159 - Frenetic Devils - C

This card’s a bit awkward.  It costs 5, so most of the time you’re not going to be able to buff it the first turn you play it, so having Haste, while certainly better than not having it, won’t be that great.  And it starts out so small that it dies to a ton of stuff, and that’s not something I love for 5 mana.  Now, the upside here is that this thing is incredibly hard to block if you have cards in hand and mana available, and your opponent will find themselves just taking it when that’s the case -- or blocking because they might die lethal, and playing that “threat of activation” game can be pretty nice.  But the baseline here is still pretty unexciting to me.  I think this is just a C.

160 - Honeymoon Hearse - C

This Vehicle doesn’t need to be crewed exactly -- though tapping down two creatures isn’t that far off from crewing. For three mana, it brings some pretty nice stats and an evasive keyword ability, and it will definitely be nice to tap a couple of small creatures who couldn’t attack anyway to put this thing into action.  You won’t always have those creatures, though, and sometimes you’ll just have some larger creatures where attacking with them just makes more sense.  Overall, I think this is just a C.

161 - Hungry Ridgewolf - C

This isn’t the most exciting payoff ever, but it has decent base stats and will sometimes be a 3/2 with Trample, which is especially nice.  I think its a C.

162 -

163 - Into the Night - D

This doesn’t look very good to me.  Sure, your werewolves get more impressive, but we saw in the last format that doing that isn’t that great, and 4 mana for that effect definitely is not worth it.  I know it is accompanied by a rummage effect, but having enough cards in your hand to make that really worth it doesn’t seem very likely to me.  It does replace itself effectively, but a 4 mana sorcery is still pretty ugly.  I’m giving this a D.

164 - Kessig Flamebreather - C

Every time we’ve seen a noncreature spell payoff that pings the opponent, it has ended up being better than it looks.  It will tend to do enough incidental damage throughout the game that it ends up being a pretty nice payoff.  Its a solid Common, especially in UR.  I’m giving it a C.

165 - Kessig Wolfrider - B

This Wolf version of Grim Lavamancer looks quite good.  A one mana ½ can chip in for some unblockable damage early, and then in the late game this gives you a pretty great thing to spend mana on, as 3/2 Wolves can quickly overwhelm most board states.  While Red doesn’t have a ton of self mill going on, there’s enough rummaging with Blood that I think getting this set up to give you that 3/2 in the mid-to-the late game isn’t too crazy, though you probably shouldn’t really expect to generate more than 2 or 3, even in ideal situations.  Still, those 2 or 3 are plenty!  I’m giving this a B.

166-

167 - Lambholt Raconteur - C+

This is a pretty nice payoff for the spell deck, especially when it transforms!  You’ll always play this in UR, and it will probably make the cut in pretty much any deck with 5 or so spells.  I’m giving it a C+.

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169 -  Magma Pummeler - C+

This is a pretty neat design.  It will never really be an efficient creature due to how its costed, but even if you just put this on the table as a 4-mana 2/2, your opponent will find themself in a situation where attacking is very difficult because of the 2-for-1 potential.  It just scales up from there, and in the late game will be a huge problem, since it can also damage players.  Now, it can still just straight up die to lots of removal, but damage-based removal will pretty much be off the table, so that helps.  I can really see situations where this will be incredible, but it would be silly not to also think about the time’s where it just doesn’t matter, because its not big enough, or your opponent has too much life.  I think if we take the average way this card will work out, it probably average out to a C+.

170-  Manaform Hellkite - A

This is great.  A 4-mana 4/4 with Flying is an excellent Limited card, and this comes with the ability to churn out other Dragons!  They don’t stick around forever, and your deck needs a decent number of non-creature spells to really make use of it, but that’s fine.  Just attacking once with a free token is going to make this feel great, and sometimes you’ll really go off with it! Its a pity Flashback isn’t back in this set, because it would be even crazier, but as it stands, its still a pretty impressive bomb.  I’m giving it an A.

171-  Markov’s Retaliation - B-

This is quite the Vampire payoff.  Keep in mind the effect is not a fight effect, the creature just does damage equal to its power to a creature, and the card will also give +1/+0 to the vampire, so its chances of taking things down go up considerably!  If you’re in Red, you’re likely to end up with some vampires without even trying, so I don’t really think this needs a straight up build around grade, though obviously, it is at its best in BR, where you can have a real critical mas of Vampires.  Overall, I think this looks like it has a pretty incredible ceiling, as punching a blocker out of the way and attacking with a board that is buffed up is pretty nice.  Like always with this kind of thing, you have to pick your spot carefully, since if they destroy your target, you won’t be getting enough out of this card.  Stil, I think you can spend a high pick on this.  I’m giving it a B-.

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174 - Reckless Impulse - C+

I like that we’re seeing more of these so-called “impulsive draw” effects, seeing one at Common is neat!  Anyway, this can sometimes feel like two mana to draw 2, which is quite good.  Other times, you’ll hit two lands, and that won’t feel so good, but I think most of the time getting two cards of value out of this is going to happen, especially if you don’t play a land before you play it -- and you pretty much never should. This looks like a solid spell for Red decks looking for some card advantage.  I’m giving it a C+.

175 - Rending Flame - B+

This is premium removal and then some.  3 to do 5 at instant speed is excellent, and it will do 2 extra damage on occasion, which is pretty nice.  This is one of the best Uncommons in the set.  I’m giving it a B+.

176 - Runebound Wolf - B-

This looks pretty nice as a bear with pretty relevant upside.  Even on its own, its ability does 1 damage to your opponent, and while that isn’t remotely efficient, it is nice that it does a thing even if its all alone.  As long as you are doing 2 or more with this, the damage will become a huge factor in the later part of the game.  This looks to me like it has a very real upside and a pretty reasonable floor.  You’ll almost always play this in Red decks, and in some of them it will be one of your best cards.  I’m giving this a B-.

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178 - Stensia Uprising - B

4 mana to get a 1/1 token every turn isn’t exactly good.  The additional upside here is pretty nice of course, as getting a couple of tokens and doing 7 for 4 mana is a great deal.  It is reasonably likely that you’ll eventually get to 13 permanents with it in play too, provided the game goes long enough.  After all, it provides two permanents almost immediately.   This will create an interesting mini-game sometimes -- like if you have too many permanents, your opponent will find themselves in an awkward position when you attack them or when they attack you.  And, if you have too few, your opponent may go out of their way to keep it from triggering.  Now, they probably shouldn’t go that hard, unless 7 is enough to kill them on the spot, but even just removing a creature with this seems pretty good.  This is definitely a weird card, but my initial impression of it is that its pretty good.  It actually adds to the board and eventually becomes a removal spell often enough that I think this is a B.

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180 - Vampire’s Vengeance - C

Doing 2 to the whole board can be pretty nice, and obviously if you’re a deck with lots of vampires, you can make this fairly one-sided.  Of course, the downside is that your opponent might have vampires too, in which case this won’t feel too good, but I still think you’ll basically always play the first copy of this in a BR deck in the format.  It will be able to kill enough creatures, and the fail case of making Blood isn’t too bad.  I don’t think its anything special, though.  I’m giving it a C.

181 - Volatile Arsonist - B+

A 5-mana 4/4 with Menace and Haste is something you would end up playing most of the time, and this obviously has way more going on!  Its attack trigger will typically let you do 1 damage to an opposing creature and an opponent, and you’ll be getting the first trigger right away most of the time thanks to Haste.  The 1 damage you do can also increase the chances that your opponent can’t effectively block it without getting 2-for-1’d, and obviously once it transforms, the ability becomes way better.  I don’t quite think this is a bomb -- the ability is certainly nice, but not game breaking most of the time -- still, it is a very good card.  I’m giving it a B+.

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183 - Voltaic Visionary - B-

This has a neat design.  Ideally, it will be a two mana 4/3 that can’t block that draws you a card for 2 life, and that’s something you’d always play!  The problem is sometimes it’ll exile a card you can’t play, but if your curve is low enough or its late, it shouldn’t be too hard for this to net you that card.  The downside is that, since it can’t block, trading won’t be super easy.  Sometimes you will be able to assign it as a blocker then use the ability to transform it.  In those situations, you’ll be more likely to get the 2-for-1, but yeah.  This can lead to some aggressive starts or draw you a card late while adding to the board, and I like that.  I’m giving it a B-.

184 - Weary Prisoner - C-

This reminds me a whole lot of Tavern Brawler, a card that ended up being super underwhelming in Midnight Hunt.  On one side it is a defensive creature, and on the other it is an aggressively costed big creature.  Those two things are a bit awkward together, and if you played Midnight Hunt you know that completely controlling day and night how you want it isn’t always easy.  This might end up being better than the Brawler -- Midnight Hunt did have an unusual amount of good common removal that made big vanilla creatures bad -- but for now I’m pretty skeptical.  I’m giving it a C-.

Green:

185 - Apprentice Sharpshooter - C

This seems decent.  3-mana 1/4s with Reach are always kind of alright, and this one’s Training upside is pretty real! If you end up playing this on turn three, you’ll often find that it isn’t that important you have a blocker, but attacking with a ¼ just isn’t worth it either, but now if you attack with almost anything else, it will become a ⅖, which is definitely more formidable.  I’m giving this a C.

186 - Ascendant Packleader - B-

One mana 2/1s often disappoint in Limited, since they quickly get out-matched early and aren’t very good late, but the Packleader makes sure that won’t be an issue, since it can get bigger throughout the game, and come down as a one mana 3/2, which is a pretty impressive deal! So, if you play it early, it’ll get bigger and be relevant, and if you play it late, it will have enough size that it probably matters.  It still isn’t incredible in Limited like it will be in constructed, just because building a hardcore aggro deck isn’t possible because you don’t have a critical mass of one and two drops that are super powerful -- but I think you can first pick this in some weaker packs.  I’m giving it a B-.

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189 - Bramble Wurm - C+

This is a pretty nice thing to ramp into, as it will really allow you to stabilize between its size and the life it gains you.  Its too bad it doesn’t draw you a card, like some other big Wurms we’ve seen, but even without that, this looks like a nice card in the right deck.  I’m giving it a C+.

190 - Cartographer’s Survey - D+

This is an interesting version of Explosive Vegetation!  Most of the time when you cast this you will be getting two lands.  The thing that makes it worse than Vegetation and other cards like it, is that this won’t reliably help you fix your mana or anything like that.  It definitely improves your chances of course, but because you usually run about one land that produces splash mana, your chances aren’t great.  So mostly, I’m looking at this as a ramp spell -- and it is good at that, even if it is pretty clunky.  Casting this on turn four in some games just won’t be something you can do if your opponent is aggressive.  Right now, I don’t see myself playing this other than in the rampiest of decks.  I’m giving it a D+.

191 - Cemetery Prowler - B+

A 3-mana ¾ with Vigilance is probably a C+ at the very worst, and the additional value here is very nice! It lets you hate on the graveyard while also reducing the cost of your spells, which is something you’re definitely interested in.  Going after a creature first will usually be the  best plan, as you’ll have more of those than anything else, but yeah.  You’ll exile whatever you can when you can, since the abilities stack and you can keep exiling stuff.  Sometimes you’ll have to play this out on turn three with nothing in the yard, and that will feel kind of underwhelming, but you’re still doing a pretty good job.  I’m giving this a B+.

192 - Cloaked Cadet - B

This looks really strong.  It has a pretty bad starting rate, but the stats it has work really well with training, because it will likely get a counter and likely become a ⅗ when you attack with it, netting you a card.  Because it then has 5 toughness, it is going to be hard to take down in combat, and even if they do, you’re probably getting a 2-for-1.  And that’s without taking into account having other ways to put counters on stuff.  I’m giving this a B.

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194 -

195 - Cultivator Colossus - B-

In your typical game of Limited, this is likely to just be a big Trampler.  In an ideal world, you would wait to play it until you can put a land into play with its ETB ability, because then it becomes a 2-for-1, but getting to 7 mana in Limited takes awhile -- so hoping you get that 8th is some wishful thinking.  Obviously, the fact it CAN do that does give it some upside, so it isn’t just a big Trampler, but I think it will play out that way a lot.  I can’t imagine this being more than a B-.

196- Dawnhart Disciple - B-

This looks like a pretty strong Common.  It starts with passable stats and grows throughout the game. Most decks will have enough Humans that the Disciple is worth playing, but it would be especially potent in GW, which is about Humans and +1/+1 counters, and this is good with both of those things!  I think this is a really nice Common.  I’m giving it a B-.

197 - Dig Up -C

So, even without the Cleave upside, this is a card you’ll play in any Green deck where you’re splashing.  One mana to tutor up a land is something we’ve seen in the past be perfectly fine, so the additional upside of this tutoring up ANYTHING late definitely matters.  Funny thing is, if this was only the Cleave effect, it wouldn’t be very good in Limited, so keep that in mind -- 4 mana is a lot to tutor something up, and we’ve never seen a card that did that alone be particularly good, but the card is bailed out by having the base effect in this particular case.  I think this is a C.

198 - Dormant Grove - C+

This kind of Enchantment always feels pretty good, as it gives you value on the turn you play it and then can start to snowball.  When we’ve seen this kind of Aura be really great it usually costs around 3 mana, so this is a bit more expensive than I’d like, but the upside that it can become a pretty nice creature when you really need one is nice.  The GW deck also really likes +1/+1 counters, and can get some extra value out of it.  I’m giving this a C+..

199 - Flourishing Hunter - C

It is pretty likely that this gains you 3 or more life, and that will feel pretty good if you’re trying to stabilize against an aggressive deck.  GW is a lifegain deck, so obviously this fits in quite well there -- and BG is a toughness deck -- and this is nice there too.  Seems like a solid card to have in the Colossal Dreadmaw slot.  I’m giving it a C.

200 - Glorious Sunrise - B+

Its nice that this gives you something the turn you play it, and the options are mostly pretty appealing.  +1/+1 and trample to the whole board is definitely the one that you can get the most mileage out of, but if your board isn’t wide enough for that to matter, you might be able to take advantage of the mana or draw a card, and the worst case is that you gain 3 life -- which, while not amazing at first, is the kind of thing that when triggered over and over can make it pretty hard for your opponent to take you down.  And really, getting any of these triggers over and over is pretty nice, and you always have a choice!  This is very good, I’m giving it a B+.

201 - Hamlet Vanguard - C+

This can end up being quite large, especially in GW -- a deck that is about both Humans and +1/+1 counters.  On the flip side, it can also just be a 3-mana 1/1 with Ward 2, not something you should be interested in.  It also has no evasion, so it can be chump blocked for days.  So yeah, even though this guy can be massive and hard to kill, the set up cost is a lot for something that doesn’t have that high of a ceiling.  Not that it’s bad -- you’ll play it in pretty much every Green deck -- but I don’t think I’m interested in first picking it.  I’m giving it a C

202 - Hiveheart Shaman - B-

4-mana for a ⅗ is actually a pretty decent rate, and everything else this card has going on is really nice.  In a typical Limited deck, you may not be able to take advantage of the attack trigger, but if you’re splashing, there’s a good chance it will help you out.  Most of the card’s value, though, comes from its ability to churn out insect tokens.  They are going to be 3/3s or better most of the time, and while spending six on that isn’t incredible, the fact its repeatable does really matter, and a 3/3 is a very real body!  It is too bad you can only use the ability at Sorcery speed, though, but still -- a nice mana sink.  I think this is a B-.

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204 -

205 - Howlpack Piper - B-

This type of “Elvish Piper” card is one of the easiest for people to overrate.  This is because its easy to imagine just paying two mana and slamming something massive on the board -- and yeah, it will do that sometimes!  But you’d be surprised how often the ability just doesn’t matter -- it basically becomes unimportant as early as the mid-game, unless you have some really expensive card.  It is at its best if you use the ability on your turn 5 to play a 6 or 7 mana card, but in Limited it isn’t like you’ll have lots of those. When you draw something like this late, its just a very inefficient creature.  Once this transforms though, the ability is way better, as it lets you actually draw cards, which at that point is far better than trying to cheat creatures into play.  So, if you can shfit back and forth and keep drawing creatures, you can also potentially get something massive to cheat into play with the Human side, which is pretty neat -- though, as I said, it may not be all that important to do that by that part of the game.  Basically I really dislike the front of this card in about 90% of situations, and I really like the werewolf side, so it is an awkward one to grade.  Overall, I think it probably does enough to be a B-.

206 - Infestation Expert - B-

I would be pretty happy playing this card even if it didn’t transform.  5 mana for ⅘ worth of stats across two bodies is sort of the fail case, and it can of course churn out tokens.  Then, being a werewolf, sometimes it will be significantly more impressive, attacking harder and making more tokens, and obviously as a ⅘, it is more likely to be able to rumble.  I ‘m giving this a B-.

207 - Laid to Rest - D // B

This is mostly here for the GW deck, which is all about Humans and +1/+1 counters, and in that deck, this is going to be a pretty serious value engine. Drawing cards and gaining life is really going to enable you to grind out wins.  Sure, costing 4 and not adding to the board is kind of a big deal, but the good news is that while it may not actually add something to the board, it does alter the board, in the sense that your opponent now has to deal with the fact that if they attack you, you can threaten to gain life and draw cards.  This is definitely a build around, but I think its one that has a high enough ceiling that you may want to consider taking it early.  Your typical Green deck will have a few humans and counters too, so it probably isn’t quite a straight up F outside of Green White -- though it is probably a D! And a B in a Humans deck.

208 -  Massive MIght - C

It feels like the last few sets have had some pretty legit tricks, and this is definitely another one.  One mana tricks tend to be pretty nice in aggressive decks, as you get some serious tempo when you use them to win combat, and this one definitely gives you enough of a boost to be worth running in those decks.  Now, it IS still a track, and those always come with significant risks, but I think this is one you’ll play the first copy of reasonably often, provided you’re aggro.  I’m giving it a C.

209 - Moldgraf Millipede - C

This is a decent payoff for the BG deck in the format, which likes milling things and getting creatures in the graveyard.  It mills and then can get bigger.  It is hard to overlooked how bad this will feel if you only end up with one or two creatures, but I think if its at least a 4/4 you feel okay about it, and sometimes it will be much bigger.  It is still just a big vanilla creature, though.  I’m giving it a C.

210 - Mulch - D / C

This is a reprint, and one that stands a good chance at impacting constructed!  In Limited, it is probably only worth it in a deck that is interesting in loading the graveyard, which mostly seems to be UG this time around.  It does give you a good shot at hitting a land drop too, which is fine.  Still, I think most decks won’t play this, but in the decks that do, it will be pretty nice.  I guess that means it needs a build around grade.  It is probably a D in your typical deck, and a C in a UG self-mill situation.

211 -

212 - Oakshade Stalker - C+

This is an efficient creature with a nice ability.  2 more to cast a spell is a big ask and won’t really be doable early, but in the late game being able to ambush stuff with your creatures is pretty sweet.  It is kind of odd the other side doesn’t have any ability at all, but it will sometimes be a 3-mana 6/3, which isn’t too shabby.  I’m giving this a C+.

213 - Packsong Pup - C+

This is the kind of Werewolf payoff that Midnight Hunt really needed!  In a deck with Wolves and Werewolves, this will become quite large, and then give you pretty nice value if it dies.  Now, it does take some set up, and it starts super fragile, so I’m not sure I want to be first picking it, but it is certainly a quality card for RG decks in the format.  I’m giving it a C+.

214 - Reclusive Taxidermist - B-

Look, you would always play a two mana ½ that can add mana of any color -- that’s just great fixing and nice ramp, especially early!  So the fact it gets bigger in the later part of the game is just upside on something that is already quite nice.  I’m giving it a B-.

215 - Retrieve - C-

This doesn’t look great.  It won’t be easy actually getting back two cards with this.  Sure, having a creature in your graveyard is a foregone conclusion, but having a noncreature permanent is not.  In Limited, that means we’re talking Lands, Artifacts, and Enchantments, and those things don’t routinely end up in the graveyard!  Unless, of course, you’re in a self mill deck.  In a deck like that, getting a land + creature will be pretty easy, and not a bad deal.  Still, this is going to only be good in some pretty specific decks, and even then it won’t be that great.  I’m giving it a C-.

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217 - Sawblade Slinger - C

A 4-mana 4/3 is a decent rate, and the Slinger has a couple of narrow abilities that will sometimes give you a 2-for-1.  The Fight part is the most exciting, but he won’t always have something to fight.  The same is true for Artifacts.  There’s a few nice ones around, but not really enough that this will always have a thing to hit.  That said, I don’t think this is a sideboard card.  It has a reasonable baseline already and will be able to do a thing often enough with the ETB trigger that you’ll definitely play the first of these in Most Green decks.   I’m giving it a C.

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219 -

220 - Spiked Ripjaw - B-

This reminds me a lot of Plate Armor, and that’s pretty good company to keep, because that was a very powerful piece of Equipment.  It costs the same to play and equip and gives the same stats boost, though Plate Armor also granted Ward and could reduce its equip cost.  In place of that, though, Spiked Ripjaw can make your creature have trample, which is pretty nice.  But yeah, this big of a stats boost can make almost any creature into a threat, and that’s what makes this so nice.  I’m giving it a B-.

221 - Splendid Reclamation - F

This is a reprint from Eldritch Moon, and it was a useless card last time -- and it will be again!  If you end up in some sort of self-mill ramp deck it might get a little interesting, but this is mostly a constructed card.  I’m giving it an F.

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224 -

225 -

226 - Weaver of Blossoms - C+

This is a nice source of fixing and ramp with decent stats, and sometimes those stats are more than decent and it ramps even more!  I think this is a C+.

227 - Ulvenwald Oddity - B+

A 4-mana 4/4 with Trample and Haste is something you’d always play, and probably a B -- adding the late game huge upside is no joke, either.  Becoming much larger and pumping the whole board will end games in many cases.  I’m giving this a B+.

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Multi-Colored:

230 - Ancient Lumberknot - C+

This is effectively a 4-mana 4/4 when its in combat, and it buffs all of your other high toughness creatures, which is neat, and you’ll have a decent number of those in BG.  Still, this doens’t seem like the kind of signpost that you go after aggressively, it just doesn’t seem like it does quite enough on its own for that to be the case.  I’m giving it a C+.

231 - Anje, Maid of Dishonor - B+

This is a pretty strong card.  A 4-mana ⅘ that makes a Blood Token when it ETBs is probably already in the lower range of first pickable, so adding this super powerful ability to the mix is huge.  You can use it to really alter the race, or just finish off your opponent entirely! And if your deck has lots of vampires -- and if you’re Black-Red you probably will -- you’re going to be pretty close to winning win you untap.  Even if she gets killed immediately, you still get a blood token too, which isn’t amazing, but it’s a decent consolation prize.  Because of the set up and time needed for her to really do her thing, I do think she falls a bit short of straight-up bomb range.  I’m giving her a B+.

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233 - Brine Comber - B

This looks amazing, and kind of resembles Lingering Souls.  Three mana for two 1/1 flyers is a decent deal, and you get at least one back from your graveyard, all from a single card! And that’s without taking into account the Aura upside.  This is a great signpost Uncommon.  I’m giving it a B.

234 - Child of the Pack - B-

This looks like a nice signpost for RG.  A 4-mana 2/4 that can crank out 2/2s is a nice mana sink, and it actually combos pretty well with itself, since you can just choose to use that ability rather than cast spells, and that allows you to still add to the board while getting to transform the Child into its werewolf form, which will be making that same token into a 3/2 -- and pumping your whole board in generally is pretty nice! I’m giving this a B-.

235 - Dorothea, Vengeful Victim - B

This looks pretty good.  Obviously, a two mana 4/4 with Flying is absurd on the vanilla test, but if it didn’t have Disturb it would not be very good, since it sacrifices itself once it attacks or blocks.  However, if you have another creature in play, the Disturb Enchantment is going to be pretty nuts, since it turns your creature into a poor man’s version of Geist of the Saint Traft.  Making an attacking 4/4 flyer every time the enchanted creature attacks is pretty nice!  The bad news is that you kind of already need a creature who is in a good position to attack for Dorothea’s Retribution to matter most of the time, and you just won’t always have that.  Still, as long as you have a creature who can at least trade, you’ll be turning it sideways for sure, and, you can obviously wait for an optimal situation before you disturb it.  I think this is a B.

236 -

237 - Eruth, Tormented Prophet - A-

So, this gets pretty close to drawing you an extra card every turn, and that’s the kind of thing that wins you games.  The downside here, I guess, is that you might run out of cards, but its pretty likely that you kill your opponent thanks to your card advantage before running out of cards ever becomes a problem.  I think she’s a bomb, I’m giving her an A-.

238 - Grolnok, the Omnivore - A-

This card is really cool, and also seems amazing!  All on its own, a single attack can give you a ton of value.  It does need to stay alive for you to get value out of the cards, but the good news is that there are other ways to mill yourself in UG, and turning every permanent you mill into a card effectively in your hand is just absurd.  It might take a little bit of work to really get it going, but this is an insane value engine, and that makes it a bomb.  I’m giving it an A-.

239 - Halana and Alena, Partners - A-

This is very nice.  A 4-mana ⅔ with First Strike and Reach is probably already something you’d play a decent chunk of the time, and the other part of the card is very strong.  At worst, you can give two +1/+1 counters and Haste to another creature every single combat, and that’s the kind of boost that will drastically alter attacks every single turn.  It also means that you can get value out of the card immediately, provided you play it in your precombat main phase and already have a creature in play.  This means that even if your opponent takes the Partners down, they are leaving behind a ton of value!  So yeah, I think this does enough to get into the lower tier of bomb range.  Sure, they are sort of easy to kill, but the value you get from them immediately really offsets that, and left unchecked they will break the game wide open.

240 -

241 - Markov Purifier - B-

This is a nice signpost Uncommon that tells you BW is all about life gain, and its nice that on his own, he can gain you life thanks to lifelink, which means he can draw you cards.  You won’t always be able to spend the mana of course, but once you reach a point in the game where you have the spare mana, this is going to be pretty powerful.  I’m giving it a B-.

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243 -

244 - Old Rutstein - B+

This has a neat design, and its also pretty good!  When it ETBs you will be going of these three things, and whatever it is you get, you’re getting a pretty nice deal.  The Insect will probably feel the best, but the other things are nice too! Then, every turn, he continues to give you value, while also loading your graveyard for other purposes.  Left unchecked, the value that Old Rutstein gives you will be hard for your opponent overcome.  I’m giving him a B+.

245 - Olivia, Crimson Bride - A-

This card is very strong.  No surprise there, since Olivia is sort of the main character of this set.  A 6-mana ¾ with Flying and Haste isn’t incredible, but those two key words together work amazingly with her attack trigger, sine she can reanimate any creature and bring it back attacking! And, unlike most effects like this that we see, it doesn’t just last until the end of the turn.  Now, most of the time you will lose the creature when you lose Olivia, but she’s still bringing a ton of power to the table, and will win games if left unchecked.  I think she does enough to be a bomb.  I’m giving her an A-.

246 - Runo Stromkirk -B+

This is a pretty neat design!  I kind of wish he held on to the vampire type when it became a Kraken, but Kraken Horror is pretty cool! Anyway, a 3-mana ¼ Flyer that puts the best creature in your graveyard on top of your library is a pretty good deal -- probably a card you’d always play in Blue-Black, and it obviously has significant additional upside!  IF that creature is big enough, he become a more formidable flyer, and one that makes copies of your other attackers.  The Sea Mosnter upside will actually come up some, but not a whole lot.  When it does, it will be absurd.  So, how hard is this to flip?  Well...not impossible to flip, but not easy either.  Most Limited decks tend to have one or maybe two creatures that have a mana value of 6 or higher.  IF that creature has already died and you put it on top, playing this will be insane, and you probably just win if you’re allowed to untap.  However, if you only have 1-2 cards that fit the bill, the chances of that happening aren’t enormous -- though they do get a lot higher if you’re milling yourself and stuff.  And sure, you are going to be more inclined to play creatures with a mana value of 6 or higherif you have Runo, but you also don’t want to do too much damage to your curve.  So yeah, I think its reasonable to say he will transform sometimes -- but don’t count on it happening with regularity.  Still, the baseline is good, and the ceiling is insane, and I think that’s enough for a B+.

247 - Sigardian PAladin - B

This is another great signpost Uncommon.  It has a baseline of being a 4-mana 4/4, and brings all kinds of amazing additional value.  The one bummer about the card is it doesn’t also bring a +1/+1 counter along with it, but there are so many of them in this format that it will really do some serious work.  I think this is a B.

248 - Skull Skaab - B-

So yeah, Skull Skaab is all about Exploit, and so is the UB color pair!  This is a two mana 2/2 who can sac something to get a 2/2 Zombie.  That on its own isn’t great, but giving up a 1/1 or something you want in the yard getting a 2/2 is pretty good.  Where the value really adds up, though, is when you have other cards with Exploit.  With those cards, you can sacrifice a thing to get another effect as well as the 2/2 Zombie, which itself is pretty good Exploit fodder.  Like most of the signposts in this set, this looks quite good! I’m giving it a B-.

249 - Torrens, Fist of the Angels - A-

This card is great.  This type of Young Pyromancer type effect that just churns out free tokens always plays amazingly in Limited, and these tokens are no joke, as training often means they’ll be getting bigger on the attack.  Torrens himself can also get larger, but most of the time you won’t be attacking with him unless you’re certain the coast is clear, since he is such an absurd value engine and you’ll want to get as many of those tokens as you can, so being reckless with him not a great idea.  Most Limited decks will easily have enough creature spells to power Torrens.  I think he does enough to be a bomb -- the one downside he has is being pretty fragile, but the upside is absolutely game-breaking, and I can’t imagine passing this very often.  I’m giving it an A-.

250 - Vilespawn Spider - B

This is an excellent signpost Uncommon, it has great vanilla stats, loads up the graveyard, and has a powerful graveyard-payoff effect.  This is strong enough to take with a frist pick sometimes, even if it is multicolored.  I’m giving it a B.

251 - Wandering Mind - B

Another great signpost Uncommon.  This will almost always be drawing you a card -- six cards is a ton, and as long as you have like 5 noncreature nonlands in your deck, your chances are great. And, normally, you’ll have more than that! So this is a 2-for-1 with a relevant flying body, and I love that. I’m giving it a B.

252 -

Artifacts:

253 - Boarded Window - C+

This kind of effect always plays much better than you’d think.  Decreasing the power of attacking creatures really results in a big downgrade for your opponent, and does have a pretty real impact on the board.  It is a bit of a bummer -- albeit a flavrful bummer -- that it goes away if your opponent does 4 or more damage to you -- but it will be surprisingly hard for your opponent to find a way to do that, since their creatures will be significantly less potent attackers, something that is even more of a problem if you have blockers. Now you don’t really want this if you’re in the beat down, but if you’re in a more grindy control deck, this is going to be something that does a nice job for you.  I’m giving it a C+.

254 -

255 - Horrifying Dollhouse - A

This looks pretty good to me.  You probably just want to wait to play it until turn 6, because on that turn you can play it and use that ability right away, which means you’re adding to the board instead of just playing this expensive Artifact.  But yeah, this seems like it will churn out some powerful creatures -- and creatures that will be increasingly large thanks to the Construct part of the card.  Your graveyard should have enough cards to really take advantage of this the first few turns its out, and that becomes more pronounced as the game goes on.  I think this is a bomb that will really snowball you to a win most of the time when you play it.  I’m giving it an A.

256 -

257 - Honored Heirloom - C-

3 mana mana rocks are very rarely good in Limited, even if they add mana of any color.  This one luckily comes with some additional value, as exiling stuff from graveyards does legitimately matter in this format.  Still, you probably don’t play this unless you’re splashing a third color, as it is still very low impact.  I think its a C-.

258 - Investigator’s Journal - C+

This is pretty interesting, especially because it has the “Clue” sub-type.  Worst-case, this is 4 total mana to draw a card, and while that’s not remotely good, it does mean that the baseline isn’t an utterly useless card at least.  Then, if there’s enough going on on the board, it can turn into a pretty great card advantage engine.  This can win you a lot of long games, as you will get the most suspect counters out of it and also have the time to actually draw with it.  Playing it early isn’t going to be ideal, obviously enough, and that definitely limits its usefulness.  Stil, that late-game utility is pretty nice.  I’m giving it a C+.

259 -

260 - Wedding Invitation - D+

This replaces itself, and that’s good, because the effect it has wouldn’t be worth anywhere close to worth an entire card.  But yeah, since it replaces itself, the effect is pretty decent, especially on a vampire, as lifelink can really alter races.  Still isn’t a great card, though.  It will be pretty easy to cut since it is so low impact.  I’m giving it a D+.

Lands:

261-262 & 265-266 - Dual Lands - C+

As usual, two color duals tend to be pretty nice fixing.  You don’t really want to go after them hard, but you’ll always play them if you’re in there colors or you’re splashing something.

263 -

267 - Voldaren Estate - D // C+

If you end up in a deck with a lot of vampires, this is probably worth playing.  If you don’t, it probably isn’t.  It will make your mana far worse and the upside of making a Blood token for 4 or 5 mana isn’t enough to offset that. But, if you have enough vampries where you can consistently make colored mana with it, it will also mean that you have enough vampires to make the Blood token much cheaper to make, and when that’s the case, it will feel pretty good to have this land around, since it will really improve your draws.  I think all of that probably means this needs a build around grade.  Its probably a D in a typical deck in the format, and a C+ in a Vampire deck, which will generally mean Black-Red.