Nothing like the smell of a new set! You smell them, right? I think Duskmourn: House of Horror has some fun, new mechanics, and I’m going to provide some ratings and tips to help you win the early drafts & prereleases!
I’m going to keep the same format j2sjosh had established, now that he’s safely in my basement.
5.0: Disgustingly powerful and basically unbeatable. Either answer it the turn it comes down or just pack up your cards. (Gruff Triplets, Virtue of Persistence, The Eternal Wanderer)
4.5: Incredible bomb that still gives your opponent a slim chance. (Virtue of Loyalty, Imodane's Recruiter, Realm-Scorcher Hellkite)
4.0: Great rare or the absolute best uncommons and removal. (Faunsbane Troll, Gumdrop Poisoner, Talion’s Messenger)
3.5: Great role filler or removal that you never cut. (Candy Grapple, Hearth Elemental, Torch the Tower)
3.0: Good playable that I’m basically never cutting. (Shrouded Shepherd, Spellscorn Coven, Sharae of Numbing Depths)
2.5: Decent playable and the bar I hope nearly every card in my deck to reach. (Evolving Wilds, Archon's Glory, Flick a Coin)
2.0: Mediocre filler that normally is your 20-23rd card(s). (Mintstrosity, Ice Out, Grabby Giant)
1.5: Replaceable, overall bad filler. Could also be decent sideboard cards. (Titanic Growth, Scarecrow Guide, Territorial Witchstalker)
1.0: Bad filler. Gets cut most of the time. (Dark Tutelage, Kindled Heroism, Impact Tremors)
0.5: Very unhappy to main deck this, but maybe it has fringe sideboard applications. Cards that “could” be situationally decent, but bad in most situations. (Smothering Tithe, Rhystic Study, Mana Flare)
0.0: Unplayable in every possible situation. They rarely print cards this bad these days. (Hew the Entwood, One with Nothing)
Arabella, Abandoned Doll
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is a solid go-wide Boros two drop. It can get a clock going very fast, and pairs well with cards like Midnight Mayhem
Baseball Bat
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is a pretty weak piece of equipment, even though it’s tempting. You can tap your own creature’s with the bat, which is nice for survival, but it’s terrible on defense, and not always good on offense.
Beastie Beatdown
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is a huge beatdown. A kill spell and 2 +1/+1 counters in one card? Yes please.
Broodspinner
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
Ignoring the activated ability, this is a very solid two drop, that’s stats line up very nicely against most other two drops and manifest dread tokens. The activated ability is the cherry on top, and it can be activated at instant speed.
Disturbing Mirth
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
Plenty of cards that pair well with this, like Innocuous Rat for the draw two, and the second half can be activated easily as well, which will net you a free manifest dread token.
Drag to the Roots
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
A strong removal spell. Cheap, effective, and easy to splash.
Fear of Infinity
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is a bit too slow for Dimir, given the fact that it can’t block, it puts you on the back foot the majority of the time it’s cast, and Dimir already gets plenty of other card advantage.
Gremlin Tamer
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This accrues tons of gremlin tokens in your average Azorius deck. It can also pair well with Midnight Mayhem, and Painter's Studio // Defaced Gallery if you splash red.
Growing Dread
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
Instant speed Manifest Dread with upside if you flip creatures. Also triggers eerie, all around solid for any Simic build.
Inquisitive Glimmer
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
The strength of this guy is typically related to how many rooms and/or enchantments you have. You play this in any Azorius deck, as the 2/3 stat line is very good for two drops this set.
Intruding Soulrager
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This card is fine, but it’s ability only really comes up in the very late game. Sacrificing unlocked rooms for new cards is decent, but nothing too spectacular.
The Jolly Balloon Man
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
There are plenty of good ETB effects this works nicely with, but it is a bit situational. I think this is a win-more card, and isn’t great defensively, and only works well in certain scenarios.
Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
Rating: 4.0 // 5.0
The only planeswalker in the set. It can attack, draw cards, and does a good job at protecting itself with stun counters.. There is only one other ninja in the set, Nashi, Searcher in the Dark, so the +1 will most likely only pump himself.
Marina Vendrell
Rating: 0.5 // 5.0
The ETB ability is solid card advantage, so this could be a decent reanimate target. Otherwise, it’s not enough of an incentive to try to hard cast it.
Midnight Mayhem
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
Even though there’s only one gremlin in the set, Irreverent Gremlin, this card still packs quite a punch in aggressive decks. The three tokens can help push the remaining points of damage needed to close out most games, even if you lose some attackers along the way.
Nashi, Searcher in the Dark
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This thing is difficult to block as a two drop, so it will likely either get free card(s), or a +1/+1 counter to help it keep attacking.
Niko, Light of Hope
Rating: 4.0 // 5.0
This card does a lot of of different things, and the 3/4 stat line is strong enough that you shouldn’t feel behind. The shard tokens are enchantments, which can trigger eerie. The activated ability works well on defense, by flickering a chump blocker, or gaining the benefits of an ETB creature, as well as being strong on offense, by attacking with the shard copies. If none of that is what you’re looking for, you can just cash in the shard tokens for drawing cards from your library.
Oblivious Bookworm
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
This accrues so much value throughout the game if it’s not immediately addressed. Free looting each turn is great, but when you start drawing extra cards each turn, it feels a bit unfair.
Peer Past the Veil
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
While this can be awesome in the mid-late game, it’s too inconsistent for my tastes. If you’re at the point where this will draw you 6 cards, you’re likely very close to milling yourself as well. This card also is very likely going to be dead during the early-mid game as well.
Restricted Office // Lecture Hall
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
The first room is 95% of this card, while the second half is more of a bonus room. If the first half of this card misses the majority of creatures in your deck, it can be solid. There’s no guarantee that it will wreck your opponents creatures, but there’s a good chance you can get a two for one with it.
Rip, Spawn Hunter
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
A decent sized creature for the mana cost, and if it gets at least one creature it more than pays for itself.
Rite of the Moth
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
There are plenty of good reanimate targets in this set, and pairs easily with landcyclers. The mana cost of this card is a bit of a nuiscance, and it’s difficult to play in most tri-colored decks.
Roaring Furnace // Steaming Sauna
Rating: 4.0 // 5.0
Both halves of this card are strong enough to play even if you can’t unlock the other door. If you can unlock both, this card is incredibly powerful. One sided Howling Mine is incredibly powerful, and should win you most games.
Sawblade Skinripper
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This does a great job at picking off x/1 or even x/2 creatures with it’s end of turn passive ability. It can threaten to end games out of no where with a few activations as well.
Shrewd Storyteller
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
The 3/3 stat line on 3 drops doesn’t seem to be very favorable this set, and Selesnya leaves a lot to be desired. It’s still a fine creature, but I wouldn’t have very high expectations for it.
Shroudstomper
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This should be considered only as a reanimate target, as 7 mana is far too high to cast reliably.
Skullsnap Nuisance
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This should be considered as a wall for most Dimir decks. It blocks well and gets you some surveil along the way, but normally isn’t super impactful.
Smoky Lounge // Misty Salon
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is unplayable in the vast majority of decks, but if you have enough rooms that the second room can reliably be a 4/4 or bigger, this can be a real card.
The Swarmweaver
Rating: 4.0 // 5.0
This is one of the best rares in the set, and well worth splashing for. There are a good amount of other insect/spider creatures in the set, and the flying insects it creates work well on both offense or defense.
Undead Sprinter
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This works well with sacrifice synergies, especially repeatable ones. It can get some damage in here and there, as well as work well as a chump blocker when needed.
Victor, Valgavoth’s Seneschal
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
It’s rare in Orzhov that you will get more than one trigger per turn with this guy, though not impossible.
Wildfire Wickerfolk
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This might be a bit unassuming at first glance, but when it becomes a 4/3 trample haste, it’s a pretty strong creature for two mana.
Winter, Misanthropic Guide
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This warlock is extremely overrated, likely because it has a lot of text. It’s hard to cast, being three colors, and only starts doing things the following turn. Drawing two cards is beneficial to both players, and the delirium effect, is unlikely to be impactful enough to punish your opponent for drawing extra cards.
Zimone, All-Questioning
Rating: 4.0 // 5.0
Casting this on turn three gets you a 3/3 token, which upgrades to a 5/5 and 7/7 on turns 5 and 7 respecively. It’s important to keep in mind that the token is legendary, so it will end up replacing itself as you get more lands.
Top 3 Multicolor Uncommons:
Oblivious Bookworm Broodspinner Midnight Mayhem
There are some extremely powerful multicolored uncommons this set, that can really help dictate the direction of your draft. Most streamlined two-color decks have enough functionality and power to build a deck around, and splashing should mostly be reserved for bombs.
Lose and Learn, Learn and Win!
