It has almost been 20 years since the original Lorwyn release, and I can still remember playing that prerelease! Crazy how time flies when you’re playing Magic! There’s some fun new mechanics, as well as a return to some well-supported Typal (Tribal) archetypes. Let’s jump right on in!
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)
For the amount of words on this card, it doesn’t doo all that much. Don’t get me wrong, you still want this in your deck, but it’s not terribly exciting.
This is a big boy version of Recoil. Assuming you are Dimir, you can bounce the target and remove it from their hand. If your deck can only do one of the two options, this is more like a 2.5-3.0. You will rarely want to evoke this, but it is an option.
This is a big enough sized creature for the added ETB bonuses. I could see evoking this, or putting in a deck that isn’t Gruul, especially for the red half.
This is one of the weaker Elemental Incarnations, with the smaller body and the White half being lackluster. I would play this in either White or Black, but would be much more interested in the Black side.
This is the best of the Command cycle, and the only instant. You will most often copy + draw 2, which is a 3-for-1, but Pyroclasm sometimes makes this an x-for-1.
This looks a bit better than it plays, and don’t get me wrong – it’s still good. It will likely be your biggest creature when you cast it, so you will be wanting to attack with it until the late game.
You really don’t need to build around this, as it’s pretty solid on its own. Whenever this attacks or blocks, it becomes a 5/10, which is very large (if you didn’t know).
Andy "Icky" Ferguson is a long time limited grinder, with his first draft in 1999 at the age of 11. 22 years later, you can still find him streaming drafts, achieving the top ranks, including rank #1 5 months of 2021. Seasoned member of the Draft Lab squad and appointed "zen master", Andy lives by the motto; "lose and learn, learn and win".
