Avatar: The Last Airbender (TLA) Limited Set Review: Red

As a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I think this is one of the best crossovers Magic has had, in terms of how well the IP transfers to the card game. The elemental “bending” abilities are all fun, and I look forward to seeing how they play out in limited. Let’s jump into breaking down some cards!

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)

Boar-q-pine

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

A copy of Spellgorger Weird, with a somehow weirder creature type. These are good with cheap spells and cantrips, preferably in Izzet.

Bumi Bash

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This is a removal spell. It’s not great, but if you need one, this will do the job well enough.

Combustion Man

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This is a unique creature to say the least. It does need to attack to get the most out of it, but 6 toughness is pretty decent on defense.

Combustion Technique

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This is a good burn spell in lesson/spells decks. Outside of that, it’s definitely sub-par.

Crescent Island Temple

Rating: 1.0 // 5.0

One of the weaker shrines in the set. I’d only consider running this with shrine synergies.

Cunning Maneuver

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

A somewhat weak trick in terms of the buff to mana ratio, but leaving behind a clue is pretty nice.

Deserter’s Disciple

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

A decent 2 drop, nothing too exciting.

Fated Firepower

Rating: 3.5 // 5.0

There’s a good amount of application for this card. Flashing it in during combat can make all of your small creatures trade up very effectively. As well as ending the game on the spot if your opponent lets you connect with a couple of attackers.

Firebender Ascension

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

The floor of this card is a 2/2 firebend 1 for two mana, which is pretty solid. The ascension trigger isn’t too hard to activate, and there are some very powerful ‘on attack’ triggers in this set.

Firebending Lesson

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

A really nice removal spell. Not only is it an upgrade to Shock due to the lesson mechanic, the ability to scale up is a huge boon.

Firebending Student

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

This isn’t all that exciting by itself, but it can enable some really strong turns, where you can unload a good amount of spells.

Fire Nation Attacks

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

A lot of the strength of this card is from the instant speed and flashback. It’s a great spell to dump firebending mana into.

Fire Nation Cadets

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This card can be a great early-game attacker, that can trade up with 2 drops fairly easily.

Fire Nation Raider

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

A decent aggressive red creature that works well with firebending to pay for the clue.

Fire Sages

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

A premium 2 drop that works incredibly well with other firebending creatures.

How to Start a Riot

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This is likely a Boros card, as White is very proficient in creating creature tokens in this set. A good finisher potentially in Izzet as well.

Iroh’s Demonstration

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

It will be rare to utilize the first mode, but it may come up from time to time. This is mostly a sorcery speed burn spell.

Jeong Jeong, the Deserter

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

The strength of this card is completely tied to the amount of cheap lessons in your deck. I wouldn’t be excited playing it in a deck with no lessons.

Jet’s Brainwashing

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This is most likely a Rakdos card, to follow up with a sacrifice synergy. It can also slot into a Boros aggressive deck pretty well.

Lightning Strike

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

Despite the power creep, Lightning strike is still solid.

Mai, Jaded Edge

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

Prowess + Double strike is incredibly difficult to play against. Pairing it with something as innocuous as Cunning Maneuver can result in 10 damage to the opponents face.

Mongoose Lizard

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

Menace makes this a somewhat scary finisher for red decks.

Price of Freedom

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

I’d only run this in lesson/prowess synergy decks, as this doesn’t do all that much. It’s also a good sideboard option if your opponent has a problematic land or artifact.

Ran and Shaw

Rating: 4.0 // 5.0

While there’s only one other dragon in the set, it’s not very difficult to get a few lessons in the graveyard before casting this.

Redirect Lightning

Rating: SB // 5.0

I like this card, but I’d much rather run it out of the sideboard against spell-heavy decks to avoid it being a dead card.

Rough Rhino Cavalry

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This sets itself up to exhaust the following turn, becoming a 7/7 trample. It’s not incredibly exciting, but I wouldn’t be too upset putting this in most decks.

Solstice Revelations

Rating: 1.0 // 5.0

This is another card I would only want to run if you need the lesson synergies. It’s a bit too inconsistent for my taste.

Sozin’s Comet

Rating: 0.0 // 5.0

This is a really neat card, but it’s not a card for limited.

The Cave of Two Lovers

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

This provides a ton of value. I wouldn’t be excited about running it in aggressive decks, but I’d still play it.

The Last Agni Kai

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

A nice removal spell that can enable some powerful turns, especially with firebending creatures in play.

The Legend of Roku // Avatar Roku

Rating: 4.0 // 5.0

While this card doesn’t really do anything on the turn it comes down, it provides solid card advantage, followed by an absurd creature.

Tiger-Dillo

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

There’s a surprisingly low amount of creatures with power 4≥. This won’t come online until turn 4 or 5 the majority of the time.

Treetop Freedom Fighters

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This will be alright most of the time, and really shine in Boros or Rakdos.

Twin Blades

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

This is an excellent combat trick, that leaves behind a +1/+1 equipment.

Ty Lee, Artful Acrobat

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

A solid 3 drop that does a great job at pushing damage.

War Balloon

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

I really like this card. It’s easy to turn into a creature with extra mana you have each turn, and you can crew it up to push 4 damage in the air very early.

Wartime Protestors

Rating: 3.5 // 5.0

There are a total of 76 other ally creatures in this set. This is big, fast, and a passive threat.

Yuyan Archers

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

The ETB trigger should not be overlooked, and I’m happy to run this 2 drop in any deck.

Zhao, the Moon Slayer

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

The vast majority of the time, this is a 2/2 menace for 2, which is completely reasonable.

Zuko, Exiled Prince

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

As long as this gets to attack, it will net you a “free” card.

Top 3 Red Commons:

Firebending Lesson Lightning Strike Yuyan Archers

Red is looking very powerful. The removal is solid, and the creatures are looking great as well. Red wants to be attacking in order to enable the firebenders (which are better quality than I had initially assumed), and taking out blockers with cheap burn/trick spells. I’ll be breaking down Green next, stay tuned!

Lose and Learn, Learn and Win!