Best Cards from Murders at Karlov Manor: Constructed Review

Murders at Karlov Manor is bringing a ton of super-powerful cards into multiple formats across the board. They vary between removal, enablers, payoffs. They slot into existing archetypes but can also create their own.

Let’s see which cards are particularly worth paying attention to!

Assassin’s Trophy

In the recent sets, a lot of colours have received a very strong removal piece such as Get Lost for white or Molten Collapse for Rakdos. This time, it’s Golgari’s turn!

Golgari Midrange is already one of the most popular iteration of a black grindy interactive strategy. It played interaction spells like Cut Down and Go for the Throat.

Now, Assassin's Trophy will give it an excellent answer to problematic permanents, ranging from Liliana of the Veil and The Wandering Emperor to Leyline Binding.

Speaking of Leyline Binding, Domain Ramp might also welcome this card! But as far as I’m concerned, it’d be in addition to rather than instead of Binding. This would give ramp an ultimate interaction suite.

No More Lies

We’ve asked for it so many times but here we are – Mana Leak has been reprinted into Standard. Kind of.

While it does force the opponent to pay 3, it has a restrictive cost of making you have to play Azorius specifically.

The biggest loser of this release is Make Disappear which has been the premiere two-mana counterspell in Standard.

While it will still be the main choice in non-white variants, here No More Lies will easily supersede it.

However, you don’t have to play one over the other. You can play both!

In this type of draw-go shell, I’d go with about six copies of two-mana countermagic, highlighted by the presence of No More Lies.

Its additional clause of exiling comes up sometimes against cards like Tenacious Underdogor Squee, Dubious Monarch but it won’t be relevant every game.

Pioneer and Explorer are also beneficiaries of this printing. Teferi, Hero of Dominaria its plus ability, and No More Lies go hand in hand.

There are also many more relevant targets for the exile clause that are not only relevant but actually game-changing.

Being able to exile a key Arclight Phoenix or an early Kroxa is going to win you games on the spot.

Lightning Helix

Lightning Helix is getting a reprint! It’s been an all-star in every format and it’s no different here in Standard. I could see a couple of shells for it.

The first would be a type of an aggro deck that puts a lot of pressure and has a bit of reach in the form of Lightning Helix. While Lightning Strike does the same damage, gaining life is relevant against other aggro decks of the format to stabilise the life total.

Another idea is to go bigger into the midrange territory and use the Boros colour combination as a mix of removal, Planeswalkers, and late game threats. Here Lightning Helix would act as a removal that also stabilises in the face of opposing pressure.

To finish off, we can go even bigger and combine the previous section into a control deck that takes advantage of both Lightning Helix and No More Lies.

Leyline of the Guildpact

Switching gears into Pioneer, Leyline of the Guildpact can slot into Mono Green Devotion, a deck that had been hit heavily by the Karn, the Great Creator ban.

If you start the game with a Leyline (or more! They are not legendary), you get a lot of free devotion. With an Elf on turn one, a turn two Nykthos can already product 5 mana, curving you out into Cavalier of Thorns.

If you add a Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner into the sequence, you can play Storm the Festival. Yes, on turn two!

Archdruid’s Charm

To follow up on the deck above, Archdruid's Charm slots into the deck as well pretty nicely.

Its main use will be a turn-two tutor for Nykthos as the perfect set up for turn three.

You will also be able to exile an opposing Leyline Binding, Temporary Lockdown or Witch's Oven.

On top of that, you can use the fight mode to have some maindeck creature interaction.

Thanks to all of that, the deck gets a substantial boost in flexibility and adaptability.

Deduce

While normally drawing a card is better than Investigating, there are some particular shells where it might not be the case!

In Indomitable Creativity decks, you want to have a critical mass of permanents that you can combo off of. In a version with Xenagos, God of Revels and Worldspine Wurm, the more the merrier.

On turn two, you get deeper into your deck thanks to the draw and the Clue token can wait patiently for Creativity.

If that time never comes though, that’s not an issue. We can draw another card in a pinch!

Cards-wise, it’s a pure two-for-one that the deck will happily deck.

Break Out

Break Out is a super interesting and innocuous uncommon that can create a shell all on its own.

First, it provides a lot of card selection – you can choose from among top6 cards. In this build with 28 creatures you are not only likely to hit but also actually get to decide which creature fits the situation best.

It also gives haste so your Quirion Beastcaller or Questing Druid can now immediately attack!

I’ve made the deck in a way that there are only 1 and 2 drops, so you will always be able to put it immediately onto the battlefield.

Fugitive Codebreaker

Murder at Karlov Manor gives us one of the best prowess creatures we’ve seen in quite some time.

Fugitive Codebreaker attacks immediately and works great in conjunction with our flurry of spells.

It grows really fast and allows you to use burn spells as removal, as you’re still converting them into damage indirectly (prowess).

If that wasn’t enough, it can act as Bedlam Reveler of sorts thanks to its disguise ability which is bound to come up as well.

Surveil lands

We’ve got a new cycle of lands as well. They have basic land types and can therefore be fetchable. While it won’t matter in Standard or Pioneer, I think it can make a splash in Modern.

While it’s still controversial, I think there is room to test out Thundering Fallsin Izzet modern tempo shells – be it Murktide or Fair Breach.

The idea is that you can fetch it out on an otherwise dead turn and get some extra value that’s relevant to your main plan.

A similar play pattern was with Mystic Sanctuary – but admittedly Sanctuary is much much stronger.

We will see what conclusion the hivemind comes to but there is potential there.

Another group of decks that could use these lands are combo strategies that need to set up for a specific turn.

In the past Ad Nauseamstrategies played Temples but these are fetchable.

Drag the Canal

Another deck that uses surveil lands but also a neat control tool.

Drag the Canal creates a body instant speed that can apply pressure or block something in combat.

Crucially though, it has a condition with great reward at the end. If a creature died this turn (regardless of whose the creature was), you gain 2 life, surveil 2, and investigate. It stabilises, provides card selection, *and* card advantage.

You want to play it in spots where, say on turn three, you Cut Down an opposing threat in combat, flash in Drag the Canal, get all the value, and trade creatures.

I think this card might slot into non-control Dimir shells as well but I see the most potential in those.

Conclusion

That’s it for the best constructed cards from Murders at Karlov Manor!

As we can see, there are cards for aggro shells, control strategies, and there is even some combo potential in there.

I’m beyond hyped to start brewing in this fresh Standard format!