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)
Abhorrent Oculus
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
Blue is pretty good at filling up the graveyard, so the additional cost shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve. This thing will easily take over the game, but does run the risk of decking yourself in the late game!
Bottomless Pool // Locker Room
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
Sorcery speed Unsummon and Coastal Piracy built into one card seems incredibly powerful. Both sides are a bit situational, but powerful nonetheless.
Central Elevator // Promising Stairs
Rating: 0.5 // 5.0
I’ll give this a 0.5 because theremight be a room control deck where this can be played. Otherwise, you should avoid trying to play this.
Clammy Prowler
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
The stats on this thing are pretty poor, even if you have a decent creature to make unblockable.
Creeping Peeper
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
If you can use this as a mana dork for a good amount of your deck, it upgrades from bad filler decent filler.
Cursed Windbreaker
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
There’s a chance you can manifest a sweet creature to give flying to, and at worst, this is a Wind Drake that leaves behind a piece of equipment. I think this card will be fine, but a lot of slower blue decks don’t want this card.
Daggermaw Megalodon
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is a pretty well sized vigilance creature, but I would still avoid throwing this in any deck that doesn’t have mana issues.
Don’t Make a Sound
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
While I do enjoy Quench from time to time, this version leaves a lot to be desired.
Duskmourn’s Domination
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
The floor on this card is a six mana removal spell that gives you a blocker, and the ceiling isn’t much higher. But there’s some creatures out there with passive abilities (especially rares), that make for a huge swing in the game if stolen.
Enduring Curiosity
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
I didn’t think there would be a second Coastal Piracy reference today, but here we are. A 4/3 flash is solid on it’s own, but obviously its passive ability is what makes this a bomb. I won’t give this a higher rating, as you do have to have attackers to leverage the card, but it’s definitely a bomb.
Enter the Enigma
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
There’s quite a few blue cards that want to connect with your opponent, and this is a pretty low opportunity cost, as you can always cycle it. This also does a good job at activating filling your graveyard for delirium, as decent sorcerys aren’t that common.
Entity Tracker
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
Flash on this creature almost guarantees a free card when played on your opponents end step. If it’s not addressed, you will easily take over the game with card advantage.
Erratic Apparition
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
I would only play this card if you have plenty of eerie triggers in your deck. Even then, this card isn’t all that threatening.
Fear of Failed Tests
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
This is a really high cost for a chance to draw two cards. There are some cards to pair this with, but I really just don’t want a 2/7 that costs five mana in my deck.
Fear of Falling
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
A solid Air Elemental with a very relevant attack trigger, either clearing out flying blockers, or making your attacks more profitable.
Fear of Impostors
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is an odd one, but it feels like you can pilot this to be good most of the time. This most often trades with the manifest dread token, so it’s somewhat similar to Cancel. The upside is that you can just play this as a 3/2 enchantment creature, which can be relevant for instant speed eerie triggers.
Fear of Isolation
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This can be great paired with ETB effects, or bouncing a creature with -1/-1 counter’s or opponents enchantments. It can also pair very well with rooms that you want to reset. Please don’t play this on turn two and return a land though.
Floodpits Drowner
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is a really unique design, and overall I like it. You can use it like a four mana removal spell, by casting it on your opponents turn and activating it on yours. But it also works with other cards that provide stun counters, as well as just be a nice tempo play.
Get Out
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This will most often be a Counterspell, which is typically solid, but it also has a bonus mode, where you can save a creature or two, or reset some rooms.
Ghostly Keybearer
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
I’m not sure if Phantom Monster is all that appealing in modern day limited, but if you have some doors to unlock, it gets much better.
Glimmerburst
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
Inspiration is a pretty poor draw spell in modern day limited, and I don’t think the 1/1 token is going to make up for it. It does trigger eerie, but it’s likely just too expensive to want in your deck.
Leyline of Transformation
Rating: 0.0 // 5.0
Don’t do it.
Marina Vendrell’s Grimoire
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
There are some corner cases where this card is very strong, but most of them are instances where you’re already ahead. To simplify the card, it’s 6 mana, and changes your life total to 5-7 or so. If you have multiple ways to bounce this to your hand, it can be very strong, but I think this card is a pretty big liability in your average deck.
Meat Locker // Drowned Diner
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
Two stun counters can take a creature out of commission for quite a while, and a Jace's Ingenuity is a great effect to utilize with the extra time!
The Mindskinner
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
While this does kill your opponent in three or less turns, the triple blue mana cost is pretty steep. You will likely be able to cast it around turn 4-6 in your average two-colored deck. The one toughness makes this easy to pick off, though it can be reliable when paired with something like “card name=”Shardmage’s Rescue”]
Mirror Room // Fractured Realm
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
The majority of the time, this will be a three mana Clone, which is fine, unless your opponent kills your target. The second, 7 mana door, will rarely come up naturally, though it can be pretty nice when paired with something like Ghostly Keybearer
Overlord of the Floodpits
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
If you cast this for it’s impending cost on turn three, it can attack on turn seven, while casting it on five will allow you to attack on turn six. So there is some consideration to be had when deciding when to cast this, assuming you’re on curve. Either way, this is extremely powerful, especially if you get multiple triggers!
Paranormal Analyst
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
The strength of this detective correlates to how many manifest dread effects you have. This can range from cuttable to a bomb, depending on the cards in your deck.
Piranha Fly
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
I normally enjoy Vampire Interloper, but I feel that blue wants to be a bit slower this set. Having said that, if paired with an aggressive color, this can be a solid beater.
Scrabbling Skullcrab
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
While this isn’t nearly as threatening as Ruin Crab, it can still mill your opponent out if your deck is eerie enough. Blue’s overall gameplan supports this guy, especially just the 0/3 blocker part, which blocks manifest dread tokens effectively.
Silent Hallcreeper
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
This thing slices and dices! Three good options, likely copying a creature after growing and drawing you a card.
Stalked Researcher
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
Reminiscent of Shipwreck Sentry, it’s likely to be similar power. You play it if you need early speedbumps/blockers, but it’s very replaceable.
Stay Hidden, Stay Silent
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
Effectively a two mana removal spell, that can be hard removal for a steep mana cost.
The Tale of Tamiyo
Rating: 0.5 // 5.0
You need to have some extremely powerful spells to warrant playing this. Effectively doing nothing for three turns (though it could draw you a couple cards), to maybe cast some spells again, is a very steep cost.
Tunnel Surveyor
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is mostly just a filler creature, though it is a good mix of power and toughness for the cost.
Twist Reality
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
I can’t imagine too many scenarios in which you would want to choose the second option, maybe a surprise blocker? This is Cancel with more words.
Unable to Scream
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
One mana is very cheap for a “removal” spell, though leaving behind an 0/2 is most often not a great trade.
Underwater Tunnel // Slimy Aquarium
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is kind of like a Hill Giant, with a bonus surveil 2 on top. It’s a nice mix of choices, but overall underwhelming.
Unnerving Grasp
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This seems like a powerful spell, but sorcery speed bounce can be quite awkward at times.
Unwilling Vessel
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
A solid creature to include in most any blue deck, that’s effect scales the later the game goes. Even if X=1, the flying token makes for a strong effect.
Vanish from Sight
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
While this isn’t my favorite type of “removal”, the surveil makes me like it a lot more than normal.
Top 3 Blue Commons:
Meat Locker // Drowned Diner Enter the Enigma Tunnel Surveyor
Blue looks like it’s on the slower side, and utilizes evasive creatures to push through damage. It has some good control spells, and card draw, we will just have to see if it will be too slow for the format!
Lose and Learn, Learn and Win!
